Customer Reviews

Gold Rush

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This has to be one one of the most disturbing book that I have ever read. The story stars Kazuki a 14 year old middle school student. Kazuki, however, is not your normal boy. It seems that Kazuki has very little concious and instead of going to the figh prestige middle school which his wealthy father bought his way into, Kazuki spends most of his time with delinquets indulging in hobbies such as cocaine and gang rape. Kazuki does a few more evil things such as killing dogs with a golf club, and eventually killing his father with a sword. A very distubing book, but it gives a glimpse to the western reader on other modern day japanese women writers besides Banana Yoshimoto.

'Out' was the definitive 'noir' portrait of Japanese middle-aged female and 'housewife' culture, and I think 'Gold Rush' is the definitive portrait of sociopathic Japanese youth (it rings much more true than Kirino's efforts in this direction, by the way). Both books are also much larger than what I've just written, they're new, dark, and deeply truthful perspectives on Japanese society in general.

'Gold Rush' (like 'Out') is also an incredibly good read. You really don't know what will happen in the end: there are 'outside' 'adult' forces pushing to cover up the crime, others pushing for a confession, and this incredibly angry, unpredictable, and volatile 14-year-old boy in the middle.