Sarah's review
Underground
by Haruki Murakami
Sarah's review
Underground by Haruki Murakami
Sarah's review
rating:
recommended for: those interested in accounts of terrorism/Japan
Very interesting book, though it does tend to drag. This is not a typical Murakami book. It's non-fiction and interviews the victims of the Tokyo gas attack. The reactions, while the accounts do get a bit repetitive, are all the more interesting to an American reader. Just think, if you found out you were being gased on the subway...how would you act? The reactions will surprise you.
Yet, the original book distances itself from any explanation of the attack itself, focussing on simply the emotions and reactions of people who were caught in the middle of it. Be sure to read the edition which has a later added section. This part was most interesting as Murakami interviewed numerous members of the cult Aum, the cult responsible for the gassing. Very interesting to hear first hand accounts of why these people joined a religious cult.
Yet, the original book distances itself from any explanation of the attack itself, focussing on simply the emotions and reactions of people who were caught in the middle of it. Be sure to read the edition which has a later added section. This part was most interesting as Murakami interviewed numerous members of the cult Aum, the cult responsible for the gassing. Very interesting to hear first hand accounts of why these people joined a religious cult.
