Great book and thanks to the group for the recommendation. Finished the book and then watched the movie (the Japanese one from 2008). It follows the story very closely except for a weird trip to the mountains in winter by Ishigami and Yugawa.
I’m finally free of the curse of being weeks ahead and not being able to comment!
I really liked where the ending was going. From a morale point of view, the “bad” guys could not get away with the murder of 冨樫, but thanks to his trick, only 石神 would get punished. It feels satisfying, since he does deserves it and was indeed ready to throw his life away anyway (and can do maths just as well if he gets a lifetime sentence). Meanwhile, 湯川 understood the trick, so he “wins” too. Everybody win! And then the last three pages happened. Just why. And, obviously, it does makes sense, since 湯川 told her, probably for that exact purpose. But, seriously, he sucks. Basically, he changed a situation in which everybody was happy into a situation where just him is happy.
Ah, we finally find out
why 石神 did it. To me, the explanation is the most moving part of the story. And related to this was my favorite line of the book so beautifully written:
人は時に、健気に生きているだけで、誰かを救っていることがある。
(That might linger in my brain for a while.)
This book has gotten me interested in Higashino’s Detective Galileo series books as well as his other novels. It’s amazing how much stuff this guy has written.
I had the same initial feeling. But then, why did Ishigami had to kill someone else? To me; this is the moral problem for Yukawa and also the reason why Yasuko confesses in the end. If Ishigami had thought up an alibi that did not involve murdering someone unrelated to the original crime, it would be very different. Ishigami decided whose life was worth it besides his own. This is morally despicable and Yukawa had no choice in my view
So long as we consider 美里 trying to kill herself as a sign of happiness.
So, yeah. At least one person was already feeling not good about the outcome here. And I don’t think 湯川 bothered to find her at school and tell her, either, so this is completely unrelated to him.
That ending really was so moving! I cried loved it. 湯川 told everyone his theory for purely selfish reasons, because he felt he had to - and you may think of that what you will, but I think he has no malicious intentions, and he appreciates 石神 so much - I don’t have to like that he tattled, but I can’t hate him. (It doesn’t feel like he’s particularly happy about it.)
I want to know what happens after this so, so badly. Does everyone get out the other side somewhat okay? What will happen to 美里?
I think it is amazing how this ending doesn’t make anyone happy, and no one likes how it turns out, no one feels superior or victorious. (Except maybe 班長, but we don’t know enough about him to be sure.) All the characters feel so human.
I’m so happy I read this book. Thanks fo choosing it and being so hype about it, everyone.
flashcard stats
I created flashcards for this book - a total of 316, which comes out to less than one per page. Comparing this to 狐笛の彼方, a kids book I have also been making flashcards for, at the 51% mark I already have 477 cards. While the ratio of flashcards per page(s) was relatively constant throughout for suspect x with a slight (felt) increase towards the very end, it petered off a lot after the first third of 狐笛. I think it really shows what a difference the fantasy setting makes, but also how approachable 東野’s writing is. Most if not all of the things I looked up were obvious from context and I didn’t need to look them up. Mostly I did it for the sake of flashcard creation, and a lot of them are expressions rather than single words. I’m hoping to increase my active vocabulary.
Yes. Yes, that’s the best result. She would have had a loving mother and possibly a caring step-father to get over it. Now, she will have to go to an orphanage (assuming she doesn’t get anything from the ordeal) while her mother is in jail (minimum time is 5 years for having committed the equivalent of a second degree murder; she doesn’t get self defense because she conspired to hide the proofs) and knowing that 石神 has committed a first degree murder on top of everything just to help them. Much better.
Well, based on the Japanese law, 石神 will receive the death penalty, the mother will have at least 5 years in jail (so she won’t be able to find a job after that, and who knows how her friends and acquaintances will take the news).
美里 probably won’t miss herself this time, considering her condition and lack of supervision.
That link warrants more than the 5 minutes of free time I have right now.
I’m not arguing that (except best result would have been vanishing the corpse without killing another, leaving everyone out of jail), I’m arguing that not ‘everyone was happy’. I can see now that that’s not what you meant by that - they had the possibility and the means to become happy. I think the only one actually happy at the outcome was 邦明 whose last name I forgot. It’s starting already.
I think it is a testimony to the quality of the novel that it makes you think hard about the moral dilemma faced by Yukawa. In the movie he is shown as utterly devastated by the whole thing.
In the end, there is no real possible “good” ending. It is a tragedy wrapped in a detective story.
So much happening in those last two chapters! But I’m on the side that didn’t like the ending at all. Now it was all for naught and everyone will be miserable. And those last few sentences, what way to end the book is that. Indeed, it looks like 美里 was already struggling, but how is it gonna make things any better?
However, the ending answered a lot of questions in a satisfying way. I did wonder several times what was the deal with the homeless people. They didn’t seem to serve any purpose in the story, until we got that final piece of the puzzle.
One thing I’m still confused about, is how about the meeting between 靖子 and 富樫 as the restaurant at the beginning? It seemed 石神 assumed there could be some witnesses, but still had 靖子 tell the cops she never met with 富樫, and she just got away with it? I thought this would come up in the investigation at some point.
In other news, there was one final new name:
一之江駅 いちのええき
Yes, in hindsight, probably not the best wording. I will plead that that book has made me very emotional at the end and I’m not very careful with the way I say things.
I read the last three chapters last night! I think this book is really well-done–even my second time through it pulled me along.
I knew what was coming, but it was still so hard. I’m on the side of loving the ending even though it hurts me. The murder of 「技師」haunts me whenever I think about this book.
After reading I was thinking about why 富樫 got killed in the first place. He was abusive toward 靖子 during their marriage, and then coercive after their divorce, but the police were useless throughout, so when he was in their apartment, she didn’t call the police. (With what she’d gone through, I wouldn’t have either.) But if they hadn’t always failed to protect her, she might’ve been able to get help… I guess I wanted 草薙, particularly, to be more aware of that.
Though I was behind a lot, I really enjoyed this book club! I had been thinking I wouldn’t generally read week by week in clubs anymore, but if people are really discussing things, I can see the appeal. Fingers crossed for our next book!
The ending was really hard to read. These last chapters had me constantly thinking ‘Why did he have to do that?’ (Either 石神 or 湯川) and ‘Why is this happening?’. Towards the end 靖子 just can’t seem to catch a break, and then the worst thing possible happens… Of course at that point there was no way the book could have a happy or even neutral ending. It was all for nothing.
There were other things I thought about while reading but the ending has rendered them kinda pointless (worst-timed proposal ever, anyone?). I can’t help but be kinda mad at 湯川 because I think if he really appreciated 石神 so much he wouldn’t have told 靖子 even if it was morally wrong. Because in the end it is not fixing anything, it’s not reviving anyone, it’s not getting anyone out of jail and it’s just making everyone involved even more miserable, especially 石神. But of course I might not think that if it were real life instead of a book. I also think that 靖子たち had enough misery having to live the rest of their lives with the guilt. And I can’t even bear to think about 美里 in this situation…
Anyway I’ll stop my ramblings here since I’m not sure I’m making sense anymore.
On the other hand I’m happy that I could somehow catch up with this one, but I’ll now go back to reading at a sane pace for my level (狐笛のかなた catch-up time I am a trash human)
Home Thread
.
I am a trash human)