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Lady Joker, Volume 1
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Format: Hardback
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Description
One of Japan's great modern masters, Kaoru Takamura, makes her English-language debut with this two-volume publication of her magnum opus.
Tokyo, 1995. Five men meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together they represent the social struggles and griefs of post-War Japan. A poorly socialised genius stuck working as a welder; a demoted detective with a chip on his shoulder; a Zainichi Korean banker sick of being ostracised for his race; a struggling single dad of a teenage girl with Down syndrome. The fifth man bringing them all together is an elderly drugstore owner grieving his grandson, who has died suspiciously after the revelation of a family connection with the segregated buraku community, historically subjected to severe discrimination.
Intent on revenge against a society that values corporate behemoths more than human life, the five conspirators decide to carry out a heist: kidnap the CEO of Japan's largest beer conglomerate and extract blood money from the company's corrupt financiers.
Inspired by the unsolved true-crime kidnapping case perpetrated by "the Monster with 21 Faces," Lady Joker has become a cultural touchstone since its 1997 publication, acknowledged as the magnum opus by one of Japan's literary masters. It has been twice adapted for film and TV and is often taught in high school and college classrooms.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Lady Joker, Volume 1, praised for its intricate plot and incisive social commentary, is a captivating crime thriller that delves into capitalism's darker facets and Japanese society's complexities. Critics highlight its sprawling narrative, reminiscent of epic novels, offering profound insights into post-war Japan through a multilayered storyline centred around a dramatic kidnapping and extortion case. The novel is celebrated for its vivid detail, character depth, and the unique way it intertwines crime with social critique, making it a standout in contemporary crime fiction.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781616957018
Publisher: Soho Press Inc
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 13 April 2021
Country: United States
Imprint: Soho Press Inc
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 149.0mm
Height: 217.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 576
About the Author
Kaoru Takamura was born in Osaka in 1953 and is the author of thirteen novels. Her debut, Grab the Money and Run, won the 1990 Japan Mystery and Suspense Grand Prize, and since then her work has been recognized with many of Japan's most prestigious awards for literary fiction as well as for crime fiction- the Naoki Prize, the Noma Literary Award, the Yomiuri Prize, the Shinran Prize, the Jiro Osaragi Prize, the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, and the Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize. Lady Joker, her first novel to be translated into English, received the Mainichi Arts Award and has been adapted into both a film and a television series. Allison Markin Powellis a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. She has been awarded grants from English PEN and the NEA, and the 2020 PEN America Translation Prize forThe Ten Loves of Nishinoby Hiromi Kawakami. Her other translations include works by Osamu Dazai, Kanako Nishi, and Fuminori Nakamura. She was the guest editor for the first Japan issue ofWords Without Borders, and she maintains the databaseJapanese Literature in English. Marie Iidahas served as an interpreter for theNew York Timesbestselling author Marie Kondo's Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary series,Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.Her nonfiction translations have appeared inNang,MoMA Post,Eurekaand over half a dozen monographs on contemporary Japanese artists and architects, including Yayoi Kusama, Toyo Ito, and Kenya Hara for Rizzoli New York. Marie currently writes a monthly column forGentosha Plusabout communicating in English as a native Japanese speaker.
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Lady Joker: Volume 1
THE JAPANESE CRIME CLASSIC - ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD 'One of the great masterpieces of Japanese crime fiction and one of the must-read books of this or any year' - David Peace Tokyo, 1995. Five men meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Lady Joker: Volume 2
'One of the great masterpieces of Japanese crime fiction' David Peace, author of Tokyo Year Zero One of Japan's great modern writers, this second half of Lady Joker brings Kaoru Takamura's breathtaking masterpiece to a gripping conclusion. Five men who meet at a Tokyo racetrack every week carry out a heist. They have kidnapped the CEO of Japan's largest beer...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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