Out Group Read Discussion

[Selena]

Natsuo Kirino's novel tells a story of random violence in the staid Tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works a night shift making boxed lunches brutally strangles her deadbeat husband and then seeks the help of her co-workers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime.

The ringleader of this cover-up, Masako Katori, emerges as the emotional heart of Out and as one of the shrewdest, most clear-eyed creations in recent fiction. Masako's own search for a way out of the straitjacket of a dead-end life leads her, too, to take drastic action.

The complex yet riveting narrative seamlessly combines a convincing glimpse into the grimy world of Japan's yakuza with a brilliant portrayal of the psychology of a violent crime and the ensuing game of cat-and-mouse between seasoned detectives and a group of determined but inexperienced criminals. Kirino has mastered a Thelma and Louise kind of graveyard humor that illuminates her stunning evocation of the pressures and prejudices that drive women to extreme deeds and the friendship that bolsters them in the aftermath.

Discuss Out here!

Reading Schedule
5/8-5/21: Night shift
5/22-6/4: Bathroom
6/5-11: Crows
6/12-6/25: Dark Dreams
6/26-7/2: Piece Work
7/3-7/9: Apartment 412
7/10-7/16: Exit

[Selena]

I can't get this one from the library at the moment, so if anyone has the page numbers for the different chapters, it would be a big help.

Thanks guys!

[Caleb]

sorry this was a mistake, I'll try to upload later today;;

[Selena]

I was able to order Out from the library, but it might not get here in time for the start of the group read... Could someone who has a copy of the book give me the page numbers for the first few chapters so I can guesstimate for the rest?

If not, just assume ~50 pages a week until I can get the book ^^;;;

Thanks!

[Finn]

i have the book. looking forward to joining in!

[Selena]

My copy finally came in and I have a schedule up! This one looked fairly dense, so I erred on the side of more time for reading than less.

[Caleb]

Spoilers for Night Shift:
(view spoiler)[I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't really get into the story until the murder happened - usually stories where 'oh everyone is miserable, and there's nothing good in the world' is the vibe don't interest me much, so seeing someone get revenge on her abusive husband so early on in the book.
So far I've enjoyed the most the perspective some of the more dark-minded characters: Masako and Satake. Masako is so ready to help a co-worker get rid of a body in a heartbeat, which makes her seem both loyal and not very right in the head, but it very much feels like 'women looking out for women in horrible situations' type of deal (while not being afraid to hold her help above someone's head as a bargain chip). And Satake is just this emotionally repulsed man that even though he probably has the money to change his life for the better and make himself happy, he doesn't because he's grieving a woman he barely knows but considers her a soulmate, which is such a weird but interesting thing to think about. I do wonder how his relationship with Anna will move on, I have a strong feeling he might murder her too and because of that fall in love with her, but that's just speculation.
I did dislike the descriptions for the Brazilian men though, the visual descriptions irk me quite a bit (even though I'm very aware that's how real life Japanese see them, plus this novel was originally written in the 90's when Japan was even more racist).
Overall can't wait to see where the story progresses and see if the book actually has deep psychological dives just like the summary has promised!
(hide spoiler)]

[Ngoc]

Just wanted to quickly say this is one of my favourite books! Hope you guys enjoy