The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping
The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping book cover

The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping

Kindle Edition

Price
$13.99
Publisher
Vertical
Publication Date

Description

Review Priase for Higashino:“Higashino is a deft conjurer of human relationships, and while this is first and foremost a tale of grief— thankfully, no one calls Naoko a story of redemption—he infuses it with spasms of sharp humor.” —East Bay Express “The novel flips suddenly…in wonderfully pleasing fashion, from pathetic tragedy to social satire and domestic comedy with themes of love, work, sex and education. How could we have ever imagined, without the help of a novel like this, that Japanese life could be so fraught with suffering and so entertaining all at once?” —Alan Cheuse for the Dallas Morning News “A popular Japanese author of crime novels, Higashino doesn’t disappoint with this plot-driven, sleek novel of low-down crime in the world of high business.” — World Literature Today --This text refers to the hardcover edition. About the Author Born in 1958, Keigo Higashino studied electrical engineering and worked as a salaryman until he wom the Edogawa Rampo Mystery Prize in 1985. Originally a detective novelist, he has branched out to other genres, including science fiction. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Features & Highlights

  • Battle-tested project leader at a PR firm and slippery bachelor, Sakuma sees himself as a player. His smug self-regard doesn't seem entirely unfounded, both in love and at work. When is idea for a mini-theme park is dismissed as too costly and vacuous at the last minute by a major client he seems to have met his match.Katsuragi, an heir and executive at the global car maker, Nissei Auto, is back from a marketing stint in the US with an authentic conviction that everything is a game. Once the man's daughter by a former mistress teams up with Sakuma so she can come into her inheritance in an expeditious manner—Juri is indeed her father's flesh and blood—the game is good to go! And the name of this game is a kidnapping!

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(104)
★★★★
25%
(86)
★★★
15%
(52)
★★
7%
(24)
23%
(79)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Something isn't right

Right from the very first lines this felt wrong. After struggling with the style for almost 15% of the novel, I decided to check the name of the translator and it's not the same one who did all the other Keigo Higashino novels I have read in English. I understand that it isn't always possible to work with the same translator but a good translation is supposed to make the reader forget she's not reading the original work and that is simply not the case here. I had been eagerly waiting this novel (it was originally supposed to be released in early January but the date was changed twice) and I am very disappointed. I will finish reading it but from now on I will make sure to check the name of the translator before I buy another novel by Mr. Higashino.[[ASIN:B01BB0BFHE The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping]]
27 people found this helpful
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Doesn’t Carry the Same Weight

My problem with “The Name of the Game Is a Kidnapping” isn’t with the translation, or style, as other reviewers have noted here. For me, it’s the story that doesn’t measure up. Other Keigo Higashino books are multi-layered, multi-faceted affairs. Like a good Hitchcock movie, they mess with what you think you know about the plot or characters, flipping your assumptions on their head. This book, however, I see as being a relatively simple, one-dimensional crime story. The first-person narrator feels flat and insular. While I won’t go so far as to say the book is bad, it doesn’t carry the same weight as Higashino’s other works.
5 people found this helpful
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A great book

I didn't find any issues with the translation like others are reporting. I enjoyed the book. It was a fun read with some surprising twists.
1 people found this helpful
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Another great book from Higashino

This book was such a joy I read through it in one sitting. The story is great and once I finished I was skimming back through the pages looking for the clues I had missed.
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Needed Better Editing

While the ending was a surprise, it took a long time to get there.
I skimmed most of the book. I wouldn’t waste my time on any more of his novels.
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Twists and turns

Well done mystery with issues of identity and business practices
but I found conclusion enigmatic. FUN TO READ AND PONDER
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Four Stars

It's a good mystery but the ending is a bit abrupt.