Tokyo.

[Dave]

I read Tokyo within a month or so of it being released, so please forgive me if my memory of it is a little hazy in parts and some of the details here are inaccurate. It’s not overstating it to say that almost immediately I knew I was in the presence of greatness. I was struck by so many aspects of the novel; not least the way in which the two narratives set in differing time zones came together to such a satisfying conclusion. Grey as a disturbed introspective and obsessed character utterly convinced as a vulnerable isolated individual. Even the name-Grey-suggests a kind of insipid, asexual loner, susceptible to exploitation from a number of sources. One can imagine an empty eyed Grey handing out Scientology leaflets in any town centre on a Saturday afternoon. Yet in a completely alien environment-Tokyo- she does, eventually, grow in presence and stature, though whether she turns a lighter or a darker shade of Grey is open to conjecture. (Sorry!)
 
Chomching regards himself as something of a pragmatic intellectual, and there is a deliberate contrast between him and his more traditional wife, Shujin. In their own way they personify and represent differing aspects of 1937 China. He sees himself as a forward thinking and progressive, whilst her values are seeped in what her husband regards as an outdated and in many ways worthless culture. Shujin, much to the irritation of her husband, gives wholehearted and unambiguous credence and certainty to the portents and omens that promise an unstoppable and imminent calamity of biblical proportions is upon them. This is redolent of classic literary tragedies in that events are almost foretold and inevitable. The way Mo ratchets up the tension here is brilliantly effective. Disaster is brought ever closer as Shujin’s fears are realised and as such her superstitions are validated. It’s interesting to note that when the full fury of the Japanese onslaught is visited upon the Chinese it is metaphorically suggested that there is an almost supernatural element to the malevolence unleashed by the invading Japanese army. Evil descends like an intangible burnt flesh smelling cloud, choking all of those who inhale its noxious fumes. The Japanese here are collectively, in most cases individually, and, more pertinently, spiritually wicked.

Tokyo is shocking in so many ways: the androgynous Nurse is one of the most unsettling characters in fiction; and the events of the Nanking massacre almost defy belief. I, for one, was unaware of the full extent of the atrocities until I read Tokyo. The Nanking massacre provides the backdrop by means of a twin narrative, set decades apart and the way in which the two seamlessly merge into a cohesive and emotionally compelling whole really is the stuff of genius.

Ultimately, though, what impresses so much about Tokyo is that the novel has an elegiac, lyrical feel to it. At the risk of hyperbole I’m prepared to say I felt I’d experienced Tokyo as much as read it. The evil is quite uncompromising and at times almost difficult to read. However, it concludes on a note of cautious optimism: amongst the outrage the reader is offered the suggestion that decency and compassion are attainable, even in the most harrowing and wrought circumstances.

[Josephine]

Hi Dave and All,

I also love Tokyo; it's my favourite Mo book. I'm not sure I could ever read it again as it's so very gruelling. I recall sobbing in huge great heaves as I finished it. As you said, Dave, so eloquently, you experienced it rather than read it.

It was an enormously courageous book for Mo as she had experienced so much success with Birdman and The Treatment . It must have been tempting to repeat that formula and to break the pattern so drastically is something I really admire her for. I read that it didn’t achieve the commercial success of the previous two, which is a shame if  true.

I found it interesting to read that Mo wrote Tokyo in longhand. Does she write all her books that way? That's a question I could pose to her in the Mo questions part of the forum. I wonder if it helped contribute to the lyrical flow to the book? 

I found Grey quite an irritating character. I couldn't relate to her and wanted to give her a good shaking. The name was great but I didn't have any empathy for her. In contrast, I loved the characters Shujin and Chomching. They were so beautifully sketched, very poignant with a lot of dignity and complexity. Mama Strawberry was another wonderful character who leapt from the page and had me by the throat. She is the sort of character I imagine you would have to have lived in Tokyo to write about. So surreal!

I also enjoyed the descriptions of the creepy house Grey lives in, and Tokyo itself. it was fascinating to read about Grey working in the up-market Hostess club, knowing Mo had the same experience. The Nurse was a delicious touch of pure evil. Ooh! It brings tears to my eyes remembering. The scene with Jason in the cupboard was just brilliant. I thought I was going to stop breathing at that point.

The pacing was excellent and really built up to an unbearable tension. When you thought you couldn't read one more passage or your mind would snap with the terror of allkind's evil But of course you had to go on...

