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Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight
Set in Tokyo over the course of one night, Aki and Hiro have decided to be together one last time in their shared flat before parting. Their relationship has broken down after a mountain trek during which their guide died inexplicably. Now each believes the other to be a murderer and is determined to extract a confession before the night is over. Who is the murderer and what really happened on the mountain?
In the battle of wills between them, the chain of events leading up to this night is gradually revealed in a gripping psychological thriller that keeps the reader in suspense to the very end.
In the battle of wills between them, the chain of events leading up to this night is gradually revealed in a gripping psychological thriller that keeps the reader in suspense to the very end.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
121 people are currently reading
6,468 people want to read
About the author
Riku Onda
132?books220?followersRiku Onda (Japanese name: ¶÷Ìï ê‘), born in 1964, is the professional name of Nanae Kumagai. She has been writing fiction since 1991 and has won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers, the Japan Booksellers' Award, the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel for The Aosawa Murders, the Yamamoto Sh¨±gor¨ Prize, and the Naoki Prize. Her work has been adapted for film and television. The Aosawa Murders was her first crime novel and the first time she was translated into English. It was selected by The New York Times as a Notable Book of 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 479 reviews
May 1, 2024
3.5 By virtue of the writing is good and i NEVER knew where the fuck this was going. Not quite a 4 because the ending wasnt satisfying.
December 19, 2022
A strange story to be sure.....
Aki and Hiro are spending one last night together in their shared apartment. Everything has already been moved out and they are using Aki's suitcase as a make shift table. They have plenty of food and alcohol to get them through the evening. The only thing left for them to do is to determine which one of them is a murderer.
On a recent hiking excursion their tour guide fell off a cliff to his death and both Aki and Hiro suspects the other is to blame.
What secrets will we learn over the course of an evening? You'll have to read this to find out.
I really can't say too much about this slim novel without giving away all the goods. It's a quiet book, just Aki and Hiro, going back and forth replaying memories. Both are or could be unreliable narrators. I was invested enough to want to know how this would all play out but the ending left me with questions and I wondered if it had been worth my time at all. Not a bad book but not a satisfying one either. 3 stars!
Thanks to Overdrive for the loan.
Aki and Hiro are spending one last night together in their shared apartment. Everything has already been moved out and they are using Aki's suitcase as a make shift table. They have plenty of food and alcohol to get them through the evening. The only thing left for them to do is to determine which one of them is a murderer.
On a recent hiking excursion their tour guide fell off a cliff to his death and both Aki and Hiro suspects the other is to blame.
What secrets will we learn over the course of an evening? You'll have to read this to find out.
I really can't say too much about this slim novel without giving away all the goods. It's a quiet book, just Aki and Hiro, going back and forth replaying memories. Both are or could be unreliable narrators. I was invested enough to want to know how this would all play out but the ending left me with questions and I wondered if it had been worth my time at all. Not a bad book but not a satisfying one either. 3 stars!
Thanks to Overdrive for the loan.
August 23, 2022
huh. just¡.huh
October 23, 2022
Riku Onda¡¯s story begins and ends with a photograph, August Sander¡¯s iconic Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance. Here it¡¯s fleetingly glimpsed on a book cover, three men pictured in Germany in 1914 who seem to be gazing out across time at Hiro, one of the two protagonists in Onda¡¯s brooding, existential mystery. Sander¡¯s farmers themselves present a puzzle, farmers who aren¡¯t in fact farmers, perhaps dressed for a local celebration or perhaps for their forthcoming dance with death on WW1¡¯s battlefields. The image points towards Onda¡¯s central themes, her claustrophobic, extended examination of acts of seeing or rather how we interpret or frame what we see, what we think we know versus what we actually know or can know. The photo¡¯s ambiguities also highlight the way in which her narrative intends to challenge its readers, setting up specific expectations and assumptions only to demolish them. The story alternates between two voices, Hiro¡¯s and Aki¡¯s. They¡¯ve been sharing a Tokyo apartment but now they¡¯re separating. Their belongings are packed and this is their last night together, one that will be spent drinking and talking. The final scenes in a relationship that¡¯s ending. But their conversation¡¯s oddly fraught, tinged with doubt and suspicion. Each suspects the other of a terrible act of vengeance. Onda¡¯s novel¡¯s well-crafted, intense, suffocatingly atmospheric, a slow reveal of the circumstances leading up to Hiro and Aki¡¯s decision to part. On the whole it¡¯s evocative and fairly compelling but I was never entirely convinced by it or the numerous twists and reversals, and it¡¯s rapidly clear the crime that seemed to be at its centre is less of a concern than the nature of the bonds between the possible perpetrators. But the novel¡¯s self-conscious artificiality could also make it feel too much like a writing assignment rather than a fully-fledged narrative, a framework for a set of devices deployed to raise particular questions around identity, memory, and intimacy. Translation by Alison Watts.
April 16, 2023
Started off SO well, and that little twist in the first part really got me. It did, however, lose me a bit towards the end, unfortunately.
January 21, 2025
Below is my original review and then I have added to it. I did read enough to complete a review, but just be aware again that many people reveal the plot without spoilers so if you haven¡¯t read it, you should know that Not I of course!
It was a DNF. I did read how it all ended though.
I will not rate since I did not finish but I did want to write a warning:
DO NOT READ the reviews if you have not read the book.
