Audition [Paperback]

Ryu Murakami (Author), Ralph McCarthy (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2010

The long-awaited translation of the novel behind the cult classic Japanese movie.

In this gloriously over-the-top tale, Aoyama, a widower who has lived alone with his son ever since his wife died seven years before, finally decides it is time to remarry. Since Aoyama is a bit rusty when it comes to dating, a filmmaker friend proposes that, in order to attract the perfect wife, they do a casting call for a movie they don’t intend to produce. As the résumés pile up, only one of the applicants catches Aoyama’s attention—Yamasaki Asami—a striking young former ballerina with a mysterious past. Blinded by his instant and total infatuation, Aoyama is too late in discovering that she is a far cry from the innocent young woman he imagines her to be. The novel’s fast-paced, thriller conclusion doesn’t spare the reader as Yamasaki takes off her angelic mask and reveals what lies beneath.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seven years after his wife's death, Aoyama, the protagonist of popular Japanese author Murakami's dud chiller, is ready to get on with his life. Aoyama has a strong relationship with his son, Shinge, but the successful businessman needs more than a teenage son to keep him company. So he turns to his friend, Yoshikawa, and the two hatch a plan to hold auditions for a fake movie where the actresses will really be interviewing to date Aoyama. Enter Yamasaki Asami, a former ballet dancer who wants to star in the fake film. Aoyama's smitten, even after it becomes clear that Asami's at least a little crazy. Unfortunately, none of this adds up to a suspenseful story, and the big finale is more uncomfortable than frightening. Murakami's work has what could be a fascinating set of characters, but the uneven pacing and ineffective dialogue provide the only hint of horror the book has to offer. (June)
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Review

'The prose in these passages is elegiac and affecting, but it has the sharp, visceral feel of the butcher's knife or surgeons scalpel a highly compulsive, one-sitting read, and Audition should add to the Renaissance Man's growing fanbase in the English speaking world' Irvine Welsh, Guardian 'Murakami has gained a reputation as a diagnostician of Japanese culture in the Bret Easton Ellis/Chuck Palahniuk mode for all his gory details, and his insistence that modern life is just one more movie, Murakami remains a romantic. Trauma and nostalgia may defeat each other, but there's always hope in the form of the next generation' Telegraph PRAISE FOR PIERCING 'There are echoes here of Edgar Allan Poe and Dostoevsky - Murakami shares their fascination with the darkest layer of the soul, and the appalling isolation of the criminal. Creepy and gripping' The Times 'The fame, or even notoriety, of Ryu Murakami lies in his ability to write tightly plotted, well-written tales of violence, seedy sex and horror combined with a vivid sense of the neon-slashed but oppressive atmosphere of the Tokyo street, all underpinned with a fashionable nihilism' Sunday Telegraph --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (June 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039333841X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393338416
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but not for everyone., May 7, 2011

By 

Rogan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Audition (Paperback)

I just finished this book, and it was a refreshing, page-turning thriller. This was the first book I have read by Ryu Murakami, but I will definitely be reading more. Before reading this book though, you should know that Murakami lavishly describes every single detail of the intense scenes, whether that be of sex or extreme violence. If you cannot handle that, don't read this book. If on the other hand you love that sort of thing, I also recommended to you Natsuo Kirino's "OUT."

The key to getting the most out of this emotional roller coaster of a book is reading it in one sitting. It is pretty short, and I read it in about 5 hours. The rhythm and building of the story is of vital importance, so taking breaks makes it hard to appreciate it.

A movie was made out of this novel, so I am very excited to see it!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Book of horror, April 6, 2011

By 

bookreader "Melanie" (Snoqualmie, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Audition (Paperback)

This 190 page novel tells the story of a middle aged widower looking to remarry. A film maker friend proposes that they do a casting call for a movie that they never intend to film. In this manner, they hope to find a perfect wife for Aoyama. What follows is a very slow but a gradual, suspenseful build up toward a horrific conclusion. I normally don't watch horror films or read horror novels, now I remember why..at least in the movies I can cover my eyes...not true with a book. I recommend this story to those who are ok with a few pages of "horror," otherwise it was a good, interesting short read and I was pretty absorbed in the story from start to finish. I had to keep reading to find out what danger lies beneath beautiful Yamasaki. A bit gruesome for my taste at the end however...

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romance and horror, October 22, 2010

By 

Elizabeth Talbott - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Audition (Paperback)

Audition is at first a romance. Aoyama, a widower, decides get remarried after many years of being alone and raising his son. His friend comes up with the idea of creating a movie that will probably never be made to host an audition. Then Aoyama can specify what kind of woman he wants and have his choice in that group. It's a bit misogynistic, but sounds like a typical sweet romance set up. Aoyama meets Asami, a former ballerina with a melancholy air about her. They go on a few dates and then she disappears. This is also when the novel descends into madness.

I love Takashi Miike's film adaptation of Audition, so I was really excited when I found out it was finally translated into English. I thought it was interesting that the book excelled where the movie failed and vice versa. In the first fifteen pages in the book, the reader knows more about Aoyama and his family than in the entire movie. Giving Aoyama a realistic background endeared him to me and made me forgive his shortcomings more than in the film. The courtship between Asami and Aoyama was much more interesting and believable in the novel. There were many more dates than in the film and it involved more normal conversation, plus Aoyama fussing about what to do like a teenage boy. The first three quarters of the film were extremely boring, but provided a great contrast to the last quarter of the film. The only thing I'm going to say about the ending of the story is that the film was much better and much more effective. I wish I could combine the good parts of both versions of the story.

Overall, the book was very good. The crazy ending seems pretty out of the blue and abrupt, unlike the film, which has more of a lead into it. I loved the fleshing out of all the characters into people I can relate to and care about. I would especially recommend this book to fans of the film.