The different threads worked really well. I got totally lost in the story of both strands and didn't want to disrupt reading to enter the parallel thread. By the climax we see the web that spider Mo has spun so cleverly for us. By that time it's too late!!! We're helpless flies watching the inevitable ultimate horror occur in the book’s tragic revelations. (Trying not to give anything away here!)

Unlike Dave I wasn't left with any feeling of hope. I seem to recall being totally crushed and depressed of the evil that allkind is capable. It really affected me so much that I would have trouble ever reading it again. 

Oh, I'm sure I probably will - but not for quite a few years! 

I prefer the title Tokyo over the American Devil of Nanking, which sounds like a horror novel to me. I think Tokyo works because it slips between all the genres which in my view the most exciting writing does!     

 

[Cereal Killer]

You must read the rape of Nanking by Iris Chang. One of the most disturbing books your ever likely to read.

[Dave]

Hiya Josephine and everyone else.
I was inspired to read The Rape of Nanking after I’d finished Tokyo. It is as harrowing as it is ultimately compassionate. Not surprisingly, given the highly contentious subject matter, The Rape of Nanking received many plaudits because of Chang’s bravery in bringing these horrific events to public attention; it also garnered a degree of opprobrium as her many detractors accused her of historical inaccuracies. Needless to say many of those who criticised her were conservative Japanese nationalists who had their own reasons for discrediting Iris Chang. To this day notions of national honour are imbedded in Japanese culture. One particular accusation levelled at Chang was that her own personal involvement may have had an adverse effect on her objectivity-her own grandparents escaped the massacre and their personal accounts, presumably affected her deeply as well as providing the basis for her initial research. Campaigns were launched against her, especially on the Internet. What is incontestable is that Chang became a thorn in the side of the Japanese authorities as she fought to gain compensation for he victims of what was rightly labelled “The Forgotten Holocaust.”

It is tragic that Iris Chang the committed humanitarian was herself a victim of bi-polar disorder and pushed herself beyond endurable limits with regard to her work. She also suffered crippling sleep problems and was for a time a patient at Norton Psychiatric Hospital in Norton. On November 9th 2004 Iris Chang was found dead in her own car of gunshot wounds. She had left three suicide notes, though it was suggested by conspiracy theorists that forces amongst her many enemies may have had a hand in her death. It could also be argued that Iris Chang was, in some ways, a final victim of the Nanking massacre.

In 2005 the Nanking victims dedicated a wing to her in their memorial hall.
For my own part I believe that through her bravery, compassion and refusal to yield to pressure from those who, for political reasons, wished to discredit her, she deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as another individual who fought against injustice so selflessly and nobly-Oscar Schindler.

[stuart]

Hey Dave

Have you read 'Pig Island!?'

Stuart

[Dave]

Hey Dave

Have you read 'Pig Island!?'

Stuart

Hello Stuart. Sorry for the slightly late reply. Yeah, I have read Pig Island. What most impresed me about it were the dark, evocative descriptions of the Island and the resultant atmosphere of isolation and menace it instilled. I also liked the marked contrast between the two narrators. Perhaps not my favourite of Mo's novels, but I still really enjoyed it. I'd be interested to hear would you-or anyone else-made of it. 

[AbRahim]

A brilliant thought of storyline.
For the characters, a juxtaposition of human emotions on offer here. For the reader's consumption.
Especially Grey's; a very real present and neverending battle inside her metaphorically captured at times along with the events described in Nanking giving name and character some poetic justice. In a classic mould aptly titled otherwise 'Grey' or 'Under the Grey sky' striking universal consciousness with the words 'A child to help me embrace the future wholeheartedly'. A message of hope from in essence a Beauty.

[theo]

Sofar I read, over time, Birdman, Tokyo and Pig Island. Tokyo I read three times and in my opinion it's the best book of Mo Hayder that I have read of sofar. And beautifully written. After the experience that was Tokyo, Pig Island to me was a huge disappointment, both in writing style (was that the book where the protagonist curses every few sentences?) - and based on that disappointment I am hesitant to spend time with her newly released Ritual. I suppose I am more fond of the Tokyo universe than that of Birdman. But then again, who knows?

Ogawa is clearly the most disturbing figure in fiction that I ever came across, and I have had my fair share of Lovecraft cum suis. Interestingly, her peculiar method of dispatching her enemies to the hereafter, are clearly embedded in japanese folklore - I think Mo got the idea from that - most notably the Kappa.

regards,

Theo

[Sinister]

Speaking of Ogawa, I can't help but try to imagine what it is exactly that she did to Jason.

