Plot Summary

City of Refuge

Kenzo Kitakata
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City of Refuge

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004

Book Brief

Kenzo Kitakata

City of Refuge

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004
Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Japan • 1990s

Publication Year

2004

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

City of Refuge by Kenzo Kitakata follows 20-year-old Koji Mizui who moves from Nagano to Tokyo after high school. Working as an appliance deliveryman with dreams of buying a boat, his life spirals when his troubled former classmate Numata visits. Koji is mistakenly tied to a bar robbery, leading to police trouble and complications with a teenage girl named Makiko, resulting in Koji fleeing with a young boy named Hiroshi as they seek refuge. The novel contains scenes of physical coercion and violence.

Gritty

Dark

Suspenseful

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

4.1

119 ratings

59%

Loved it

27%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Kenzo Kitakata's City of Refuge is lauded for its gritty depiction of underworld life and complex characters, capturing the essence of Japanese noir. Readers appreciate its intense atmosphere and moral ambiguity, although some find its pacing uneven and its intricate plot occasionally hard to follow. Overall, it offers a compelling, if sometimes challenging, read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read City of Refuge?

Readers who enjoy fast-paced, introspective crime novels like Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World or Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep will appreciate Kenzo Kitakata's City of Refuge. It's perfect for those who relish atmospheric narratives steeped in existential themes and gritty urban landscapes.

4.1

119 ratings

59%

Loved it

27%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Japan • 1990s

Publication Year

2004

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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