Some reviews give away the twist and the ending with no spoiler alerts. That's exactly what happened to me. Kind of takes away the mood when you know everything that will happen ahead of time.
The last time this happened was when I read the book "I'm thinking about ending things." Folks -- please put spoiler warnings up! I know most do.
So again if you have not read this -- be careful if perusing the reviews.
Updated review :
OK it was a pretty short book so I went back and read more even though I knew how it would end because I accidentally read spoilers as I¡¯ve already mentioned 5000 times!
I should also mention this book is categorized as contemporary but it¡¯s more historical given the time period some of It took place in.
A pair of soon to be ex lovers are spending one last night together before they part Ways forever .
The two have suffered a trauma as while on a hike Their trusted guide fell off a cliff and tragically was killed.
An accident ¨C or murder?
You see each of the two lovers thinks that the other one did it.
And now they are engaged in a game of wits. Each of them is determined to wrangle a confession from the other before the night is through but what price will each of them pay for the mind game they are about to embark on?
I should have loved this, but I did not for a few reasons.
It was extraordinarily written, a chess game in motion. But since I already knew the outcome, it took away a lot of my enjoyment of the story. That happens sometimes and it¡¯s unfortunate.
Secondly, given that I love psychological, deep, deep and dark mysteries, such as this, I thought I¡¯d love this, especially since it was so dialogue driven.
I really didn¡¯t though. Part of that is because a lot of this was the internal thoughts and ruminations of the two main characters and that¡¯s just not something. I love in my literature.
It moved at an extremely leisurely pace, and I admit, I did find myself getting bored, and might have felt that way even without knowing the outcome of knowing the outcome in advance, most certainly did not help my mood while reading this.
At the end of the day, I found myself skimming. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the book. It is unique, and I have no problem understanding the five star reviews.
This is one time I do wish I could go back through Time Machine and read the book again not knowing the outcome and see if my feelings are different.
The atmosphere has been described as claustrophobic, and I would agree that it is. Often however those are the books that do not resonate with me.
Now, unlike some other people, I am going to employ the use of spoilers, because I want to talk about the ending. So please read no further, if you have not read this book.
SPOILERS :
The twist which I knew ahead of time ¨C is that 6000 times I¡¯ve said it now ¨C I felt was not for me. I really thought this was going to be dark in a different way.
I do love books where there is a battle of wits. A good example is the film original sin based on the short story waltz into darkness. That was the ultimate chess game.
This was extremely gloomy as well, and I really didn¡¯t like either of the main characters.
I would sum it up as the kind of book that you read knowing that the writer must be a genius to put something like this together. I kind of compare it to an Oscar winning film that everybody¡¯s in awe of while at the same time not being all that enjoyable to me personally.
That¡¯s why I¡¯ll go ahead and recommend it anyway. I was attracted to this book before I even knew anything about it. The title just grabbed me, it was so unusual and different, so I really wanted to get a glimpse what it was all about.
I would still give it a solid three stars. I¡¯d recommend it, just don¡¯t be like me and accidentally read spoilers please, my friends!
It was a DNF. I did read how it all ended though.
I will not rate since I did not finish but I did want to write a warning:
DO NOT READ the reviews if you have not read the book.
Some reviews give away the twist and the ending with no spoiler alerts. That's exactly what happened to me. Kind of takes away the mood when you know everything that will happen ahead of time.
The last time this happened was when I read the book "I'm thinking about ending things." Folks -- please put spoiler warnings up! I know most do.
So again if you have not read this -- be careful if perusing the reviews.
Updated review :
OK it was a pretty short book so I went back and read more even though I knew how it would end because I accidentally read spoilers as I¡¯ve already mentioned 5000 times!
I should also mention this book is categorized as contemporary but it¡¯s more historical given the time period some of It took place in.
A pair of soon to be ex lovers are spending one last night together before they part Ways forever .
The two have suffered a trauma as while on a hike Their trusted guide fell off a cliff and tragically was killed.
An accident ¨C or murder?
You see each of the two lovers thinks that the other one did it.
And now they are engaged in a game of wits. Each of them is determined to wrangle a confession from the other before the night is through but what price will each of them pay for the mind game they are about to embark on?
I should have loved this, but I did not for a few reasons.
It was extraordinarily written, a chess game in motion. But since I already knew the outcome, it took away a lot of my enjoyment of the story. That happens sometimes and it¡¯s unfortunate.
Secondly, given that I love psychological, deep, deep and dark mysteries, such as this, I thought I¡¯d love this, especially since it was so dialogue driven.
I really didn¡¯t though. Part of that is because a lot of this was the internal thoughts and ruminations of the two main characters and that¡¯s just not something. I love in my literature.
It moved at an extremely leisurely pace, and I admit, I did find myself getting bored, and might have felt that way even without knowing the outcome of knowing the outcome in advance, most certainly did not help my mood while reading this.
At the end of the day, I found myself skimming. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the book. It is unique, and I have no problem understanding the five star reviews.
This is one time I do wish I could go back through Time Machine and read the book again not knowing the outcome and see if my feelings are different.
The atmosphere has been described as claustrophobic, and I would agree that it is. Often however those are the books that do not resonate with me.
Now, unlike some other people, I am going to employ the use of spoilers, because I want to talk about the ending. So please read no further, if you have not read this book.
