Reviews with content warning for Torture - キャビネット

damn time really is a circle and capitalism is so evil and nothing really changes

even if you're a man with a gingko tree growing out of your body, you live under capitalism then you die and there's no real escape for any of us! some people always have it better, some people always have it worse, but at the end it's always the same!

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elinordashwood's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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emilyinherhead's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Cabinet is a truly bizarre novel. It follows Mr. Kong, a bored office worker who stumbles into a job as assistant to Professor Kwon and keeper of Cabinet 13, a file of information about "symptomers." Symptomers are people with physical abnormalities or strange experiences, like a gingko tree growing from a finger, or a doppelganger, or the strong desire to become a cat for the sake of love. Mr. Kong spends his days reading over these records, keeping them organized, and answering phone calls from symptomers.

The book alternates between chapters about symptomers and other faux history and miscellany (there's a warning at the beginning that "all the information contained in this novel has been manufactured, modified, or distorted in some way and should not be used as evidence in any argument, be it in a respected academic journal or a heated bar fight"), and chapters about Mr. Kong in the present day.

While I was wildly entertained by the oddity of the symptomers and the ridiculous phone calls Mr. Kong receives, I also wondered at first where the narrative as a whole was headed. Then, toward the end, the plot takes an unexpected turn and becomes quite dark—I wasn't ready! And I'm still not sure if I liked it?

The transition from pretty lighthearted absurdity to grostesque thematic gravity caught me off guard, but I think it works. It for sure kept me turning pages. And the last sentence will be on my mind for a while. At the end I was left questioning what was real and how we as humans are affected by unfulfilling jobs and lives.

Aside from some disappointing fat phobia and some unexpected body horror, I enjoyed The Cabinet. I'm looking forward to discussing it with some friends who are also reading it; it will undoubtedly make for a spirited conversation.

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kateofmind's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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bertramshotel's review against another edition

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4.0

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leonoralvatron4_5's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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