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Blogs by Jerome Parisse
Tokyo / The Devil of Nanking 9/12/2010 4:17:28 PM
Tokyo (or The Devil of Nanking, depending on which edition you're reading) by Mo Hayder is a book that is hard to put in a box, and that's not a bad thing. Some classify it as thriller, others as horror or even historical fiction. It's a little bit of everything. Thankfully, the horror side of it is not prevalent, it's just that some parts, especially towards the end of the story, are not for the faint-hearted. Tokyo is the story of Grey, a disturbed young British woman on the search for a film, which is supposed to exist somewhere in Japan, and which she needs in order to prove the world she is not as crazy as it seems. Her search will take her from ladies clubs in Japan to Tokyo's underground and its frightening yakuzas. The story is interwoven with a depiction of the invasion of Nanking and the ensuing massacres by the Japanese army in 1937. I won't spoil the story by saying much more about the plot.
Hayder's writing is okay. She doesn't really keep us guessing until the end about what really happened and what Grey's search will uncover, even if some aspects of me still took me by total surprise. There are enough hints at what is at stake throughout the book so that one is prepared for the grisly ending. It's a good story, however, in so far as you are kept wanting to read on to know more. The plot has its holes or bits that are hard to believe, but to be honest, it does not matter. It's a great read, which will keep you thinking for a while. Plus, it takes place in Japan and China. For someone like me who loves Japan and lives in China, it's just perfect! I'm not a fan of gore and I won't be necessarily rushing to read more Hayder, but I'm glad this one's been recommended to me. I read it in one go and I can guarantee you will too.
