Underground

Wow, that was fascinating. Really interesting look at the cult/religion Aum Shinrikyo and (as the subtitle alludes to) Japanese life. The interviews with the people affected by the gas attack were just heartbreaking. And the interviews with the cult members were an interesting look at why people joined the group. Fascinating.

I knew vaguely of the sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway, but had never read about it in much depth. Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's way of writing about it (by conducting interviews with various people who were on the trains about their experience) was intriguing and compelling in its own way, and the interviews he did with former members of the Aum cult who carried out the attack were an interesting way to look at how it operated.

You know how Hakuri Murakami is wacky and zany and nutso? Well, not in Underground. He's a Serious Journalist. I was like a third grader in the last hour of the day; I could hardly keep my seat.

But plug away I did, as Murakami interviewed victim after victim. And so on and so on.

Good news: I'm finished with one more dusty BookCrossing book.