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On Parole;Harvest Book
After spending sixteen years in prison for a crime of the heart, Shiro Kikutani is released into a world he no longer recognizes. He must readjust to the bright and vigorous stimulus of Tokyo while fending off his own dark memories. In a spare yet powerful style, Akira Yoshimura paints the psychology of a quiet man navigating his way through the unsuspected traumas of freedom-finding a job, finding a home, even something as simple as buying an alarm clock. Kikutani takes comfort in the numbing repetition of his new daily life, only to be drawn inexorably back to the scene of his crime. A subtly powerful story, On Parole explores the fragile life of a murderer and the conditions of freedom in an unforgiving society. Yoshimura's startling novel raises provocative questions of guilt and redemption.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Akira Yoshimura
67 books112 followersPrize winning Japanese writer. Akira Yoshimura was the president of the Japanese writers union and a PEN member. He published over 20 novels, of which in particular On Parole and Shipwrecks are internationally known and have been translated into several languages. In 1984 he received the Yomiuri Prize for his novel Hagoku (破獄,engl. prison break) based on the true story of Yoshie Shiratori.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 29, 2016
The black bird flew away, never to return. The warmth of the anonymity overwhelmed by the callous sun lurks behind the soaring iron gates. The man takes a bus to a strange new world. The groceries rip through the paper bag. The accusatory tone of the store manager meshed with the wary eyes sensing his melancholy. Terror struck his eyes as he fumbled at the speeding automobile. How the world had changed? He thought he could rob the store. But, he was too old. Living in constant fear, he walked home. Feet firmly on the wobbly table, he carved on the ceiling beam words that could write a forgettable memoir of a man lost in the autumn of his life. A rope looped the beam; a noose approximated his neck and the rickety noise of the collapsed table. He was tired. The inert ceiling eulogized the inscrutability of a librarian –“Brooks was here”. Defying my melodramatic corny thought-processes, the emotive ‘Shawshank Redemption’ scene flickered, interrupting the initial perusing with scepticism over Kikutani’s providence riding the identical path of Brooks Hatlen. Could there be a noose awaiting his arrival at the halfway house? Or, the deafening chaos of the crimson blur would bring the inevitable, exploding through the silence within?
“I like chickens. I like them a lot........”
The crimson blur festers in the blackness spread across the tatami mats. The blue suit now tattered, a parched throat anticipating the surprise of a hot miso meal. A strange world, a new world, the clucking of the hens soars with every damp egg laid. The homogeneous streaming of eggs on the conveyor belt, harks back reflections of military stride at the prison. A tainted embryo at the cusp of breaking through the anonymity of the calcified eggshell carries the transgressions of the past etched behind the thick prison walls. The echoes of the boot thumping patrol guards subsided in the vastness of an industrial park. The crimson flood ebbs into a lighter hue breathing the fragrant air of freedom precipitated in the rancid stench of the chicken shit encasing slimy maggots. The memories of Sakura travelled from the twin graves flaring the fearsome inferno of a sordid past.
Do you think he’ll tell other people who work there about me?
Did he know that I just got out of prison?
After sixteen long years, he gulped the alcoholic euphoria; he smoked, slept in a heated room, laughed like a man running in wild tasting the sweetness of freedom. The cruel sounds of “an indefinite incarceration” cautiously trailed the narrow alleys of gratifying autonomy and inescapable surveillance. The obscurity of the half-way house comforted the twitchy mind on the verge of desertion. Kikutani was on parole; assimilating his reception in the society that had prosecuted him for a crime he harboured no remorse. Cognisant of the delusional accusatory eyes, he had secrets everywhere which ceased to evaporate in the muggy air of the henhouse. Emiko’s bare hips shuddering in the deathly impenetrability of the crimson blur. The unpleasant smell of burned wood lingered in the tranquillity funeral tablets. The arousing nostalgia of a tethered fly pinned on the edge of a hat looping with the resentful life of a strangled bird.
“A fly that had found its way into his cell landed on his foot, and as he stared at it, he felt a pang of envy for the freedom of this tiny insect.”
The timorous fly crawling to its independence, the broken wing restricting the destined flight; the claustrophobic existence of the hens clacking fervently at the sight of a human , the clipping of the beaks to reinstate the stated hierarchy in the henhouse and the tiny translucent killifish eggs shimmering amongst serene seaweed equated the fragmentary predicament encumbering Kikutani as a convicted man agonized by his haunting past, the timid present and a capricious future crammed between the legitimacy of survival and a respite from loneliness. Yoshimura’s unbiased handling of Kikutani’s caricature integrates the inherent culpability of grief and the intricacy over the earnestness of penitence. Kikutani’s constant struggle to re-assimilate and adjust in a prejudicial society consumes the core of his sanity and indispensable tolerance collapsing in the self- destructing truth bitterly frenzied between the fragility of an outsider and a righteous man. The fear of discovery veiled in surreptitious communications questions the inexplicable psychology of men on parole and the simultaneous grappling of the critical pandemonium by the assigned parole officials. The illusion of liberation twisted in a charred birdcage of natural retribution and the potential hope of clemency seeking a closure from the world beyond stirs the permissible angst over personal and communal justice. The agitation of collapsing egg market in an economic volatility develops into a salient pictogram of the imminent obliteration of human nature manoeuvred by the erratic peripheral milieu. Emotively, Yoshimura assembles the legitimate asphyxiation embedded in the quandary of a virtuous figure encircling fragility of life. The sunny prediction of seeking a ‘pardon’ fluctuated over the adherence of Kikutani’s fortitude prevailing over his cloudy past.
“If he stayed in the prison, passing his day between his cell and the print shop, none of this would have happened. In prison he was hidden from the prying eyes, alone in his own world; but here there were too many people, too much to worry about. It had been wrong to let him out.”
The accessibility to the refinement of the established conjecture “deemed fit to return to the society” burgeoning from the uneasiness of departure from the consoling oblivion of tapered prison quarters and the bitter joy accustomed with the borderless expanse of society , the irony of a far-flung dream slipping in a burrow of self-doubting realism. Intentionally, Yoshimura floats on the edge of the Japanese Criminal Justice system, resisting the palpable urge of diving into the complexities of the concurring legalities. Thus, leading to a lucid depiction of the mitigating pragmatism of Kikutani and the people around him. The helplessness of Toyoko, the looming trepidations of Takasaki, Emiko’s icy visage and Kiyoura’s loyalty bubbled into the maddening scarlet void. Kikutani’s incessant contemplation about returning to the secrecy of the prison walls averting the nightmares of crippled peace in the air of emancipation, delves into the vulnerability of the justice programs initiated in the rehabilitation of parolees. The noble benevolence of Kiyoura and Takebayashi rooted in their selfless service to the possibility of re-establishing a sense of reverence and reception in parolees gratifies the perseverance of the parole officers in the meticulous work aiding the parolees in achieving a normal existence and averting their return to crim. Nonetheless, perceiving the loopholes in the justice system, one is compelled to ask, ‘How far and to what depth can the rehabilitation work?’ And, when is a parolee or rather any prisoner for that matter truly ‘free’ in all sense without succumbing to the tremors of the past? Can the sanctity of forgiveness triumph over the insanity of life and if will it then restore the pristine sanity devoid of ambiguity? Is the vehemence of fate greater than psychosomatic reverberations? The tussle between betrayal and trust exploded in the crystallised mass of fleeting fragility. The probabilities of Kikutani walking into the crimson blur sympathetically lurking on the very next tip of a glowing incense stick.
April 4, 2011
I should have read Akira Yoshimura's On Parole years ago. My twin is his superfan and she urged me to read this book many times. It is my own fault for waiting so long (probably didn't want to be disturbed and think about stuff). I wish we could talk about it this moment as it is reeling in my half thoughts and confused emotions. Now it is Goodreads time. Sorry, Goodreads! I need my twin, I need Goodreads, I need fire fighters for the fire raging in my head, registered nurses because it knocked me out. (I can keep going.) Organ donors! All my crummy ways of saying this book creeps me the fuck out because it does what books don't do enough (or too much?): puts you into the mind of a half mind until you're as afraid of its shadows as it is. Help! Where are his prison analrapists to shed some truths on this horror?
Lauren's On Parole pitch usually ended with an emphatic, "The Shawshank Redemption is for pussies!" My genetic clone is right. (She didn't write that in her own review. She wussed out. She's probably writing on the IMDB right now, "It isn't The Shawshank Redemption but give the Air Buddies films a chance!")
Kikutani has lived dormant in prison for sixteen years. His sentence is indefinite for murdering his wife, her lover and her lover's mother (and bird! Murder is committed against two different birds in On Parole. Be warned!). He's had time to know that he doesn't feel remorse (maybe a little for the mom like a president would feel for "casualties". WE regret...). The time is spent like wasted spending of hollow routines. The sounds of toilets flushing, cars on gravel in the distant outside of the prison. Time to get up. Rise and rise again. The past is stuck when the present (and the blank future) is that day in and out routine. Kikutani doesn't have to think in his hidey hole.
The slow climb to looking at what he doesn't want to look at? Yoshimura knew what he was doing.
