We are following the below schedule (page counts may vary based on your medium):
Week 1 - Up until star break. Sentence ending in 殺されたからです。- 9% / p.29
Week 2 - Through end of chapter 1 - 19% / p.61
Week 3 - Up until star break. Sentence ending in 救われた気分でした。- 28% / p. 87
Week 4 - Through end of chapter 2 - 38% / p. 119
Week 5 - Chapter 3 - 54% / p. 169
Week 6 - up until bolded section starting with 四歳児 - 64% / p. 196
Week 7 - through end of chapter 4 - 74% / p. 229
Week 8 - through end of book - 100% / p. 301
I will generally copy this information over thread to thread each week for ease of finding - you can always expect the schedule at the top of any weekly thread
Law and Order
Any reveals, for the current chapters must be behind spoilers or detail curtains. When we get further in you don’t need to hide details that were revealed in previous chapters.
Questions on vocab, grammar, nuance, and the like are both welcome and encouraged. If you’re not sure if it’s a spoiler, assume it is and use one of the above options to hide the text.
You are encouraged to speculate and guess wildly
Be kind about other peoples’ wild guesses
Even if you don’t read the chapter(s) in time, you are still encouraged to post in the thread for that reading once you have finished it. I advise not reading ahead in the threads as you may see spoilers.
To gauge participation - a poll!
Are you reading week 7?
Yes, I’m planning to read along/am reading along this week
@cat hmm… do you mind trying again? Perhaps just editing the category of this post to Book Clubs? If there is an error, mind taking a screenshot or typing what it says exactly?
The security seems to show that you should be able to post
Note that when I originally tried it looks it showed I was in Book Clubs and only Book Clubs, now it shows Reading → Book Clubs. Discourse error? I tried every way I could think of to navigate to Book Clubs but I can’t replicate what happened before.
直樹 is really feeling himself immediately after killing 愛美. He IMMEDIATELY lords it over 修哉 since it’s the only thing they’re “equal” on. When he reflects on how amazing life can be, it’s still pretty self-centered (which to be fair is probably appropriate for his age) and he never considers the impact he has on the lives of others, namely his mother and 森口先生・愛美. It wasn’t until the end of the chapter, roughly 6(?) months since the incident, when he recognizes that his mother has been on his side. It’s too bad she already decided that killing 直樹 is the preferable option to living with her son being a murderer. Also it really seemed like 直樹 was looking to his mother to be the moral compass and she failed him by never suggesting that they go to the police after he revealed he intentionally killed 愛美.
We’re getting close to the end of the book (I’m going to join everyone else and finish it this week) and can I just say how much I love the format of the storytelling. We’ve been getting pieces of the whole story through various characters and it’s made it such a rich reading experience even though we’ve basically been going back and forth between the same 6 months. I don’t think it’s an especially rare storytelling technique but it’s been a nice exception to all the single-narrative books I’ve been reading.
Also, does anyone know if kids getting diagnosed with 「自律神経失調症」to not have to go to school (for various reasons) is really as common as it shown in the book?
I agree, it was great to get the mother’s perspective first. Just reading about what the hair signifies to 直樹 while knowing what happens next. Or like no 直樹, I don’t think your mother plans to go to the police with you.
I was wondering the same thing, according to a quick google search about 5% of the Japanese population are estimated to have it, but I didn’t find any info on the number of students.
Glad to know I’m not the only one that can’t wait to read what happens next. But first I have to catch up on last weeks comments.
I was screaming during this part. I had to put the book down because I was expecting some dark and pointed thoughts from 直樹 but he honestly took it in stride. The middle sister thought this was a bad move in the previous chapter but it might have been the push he needed from his mother to re-contextualize his whole situation.
Just finished this chapter. I’m also digging how it’s being told from different perspectives and rehashing the same effects. It reminds me of 半落ち and also somewhat of ユージニア although the approaches in both are slightly different. I apparently really dig stories which just zoom in and rehash the same events from multiple different angles.
I was shocked but pleased with the explanation for Naoki growing out his hair. It fit so well and was more satisfying than the assumption he’d just given up on himself. His complete and utter inability to actually show to another person the emotions he’s feeling inside is wild though.
