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Summary
The moment he steps into the hotel room, Nanao knows something is wrong—the man in front of him looks extremely suspicious. Is he about to be dragged into another chain of misfortune like last time? After handing over the gift, Nanao turns and runs; he must leave the hotel quickly. Unfortunately, Nanao's fate is like a broken slot machine—no matter how he pulls, it never lands on the lucky 777. Nanao is trapped in the hotel.
How will he get out unscathed this time?
Editor's review
As an editor, I consider this book an excellent side door into Kotaro Isaka's literary world. It lacks the grand narrative architecture of Golden Slumber, yet it concentrates Isaka's most captivating qualities: weaving the tiny ripples of daily life, through wondrous coincidences and nonlinear narration, into movements that bring a knowing smile or prompt reflection. Each story is like a separate gem, exploring human relationships, views on life and death, and sudden "miracles." Isaka excels at planting clues in the ordinary, letting readers experience the pleasure of "so that's it" when the stories converge.
In terms of reading value, this book suits fragmented reading; each story can be finished in about thirty minutes, but the aftertaste lingers. It offers no heavy social critique but explores human kindness and resilience with a warm touch. In an era full of uncertainty, this reflection on "luck" and "connection" is especially comforting. Lü Lingzhi's translation handles the wordplay and cultural references in Japanese well, allowing Chinese readers to appreciate Isaka's style without hindrance.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- New readers of Kotaro Isaka who want a light way to experience his stylistic charm
- Readers who love short story collections and enjoy the reading surprises of intricate structures
- Busy readers who want to use commuting or other fragmented time for deep reading
- Readers with a literary interest in themes such as "fate" and "coincidence"
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong plots and fast-paced suspense stories
- Readers who prefer only traditional linear long-form narratives and feel uncomfortable with loosely connected collections
Reading tips
- Try reading out of order and enjoy each story as an independent piece
- After reading, pause for a moment and think about the faint threads connecting the seven stories
- Pay attention to the ordinary yet pivotal small characters; they are often the soul of Isaka's world
About the publisher
New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 两天前，别的酒店
- 2010号房
- 1914号房
- 车道
- 二十楼
- 1914号房
- 车道
- 二十楼
- 1914号房
- 二楼餐厅
- 一楼
- 两天前，别的酒店
- 1121号房
- 1914号房
- 一楼
- 1914号房
- 十九楼
- 1914号房
- 前台内部
- 十一楼
- 二楼餐厅
- 405号房
- 五楼
- 525号房
- 525号房
- 五楼
- 1121号房
- 1121号房
- 二楼餐厅
- 1121号房
- 2010号房
- 1720号房
- 十一楼
- 二楼餐厅
- 2010号房
- 2010号房
- 三楼枫之间
- 二楼餐厅
- 2010号房
- 1720号房
- 1720号房
- 三楼枫之间
- 二楼餐厅
- 后记
FAQ
How does this book's style compare with Kotaro Isaka's other works?
Are the seven stories completely independent?
How is the translation quality?
Comments
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About the author
Kotaro Isaka, born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1971 and a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Tohoku University, is one of the most distinctive contemporary Japanese novelists. In 1996 he won a honorable mention in the Suntory Mystery Fiction Award for The Annoying Villains, and he made his debut in 2000 with The Audubon's Prayer; he has since been shortlisted for the Naoki Prize several times. His work is often classified as mystery and suspense, yet it does not adhere to the conventional puzzle-solving framework, blending the surreal and a light humor into crime and suspense, with characters who carry warmth and goodwill through absurd situations. The collection includes 19 of his works, among them Golden Slumber, The Precision of the Dead, Gravity's Clown, Lush Life, 777, Pepper's Ghost, The Duck and the Wild Duck's Coin-Operated Locker, One Punk Saves the Earth, and Why Don't You Move to Mars?, as well as several multi-volume complete collections.
Lü Lingzhi is a translator of Japanese and English who holds a master's degree in Japanese from Xiamen University. She has long worked on translating foreign literature and social science books, with more than thirty published translations spanning literature, social science and mystery fiction. Her work covers Japanese authors such as Kawabata Yasunari, Dazai Osamu and Yanagi Muneyoshi, as well as social science and mystery titles including Chizuko Ueno's From Zero: Feminism and Kotaro Isaka's Vacation for the Rest of My Life and Gravity Clown. Forty-five of her translations are included in this catalog, commonly classified under foreign literature, mystery and detective fiction, culture and social culture. In 2023 she was selected for Douban's annual list of translators, and her translations have reached a wide readership in Chinese.
