ISBN-13: 9789573330165
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: September 2013
Format: Paperback, 254 pgs
Source: Personal Library
第一次看到这本小说，就被封面给吸引住了。再加上是一本日本推理小说，而作者是岛田庄司时，我就非常期待读这本书。虽然没读过岛田庄司的书，但听说他是当今日本推理文坛的重镇，而他的作品曾多次获奖及进入畅销排行榜，可说是位非常了不起的作家。凭这些，就足以让我期待的不得了。
故事的大纲就是描述一个19岁的大学生因车祸受伤而住进了医院。在那段时期里，日子非常得无聊，再加上脚上了石膏，所以行动很不方便。然而，在百无聊赖之中，它无意间发现了离医院不远处有一栋房子。因好奇和无聊索然，就拿起了望远镜从窗户看出去。经过他几天的偷窥，他知道这户人家共有三个人：年迈的父亲、忧愁的母亲和一个年轻美丽的女儿。他每天看着这位女孩出门上学、喝咖啡买面包；可说对她的生活有一点了解。他对她所吸引，并有这个念头想结识她。直到有一天晚上，他目睹了女孩的父亲动手打她，然后女孩便拿起一把刀，从背后刺向父亲。。。
自从他发现了她的举动后，他更加地注意着她。然后他更发现了一件令他不敢相信的事情，就是他目睹她在一个雨天的夜晚，手里拖着一个黑色塑胶袋，朝医院的建设工地里把那袋子给埋了。虽然被他所目睹的事情给吓坏了，但是他还是无法自拔的爱上了那名美丽的杀人凶手。后来，他出院了。于是，他开始了跟踪行动，并找了机会接近和认识她。认识她后，他觉得他的生活变得和以前不一样了。此刻，他对她的保护欲也跟着加强了，即管她杀了人。女孩起初不想结识他，但随着日子一天一天的过去，她也渐渐地对他有些好感。但是，事情总有一天难免会被揭穿的。他开始收到警告条，告知他远离那位女孩，不然他会有危险。虽然他知道他的处境有危险，但他还是选择和女孩在一起。直到发生了一连串的事，他不得不揭开女孩的谜底，而发现了一件令他震惊的事。
老实说，我读完了这本小说后，心情是复杂的，但那种心情又非几句话可形容的。起初，我还以为这是本纯推理小说，但是惊悚率不高。总的来说，这是本描述男孩在他19岁的夏天里邂逅了21岁的女孩的爱情故事。整本书里，从不知道男孩的名字，作者只以 “我” 来讲述了他的世界和他所经历的事物。作者用他那细腻的手法，巧妙地描述了男孩的感想和他所经历的一切。身为读者的我，完全跳进了岛田庄司所编的故事里，好像那位男孩所经历的每一件事物，就像发生在我的周围里。不知不觉中，我也跟着男孩的心情而起伏不定。震惊、伤感是我对这本书的结局而产生的感觉。即然过了一天，那种感觉还在，觉得有点落寞的。但无可否认，这本书已促使我对岛田庄司的确认与尊敬，我相信我在接下来的日子里，会继续读他的书，不管是新或旧的作品，我都会非常非常的期待。
Brief summary of the novel:
A story of a 19-year-old college student who has fallen in love with a 21-year-old female murderer. Due to a motor accident, the narrator was admitted to a hospital. During those time, he was bored and he would use a telescope to view out of his window. There was an apartment near to the hospital where he stayed and he would use his telescope to watch the residents. He knew there were three people staying in the apartment: an elderly couple and a pretty young girl. Almost every day, he would watch the girl came out from her house and watch her every moves. He was fascinated by her and wanted to know her. Until one night, he witnessed her murdered her father with a knife.
What most shocked him thereafter is, he also witnessed her dumping a black bag at the hospital construction site on a rainy night. The hospital planned to expand a wing and the girl thought that the construction site was the best option to dispose off the body. However, little did she know that what she has done was being seen by the narrator.
Despite what happened, the narrator was very much attracted to the girl and after he was dismissed from the hospital, he followed her. He then tried every means to befriend her and finally they were friends. As the days gone by, the narrator felt more in love with her and protective towards her, until he started to receive warning notes to stay away from the girl. He knew there were risks if he continued his relationship with the girl but he couldn't help it. Then bad things started to happen and he felt he has to keep his watch on her and found out some things he didn't want to know.
My thoughts:
Initially I thought this was a suspense thriller. Well, it is a suspense thriller at some part, but the core of it is a narrative story of a 19-year-old college student and his love towards a 21-year-old girl, who killed her father. What attracted me to this story is not only the mystery surrounding the girl but the way the author described the narrator's encounter from the beginning till the end. You could say this is more of an emotional-drive story than a suspense thriller, as the narrator's thoughts was well described. I couldn't help but to shake my head on what he thought and done, yet at the same time I felt sorry for him too. Yes, I had mixed emotion reading this book but it was a good reading experience. After closing the book, it was hard to describe how I really felt but there was a sense of shock and loss at the same time. I really look forward to reading more of Shimada Sōji's books in the near future.
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