The head space that is institutionalized is seriously compartmentalized when to do what. Kikutani needs officers, parole officers, bosses - any figure of authority to regiment him. When he is released on parole, Kikutani is the roach that tries to scurry back to the hole. Every little thing is something to run from. Money has no value when the prices have changed so much (who doesn't know that feeling?) during his time away.
On Parole is creepy in how... cozy it is. Like I wanted to stay in his hole with him and not worry about what was going to happen to him (or because of him). One of the details my twin remembered best is when Kikutani buys his alarm clock. She had a disturbed smile on her face talking about that. (I can feel for the buddhist priest that helped get him out in the first place. If a man ever had so much misguided faith in the wrong person. Yet, it still feels like someone should, just in case it didn't turn out the way it did. Why am I writing about one of the most important aspects of the book in parentheses?) I liked when he and the other released inmate (a fellow murderer but still their positions were vastly different. The other man was not tied to the parole board for the rest of his life!) was impressed by the new to them umbrellas (d'oh! The original Japanese publication date is 1988). Kikutani had to get one too. The details are all important. It is the world view that is coming from the sides of his eyes that are afraid to see anything. Kikutani losing his prison immunity to the cold. The job he gets in the chicken feed. Have you ever been unemployed and missed having a job you really, really hated just so you wouldn't have to feel lost without a job? Kikutani's prison time felt like that to me in some ways. His "outside" "life" did too.
[I didn't know that much about Japanese prison culture outside some women in prison films I've seen like Lady Snowblood. That didn't really help me out reading On Parole. I was reminded more of American women's prisons stories set in the 1950s. The ones where the inmates are not allowed to speak to each other. Maybe that's why Kikutani's prison time felt more his every move was watched by the guards (whom he also relied on as a dark flip side of that same fear) and not the fear of other inmates like I would have imagined. I did love the detail that they continued to march when walking together outside, as they did inside the prison. Maybe I've read too many tells you everything that happens and exactly what it means books that I've come to appreciate more and more books such as this that breathe.]
Kikutani is terrified that his past will come back to haunt him even as he stopped living when his past happened. Answering questions about where he used to live, or women he might want to date (he's now in his fifties. Way to keep forgetting important details, Mariel). Something about Japanese culture that has long interested me is that the blood types given the same as age or location would be. I've got some of Kikutani's fear of being asked personal questions. I'm more comfortable around people once they are used to me and aren't going to ask me all of those "What's next?" questions (I don't know what's next all of the time!). I don't know my blood type. I think I'd get sweaty palms if I had to worry about saying what my blood type was every time I met a new person. To a man who feels he has everything to hide? It is no wonder that Kikutani isn't happy unless he is alone where no one can see him. They'll demand to know your blood type in Japan! Why?!
Blood is blood and the blood spilled is definitely real blood. The clawing the walls of the brain to avoid what is in there catches up with him. I saw it coming. I knew how it was going to end before he gets out of prison. Now I won't use parentheses. Why did they let him out of his hole when it happened again? Why did his parole officers try so hard to help him stand again as a man, and not an animal? (Redemption isn't the issue if you ain't got a time machine. The second time around it happens because he couldn't live in the past or present.) It's really hard to live with yourself, in this world. On Parole is disturbing and creepy as hell for making that non-life feel like something like living. I still think that Kiyoura should've tried to help him anyway. For the times when he had been trying, despite that fear. A lot of people must live half lives at some times, and what about who they were before. If you really could read their minds like with Kikutani...
Wait, how come Sling Blade isn't for pussies too?
P.s. There is a film version The Eel (the review saying it isn't The Shawshank Redemption is Lauren! Aha!). I haven't seen it. Why haven't I seen it? It looks like it is not a true adaptation of the book.
P.s.s. Lauren thought Kikutani was afraid of women. His flashbacks of his wife did give that impression. He doesn't want to think about them at all.
P.s.s.s. I should have written about Kikutani's relationship with a fellow stalled inmate through letters. The other ex con is worse off by comparison than Kikutani. It was an interesting back and forth as dealing or not dealing with problems by simply acknowledging them.
I could edit my review and add another "P.s." of what I'd forgotten to mention... (I'm not going to click edit! If I'm writing this that doesn't mean I am going to truly pssssssssssssst more thoughts on On Parole.) [On Parole is the thoughts before actions will they really become actions kinda book. My crazy reviewing is truly fitting! I swear it! On a stack of bibles before a jury of my goodreading peers.)
(This is the second bird murder) An inmate on death row is allowed to keep a bird with him for company. This priveledge is not extended to the regular prison populace. When the man has gone to death, the bird is found strangled on the bottom of its cage (keeping a bird in a cage inside a cage? Jesus). Kikutani imagines that it was because the man resented the bird's life.... Well, shit.
Kikutani keeps fish out of prison. For a couple of days in prison, he had a fly (he didn't care that it would inevitably die right away. He had to take what different moments he could in sixteen years of the same). The fish, fly, other inmates... Kikutani's reflection of their situations is as removed as the sounds of car sirens he listens to from outside. He wants the company so long as he doesn't have to move himself. Fuck. I really liked how Yoshimura paralleled society's locking away all thought of men like Kikutani along with Kikutani's behind doors thoughts about anyone else. This a jumbled review. But it was a disturbing head case kinda book!
Lauren's On Parole pitch usually ended with an emphatic, "The Shawshank Redemption is for pussies!" My genetic clone is right. (She didn't write that in her own review. She wussed out. She's probably writing on the IMDB right now, "It isn't The Shawshank Redemption but give the Air Buddies films a chance!")
Kikutani has lived dormant in prison for sixteen years. His sentence is indefinite for murdering his wife, her lover and her lover's mother (and bird! Murder is committed against two different birds in On Parole. Be warned!). He's had time to know that he doesn't feel remorse (maybe a little for the mom like a president would feel for "casualties". WE regret...). The time is spent like wasted spending of hollow routines. The sounds of toilets flushing, cars on gravel in the distant outside of the prison. Time to get up. Rise and rise again. The past is stuck when the present (and the blank future) is that day in and out routine. Kikutani doesn't have to think in his hidey hole.
The slow climb to looking at what he doesn't want to look at? Yoshimura knew what he was doing.
The head space that is institutionalized is seriously compartmentalized when to do what. Kikutani needs officers, parole officers, bosses - any figure of authority to regiment him. When he is released on parole, Kikutani is the roach that tries to scurry back to the hole. Every little thing is something to run from. Money has no value when the prices have changed so much (who doesn't know that feeling?) during his time away.
On Parole is creepy in how... cozy it is. Like I wanted to stay in his hole with him and not worry about what was going to happen to him (or because of him). One of the details my twin remembered best is when Kikutani buys his alarm clock. She had a disturbed smile on her face talking about that. (I can feel for the buddhist priest that helped get him out in the first place. If a man ever had so much misguided faith in the wrong person. Yet, it still feels like someone should, just in case it didn't turn out the way it did. Why am I writing about one of the most important aspects of the book in parentheses?) I liked when he and the other released inmate (a fellow murderer but still their positions were vastly different. The other man was not tied to the parole board for the rest of his life!) was impressed by the new to them umbrellas (d'oh! The original Japanese publication date is 1988). Kikutani had to get one too. The details are all important. It is the world view that is coming from the sides of his eyes that are afraid to see anything. Kikutani losing his prison immunity to the cold. The job he gets in the chicken feed. Have you ever been unemployed and missed having a job you really, really hated just so you wouldn't have to feel lost without a job? Kikutani's prison time felt like that to me in some ways. His "outside" "life" did too.
[I didn't know that much about Japanese prison culture outside some women in prison films I've seen like Lady Snowblood. That didn't really help me out reading On Parole. I was reminded more of American women's prisons stories set in the 1950s. The ones where the inmates are not allowed to speak to each other. Maybe that's why Kikutani's prison time felt more his every move was watched by the guards (whom he also relied on as a dark flip side of that same fear) and not the fear of other inmates like I would have imagined. I did love the detail that they continued to march when walking together outside, as they did inside the prison. Maybe I've read too many tells you everything that happens and exactly what it means books that I've come to appreciate more and more books such as this that breathe.]
Kikutani is terrified that his past will come back to haunt him even as he stopped living when his past happened. Answering questions about where he used to live, or women he might want to date (he's now in his fifties. Way to keep forgetting important details, Mariel). Something about Japanese culture that has long interested me is that the blood types given the same as age or location would be. I've got some of Kikutani's fear of being asked personal questions. I'm more comfortable around people once they are used to me and aren't going to ask me all of those "What's next?" questions (I don't know what's next all of the time!). I don't know my blood type. I think I'd get sweaty palms if I had to worry about saying what my blood type was every time I met a new person. To a man who feels he has everything to hide? It is no wonder that Kikutani isn't happy unless he is alone where no one can see him. They'll demand to know your blood type in Japan! Why?!
Blood is blood and the blood spilled is definitely real blood. The clawing the walls of the brain to avoid what is in there catches up with him. I saw it coming. I knew how it was going to end before he gets out of prison. Now I won't use parentheses. Why did they let him out of his hole when it happened again? Why did his parole officers try so hard to help him stand again as a man, and not an animal? (Redemption isn't the issue if you ain't got a time machine. The second time around it happens because he couldn't live in the past or present.) It's really hard to live with yourself, in this world. On Parole is disturbing and creepy as hell for making that non-life feel like something like living. I still think that Kiyoura should've tried to help him anyway. For the times when he had been trying, despite that fear. A lot of people must live half lives at some times, and what about who they were before. If you really could read their minds like with Kikutani...
