#IN THE MISO SOUP

[bloweyelashwisher]

[starshipreads]

review: in the miso soup by ryu murakami (1997)

192 pages / started nov 5th 2024 / finished nov 8th 2024

spoiler free!!

Summary: It's just before New Year, and Frank, an American tourist, has hired Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo's nightlife. But, Frank's behaviour is so odd that Kenji begins to entertain a horrible suspicion: his client may in fact have murderous desires. Although Kenji is far from innocent himself, he unwillingly descends with Frank into an inferno of evil, from which only his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Jun, can possibly save him.

I picked this book up from the store on a whim a few days ago, mostly because of how cool the cover looked. I went into this book completely blind, and I am so glad I did. I got through the book in only three sittings, which is a rare from me. This is my first book by Murakami, and for sure not my last.

Kenji is such an interesting protagonist, and his relationship with Frank is what really drove the story for me and got me invested. The pacing within the first half of the novel was fantastic, and it really set you up with the fear that something awful was always around the corner. The eventual awful something (which i won't spoil) was very much worth the payoff, and honestly completely shocked me even though I was still expecting it.

The novel really paints a gritty, unglamorous portrait of Japan which isn't often seen in literature, something I believe is a staple in murakamis work, but I'll have to fact check that. The setting of kabuki-cho is a character in and of itself.

Frank is such an incredibly interesting character that I don't think I could explain it without telling you what he does. Once you read the book, I think you'll understand what I mean.

The third act was a little bit monologue-y, and some of the language is a bit outdated however. If you are sensitive to violence towards and the exploitation of sex workers, you may not be able to stomach this. Kenji is not an innocent character, he is well aware of how exploitative the sex industry is yet he still uses it for his own financial gain, not even mentioning his underage girlfriend. I believe thats what makes the story even more compelling. The more Kenji falls deeper down the rabbit hole of madness Frank leads him down, you start to doubt if he will make it out or not.

Critiques aside, I would 100% read this again and I would definitely recommend this to my horror loving friends and family! If you like psychological thrillers, you'll love this!

7/10

ty for reading!! feel free to follow me for more reviews plus other bookish related stuff!!

[travelingviabooks]

My Spooky Season recommendations for 2024!

In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami - A serial killer targeting sex workers in Tokyo’s red light district and a local guide caught in the middle of it all.

World War Z by Max Brooks - Remember that movie of the same name? It’s based on this book, but like usual, the book is better.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw - I was appalled by how much I liked this novella given the amount of violence and gore, which is not usually something I like to read.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher - A retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher.

What Feasts at Night by T Kingfisher - A follow-up to What Moves the Dead with references to Romanian folklore.

Woman, Eating - A modern vampire just trying to make it through life.

Starling House by Alice E. Barrow - Less creepy than the other books on this list, but possibly my favorite on this list. Appalachian mining town being haunted by its dark history and romance.

Devolution by Max Brooks - A Sasquatch horror. Loved the amount of research that went into the book that made it a little extra spooky.

[aikawa-kazuki]

i love reading non english literature because i get sentences like this

[samireads]

October was a bit of a slow reading month! But I did reach my 2024 goal of 30 books, and I saw Stray Kids twice 🥹🫶🏼

[whatcha-reading-today]

In the Miso Soup | Ryu Murakami

Gross, quick, and well-written. Not really a mystery but if you're looking for a nasty thriller this works.

Format: Physical copy

Read in: 2023

[thenineofus]

Never have I had such great experience with the opening of a book as I did with In the Miso Soup. You see I judge a lot first sentences of books, I collect book openings and closings.

So the first sentence of the book is "My name is Kenji" which made me giggle, I though "wow great stuff there, Garcia Marquez" and then came the next sentence. Which elaborates on how simple the sentence is in english and goes on to describe several ways to say it in japanese and I was swung back away. That is actually a brilliant opening for this book. Brilliant.

[rye-views]

In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami. 7.8/10

I would recommend this book to my friends. I would reread this book.

The commentary on how the Japanese are copying America and it not being as simple as that is interesting to me. I think of this often too that it's not that simple. The idea of sleep being for the mind's rest and not the body is interesting to me. Makes sense.

The vocal cord slashing made me scared. I got hand trembly for the first time from a book. The articulation of the face/nose being burned and the ear/face being cut is crazy to me. I feel adrenaline and fear reading this scene. Damn at baby him self-cutting. That's some crazy imagery.

The hypnosis kinda detracts from the story for me. I would've never asked Jun to come.

Japan really never got taken over?

I like Jun and Kenji's communication and relationship. This book is great at articulating thoughts and feelings.

Memorable Quotes: "and you can't do something you can't visualize yourself doing." "Just expressing something to someone wasn't necessarily the same as communicating." "And sometimes ignorance is even harder to deal with than deliberate evil." "what makes somebody nice or unpleasant to be around is the way they communicate. When people are fucked up, their communication is fucked up." "If you reject society, then you should live outside it, not off it" "No matter what we do, no matter how we agonize or obsess, we cannot choose for our children whether they live or die."