SPOILERS :
The twist which I knew ahead of time ¨C is that 6000 times I¡¯ve said it now ¨C I felt was not for me. I really thought this was going to be dark in a different way.
I do love books where there is a battle of wits. A good example is the film original sin based on the short story waltz into darkness. That was the ultimate chess game.
This was extremely gloomy as well, and I really didn¡¯t like either of the main characters.
I would sum it up as the kind of book that you read knowing that the writer must be a genius to put something like this together. I kind of compare it to an Oscar winning film that everybody¡¯s in awe of while at the same time not being all that enjoyable to me personally.
That¡¯s why I¡¯ll go ahead and recommend it anyway. I was attracted to this book before I even knew anything about it. The title just grabbed me, it was so unusual and different, so I really wanted to get a glimpse what it was all about.
I would still give it a solid three stars. I¡¯d recommend it, just don¡¯t be like me and accidentally read spoilers please, my friends!
December 13, 2023
Ahh the bliss of reading solely for enjoyment. This is the first book I took from the evergrowing Leaning Tower of Books I can finally read after completing my geography challenge. I forgot how good it feels to read a solid, constantly wonderful book. I even hugged it afterwards.
The premise, plot, characters and mystery were superb. You know a premise will be good when the blurb has to reveal certain details. Less surprise, yet more confidence in the why and how of it all. Over the space of one night, Hiro and Aki stay in their empty apartment as a final goodbye, until the service people turn off the utilities. Then they will go their separate ways. But, they both have unfinished business. A guide died on their private tour a year ago. And now they want answers, and a confession from eachother.
The cast is small, but the characterisation of the main two are incredible. They speak from their POV in alternating chapters, giving the readers some good insights. They have so much in common, and such a special thing, if only¡, and yet¡hehe no spoilers here. I wish GR had a function allowing secret notes only for the reviewer to see, though I doubt I¡¯ll forget the juicy bits in a hurry.
The writing is so good that I considered multiple realities as to what happened and why and what next. Especially in the context of Japanese literature. Which direction would it go?
Sometimes I get miffed by unsatisfying endings but in this instance I was overjoyed. The ending was just as good as the entirety of the book. Towards the end as things are unravelling, one character got to the point of depriving the other of information they desparately needed. I actually loved that part and the psychology behind it.
On that note, the major strength was the psychology of it. It was deep. Interesting concepts were raised. The angles were unique.
It was set in Tokyo, Japan. But not part of my around the world challenge. I would give more stars if I could.
The premise, plot, characters and mystery were superb. You know a premise will be good when the blurb has to reveal certain details. Less surprise, yet more confidence in the why and how of it all. Over the space of one night, Hiro and Aki stay in their empty apartment as a final goodbye, until the service people turn off the utilities. Then they will go their separate ways. But, they both have unfinished business. A guide died on their private tour a year ago. And now they want answers, and a confession from eachother.
The cast is small, but the characterisation of the main two are incredible. They speak from their POV in alternating chapters, giving the readers some good insights. They have so much in common, and such a special thing, if only¡, and yet¡hehe no spoilers here. I wish GR had a function allowing secret notes only for the reviewer to see, though I doubt I¡¯ll forget the juicy bits in a hurry.
The writing is so good that I considered multiple realities as to what happened and why and what next. Especially in the context of Japanese literature. Which direction would it go?
Sometimes I get miffed by unsatisfying endings but in this instance I was overjoyed. The ending was just as good as the entirety of the book. Towards the end as things are unravelling, one character got to the point of depriving the other of information they desparately needed. I actually loved that part and the psychology behind it.
On that note, the major strength was the psychology of it. It was deep. Interesting concepts were raised. The angles were unique.
It was set in Tokyo, Japan. But not part of my around the world challenge. I would give more stars if I could.
July 21, 2022
One of those books that had such a clunky translation and self conscious telling I just powered through . It never grabbed me.
December 4, 2022
Boy was this a weird one
April 3, 2024
I don¡¯t think I can¡¯t review this dumpster fire without spoiling the ¡®twists,¡¯ which are pretty much the only thing this book has going for it.
This is supposed to be a whodunit. A couple is breaking up and they¡¯re spending their last night together before they move out of their apartment. They both have one goal: to direct the conversation in a way that the other one confesses why he/she murdered the guide they had last year at a hike.
The thing is, whodunit-wise, this was stupid as fuck. And the book was 85% a romance(ish) about the man and the woman¡ who, by the way, are twins. Yeah. They have partners outside of their home, but they are in love. Did I mention they are twins? Yeah? Ok. Well. So yeah.
There are many twists in the story that are just dumb. Like, I won¡¯t spoil anything, but none of them made any sense or they were so stupid. Pages and pages over something unnecessary that got so much attention for whatever reason.
It was bad. I was unimpressed. Like, respectfully, why would this be published? I can¡¯t say.
The translation was good, that¡¯s the only bit I had no issues with.
This is supposed to be a whodunit. A couple is breaking up and they¡¯re spending their last night together before they move out of their apartment. They both have one goal: to direct the conversation in a way that the other one confesses why he/she murdered the guide they had last year at a hike.
The thing is, whodunit-wise, this was stupid as fuck. And the book was 85% a romance(ish) about the man and the woman¡ who, by the way, are twins. Yeah. They have partners outside of their home, but they are in love. Did I mention they are twins? Yeah? Ok. Well. So yeah.
