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Series
Description
A dark, satirical thriller by the bestselling Japanese author, following the perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassins--soon to be a major film from Sony. Nanao, nicknamed Lady Bird--the self-proclaimed "unluckiest assassin in the world"--boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase--and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. Satoshi, "the Prince," with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him, as does a good philosophical debate...like, is killing really wrong? Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose. When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear. A massive bestseller in Japan, Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller that fizzes with an incredible energy and surprising humor as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwind. Award-winning author Kotaro Isaka takes readers on a tension-packed journey as the bullet train hurtles toward its final destination. Who will make it off the train alive--and what awaits them at the last stop?… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member niaomiya
Ok, this book had a great premise. There are five assassins aboard a bullet train in Japan. None of them is aware - yet - that the others are on board. They each have a mission, but they will soon find out that all their missions are somehow linked. What's going to happen when they inevitably get
The book read in a bit of a stilted style. I don't know if that's the way that author Kotaro Isaka wrote it, or if it's due to the translation by Sam Malissa. The writing was choppy. It wasn't difficult to read; it just felt a little odd. Despite the intriguing premise and early mystery of somebody's dying and nobody knowing how or when it happened, the book just devolved into a chaotic mess of assassins crossing paths, threatening each other, people getting killed, etc. There was almost no character development in the entire book, which was really a missed opportunity, because I think it would have been interesting to know what made these assassins tick.
I really hated the character of Satoshi, a.k.a. The Prince. He was really sadistic with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And he looks like an innocent schoolboy and gets away with his crimes because he IS a schoolboy, at 14 years old. I found it difficult to believe that a 14-year-old could be quite like The Prince. I dreaded every chapter that he was in because he was so unnecessarily cruel.
The "fruit" team of assassins, Tangerine and Lemon, were really over-the-top. Very Hollywoodish. Lemon is not so bright and is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and is constantly talking about different episodes and different train characters from the series. While it was amusing at first, it got tedious really fast. Tangerine is your stereotypical calm and cold assassin who isn't fazed by anything.
Yuichi Kimura is a retired assassin drawn to one last job for revenge. He's an alcoholic who wants to do the right thing for his 6-year-old son Wataru. Kimura probably has the most character development of all the assassins in the book, but that isn't really saying much.
My favorite character was Nanao, a.k.a Ladybug. He has labeled himself "the unluckiest assassin in the world" because he really is stupendously unlucky. All of his simple jobs turn into very complicated ones, and something always goes wrong. Despite this, he thinks quick on his feet and is an effective assassin. But his bad luck is always so ridiculous that it is almost slapstick. I was actually laughing out loud at times. Poor guy.
Add in other peripheral assassins and characters of unknown trustworthiness, plus the main underworld boss, and it's quite a convoluted stew of a book. Two new characters pop in towards the end, and I would have LOVED to have seen them throughout the entire book instead of just near the end.
I am not surprised that this book is coming out as a movie in August 2022. It lends itself to Hollywood. Aside from the fact that the cast members should all be Japanese to stay true to the book, I actually think Brad Pitt is excellent casting in the role of Ladybug. Pitt has the right mix of action bravura and comedic chops to pull off this role. If you've seen the trailer for the movie, you were probably scratching your head afterward, thinking, "What did I just watch? What was that about?" Well, that's pretty what the book is like. Chaos.
Did I find this book entertaining? Yes. Did I like it? It was ok. I actually think it's closer to 3.5 stars than just 3, but it definitely wouldn't get 4 stars from me, which is why I gave it a 3.
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in each other's way?The book read in a bit of a stilted style. I don't know if that's the way that author Kotaro Isaka wrote it, or if it's due to the translation by Sam Malissa. The writing was choppy. It wasn't difficult to read; it just felt a little odd. Despite the intriguing premise and early mystery of somebody's dying and nobody knowing how or when it happened, the book just devolved into a chaotic mess of assassins crossing paths, threatening each other, people getting killed, etc. There was almost no character development in the entire book, which was really a missed opportunity, because I think it would have been interesting to know what made these assassins tick.
