Scream

Name: Scream
ISBN: 9787559641182

叶真中显 / 林佩瑾Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaAug 2020

4.5

Word count: 199K words
Chapters: 33
ISBN: 9787559641182

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Summary

"Suzuki Yoko is dead, in the apartment where she lived alone. To be precise, Suzuki Yoko died several months ago. By the time she was found, her body had not only been devoured almost entirely by the eleven cats in the apartment—the cats themselves had all starved to death. Suzuki Yoko would seem to be the perfect example of a "lonely death." But how did this woman end up this way? Where are her family, friends, and colleagues? What course did her life take? Told through two relatively independent death cases, this book draws out three interwoven cases and recounts the protagonist Yoko's personal struggles as she is swept along by her times, sliding step by step from mediocrity into an abyss beyond saving. The story is set in urban Japan in 2014. The book unfolds along three narrative threads: the first is the case of the "middle-aged woman's lonely death," which begins with the discovery of the corpse and follows the investigation of the female detective Ayano, gradually revealing the life of the protagonist Yoko. The second thread begins with the case of the "death of a non-profit organization leader." The two seemingly unrelated cases gradually converge, weaving out the truth. The third thread narrates Yoko's life in the second person, from her childhood to the discovery of her corpse, delicately portraying Yoko's growth and transformation and the process by which she is swallowed by society.

Editor's review

Nokyo (The Cry) is the representative work of social-school mystery fiction by Japanese mystery writer Nakayama Shichiri, with a Douban rating as high as 8.9. The book uses a perplexing "lonely death" case as its entry point and, through dual narrative threads, profoundly depicts the tragic life of the heroine Yoko, from mediocrity to downfall, and finally to her ultimate "cry." In the editor's view, the value of this book goes far beyond a gripping suspense story; it is more like a mirror reflecting the realities of Japanese society, precisely dissecting how social problems such as economic downturn, class rigidity, and women's predicaments after the collapse of the bubble economy push an ordinary person into the abyss. With a solid foundation in social investigation and a calm, restrained style, the author Nakayama Shichiri tightly interweaves individual fate with the tide of the times, giving Yoko's struggles and resistance a universally tragic force. The portrayal of the "wicked woman" in the book breaks conventional stereotypes; it is not a simple binary of good and evil, but a layer-by-layer revelation of the choices an individual may be forced to make under structural oppression in order to survive. Reading this book not only offers the pleasure of solving a puzzle but also prompts deep reflection on gender, family, social institutions, and individual freedom. Its weight and literary quality make it stand out among works of the same social-school mystery genre, making it truly a "Heisei tale of despair" that records an era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in social-school mystery fiction and in-depth analysis of human nature
Readers who enjoy works reflecting the social realities of a specific era
Readers who hope to reflect on women's living conditions and social structures through fiction
Enthusiasts of suspense stories with intricate narrative structures and solidly laid detail

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or the pure pleasure of orthodox puzzle-solving
Readers less receptive to heavy, highly realistic tragic stories

Reading tips

It is recommended to pay attention to the "inhuman" second-person narrative perspective interspersed in the book; this is key to understanding the protagonist's inner alienation and the story's ending
Reading alongside background materials on Japan's Heisei-era economy and society can help deepen understanding of the characters' motives for action
The middle section of the story has a high density of plot and a large amount of information; continuous reading is recommended to grasp the foreshadowing and details

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

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尾声

FAQ

Is the ending of this book a twist?

The ending of this book is a tightly logical and emotionally powerful conclusion built on all the details laid out earlier. Rather than a simple plot twist, it is a shocking elevation and completion of the protagonist's fate and the book's themes.

Are the social problems depicted in the book too dark?

The author presents many dark sides of society in a realistic style, but the purpose is not to render despair; rather, through profound revelation, it prompts readers to examine and reflect. At the core of the story, there is still a subtle depiction of the resilience of life.

Is this a "depressing" novel?

It does depict a heavy and heartbreaking story, but the calm analysis of society and the individual it contains, as well as the power of the narrative itself, often bring readers a more complex reading experience and space for thought that goes beyond "depressing."

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About the author

叶真中显 Author

Ye Zhenzhongxian is a Japanese mystery and crime writer. Public information about him is currently limited, and a complete account of his life, education, and awards is not yet available. Four of his works are included in the collection: Zekkyo (The Cry), Blue, Gudo (The Beat), and The Confession of a Wicked Woman, all categorized as mystery and crime fiction. These works show that he excels at using crime, family, and social relationships as entry points, advancing suspense through multiple narrative threads and delicate psychological description. His characters often face a sense of real-world pressure, and his plot twists are calm and restrained. His works have attracted some attention among Chinese-language readers, especially The Cry, which has been discussed for its portrayal of marginalized social circumstances. Overall, Ye Zhenzhongxian's writing emphasizes the intertwining of the dark side of human nature and social issues. His style is somber and his attention to structure is notable, making him an author worth watching in contemporary Japanese mystery writing.

林佩瑾 Author

Lin Peijin is an author about whom limited public information is available; the library currently holds only one work by this author, Jue Jiao (The Scream), commonly classified as suspense and mystery fiction. This work offers some indication of the author's writing orientation: it uses suspense and mystery as its basic framework, with attention to plot momentum and atmosphere, aimed at readers who enjoy tense narratives and puzzle-like structures. The title itself carries strong emotional overtones, suggesting a story that may involve characters' intense responses under pressure and turns of fate. Because basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name remain unclear, a full picture of the author's personal history and body of work cannot yet be drawn, and the present introduction can only summarize based on the work's subject matter and classification. Overall, Lin Peijin is currently known to readers mainly through this suspense and mystery work, and further information awaits later documentation.