Translated by Satoko Izumo and Stephen Coates
Originally published in Japanese as Suri
Soho Press
Publication date: March 20, 2012
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
The Thief is a brief tale told by an unnamed thief,
who primarily is a pickpocket in the crowded subways and streets of Tokyo but
who also has done work for various gangs.
The story begins in mid-crime, and Nakamura gets into the thoughts and
sensations of this unnamed man who, he admits, does not have a place in
society. He currently works alone, but
in the past he had a partner who he fears is dead. During the course of our following the thief, he becomes a mentor
to a young boy who is not such a successful shoplifter. He comes to care for him, especially as he
fears his days are numbered after he’s enlisted by a criminal gang that
threatens to kill him if he doesn’t complete his assigned tasks.
This is book is a crime confessional. It’s a story that humanizes the man whose
entire livelihood depends on being unnoticeable and unnoticed. This is also a story about fear of the
yakuza. I really get a feel for the
insanely crowded subways in Tokyo in this story. The fact that the main female characters are a prostitute and the
thief’s unstable ex-mistress is a bit grating since the characters are pretty
clichéd. In any case, it’s a quick read
into the mind of a pickpocket.
This book was also reviewed by International Noir Fiction.
I read this as part of the 2012 Global Reading Challenge.
