Out

by Natsuo Kirino

Goodreads Synopsis:

Natsuo Kirino's novel tells a story of random violence in the staid Tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works a night shift making boxed lunches brutally strangles her deadbeat husband and then seeks the help of her co-workers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime.

The ringleader of this cover-up, Masako Katori, emerges as the emotional heart of Out and as one of the shrewdest, most clear-eyed creations in recent fiction. Masako's own search for a way out of the straitjacket of a dead-end life leads her, too, to take drastic action.

The complex yet riveting narrative seamlessly combines a convincing glimpse into the grimy world of Japan's yakuza with a brilliant portrayal of the psychology of a violent crime and the ensuing game of cat-and-mouse between seasoned detectives and a group of determined but inexperienced criminals. Kirino has mastered a Thelma and Louise kind of graveyard humor that illuminates her stunning evocation of the pressures and prejudices that drive women to extreme deeds and the friendship that bolsters them in the aftermath.

My Rating:

☆☆☆☆

Dates Read: March 19-22, 2023

Initial Publication Date: July 1997

Translation Published: July 2003

Author Origin: Japan (Ishikawa)

Tone (via NovelistPlus): Bleak, Violent

Writing Style (via NovelistPlus): Gritty, Compelling

Major Characters:

Masako
Yayoi
Kuniko
Satake
Imai

Personal Notes:

"With its share of violence, graphic descriptions of the dismembering, rapes, and murders, Natsuo Kirino’s Out is not a novel for the faint-hearted. It is a hard-boiled crime novel that distinguishes itself from the noir genre by the sense of hope that imbues its ending. Although nobody escapes “unpunished” - in one form or another - we do get to see the light at the end of the novel and the readers are made to believe that all the hardships and tribulations were not in vain." (Source)

This book was so good, I can absolutely see how it was an award-winner. Kirino's writing was very atmospheric and well-done, the characters were especially well-developed, and I will almost certainly be rereading it again in the future.

The only reason I didn't give this book five stars was because of the final fifteen pages or so, given Natsuo's decision to write a violent rape scene twice, from the perspective of both victim and perpetrator, a scene which came across as somewhat glorified. That scene alone was enough to give me pause, and in fact, while I enjoyed reading probably 98% of the novel, I have not recommended it to others because of the ending.

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