So like reading this in Japanese I was like “huh, ok, I get what it’s getting at, but what do we call it in English” and I got 2 things:
autonomic ataxia - basically you have poor physical balance. Clumsy, trouble walking, grip, etc.
Autonomic Nervous Disorder - doesn’t seem to actually be a term in English, gives me stuff for nervous system disorders of different names.
Neither of those felt right, so then I checked the wikipedia article for it which doesn’t have an English translation and it at least gave more clarity. Not gonna pretend I read it all but the vibe I’m getting is it’s somewhat akin to psychosomatic illness?
If the doc gave him that diagnosis it’s a rather vague one and there is a startling lack of treatment.
I read this week’s reading early and now I can’t remember most of my thoughts lol.
My Thoughts I can Recall
The hair cutting scene stood out to me as well! I agree that this book makes good use of the format. I am wondering if the movie will be just a straightforward retelling or how else it could try to put a spin on things.
Another moment for me was how strongly 直樹 felt about getting back at 修哉, thinking how he must also be suffering in the same way. Meanwhile, we know 修哉 is smart enough to know 1) he wasn’t actually infected 2) his classmates aren’t going to kill him and is just going to school normally. Besides being book smart, 修哉 is much more emotionally intelligent than 直樹. Although not enough to not harm a child.
This book makes great use of dramatic irony (if I’m using that correctly haha).
After reading this section, I am still uncertain about 修哉’s intentions when shocking 愛美. 直樹 is convinced he actually wanted to kill her, but based on 修哉’s reaction to 直樹 the next day it seems to me like he knew it would knock her out (and that’s why she wouldn’t cry) but that she wouldn’t die from it. I hope the last section touches on that. Of course, not that this would make him much better of a person.
The lack of treatment is what makes the entire diagnosis feel like a way for 直樹 to stay at home from school without he or his mother being asked too many questions. I do think that 自律神経失調症 is legitimate and I’m not really questioning its validity, but with how it is treated in the book I’m reading it as another social critique from the author. With how focused 直樹’s mother was on getting a doctor’s note and how she was satisfied with no real explanation of what 自律神経失調症 is, neither she nor the doctor take any measure to confront whatever is taking a toll on 直樹’s psyche.
I’m reading this section where 直樹 being lost on what the diagnosis means but is ultimately relieved that he doesn’t have to go to school as a reflection of the short-sightedness of dealing with a small problem immediately (直樹’s attendance at school) but letting the bigger problem fester and get out of control (直樹’s mental health). 直樹 has no idea what’s going on or why he’s worried about being murdered by his classmates or the people around him betraying him but he’s sure glad he gets to stay home.
His mom being satisfied with it also is just her being like “oh well it’s a normal thing then” in a way. I can 100% see this happening in real life - “I have a diagnosis! My work here is done.”
I was surprised at the lack of follow up when I read that during the last chapter, but on reflection it does fit the characters.
直樹 doesn’t consider getting help or getting better as an option until the very end of this chapter. He’s focused on not going to school, the doctor is more of an enemy that might reveal his HIV instead of someone that could potentially help him. Same for HIV, he’s desperate to hide it and doesn’t even try to get a diagnosis and treatment.
As cat said, the mother is happy to have a diagnosis as proof of “normality”. There’s no way some random doctor would know more than her about how to help her precious 直くん. And what would the neighbours think if they heard that 直樹 went to therapy?
We’ve been joking about how 直樹 didn’t inherit his mother’s conviction, but both characters are actually very similar when it comes to not getting help.
I don’t have much new to add here, other than that I agree the hair cutting scene was awesome in seeing how 直樹 interpreted it, as well as his conclusion to why he wasn’t dead post-shower (“Well, I must be a zombie.” ) It was both funny and a believable train of thought, I thought.
The ending of the chapter was really melancholic, I thought; him locked in that white room, staring at the walls and reliving the memories of a “stranger”. I’m already fed up with the sister, telling him that he’s done nothing wrong and it’s all okay. You barely know the situation, girl, stop making everything worse.
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Law and Order 
Discourse error? I tried every way I could think of to navigate to Book Clubs but I can’t replicate what happened before.
) It was both funny and a believable train of thought, I thought.