GROTESQUE by Natsuo Kirino Well what can I say about 'Grotesque' by Natsuo Kirino? After reading Kirino's 'Out', (her first book translated from its original Japanese into English) reviewing it on Ciao and thoroughly enjoying it, I could not wait to read Grotesque. Overall it has to be said that it is probably not as fast paced or as exciting a novel as 'Out' but it is definitely more indepth in terms of the richness of the characters and the need to know what happens to them. The Premise The book for the most part is narrated by a central, female character who remains anonymous to you the reader. Well, ...  Read the complete review

Ever since i read Natsuo Kirino's 'Out' book, i have been hooked by this woman like a fish on a ....hook? lol. After i read 'Out' i searched frantically for another book of hers which was just as good, just as gruesome as 'Out' had been and thus i came across the book that gives me the creeps, the book which made me fear Japan and the world, the book which would 'leave you questioning your own morality' as Dazed and Confused kindly hastened to add. I'll admit it was long (467 pages long!) but trust me its worth it! But if you're one of those readers who thought Harry Potter and the Philospher's stone was long then i'm sorry but you'll be beat by the time you get to the ..  Read the complete review

With its frightening cover and "in your face" title, as soon as you pick up this book you know you're in for something a little different, and probably a bit scary. Grotesque is a shocking, disgusting, horrifying, and very dark novel. And I loved it. Grotesque was written by Natsuo Kirino, a Japanese writer who has gained a cult following for her crime novels that go way beyond most of the other novels in the genre in terms of characterisation and motivations. Upon reading another of Natsuo Kirino's books, Out, I immediately became hooked on her style of writing and decided to read as many of her books as I can, given that most of them have not yet ...  Read the complete review

Grotesque is one of three of Natsuo Kirino's books to be translated from Japanese into English. I read this after one of the others, "Out", which was brilliant, and this one doesn't disappoint either. The story follows the life of two young Japanese women who are murdered. Both have turned to lives of prostitution, but for different reasons. The main narrative is told from the point of view of one of the women's sisters, along with excerpts from the diaries of the two, as well as the deposition of the man accused of their murders. This is an interesting style, as it allows the reader to experience the story from the viewpoints of all the ...  Read the complete review