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Out
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins
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Publisher's summary
Nothing in Japanese literature prepares us for the stark, tension-filled, plot-driven realism of Natsuo Kirino's award-winning literary mystery Out.
This mesmerizing novel tells the story of a brutal murder in the staid Tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works the night shift making boxed lunches strangles her abusive husband and then seeks the help of her coworkers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime. The coolly intelligent Masako emerges as the plot's ringleader but quickly discovers that this killing is merely the beginning, as it leads to a terrifying foray into the violent underbelly of Japanese society.
At once a masterpiece of literary suspense and pitch-black comedy of gender warfare, Out is also a moving evocation of the pressures and prejudices that drive women to extreme deeds and the friendships that bolster them in the aftermath.
Featured Article: 10 Famous Japanese Authors You Have to Hear
Thanks to the work of translators and publishers, Japanese literature is now more accessible than ever to English-speaking audiences. If you've ever wanted to learn more about Japanese culture and literature, you cannot go wrong with listening to audiobooks from Japan. We've compiled a list of the most famous Japanese authors who have helped define Japanese literature, and their notable works across genres and time periods.
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The doorbell rings, just days after my beloved husband’s sudden death. I don’t recognise the woman on our doorstep, with her blonde highlights, a diamond bracelet identical to my own and a bouncing baby boy in her arms. As I show her inside, I notice her eyes grow wide as she takes in our spacious hallway, and the big squashy sofas that we all used to pile on. She glances at the silver-framed family photos and my little daughter hiding behind my skirts. She looks at me, her blue eyes serious. ‘I’m sorry’ she says. ‘I am your husband’s girlfriend. And this is his son.'
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Uh, what?
- By Karyn Cavanaugh on 02-22-23
By: K.L. Slater
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Husband and Wife
- By: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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My husband and I are fighting for our lives in hospital after a terrible car accident. But despite my pain, all I can think about is what our families will find behind our front door. The scarf that has been all over the news, belonging to a dead young woman with honey-coloured hair. I have to speak to the police before my husband can. I’m drifting in and out of consciousness, but when I hear my wife talking to the police, accusing me of the murder of an innocent woman, a cold fear grips me. I know I’ve got a temper.
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Good twists
- By Susan Wiegert on 12-25-23
By: K. L. Slater
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The Narrator
- By: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Kristin Atherton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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When the call came it seemed like the answer to my prayers. My career as a voice actor had been over for months and me and my little girl Scarlet were living back at my mum’s place. I felt like a failure professionally—and with Scarlet having problems at school, as a parent as well. So, when I was asked to narrate a new book by disappeared novelist Philippa Roberts I jumped at the chance, even if it meant leaving Scarlet with my ex, Hugo, for a few weeks. Hugo, with his perfect new home and his perfect new girlfriend Saskia. But this isn’t a dream come true. It’s a nightmare.
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Love but it's a production issue!
- By Mary on 09-02-22
By: K. L. Slater
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One of Us Is Dead
- By: Jeneva Rose
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Opulence. Sex. Betrayal…sometimes friendship can be deadly. Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships. Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
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Great mystery. Sexually graphic.
- By Sue on 09-04-22
By: Jeneva Rose
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Find Her
- By: Sarah A. Denzil
- Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s Christmas Day at Wilder House, and three magical winter weddings are set to begin. But as the tables are arranged, and the food is prepared, a perfect storm hits, cutting every guest from the rest of the world. Most little girls dream of the perfect wedding. But this bride stumbles alone into the snow, her silk train dragging through dirt, her hands bloody from the murder she just committed. Now there is at least one killer roaming the unforgiving landscape surrounding Wilder House. Who else will die on Christmas Day?
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a little bit of wicked fun
- By A. Bohn on 01-25-24
By: Sarah A. Denzil
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The Ex
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
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Cassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he’s crazy about Cassie. She thinks she’s found the guy she’ll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture. She thinks Francesca is gone for good. Think again, Cassie.
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Too bizarre for someone who loves bizarre
- By G. C. Webster on 07-01-22
By: Freida McFadden
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The Housemaid
- By: Sarah A. Denzil
- Narrated by: Sophie Rundle
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past....
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FANTASTIC@@@!
- By Kelly on 12-23-21
By: Sarah A. Denzil
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In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village. Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music - death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house.
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Enjoyable, Some Audible issues.
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Nakamura's Most Convoluted Novel. Had to Quit.
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In Osaka in 1973, the body of a murdered man is found in an abandoned building. Investigating the crime, Detective Sasagaki is unable to find the killer. Over the next 20 years, through the lens of a succession of characters, Higashino tells the story of two teens, Ryo and Yukiho, whose lives are most affected by the crime, and the obsessed detective, Sasagaki, who continues to investigate the murder, looking for the elusive truth.
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Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor.
