By Marty Mulrooney
In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami is a 180 page emotional assault, a book that instils an unshakeable mix of morbid fascination and mounting dread with each passing sentence. It is the story of 20 year old Kenji, a “nightlife guide” in Tokyo, and Frank, a 35 year old American who may very well be a deranged serial killer. Mere days before New Year, the pair embark on a journey through the city’s sex clubs, hostess bars and backstreets that will expose them to the darker sides of both Japan and the human psyche, against a backdrop of sexual depravity and cultural despondency. It is an utterly compelling read.
Martin Mulrooney
Guest/Previous
Alternative Magazine Online 