Dark Water is a compilation of seven haunting stories by Japanese author Koji Suzuki. As the title implies, water is the common thread that neatly ties this collection together. There are two stories in particular that stood apart from the rest. The Hold is a classic horror story about an abusive husband and father involved in a murder who eventually gets his just reward. While the reader will have little trouble figuring out “who done it” this story has a great twist that makes for a satisfying ending.
Suzuki saved the best for last. Forest Under The Sea is a poignant narrative about a father’s fight for survival while trapped deep in an undiscovered cave. He attempts to pass a legacy on to his son who eventually returns to the same cave in an effort to relive and appreciate his father’s last days on earth. Don’t skip the pro and epilogue as they have quite a bit of bearing on this final tale.
In addition there’s Adrift, a gripping yarn about a ghost ship located by a home bound deep sea fishing vessel. It employs all the usual plot devices that come with a ghost ship story and from there, develops into quite a bit more as the mind of a crewman begins to turn upon itself.
A poster from the movie due out in August this year
Suzuki has been dubbed as his country’s Steven King and while that description may be accurate, it also insufficient. He has a distinctive, clean writing style that draws the reader into his tales right from the start. Although I was able to see where at least half of these stories were going, they were entertaining enough that I kept reading them anyway. The names, places and to some extent culture may be unfamiliar to some western readers but a well-crafted story can and should overcome this obstacle. Certainly these do and will leave the reader wanting more.Dark Water is out now in the US and availabe both via Amazon and direct from the publisher . UK readers may have to wait until August when Harper Collins release a new hardback, details on Amazon UK , though you might get lucky and get hold of the paperback.
Walter Salles is also directing a movie adaptation for Disney starring Jennifer Connelly and Shelley Duvall. You can read more about that and view some media, in our database .
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