Ring

Great novel. You know what they say, "Do not judge a book by its cover", well im here to say "Do not judge a book by its movie". Please if you saw the movie before you read the book then you might really love the book and start hating the movie or, really hate the book. just let me tell you that i saw the movie, then i read the book (WRONG, SHOULD'NT HAVE DONE THIS) and i hated the movie, specially the sequel. This novel has it all, science, horror, mystery. All with a little touch of genetics. This is, in my opinion what makes this novel a great novel. If you like this book then wait till you read Spiral (Koji Suzuki's sequel to The Ring).

I was interested to read the books after seeing "Ring Two" in movie theatres and being a bit disappointed. I thought I'd like to see how the actual author told the story, and was going to get "Spiral" but decided I should start at the beginning, and I was definitely NOT disappointed. "Ring" at first appears as though it's going to follow a fairly similar plot as the movie, but the telling is so striking, in it's suprising differences and the way it's told. It's not horrifying as the movie by any means, but it's certainly creepy, and also beautiful, much the same way as the elusive Sadako herself is. I'm glad to see such human elements in the main characters, making mistakes, being truly scared, paralyzed by their own fear, and also at the same time disbelief that this could really be happening and that they would be under threat. At first it was easy for me to just read a chapter here and there, but as the end drew closer I wound up reading the last half of the book in one sitting, because I needed answers just as Ryuji and Asakawa did. Although now, I'm just as desperate, if not more so to read "Spiral" to find out what's going to happen next.

How embarrassing! A while ago I found Ring while looking through the mysteries and bought it because it was 1) Japanese, and 2) sounded interesting. It went on my to be read pile where it waited without me ever making the connection between the novel and two films by the same name. I only realized when its turn came that I was going to read a book that had spawned two hit films. Of course, the films are really only based on the novel rather than reprise of the novel, but that only makes the book more interesting. Kasuyuki Asakawa is a journalist, one who writes those slightly boring special articles and interviews that appear in the weeklies. A series of coincidences lead Asakawa to several peculiarly similar deaths. One of the fatalities is a niece, and shortly, Asakawa is investigating. The trail leads him to an out of the way resort where he finds an unlabeled video tape. One that threatens his death if he doesn't follow the instructions. Unfortunately, the instructions have been erased. This touches off a frantic hunt for clues to the missing ritual. Asakawa must save not only his own life buth the life of his wife, child, and friend Ryuji. The investigation turns to volcanic islands, rural clinics and Tokyo itself. Not only is the answer hard to find, but when found, it raises as many questions as it resolves. Think of this as a procedural horror story. Suzuki writes a classic Japanese novel, delving into his characters as much as he writes narrative. Asakawa's rising panic as the date of his death approaches is contrasted with Ryuji's stoicism and outlandish ideas. There is no graphic horror here but instead Suzuki gradually turns up the tension and our imagination takes off from there. When done, the irony of the conclusion leaves a lasting impression.

Being a big fan of both "Ringu" and its American remake "The Ring," I was intrigued to read the book that started it all. As one might suspect, much of the plot will be very similar to those who have seen one or both of the films. However, the book does hold a few of it's own surprises. Asakawa is a reporter who unintentionally comes across a story while taking a cab home from work. The cabdriver is explaining how a young man died on the street one day right next to his car. The day and time he notes that the event took place is the same day and time that Asakawa's niece died. Both deaths were described as sudden heart failure. Odd coincidence? Further digging reveals that two other young adults died the same night, at approximately the same time, from the same strange unknown cause. Asakawa's investigation leads him to a resort in the woods, where he discovers and watches the infamous mysterious videotape with the odd, surreal images. Asakawa enlists the aid of his friend Ryuji, a philosophy professor, to help him solve the riddle and save his life. Together they are in a race against time to survive an ill fate. The two gradually peel away layers of a distant past, and a child named Sadako who was known to have psychic powers. What is Sadako's wish? What is the ultimate purpose of her tape? Will Ryuji and Asakawa discover the truth in time to save themselves?Some of the differences between the book and the movies are small, such as the fact that the main character in both films was female while the reporter and main character in the book is a male. In addition, the age difference between the reporter's child in both films was slightly older than the child in the book. However, there are some major differences as well. I loved the differences in the plot surrounding Sadako and her mother, as well as the video Sadako mentally produced. The process of discovery varies immensely as well in the book, and for the better in my opinion. The book did a wonderful job of keeping the tension level high as Ryuji and Asakawa painstakingly researched every tidbit of information they could ascertain from the videotape. Every aspect every step of the way is described with great detail and in a way that is easily understood by the reader. The author never asks the reader to take any great logical leaps. Yet another big difference is the way that the deaths of Sadako's victims are described. Clearly the directors of both versions of the film took a great deal of artistic liberty in this area, which is what was needed in order to make this book into a scarier film. Don't get me wrong, the story is still quite intense and even scary. However, it is quite different in the form of text. Suzuki focuses on the thrills and the detective-like inquiry rather than the in-your-face horror and vividly gory description that might have detracted from the plot. Furthermore, the bond between Ryuji and Asakawa and their clashing personalities are exper

This is a sharply, almost scientifically written horror story. The author manages to offer a modern view of Japan society as it tries to put together a very objective and technological life style, along with very subjective issues as ethics, culture, traditional family links, etc. One of the principal characters is a researcher who does science this way; combining an older philosophical and spiritual approach with modern knowledge of biology, physics, and others. All in all, my particular opinion is that this is an excellent book telling a very smart and entertaining horror story. The book is better and deeper than the japanese movie which in turn is superior to the american version.