I've had a bit of a Ryu Murakami fest this week. His books are so quick to read yet they chill me to the bone. Ryu Murakami's antagonists (villains to non writers), and the protagonist as well in Piercing are adult survivors of childhood abuse. The common theme between his three novellas I've read recently is how fear of violence in childhood leads to dissociative personality traits as a means of survival. And the problems this causes in adult life.
Piercing begins when Kawashima Masayuki is settled with a wife he adores and who calms him. He sees his wife as some sort of superwoman and views her with the deep admiration of someone who doesn't feel worthy. So when he realises he wants to stab their baby with an ice pick he tries to find an alternative course of action. On a lonely late-night walk he decides his only option is to murder someone else.
His victim, Chiaki, has issues of her own, also rooted in childhood abuse, and the dual point of view between Chiaki and Masayuki in later chapters lends a comedic gloss to a deadly story.
Piercing is the least violent of this writer's novellas I've read so far, and in my opinion the most accomplished. Like Audition I could see Piercing being made into a remarkable film.
One small criticism, the covers are far too cute for such shocking stories. I've had to warn my anime obsessed daughter to leave them alone.
5/5 stars.