Ryu Murakami

[Mycernius]

I have just bought a book by this author (In the Miso Soup) and wondered if anyone else has read or even heard of him. The title and the synopsis kinda drew me in (it was on a recommendation on Amazon). He seems to be a horror writer and Amazon recommended it to me because I have read two Natsuo Kirino books.

[ASHIKAGA]

村上 龍 (Ryu Murakami) is very popular and considered a very important writer in the modern Japanese literature. Personally, I have only read his first novel 限りなく透明に近いブルー back when I was a student and am not familiar with the one you mentioned. He is not a horror writer as far as I know. Let us know how it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_Murakami 　　

[GodEmperorLeto]

村上春樹 (Haruki Murakami, no relation) is another dynamite author, in case you are interested. Someone wrote that he was like Philip K. Dick of Japan, but I feel he's more of a Chuck Palanhiuk (without the deadpan cynicism).

As for 龍さん, I hear that オーディション (Audition) was based on a work of his. That movie actually disturbed Rob Zombie. Never read any of his stuff, but I've been finding more and more how much I like modern Japanese lit.

[Mycernius]

Thanks, I might give Haruki a go.
I finished In the Miso Soup yesterday. Whilst is appears to be horror/pschological type of work, it seems to be more a commentary about the Japanese way of life. Quite critical of it is some parts. Told in the first person it even starts on wondering why Japanese has so many way just to say your name; hard boiled, formal, gay, and, in between the actual storyline, the character makes various remarks about the strangness of Japanese life and how odd it seems to foreigners.
It is set in the red light district in Tokyo, around Shinjuku, but it is quite an entertaining read and has opened my eyes a little bit more about Japanese life.
I think I might try Piercings next.

[Jericho Desu]

I've read In miso soup and.... I didn't like it, in the beginning it was rather good, but slowly as it progressed it got pretty poor, it got pretty obvious at some points and even though it tried to make up for it by being vividly gory/disgusting (trust me) it just didn't cut it. But of course this is my opinion.

Edit: Sorry, didn't read the post above saying you finished the book. :P

[becki_kanou]

I just read "Piercing" a few months ago and found that it was quite disturbing and gory, but fast-paced, interesting and well-translated.

[Mothling]

I enjoyed In the Miso Soup, and found it a very entertaining read, and like Natsuo Kirino's work, gave a remarkable different view of Japanese life when compared to most other common conceptions.

Piercing is another really good read, and I favored this book above In the Miso Soup. I found it much better paced, and better structured. Also the psychological aspects are much more fully explored and detailed, as the "disturbed" characters are the two mains, as opposed to In the Miso Soup, where the story is seen through the eyes of the, how would you say, un-disturbed party, ha.