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not really like Larsson -- but that's OK
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As part of a ruthless program by the totalitarian government, ninth-grade students are taken to a small isolated island with a map, food, and various weapons. Forced to wear special collars that explode when they break a rule, they must fight each other for three days until only one "winner" remains. The elimination contest becomes the ultimate in must-see reality television. A Japanese pulp classic available in English-language audio for the first time, Battle Royale is a potent allegory of what it means to be young and survive in today's dog-eat-dog world.
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Kids should not have guns.
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Nanao, nicknamed Ladybug - the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world” - boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: Grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase - and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. Satoshi, “the Prince”, with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others.
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The bleh outweighs the meh.
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For five days in January 1989, the parents of a seven-year-old Tokyo schoolgirl sat and listened to the demands of their daughter's kidnapper. They would never learn his identity. They would never see their daughter again. For the 14 years that followed, the Japanese public listened to the police's apologies. They would never forget the botched investigation that became known as Six Four. They would never forgive the authorities for their failure.
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Almost impossible....
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The Plotters
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Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind - a plotter - working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library", Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans.
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Not for multi-tasking
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Japanese Ghost Stories
- Penguin Classics
- By: Lafcadio Hearn
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In this collection of classic ghost stories from Japan, beautiful princesses turn out to be frogs, paintings come alive, deadly spectral brides haunt the living and a samurai delivers the baby of a Shinto goddess with mystical help. Here are all the phantoms and ghouls of Japanese folklore: 'rokuro-kubi', whose heads separate from their bodies at night; 'jikininki', or flesh-eating goblins; and terrifying faceless 'mujina' who haunt lonely neighbourhoods.
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Japanese pronunciation a problem
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What listeners say about Out
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Christopher
- 06-24-16
Out...
I saw on the website that this book was for fans of "Gone Girl", so I used a credit. Here's some thoughts for those of you wanting to know if this was worth the listen.
1. This was the first Japanese book I've ever listened to. I think actually reading the names of the characters would be a little bit easier to keep track of them. I'm not very familiar with Japanese names and had a hard time at the beginning deciphering one name from another.
2. The narration was just okay. Not great, not that bad.... just okay. Some characters were better developed and easier to listen to than others. I've never listened this narrator before and thought she was a bit heavy handed in her portrayal of the older women giving them an unpleasant whining tone to them.
3. As described in the notes for this book it has some very very "pitch-black" humor. It is also somewhat graphic for those of you with a timid stomach. I personally like this but it's definitely not for everyone.
4. I'm not sure where I get what the "Gone Girl" comparison was all about other than each of these books are classified as Suspense/Mystery/Thriller. That's about as close as it comes other than it has a female protagonist.
Overall, it wasn't bad. I don't think I'll remember this book for very long though and definitely will not be listening to this again. If you are looking for a suspense novel, I've listened to worse. I enjoyed the change of scenery for me with it taking place in Japan.
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47 people found this helpful
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- Danni
- 01-27-17
Save the Gone Girl comparisons
I get that Gone Girl is sort of the "it" mystery thriller book right now but I don't think that this one could compare to it. There are some similar themes but personally I think this is a different kind of story being told.
Out is a dark and humorous tale about 4 women who end up in a very sticky situation. I loved how different the characters were and how they interacted with one and other. The author portrayed very real relationships between co workers; the superficial, the sincere and the frenemies. I also liked how messy they were as criminals. More often than not, everything seems to just fall into place, but not for this messy bunch. I really paid attention to Kuniko's character. Her reckless behavior and selfish attitude constantly changed the direction of the story. While Kuniko was the most useless member of the team, she was indirectly responsible for a lot of what happened. Her relationship with Masako reminded me of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from breaking bad. I felt sorry for everyone involved because it seems like they could only suffer and suffer some more; no matter how much money was involved. Kirino did a good job of showing the underbelly of a characters personality. They are all terrible and selfish people yet somehow I was on their side.
This gets 4 starts instead of 5 because I hated the last chapter. I felt like the particular character involved in the last chapter made a complete 180. While I understood what the author was trying to do, it felt like she developed some sort of Stockholm syndrome.
Also I really like Emily Woo Zeller. I noticed other reviewers said she was over acting but I like that about her performances because she commits to telling the story. She bought life to the characters.
Trigger warning for rape, domestic violence, murder and dismemberment.
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20 people found this helpful
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- Beckilicious
- 06-29-16
As Good As But Darker Than Gone Girl
TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, domestic violence, underage sex.
There's a principle of Japanese flower arranging that says "to make the best arrangement, choose 1/3 as many flowers as you think you need, then choose the best 1/3 of those and use only that much."
This book does that with works and desciptions. It is both excellently written and expertly translated. It tends to sound dry at first until you realize the carefully economic use of words gives you an unusually vivid mental image of what's going on.
The plot is extremely complex with many diverse characters, lots lots of symbolism, and plot developments that are both clever and surprising but also so logical with no continuity leaps.
On the technical level: this is a world class novel.
That, however, is where my praise stops.
The characters, with only two or three possible exceptions, are horrible people. They are complex and well developed but this somehow makes their darkness more understated and thus more potent.
