pamela
Written on May 28, 2015
One of the issues with this book was not the writer's lack of talent, but the very clear indication that something was lost in translation. There was something rigid about the writing and the characters never felt fleshed out in the way they should. Asakawa, the protagonist, is emotionally distant and neglectful but culturally unmistakably Japanese, and his best friend Riuji who shares Asakawa's prospective fate is a casual rapist. These characters had irredeemable character flaws so it made them very difficult to engage with, although with a cultural understanding and if it had been read in its original Japanese I do feel these characters might have been a little more personable.
Ironically, the unlikeable and shallow protagonists may just have been this novel's stroke of genius. Instead of traditional heroes and villians, I found myself sympathising more with the 'evil' Sadako who's spirit is the villain of the story. The heroic protagonists, racing against time to save themselves from the machinations of the evil villain are themselves far more villainous than the pitiable Sadako ever was. It is such a shame then that the end didn't quite work as well as it should have. There was nothing inherently evil about Sadako when she was alive, and not enough explanation given as to why she became so evil as a consequence of the things that happened to her. A bit more psychological exploration would have been in order.
As a horror novel Ring was a little lacklustre. It lacked a sense of terror and dread that the greats of the genre have. It was a diverting read, and it was certainly easy to mentally digest, but it didn't make me excited to keep reading the rest of the series. If I want a good scare (and I NEVER thought I'd type these words) I'd recommend the film instead.
Review also available at http://iblamewizards.com/review-ring-by-koji-suzuki/