This is the audiobook against I rate all others.

What did you love best about People Who Eat Darkness?

This is an engrossing and well written tale. Despite the genuinely creepy subject matter it never veers toward the exploitative. Incredibly well narrated. Everything I've listened to since disappoints in comparison. My life is sad now.

86 people found this helpful

The best audiobook I have ever heard -- hands down

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I can't begin to describe how riveting this book is -- I read the text version, which is completely brilliant, but wanted to revisit it on a long car trip. Simon Vance's performance -- and the emotion he allows to creep into his voice in certain places, as he himself is affected by this tragic and disturbing story -- is nothing short of revelatory.

And the book itself -- the story of a deeply perverse and brutal murder, the specifically Japanese approach to the problem of criminal justice, and of a single broken family, all at once -- is not to be missed.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

65 people found this helpful

Gripping Investigative Look at Human Darkness

It is no wonder that this crime haunted and intrigued Parry (Tokyo bureau chief for the London Times) for 10 yrs.; it's hard to wrap your head around such evil and remorseless crimes -- and a culture that treats both sexual deviance and prosecution of criminals so foreignly from Western societies. Kudos to Parry for keeping this tangled story so on track and objective. The author has layered the crime with insightful histories of the victim and the perp, the cultural morals, and the Japanese police and legal process, which is all fascinating. I was blown away by the behavior of the killer Obara while he was in custody, and by several other incidents that I won't go into lest I spoil some shocking twists.

The crime itself is told mercifully free of many details -- you don't need them as the crime itself speaks volumes. The focus here is on the overall layered events, which are presented in a precise timeline. Parry himself becomes involved in the case, adding another fascinating dimension to a story that is on par with Capote's In Cold Blood (a comparison I can't credit for reaching myself; I read the obsservation in a review and found it dead on). Parry's investigative journalism is a different style from Capote's, but a reading worthy of comparisons. Aside from an horrific crime, I found the insider look into the culture and process illuminating.

55 people found this helpful

Instantly engrossing.

I had seen a review of this (book) from a friend and decided to get it on Audible. I was instantly hooked into the story from the first moment. What sets this apart from the traditional true crime book is the way the story is told from several different perspectives, based on interviews with friends, family and acquaintances of the victim, but also acquaintances and family of the perpetrated. It ends up being both a chronological story of a crime, its investigation, and the trial and a character study of many of the most prominent characters, not just the victim. It also presents a portrait of the difference between Japanese and British/American world views about crime, justice, society, and family. It really was almost impossible to stop listening once I started, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for an engrossing listen.

The narrator, who I have heard on several other audio books, was excellent.

39 people found this helpful

Riveting True Crime That Has More Depth Than You'd

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION

First off, I have to say that true crime books are not my thing. However, a friend (who also isn’t a true crime person) made the book sound so good that I felt like I had to give it a go. The thing that really pushed me over the edge, though, was that Simon Vance narrated the book and I’ve heard about how great he is as a narrator. (And he is fabulous … I see the attraction.) As I listened about the account of the disappearance of 21-year-old Brit Lucie Blackman from the streets of Tokyo, I got caught up in the story just as Richard Lloyd Parry did. (Parry is the Asia Editor and Tokyo Bureau Chief for the London Times.) Aside from being a true crime book, it is also a glimpse into the culture and legal system of Japan, which was absolutely fascinating. The book also delves into how people grieve and react to violent crimes in different ways, and why families are often torn apart rather than brought together by such events. Parry does a brilliant job of weaving together a rather complex story in a way that was always interesting and informative. Even if true crime isn’t your thing, I still think you’d find much of interest in this well-written and riveting book. Consider it a crash course on Japanese culture, history and legal system if that makes you feel better.

39 people found this helpful

Evil thrives on ignorance

If you could sum up People Who Eat Darkness in three words, what would they be?

Chilling.
Infuriating
Sad.

What other book might you compare People Who Eat Darkness to and why?

Helter Skelter. Both are definitive looks at shocking and brutal crimes committed by people given over to evil and the desire to inflict themselves. It is clear Obara, like Manson and his followers surrendered his humanity in his dark quest to satisfy base desires.

Which scene was your favorite?

When they finally arrested this savage lunatic

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

How the Japanese regard the separation between themselves and foreigners as hierarchical as part of a "class structure" and act according to a missing persons "importance"

Any additional comments?

Obara's evil was endemic and widespread. His victims, dead, that we know of are 2, yet he also drugged and raped at least 90-100 other women.Was his money and influence so wide ranging only the death of a pretty western girl and her implacable family could bring it to light?

27 people found this helpful

Overwritten and Obnoxious

"Meandering" doesn't even come close to describing this book. I finished it, but only because it became kind of a personal mission to do so. (I had to take week-long breaks between listens.) I feel like this book could have been 3 hours shorter than it was, and the voice of the reader was like a spike in my ear by the end. In my humble opinion--it was about as bad as a book can get.

13 people found this helpful

RIVETING!

Where does People Who Eat Darkness rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Of the almost 1,500 audiobooks that I've listened to, this is the Top 100.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No one in particular. The victim was rather naive and, for me, it was difficult to dredge up any sympathy for her. This is a TRUE story so there are no "characters", per se. Only many people caught up in a bloody incomprehensible nightmare.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

Simon Vance is a master. I often buy books about subjects which don't interest me if Simon Vance is the narrator. He could make the active ingredients in Mr. Clean interesting.

If you could give People Who Eat Darkness a new subtitle, what would it be?

"So You Thought Only Fugu Sushi Could Kill You In Japan" or "Pretty Young Blond Things, Please Stay Home"! 😃

Any additional comments?

I was pleasantly surprised and very disturbed by this story. Japan, with its long history of culture and civilization, never struck me as a country that would have a diabolical sadist serial killer. I hung onto every word. It is a true thriller.

13 people found this helpful

creepy non ficition

If you could sum up People Who Eat Darkness in three words, what would they be?

Dark. Disturbing. Compelling.

What was one of the most memorable moments of People Who Eat Darkness?

The entire book is memorable.

If you could give People Who Eat Darkness a new subtitle, what would it be?

The title is horrible. It's a true crime novel of hostess girls in Japan. I'm not great at titles but it could use a better one than this.

Any additional comments?

Best true crime novel I've "read" in ages. The narration is spot-on.

13 people found this helpful

Did the Trick

Nothing has been holding my attention lately, but this absolutely did!

Richard Parry lived the case of Lucie Blackman, a young British woman who was killed while working as a hostess in Tokyo (and no, that doesn't mean hooker, who knew..) Parry was a journalist based in Japan. He explores the exotic Rappongi district (red light district) of Tokyo and the different club cultures, the foreign girls who work there and their customers--mostly Japanese salary men, and one serial rapist and killer who ended Lucie's life. He also handles the pain and trauma of Lucie's family delicately. He doesn't pretend they're saints, but he refuses to judge when he hasn't walked a mile in their shoes.

One of the best that I've heard in this genre. Recommend.

12 people found this helpful