UNDERGROUND The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche

Novelist Murakami turns to nonfiction with this probing analysis of the 1995 sarin attack on Tokyo's subways. The interview format, featuring victims as well as members of the radical cult that was behind the plot, explores some major issues about the Japanese psyche. The narrative ensemble of Feodor Chin, Ian Dale, and Janet Song proves an excellent choice to provide differentiation and personality for the interviewees and for Murakami's musings and personal observations. As a group, they display an impressive command of timing and intonation that deliver an unforced conversational texture and air of intimacy. The hint of an Asian accent in each voice adds authenticity. The narrators' clarity and pace help listeners avoid any potential confusion that lack of familiarity with place names and geography might cause. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2013]