Both times.

In either case, both were pretty disturbing. It seemed like the first incident was some sort of ordeal to prep Jason for what would come later. The second, well...

...any ideas anyone?

[theo]

Hi Sinister,

That is how I arrived at the Kappa. The Kappa, those weird creatures from Japanese folklore, had a nasty way of pulling out your intestines (entrails) with their clawed fingers through your derriere. On http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore) another variant is listed: "They feed on ...hapless victims by sucking out the shirikodama (or entrails, blood, liver, or "life force", depending on the legend) through the anus."

While Mrs. Hayder never explicitly nowhere states in her brilliant Tokyo exactly what it is that Ogawa is doing, she sprinkles dark hints of such similar undertakings several times throughout the book. It involves entrails that she somehow pulled out of the human body (to display these around the hapless victim in gruesome configurations) without any visible wounds on the body through which this might have been done, if I correctly recall.

By the way, it is hinted by the Japanese nightclub owner that Ogawa also has a tail, just as the character in Pig Island.

Ogawa is definitely the most scary character that I've come across in fiction. She/he/it merits a novel by him/her/itself.

regards,

Theo

[Sinister]

Ogawa is definitely the most scary character that I've come across in fiction. She/he/it merits a novel by him/her/itself.

Hmm...a "Tokyo/The Devil of Nanking" spin-off? What do you think Mo?

[Vadigor]

I first read the translated version of Tokyo after it was released here and until this day it is still one of my all-time favourites. I finally managed to find an original English version a few months ago.

When I first read it, the novel kept me awake until the early hours, the story being too gripping and disturbing to put it away. Even after finishing it I had trouble calming down from the intense emotional reading that it was. Apart from this only one other book has ever left me this disturbed and slightly freaked out, which would be Clive Barker's The Damnation Game.

After rereading the original version (on a sidenote, the translation was very well done) part of the athmosphere was gone, as I expected. Part of the whole experience of the book was to unravel the truth behind the whole ordeal and slowly realising the horror of what transpired in the past and present of the book. One of the other reasons would be that these past 3 years have desensitized me further, as growing up tends to do.

I just felt like posting this here after having finished The Treatment, the only other book that was available when I found the English version for Tokyo. 

[Kevin]

I completed Tokyo over the weekend. I found it immensely enjoyable and a good read, easy to pick up where I left off and with a good flow to it.

I may post something with a tad more thought behind it on Mr Billingham's forum. If I do, I will provide a link or merely copy and paste my effort into here for the rest of you to have a look at.

[theo]

@ Vadigor: it's nice to see someone undertaking a similar endeavour as I have been doing: to connect Hader's beautiful Tokyo to the works of other authors. Barker had not come to my mind, but I welcome the addition. More than a decade ago I had the opportunity to interview Clive Barker - he was a most courteous person and he had an excellent grasp of the tradition of supernatural fiction (we discussed Arthur Machen and other, even more obscure writers).

I have connected Hayder's Tokyo to the books of William Gibson. I am just re-reading his All Tomorrow's Parties. that book, as well as Pattern Recognition and his Spook Country do connect with Hayder's title on a deeper level. It is as if they are part of the same universe. But come to think of it, China Mieville's Perdido Street Station has something in common with Barker and Hayder; all three have an unusual and highly innovative take on those creatures that are not to be on this side. Perhaps that is the connection with Gibson, although he finds these aspects in human beings.

regards,

Theo 

[theo]

@ Vadigor again: speaking of which, I have since a while entertained the notion that Mo Hayder's oeuvre can be identified as ultimately belonging to the supernatural tradition as exemplified by Arthur Machen: just read his The Novella Of The White Powder, and especially his The Great God Pan (and compare that novel to Pig Island) and you see what I mean.

Although the supernatural never enters her work, there are dark hints silently pointing towards an existence of strange things beyond our existence sprinkled all over her work. This refinement, this having brought down the supernatural element from the overly grotesque (Castle of Otranto) to the hauntingly subliminal formed the ultimate refinement in a long process of maturity in the evolution of the British tale of the Supernatural.

As such, Hayder is a unique writer in that - although her supernatural, or should I say Fortean (and we know that she does mention the austere magazine Fortean Times once in her Pig Island), elements are kept to a bare minimum, it is no more than just a glimpse at the fartherst corner of the eye, she is to my mind working in the finest, most subtle variant of the tradition of the British tale of the Supernatural. Subtle as expressed in the tales of Robert Aickman, perhaps.

regards,

Theo