There are many twists in the story that are just dumb. Like, I won¡¯t spoil anything, but none of them made any sense or they were so stupid. Pages and pages over something unnecessary that got so much attention for whatever reason.
It was bad. I was unimpressed. Like, respectfully, why would this be published? I can¡¯t say.
The translation was good, that¡¯s the only bit I had no issues with.
July 19, 2023
By looking at Good Reads, this book seems to have fairly negative reviews but I took it for what it was, a quiet thriller, and I enjoyed it.
I love the fact the story is set over the course of one night, in one location, between only two people. The twist at about 25% genuinely had me. It really reminds me of My Annihilation (Fuminori Nakamura) and Confessions (Kanae Minato).
I love the fact the story is set over the course of one night, in one location, between only two people. The twist at about 25% genuinely had me. It really reminds me of My Annihilation (Fuminori Nakamura) and Confessions (Kanae Minato).
November 11, 2024
Oh no, I can??t marry him cause he¡¯s my TWIN and I think he murdered someone JK he¡¯s just my cousin and we¡¯re gonna make a suicide pact
What the hell
What the hell
June 24, 2022
2.5
The beginning is brilliant, and I very much enjoyed the long discussion of a Yumi Matsutoya song. In the end though it's a book that for my taste relies too much on that most tired of plot-devices: someone's "hazy memory" of certain events slowly becoming clearer, always revealing just enough to keep the action moving along.
The beginning is brilliant, and I very much enjoyed the long discussion of a Yumi Matsutoya song. In the end though it's a book that for my taste relies too much on that most tired of plot-devices: someone's "hazy memory" of certain events slowly becoming clearer, always revealing just enough to keep the action moving along.
September 20, 2022
i don¡¯t know maybe it¡¯s because this wasn¡¯t what i was expecting but i feel unsatisfied in a bad way after finishing this.
it also felt a little bit repetitive and unbelievable (not that a book needs to be believable but it felt out of place here)
May 9, 2023
Set in the course of one night, Aki and Hiro decided to gather one last time in their shared flat before parting their ways after an incident occured during a mountain hike when a guide was found dead. Each believed that the other was the killer and determined to extract a confession before the night is over. A conversation soon started through the cans of beer and a bottle of wine; in between a tangled fate and a chain of memories; who is the murderer and what really happened on that mountain?
¡°She has to confess. I have to make her do that tonight.¡±
¡°I¡¯m close to being convinced. So much so that I can almost see the moment he killed him.¡±
It was mellow and quite intimate for a mystery plot yet loving how darkly written it was. Slow pacing with intricate emotional perspectives that were structured alternatingly in between Aki and Hiro; this can be confusing at first as both perspectives using the first-person narration and having almost similar nuance and tension but along the way I tend to get used to it. An appealing setting which was bleak and dreamy yet having that unsettling and mysterious vibe to it.
The progress went quite twisty and psychologically related; of identity, guilts, desperation, resentment and family drama. Revelation part was quite unforeseen but somehow I like how the closing chapter went a bit bittersweet; a poetically told mystery which might not be gripping much for a thriller, instead more an engaging observation to a musing mind searching for a disclosure and reconciliation for a soul to move on. I enjoyed it nevertheless, 3.8 stars to this!
¡°The dappled sunlight is beautiful. It¡¯s like being at the bottom of the sea here. I wonder if this is how fish feel when they look up at the surface.¡±
¡°She has to confess. I have to make her do that tonight.¡±
¡°I¡¯m close to being convinced. So much so that I can almost see the moment he killed him.¡±
It was mellow and quite intimate for a mystery plot yet loving how darkly written it was. Slow pacing with intricate emotional perspectives that were structured alternatingly in between Aki and Hiro; this can be confusing at first as both perspectives using the first-person narration and having almost similar nuance and tension but along the way I tend to get used to it. An appealing setting which was bleak and dreamy yet having that unsettling and mysterious vibe to it.
The progress went quite twisty and psychologically related; of identity, guilts, desperation, resentment and family drama. Revelation part was quite unforeseen but somehow I like how the closing chapter went a bit bittersweet; a poetically told mystery which might not be gripping much for a thriller, instead more an engaging observation to a musing mind searching for a disclosure and reconciliation for a soul to move on. I enjoyed it nevertheless, 3.8 stars to this!
¡°The dappled sunlight is beautiful. It¡¯s like being at the bottom of the sea here. I wonder if this is how fish feel when they look up at the surface.¡±
June 16, 2022
Psychological thriller set in TOKYO
This is a short volume, billed as a psychological thriller. I get why it has fallen into this genre but there is something quite different about this novel that really isn¡¯t easy to categorise.
Two people are spending the last night in the apartment where they have been living together. They are about to go their separate ways. Their furniture has gone and the tiny living space is anointed by a simple light bulb. They fetch in food and drink beer and each wants to ascertain that the other is responsible for a recent and traumatic event, which seemingly lies at the root of their subsequent dissonance. They were trekking in a mountain range and their guide died ¨C he fell to his death. Each thinks the other is responsible. We are told that they are called Aki and Hiro but the story floats and bucks around, disorienting the reader, so that nothing is at it seems. Those may well not be their names. Each chapter opens and you have to ascertain from which character¡¯s perspective you are hearing the story and musings.
