In the Miso Soup in Around the World in 80 Books

Jan 04, 2019 Tony rated it liked it

Shelves: setting-asia, novels, unreliable-narrator, translated-fiction

A note to the careless: there are two famous Japanese novelists with the last name Murakami. Both are acclaimed at home, but Haruki is the better known of the two in translation and is beloved for his quirky use of the tools of magical realism. This book is by Ryu, the "other" Murakami, and his books are an altogether different proposition. Written in 1997, this is only the fourth of his ten novels to be translated into English (after Almost Transparent Blue, Coin Locker Babies, and 69), but the A note to the careless: there are two famous Japanese novelists with the last name Murakami. Both are acclaimed at home, but Haruki is the better known of the two in translation and is beloved for his quirky use of the tools of magical realism. This book is by Ryu, the "other" Murakami, and his books are an altogether different proposition. Written in 1997, this is only the fourth of his ten novels to be translated into English (after Almost Transparent Blue, Coin Locker Babies, and 69), but the themes of alienation and ultraviolence are right in keeping with his oeuvre, which includes the script for the highly overrated shock sexploitation film "Tokyo Decadence" and the novel which was the basis for the even worse film "Audition." Although there's little sex to speak of in this book, be forewarned that there is some very graphic violence that may well upset the faint-hearted.

The plot is relatively straightforward: 20-year-old Kenji works as a guide for Western tourists looking for action in Tokyo's sex districts. A few days before the end of the year, he meets up with a new American client named Frank. Right off the bat there is the sense that something is not right with Frank, and within the first ten pages Kenji irrationally suspects that Frank may have been responsible for the brutal dismembering of a teenager that's been in the news. The rest of the book vividly chronicles their journey through the grim nightlife as Frank drags Kenji around seedy bars, ostensibly in search of sex, but seemingly more in search of companionship. All the while, Kenji nurses growing suspicions that Frank may actually be a psychopath, until 2/3 of the way through there is a major incident which seems to confirm his worst fears.

I say "seems" because there are a number of ways one might interpret this incident and the entire story. Certainly, at the core, as in Murakami's other work, there is a heavy dose of social commentary regarding the prevalence of alienation in modern Japanese society and a critique of materialism. There are repeated references to the "compensated dating" phenomenon among teenage girls, as well as the varying shades of amateur prostitutes, and ruminations as to what kind of society leads to people seeking such desperate connections. In a sense, this is very reminiscent of the themes of Bret Easton Ellis' "American Psycho." And like that book, one has to wonder about the reliability of the narrator, and ultimately question just to what extent the atrocities that are detailed actually occurred. One could make a case that "Frank" does not actually exist, and that Kenji is losing his marbles. On the other hand, one could take all the events at their face value and come up with a reading of the book in which the two protagonists are stand-ins for their countries and their relationship is a mirror of the U.S.-Japanese relationship (the American is rich and randomly violent, while the naive Japanese shadows him, bewildered and passive, wishing to intervene but never daring to). Either of these is more interesting than taking it all at face value, since despite the cover blurb, this isn't really a thriller.

The first 2/3 of the book do manage to provoke a fair amount of tension and anxiety as the reader wonders with Kenji about Frank's true nature. However, this is eventually subsumed by an annoyance with Kenji for being so passive and getting swept along so easily in whatever scheme Frank has planned. After the major incident, the book kind of meanders to an inconclusive ending. Murakami does a great job of painting a vivid picture and creating an oppressive mood, but it ends up feeling like all style and very little substance. This may actually be a case where the movie will end up being better than the book.
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Apr 02, 2015 Jason rated it liked it

This was my first trip down the back alleys of Japan with Ryu Murakami. Although I enjoyed this book, the author may be a Murakami, but he is certainly no Haruki Murakami (my favorite Japanese author).

"In the Miso Soup" is packaged as a serial killer-centric, ultra-violent thriller. While it does contain a serial killer and one particular scene of grotesque bloodletting and sexual abuse, this novel is mostly a contemplation of the lonely, inconsolable youth culture of Japan at the turn of the Mi ...more

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Mar 02, 2014 Barondestructo rated it liked it

A young man who specializes in guiding foreigners on red light tours of Tokyo begins to suspect that there may be more to his latest client than meets the eye. Is this strange American merely eccentric, or could he be the serial killer responsible for some recent gruesome murders? As the mystery builds and our protagonist is drawn inexorably deeper, things begin to take a turn for the bizarre. Incredibly engaging and unnerving – until the sudden and inexplicable supernatural twist late in the hi ...more

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May 04, 2008 Johan rated it liked it

Discovered Ryu Murakami when watching Takashi Miikes, Audition, based on Murakami's script. That was great film, and In the miso soup was quite an alright read. I read it while living in Japan, and was interesting setting in Kabukicho, the (in)famous sex district, just that felt it was a nice build up of the book but then the ending came so fast. All in all, a decent read, but nothing I would read again. Certainly will read more of him though, and just finished Piercing, which I thought better, ...more

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