Book Anti-Recommendation: Miri Yu

[queerbychoice]

I would like to recommend that all of you not read the novel Gold Rush by Miri Yu. I bought it in part because it said on the cover "Winner of the Akutagawa Prize," which I took to mean that it was well-written. Unfortunately I have now come to the conclusion that the Akutagawa Prize must be an award for literary sadism rather than literary merit. So far in the book, the 14-year-old boy who is the main character has, in this order:

• watched, been upset by and avoided participating in, but also didn't intervene in, a gang rape committed by his friends
• bashed a dog's skull in with a golf club
• beaten his family's housekeeper half to death
• stabbed his father to death with a knife

And I'm not even halfway done with the book. And I can't think of the slightest reason whatsoever why I should want to read any more about this kid.