[stumpyshocky]

Did some Birthday shopping at barnes and noble over the weekend and picked up "In The Miso Soup" by Ryu Murakami and wtf am I reading????

Its good, short, and gory. Reminds me of Earthlings in the wtf aspect.

[hyliandude]

New books!

[mylifeinfiction]

In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami

My First Book of 2023!!

My brother lent this to me on New Year's Eve, and I decided to squeeze it in as my first book of the year so that it didn't get lost in the mix among my planned 2023 reading.

Ryū Murakami's  In the Miso Soup is a peculiar, perverse little thriller about loneliness and the desperate urge to connect with someone else; the need for something outside yourself to remind you this is all real. Its first act is a journey through the seedy side of Tokyo nightlife filled with as much unsure dread as it is a grungy air of authenticity. The second act is an awkward depiction of the masks we wear and the parts of us we’re willing to bare to those around us that comes to a head in a brutally violent, grotesquely surreal manner that hits like a brick. From that brilliantly visceral, over-the-top, desperate moment, the final act takes an unexpected/interesting turn, sacrificing any traditionally suspenseful climax for an exploration of a sick psyche and the world in which it was incubated. The ending leaves a bit to be desired structurally, but is perfectly ambiguous for the themes, characters, and the book they inhabit.

7/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[nothingbutfables]

In the Miso Soup - Ryū Murakami (Review)

Summary: It is just before New Year’s. Frank, an overweight American tourist, has hired Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo’s sleazy nightlife. But Frank’s behavior is so strange that Kenji begins to entertain a horrible suspicion—that his new client is in fact the serial killer currently terrorizing the city. It is not until later, however, that Kenji learns exactly how much he has to fear and how irrevocably his encounter with this great white whale of an American will change his life.

Review: The first half of the book is a slow-rise build of unnerving tension. At moments, I had never felt such unease while reading something. The narrative kept me wondering, stringing me along while Kenji spirals to discover the truth behind his client’s nature. Only at the climax does the true horror of the situation finally and fully sink in. However, the events that unfold in the book’s last third feel dissatisfying. The dialogue that ensues may be thought-provoking, but the way it structures the story’s end left me feeling like something was lacking. Even so, I believe this book is an unforgettable experience due to its near-masterful grasp of creating suspense and thrilling the reader up to its peak of events.

3/5

[admiralgiggles]

This is the first book I’ve ever read by the author and I rather enjoyed it. It got a little gruesome in part two and by part three you’ve somehow found yourself feeling empathetic for the antagonist. A weird little read but I’m for sure going to check out some more titles.

*Bonus, I went to a sushi restaurant so I could take this photo. 🍣 🙌

[travelingviabooks]

In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Country: Japan

Review:

I wasn’t expecting much from this book, so I’m not sure why I wanted it so desperately, but I knew I wanted it. I looked everywhere and wound up finding it at Kinokuniya in NYC, on my last trip there.

I’d say it was well worth the effort to find. It was terrifying to me in a way that I was not expecting. I was enthralled and it’s so fast paced which made it even more difficult to put down. I found Kenji and Jun to both be likable characters. And the whole story feels like such a unique plot. It’s truly a fascinating read.

I will say that this book is split into only three parts (chapters?) which makes it rather difficult to find a good stopping point. There’s a lot happening in it at any given time. This didn’t really affect my read negatively though.

Warnings: graphic descriptions of murder, sexual assault, fear, serial killer

Would I recommend this book?: If you are a lover of thrillers, mystery, suspense, and maybe a touch of horror, then I think this would be a great book for you.

[nukune]

me: *throws my book in the grass to get an aesthetically pleasing pic*

3 people asked me for a book review and that’s 2 more than I thought would care so here it is lol

📖 ✨

• Japanese novelist and filmmaker Ryu Murakami shares the perspective of a nightlife tour guide named Kenji. His services are requested by a gaijin (foreigner) named Frank who is reaaaal intrigued to see what Kabuki-cho, Tokyos biggest red light districts has to offer him. While the two explore the underground sex scene, Frank starts giving 🚩🚩when Kenji notices he’s catching him in white lies left and right, and he’s not exactly interested in any sexual activity with the women they were meeting. Kenji also describes “The Face” Frank flashes him for a split second when nobody is looking as hollow and evil, & sure to send a chill down his spine. While this is going on, the morning paper is plastered with a young high school girl who was found murdered. Does this gaijin have anything to do with it? Is Kenji next? It’s definitely worth the read to find out 🤭

This book gives the reader a look into the lost souls of a broken industry, a playful perspective from natives on foreigners and their customs, the way fear shows up in our human bodies, and what friendship can do in even the most absurd situations. Easy read but some scenes are full of gore, and Marukami is so good at painting the picture, it can feel difficult to read, but feels like you can’t look away at the same time.

10/10 would recommend 🍃

[itstremmy]