I really hated the character of Satoshi, a.k.a. The Prince. He was really sadistic with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And he looks like an innocent schoolboy and gets away with his crimes because he IS a schoolboy, at 14 years old. I found it difficult to believe that a 14-year-old could be quite like The Prince. I dreaded every chapter that he was in because he was so unnecessarily cruel.
The "fruit" team of assassins, Tangerine and Lemon, were really over-the-top. Very Hollywoodish. Lemon is not so bright and is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and is constantly talking about different episodes and different train characters from the series. While it was amusing at first, it got tedious really fast. Tangerine is your stereotypical calm and cold assassin who isn't fazed by anything.
Yuichi Kimura is a retired assassin drawn to one last job for revenge. He's an alcoholic who wants to do the right thing for his 6-year-old son Wataru. Kimura probably has the most character development of all the assassins in the book, but that isn't really saying much.
My favorite character was Nanao, a.k.a Ladybug. He has labeled himself "the unluckiest assassin in the world" because he really is stupendously unlucky. All of his simple jobs turn into very complicated ones, and something always goes wrong. Despite this, he thinks quick on his feet and is an effective assassin. But his bad luck is always so ridiculous that it is almost slapstick. I was actually laughing out loud at times. Poor guy.
Add in other peripheral assassins and characters of unknown trustworthiness, plus the main underworld boss, and it's quite a convoluted stew of a book. Two new characters pop in towards the end, and I would have LOVED to have seen them throughout the entire book instead of just near the end.
I am not surprised that this book is coming out as a movie in August 2022. It lends itself to Hollywood. Aside from the fact that the cast members should all be Japanese to stay true to the book, I actually think Brad Pitt is excellent casting in the role of Ladybug. Pitt has the right mix of action bravura and comedic chops to pull off this role. If you've seen the trailer for the movie, you were probably scratching your head afterward, thinking, "What did I just watch? What was that about?" Well, that's pretty what the book is like. Chaos.
Did I find this book entertaining? Yes. Did I like it? It was ok. I actually think it's closer to 3.5 stars than just 3, but it definitely wouldn't get 4 stars from me, which is why I gave it a 3.
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LibraryThing member stretch
Bullet Train was such a complete departure from what I expected. Instead of the gritty complicated thriller of fast-paced action that is typically demanded of lock room (train) full assassins' story, what we got is a darkly humorous even a satirical take on the genre. This, however, is no farce,
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there is still plenty of action, and killing, and all the fun of a thriller to be had here. This is satire at its best sprinkled in the story with a wink and a nod, respecting the source and elevating it rather than trying to tear it down. All done through an eclectic cast of underworld characters. From the unluckiest assassin in the world and his sarcastic go-between, the wonderfully odd couple paired assassins that debate the merits of literature vs the moral values of a children's TV show, a drunk seeking revenge, a psychopath teen mast mind (reading a lot of these, these days), a mysterious man that is unevenly easy to talk to, and a sadistic and compliment killer. You know for sure that not everyone comes out of this encounter alive. The plot is pretty standard, a train of bad guys that kill and steal from one another because they all do the same kind of work and run in the same circles must sort out the cluster this all creates before the train reaches its final destination. How it all plays out and the interplay between characters is where this story really shines. Some are played to be serious hard nose tasks, others are full of humorous banter that tonally swifts this story from gritty realism to something a bit more jokey in a way feels more authentic. They may be killers, but for most this is their 9 to 5. They are incredibly efficient at dispatching their targets and in the latter stages of this thriller there is plenty of action. Even manages to end on a lighthearted note in its own macabre kind of way. Show Less
LibraryThing member JJbooklvr
Intersecting stories set on a train filled with criminals who are trying to figure out who did what to whom before bad things happen to them. It reminded me of Pulp Fiction but with most of the action taking place on a train. Same humor, fun, and action!
LibraryThing member kordasix
This was such a fun read. Lots of twists, and all of the characters were fascinating.