As the night gets darker, so do their reminiscences. They trawl back to their childhoods, which contextualises the current situation.
The prose is sharp and tailored, well translated by Alison Watts. It is a discombobulating story that rolls along, inventive and compelling and the title mirrors the ducking and diving as the story progresses ¨C now you see the nub of the story, now you lose the thread. An intriguing premise.
This is a short volume, billed as a psychological thriller. I get why it has fallen into this genre but there is something quite different about this novel that really isn¡¯t easy to categorise.
Two people are spending the last night in the apartment where they have been living together. They are about to go their separate ways. Their furniture has gone and the tiny living space is anointed by a simple light bulb. They fetch in food and drink beer and each wants to ascertain that the other is responsible for a recent and traumatic event, which seemingly lies at the root of their subsequent dissonance. They were trekking in a mountain range and their guide died ¨C he fell to his death. Each thinks the other is responsible. We are told that they are called Aki and Hiro but the story floats and bucks around, disorienting the reader, so that nothing is at it seems. Those may well not be their names. Each chapter opens and you have to ascertain from which character¡¯s perspective you are hearing the story and musings.
As the night gets darker, so do their reminiscences. They trawl back to their childhoods, which contextualises the current situation.
The prose is sharp and tailored, well translated by Alison Watts. It is a discombobulating story that rolls along, inventive and compelling and the title mirrors the ducking and diving as the story progresses ¨C now you see the nub of the story, now you lose the thread. An intriguing premise.
June 22, 2022
I loved the author¡¯s previous book The Aosawa Murders, you can read my review here: so I jumped at the opportunity to read her latest book.
An empty flat, a couple on the verge of going their separate ways, one night and an intense battle of wills.
Jointly narrated by Aki and Hiro both are convinced the other has committed murder and by the end of the night that they will confess.
A couple that knows everything about each other yet seemingly very little, this book is a puzzle that is ripe with contradictions. Teeming with a background menace that occasionally shows it¡¯s face, their relationship is at turns both familiar and alien. While she seems unhealthily dependent on what they had, bordering on oppressive he comes across as detached having already moved on with a pretty girl who is awaiting him in their new apartment.
Dripping with intelligence this is no ordinary thriller, as with her previous novel this is spellbinding. Like the title suggests the prose swims along the pages as Aki and Hiro swim around each other. At times it is so suffocating it seems closer to drowning.
A rare story that is powerful, dark and full of ambiguity it sucks you in as it sucks out all the air from the room.
An empty flat, a couple on the verge of going their separate ways, one night and an intense battle of wills.
Jointly narrated by Aki and Hiro both are convinced the other has committed murder and by the end of the night that they will confess.
A couple that knows everything about each other yet seemingly very little, this book is a puzzle that is ripe with contradictions. Teeming with a background menace that occasionally shows it¡¯s face, their relationship is at turns both familiar and alien. While she seems unhealthily dependent on what they had, bordering on oppressive he comes across as detached having already moved on with a pretty girl who is awaiting him in their new apartment.
Dripping with intelligence this is no ordinary thriller, as with her previous novel this is spellbinding. Like the title suggests the prose swims along the pages as Aki and Hiro swim around each other. At times it is so suffocating it seems closer to drowning.
A rare story that is powerful, dark and full of ambiguity it sucks you in as it sucks out all the air from the room.
February 24, 2023
This books feels like a hot, humid summer night.
*spoiler risk below*
I would recommend reading this book without prior looking at the blurb to avoid creating the false expectation of a murder mystery to be solved.
Instead, the plot described there is plainly used as a vehicle to allow this intimate, dream-like character study, providing a cynical reflection on familial, platonic and romantic relationships and love. Therein, the author raises the question whether ¡°love from the heart¡± truly stems from an act of selflessness and philanthropy or whether it is motivated by an egotistical form of self-soothing and -preservation.
*spoiler risk below*
I would recommend reading this book without prior looking at the blurb to avoid creating the false expectation of a murder mystery to be solved.
Instead, the plot described there is plainly used as a vehicle to allow this intimate, dream-like character study, providing a cynical reflection on familial, platonic and romantic relationships and love. Therein, the author raises the question whether ¡°love from the heart¡± truly stems from an act of selflessness and philanthropy or whether it is motivated by an egotistical form of self-soothing and -preservation.
October 17, 2022
tbh, i have no idea what I just read. Also from like page 133 onwards I just skimmed the pages bc I was so over it. idk, I didn't like it.
July 14, 2022
A chill domestic mystery.
February 13, 2024
I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about it and was really surprised by how it starts in one place and just unfolds layer after layer, ending in a totally different place even though the present takes place entirely over the course of one night inside an apartment. It¡¯s character-focused and felt as if it was trying to explore human behavior and our ties to each other more than just shocking with twists. I¡¯m going to only give you what you learn at the beginning in case, like me, you¡¯d like to not know all the reveals: Aki and Hiro have been living in a Tokyo apartment but will no longer be rooming together. The apartment is empty but they¡¯ve decided to have one final meal together. It appears each one believes the other is responsible for a man¡¯s death and they have a lot to talk about¡ Think this will particularly work for fans of indie films.
