Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not perfect, but worth your time, October 23, 2005
When I first saw this book I have to admit, I laughed. Being a translation of a book based on an Anime film that was based on a Manga, this is going to be good I thought with a heavy dose of irony. I bought this book more to support the idea of bringing more books over from Japan than any expectations of finding a good book.
So, was I surprised when I found that his book was more than just readable, but also enjoyable. Yes. When I found out about the author's reputation in his homeland, my surprise was lessened, but let me say that the translators brought this book over beautifully (not something that is easy to do if you regularly read translations). There were a few typos, which were the fault of the editors, not the translation. The only translation issues I had were cultural, not grammatical (there are some phrases that make sense in Japan that simply will baffle Americans).
So, should you buy this book. I have nothing but good things to say about this book, but I know I am not everyone. If you are a Sci-Fi fan (even in passing), YES. If you like a good mystery, you will find a story to enjoy, but the investigation elements are not the focus of the story, so you will probably be as frustrated with the book as you will enjoy it. For everyone else, you have to look into yourself. If you are looking for something new, this is it, but if you want to read without thinking about what you are reading, this is not it.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't miss this "quiet" release!, March 25, 2006
I'm a Ghost In The Shell fan. I enjoyed the films and LOVE the SAC series.
I'm a science fiction fan. William Gibson is easily one of my top 3 authors, I really enjoyed Stephenson's "Snowcrash", and read and enjoyed "cyberpunk" voraciously until it became a rather tired genre.
So how I missed this wonderful novel until now, I'll never know! "After the Long Goodbye" is a very worthy addition to the GitS universe, and by the nature of its setting, has a cyberpunk feel to it, but it's so much more mature and thoughtful than much of that genre.
It wrestles some big questions, and even poses some interesting answers. It's written in the 1st person from Batou's POV, which surprised the heck out of me in the first two pages, but Yamada has done a wonderful job of putting the reader in the big guy's head without betraying what we've seen on the big and small screens. It's also surprisingly free of the techno-pron I'd expected. I expected almost excruciating detail about weapons, cyborgs and so on but, as Batou himself says, he's "no otaku". There's easily as much philosophy and technology in this novel, as befitting the GitS universe.
Strangely, after the first few pages, I sort of gave up on it being a "GitS novel". Little reference to Section 9, a few token appearances of Togusa, no Aramaki, and of course no Motoko... it does not seem like an unaired episode of GitS. However, by the end of the novel, all of the threads come together and you realize that, yes, it's very much a GitS story, one bigger than the television screen, but perhaps too quiet for the big screen. If you read it, perhaps you'll know what I'm trying to say.
By the way, it's a quick read, only 180+ pages. Also, the afterward "interview" with Yamada and "Innocence" director Mamoru Oshii is a treat, and offers some fascinating insights into their approaches to this universe, and the "Innocence" film itself.
Highly recommended, and required for GitS fans.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Souls, friends and dogs., January 27, 2006
This book is all about Batou - and the many questions he has. Does he have a soul? Why did Gabriel go? Fighting tanks, the yakuza, fast food, racing hounds, homeless guys and the question of where love comes from.
This is set before the second Ghost In The Shell movie, Innocence, and also has a bonus discussion between the director, Mamoru Oshii, and the author, Masaki Yamada.
There's gun fights, advanced science, philosophy and surreal scenes of the 21st Century.
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