3.5
Grotesque
By Natsuo KirinoPublisher Description
Life at the prestigious Q High School for Girls in Tokyo exists on a precise social axis: a world of insiders and outsiders, of haves and have-nots. Beautiful Yuriko and her unpopular, unnamed sister exist in different spheres; the hopelessly awkward Kazue Sato floats around among them, trying to fit in.Years later, Yuriko and Kazue are dead — both have become prostitutes and both have been brutally murdered. Natsuo Kirino, celebrated author of Out, seamlessly weaves together the stories of these women’s struggles within the conventions and restrictions of Japanese society. At once a psychological investigation of the pressures facing Japanese women and a classic work of noir fiction, Grotesque is a brilliantly twisted novel of ambition, desire, beauty, cruelty, and identity by one of our most electrifying writers.
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities137 Reviews
3.5
nova
Created 7 days agoShare
Report
“Sooo…what did I just read? Not quite a crime novel, also not entirely a character study…I’m pleasantly disturbed?”
gib 🎀
Created 29 days agoShare
Report
“an underrated, overlooked masterpiece!
‘grotesque’ revolves around a trio of women who, despite their disparate lives, are interconnected by a haunting past and a tragic present.
the two murdered girls are forced into prostitution by a combination of circumstances and beliefs which makes them victims of a system that values them primarily for their physical appearance and sexual availability as well as victims of an unforgiving murder.
metaphorically, women sign a social contract at birth, promising to owe their life to the many strangers of men around them, which is obviously taken advantage of by the men in this world.
the novel is a powerful commentary on the dark underbelly of Japanese society, which was a fascinating exploration from a japanese-english translation perspective. the translated portrayal of no person’s narrative or intent/motive being straightforward was done well, as well as the seamless consequential flow between different narratives.
the lengths people will go for love is universal and in life no one wins…even the most beautiful girl your high school.
💄💋👔👠🧥🪪🎓🪴🌧️🍻🚅☎️💴”Multi-layered charactersEasy to readAddictiveUnpredictableDark settingDarkThought-provoking
aailed
Created about 1 month agoShare
Report
emić
Created about 1 month agoShare
Report
DirectorPurry
Created 2 months agoShare
Report
“CW: sexual content, sexual violence, rape, sexual assault, pedophilia, adult/minor relationship, eating disorder, body shaming, murder, incest, (minor) dementia, (minor) suicide, (minor) human waste
A strange and unsettling character study of two female sex workers, a sister, and a murderer.”
About Natsuo Kirino
Natsuo Kirino, born in 1951, quickly established a reputation in her country as one of a rare breed of mystery writers whose work goes well beyond the conventional crime novel. This fact has been demonstrated by her winning not only the Grand Prix for Crime Fiction in Japan for Out in 1998, but one of its major literary awards--the Naoki Prize--for Soft Cheeks (which has not yet been published in English), in 1999. Several of her books have also been turned into feature movies. Out was the first of her novels to appear in English and was nominated for an Edgar Award.TRANSLATOR: Rebecca L. Copeland, professor of Japanese literature at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, was born in Fukuoka, Japan, the daughter of American missionaries. She received her Ph.D. in Japanese Literature from Columbia University in 1986. She has published numerous scholarly studies on and translations of modern Japanese women's writing.
Other books by Natsuo Kirino
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Similar Books
Save to a list
0
/30
0
/100
Private List