Published by Corsair,16 May 2013.
ISBN: 978-1-47210-587-5
This is a crime novel in
its purest sense, the story of a criminal entangled in a greater level of crime
than he wished for, and I was gripped from the first, elegant sentence: When I was a kid I often messed this up. The narrator, Nishimura, is a pickpocket, and
we’re drawn to sympathise with him by the bleakness of his life and the
dreamlike element of his fears, the ‘tower’ from the end of his street that
oversees his misdeeds. During the novel
we learn of his old friend and partner, Ishikawa, and his lost lover, Saeko,
and we also meet the young boy who represents what Nishimura once was, and who
can, perhaps, be saved from becoming what he now is.
The story is fresh, compelling; the writing is taut and
filled with a spare beauty; the simple sentences keep you reading quickly on to
find out what is going to happen next.
The book works on several levels: as a crime story, as a psychological
study, as a fable. I enjoyed reading it
very much, and it will resonate in my head for some time to come
------
Reviewer: Marsali
Taylor
Fuminori Nakamura born in Aichi on 2 September 1977. Nakamura
came to international attention when he won the 2010 Kenzaburo Oe Prize for his
novel, The Thief . The English translation of the novel was well
received. The Wall Street Journal called the book a "chilling
philosophical thriller" and included it in its Best Fiction of 2012,
Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh,
and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time
teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two
Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by
history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as
a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys
exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama
group. Marsali also does a regular
monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.
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