LibraryThing member bookappeal
This train doesn't stop! The plotting is devious and intricate and the characters are different shades of bad, each with a dirty job that will probably intersect with another character's path, no matter how hard they try to stay out of, or get into, each other's way. Some of the dialog may suffer
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from translation from the original Japanese but the quirkiness fits right in. Fast-paced, funny, violent, and a little bit insane but also hopeful and philosophical in a twisted way. Show Less
LibraryThing member gpangel
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka is a 2021 Harry N. Abrams publication. (Originally published in 2010)
If you’ve seen the movie ‘Bullet Train’ starring Brad Pitt, this is the book it is based on. I have not seen the movie yet- but I probably will check it out someday… but this a review for the
So- here are my thoughts…
This book is the English translation of this Japanese thriller, and I had no idea what to expect, really, but at least the blurb explains the book is satirical in nature- so I was prepared for something a little offbeat.
As it turns out, it is a bit off the beaten path- especially for American audiences, because the style is far removed from the formula most of us expect from a thriller.
But it is very stylish- and commanded my undivided attention from start to finish. As promised the story has some dark, but very funny humor if one can appreciate that sort of thing. I’m not sure dark humor and satire are always a good fit for mainstream audiences- so it might not be to everyone’s taste- but it’s right up my alley.
While this might seem like a ‘simple job’ it can get a little complicated- because while this bullet train is only carrying a small number of passengers, but they all have a sinister agenda. In this case, a particular suitcase is highly sought after by those on board for various reasons, while a psychopathic teenage boy has lured the revenge seeking father of comatose child onboard- taunting him with the possibility that his child’s life could be in danger if anything were to happen to him.
Once the stage is set, the twists and turns are a non-stop mind trip. By turns the book is very clever, entertaining, philosophical, dark, smart and funny! Occasionally, it was little challenging for me, as I did have to work to keep everything straight sometimes, but in the end, the effort was worth it.
Overall, I can’t speak for the movie- but I really liked the book!!
4 stars
If you’ve seen the movie ‘Bullet Train’ starring Brad Pitt, this is the book it is based on. I have not seen the movie yet- but I probably will check it out someday… but this a review for the
Show More
BOOK-So- here are my thoughts…
This book is the English translation of this Japanese thriller, and I had no idea what to expect, really, but at least the blurb explains the book is satirical in nature- so I was prepared for something a little offbeat.
As it turns out, it is a bit off the beaten path- especially for American audiences, because the style is far removed from the formula most of us expect from a thriller.
But it is very stylish- and commanded my undivided attention from start to finish. As promised the story has some dark, but very funny humor if one can appreciate that sort of thing. I’m not sure dark humor and satire are always a good fit for mainstream audiences- so it might not be to everyone’s taste- but it’s right up my alley.
While this might seem like a ‘simple job’ it can get a little complicated- because while this bullet train is only carrying a small number of passengers, but they all have a sinister agenda. In this case, a particular suitcase is highly sought after by those on board for various reasons, while a psychopathic teenage boy has lured the revenge seeking father of comatose child onboard- taunting him with the possibility that his child’s life could be in danger if anything were to happen to him.
Once the stage is set, the twists and turns are a non-stop mind trip. By turns the book is very clever, entertaining, philosophical, dark, smart and funny! Occasionally, it was little challenging for me, as I did have to work to keep everything straight sometimes, but in the end, the effort was worth it.
Overall, I can’t speak for the movie- but I really liked the book!!
4 stars
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LibraryThing member lookitisheef
After watching the movie I saw the credits blurb that the movie was based on a novel - immediately thinking "well it's been a while since I've read a good thriller, let's check it out." Was not entirely disappointed; the chapters jumping around to different narrators kept the pacing relatively
It does feel like there is a cultural gap with the translation, some plot pieces just didn't fully seem to be fully matched. I felt it especially with the whole Prince plot and the innocent but sociopathic schoolkid character - it probably should have come across as more horrifying, but I just despised that brat throughout the book, making those sections a bit of a slog.
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snappy, and the book plot was different enough from the film to keep the ending fresh.It does feel like there is a cultural gap with the translation, some plot pieces just didn't fully seem to be fully matched. I felt it especially with the whole Prince plot and the innocent but sociopathic schoolkid character - it probably should have come across as more horrifying, but I just despised that brat throughout the book, making those sections a bit of a slog.
