Natsuo Kirino: Out

[mehastings]

Out by Natsuo Kirino

The Barnes & Noble Review from Discover Great New Writers
With volcanic urgency, Kirino's story erupts onto the page with a searing heat, flowing like lava to a remarkable finish. Facing the daily burdens of slavish work conditions, stale marriages, and a society refusing to show them a proper respect, the women on the nightshift at a suburban Tokyo factory are all looking for one thing -- a way out. When pretty young Yayoi takes a beating from her deadbeat husband, her coworkers do little more than help their friend keep pace with the line. But a new kind of sisterhood emerges when Yayoi requires assistance in disposing of her dead husband's body.

Masako Katori emerges as a tenaciously determined leader in the dangerous cover-up, and with the others, provides readers with a disturbing vision of the lengths a human mind will travel in its quest for freedom. For Kirino's women aren't ruthless murderers; they're hardworking housewives with dignity, desperate for respect.

 

[Dogmatix]

I guess I'll go first, although I hate to and I'm sure others will have much more eloquent reviews. I enjoyed this book. It was a bit out of my norm for reading. First Japanese author, and I don't often read thrillers either. The first think that struck me was the cultural or socital norms of behavior in thse characters. So different than more western or american characters. How loudness, garishness, or excess was frowned apon at least amongst the factory workers, with of course one notable exception. The frugality of their lifestyles, and the difficult work schedules were also eye opening. At least to this admittedly ethnocentric American. I found the woman's relationships very believable and despite how foreign they seemed to me I became engaged in their lives and found myself to really care about them. They were multilayered and complicated.

I'll hold off on commenting on the plot...Now someone else take a shot. I'm better as a follower

 

[nomadic myth]

I really enjoyed the book. It was very dark, to say the least.

I thought the overall idea was interesting, of Masako needing a way "out". She tried the night shift, and eventually turns to the underworld.

Most of the other Japanese fiction I've read (stuff by Murakami and Yoshimoto) seems to be obsessed with sex and suicide. Out seems to have replaced suicide with murder.

Although I agree with the feminist message of the book, short of advocating murder as a solution, I tend to hold some critical notions towards it still. I think the portrayal of men in the book went over the top painting them as total pricks.

 

[steffee]

I guess I'll go first, although I hate to and I'm sure others will have much more eloquent reviews. [...]I'll hold off on commenting on the plot...Now someone else take a shot. I'm better as a follower

I haven't yet read this, but I doubt that's true. People are very interested in hearing (or reading, rather) what you have to say.

 

[Dogmatix]

I haven't yet read this, but I doubt that's true. People are very interested in hearing (or reading, rather) what you have to say.

Thanks for the kind words, appreciate the vote of confidence.

 

[StillILearn]

I haven't yet read this, but I doubt that's true. People are very interested in hearing (or reading, rather) what you have to say.

I agree with steffee. I have this book in my TBR pile and will be watching this thread with some interest.

 

[Dogmatix]

Come on guys anyone else out there besides me and Nomad read this? I finished it around the middle of May and have been waiting patiently to hear all of your opinions. Don't let me down now

 

[theoptimist]

I read this last month and thought it was outstanding. I enjoyed the fast pace of it, how you feel you know the characters personally and just the storyline itself.

If there is one book that I would describe as unique this is it! I have never read anything remotely like this before, I don't typically enjoy thrillers that much either but this is on a different scale. It's an easy but thought provoking novel and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different.

I hope that Kirino's other works are translated in the near future.

 

[steffee]

Come on guys anyone else out there besides me and Nomad read this? I finished it around the middle of May and have been waiting patiently to hear all of your opinions. Don't let me down now

I'm waiting to be convinced! Heard that it's fantastic by one or two members but need more, I'm afraid, since it's so different.

Just kidding, have been meaning to buy it but everytime I go to Amazon I get sidetracked and end up buying too many other things.

Angerball, I think, has read it...

Get discussing and I'll catch up...

 

[tartan_skirt]

Well, it's been a while since I read it, but I thought it was a great book (must try and reread sometime).

To me the group seemed like "desperate housewives" trying to get free of their troubled family lives in quite extreme ways.

I'd say some more... but I really don't remember enough to discuss...

 

[Dogmatix]

have been meaning to buy it but everytime I go to Amazon I get sidetracked and end up buying too many other things.

We have the same affliction. I think Amazon is secretly programming our keyboards to hit Add To Your Cart, or the even more dangerous Buy With One Click

 

[steffee]

We have the same affliction. I think Amazon is secretly programming our keyboards to hit Add To Your Cart, or the even more dangerous Buy With One Click

Do you know, I have spent a long time trying to figure out what was happening, but I think you got it! Naughty, naughty Amazon!