Wait, how come Sling Blade isn't for pussies too?
P.s. There is a film version The Eel (the review saying it isn't The Shawshank Redemption is Lauren! Aha!). I haven't seen it. Why haven't I seen it? It looks like it is not a true adaptation of the book.
P.s.s. Lauren thought Kikutani was afraid of women. His flashbacks of his wife did give that impression. He doesn't want to think about them at all.
P.s.s.s. I should have written about Kikutani's relationship with a fellow stalled inmate through letters. The other ex con is worse off by comparison than Kikutani. It was an interesting back and forth as dealing or not dealing with problems by simply acknowledging them.
I could edit my review and add another "P.s." of what I'd forgotten to mention... (I'm not going to click edit! If I'm writing this that doesn't mean I am going to truly pssssssssssssst more thoughts on On Parole.) [On Parole is the thoughts before actions will they really become actions kinda book. My crazy reviewing is truly fitting! I swear it! On a stack of bibles before a jury of my goodreading peers.)
(This is the second bird murder) An inmate on death row is allowed to keep a bird with him for company. This priveledge is not extended to the regular prison populace. When the man has gone to death, the bird is found strangled on the bottom of its cage (keeping a bird in a cage inside a cage? Jesus). Kikutani imagines that it was because the man resented the bird's life.... Well, shit.
Kikutani keeps fish out of prison. For a couple of days in prison, he had a fly (he didn't care that it would inevitably die right away. He had to take what different moments he could in sixteen years of the same). The fish, fly, other inmates... Kikutani's reflection of their situations is as removed as the sounds of car sirens he listens to from outside. He wants the company so long as he doesn't have to move himself. Fuck. I really liked how Yoshimura paralleled society's locking away all thought of men like Kikutani along with Kikutani's behind doors thoughts about anyone else. This a jumbled review. But it was a disturbing head case kinda book!
January 18, 2008
This novel is strangely compelling and claustrophobic...a man on parole (he'd murdered his wife) must be very careful so as not to land in jail again. His careful meticulous ways, his fears of messing up, and the portrait of life in a Japanese city are fascinating. Like others of Yoshimura's novels, the ending is not hopeful.
January 1, 2020
*Score: 9.5/10*
Summary: A man convicted of unintended murder of his wife, her lover, and the lover's mother, he is released from prison after 16 years due to his exceptional good behavior in prison, and he is to remain on parole for the rest of his life. The book is a character study of the main character, and deals mainly with the psychology of such state.
Pros:
- The book nails the psychological aspect of the main character, and explores his character to make you fully visualize him as a real human being
- The side characters play their roles very well, and though not very deep but they are all relatable
- As per most japanese books, the seasonal aspects add in a good sense of time and place
- There is a lot of hidden messages and symbols here, and the book is never forcing them on the reader. Very subtle in its approach which is my personal preference.
- Ending is going to stick with me for a while
Cons:
- The prose style is simple, which makes it effective in some areas, but also a bit basic in others. Was hoping for a bit more flair in the style
- Can be a bit slow in some sections
- Maybe 50 more pages would have been nice to make the last arc of story a bit longer, could have made the ending even stronger that way
Overall: All of those cons are honestly minor, as this book succeeds in what it sets out to do, a deep and thought provoking character study of an older man who had a rough life and seeks to be understood. The general tone and vibe of this book is not a happy one, as it intends to be realistic as opposed to being filled with "feel good" moments (it does have few happy moments). So many themes and topics here (What is guilt, lonliness, gratitude, and how do you define someone through their acts against their thoughts, what is life and how to define peace and seek it within your inner soul, etc...), this is going to be a book i will think about for a long time.
Akira Yoshimura should definitely be talked about more, as I can see many liking his combination of simple and easy prose with strong and relatable human emotions and psychology.
Summary: A man convicted of unintended murder of his wife, her lover, and the lover's mother, he is released from prison after 16 years due to his exceptional good behavior in prison, and he is to remain on parole for the rest of his life. The book is a character study of the main character, and deals mainly with the psychology of such state.
Pros:
- The book nails the psychological aspect of the main character, and explores his character to make you fully visualize him as a real human being
- The side characters play their roles very well, and though not very deep but they are all relatable
- As per most japanese books, the seasonal aspects add in a good sense of time and place
- There is a lot of hidden messages and symbols here, and the book is never forcing them on the reader. Very subtle in its approach which is my personal preference.
- Ending is going to stick with me for a while
Cons:
- The prose style is simple, which makes it effective in some areas, but also a bit basic in others. Was hoping for a bit more flair in the style
- Can be a bit slow in some sections
- Maybe 50 more pages would have been nice to make the last arc of story a bit longer, could have made the ending even stronger that way
Overall: All of those cons are honestly minor, as this book succeeds in what it sets out to do, a deep and thought provoking character study of an older man who had a rough life and seeks to be understood. The general tone and vibe of this book is not a happy one, as it intends to be realistic as opposed to being filled with "feel good" moments (it does have few happy moments). So many themes and topics here (What is guilt, lonliness, gratitude, and how do you define someone through their acts against their thoughts, what is life and how to define peace and seek it within your inner soul, etc...), this is going to be a book i will think about for a long time.
Akira Yoshimura should definitely be talked about more, as I can see many liking his combination of simple and easy prose with strong and relatable human emotions and psychology.
July 27, 2024
Novela sobre un ex-presidiario, sobre cómo este se reajusta al mundo exterior y los problemas a los que tiene que enfrentarse al volver a la sociedad.
El autor no escatima en detalles y da una imagen bastante completa de los procedimientos judiciales y de los problemas que supone estar en libertad condicional. Al principio, descubrir sobre toda esta burocracia, me pareció interesante e hizo que no me importara lo lenta que avanzaba la historia. El problema es que una vez se acaban todos los chanchullos judiciales y comienza la libertad del protagonista, la historia se vuelve monótona.
La novela cae en una rutina aburrida, en idas y venidas al trabajo, en los problemas de las granjas avícolas y la crisis de los huevos, y en dudas constantes sobre que alguien de su alrededor descubra su pasado. Las descripciones largas y constantes ralentizan la lectura y el desarrollo del personaje y la historia es casi nulo. El protagonista es pasivo y plano, y a la larga, sin nada que enganche a seguir leyendo, el libro acaba por volverse tedioso.
Comprendo que la narrativa lenta y estancada encaja con el protagonista, que está recién salido de la cárcel, pero por mucho que haya logrado traer el aburrimiento a la prosa, no para mí eso lo vuelve interesante. Al principio sí que estaba interesado en la novela, por lo que creo que, en un ámbito mas corto, el estilo podria funcionar.
En fin, en cuanto llegué a mitad de novela, acabé por perder el interés y el final me pareció apresurado y poco efectivo. No acabo de creerme que este protagonista, que es un pan sin sal, acabe cometiendo un crimen pasional. Ni siquiera el autor parece capaz de explicarlo y cae en el fácil: no supo por qué lo hizo, pero lo hizo. La historia de su crimen es floja y a pesar de que el libro busca tanto reflejar la humanidad, me parece que le quedó todo un tanto robótico.
También me parece que la historia toma unos derroteros bastante aburridos, dándole importancia a un crimen trillado y dejando en el aire cosas que podrían haber sido más interesantes de explorar, como, por ejemplo, el sarcasmo de que un ex-presidiario esté a cargo de una granja lleno de gallinas enjauladas.
El autor no escatima en detalles y da una imagen bastante completa de los procedimientos judiciales y de los problemas que supone estar en libertad condicional. Al principio, descubrir sobre toda esta burocracia, me pareció interesante e hizo que no me importara lo lenta que avanzaba la historia. El problema es que una vez se acaban todos los chanchullos judiciales y comienza la libertad del protagonista, la historia se vuelve monótona.
La novela cae en una rutina aburrida, en idas y venidas al trabajo, en los problemas de las granjas avícolas y la crisis de los huevos, y en dudas constantes sobre que alguien de su alrededor descubra su pasado. Las descripciones largas y constantes ralentizan la lectura y el desarrollo del personaje y la historia es casi nulo. El protagonista es pasivo y plano, y a la larga, sin nada que enganche a seguir leyendo, el libro acaba por volverse tedioso.
Comprendo que la narrativa lenta y estancada encaja con el protagonista, que está recién salido de la cárcel, pero por mucho que haya logrado traer el aburrimiento a la prosa, no para mí eso lo vuelve interesante. Al principio sí que estaba interesado en la novela, por lo que creo que, en un ámbito mas corto, el estilo podria funcionar.
En fin, en cuanto llegué a mitad de novela, acabé por perder el interés y el final me pareció apresurado y poco efectivo. No acabo de creerme que este protagonista, que es un pan sin sal, acabe cometiendo un crimen pasional. Ni siquiera el autor parece capaz de explicarlo y cae en el fácil: no supo por qué lo hizo, pero lo hizo. La historia de su crimen es floja y a pesar de que el libro busca tanto reflejar la humanidad, me parece que le quedó todo un tanto robótico.
