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Ring, by Koji Suzuki
I've never seen the movie version of the Ring (the movie is based off of the book), so I can't really speak to how it's different; however, I'm informed there are quite a few changes.
Anyway, it takes awhile for the story to heat up (around a hundred pages before things start getting truly interesting, IMHO). There is little point in recounting the story, as we all remember the iconic image of Sadako, and the secret of the videotaped curse; the really interesting parts of the story are the recounting of the past of Sadako (which remains unclear in many ways), and the detective work. IMHO it might be better SFF than horror, although I think there is a certain eh, unoriginality in the forms of the ESP powers? And the stuff about the virus is somewhat confusing and 'wait, what?' The translation also felt odd/awkward at certain points.
I guess all of this needs to be cleared up in the sequels, but just what happened with the smallpox virus? And to what extent did Sadako plan this all? It's all rather confusing. Sadako's powers are at once a bit too specific and somewhat generic (why should psychic powers specifically apply to photographic films and videotapes? Also, when Sadako died, had videotapes been invented? So how would she know how to lay that trap?
What is the significance of En no Gyoja? He is implied to be the source of Sadako's mother's powers. (In Japan I visited some of the religious sites where he was said to have trained, so I feel a certain fascination with this personage)
Anyway, it takes awhile for the story to heat up (around a hundred pages before things start getting truly interesting, IMHO). There is little point in recounting the story, as we all remember the iconic image of Sadako, and the secret of the videotaped curse; the really interesting parts of the story are the recounting of the past of Sadako (which remains unclear in many ways), and the detective work. IMHO it might be better SFF than horror, although I think there is a certain eh, unoriginality in the forms of the ESP powers? And the stuff about the virus is somewhat confusing and 'wait, what?' The translation also felt odd/awkward at certain points.
I guess all of this needs to be cleared up in the sequels, but just what happened with the smallpox virus? And to what extent did Sadako plan this all? It's all rather confusing. Sadako's powers are at once a bit too specific and somewhat generic (why should psychic powers specifically apply to photographic films and videotapes? Also, when Sadako died, had videotapes been invented? So how would she know how to lay that trap?
What is the significance of En no Gyoja? He is implied to be the source of Sadako's mother's powers. (In Japan I visited some of the religious sites where he was said to have trained, so I feel a certain fascination with this personage)