7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it!, January 28, 2007
This review is from: The Crimson Labyrinth (Paperback)
I too have read Battle Royale, and several other Japanese books that were translated into English - Parasite Eve, Ring, and Dark Waters. Of all of these, I feel that The Crimson Labyrinth was the best. It kept my attention completely, I read it quickly over a few hours and could not put it down. I did enjoy Battle Royale a lot too. Another reviewer wrote that it seemed like a rip-off of BR, but I don't agree at all. Of course the themes are very similar, but I think the writing is actually much better in Labyrinth and the mystery throughout the book of what's behind the game is what really gives this the punch. The motivation for the game to me was far more realitic than that of the one in BR.
Anyway, this is a fun, creepy, quick read. I will definitely read anything else translated into English by this author.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Could Not Put It Down, July 25, 2010
This review is from: The Crimson Labyrinth (Paperback)
I had begun to doubt whether I'd ever read a book that would hold my attention so well that I would be unable to put it down (Lately I'd hit a slump of bad/dull/cliched books that I barely got through the first 3 or 4 chapters before setting it down).
But this one definitely caught and held my attention. Not only did I read it everywhere I possibly could (including while I was getting my hair done, only to pause briefly to explain to my salonist what the book was about). I even pulled an all nighter because I had only 2 chapters left to read and would probably not be able to sleep that night without giving in to my curiosity.
The book, like many other reviews say, is certainly along the same lines as Battle Royale. Normal people are put into a survival game situation where its kill or be killed. But this book, to me, seemed much more twisted then Battle Royale was. Where in Battle Royale, kids were simply handed weapons and told to kill each other, some of these contestants were continuously drugged, fed hallucination meds, and set upon by poisonous snakes. And where Battle Royale, the kids that went over to the 'dark side' merely looked a bit more ragged then they had started off as, Labyrinth's contestants ended up as nightmarish ghouls that I must admit gave me very frightening dreams after reading it.
All in all, a great read! I definitely suggest it to anyone who enjoys thrilling adventure. (I've already lent out my copy to one of my coworkers)
SPOILER!!! DO NOT READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK!!
To me, Labyrinth's only fault lies in the ending. I was all set up for some phenomenal ending which showed Fujiki facing off against his captors (and maybe an explanation of sorts). But all I received was a page worth of bland guesses from his friend-turned-detective and a few interesting theories by Fujiki about Ai's part in the game. I would have loved to see some more concrete evidence as to who the game masters were, why they were doing this, if this was the first time they'd done this sorta thing with real people, and so on. The ending that I pieced together by vague guesses was sort of unsatisfying.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
People placed into a Competition of strategy, February 7, 2010
This review is from: The Crimson Labyrinth (Paperback)
A bunch of realistic people are placed in a unique landscape where they have to survive. They get to collaborate with the other people and choose which path and items they get to take. For instance, do they want to take the route and look for food or the route to look for weapons. If they choose wisely and play smart with the other people, they have a better advantage of getting through. I found this book after searching for books that put people into unique situations such as game shows. I found it off of the Battle Royale page from the recomendations. While Battle Royale is a lot more intense, this book has a lot of unique twists and ideas. It was a very fun read and I couldn't put it down until I was finished!
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