Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight
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- Create Date：2022-08-11 07:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Riku Onda
- ISBN：191339459X
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Summary
Set in Tokyo over the course of one night， Aki and Hiro have decided to be together one last time in their shared flat before parting。 Their relationship has broken down after a mountain trek during which their guide died inexplicably。 Now each believes the other to be a murderer and is determined to extract a confession before the night is over。 Who is the murderer and what really happened on the mountain？
In the battle of wills between them， the chain of events leading up to this night is gradually revealed in a gripping psychological thriller that keeps the reader in suspense to the very end。
In the battle of wills between them， the chain of events leading up to this night is gradually revealed in a gripping psychological thriller that keeps the reader in suspense to the very end。
Reviews
anna
，
this was really gripping but the main relationship is incredibly weird （in an absolutely terrible way） and i cant get over it
Dayangku Nuraini Wahed
，
This book turned out to be more complex than it seemed。 The synopsis attracts but only just touched the surface。 Storyline is abstract and some parts seemed abrupt but I did enjoy the closure。
Ririn
，
More contemplation of feelings than mystery。 Plot holes aside （how Aki and Hiro knew they were brother and sister？ Why they never even thought about googling their past？ For the convenience of the story， no doubt 😅） I quite enjoyed the narratives， especially from Aki's pov。 The part of falling out of love because the thrill of forbidden love is gone tho。。 I get it （not in a reality kinda way， but a plot device kinda way lol） and I love it。 I saw this used in other medias by other creators， but I More contemplation of feelings than mystery。 Plot holes aside （how Aki and Hiro knew they were brother and sister？ Why they never even thought about googling their past？ For the convenience of the story， no doubt 😅） I quite enjoyed the narratives， especially from Aki's pov。 The part of falling out of love because the thrill of forbidden love is gone tho。。 I get it （not in a reality kinda way， but a plot device kinda way lol） and I love it。 I saw this used in other medias by other creators， but I think this is the first time that someone actually explained it。 😅Our love had burned precisely because there were obstacles。 One hears of this， but is that really what my feelings for him amount to？ I would never have dreamed that they could evaporate this quickly。 。。。more
Hali
，
3。5。 This was a well-crafted story with interesting twists and turns。 Plus， I love books that take place in one location。 Still， I was expecting something a little darker。 I can’t tell you why i had these expectations。 i just did。 overall， the characters were great and each of their unique voices really came through。 the translation seemed a bit clunky at times （i mean， what do i know？ but the repetition of certain words and phrases seemed usual？） but it didn’t bother me too much。 some of the 3。5。 This was a well-crafted story with interesting twists and turns。 Plus， I love books that take place in one location。 Still， I was expecting something a little darker。 I can’t tell you why i had these expectations。 i just did。 overall， the characters were great and each of their unique voices really came through。 the translation seemed a bit clunky at times （i mean， what do i know？ but the repetition of certain words and phrases seemed usual？） but it didn’t bother me too much。 some of the reveals gagged me a bit， yeah。 i would read from this author again！ 。。。more
Autumn
，
This was really fascinating and well written， and I don't think I've ever read a character based thriller like this。 I did really enjoy the story and the reveals， but I think I did go in expecting something more shocking， so it was a little bit of a let down。 This was really fascinating and well written， and I don't think I've ever read a character based thriller like this。 I did really enjoy the story and the reveals， but I think I did go in expecting something more shocking， so it was a little bit of a let down。 。。。more
Edie Lee
，
A man and a woman sit together for what is to be the last time in their shared apartment。 Almost everything has been moved out。 They sit on the tatami and think about their relationship and secrets。 The narration alternates between the two。 And that’s all I can say。 The rest is spoilers。 Bombshells aplenty。 That’s all I’ll say！
Benjamin Duchek
，
This book reminded me of a good meal that leaves you wanting a few hours later。 You're left to wonder: was it really that good？ It offers an interesting setup: let's create one setting， let our characters marinate in it， and see what happens。 But if the author chooses that approach， something needs to take place besides simply having your characters "remember" previous events。 But that's "Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight。"Some sentences were so choppy， so inorganic， so missing of the flourishes This book reminded me of a good meal that leaves you wanting a few hours later。 You're left to wonder: was it really that good？ It offers an interesting setup: let's create one setting， let our characters marinate in it， and see what happens。 But if the author chooses that approach， something needs to take place besides simply having your characters "remember" previous events。 But that's "Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight。"Some sentences were so choppy， so inorganic， so missing of the flourishes of a solid writer， that I suspect it would be a better meal in the original Japanese。 But English is this edition， and it isn't great。 。。。more
Daniel Cairns
，
Slow start and not interesting。。。 Until you push further and then it gets really interesting and you want to keep finding out more。。。。 Unsatisfactory ending。。。。perhaps I didn't get it， will discuss with my book club Slow start and not interesting。。。 Until you push further and then it gets really interesting and you want to keep finding out more。。。。 Unsatisfactory ending。。。。perhaps I didn't get it， will discuss with my book club 。。。more