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LibraryThing member espadana
Good fun summer read. I suspect the movie adaptation won’t be quite like it, though.
LibraryThing member djh_1962
This is a much better book than Three Assassins. I love the way Isaka builds the tension from seemingly improbable ideas and for at least the first third of the book I didn't see how he could sustain it, but he does. One can quite see the cinematic potential.
LibraryThing member Zare
This was ..... weird. And I do not mean :) weird :) .... I mean weird.....
So in my local bookstore I noticed this pretty hefty book and after reading the short description on cover decided hey, looks good lets give it a try.
And now .... I guess this is one of those books that tries to be
But no everyone is so clueless it is sick to watch.
Then dialogues - if it weren't for constant attempt for comedic relief book would be 1/3 shorter and more compact and punchy. This way it is bloated and in some cases such goofy dialogue is truly disconcerting.
So in general, interesting book (last third is best part of the book), lots of twists and turns and interesting characters. Unfortunately instead of focusing to be a thriller (be it even black comedy) book loses its center and becomes ..... weird psychotic-like novel.
Recommended, but if you are not in weird, forced slapstick comedy books you might not like it.
So in my local bookstore I noticed this pretty hefty book and after reading the short description on cover decided hey, looks good lets give it a try.
And now .... I guess this is one of those books that tries to be
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everything. In short story is about very special sort of (active and retired) professionals that end up on a bullet train (Shinkansen, Japanese fast train). And this is where things get really weird. So all of these assassins are cold blooded killers and are extremely deadly. But number of brain cells on average is below 10 for current generation and normal count for retired hit-men. Way main assassins behave is slapstick comedy (especially Ladybird) but in a way that is .... well irritating. Main antagonist is .... true psycho and I would expect anyone involved to go on him like Mel Gibson did on Ransom. I mean kid needs to be driven by a very huge piece of machinery that will leave him broken for good.But no everyone is so clueless it is sick to watch.
Then dialogues - if it weren't for constant attempt for comedic relief book would be 1/3 shorter and more compact and punchy. This way it is bloated and in some cases such goofy dialogue is truly disconcerting.
So in general, interesting book (last third is best part of the book), lots of twists and turns and interesting characters. Unfortunately instead of focusing to be a thriller (be it even black comedy) book loses its center and becomes ..... weird psychotic-like novel.
Recommended, but if you are not in weird, forced slapstick comedy books you might not like it.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Five assassins on a fast-moving bullet train find out their missions have something in common in this witty and electrifying thriller
Satoshi—The Prince—looks like an innocent schoolboy but is really a stylish and devious assassin. Risk fuels him as does a
Nanao, nicknamed Ladybug, the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world,” is put on the train by his boss, a mysterious young woman called Maria Beetle, to steal a suitcase full of money and get off at the first stop. And the lethal duo of Tangerine and Lemon are also traveling to Morioka. The suitcase leads others to show their hands. Why are they all on the same train, and who will make it off alive?
A bestseller in Japan, and soon to be a major film from Sony starring Brad Pitt and Joey King, Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller which fizzes with an incredible energy as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwinds to the last station.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Not the movie. The movie is fast and loud, American and violent. The book is slower, more nuanced, and very Japanese. It also has a universal message for its readers: Nothing, but nothing!, can be allowed to get in the way of Revenge. Call it Retribution: It is the eternal weighing of deeds for the pinpoint-accurate design of their equal and opposite results.
Revenge alone is sacred.
If you haven't read Three Assassins, a lot of the why of this story is not going to make a blind bit of sense. I strongly recommend getting into the universe of the assassins before embarking on this exciting outing into their world. Don't spend a lot of time asking "why" of this book only to get the unsatisfying answer a) because, 2) read Three Assassins, that's why.