También me parece que la historia toma unos derroteros bastante aburridos, dándole importancia a un crimen trillado y dejando en el aire cosas que podrían haber sido más interesantes de explorar, como, por ejemplo, el sarcasmo de que un ex-presidiario esté a cargo de una granja lleno de gallinas enjauladas.
September 15, 2010
This is a spare, thought-provoking novel out of Japan, telling the story of Kikutani's parole from prison after sixteen years of incarceration. The Japanese parole system is evidently a lot kinder and gentler than the American one, or at least it appears so from this novel. The parole officers in the story are unpaid volunteers, men of standing in the community. They go above and beyond the call of duty and act as friends and counselors more than they act as enforcers of the law, and Kikutani grows to enjoy his mandatory bimonthly meetings with them.
The reader follows Kikutani's confusion and nervousness as he struggles with higher prices, shopping malls, nosy coworkers and the freedom to choose. He appears to be a highly successful parolee, staying out of trouble, getting a steady job and keeping it, and even getting married again. Yet the violent ending didn't surprise me at all.
It certainly makes one think: what was responsible for Kikutani's later act of violence? Was it his own sociopathic tendencies, as evidenced by his total lack of remorse for two brutal murders? Or was it the nature of the parole system and society in general, which never allows a person to fully escape their past? Is the author in favor of the parole system, or against it? You could make the argument that were it not for the restrictions placed on him by his lifetime parole, Kikutani would never have re-offended. And you could make the argument that he should never have been given a second chance.
The reader follows Kikutani's confusion and nervousness as he struggles with higher prices, shopping malls, nosy coworkers and the freedom to choose. He appears to be a highly successful parolee, staying out of trouble, getting a steady job and keeping it, and even getting married again. Yet the violent ending didn't surprise me at all.
It certainly makes one think: what was responsible for Kikutani's later act of violence? Was it his own sociopathic tendencies, as evidenced by his total lack of remorse for two brutal murders? Or was it the nature of the parole system and society in general, which never allows a person to fully escape their past? Is the author in favor of the parole system, or against it? You could make the argument that were it not for the restrictions placed on him by his lifetime parole, Kikutani would never have re-offended. And you could make the argument that he should never have been given a second chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2013
This isn't the book I was expecting to read. All that I thought it was about was crammed in to the last three chapters. The book's not intended as a critique of Japanese approaches to marriage and gender relations but I found it hard, not coming from that tradition myself, to see beyond this. I don't think it helped that I found the motivations of both wives rather difficult to understand.
It's inevitable to think of the "get busy living or get busy dying" message in "Shawshank" ... and I guess "On Parole" shows how it's simply not that easy, even if everyone around you is working really hard.
It's inevitable to think of the "get busy living or get busy dying" message in "Shawshank" ... and I guess "On Parole" shows how it's simply not that easy, even if everyone around you is working really hard.
April 28, 2018
סקירה שפרסמתי בבלוג שלי בשנת 2007:
"זהו ספרו השני של יושימורה שתורגם לעברית (לאחר "ספינות טרופות"), המביא, שוב בסגנון מאופק משהו, את סיפורו של שירו קיקוטאני, מורה יפני שסיים לרצות מאסר בן 16 שנים בגין רצח כפול. קיקוטאני משתחרר, לאחר ריצוי עונשו, תחת תנאים מגבילים של ביקור דו חודשי אצל קצין המבחן שלו.
הספר מתאר את ההסתגלות הלא פשוטה של קיקוטאני לחיים מחוץ לכלא ואת חוסר הביטחון שלו שנוב�� מהפחד שיגלו במקום עבודתו את עברו ואת הבלבול שחש נוכח השינויים שחלו במקומות שהכיר לפני מאסרו (שינויים כמו תיעוש מוגבר, מיכשור מודרני לא מוכר וכו`).
בדומה לחתול, ששונא מטבעו שינויים בשגרת חייו, כך קיקוטאני נלחץ בכל פעם שמשהו קורה ומשבש (מנקודת מבטו) את שגרת חייו. למרות האמור לעיל, נראה על פניו כי בעזרת קציני המבחן שלו והמשמעת העצמית בה ניחן, השיקום שלו עולה יפה. אבל הקורא יודע שזה רק למראית עין. לאורך כל הספר יושימורה נוטע בקורא את התחושה שמשהו יקרה, שזה לא ייגמר בטוב וקיקוטאני לא יוכל להימלט מגורלו... האמנם?
זהו עוד ספר מעולה מפרי עטו של אקירה יושימורה. ניכר בו שהוא בקי בכלל בפסיכולוגיה של האדם ובספר זה מביא את זה לידי ביטוי באמצעות הלך מחשבתו של האסיר המשוחרר קיקוטאני. אני די בטוח שאסירים משוחררים שיקראו את הספר יזדהו עם קיקוטאני. עדיין, אם הייתי צריך לבחור בין השניים, הייתי בוחר ב"ספינות טרופות" שהביא לי את ה"בום" לפנים – למרות שהיה די צפוי.."
"זהו ספרו השני של יושימורה שתורגם לעברית (לאחר "ספינות טרופות"), המביא, שוב בסגנון מאופק משהו, את סיפורו של שירו קיקוטאני, מורה יפני שסיים לרצות מאסר בן 16 שנים בגין רצח כפול. קיקוטאני משתחרר, לאחר ריצוי עונשו, תחת תנאים מגבילים של ביקור דו חודשי אצל קצין המבחן שלו.
הספר מתאר את ההסתגלות הלא פשוטה של קיקוטאני לחיים מחוץ לכלא ואת חוסר הביטחון שלו שנוב�� מהפחד שיגלו במקום עבודתו את עברו ואת הבלבול שחש נוכח השינויים שחלו במקומות שהכיר לפני מאסרו (שינויים כמו תיעוש מוגבר, מיכשור מודרני לא מוכר וכו`).
בדומה לחתול, ששונא מטבעו שינויים בשגרת חייו, כך קיקוטאני נלחץ בכל פעם שמשהו קורה ומשבש (מנקודת מבטו) את שגרת חייו. למרות האמור לעיל, נראה על פניו כי בעזרת קציני המבחן שלו והמשמעת העצמית בה ניחן, השיקום שלו עולה יפה. אבל הקורא יודע שזה רק למראית עין. לאורך כל הספר יושימורה נוטע בקורא את התחושה שמשהו יקרה, שזה לא ייגמר בטוב וקיקוטאני לא יוכל להימלט מגורלו... האמנם?
זהו עוד ספר מעולה מפרי עטו של אקירה יושימורה. ניכר בו שהוא בקי בכלל בפסיכולוגיה של האדם ובספר זה מביא את זה לידי ביטוי באמצעות הלך מחשבתו של האסיר המשוחרר קיקוטאני. אני די בטוח שאסירים משוחררים שיקראו את הספר יזדהו עם קיקוטאני. עדיין, אם הייתי צריך לבחור בין השניים, הייתי בוחר ב"ספינות טרופות" שהביא לי את ה"בום" לפנים – למרות שהיה די צפוי.."
March 13, 2024
Took forever to get into and then i was waiting for something to happen then it happened in the last 2 pages lol
January 16, 2016
Hmmm....it was written so simplistically, so unimaginatively and plainly. This must have been the intent; as such it conveyed what the main character was going thru--- hiding and hiding from his inner feelings as he tried to complete his emotional rehab. There were just two short times in the book (middle and end) where there actually was emotion and real raw feelings conveyed. Assuming that was as intended, the author crafted it well. But let me say this: good thing it was a short read. I would have put it down if it weren't. (2 1/2 stars)
March 7, 2008
The sign of an excellent author is his ability to make the reader really identify with the characters' lives. In this book, you really understand the perspective of the unusual protagonist...an older Japanese man recently released from prison. The passages alternate from soft and peaceful...to sudden moments of passion and anger. Amazing.
January 28, 2024
"I can fix him" gone wrong
October 19, 2024
2.5 stars
I honestly wish this I liked this more. Reading the premise, I was immediately intrigued. Does isolating one from society truly rehabilitates them? How does one pay for their crime?
I honestly wish this I liked this more. Reading the premise, I was immediately intrigued. Does isolating one from society truly rehabilitates them? How does one pay for their crime?
May 14, 2024
For such a "simple" premise, I loved this almost entirely besides the ending which is what prevented this from being a 5-star read. The pacing is fantastic and never gets bogged down at any point, everything is well described in a way that I felt I really was reading a biography by a parolee.
Kukitani is very likeable, and you sympathize with him even when in your head you feel you shouldn't. I was fond of most of the characters which drove the story almost entirely, Kiyoura in particular.
This was a pleasant surprise as I had first bought Shipwrecks but ended up reading this before. I'm glad for that because this was definitely his stronger of the two by far I feel.
Kukitani is very likeable, and you sympathize with him even when in your head you feel you shouldn't. I was fond of most of the characters which drove the story almost entirely, Kiyoura in particular.
This was a pleasant surprise as I had first bought Shipwrecks but ended up reading this before. I'm glad for that because this was definitely his stronger of the two by far I feel.
July 29, 2022
A quiet but effective novel about a man returning to society after fifteen years behind bars. This is an interesting book not only because it shows how things are done in Japan, but how fragile and volatile the human personality can be. To say anything more would qualify as a spoiler. I'll just say this is a deliberate but effective novel that gets under your skin.
