Book Review : Grotesque

This is a fiction story of two prostitutes who are murdered in Tokyo.

The story started twenty years previously where both women were educated at the same elite school for young ladies, and had seemingly promising futures ahead for them.

Yuriko, a mixed of Japanese-Swiss was born with a superb beauty that no one can deny. She has sister complex with her narrow minded elder sister who believes everything is against her. She used her beauty to gain popularity as well as to satisfy her needs. While Kazue, a pure Japanese believed ‘where there is no pain, there will be no gained’. Living with a family that ranking each other based on their level of education, made her a selfish person.

Unfortunately, desire and vicious ambition of dark world hovered over them, prostitution meant power.

This book also will leave the reader questioning our morality of the real world events such as suicide, paedophilia, incest and murder.

Price : RM39.90/US$8.90 (excluding postage)

Author : Natsuo Kirino

Publisher : Vintage Books

Condition : Pre-owned and in good condition

(please email me if you're interested to purchase this book)

Book Review : The Singapore Chinese Massacre

This book tells reader a brutal massacre which happened after the British had surrendered Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942.

Lieutenant General Yamashita (also known as Harimau Malaya) commander of the victorious 25th Army, ordered that male Chinese had to register at the various centres. The purpose was to discover anti-Japanese elements among the Chinese population, in particular Chinese guerrilla-volunteers who had fought courageously when the Japanese invade Singapore.

Thousands of Chinese were picked out at random by the Kempeitai, the dreaded Japanese secret police. The victims were taken to remote places, mostly beaches and shot. A British War Crimes Court in Singapore in 1947 sentenced several senior Japanese army officers to death or to long prison terms for their parts in the massacre.

Known as the Sook Ching which means purification by purge in Chinese. The Japanese had admitted that 5 000 were executed from 18 February until 4 March 1942 while there were claims the number was about 50 000. The actual number is unknown.

This book was written by Ralph Modder who is a veteran Singaporean writer and journalist. He worked on newspaper and magazines in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Kempeitai Torture/The Double Tenth Trial was also mentioned in this book which showed readers the atrocities done by the Kempeitai towards civilians.

Price : RM 35 / US$ 7.99 (excluding postage)

Author : Ralph Modder

Publisher : Horizon Books

Condition : Pre-owned and in good condition

(please email me if you're interested to purchase this book)