A review by yeats_motel
Rings by Kōji Suzuki

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So pretty much everyone who knows me knows I love horror in general, but may or may not know that I have a special place in my heart for Asian horror. I finally got around to reading this book, upon which both the Japanese movie Ringu and its American remake The Ring are based. I like both movies a lot and I was curious about the book. It’s pretty different from the movies; while the films both feel very complete, the book is a lot more sequel hook-y (which makes sense since the book actually does have sequels). I enjoyed this a lot and will read the sequels at some point, so in that respect it did it’s job. The book is also in my opinion less outright scary than either of the films, but it’s very fun and atmospheric. I find I tend to prefer the way modern tech (in this case, a very cursed VHS tape) gets incorporated into Asian horror like Rings over how a lot of Western horror does it, though I can’t put my finger quite on why.

I recommend this book whether you liked the movies or not; I think it’s sufficiently different that it really feels like its own experience.