(TW discussions of suicide, including hypotheticals)
--from
(TW discussions of suicide, including hypotheticals)
--from
January 10, 2023
That was...quite a wild ride!
June 27, 2022
An unusual character focused thriller where two characters see the end of their relationship approach and each thinks the other is a killer. The reveals are very well handled to both shock us and keep us reading!
Full review -
Full review -
October 10, 2022
A man and a woman ¨CHiro and Aki ? spend one last night together in their Tokyo apartment. The next morning, each will go their separate ways. He will move in with his new girlfriend and she, supposedly, is off to holiday in Vietnam. They are seeking closure. Not just over their relationship, but they want to come to terms about the death of a man, who was their guide on a recent hiking trip in the north.
Are the two a couple or friends? Or perhaps they are siblings? All we know is that each thinks the other is behind the guide¡¯s murder.
In addition to tennis, hiking had long been one of the activities they loved doing together. And they had been on many such excursions. But this time had been different. In the far north of Japan, in the ancient beech tree forests of Shirakami Sanchi, literally ¡°Mountain Land of the White Gods¡±, their guide falls to his death.
How had it happened? Over a cobbled-together dinner of ready-made food with plenty of alcohol, the two sit across from each other, using her large suitcase as a makeshift table. They will stay up all night if necessary to try and work things out.
Ever since the tremendous success of Swedish author Stieg Larsson¡¯s 2008 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, English language-readers cannot seem to get enough of international mystery novels. There are even publishers who specialise in international crime fiction, like Bitter Lemon Press, the London-based publisher behind the English translations of Japanese writer Riku Onda¡¯s work. Onda is a prolific, prize-winning author in Japan, having won the prestigious Naoki Prize in 2017 for her book Honeybees and Distant Thunder.
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Are the two a couple or friends? Or perhaps they are siblings? All we know is that each thinks the other is behind the guide¡¯s murder.
In addition to tennis, hiking had long been one of the activities they loved doing together. And they had been on many such excursions. But this time had been different. In the far north of Japan, in the ancient beech tree forests of Shirakami Sanchi, literally ¡°Mountain Land of the White Gods¡±, their guide falls to his death.
How had it happened? Over a cobbled-together dinner of ready-made food with plenty of alcohol, the two sit across from each other, using her large suitcase as a makeshift table. They will stay up all night if necessary to try and work things out.
Ever since the tremendous success of Swedish author Stieg Larsson¡¯s 2008 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, English language-readers cannot seem to get enough of international mystery novels. There are even publishers who specialise in international crime fiction, like Bitter Lemon Press, the London-based publisher behind the English translations of Japanese writer Riku Onda¡¯s work. Onda is a prolific, prize-winning author in Japan, having won the prestigious Naoki Prize in 2017 for her book Honeybees and Distant Thunder.
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September 8, 2024
I get why this book got a really low review. I get it. Its not for everyone for sure but I certainly dig it despite the many flaws and huh moments that make me go WTF is that twist ??.
The story was psychologically confusing, a sort of melancholic thriller of doubts, guilts, suspicions, fear & desires amalgamated into one story. Taking place in one night of a separation between Hiro and Aki who are playing mouse & cat game of trying to coerce confession of what happened to the man who died a year ago. They both had doubts of each others thinking the other killed the mountain guide guy but the nights become a space of theories unravelling, repressed feelings & desires become unexplicably dangerous to cross, what are truths and whats real, the dreamlike vagueness of memories, family drama and so much secrets .
Whats interesting about Riku Onda's way of storytelling is that she made the readers questioned every single things, like my brain was making up all sort of theories while reading, of trying to figure out who killed the man or is it just an accident, what exactly happened back then. The plot twist & revelations on the nature of their relationship left me feeling icky to be honest, it just makes my skin crawls but also so damn twisted!
Have to give props to Allison Watts for pulling this off because I actually love some of the quotes in here especially on the death, suicide and the imagery of fish swimming dappled in sunlight significance which beautifully tied to everything that happened
The story was psychologically confusing, a sort of melancholic thriller of doubts, guilts, suspicions, fear & desires amalgamated into one story. Taking place in one night of a separation between Hiro and Aki who are playing mouse & cat game of trying to coerce confession of what happened to the man who died a year ago. They both had doubts of each others thinking the other killed the mountain guide guy but the nights become a space of theories unravelling, repressed feelings & desires become unexplicably dangerous to cross, what are truths and whats real, the dreamlike vagueness of memories, family drama and so much secrets .
Whats interesting about Riku Onda's way of storytelling is that she made the readers questioned every single things, like my brain was making up all sort of theories while reading, of trying to figure out who killed the man or is it just an accident, what exactly happened back then. The plot twist & revelations on the nature of their relationship left me feeling icky to be honest, it just makes my skin crawls but also so damn twisted!
