Koji Suzuki: "Call" and his philosophy

Until the legendary psychological thriller "The Bell" came out on the world screens, few of Europeans and Americans were interested in Japanese horror literature. But after the release of this film, a writer named Koji Suzuki became a world celebrity, one of the most widely read contemporaries. Let's get acquainted with him and his creations closer.

short biography

The future author was born in the Japanese province of Hamamatsu, May 13, 1957. Humanitarian abilities began to manifest themselves from childhood, therefore, after graduating from school, Koji Suzuki went to receive higher education at the University of Cayo, specializing in French literature. In 1990, he wrote his first novel, Rakuen, for which he received many Japanese awards and positive reviews from critics and readers.

In the following years Koji Suzuki was engaged in writing world-famous books called "Call". In the first half of the 90's he created a whole trilogy, and in 1999 he published a novel-prequel - "Call. Birth". In addition to the "Bell", on the grounds of which numerous films and programs are being shot, Koji Suzuki became the author of such bestsellers as "The Walk of the Gods" and "The Dark Waters".

Themes

Japanese horror-literature is a particularly complex and unique case. It is worth starting, perhaps, with the mythology of this country and the ancient culture, which the Japanese themselves are revered with great respect. It is popular beliefs that impregnate all the novels Koji Suzuki, due to what they have not only their charm and atmosphere, but also a certain motive, as well as a certain pattern by which events develop. It is believed that the most favorable time for meeting with ghosts is night. Moreover, the presence of water, whether it is a reservoir - a river or a well, rain, sleet or even fog, promotes more reliable contact with disembodied beings. This is clearly seen in the most famous novel of Koji Suzuki "Bell", as well as in "Dark Waters", where the name speaks for itself.

Briefly about templates

Above we mentioned that any section of literature, be it comedy, drama or horror, is adjusted to a certain structure, which, in turn, is formed in a particular country. In other words, American horror novels almost always have a good ending - the evil remains defeated, the protagonist survives. A similar picture can be seen in a few European horror stories.

As for the similar topic in Japan - then for local authors there is no such thing as a "happy ending". The main character can die, and can remain alive, but the evil does not go anywhere. It continues to be in our world and anxiously disturbs anyone who touches it. For those who are little familiar with these subjects, the excellent book will be the "Call". Koji Suzuki skillfully expounded in it the very moment when mysticism and something evil interfere in the ordinary everyday life of ordinary people.

How did the main romance begin?

At the same time, four people die, and the cause of their death is heart failure. Uncle of one of the dead - journalist Kazuyuki Asakawa, begins to conduct his own investigation, during which he determines that everyone died of a virus that struck them in one day. Soon he learns that four friends, including his niece, a week ago were at the tourist complex "Pacific Land." Asakawa immediately goes there and rents the same number that the guys shot seven days ago. From the manager of the journalist learns that the company has seen a video recording, which is stored in the hotel. Kazuyuki also looks at it and is horrified at what she saw.

Returning home, the journalist makes a copy and shows it to his friend - Ryūji Takayama. Accidentally, the cassette also falls into the hands of the wife and child of the protagonist. A friend, in turn, comes to the conclusion that it is worthwhile to find out who wrote this and how. Investigating, comrades discover that the author of the film is a dead girl - Sadako Yamamura, who could carry imaginary things to material objects with the power of her thought. Asakawa and Takayuma understand that to get rid of the curse they should find the remains of the girl and bury them so that the spirit will find peace.

Evil is the central antagonist of Japanese literature

The culmination of the story is the fact that the place where Sadako was killed is the same hotel "Pacific Land", on the site of which the hospital was previously built. It was there that a certain doctor raped a girl and, frightened of what he had done, threw it into the well, on the site of which he organized the hotel. Asakawa and his friend take out the remains of Sadako and return them to their relatives, after which the protagonist does not die at the appointed time, and this gives him the opportunity to think that he has destroyed the curse.

However, the next day Takamuyu perishes in the appointed week. The journalist realizes that it is impossible to stop this evil , but it left him alive so that he would multiply this virus, which will absorb more and more human lives.

History of the name "Call"

Koji's novel Suzuki for a long time remained without a name, until the author accidentally came across the word ring in the Anglo-Japanese dictionary. It was both a noun and a verb, meaning both an action - "ring", and an object - a "ring".

Suzuki was not mistaken - this English word personified a lot of material and philosophical motives of the novel. As for the meaning of the concept of "bell" - it is a ringing phone signal after watching the film. In general, telephones are objects that have been endowed with special mysticism in the novel by Koji Suzuki. The ring is both a look at the well from the inside, and rings of evil enveloping all its victims, and circles on the water, without which no Japanese horror film will do.