August 19, 2023
odlična knjiga. za jošimuru nikad ranije nisam čula ali konkretno stil pisanja u ovoj knjizi je tako čitak i čitava knjiga je koncizna i lako se prati i baš je bilo uživanje čitati iako sam znala da će ovako da se završi, sve u svemu odlična za vađenje iz reading slumpa
July 23, 2021
More a long "short" story than a full book, this is a compelling story about what fate is and how hard it is to escape it
September 18, 2015
ב- 1532 החליט הפרלמנט של פריז לאסור קבצנים ולאלצם לעבוד, כבולים זוגות - זוגות, בתעלות הביוב של העיר. בשורת צעדים ששיאם בצו המלכותי מ- 1656, ניסה הממיסד להתגבר על הבעיות הנפוצות במאות ה- 17 והילך, פשיטת יד ובטלה ע"י הקמת בתי כליאה.
כך מתאר פוקו את התפתחות בתי המשוגעים בספרו "תולדות השיגעון בעידן התבונה".
במקור, בתי הכלא מוקמו בפאתי הערים האירופאיות, בשטחים בהם השתרעו עזובות שננטשו מפאת הצרעת. בשלבים הראשונים הם הוקמו ומומנו ע"י המדינה ומיסים, אבל לקראת אמצע המאה ה- 17 הם הפכו למוסדות פרטיים שנאלצו למצוא מקורות מימון עצמיים.
נקודת שיא בתהליך ה"חינוכי", היא הכליאה הגדולה של העניים, מאמצע המאה ה- 17. בסיום התהליך יותר מאחוז מאוכלוסיית פריז שהתה בבתי כליאה מתוך ניסיון למזג בין החובה המוסרית (דאגה לעניים) והחוק האזרחי.
ואם אתם מזועזעים עד עמקי נשמתכם מהניצול הציני שנקטו המשטרים, את הכלי של הכליאה בכדי להעביד את העניים לטובת העשירים, תבחנו את המציאות שבה אנחנו חיים.
גם היום רותמת הממשלה את 80 אחוז האוכלוסיה "הענייה" לטובת עושרם והונם של 20 אחוז האוכלוסיה. האמצעים והדרכים השתכללו.
ובכלל, לפחות במה שקשור לאסירים פוליטיים ובקשור לאסירים מסיבות בלתי ידועות ועלומות (או מה שמכונה במחוזותינו מסיבות בטחוניות) אין שינוי מהמאה ה- 17.
אחרי שקראתי את הספר "על תנאי" לאקירה יושימורה, היתה לי הארה שיש ערך לטיפול שיקומי וקליטת האסיר בקהילה. לא מדובר רק בצעדי מניעה, לפחות מבחינת ההבנה שלי, מדובר כאן בתפיסה כוללת, חינוכית המלווה אסירים בעייתיים לשארית ימי חייהם.
ממה שנראה מהספר, מערכת הענישה היפנית נותת משקל גדול לצד החינוכי של העיניין.
האסיר יוצא לחברה למערכת שיקומית תומכת, שמאפשרת לו להיקלט בחברה, למצוא עבודה ולמצוא את עצמו בליווי מלא. אסיר הוא סטטוס לכל חיו. כמו גרוש, או מת. אלה לא דברים שיכולים לקחת לאדם.
כך, בחברה היפנית אסיר הוא אסיר הוא אסיר, זה לא משהו שניתן לקחת ממנו ולכן קיימת מערכת שלמה של תמיכה וכללים אחרים לאסירים משוחררים. אני לא חושבת שכל הכללים טובים, אבל בחלק התמיכתי בהחלט יש לחברה המערבית מה ללמוד ולהפנים.
הספר, כתוב בסגנון יפני כמו שאני אוהבת, במינימליזם, ללא הרבה רעש וצילצולים. כמעט אפרורי. אבל בכך חוזקו. דווקא מתוך הבנאליות של החיים המתוארים, עולות השאלות חברתיות ומוסריות שהיו יכולות להעלם ברעש של עלילה סוערת מידי.
מומלץ? בחום!
"על תנאי", אקירה יושימורה
הוצאת שוקן, 2007, 261 עמ`
כך מתאר פוקו את התפתחות בתי המשוגעים בספרו "תולדות השיגעון בעידן התבונה".
במקור, בתי הכלא מוקמו בפאתי הערים האירופאיות, בשטחים בהם השתרעו עזובות שננטשו מפאת הצרעת. בשלבים הראשונים הם הוקמו ומומנו ע"י המדינה ומיסים, אבל לקראת אמצע המאה ה- 17 הם הפכו למוסדות פרטיים שנאלצו למצוא מקורות מימון עצמיים.
נקודת שיא בתהליך ה"חינוכי", היא הכליאה הגדולה של העניים, מאמצע המאה ה- 17. בסיום התהליך יותר מאחוז מאוכלוסיית פריז שהתה בבתי כליאה מתוך ניסיון למזג בין החובה המוסרית (דאגה לעניים) והחוק האזרחי.
ואם אתם מזועזעים עד עמקי נשמתכם מהניצול הציני שנקטו המשטרים, את הכלי של הכליאה בכדי להעביד את העניים לטובת העשירים, תבחנו את המציאות שבה אנחנו חיים.
גם היום רותמת הממשלה את 80 אחוז האוכלוסיה "הענייה" לטובת עושרם והונם של 20 אחוז האוכלוסיה. האמצעים והדרכים השתכללו.
ובכלל, לפחות במה שקשור לאסירים פוליטיים ובקשור לאסירים מסיבות בלתי ידועות ועלומות (או מה שמכונה במחוזותינו מסיבות בטחוניות) אין שינוי מהמאה ה- 17.
אחרי שקראתי את הספר "על תנאי" לאקירה יושימורה, היתה לי הארה שיש ערך לטיפול שיקומי וקליטת האסיר בקהילה. לא מדובר רק בצעדי מניעה, לפחות מבחינת ההבנה שלי, מדובר כאן בתפיסה כוללת, חינוכית המלווה אסירים בעייתיים לשארית ימי חייהם.
ממה שנראה מהספר, מערכת הענישה היפנית נותת משקל גדול לצד החינוכי של העיניין.
האסיר יוצא לחברה למערכת שיקומית תומכת, שמאפשרת לו להיקלט בחברה, למצוא עבודה ולמצוא את עצמו בליווי מלא. אסיר הוא סטטוס לכל חיו. כמו גרוש, או מת. אלה לא דברים שיכולים לקחת לאדם.
כך, בחברה היפנית אסיר הוא אסיר הוא אסיר, זה לא משהו שניתן לקחת ממנו ולכן קיימת מערכת שלמה של תמיכה וכללים אחרים לאסירים משוחררים. אני לא חושבת שכל הכללים טובים, אבל בחלק התמיכתי בהחלט יש לחברה המערבית מה ללמוד ולהפנים.
הספר, כתוב בסגנון יפני כמו שאני אוהבת, במינימליזם, ללא הרבה רעש וצילצולים. כמעט אפרורי. אבל בכך חוזקו. דווקא מתוך הבנאליות של החיים המתוארים, עולות השאלות חברתיות ומוסריות שהיו יכולות להעלם ברעש של עלילה סוערת מידי.
מומלץ? בחום!
"על תנאי", אקירה יושימורה
הוצאת שוקן, 2007, 261 עמ`
May 12, 2022
je ne dirais pas que ce roman est passionnant, mais cependant il captive quand même par l'originalité du sujet et la façon quasi documentaire dont il est écrit. Le personnage central a été condamné à la prison à perpétuité pour meurtre, mais comme il se comporte très bien en prison, il obtient la liberté conditionnelle (d'où le titre du bouquin, pas du tout métaphorique mais très réaliste au contraire ! ) Il s'était si bien adapté à la prison que le retour dans le monde va être difficile... On apprend peu à peu quel a été son crime, mais ce n'est pas ça l'intérêt du livre, il n'y a aucun suspens, aucune enquête, on est dans la situtation d'un entomologiste qui observe froidement et objectivement la vie de ce spécimen humain... Il y a le côté psychologique du personnage (la bizarre contradiction entre l'absence totale de remord et la crainte perpétuelle du regard sur lui si on apprend son crime) et il y a le côté sociologique : le système carcéral japonais ! C'est un sujet à la mode en ce moment, donc ça m'intéressait ! déjà grâce au manga "dans la prison" j'avais pu constater la totale infantilisation des prisonniers à qui pas la moindre initiative personnelle n'est laissée, ce que ce roman confirme. Mais ce qui est étrange c'est là aussi la contradiction qu'il semble y avoir avec le souci permanent du système de remettre dans la société les prisonniers, avec toute une administration de tuteurs, contrôleurs qui suivent l'ex détenu en l'incitant tout le temps à se réinsérer dans le cours de la vie ! Mais comment le pourrait-il quand pendant des année on l'a carrément ôté toute personnalité ?
En résumé, j'ai suivi avec beaucoup d'intérêt cet homme au départ banal, son cheminement, et le résultat quasi inévitable de sa liberté conditionnelle. L'auteur, Akira Yoshimura, avait déjà attiré mon attention avec "la guerre des jours lointains" et "la jeune fille suppliciée sur une étagère", et je pense en lire d'autres de lui car ses sujets sont divers et j'aime son style acéré, clair et extrêmement distancié.