Have to give props to Allison Watts for pulling this off because I actually love some of the quotes in here especially on the death, suicide and the imagery of fish swimming dappled in sunlight significance which beautifully tied to everything that happened
October 26, 2023
I've been so curious about this book and now I've finally read it, all in one sitting. This was super strange but interesting and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the twists and turns this takes as all is revealed over the course of this one night, but I see how it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Read
June 21, 2023odd, sad, n clever x
January 31, 2024
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August 20, 2022
Riku Onda, the pen name of the Japanese fiction author Nanae Kumagai, is a multi-awarded writer whose work has become more and more popular since the first English translation of her novel The Aosawa Murders in 2020. Some of her books have been adapted into feature films and television mini series, further boosting her reputation within the universe of the most celebrated authors originating from the Land of the Rising Sun. Thus, her latest oeuvre which comes under the mystical title Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight has been much-reviewed and discussed in the book blogs and websites, with the ratings being more than positive in the vast majority of the readers' assessments. It is an ambitious project, in parts successful and in parts lacking the necessary spark, as Onda attempts to combine a character-oriented story revolving around the complex relationship between the two protagonists, Hiro and Aki, and a straightforward murder mystery which unfolds through the contradicting narrations of the two aforementioned characters. It is a short book, more like a novella, and it is set through the course of one night in which Hiro and Aki contemplate the event that marked their lives and haunts them for the last year. The key to the puzzle lies in the sort of connection between the protagonists which, even though seems to be apparent in the beginning, it is quickly muddled as the story picks up pace. There are several twists strategically placed in the critical points of the story and the reader cannot be sure about anything until the very end.
A year ago, Hiro and Aki, a happy couple (?) visited a mountain and met the local guide, a middle-aged man who died mysteriously after a few days, by falling from a cliff. The strain that his death puts on the two first-person narrators is explained as the reader turns the pages and realizes that the mountain guide wasn't a virtual stranger but a person bearing much significance to Hiro and Aki who decide to have a final conversation about the tragic event in the last night that they are going to spend together. From the next day, each one will go his own way and the author highlights the fact that they are not going to meet again ever again. Sitting in a naked apartment, stripped from furniture and using a suitcase as a table, Hiro and Aki will divulge their respective perspectives on the events that preceded the guide's death and their accounts will significantly differ and even straight contradict one another, leaving the reader to decide which narrative is more plausible. As the story moves forward, it becomes obvious that there is a double mystery lying at the heart of the novel: the first concerns the actual death (murder?) of the mountain guide and the second, and perhaps even more important, bears on the nature of the relationship between Hiro and Aki. As the story reaches its climax, the author conjures her tricks and employs the use of red herrings to throw the reader off-balance and thus make the finale even more startling.
The fact that both Hiro and Aki speak in the first person deems the characters easier identifiable to the reader while quickening the pacing and accentuating the mystery element as the reader is trapped inside the minds of the two narrators. There is no objective intervention from and omniscient author who would offer some kind of validity to the descriptions of the characters, and that is a bold deed carried out by Onda. Most authors are afraid of using first-person narration as it is harder to control and demands another level of concentration by the writer who becomes the character, not merely describes one. The fragmented character of the narration is another direct consequence of that choice and the reader gets the feeling that he is fed pieces of the puzzle in each chapter which initially seem unconnected and even irrelevant to the main storyline. Nevertheless, every word in the text has its own place in the overall narrative and the author delivers a masterclass in avoiding redundancy, a sin committed by many of his peers in the fiction writing scene.
Onda wants to convey some interesting remarks regarding the essence of love, the desperation that comes from retaining a doomed relationship, the strength of family bonds and their significance in the raising of the children, and many other issues that are communicated through the observations made by Hiro and Aki as the night gives away to dawn, marking the end of the protagonists' interaction and the finale of the story. However, despite the gravity of some of the themes explored, many of the characters' lines feel like half-baked philosophies, lacking any proper depth as the author fails to grasp the quintessence of the subjects at hand. Many of the quotes revolving around the aforementioned topics are of superficial character and fail both to emotionally engage the reader and prompt him to think further on them. I can't say that it was a philosophically satisfying novel, despite its grand intentions, and since it is the first Riku Onda's book that I've read, I would like to read some more to determine whether this was a flaw concerning this particular work or it is a trademark of the author in general. The purely mystery aspect regarding the death of the guide finds its solution in the very final pages and the denouement finds Hiro and Aki on the trail of a new life, free of the deceptions that cost them so much so far. There is a kind of bittersweet finale that fits the story well and redeems the novel's flaws as I cited above.
To conclude, I found Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight to be a rather stimulating read that could be so much more if only the author was more careful when dealing with complicated subjects that demand clarity and lucidity in writing. It is a fast read that one can complete in just one sitting and guarantees entertainment as the two matching mysteries are appealing enough to keep the reader invested on the story. Unfortunately, I cannot give a higher rating due to the deficiencies that I've mentioned in the previous paragraph, thus my final determination is 3/5 stars. Perhaps I've read a lot around the web before starting reading the novel and my expectations were higher, but I was anticipating a more mentally stimulating reading experience. Let's also not forget another plus for the book as it is set in the exotic Japan landscape, a scenery unknown to the vast majority of the westerners. Japanese crime fiction is a solid choice for the fans of the genre and along with Riku Onda, you should check also some other names such as Rampo Edogawa, Keigo Higashino. and Natsuo Kirino. I shall search for The Aosawa Murders as I believe that Onda deserves a second chance.
