Official Review: Romance, Thrills, and Murder in Japan

[Diana Lowery]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Romance, Thrills, and Murder in Japan" by Gordon Allen Christensen.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Gordon A. Christensen skillfully covers all the topics found in the title of his book Romance, Thrills, and Murder in Japan. First, romance takes place between Edward, an 18-year-old soldier, and a young Japanese girl. Next, thrills are numerous at Jump School where Edward learns to be a paratrooper. Finally, murder is an outcome of the setting, the occupation of Japan after WWII.

When Edward signs up with the Airborne Division of the Army, he is just a young boy. He leaves his home in Florida and arrives in Sendai. Everything is foreign to him, and readers get to experience everything through his eyes. Each new adventure helps Edward mature. Even though the story only covers a short time, Edward has many trials. Falling in love with Tamiko causes conflicts, but the relationship is part of his growth.

There are other themes besides coming- of- age. The concept of facing and conquering fear occurs as Edward battles to overcome his nemesis- the black hole. This fear is both actual and metaphorical. Jumping out of the plane for the first time reminds Edward of a time when he was three; he watched his father’s casket being lowered into the ground. This motif appears often as Edward navigates his way to manhood.

My favorite part of the book is the exquisite use of figurative language. “The honey comb colored canvas-topped trucks flew down the narrow streets like a swarm of bees in search of a hive.” That sentence describes the convoy full of new arrivals leaving the train station. Metaphors and similes abound as Christensen describes Japanese culture, sky-diving, and adolescent activities. Often these passages discuss the intimacies between the two lovers. Due to the author’s skill, these scenes seem natural – not erotic or titillating. The author also realistically portrays the dialect that would be expected between soldiers, so profanity is abundant. Sexuality and cursing might bother some readers, but I did not find it offensive.

My least favorite part of the book also concerns the writing. Errors are prolific and annoying. Wrong words, typos, and haphazard punctuation marks dominate the pages. It is a tragedy that such beautiful prose is so poorly displayed. Besides the lack of editing, there were two places where the narrative felt forced. One chapter covered a week while Edward stayed at a Buddhist monastery. The religious discussions bordered on proselytizing. Another instance contained historical facts about MacArthur and his policies. Both of these additions interrupted the plot and felt unnecessary. Because of these parts and the lack of editing, I am rating this as 2 out of 4.

Mature readers who like a good romance story will enjoy this book. Readers who like thrilling adventures involving parachuting soldiers will enjoy this book. Readers who like reading about guilt-associated murder in a historic, oriental setting will enjoy this book. Readers who are not offended by sex and profanity will enjoy this book. Readers who are not bothered by poor grammar will enjoy this book. Christensen’s creative talent deserves to be properly showcased so it can be enjoyed by a wider audience.

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Romance, Thrills, and Murder in Japan
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[Brenda Creech]

It sounds like the author has a lot of talent, too bad about the errors. The love story between Edward and Tamiko sounds like one of the best parts of the book. Thanks for the excellent review!

[MeganDJ]

It is a pity that you experienced so many errors. It really does take away from the overall reading experience. Hopefully, the dramatic and elegant style of writing made up for it and truly captured the romance between Edward and Tamiko. Thank you for the well-written review!

[Diana Lowery]

It sounds like the author has a lot of talent, too bad about the errors. The love story between Edward and Tamiko sounds like one of the best parts of the book. Thanks for the excellent review!

Thanks for reading my review.

[Diana Lowery]

It is a pity that you experienced so many errors. It really does take away from the overall reading experience. Hopefully, the dramatic and elegant style of writing made up for it and truly captured the romance between Edward and Tamiko. Thank you for the well-written review!

Thank you for your comments.

[Harty Muli]

I like how Edward character and maturity develops once he joins the Airborne Division of the Army. Nice review., thanks.

[Diana Lowery]

I like how Edward character and maturity develops once he joins the Airborne Division of the Army. Nice review., thanks.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review.

[Alexandros92]

I love everything about Japan and Japanese people definitely have a u inquest style I would be happy to explore more thanks for the review

[Diana Lowery]

I love everything about Japan and Japanese people definitely have a u inquest style I would be happy to explore more thanks for the review

I agree; part of the enjoyment of this book was learning about the Japanese culture. Thank you for your comment.