En résumé, j'ai suivi avec beaucoup d'intérêt cet homme au départ banal, son cheminement, et le résultat quasi inévitable de sa liberté conditionnelle. L'auteur, Akira Yoshimura, avait déjà attiré mon attention avec "la guerre des jours lointains" et "la jeune fille suppliciée sur une étagère", et je pense en lire d'autres de lui car ses sujets sont divers et j'aime son style acéré, clair et extrêmement distancié.
May 26, 2016
Sparse, clean writing is the best way to deliver a story about a former convict who is ruled more by the minimal and bare routine of existing in prison and then building a life once he is out. The nature of how one depends on routine to survive more than struggling with guilt is interestingly and humanely handled.
The novel loosely inspired a great Japanese movie from the late 90's, The Eel. They stand alone and apart because each is a different story with life after prison the only commonality for the most part. Because I saw the movie first, I expected an adaptation but it is still a well told story.
The novel loosely inspired a great Japanese movie from the late 90's, The Eel. They stand alone and apart because each is a different story with life after prison the only commonality for the most part. Because I saw the movie first, I expected an adaptation but it is still a well told story.
September 5, 2009
I was riveted. Even though very little - almost nothing - happens. The style of writing is dull and matter of fact, and yet the book filled me with images, thoughts, and feelings even though like I said ... not much happens. There's: Traveling on a train. Cleaning-out the chicken coops. Sitting on the apartment floor. That's about it. But it's about prison, entrapment, claustrophobia, anger. Something feels brilliant about this book. I need to read more by this writer.
August 16, 2023
Shiro Kikotani is a prisoner who is released from prison after serving 15 years for murder. He is described as a quiet person, who tries with great difficulty to get used to normal life in society.
There were two main points that the book focused on, and they were getting used to life and Kikotani's attitude towards his crime.
In terms of getting used to life, every reader will feel sympathy and pity for Kikotani. For him, the world froze for 15 years. He is not used to escalators, the cost of living, televisions and the feeling is that he is left behind. The writer, Yoshimura, very beautifully describes Kikotani's feelings about the strangeness of being free after many years of imprisonment, when suddenly he is not told what to do and he has to act on his own. To be honest, there were moments when he resembled a lost child.
On the other hand there is the second focus of the book, Kikotani's attitude to his crime which creates much more complicated emotions. I was shocked by his thoughts about the murder, and the end of the book only supported this feeling.
In the end, the question of the book is: Can a criminal, who has committed a crime that is so different from the values of the society in which he lives and who is imprisoned in a situation that is so different from the way they are supposed to live for so long, go back and live in normal society?
The sad answer was no.
I really enjoyed the book and it made me think a lot (which is a positive thing). It didn't get 5 stars, or even 4, because it was good, but all kinds of elements like a sense of disconnection that sometimes arose in the book, as if it was a documentary and not literature made me feel less pleasant. If you have time, I recommend reading; If not, there are more urgent books.
שירו קיקוטאני הוא אסיר שמשתחרר מהכלא אחרי מאסר של 15 שנה על ביצוע רצח. הוא מתואר כאדם שקט, שמנסה בקושי רב להתרגל לחיים רגילים בחברה.
היו שתי נקודות מרכזיות שהספר התמקד בהן, והן ההתרגלות לחיים והיחס של קיקוטאני לפשע שלו.
מבחינת ההתרגלות לחיים, כל קורא ירגיש הזדהות וירחם על קיקוטאני. מבחינתו העולם קפא ל15 שנה. הוא לא רגיל למדרגות נעות, ליוקר המחיה, לטלוויזיות והתחושה היא שהוא נשאר מאחור. הסופר, יושימורה, מתאר מאוד יפה את התחושות של קיקוטאני על המוזרות שבחופש אחרי כליאה רבת שנים, שפתאום לא אומרים לו מה לעשות והוא צריך להתנהל על דעת עצמו. למען האמת, היו רגעים שהוא הזכיר ילד אובד.
מנגד יש את ההתמקדות השנייה של הספר, היחס של קיקוטאני לפשע שלו שיוצרת רגשות הרבה יותר מסובכים. אני הזדעזעתי מהמחשבות שלו על הרצח, וסוף הספר רק תמך בתחושה הזאת.
בסופו של דבר, השאלה של הספר היא: האם פושע, שביצע פשע שכל כך שונה מערכי החברה שבה הוא חי ושנמצא כלוא במצב שונה כל כך מהאופן שבו אמורים לחיות לכל כך הרבה זמן, יכול לחזור ולחיות בחברה הרגילה?
התשובה העצובה הייתה לא.
אני מאוד נהנתי מהספר והוא גרם לי לחשוב הרבה (שזה דבר חיובי). הוא לא קיבל 5 כוכבים, או אפילו 4, כי הוא היה טוב אבל כל מני אלמנטים כמ תחושת ניתוק שעלתה לעתים בספר, כאילו הוא דוקומנטרי ולא ספרות גרמו לי לתחושה פחות נעימה. אן יש לכם זמן אני ממליצה לקרוא; אם לא, יש ספרים דחופים יותר.
There were two main points that the book focused on, and they were getting used to life and Kikotani's attitude towards his crime.
In terms of getting used to life, every reader will feel sympathy and pity for Kikotani. For him, the world froze for 15 years. He is not used to escalators, the cost of living, televisions and the feeling is that he is left behind. The writer, Yoshimura, very beautifully describes Kikotani's feelings about the strangeness of being free after many years of imprisonment, when suddenly he is not told what to do and he has to act on his own. To be honest, there were moments when he resembled a lost child.
On the other hand there is the second focus of the book, Kikotani's attitude to his crime which creates much more complicated emotions. I was shocked by his thoughts about the murder, and the end of the book only supported this feeling.
In the end, the question of the book is: Can a criminal, who has committed a crime that is so different from the values of the society in which he lives and who is imprisoned in a situation that is so different from the way they are supposed to live for so long, go back and live in normal society?
The sad answer was no.
I really enjoyed the book and it made me think a lot (which is a positive thing). It didn't get 5 stars, or even 4, because it was good, but all kinds of elements like a sense of disconnection that sometimes arose in the book, as if it was a documentary and not literature made me feel less pleasant. If you have time, I recommend reading; If not, there are more urgent books.
שירו קיקוטאני הוא אסיר שמשתחרר מהכלא אחרי מאסר של 15 שנה על ביצוע רצח. הוא מתואר כאדם שקט, שמנסה בקושי רב להתרגל לחיים רגילים בחברה.
היו שתי נקודות מרכזיות שהספר התמקד בהן, והן ההתרגלות לחיים והיחס של קיקוטאני לפשע שלו.
מבחינת ההתרגלות לחיים, כל קורא ירגיש הזדהות וירחם על קיקוטאני. מבחינתו העולם קפא ל15 שנה. הוא לא רגיל למדרגות נעות, ליוקר המחיה, לטלוויזיות והתחושה היא שהוא נשאר מאחור. הסופר, יושימורה, מתאר מאוד יפה את התחושות של קיקוטאני על המוזרות שבחופש אחרי כליאה רבת שנים, שפתאום לא אומרים לו מה לעשות והוא צריך להתנהל על דעת עצמו. למען האמת, היו רגעים שהוא הזכיר ילד אובד.
מנגד יש את ההתמקדות השנייה של הספר, היחס של קיקוטאני לפשע שלו שיוצרת רגשות הרבה יותר מסובכים. אני הזדעזעתי מהמחשבות שלו על הרצח, וסוף הספר רק תמך בתחושה הזאת.
בסופו של דבר, השאלה של הספר היא: האם פושע, שביצע פשע שכל כך שונה מערכי החברה שבה הוא חי ושנמצא כלוא במצב שונה כל כך מהאופן שבו אמורים לחיות לכל כך הרבה זמן, יכול לחזור ולחיות בחברה הרגילה?
התשובה העצובה הייתה לא.
אני מאוד נהנתי מהספר והוא גרם לי לחשוב הרבה (שזה דבר חיובי). הוא לא קיבל 5 כוכבים, או אפילו 4, כי הוא היה טוב אבל כל מני אלמנטים כמ תחושת ניתוק שעלתה לעתים בספר, כאילו הוא דוקומנטרי ולא ספרות גרמו לי לתחושה פחות נעימה. אן יש לכם זמן אני ממליצה לקרוא; אם לא, יש ספרים דחופים יותר.
December 13, 2021
Read from the Internet Archive library :)
(Spoilers)
Written in a delightfully smooth style, this novel turned out to not only be about the arduous process of a imprisoned-for-15-years prisoner's rehabilitation into society, but also about the inherent, society-level flaws in the entire rehabilitation system, due to well-meaning yet flawed problems within the system.
The ending makes this clear. Why did the protagonist kill his second wife, after seemingly he became 'fixed'? It's shown throughout the book, but by the end, the protagonist has made basically zero progress around the trauma complex formed from his wife cheating on him, and his subsequent murder of her. Throughout the book, EVERYONE assumes that he feels remorseful, and thus, is ready to 'enter normal society' - but the protagonist has only managed to hide away the question "Why don't I feel remorse for killing my wife fifteen years ago?"
