Rating: 
Summary: A Greek tragedy set in modern Japan.
Review: A 1988 Japanese novel translated into English in 1999. The story follows a newly paroled man who in a fit of passion killed his wife, and mistakenly killed the mother of his wife's lover. The character is sympathetic despite his action. I was troubled by the attitude of the various characters accepting the justification for the killing, but the story's end addresses this issue as expertly as can be hoped. The story keeps a meditative pace, but always stays interesting as it explores the intricacies of a long-term prisoner now paroled into a world vastly different from what he left. The reader gradually learns of the circumstances of the parolee's crime and his inner feelings about his actions including what those who are now responsible for helping him expect of him. The story's end is not too unexpected, but in keeping with a philosophy of fatalism. It gives an interesting view, if it is accurate, into the Japanese penal and criminal justice system.
I don't easily give books the highest possible rating, but I wouldn't be surprised if others rate this novel higher than do I.
Rating:
Summary: Clever, vision through the eyes of a Japanese man
Review: Akira Yoshimura tells a clever and detailed tail of a man who becomes paroled from a life prision sentence and now must learn to reconnect with the outside world. Yoshimura lets the reader ponder and wait through many pages before you find out why this seemingly gentle mannered former school teacher named Kikutani obtained a life sentence in prison. I enjoyed this element of suspense and found it continued throughout the book making it not only clever but compelling. Certainly, knowing that this book is a japanese translation, you still get a distinct flavor not only for the author and his style but the japanese culture through the eyes of Kikutani. Kikutani is a character that the reader neither totally likes nor dislikes. The story unfolds through his experience reintegrating his life back into society. His fears are sometimes suprising. And, I wonder if the severe embarrassment of his crime and punishment is enhanced by the japanese culture itself and the distinct element of privacy. The attention to detail lets the reader explore this culture through Kikutani's eyes. We see his transformation in the story including the reader's almost shocking discovery that he has absolutely no remourse for his crime. All this leads to a very satisfying ending only because it fits with the story. Yoshimura is one of the premier authors in Japan, which attracted me to this book, and this is an excellent sample of his work, which is precise, detailed, clever and distinctive.
Rating: 
Summary: To Hell and Back
Review: An absolutely riveting read. Once you start it, you'll find it hard to put down, the story of a man serving life in prison for killing his wife and mother-in-law in a fit of jealous rage. Paroled, he slowly begins to resume his life, first by finding a job, then by finding his own place and finally by meeting a woman. And therein lies the tragedy. It's a haunting book that stays with you months after you've read it.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! So much in so small a book!
Review: I liked this book very much. It appealed strongly to my emotions and to my intellect, and it stayed with me long after I finished the final chapter. What is the nature of justice? What are the limits of freedom? What is the value of human life? Why do we find some murders less reprehensible than others and punish them with lesser sentences? When rehabilitation works, who deserves the credit? Who is responsible when it fails? How do we create our own prisons out of our past experiences? These are just some of the questions that the book raised for me. They are not questions with easy answers and, thankfully, the author does not offer any. What Yoshimura does offer is a well-written story about Kikutani, a paroled murderer trying to adjust to life outside of prison and a freedom that is limited by the law and by himself. At many times I felt a tension between sympathy for Kikutani and disturbance by some of the things he does and thinks. The writing is excellent, and the author presents many provocative images. One of my favorite images is that of Kikutani caring for fish in an aquarium, much like his parole officer takes cares of him. As we notice the similarities between Kikutani and his fish in their worlds restricted by glass or invisible attitudes, we are invited to think about the restrictions of the parole officer's world and of our own. Another part that resonated with me was the loneliness and feeling of separation that Kikutani felt when he returned to a favorite place from his childhood and found it barely recognizable. In these ways and many others, I found Kikutani's story deeply moving and fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! So much in so small a book!
Review: I liked this book very much. It appealed strongly to my emotions and to my intellect, and it stayed with me long after I finished the final chapter. What is the nature of justice? What are the limits of freedom? What is the value of human life? Why do we find some murders less reprehensible than others and punish them with lesser sentences? When rehabilitation works, who deserves the credit? Who is responsible when it fails? How do we create our own prisons out of our past experiences? These are just some of the questions that the book raised for me. They are not questions with easy answers and, thankfully, the author does not offer any. What Yoshimura does offer is a well-written story about Kikutani, a paroled murderer trying to adjust to life outside of prison and a freedom that is limited by the law and by himself. At many times I felt a tension between sympathy for Kikutani and disturbance by some of the things he does and thinks. The writing is excellent, and the author presents many provocative images. One of my favorite images is that of Kikutani caring for fish in an aquarium, much like his parole officer takes cares of him. As we notice the similarities between Kikutani and his fish in their worlds restricted by glass or invisible attitudes, we are invited to think about the restrictions of the parole officer's world and of our own. Another part that resonated with me was the loneliness and feeling of separation that Kikutani felt when he returned to a favorite place from his childhood and found it barely recognizable. In these ways and many others, I found Kikutani's story deeply moving and fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: A beautifully flowing story!