A must for initiates, though. The increased famailiarity the book assumes you have is license for it to really ramp up the use of multiple, intersecting though definitely not parallel, PoV chapters...and that narrative technique requires practice to get used to when decoding tangentially connected story lines. This weird story of five assassins doing similar but not causally related things on one speeding train that's going nowhere special or significant to no unusual purpose. It's just moving at speed, and it's not going to stop for a predetermined period of time; perfect for a murder or two. The assassins, like in the first book, are very highly skilled at very weird specialties of killing. They operate at a superhuman level of concentration. They are, in short, very fictional. Since this is unabashedly fiction, that's okay by me. Big fun, nothing deep; the original story had more of the Message, this one merely plays the videogame for you.
Now, about that film: Like 3 Body Problem, it shifts things to a safely western, US-white-male footing so as not to run afoul of the clucking hens of the right wing who glare with their beady little eyes and three functioning neurons at any and all things queer (let alone Queer!) because...well, here I sit with my teeth in my mouth, unable to come up with any reason for their hostility except "they's stupid." Anyway, whatever the source of their rage, the entertainment studios won't take risks that will unquestionably, positively not pay off as increased profits in short, medium, or long runs, so here we are with a pallid, denatured action flick of what was a more subtle, subversive idea once in its life.
The Publisher Says: Five assassins on a fast-moving bullet train find out their missions have something in common in this witty and electrifying thriller
Satoshi—The Prince—looks like an innocent schoolboy but is really a stylish and devious assassin. Risk fuels him as does a
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good philosophical debate, such as . . . is killing really wrong? Kimura’s young son is in a coma thanks to The Prince, and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train heading from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge. But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard.Nanao, nicknamed Ladybug, the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world,” is put on the train by his boss, a mysterious young woman called Maria Beetle, to steal a suitcase full of money and get off at the first stop. And the lethal duo of Tangerine and Lemon are also traveling to Morioka. The suitcase leads others to show their hands. Why are they all on the same train, and who will make it off alive?
A bestseller in Japan, and soon to be a major film from Sony starring Brad Pitt and Joey King, Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller which fizzes with an incredible energy as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwinds to the last station.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Not the movie. The movie is fast and loud, American and violent. The book is slower, more nuanced, and very Japanese. It also has a universal message for its readers: Nothing, but nothing!, can be allowed to get in the way of Revenge. Call it Retribution: It is the eternal weighing of deeds for the pinpoint-accurate design of their equal and opposite results.
Revenge alone is sacred.
If you haven't read Three Assassins, a lot of the why of this story is not going to make a blind bit of sense. I strongly recommend getting into the universe of the assassins before embarking on this exciting outing into their world. Don't spend a lot of time asking "why" of this book only to get the unsatisfying answer a) because, 2) read Three Assassins, that's why.
A must for initiates, though. The increased famailiarity the book assumes you have is license for it to really ramp up the use of multiple, intersecting though definitely not parallel, PoV chapters...and that narrative technique requires practice to get used to when decoding tangentially connected story lines. This weird story of five assassins doing similar but not causally related things on one speeding train that's going nowhere special or significant to no unusual purpose. It's just moving at speed, and it's not going to stop for a predetermined period of time; perfect for a murder or two. The assassins, like in the first book, are very highly skilled at very weird specialties of killing. They operate at a superhuman level of concentration. They are, in short, very fictional. Since this is unabashedly fiction, that's okay by me. Big fun, nothing deep; the original story had more of the Message, this one merely plays the videogame for you.
Now, about that film: Like 3 Body Problem, it shifts things to a safely western, US-white-male footing so as not to run afoul of the clucking hens of the right wing who glare with their beady little eyes and three functioning neurons at any and all things queer (let alone Queer!) because...well, here I sit with my teeth in my mouth, unable to come up with any reason for their hostility except "they's stupid." Anyway, whatever the source of their rage, the entertainment studios won't take risks that will unquestionably, positively not pay off as increased profits in short, medium, or long runs, so here we are with a pallid, denatured action flick of what was a more subtle, subversive idea once in its life.
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Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2022)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Read-alike to Winner — 2023)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#6 — 2011)
Genres
Publication
Harry N. Abrams (2021), 432 pages
Original publication date
2010 Original Japanese
2021 English translation
Language
ISBN
1419756338 / 9781419756337