Everyone in the Japanese parole system - even the nicest, well-meaning parole officers - assumes that any released prisoner has a moral consciousness that is working 'correctly' - but it's never taken into account that a person might require something beyond job and housing support. The protagonist's lack of remorse IS a problem, but he never meets other ex-prisoners, and thus, never feels safe enough to approach and discuss his feelings with others. It doesn't help, of course, that the 'bad' part of society (those who want to shun paroled criminals) give the protagonist anxiety. It also doesn't help that the 'good' part of society (those helping him get on his feet) never considered that the act of sitting in prison for 15 years doesn't mean a person is able to work through the complex trauma of being cheated on, and murdering multiple people.
To the average person in this novel (and perhaps in our world), 'paying the price' of murder amounts to sitting idly for fifteen years. But if the novel's society really wanted to help a criminal out, then it should recognize that imprisonment is, more or less, pointless - a pointless justice for the family of the victims, one that 'fixes' the criminal at face value without any potential to truly rehabilitate the criminal.
I think in a sense this novel is also critiquing the pressure of traditional family life narratives. The protagonist wonders what he 'did wrong' to cause his wife to cheat on him. He did everything 'right' (according to the values he was raised with) - working hard, being faithful, yet his wife was still fucking his fishing buddy! It's obvious that a lack of communication between husband and wife is at fault, but it's not something he ever considered.
(Spoilers)
Written in a delightfully smooth style, this novel turned out to not only be about the arduous process of a imprisoned-for-15-years prisoner's rehabilitation into society, but also about the inherent, society-level flaws in the entire rehabilitation system, due to well-meaning yet flawed problems within the system.
The ending makes this clear. Why did the protagonist kill his second wife, after seemingly he became 'fixed'? It's shown throughout the book, but by the end, the protagonist has made basically zero progress around the trauma complex formed from his wife cheating on him, and his subsequent murder of her. Throughout the book, EVERYONE assumes that he feels remorseful, and thus, is ready to 'enter normal society' - but the protagonist has only managed to hide away the question "Why don't I feel remorse for killing my wife fifteen years ago?"
Everyone in the Japanese parole system - even the nicest, well-meaning parole officers - assumes that any released prisoner has a moral consciousness that is working 'correctly' - but it's never taken into account that a person might require something beyond job and housing support. The protagonist's lack of remorse IS a problem, but he never meets other ex-prisoners, and thus, never feels safe enough to approach and discuss his feelings with others. It doesn't help, of course, that the 'bad' part of society (those who want to shun paroled criminals) give the protagonist anxiety. It also doesn't help that the 'good' part of society (those helping him get on his feet) never considered that the act of sitting in prison for 15 years doesn't mean a person is able to work through the complex trauma of being cheated on, and murdering multiple people.
To the average person in this novel (and perhaps in our world), 'paying the price' of murder amounts to sitting idly for fifteen years. But if the novel's society really wanted to help a criminal out, then it should recognize that imprisonment is, more or less, pointless - a pointless justice for the family of the victims, one that 'fixes' the criminal at face value without any potential to truly rehabilitate the criminal.
I think in a sense this novel is also critiquing the pressure of traditional family life narratives. The protagonist wonders what he 'did wrong' to cause his wife to cheat on him. He did everything 'right' (according to the values he was raised with) - working hard, being faithful, yet his wife was still fucking his fishing buddy! It's obvious that a lack of communication between husband and wife is at fault, but it's not something he ever considered.
November 16, 2024
This took me a little while to read but the ending did not disappoint. On Parole is about 50-something-year-old Kikutani who is finally released from prison but—like the book title says—is on parole. Anxious and reserved, Kikutani is pushed back into to society to live a “normal life” but there are obstacles. How can he navigate life again after murdering his wife and burning the house of his mother-in-law, which ultimately killed her too?
I wanted to read this book after I looked into the infamous Menendez brothers’ case (which is weird because neither the story or the actual case correlate but, whatever). I think it’s more so of the fact that California has now distributed a possible new opening of letting the brothers be released on parole (they’ve been in prison since they were 18 and 21). Nothing is ever the same after getting out of prison and I was curious how the story would play out. The book was slower than I anticipated and there were parts that I believed to be unnecessarily drawn out. But, eventually, everything fell into place, especially when Kikutani was gearing up to remarry.
I immediately knew where the story was heading when Kikutani’s late parole officer and Kiyoura, the one who helped him get on parole, basically pressurized Kikutani to get married to a random woman that was associated with the parole officer’s son. I knew the moment Kikutani expressed that he wasn’t attracted to (I forgot the woman’s name) physically but was grateful for the opportunity. Funny thing is, Kikutani was aware he was not in the right head space to seek another relationship, considering the fact he MURDERED two women. This is what irritated me the most; I wasn’t even mad at Kikutani, I was mad at everyone around him that convinced him to do the stupidest thing ever. I mean, the man could barely adjust to his day-to-day living, what made you think he was ready for a companion? Why did no one acknowledge, psychologically, a man like Kikutani should steer clear from any woman?
I also found it quite ridiculous that the woman was keen on getting married to Kikutani, despite being fully aware of his dark past. It merely reminded me of a real life case where a man murdered his wife, was released from prison, remarried, then murdered his new wife. Kikutani followed the exact footsteps, only in his situation, killing his soon-to-be wife was an accident. This was a full circle moment. Kikutani was destined to go back to square 1.
I wanted to read this book after I looked into the infamous Menendez brothers’ case (which is weird because neither the story or the actual case correlate but, whatever). I think it’s more so of the fact that California has now distributed a possible new opening of letting the brothers be released on parole (they’ve been in prison since they were 18 and 21). Nothing is ever the same after getting out of prison and I was curious how the story would play out. The book was slower than I anticipated and there were parts that I believed to be unnecessarily drawn out. But, eventually, everything fell into place, especially when Kikutani was gearing up to remarry.
I immediately knew where the story was heading when Kikutani’s late parole officer and Kiyoura, the one who helped him get on parole, basically pressurized Kikutani to get married to a random woman that was associated with the parole officer’s son. I knew the moment Kikutani expressed that he wasn’t attracted to (I forgot the woman’s name) physically but was grateful for the opportunity. Funny thing is, Kikutani was aware he was not in the right head space to seek another relationship, considering the fact he MURDERED two women. This is what irritated me the most; I wasn’t even mad at Kikutani, I was mad at everyone around him that convinced him to do the stupidest thing ever. I mean, the man could barely adjust to his day-to-day living, what made you think he was ready for a companion? Why did no one acknowledge, psychologically, a man like Kikutani should steer clear from any woman?
I also found it quite ridiculous that the woman was keen on getting married to Kikutani, despite being fully aware of his dark past. It merely reminded me of a real life case where a man murdered his wife, was released from prison, remarried, then murdered his new wife. Kikutani followed the exact footsteps, only in his situation, killing his soon-to-be wife was an accident. This was a full circle moment. Kikutani was destined to go back to square 1.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2019
Can a man fit into a society that he's been ostracised from for decades? Can he truly redeem his sins? Or does he simply outlive them and move on? These are the questions that Akira Yoshimura asks in On Parole, a nuanced novel about a man on parole after spending many years behind bars.
The first thing I love about this book is how Yoshimura makes a conscious decision of not telling the readers what the protagonist's crimes are. The story begins with him already in prison, but because of his good behaviour, a penal is in charge of deciding whether he can be put up for parole. Upon release, you follow the protagonist as he arrives at a halfway house, finds a job and gradually become used to normal life again. In the meantime, Yoshimura even makes you kind of root for the protagonist. Because he's been away for so long, small things fascinate him to no end, such as an umbrella that automatically closes when you press a button on the handle. It isn't until the middle of the book when the author then slowly reveals the crime and starts to question if you still root for the man.
Another thing I like about this book is how there are no clear 'villains'. In a typical story, the protagonist will likely meet a whole host of people trying to take advantage of his situation. However, in this book, everyone — from the parole officer to the man who hires him at the chicken farm — are genuinely understanding of his plight and want to help him get back on track. Not only does this subvert the expectation of the reader, it also drives home the point that for someone in his position, the only enemy is really yourself, and your life is only as good as you make it out to be.
The final point is about what it means to 'fit in', which is a theme that I recognise in many Japanese literature. Is it not enough that the protagonist has a proper job and is able to live on his own? What does it mean to truly fit in? Does he really need to have friends? Does he need to have a wife? Does he need to have children? What if he's happy without all of the above, and just wants to go to work every day and earn just enough to keep himself fed and happy? Is that not enough? These questions are explored in the final act of the book, which takes a surprising turn that I did not see coming.
Akira Yoshimura is quickly becoming one of my favourite Japanese authors. I know I have had misgivings about Japanese authors of late, claiming their works to be largely obtuse and hard to get into — and it still holds true for most Japanese books. However, I have really enjoyed Yoshimura's books, and I am looking forward to reading more froths bibliography.
The first thing I love about this book is how Yoshimura makes a conscious decision of not telling the readers what the protagonist's crimes are. The story begins with him already in prison, but because of his good behaviour, a penal is in charge of deciding whether he can be put up for parole. Upon release, you follow the protagonist as he arrives at a halfway house, finds a job and gradually become used to normal life again. In the meantime, Yoshimura even makes you kind of root for the protagonist. Because he's been away for so long, small things fascinate him to no end, such as an umbrella that automatically closes when you press a button on the handle. It isn't until the middle of the book when the author then slowly reveals the crime and starts to question if you still root for the man.
