死神の浮力 - BookWyrm for Social Yetis

Paperback, 544 pages

Published July 8, 2016 by 文春文庫.

ISBN:: 978-4-16-790647-4

娘を残虐に殺された小説家の山野辺は苦しみのなかにいた。著名人であるが故にマスコミからの心無い取材に晒され、さらに犯人とされていた男・本城が第一審で無罪になったのだ。しかし、山野辺は彼が犯人であることを「知っていた」。彼はサイコパスと呼ばれる反社会的人格者で、自分が犯人である証拠を、山野辺宛てに送ってきていたのだった――。

控訴の猶予期間は二週間。山野辺とその妻、美樹は一時的に自由の身になった本城を探し、動き始める。そこに千葉という男が現れ「本城の居場所を知っている」と言う。山野辺夫妻は半信半疑ながらも、この妙な男と行動を共にすることにする。。山野辺夫妻・千葉チーム対サイコパス本城の勝負の行方は? 今回、千葉が「担当している」のは誰なのか? そして調査の結果は?

娘を残虐に殺された小説家の山野辺は苦しみのなかにいた。著名人であるが故にマスコミからの心無い取材に晒され、さらに犯人とされていた男・本城が第一審で無罪になったのだ。しかし、山野辺は彼が犯人であることを「知っていた」。彼はサイコパスと呼ばれる反社会的人格者で、自分が犯人である証拠を、山野辺宛てに送ってきていたのだった――。

控訴の猶予期間は二週間。山野辺とその妻、美樹は一時的に自由の身になった本城を探し、動き始める。そこに千葉という男が現れ「本城の居場所を知っている」と言う。山野辺夫妻は半信半疑ながらも、この妙な男と行動を共にすることにする。。山野辺夫妻・千葉チーム対サイコパス本城の勝負の行方は? 今回、千葉が「担当している」のは誰なのか? そして調査の結果は?

1 edition

Taylor Drew reviewed 死神の浮力 by Kōtarō Isaka

Tragically absurd and hilarious

4 stars

This book is a complete and utter tragedy. It follows two parents as they try to exact revenge against a guy who poisoned their daughter and killed her just for something to do. But it's also hilarious because it's also about a nonhuman staffer who does investigations over a period of 7 days to determine if it's time for a human being to die or not and the only thing this staffer, Chiba, cares about, is listening to music.

That being said, this cognitive dissonance of horrors in contrast with the guy who thinks his whole job is a pain in the ass, but that he does diligently anyway, is kind of what makes it work. You get serious hard-hitting philosophical discussion and portrayals of the agony of losing a child and you also have a guy who just internally monologues about how he's only asking a question because …

This book is a complete and utter tragedy. It follows two parents as they try to exact revenge against a guy who poisoned their daughter and killed her just for something to do. But it's also hilarious because it's also about a nonhuman staffer who does investigations over a period of 7 days to determine if it's time for a human being to die or not and the only thing this staffer, Chiba, cares about, is listening to music.

That being said, this cognitive dissonance of horrors in contrast with the guy who thinks his whole job is a pain in the ass, but that he does diligently anyway, is kind of what makes it work. You get serious hard-hitting philosophical discussion and portrayals of the agony of losing a child and you also have a guy who just internally monologues about how he's only asking a question because it'll make his job easier and not because he actually cares.

The storyline manages to be completely serious and utterly absurd at the same time and I love everything about that energy. Great book. It would be hilarious to see this, and the short story collection with the same staffer character that came out before it, in English someday.