Synopsis
Taking on a subject that is still largely avoided in Japan, this powerful thriller explores the threat posed by an emperor, even in a ceremonial role, to a democratic government. Set in a fictional island country, the novel is told from the perspective of a group of young adults who are embroiled in their private problems of friendship, work, and sex. Much of the plot is revealed though their internet postings, which gradually become a tool of resistance when the country's popular young emperor dies and his sister is next in line to the throne. In the confusion that follows, martial law is declared and the populace, obsessed with fears about personal and national security, agrees to accept a new authoritarian government. Horrified by the rapid swing in the nation's politics, the main characters confront the brutality that is eroding support for basic rights and environmental and humanitarian reforms.
Publishers Weekly
Something feels lost in translation in Hoshino’s parable-like tale of intrigue set in a conformist island nation that bears a striking resemblance to Japan. After the popular young emperor dies and is replaced by his less-than-competent sister, two alienated young men post online a personal/political manifesto and participate in a murder-suicide that sparks wave after wave of copycat murder-suicides. Narration is then assumed by Iroha, a young woman who was connected to both men and is now hidden away at a mountain retreat because she fears for her life and wants to avoid the public scorn stemming from her relationship with originators of the murder-suicide trend. Unfortunately, the prose is achingly dull, and the narrative’s lack of focus prevents readers from connecting. Clearly, there’s supposed to be symbolic and satirical significance, but the lack of clarity—both in the writing and the concept—is deadly. (Mar.)