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Night of the Ninja
Like new very good condition.
132 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 14, 2019
I found this in the $1 section of my local used bookstore, the words "No Return" stamped in red across the cover. And I can't blame the store owners for wanting rid of it for good. In terms of aesthetics, this novel is an eyesore. The awful cover, lame illustrations, and slender spine make it seem like children's lit, while on the inside you are treated to cramped text, inconsistent formatting, random punctuation, and typos galore. The author is a total unknown, and the title is reminiscent of a bad Sho Kosugi film. (Admittedly though, it was the word "ninja" that first caught my eye.) There's not even a story blurb on the back cover, just a list of nonfiction martial arts titles from the same publisher (classics like DYNAMIC BATON TECHNIQUES and PRIMORDIAL PUGILISM, TAI CHI CHUAN) letting you know the book was produced by people who lack any sort of background in fiction.
All signs point to NIGHT OF THE NINJA being on the same level as all the self-published garbage that amateur writers vomit up on CreateSpace these days. The book has absolutely nothing going for it...except that it's shockingly good. In fact, I'd say it's my new go-to example of a "diamond in the rough."
There was a time back in Jr. high when I purchased a tanto blade and some ninja stars through a mail-order magazine. Back then, I was dead-set on hunting down any ninja-themed novel I could find. Unfortunately, all I could get my hands on in those pre-internet days were the boring and pseudo-pornographic works of Eric Van Lustbader, whom I've carried a grudge against ever since. NIGHT OF THE NINJA is the type of book that would've really hit the spot, so I'm bummed to be discovering it only now, 20 years after my high school graduation.
Oh well, better late than never.
I'm very glad I didn't let the awful cover art dissuade me from flipping the book open and noticing its potential. Max Abelard may not be a world-class writer, but his prose is neat and efficient, and more importantly, he knows his stuff when it comes to ninjas, samurais, and ancient Japanese culture. And unlike other English authors of his day (NIGHT OF THE NINJA came out in 1983), Mr. Abelard doesn't feel the need to shoehorn in a white protagonist, nor include any Caucasian supporting characters. This story is all Japanese, all the time. The plot is elaborate and satisfying for something this length, and the characters feel memorable and well-developed. If you enjoy novels about ninjas--and for God's sake who doesn't?--I guarantee you'll get more than your money's worth.
All signs point to NIGHT OF THE NINJA being on the same level as all the self-published garbage that amateur writers vomit up on CreateSpace these days. The book has absolutely nothing going for it...except that it's shockingly good. In fact, I'd say it's my new go-to example of a "diamond in the rough."
There was a time back in Jr. high when I purchased a tanto blade and some ninja stars through a mail-order magazine. Back then, I was dead-set on hunting down any ninja-themed novel I could find. Unfortunately, all I could get my hands on in those pre-internet days were the boring and pseudo-pornographic works of Eric Van Lustbader, whom I've carried a grudge against ever since. NIGHT OF THE NINJA is the type of book that would've really hit the spot, so I'm bummed to be discovering it only now, 20 years after my high school graduation.
Oh well, better late than never.
I'm very glad I didn't let the awful cover art dissuade me from flipping the book open and noticing its potential. Max Abelard may not be a world-class writer, but his prose is neat and efficient, and more importantly, he knows his stuff when it comes to ninjas, samurais, and ancient Japanese culture. And unlike other English authors of his day (NIGHT OF THE NINJA came out in 1983), Mr. Abelard doesn't feel the need to shoehorn in a white protagonist, nor include any Caucasian supporting characters. This story is all Japanese, all the time. The plot is elaborate and satisfying for something this length, and the characters feel memorable and well-developed. If you enjoy novels about ninjas--and for God's sake who doesn't?--I guarantee you'll get more than your money's worth.
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