Review: Shiro Kukatani, a high school English teacher, has been released on parole after 15 years in prison. He slowly reacquaints himself with the society he knew prior to his imprisonment. Feeling guilty that, despite his long years of confinement, he feels no remorse for his crime, Kukatani must adapt to living independently again albeit under the supervision of his probation officers. ON PAROLE is a story unadorned with fluff, moving slowly and simply with words that evoke deep thought and emotions. It examines Kukatani's feelings of tentativeness as he emerges from prison. Speaking of his attempts to reenter a world beyond prison bars, the reader can feel Kakatani's yearning to reach back into his former life, the fascination and repulsion of discovering an environment that continued to change despite his stagnant years of imprisonment, and his longing to connect to other people while overpowered by his fear to do so. In essence, the story describes how a parolee's life can never return to that of the past. The deed that sent Kukatani to prison is not the story, but rather it's the psychological adaptation of a parolee to what lies beyond the prison's gate and the question as to whether there is such a thing as true rehabilitation of a criminal.
Rating:
Summary: A beautifully flowing story!
Review: Shiro Kukatani, a high school English teacher, has been released on parole after 15 years in prison. He slowly reacquaints himself with the society he knew prior to his imprisonment. Feeling guilty that, despite his long years of confinement, he feels no remorse for his crime, Kukatani must adapt to living independently again albeit under the supervision of his probation officers. ON PAROLE is a story unadorned with fluff, moving slowly and simply with words that evoke deep thought and emotions. It examines Kukatani's feelings of tentativeness as he emerges from prison. Speaking of his attempts to reenter a world beyond prison bars, the reader can feel Kakatani's yearning to reach back into his former life, the fascination and repulsion of discovering an environment that continued to change despite his stagnant years of imprisonment, and his longing to connect to other people while overpowered by his fear to do so. In essence, the story describes how a parolee's life can never return to that of the past. The deed that sent Kukatani to prison is not the story, but rather it's the psychological adaptation of a parolee to what lies beyond the prison's gate and the question as to whether there is such a thing as true rehabilitation of a criminal.
Rating:
Summary: wow.
Review: The story tells about a man on parole after purging a long prison sentence (for murdering his wife and her lover) and his difficulties in readjusting to daily life. Other themes present in the novel are the quality of freedom available to an ex-convict and his incapability to feel guilt. The novel is very touching. It rings very true. Some small details of the main character's difficulties in readapting to 'normal' life especially give the whole novel a tone of realism. Perhaps some of the reader might have seen "the Eel"; a Japanese film that was distributed in the West. THat film was based on a novel from the same author. The story is not the same but the athmosphere and themes are very similar.
Rating:
Summary: Very Subtle, Very Powerful
Review: This book follows a man, Kikutani, after he is paroled after sixteen years for murder. The plot is sparse. Indeed, the first few chapters deal only with Kikutani's parole, his being taken to a department store to reacquaint him with modern life and his landing a low level job. Despite the subdued action, I was absolutely captivated. The author paints Kikutani's inner life so vividly that one can easily place oneself in his position and experience the same feelings of isolation, disorientation and amazement at the changes that have taken place during Kikutani's period of incarceration.
The subtle portrait the author paints is such that we can feel the strength of relationships with minor characters even though they are barely described. We feel Kikutani's bond with Igarashi, a man paroled at the same time as Kikutani, even though they know each other for only a couple of days. We also feel the emotional pull of Kikutani's correspondence with Takasaki, who recognizes Kikutani from prison and is fearful of his past being discovered. We understand Kikutani's loss when that correspondence is abruptly cut off, even though neither Kikutani nor the reader ever meets Takasaki except through the letters he has written.
More than any book I have read, ON PAROLE makes one consider conflicting questions about criminals. Although I am far from a bleeding heart, even I wondered to what extent are some murderers more sympathetic due to the circumstances surrounding their crimes. Are others partially responsible if their lies lead to someone else committing a crime when the truth up front might have prevented it? Are we all capable of a murderous rage given the right circumstances? If some people are more predisposed to being taken over by an uncontrollable rage, are they more or less responsible for violence they commit? To what degree does prison provide a degree of comfort by removing choice and temptation, especially for a person who may be predisposed towards violence but is ashamed of such tendencies?
ON PAROLE makes one consider these questions by presenting them with a very human and likeable face. The reader empathizes with Kikutani and that empathy is then used by the author to project the reader into some uncomfortable areas. Based on this book, I will pick up other books by the same author without hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent study of freedom and constraints
Review: This is a story of a man paroled from an indefinite sentence for a double murder - a man who is driven by fear and revulsion but whose only sense of guilt is in his inability to feel guilt. The novel begins on his first night on parole; it slowly reveals his past, his slow adjustment to the freedom from prison and the burden of life-long parole, his tentative reaching out for relationships with other humans ... The story is well-written in a slow pace that matches the adjustment to a world outside prison quite unlike the world at the time of his imprisonment. The joy of the book is in the details - the seeming heaviness of shoes after years of prison canvas shoes, the steaming miso after years of soup cooled before it reached your cell. Through these details the author provides a psychological novel exploring guilt, redemption, freedom, restriction, social ties .... This book is well worth reading, well worth a thoughtful reading.
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