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A review by thexwalrus
Ring by Kōji Suzuki
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
so i don't know how to rate this, and i'll be thinking about it for the next few days, but i want to give my reasons for being unsure of a rating in my review.
content warnings: rape and transphobia
structurally, i think this is one of the best horror novels i've ever read. it doesn't overstay its welcome and it's paced like a thriller more than a horror. that being said, though, the elements of the story are 100% pure horror, even though the mystery of how to save themselves after watching the tape is the driving force of the narrative.
on a sentence level, it's also beautifully written. it's snappy and natural, with conversations never feeling forced and characters' voices feeling extremely strong and distinct throughout. this is a credit to both the translator and suzuki himself. it manages to convey tension better than most books i've read recently - i actually had to put it down after the first viewing of the tape because i was so unsettled by it! it wasn't even that scary, but it was enough to make me feel creeped out. that's a huge point in its favor.
the casual discussion of rape, and one of the two focal characters being a rapist(or so we think until the end, when everything is thrown into question) caught me off guard. i could handwave the misogyny of asakawa as a product of the time - this originally released in 1991, which means it was most likely written with the attitudes of the 80s. <i>ha ha, i wish my wife talked less,</i> whatever. i don't like it, but i get it, and it doesn't affect my enjoyment of a book. but the rapist thing was just... surprising? it didn't get described in too much detail for the most part - there is one instance in the final act that got a bit more descriptive, with dr. nagao discussing sadako's death, but even then, it was not extremely descriptive beyond (spoiler and a paraphrased example of the description of rape beneath the spoiler tag) "sadako fought and bit me and i was repulsed when i finished" but it's something that warranted a warning and definitely threw me out of the narrative for a bit.
the transphobia in the final act felt super unnecessary as well, despite arguably being a product of its time. it soured things for me. it was blatant and impossible to ignore, considering how much of a chapter it took up and how it was poised as a crux of the entire story. it didn't really need to be there? i'm sure you could skip over that part if it wasn't scattered throughout multiple paragraphs in the final few chapters - so i can't even provide page numbers for the physical copy to help out and make sure people know when it's coming. it starts whendr. nagao is talking to asakawa, and it will be present from then on in tiny parts of paragraphs.
the ending sent a chill through my spine, and while i'm normally a little apprehensive about horror stories that give you that wink and nudge that the horror wasn't truly over, this was the absolute best manifestation of it i've ever seen. it made me want to pick up the sequel. it made me want to watch the original movie that scared me shitless with previews alone when i was a kid! that's powerful. it was so interesting and compelling and it left me feeling mostly positive about the book, i think, but the above two points leave me so unsure on how to rate this.
if you go into this with knowledge of the way rape is discussed and the knowledge that transphobia is present, if you like horror, i think you may enjoy this. but those two factors are undoubtedly parts of this book and i don't blame you if it makes you skip it.
content warnings: rape and transphobia
structurally, i think this is one of the best horror novels i've ever read. it doesn't overstay its welcome and it's paced like a thriller more than a horror. that being said, though, the elements of the story are 100% pure horror, even though the mystery of how to save themselves after watching the tape is the driving force of the narrative.
on a sentence level, it's also beautifully written. it's snappy and natural, with conversations never feeling forced and characters' voices feeling extremely strong and distinct throughout. this is a credit to both the translator and suzuki himself. it manages to convey tension better than most books i've read recently - i actually had to put it down after the first viewing of the tape because i was so unsettled by it! it wasn't even that scary, but it was enough to make me feel creeped out. that's a huge point in its favor.
the casual discussion of rape, and one of the two focal characters being a rapist
the transphobia in the final act felt super unnecessary as well, despite arguably being a product of its time. it soured things for me. it was blatant and impossible to ignore, considering how much of a chapter it took up and how it was poised as a crux of the entire story. it didn't really need to be there? i'm sure you could skip over that part if it wasn't scattered throughout multiple paragraphs in the final few chapters - so i can't even provide page numbers for the physical copy to help out and make sure people know when it's coming. it starts when
the ending sent a chill through my spine, and while i'm normally a little apprehensive about horror stories that give you that wink and nudge that the horror wasn't truly over, this was the absolute best manifestation of it i've ever seen. it made me want to pick up the sequel. it made me want to watch the original movie that scared me shitless with previews alone when i was a kid! that's powerful. it was so interesting and compelling and it left me feeling mostly positive about the book, i think, but the above two points leave me so unsure on how to rate this.
if you go into this with knowledge of the way rape is discussed and the knowledge that transphobia is present, if you like horror, i think you may enjoy this. but those two factors are undoubtedly parts of this book and i don't blame you if it makes you skip it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Rape