End of the World Blues
Many science-fiction authors try really, really hard to capture the noir that infused early cyberpunk fiction in the ’80s, but few really do it because someone decided that the protagonist has to be a hero, not a human.
Jon Courtenay Grimwood once again has bucked this convention in END OF THE WORLD BLUES by presenting a protagonist who is unfortunately – and awesomely – human, giving readers a cast of characters and situations that showcase Grimwood’s mastery of the subtle and misunderstood noir arts.
The story revolves around Kit Nouveau, a British former soldier running a dodgy Irish pub in Tokyo, and Lady Neku, a girl who dresses like an anime character and might possibly be a refugee from the far distant future. Nouveau finds himself in a world of hurt – as is his wont – and as for Neku … well, I think that’s for readers to decide on their own.
The duo’s pasts are slowly catching up with them, and as each layer of history – or future? – is peeled back, more layers are revealed, and questions always outnumber answers. While things go nuts in Japan, Nouveau is called home to uncover the truth about the girl who got away, and worlds collide with great result. And that’s just the plot that’s set in the nearly present day; there’s plenty of intrigue at the end of the world, too.
Self-revelation and redemption is a recurring theme in Grimwood’s work, and that’s great, because he knows what he’s doing. END OF THE WORLD BLUES is not a book to take to the beach, nor a throwaway techno-thriller with noir pretensions and a vocabulary ripped from NEUROMANCER.
On the contrary, END OF THE WORLD BLUES is a deep, thoughtful book that asks for – and deserves – consideration and contemplation. But it’s also got style, and the prose manages to be brazen and refined at once. Grimwood revels in his sci-fi roots, and that sensibility merges with superb characterization to create a rich, kinetic procedural mystery.
While parts are fantastic, the entire novel is rooted in human frailty and the desire we all have to be accepted for what we are, despite all the evil we’ve done. Grimwood understands the essence of the outsider, and END OF THE WORLD BLUES showcases that once again. –Ryun Patterson
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• 9TAIL FOX by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
“END OF THE WORLD BLUES is a deep, thoughtful book…”
I didn’t find any moments of contemplation in the text or in the spaces between. I agree, however, that It’s a clever little book with loads of style. Grimwood has ushered in a new genre–the manganovel. That’s it.
Sounds like it’s definitely worth a read!
I found the book to be extremely contemplative, both as I was reading it and well after I was finished; I think the delving that Grimwood does into memories, regret, and motivation is really conducive to personal meditation.
I know this novel has attracted a lot of attention, first in England and now in the U.S. It’s an entertaining book, but maybe I was expecting too much. At some point while reading it, I thought to myself, “What if Huraki Murakami wrote manga? Would END OF THE WORLD BLUES be the result?” Heck, there’s even a talking cat. Wait… does the cat talk? Now I can’t remember.
The cat talks, and I totally agree with your Murakami/manga sentiment. Things nearly do fall into the HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AT THE END OF THE WORLD/Seijun Suzuki mold, especially at the beginning and at the end, and It would be interesting to see the book put into the manga idiom.