Another thing I like about this book is how there are no clear 'villains'. In a typical story, the protagonist will likely meet a whole host of people trying to take advantage of his situation. However, in this book, everyone — from the parole officer to the man who hires him at the chicken farm — are genuinely understanding of his plight and want to help him get back on track. Not only does this subvert the expectation of the reader, it also drives home the point that for someone in his position, the only enemy is really yourself, and your life is only as good as you make it out to be.
The final point is about what it means to 'fit in', which is a theme that I recognise in many Japanese literature. Is it not enough that the protagonist has a proper job and is able to live on his own? What does it mean to truly fit in? Does he really need to have friends? Does he need to have a wife? Does he need to have children? What if he's happy without all of the above, and just wants to go to work every day and earn just enough to keep himself fed and happy? Is that not enough? These questions are explored in the final act of the book, which takes a surprising turn that I did not see coming.
Akira Yoshimura is quickly becoming one of my favourite Japanese authors. I know I have had misgivings about Japanese authors of late, claiming their works to be largely obtuse and hard to get into — and it still holds true for most Japanese books. However, I have really enjoyed Yoshimura's books, and I am looking forward to reading more froths bibliography.
May 1, 2021
Having read one of Yoshimura’s novels many years ago I rediscovered him recently while perusing Japan related fiction on the Internet Archive. When I saw On Parole was available, I was curious to see what I might think of his work after maybe 25 years.
In many respects I was not disappointed. In a prose which largely consisted of simple, declarative sentences the author developed the protagonist Kikutani quite skillfully. The myriad of emotions a man released after many years in prison would feel were depicted with impressive sensitivity. The careful and detailed description of Kikutani’s mental and emotional workings made for a very rich and highly textured portrayal. Brief flashbacks were integrated into the narrative in a smooth and timely way so that I got a clear sense of the relevant elements of his history.
As is often the case with Japanese fiction the portrayals of Tokyo, Kikutani’s work setting and the seasons of the year were engaging, albeit a bit slow moving at times. I came away with clear visual images of these elements of the book. Readers less familiar with Tokyo will find this quite informative and interesting.
One final aspect of OP was equally informative: the extent to which the country’s parole system tries to help its recently released prisoners was impressive. The manner in which the social bonding which generally occurs there was demonstrated effectively in the novel. Perhaps if the USA invested as much effort in this process the recidivism rate here might be considerably lower.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the country while also enjoying an engaging story. One warning, however: the ending might be a surprise for most readers.
In many respects I was not disappointed. In a prose which largely consisted of simple, declarative sentences the author developed the protagonist Kikutani quite skillfully. The myriad of emotions a man released after many years in prison would feel were depicted with impressive sensitivity. The careful and detailed description of Kikutani’s mental and emotional workings made for a very rich and highly textured portrayal. Brief flashbacks were integrated into the narrative in a smooth and timely way so that I got a clear sense of the relevant elements of his history.
As is often the case with Japanese fiction the portrayals of Tokyo, Kikutani’s work setting and the seasons of the year were engaging, albeit a bit slow moving at times. I came away with clear visual images of these elements of the book. Readers less familiar with Tokyo will find this quite informative and interesting.
One final aspect of OP was equally informative: the extent to which the country’s parole system tries to help its recently released prisoners was impressive. The manner in which the social bonding which generally occurs there was demonstrated effectively in the novel. Perhaps if the USA invested as much effort in this process the recidivism rate here might be considerably lower.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the country while also enjoying an engaging story. One warning, however: the ending might be a surprise for most readers.
April 5, 2018
A slow moving book, but you get into the head of the protagonist, Mr. Kikutani. You read his decision-making thought processes, get to know his insecurities, know when he is surprised at seeing a change in the world from which he was removed for 16 years (he was in prison). He is shocked, for example, at the amount of car traffic. He is disappointed when he goes to a place that he thinks is still untouched beachland, but he finds a lot of condos connected to Tokyo by a new train line.
I've never been to jail, yet I identified with Mr. K. He enjoyed routine, because it meant he had security and not surprises, which an ex-convict would appreciate . He enjoyed his solitude to a point. He was very cautious.
Trust in relationships is a major theme. Mr. K had to trust 4 people, 2 men and 2 women. I wonder if Yoshimura was trying to say something when he made the relationships with the 2 women the disappointing relationships.
I loved how the nature of his crime was slowly revealed to the reader, a few facts at a time. I was surprised my city's library system had this book, as books by Japanese authors are hard to find here, even in the book stores.
I've never been to jail, yet I identified with Mr. K. He enjoyed routine, because it meant he had security and not surprises, which an ex-convict would appreciate . He enjoyed his solitude to a point. He was very cautious.
Trust in relationships is a major theme. Mr. K had to trust 4 people, 2 men and 2 women. I wonder if Yoshimura was trying to say something when he made the relationships with the 2 women the disappointing relationships.
I loved how the nature of his crime was slowly revealed to the reader, a few facts at a time. I was surprised my city's library system had this book, as books by Japanese authors are hard to find here, even in the book stores.
May 25, 2020
What if a guy can handle prison and the limbo of parole but is unable - and unwilling - to feel any remorse? Maybe Kikutani shouldn’t be pushed too far on this point.
That’s not the only dilemma. There’s also the idea that when an individual is too tightly constrained by rules and expectations, even if some of them are of his own making, the only escape valve is a sudden violent “frenzy” (the word comes up several times in the book). I’m still trying to decide if that was really one of the author’s messages.
My edition has a reader’s group guide at the end with a lot of interesting questions. They seem designed not to prompt instant answers but to keep you thinking about the book long after you’ve read it. I think for most readers that will be a given. I know I will be tossing the tale of Kikutani around in my head for a while.
Years ago I saw the Japanese movie called “The Eel”. It was loosely based on this book. As good as that movie was, the book in my opinion is better. Page after page, the sense of an impending reckoning grows and grows, slowly and subtly. It’s not a story for the anxious. You’ll be renewing your Xanax prescription before you know it.
That’s not the only dilemma. There’s also the idea that when an individual is too tightly constrained by rules and expectations, even if some of them are of his own making, the only escape valve is a sudden violent “frenzy” (the word comes up several times in the book). I’m still trying to decide if that was really one of the author’s messages.
My edition has a reader’s group guide at the end with a lot of interesting questions. They seem designed not to prompt instant answers but to keep you thinking about the book long after you’ve read it. I think for most readers that will be a given. I know I will be tossing the tale of Kikutani around in my head for a while.
Years ago I saw the Japanese movie called “The Eel”. It was loosely based on this book. As good as that movie was, the book in my opinion is better. Page after page, the sense of an impending reckoning grows and grows, slowly and subtly. It’s not a story for the anxious. You’ll be renewing your Xanax prescription before you know it.
July 11, 2020
In many ways this book presents the strengths of Yoshimura's writing: the acute use of detail, bringing to life apparently mundane scenes, getting inside the emotional life of the protagonist, steady pace without flat spots in the drama. In this case, the protagonist was jailed in the late 1960s and emerges after winning parole from what was an unlimited sentence in the mid 1980s. Japan has undergone an industrial and social transformation in that time. He struggles to get traction in free life in modern, expensive Japan. Although formerly in the highly respected profession of teacher, his emplyment opportunities following his long time in jail are limited. His life is plagued by his inability to establish close friendships or relationships due to fear of others knowing his past.
I won't say more than that. Most of the book merits at least 4 stars, but I found the ending to be unconvincing and for that I took a star. I don't know why Yoshimura chose such an ending. It trivialises the whole book, in my view.
I won't say more than that. Most of the book merits at least 4 stars, but I found the ending to be unconvincing and for that I took a star. I don't know why Yoshimura chose such an ending. It trivialises the whole book, in my view.
February 15, 2021
Perhaps this is as close as possible to being a case of nature being responsible for a person's criminality?
Focusses closely in on the protagonist, his situation, way of being and thoughts. It is about the psychology.
Due to this close confining attention, there is minimal detail on the surrounding culture. I did observe the marked politeness between convicts and guards in prison and with parole officers too, a difference to Western culture I guess. I also noted the conservative marriage arrangements between Kikutani and Toyoko. I'm not sure how regular that was for the period - for people born in the 40s and 50s getting married in the 80s? I suspect it has changed a bit now.
Apart from this Japan has a low rate of murder amongst countries probably heavily owing to being a communal, very conforming culture with a lot of peer pressure.
Focusses closely in on the protagonist, his situation, way of being and thoughts. It is about the psychology.
Due to this close confining attention, there is minimal detail on the surrounding culture. I did observe the marked politeness between convicts and guards in prison and with parole officers too, a difference to Western culture I guess. I also noted the conservative marriage arrangements between Kikutani and Toyoko. I'm not sure how regular that was for the period - for people born in the 40s and 50s getting married in the 80s? I suspect it has changed a bit now.
Apart from this Japan has a low rate of murder amongst countries probably heavily owing to being a communal, very conforming culture with a lot of peer pressure.
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