Out: A Novel
2 journalers for this copy...
Just bought this yesterday. I plan on doing a discussion group for it at thereadinglounge.com
Description from bn.com:
With volcanic urgency, Kirino's story erupts onto the page with a searing heat, flowing like lava to a remarkable finish. Facing the daily burdens of slavish work conditions, stale marriages, and a society refusing to show them a proper respect, the women on the nightshift at a suburban Tokyo factory are all looking for one thing -- a way out. When pretty young Yayoi takes a beating from her deadbeat husband, her coworkers do little more than help their friend keep pace with the line. But a new kind of sisterhood emerges when Yayoi requires assistance in disposing of her dead husband's body.
Masako Katori emerges as a tenaciously determined leader in the dangerous cover-up, and with the others, provides readers with a disturbing vision of the lengths a human mind will travel in its quest for freedom. For Kirino's women aren't ruthless murderers; they're hardworking housewives with dignity, desperate for respect.
Discover rarely selects a mystery novel for our literary distinction, but unlike more formulaic crime novels, Kirino's work travels outside the boundaries of category fiction and gets under the skin. It's rare when a novel is so well rendered, so reaching in scope, and so thematically relevant that it surpasses its genre and demands a wider readership. Out does that and more. (Fall 2003 Selection)
Description from bn.com:
With volcanic urgency, Kirino's story erupts onto the page with a searing heat, flowing like lava to a remarkable finish. Facing the daily burdens of slavish work conditions, stale marriages, and a society refusing to show them a proper respect, the women on the nightshift at a suburban Tokyo factory are all looking for one thing -- a way out. When pretty young Yayoi takes a beating from her deadbeat husband, her coworkers do little more than help their friend keep pace with the line. But a new kind of sisterhood emerges when Yayoi requires assistance in disposing of her dead husband's body.
Masako Katori emerges as a tenaciously determined leader in the dangerous cover-up, and with the others, provides readers with a disturbing vision of the lengths a human mind will travel in its quest for freedom. For Kirino's women aren't ruthless murderers; they're hardworking housewives with dignity, desperate for respect.
Discover rarely selects a mystery novel for our literary distinction, but unlike more formulaic crime novels, Kirino's work travels outside the boundaries of category fiction and gets under the skin. It's rare when a novel is so well rendered, so reaching in scope, and so thematically relevant that it surpasses its genre and demands a wider readership. Out does that and more. (Fall 2003 Selection)
Not what I was looking for. There was a lot more violence and sadomasochism than I expected. On the other hand, I really liked the pieces of Japanese culture that infiltrated the story. Especially parts that you don't normally read about like Kazuo, who's Brazilian-Japanese. I did this as part of a reading group online and most people thought along the same lines.
I caught this book on PaperBackSwap.com, which is also a great way to exchange books. I had it listed on my Wish List but do not remember exactly how I knew about the book, probably had something to do with the fact that it was a Japanese Grand Prix winner. I've been reading crime fiction by foreign writers this year and had high hopes for this book. It was a disappointment. Might be because I never felt any connection with the characters and I'm not sure why - the writing was good. I did appreciate the extra information that was included in the story: factory work, Japan-Brazil migration.
The book has been relisted as a swap and is California bound this morning.
The book has been relisted as a swap and is California bound this morning.
