After our short hiatus in blogging, I decided I needed to get back into the swing of reading. For some people, this can seem like a daunting task. (If you need help trying to get back into reading check out this post here.) For me, I find it’s easier to get back into reading starting with shorter, more fast paced books. Which is why I read both We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, not so fast paced, followed by this great read Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka. Three Assassins reminded me why I love reading and helped push me back into reading those long novels I love so much.
Most other reviews I read about this book gave it lower ratings than I think it deserved. This is due to other reviewers comparing it to its sequel Bullet Train. As I’ve yet to read Bullet Train, it’s on my TBR list, I can rate this book without that comparison. I believe it to be a good standalone book even though Bullet Train is its more successful successor in the series. I also disagree with the genre the book was placed in. Three Assassins is considered a thriller novel, but I found the suspense rather lacking. I would consider it more of a dark comedy. If you plan to read this book, I would keep that in mind.
The Summary
The book shifts between three different perspectives. Two of those perspectives are assassins, while the third perspective is a man who gets caught up in the criminal underworld. Suzuki, a school teacher, quits his job to pursue his wife’s murderer. Suzuki learns his wife died from a drunk driver. The driver is the son of a criminal enterprise’s CEO. Suzuki joins this organization in hopes of getting his revenge. At first the organization makes Suzuki scam helpless tourists where Suzuki feels bad but decides it’s worth it to move up the ranks to take his revenge.
While going to meet the CEO’s son, Suzuki watches as someone pushes him into traffic. His boss tasks him with tracking down the elusive killer known as The Pusher. Suzuki follows the person he suspected pushed the son to a house where he discovers The Pusher has a wife and kids. To get close to The Pusher, Suzuki convinces them he is a tutor for children. This allows him to stay close to the family while trying to learn if this man really is The Pusher and decide what to do with him.
The Whale is an assassin who talks people into killing themselves. He uses words well and knows he’s good at what he does. Past victim’s ghosts haunt The Whale, where they plague him and distract him from his work by constantly asking him if he’s fine doing what he does. The Whale decides he wants to retire so he can stop feeling guilty. A man first tells The Whale he must finish his unfinished business and then he can retire. To do that he must first confront The Pusher who killed someone The Whale spared.
Many people in the criminal underworld know about The Cicada for his gruesome murders he commits. He does not mind killing entire families or children when people contract him. Often, he picks up work no one else will do. Unlike The Whale, The Cicada is not haunted by his past and feels no remorse for his actions. His biggest issue is with his boss. He cannot figure out why he must do the dirty work while his boss just finds his contracts. Eventually, The Cicada decides to make his fame and fortune by hunting down the elusive Pusher. By taking The Pusher out Cicada will become famous in the criminal underworld.
Suzuki must face all three of these assassins to help him resolve his wife’s murder. The Pusher helps Suzuki the most and pushes him out of the criminal world he finds himself in, back into a somewhat normal life. With everyone looking for The Pusher and in turn Suzuki, you can see how this book can be comedic. The events that transpire, along with each of the unique assassins, lead to entertaining situations and a wonderful twist at the end that I did not expect. To find out twist you’ll just have to read the book for yourself.
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The Good
Isaka wrote a highly entertaining and fast paced book. I found myself laughing and the comments the different assassins made. Even though the book takes place in Tokyo, I found myself giving The Cicada a Brooklynn accent which added to my laughter. While highlighting the criminal underworld Isaka kept the story light throughout the novel.
I never thought I would be able to relate to three different assassins. The unique personalities each one held kept me interested and wanting to read more about them. By the end, I understood why people in the underworld deemed The Pusher a legend. I ended up feeling bad for both The Whale and The Cicada. Even though they were murderers, I felt they just needed better circumstances. If you don’t want to relate to contract killers, this book is not for you.
The Bad
I only found two things that took away from the story. One issue is my own understanding of the Japanese language and culture. When it comes to books that are translated from one language to another, I find some things are lost in translation. There was a brief paragraph or two when Isaka talked about the different symbols in the Japanese language. I feel like in that section I missed out on a pun or joke only because I obviously read the English version of the book.
Also, I found out the book title changed in the English translation. In Japanese the book is called Grasshopper but in English it is called Three Assassins. In the book, they talk about grasshoppers and locusts as a theme throughout. The new name takes away from this theme. However, I understand the change because I myself might not have bought the book in the first place if it was titled Grasshopper.
Lastly, I think Isaka could’ve shortened the book or added to it. Some things in the book were mentioned but not important to the story at all. By removing or adding things could have made the book better, in my opinion. I think some things were left in only to add to the length of the book to make it a novel instead of a novella. I also wanted more information on The Pusher. Suzuki is with him for awhile in the book but we still learn very little about the man.
The Review
I would recommend this book to most people of high school age or above. There are talks about suicide and, well, murder. For a book about assassins, I didn’t find it too violent of a book. Isaka kept the blood and gore descriptions to a minimum, which I think help add to the comedic tone of the novel. If you are looking for a quick entertaining read, this book is definitely for you. Isaka wrote entertaining characters with their own motivations and personalities that I loved. It kept me engaged and laughing throughout. While I do think Isaka could’ve added or removed things, it did not take away too much from this comedic tale about assassins. For sure, I will read more books written by him when translators convert them into English. I cannot wait to pick up and read Bullet Train.
8/10 An amusing tale about assassins
As always, happy reading!
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