Grotesque

Grotesque by Japanese author Natsuo Kirino is a "different" book. The writing is tight and we learn most about each of the characters as they speak to us in the first person, an interesting technique. The main character, a woman now aged about 40, reflects on her life and the murder of her hated younger sister and also a schoolfriend while they were prostitutes. The younger sister was "grotesquely beautiful" and they never got on. We see inside the mind of all characters involved, including the murderer, learning about their lives. The main character is consumed by hatred towards her younger sister and to her own society and circumstances generally. She cannot find lasting happiness to overcome her warped bitterness. 3/5