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I Hear Them Cry
Winner of the Toyo Shuppan Literary Award.
Within the peaceful walls of an old French church, Mayu, a young Japanese artist, finds inspiration. She befriends the local priest and gets involved with community outreach, discovering a rough world of drugs, prostitution, and marginalized youth. Through this work, she learns the value of human life. Even young Pierre, who gets arrested for attacking his mother with a knife, deserves compassion.
This delinquent has a seven-year-old sister named Anna and, as Mayu gets to know the family, she uncovers a disturbing history of abuse. Her wild attempt to save the girl from her twisted mother calls upon a brutal courage she didn’t know she had.
Within the peaceful walls of an old French church, Mayu, a young Japanese artist, finds inspiration. She befriends the local priest and gets involved with community outreach, discovering a rough world of drugs, prostitution, and marginalized youth. Through this work, she learns the value of human life. Even young Pierre, who gets arrested for attacking his mother with a knife, deserves compassion.
This delinquent has a seven-year-old sister named Anna and, as Mayu gets to know the family, she uncovers a disturbing history of abuse. Her wild attempt to save the girl from her twisted mother calls upon a brutal courage she didn’t know she had.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 3, 2021
I did quite enjoy some aspects of this book - the heroine is (mostly) quite likeable - "I long to live an authentic life as an artist in Paris - oh, hang on, rich handsome boyfriend is an option?!"
The supposed romantic hero is not at all likeable. Someone who has had a tortured unhappy childhood and who kills puppies is not great husband material. See "Wuthering Heights". This made it hard to believe they could have a "happy ever after".
I found the descriptions of France slightly confusing - where exactly was she? At times she seemed to be in a village, at times a large town (this might be me misreading, I read it very quickly). And I have no idea where she found an "authentic beer hall" where dancers perform the can-can, or where you can drive through a suburban landscape full of vineyards. It felt like several places were being conflated not entirely successfully.
I also had a problem with the child abuse plot in France - it felt like the author didn't know much about what actually happens when a child makes an allegation of abuse. If she had, I don't think the story would develop quite the way it does (don't want to give too much away).
Counts for Read Harder 2021 - a non-European novel in translation.
The supposed romantic hero is not at all likeable. Someone who has had a tortured unhappy childhood and who kills puppies is not great husband material. See "Wuthering Heights". This made it hard to believe they could have a "happy ever after".
I found the descriptions of France slightly confusing - where exactly was she? At times she seemed to be in a village, at times a large town (this might be me misreading, I read it very quickly). And I have no idea where she found an "authentic beer hall" where dancers perform the can-can, or where you can drive through a suburban landscape full of vineyards. It felt like several places were being conflated not entirely successfully.
I also had a problem with the child abuse plot in France - it felt like the author didn't know much about what actually happens when a child makes an allegation of abuse. If she had, I don't think the story would develop quite the way it does (don't want to give too much away).
Counts for Read Harder 2021 - a non-European novel in translation.
June 4, 2024
In Japan No One Can Hear You Cry
It was pretty good.
Admittedly, quite slow. But well written.
Lots of introspection and monologues.
I liked the fact that the main protagonist in the book was situated in a church - quite a rare occurrence for Japanese literature. Not particularly a religious book at all, I thought it had some interesting concepts to it.
I felt it really slowed down about ⅓ the way through the book.
Check it out if this sounds of interest to you.
3.6/5
It was pretty good.
Admittedly, quite slow. But well written.
Lots of introspection and monologues.
I liked the fact that the main protagonist in the book was situated in a church - quite a rare occurrence for Japanese literature. Not particularly a religious book at all, I thought it had some interesting concepts to it.
I felt it really slowed down about ⅓ the way through the book.
Check it out if this sounds of interest to you.
3.6/5
March 22, 2016
This was an extraordinary book, seen through the eyes of a young Japanese girl who was the narrator.
I think because the author is Japanese it lent a different and unusual perspective to an old and emotive subject- child abuse.
When our narrator Mayu arrives in France she wants only to immerse herself in French life. To paint, to live modestly among the people of the village. But she soon encounters the charismatic priest Jean who is known for helping the criminals, the junkies and the thieves. In short, the low- lifes. As she becomes more entangled with the lives of Pierre and his sister Anna, she meets young and wealthy Shigeki from her native Japan and becomes fascinated by his charm and glamour. Conflicted, she rejects his proffering of expensive gifts, wanting to remain true to her ideals. Then she does something so terrible, for the good of all concerned, it changes her life forever.
It's a marvellous book, it keeps you guessing throughout. The author often intersperses little insights into our heroine- (Will he choose me?) (I'm going to force that bitch out of my life) little illuminations of her mind.
The most disturbing thing about the book is this: What if she is wrong? What if she is too absorbed with a "Joan of Arc" role?
It's a thriller and a social commentary that really sets the pace, especially at the end.
The fact that is has been translated from the Japanese simply adds to its charm.
I think because the author is Japanese it lent a different and unusual perspective to an old and emotive subject- child abuse.
When our narrator Mayu arrives in France she wants only to immerse herself in French life. To paint, to live modestly among the people of the village. But she soon encounters the charismatic priest Jean who is known for helping the criminals, the junkies and the thieves. In short, the low- lifes. As she becomes more entangled with the lives of Pierre and his sister Anna, she meets young and wealthy Shigeki from her native Japan and becomes fascinated by his charm and glamour. Conflicted, she rejects his proffering of expensive gifts, wanting to remain true to her ideals. Then she does something so terrible, for the good of all concerned, it changes her life forever.
It's a marvellous book, it keeps you guessing throughout. The author often intersperses little insights into our heroine- (Will he choose me?) (I'm going to force that bitch out of my life) little illuminations of her mind.
The most disturbing thing about the book is this: What if she is wrong? What if she is too absorbed with a "Joan of Arc" role?
It's a thriller and a social commentary that really sets the pace, especially at the end.
The fact that is has been translated from the Japanese simply adds to its charm.
September 15, 2014
Concerned with the subject of child abuse, this is a complicated, flawed debut novel that reads fast. There is a desire at work here to connect the dots between generations of abuse, but possibly the author did not know enough about the subject to make for a compelling argument. There is nothing original in the plot, and it is difficult to pass judgment on the prose style of a translation, but interior monologues from Japan are usually more compelling than this.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews