Book Review: In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

Kenji drives a cab among the bright lights of Tokyo. But he doesn't stick to the usual stops; his tours take passengers -- usually foreigners -- through the seedy nightlife, exploring the sexual sights and sounds of the bustling metropolis. A few nights before New Years Eve, Kenji picks up an unusual passenger, an American who goes by the name of Frank. Frank's a big man, with an oddly pale skin, and from their conversation, Kenji's not sure what to think of him. His odd behavior, telling stories then contradicting himself, the way he seems to mesmerize the locals at one of the clubs, add to Kenji's growing unease. The unease only increases when a young girl is found dead, and Kenji begins to suspect that Frank may not be who he says he is.

In the Miso Soup does a great job at taking the nervousness that we feel in the pits of our stomachs when we know something isn't quite right and twisting it into full-blown paranoia. And much of that is thanks to the way author Ryu Murakami created the character of Frank. He's big and unassuming. His skin, his facial expression (or almost lack thereof), the way his ease loose focus when something seems to anger him, the way his whole persona changes in almost the blink of an eye, all conspire with the local news reports to coax Kenji into believing that Frank is pure evil. And when Kenji's mind picks up an idea, it runs with it, twisting what he sees to mesh with what he believes. I couldn't help but go along with Kenji because I started feeling the same sort of mistrust toward Frank, even without anything to prove it.

It's an intense read, violent and gory at times, but a fine psychological thriller.


In the Miso Soup
by Ryu Murakami
ISBN: 0-14-303569-X
Penguin Books
paperback, 217p.

bought myself

Image from Giant Robot Magazine.