Title: The Gun
Author: Fuminori Nakamura
Goodreads Rating : ⭐⭐⭐💫
The GUN BY FUMINORI NAKAMURA
Translated from the Japanese by Allison Powell
Blurb
The Gun is the story of a college student, Nishikawa, who became obsessed with a Gun which he stole. Nishikawa came across the gun while he was strolling aimlessly on a rainy night, lying near a body drenched in blood.
Review
The Gun is the story of a college student, Nishikawa, who became obsessed with a Gun which he stole. Nishikawa came across the gun while he was strolling aimlessly on a rainy night, lying near a body drenched in blood. The sight of the gun brought an intense joy in him, and he began to feel that- ‘the gun was mine’.
Leaving the body, behind he took the gun and left.
Nishikawa slowly becomes obsessed with the gun. He held the gun like a treasure, with his thoughts always returning to the gun, detaching him from the outside world.
Soon, the gun dominates his world. All he cared about was the gun, and he started to believe that the gun wants him to fire it.
The book starts without wasting time on setting a premise. This is where I found an air of similarity with Albert Camus’s works.
The swiftness with which the story began is not followed in describing the surroundings.
“There was a chill in the air- the rain banished any trace of warmth From earlier in the day.” -such detailed descriptions take the reader to the midst of the action.
Human consciousness is an unstable thing- it is influenced by various circumstances, societal norms, one’s experiences, etc and is determined by the interaction of all these things. I really enjoyed how Nakamura brings this point to the light in such a simple style. It also points out that what’s crucial to lead a happy life is not knowing what has to be thrown away but doing it at the right time.
Overall, it’s a short, intriguing and reflective story.
My Rating
Bookishstephy 