The Other Murakami

I know I go on a lot about Haruki Murakami, but this is not one of those posts. Instead, I'm writing about Ryu Murakami, whose books include the surreal and down at heels Coin Locker Babies and the seedy, creepy In the Miso Soup. Now comes his latest, the incredibly distressing Piercing.

Piercing is the story of two damaged people, victims of past child abuse, who find each other and work through their issues using an icepick, a Swiss army knife, and various other less-than therapeutic implements. It's also a love story, in a very, very dark way. (You can also read a review of Piercing in the Japan Times.)

Ryu Murakami's books are on a downward trajectory, each one darker and scarier than the last. It's a sickening rollercoaster past Tokyo's neon lights, and I love it.--David E