A year ago, Hiro and Aki, a happy couple (?) visited a mountain and met the local guide, a middle-aged man who died mysteriously after a few days, by falling from a cliff. The strain that his death puts on the two first-person narrators is explained as the reader turns the pages and realizes that the mountain guide wasn't a virtual stranger but a person bearing much significance to Hiro and Aki who decide to have a final conversation about the tragic event in the last night that they are going to spend together. From the next day, each one will go his own way and the author highlights the fact that they are not going to meet again ever again. Sitting in a naked apartment, stripped from furniture and using a suitcase as a table, Hiro and Aki will divulge their respective perspectives on the events that preceded the guide's death and their accounts will significantly differ and even straight contradict one another, leaving the reader to decide which narrative is more plausible. As the story moves forward, it becomes obvious that there is a double mystery lying at the heart of the novel: the first concerns the actual death (murder?) of the mountain guide and the second, and perhaps even more important, bears on the nature of the relationship between Hiro and Aki. As the story reaches its climax, the author conjures her tricks and employs the use of red herrings to throw the reader off-balance and thus make the finale even more startling.
The fact that both Hiro and Aki speak in the first person deems the characters easier identifiable to the reader while quickening the pacing and accentuating the mystery element as the reader is trapped inside the minds of the two narrators. There is no objective intervention from and omniscient author who would offer some kind of validity to the descriptions of the characters, and that is a bold deed carried out by Onda. Most authors are afraid of using first-person narration as it is harder to control and demands another level of concentration by the writer who becomes the character, not merely describes one. The fragmented character of the narration is another direct consequence of that choice and the reader gets the feeling that he is fed pieces of the puzzle in each chapter which initially seem unconnected and even irrelevant to the main storyline. Nevertheless, every word in the text has its own place in the overall narrative and the author delivers a masterclass in avoiding redundancy, a sin committed by many of his peers in the fiction writing scene.
Onda wants to convey some interesting remarks regarding the essence of love, the desperation that comes from retaining a doomed relationship, the strength of family bonds and their significance in the raising of the children, and many other issues that are communicated through the observations made by Hiro and Aki as the night gives away to dawn, marking the end of the protagonists' interaction and the finale of the story. However, despite the gravity of some of the themes explored, many of the characters' lines feel like half-baked philosophies, lacking any proper depth as the author fails to grasp the quintessence of the subjects at hand. Many of the quotes revolving around the aforementioned topics are of superficial character and fail both to emotionally engage the reader and prompt him to think further on them. I can't say that it was a philosophically satisfying novel, despite its grand intentions, and since it is the first Riku Onda's book that I've read, I would like to read some more to determine whether this was a flaw concerning this particular work or it is a trademark of the author in general. The purely mystery aspect regarding the death of the guide finds its solution in the very final pages and the denouement finds Hiro and Aki on the trail of a new life, free of the deceptions that cost them so much so far. There is a kind of bittersweet finale that fits the story well and redeems the novel's flaws as I cited above.
To conclude, I found Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight to be a rather stimulating read that could be so much more if only the author was more careful when dealing with complicated subjects that demand clarity and lucidity in writing. It is a fast read that one can complete in just one sitting and guarantees entertainment as the two matching mysteries are appealing enough to keep the reader invested on the story. Unfortunately, I cannot give a higher rating due to the deficiencies that I've mentioned in the previous paragraph, thus my final determination is 3/5 stars. Perhaps I've read a lot around the web before starting reading the novel and my expectations were higher, but I was anticipating a more mentally stimulating reading experience. Let's also not forget another plus for the book as it is set in the exotic Japan landscape, a scenery unknown to the vast majority of the westerners. Japanese crime fiction is a solid choice for the fans of the genre and along with Riku Onda, you should check also some other names such as Rampo Edogawa, Keigo Higashino. and Natsuo Kirino. I shall search for The Aosawa Murders as I believe that Onda deserves a second chance.
November 14, 2022
I was thinking 4 or maybe 4.5 stars near the start of this book but then it floored me, it's a five star hands down for me. Hear me out. (Spoiler free dont worry!).
When you start this book, this couple are complete question marks, blank slates - why should you care? But by the end you are gripped, you wanna KNOW about these people. You've been shown the dark recesses of their mind. And by the end, the sub plot of who dunnit... you don't even care cause all you care about are these two people.
What will they do? What actions will they take? Who knows!? And it's because this book is wild.
For such a short book there's a reveal at the end of nearly every chapter. And just so much madness packed in. And the fact its set over one night and it feels like you are IN the room with them as this night unfolds and you can basically feel the tension.
I mean I'm basically gushing for this book right now but it's probably because I've been in a horrendous slump and this book right here has just reminded me WHY I love reading. (However I will just add I can totally see why this won't work for everyone, while a five star read for me personally I TOTALLY get why its two star for some).
So thank you Riku Onda. I will now read everything you've written.
When you start this book, this couple are complete question marks, blank slates - why should you care? But by the end you are gripped, you wanna KNOW about these people. You've been shown the dark recesses of their mind. And by the end, the sub plot of who dunnit... you don't even care cause all you care about are these two people.
What will they do? What actions will they take? Who knows!? And it's because this book is wild.
For such a short book there's a reveal at the end of nearly every chapter. And just so much madness packed in. And the fact its set over one night and it feels like you are IN the room with them as this night unfolds and you can basically feel the tension.
I mean I'm basically gushing for this book right now but it's probably because I've been in a horrendous slump and this book right here has just reminded me WHY I love reading. (However I will just add I can totally see why this won't work for everyone, while a five star read for me personally I TOTALLY get why its two star for some).
So thank you Riku Onda. I will now read everything you've written.
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