The host of high functioning mental illness represented is staggering and accurate and that makes it scary as hell.
In the end you hate all of them. None of them are truly innocent. None of them deserve a happy ending and the book casts doubt on the whole idea that happy endings even exist.
I left this book feeling like I had just watched a beautifully choreographed natural disaster.
Reviews compare this to Gone Girl and it is worthy of the praise. But it is even more emotionally savage and substantially darker.
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12 people found this helpful
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- H. Jamieson
- 07-07-16
Great book, despite..
The narrator and the ending. I will never listen to the woman who narrated this book ever again. She is the absolute worst. High pitched, grating, annoying. Half the book she is over acting, the other half its like she's a combo of the blonde gal from 30 rock and a teacher reading to a pre-school class. The book was great despite her - although I don't know how sexual abuse victims would respond to the end of the book...?
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11 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer
- 06-27-16
Great right up until the end! Then, not so much.
I really enjoyed this story right up until the last chapter. Without giving anything away, I was so disappointed in the ending - I almost felt betrayed! The premise was so unusual and the characters were very well-developed. The story should not have ended the way it did. Give it a listen, and see if you agree with me.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Jami
- 04-12-17
Intricate Plot and Well Developed Characters
This was another excellent book from a Japanese author. I am not sure if this style is typical in Japanese writing, but it reminds me of another Japanese author that I really enjoy: the books are not "who-dun-its," as you know from the outside who did what. What makes these books enjoyable is the cat and mouse game between the person who committed a murder and an opposing interest; in this case, the opposing interest is someone wrongfully accused of the murder.
This book is a fascinating story of four women who met working the night shift. I loved the descriptions of Japanese culture, particularly how women are viewed in the workplace. The characters are well developed and there are several twists that keep the plot moving. I like how the book is told from different perspectives, and it is done in a way that is not confusing. There are many graphic scenes, yet these scenes only add to the plot tension; they are not gratuitous graphic descriptions, but rather, are integral to the story. The plot is complex and intricate, and I enjoyed how everything interrelated. I don't want to say too much, as it gives everything away.
I listened to this on audio and the narration was excellent. I sometimes find with longer books that my attention wanders and I am ready for it to end, but despite the length of this book, it kept my interest for the entire time.
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- Micah
- 07-11-16
Contains romanticized, violent rape
Was thoroughly enjoying this book. Then I got to the last 45 minutes, and there is a violent rape, extremely graphic in description. What makes this 100 times worse: it's romanticized. The author uses words like "pleasure" and other descriptors one would see in a legitimate love scene. For a rape. With extreme physical violence. Let me say it one more time for the kids in the back: for a RAPE. And then the author tells the same scene again from the POV of the rape victim, and it's STILL romanticized. Seriously. WT actual F. I am so enraged I can hardly stand it. If you abhor rape (like, one would hope, the majority of the human race) take a pass on this one.
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- Carol
- 07-09-18
Sado-masochistic romance drivel.
Hated it.
I thought, by the description, that this would be about women coming together to overcome cultural stereotypes, empowerment and solidarity; I was wrong.
This is a romance novel and a very disturbing and ridiculous one at that. At the time I purchased this, it had 4 of 5 stars and I can't understand why. The premise had potential but, to me, the author veered and went into territory that was totally opposite of empowering for women. It's embarrassing!
In the beginning, it is revealed to the reader that a man has been attacking women that work the night shift of a factory as they go into work. The female characters tease each other about who is the most attractive and therefore the most attackable.
Also be warned that there are violent rape scenes which the author turns into romance. RAPE IS AN ACT OF VIOLENCE NOT SEX. Therefore I was personally grossed out.
Even if the story was good, which it was not, the narration was absolutely grating. Most of the women were portrayed whiny with quavering voices... geez even some of the men were. The narrator exaggerates both male and female tones and there is even one male character that sounded just like "The Cookie Monster" of Sesame Street fame.
if I try to detail everything I hated about this book in this one review it would be too long. The points I made were the most irritating that were at the front of my mind.
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- Tim
- 07-14-16
Slow Page Turner
Natsuo Kirino has her own style of writing. Instead of waiting for a punch and climactic ending, "Out" is like rolling through the hills with several speed bumps alone the way. I'm not sure if it's Japanese style of storytelling or the long translation into English, but if this book was written from an American author, the story would had been a roller coaster and probably not enjoyable.
When you are reading this book, the genre is not so much as a suspense thriller, but more like a slow page turner. You really need to switch your mind to the author's pace to get into the story.
I had to stop myself at reading reviews for spoilers and get use to the pace. "Out" is not the best book that I'm read from a Japanese author, but it's comparable to "Gone Girl", but less thriller speed.
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- Karin
- 06-27-16
Thriller with Twists and Turns
The story, like many great stories, started as an unassuming one. Who I thought was the heroine was not. There were many unexpected twists, that made this a page turner without becoming a illogical mess. it had my attention until the last yen..
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