City of Refuge
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004
240
Novel • Fiction
Japan • 1990s
2004
Adult
18+ years
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
119 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
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.
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.
119 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
240
Novel • Fiction
Japan • 1990s
2004
Adult
18+ years
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