 

[Dogmatix]

Okay for those of you whostill have control of your keyboards

Is it just me or did you keep thinking that the girls were going to

Spoiler

chop of the bodies and put them into some processed aspect of the boxed lunches? Particularly since there were many scenes in which they talked about buckets of scraps at the factory?

 

[steffee]

I couldn't resist reading that spoiler, and er... yikes!

 

[nomadic myth]

I found the woman's relationships very believable and despite how foreign they seemed to me I became engaged in their lives and found myself to really care about them. They were multilayered and complicated.

I'll hold off on commenting on the plot...Now someone else take a shot.

I also began to care for the characters. For some reason Kuniko was my favorite character, despite her fumbling attempt at life, or maybe because of it. I was shocked when she was murdered by Satake (I'm not holding off commenting on plot).

Satake is a strange one, that's for sure. He seems to have some serious womb issues. He wants to get so far into a woman he has to cut her open while having sex with her. I'm a bit baffled by his needing to snuff a woman for him to achieve his ultimate orgasm, but moreso by his first victim's apparent pleasure in her death. The first woman he murdered appeared to have sexual pleasure despite being stabbed to death. In Chapter 8 of the section "Exit", when Masako and Satake are going at it, Satake actually says that he dies when his victims die. It is kind of like Satake's way "out". When Satake is about to die from the wound Masako inflicted, Masako realizes she doesn't want him to die, because she is attached to him, it would be like her death, and she wants them both to live. Finally, it seems that Satake, through his death, teaches Masako how to live, or about the desire to live. As a result, we finish in Chapter 9 with Masako having freedom.

 

[nomadic myth]

Just some questions or comments. I thought about these after my post.

This book is definitely a mature topic book, so maybe there could be a warning in the thread title. I think it's impossible to discuss this book without talking about explicit sexual topics. Or, maybe it doesn't matter.

Another thing. Are book of the month discussions open spoilers? I hope so. I would assume that the book of the month discussions are for those who read the book, or are so curious they don't care about ruining their surprise.

 

[Dogmatix]

I hear what you are saying about Kuniko. I really sympathized and heck, even empathized with her, quite a bit. I was very shocked when he killed her but what a great plot twist!

I don't have the book in front of me but I'm wondering about the description of Satake's victim's "pleasure". Was it described by Satake as a memory? ie: Was it that he interpretted her as having pleasure? I was puzzled by that but perhaps we have a sick man's twisted interpretation of her reactions. (Darn I wish I had the book with me, correct me if I've remembered this wrong.)

When Satake is about to die from the wound Masako inflicted, Masako realizes she doesn't want him to die, because she is attached to him, it would be like her death, and she wants them both to live.

You're right but I really couldn't get my head around why it was she had that change of heart.

 

[StillILearn]

Uh oh. I have this book in my TBR pile and now I'm wondering if I even want to read it. It's sounding dreadfully gruesome. (I'm thinking that maybe I'll be wanting to wait until I'm feeling braver?)

Somebody tell me something incredibly wonderful about it -- please.

 

[nomadic myth]

I don't have the book in front of me but I'm wondering about the description of Satake's victim's "pleasure". Was it described by Satake as a memory? ie: Was it that he interpretted her as having pleasure? I was puzzled by that but perhaps we have a sick man's twisted interpretation of her reactions. (Darn I wish I had the book with me, correct me if I've remembered this wrong.)

Actually, I think you're right. The quote is:

"He realized that he was stabbing the knife into her side. From her screams, he could tell that she had reached her climax, and he came inside her with a rush of intense pleasure." (Apartment 412, Chapter 4)

I think the climax is her climax of pain, as in she can't take anymore. This would support a theory that Satake wants to destroy women, but only strong ones. This woman was a fighter, and didn't submit to him. His pleasure was in the fight, but he needs to win. Masako is also strong, hence his attraction to her, as well. He doesn't like submissive women. Not because he wants to help women be liberated, though, but rather because he wants the hunt to be challenging.

 

[nomadic myth]

Uh oh. I have this book in my TBR pile and now I'm wondering if I even want to read it. It's sounding dreadfully gruesome. (I'm thinking that maybe I'll be wanting to wait until I'm feeling braver?)

Somebody tell me something incredibly wonderful about it -- please.

In my opinion, the conclusion of the book contains a positive message, so it's not like the book leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Also, I found most of the interactions between Kuniko and Masako to be downright hilarious.