The Thief
Fuminori Nakamura
ISBN: 9781616950217
Published: March, 2012
Pricing
Paperback $14.00
More books by Fuminori Nakamura
Description
The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in and out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn’t even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections ...
But ...
The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in and out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn’t even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections …
But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when Ishikawa, his first partner, reappears in his life, and offers him a job he can’t refuse. It’s an easy job: tie up an old rich man, steal the contents of the safe. No one gets hurt. Only the day after the job does he learn that the old man was a prominent politician, and that he was brutally killed after the robbery. And now the Thief is caught in a tangle even he might not be able to escape.
Media
“The Thief brings to mind Highsmith, Mishima and Doestoevsky... A chilling philosophical thriller leaving readers in doubt without making them feel in any way cheated.”
—The Wall Street Journal, BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR selection
“It's simple and utterly compelling - great beach reading for the deeply cynical. If you crossed Michael Connelly and Camus and translated it from Japanese. ”
—Grantland
“I was deeply impressed with The Thief. It is fresh.”
—Kenzaburo Oe, Nobel Prize–winning author
“His grasp of the seamy underbelly of the city is why Nakamura is one of the most award-winning young guns of Japanese hardboiled detective writing. ”
—Daily Beast
“Citing the influence of Dostoyevsky and Kafka, Nakamura is a master of atmosphere, blending elements of surrealism, existentialism and crime fiction to create a grim, colorless, noire Tokyo. ”
–Tor.com
“At times the book reads like Albert Camus crossed with Elmore Leonard, yet the narrative voice is distinctly its own.... Descriptions of sleight of hand paired with philosophical musings make for a terrific read and fascinating exploration of what it means to be a criminal.”
–Barnes & Noble Reads on The Thief
“Brilliantly atmospheric.”