Lisa Roney
，
I read this eagerly， as I had been fascinated by the author’s previous translated novel， The Aosawa Murders。 The books share a similar dedication to emotionally damaged characters and mysteries that are not typical。 While I had no trouble turning the pages of this one， I wasn’t as enthralled as I was by The Aosawa Murders。This story alternates between Hiro and Aki as narrators。 They have been living together for some time as brother and sister though they were not raised together and there was a I read this eagerly， as I had been fascinated by the author’s previous translated novel， The Aosawa Murders。 The books share a similar dedication to emotionally damaged characters and mysteries that are not typical。 While I had no trouble turning the pages of this one， I wasn’t as enthralled as I was by The Aosawa Murders。This story alternates between Hiro and Aki as narrators。 They have been living together for some time as brother and sister though they were not raised together and there was a strong physical attraction between them when they met seemingly by accident in college。 The novel recounts their last night together in the apartment they have shared before they go their separate ways。 The previous year， they had been out hiking with a guide who has ended up dead at the bottom of the cliff。 They each have suspicions of the other in relation to the man’s death， but neither seems to remember clearly what happened。 So， the parameters of the story are set quite narrowly。 Aki and Hiro are really the only significant characters in the book， and they never leave the apartment （until the end）， which is mostly empty。 There are flashbacks and memories and discussions of other characters， but they are all so distant as to remain types。 This puts a lot of pressure on the characters of Aki and Hiro， and I didn’t find them quite compelling enough to carry it off。 The book focuses on the ways that emotions change when two people are in the process of breaking off a relationship， but I often found their motivations and conclusions not quite convincing。For example， there’s a dream/memory that Aki has at one point， and she and Hiro both decide that certain aspects are literally true without clear evidence that their conclusion is correct。 While it might be interesting to have unreliable narrators like that， there was nothing in the narrative that called it into question。 I felt pulled between the metaphoric and the literal。Anyway， it was a quick read with a few great passages。 I’ll come back to this author again， even if this one didn’t thrill be the way the previous one did。 。。。more
Amy
，
3。5 ⭐
Alex
，
Not what I expected I would call this a drama rather than a murder mystery book。 It was quite an odd book the characters and their stories weren’t what I expected it was gd but unexpected
chris
，
I could see Hirokazu Kore-eda directing a film adaptation of this。 Absolutely beautiful。
Judethmc
，
Based on the synopsis I was really looking forward to this book but in the end the story felt contrived and disappointing。
Jess
，
3。5
Karl O'
，
One of those books that had such a clunky translation and self conscious telling I just powered through 。 It never grabbed me。
Sarabeth Hall
，
The premise of this book and its structure is a style that I love reading more of - books that are character driven and set over an arbitrarily short period of time。 For this book in particular， it switches between Aki and Hiro as they spend the last night in a shared apartment together before they go their separate ways。 I appreciate the vague way the author starts off the story and how details slowly clarify and reveal themselves - the suspense falls in line with these revelations and it shape The premise of this book and its structure is a style that I love reading more of - books that are character driven and set over an arbitrarily short period of time。 For this book in particular， it switches between Aki and Hiro as they spend the last night in a shared apartment together before they go their separate ways。 I appreciate the vague way the author starts off the story and how details slowly clarify and reveal themselves - the suspense falls in line with these revelations and it shapes the narrative well。 The voices for each character were also very distinct and they way they knew the other character， all the intimate details and tells and mannerisms， trying to predict trains of thought and actions of the other was interesting to follow along with。 This is one of those books where the less you know going in， the better and even though the description on the back seems self-explanatory， it's really only striking the surface of what the author gets to。 。。。more
Taina
，
Psykologinen dekkari Japanista。 Kaksi henkilöä viettää viimeistä yhteistä iltaa ja molempien tavoitteena on selvittää， murhasiko toinen oppaan yhteisen eräretken aikana。 Käänteitä riittää ja kaikkea yllättävää paljastuu henkilöiden menneisyydestä。 Silti ei meinannut mielenkiinto oikein riittää， yleensä niin käy mulle dekkareiden kanssa。 Sopii yllättävien käänteiden ystäville。
Bethany
，
Really abysmal translation
Irene ♡
，
A chill domestic mystery。
Lucy C。
，
I loved this book！ But not because of the reasons I picked it up。 I don't usually ready thrillers of any kind so I did not know what to expect。 The fact that it was labelled psychological thriller made me think that it would mess with my head in a Silence of the Lambs kind of way。 It is fair to say that it did not。 Each page was so raw， in its content but also in my reactions and apprehensions to what was going on。 It was completely unpredictable and guided me forward， whether I wanted to or not I loved this book！ But not because of the reasons I picked it up。 I don't usually ready thrillers of any kind so I did not know what to expect。 The fact that it was labelled psychological thriller made me think that it would mess with my head in a Silence of the Lambs kind of way。 It is fair to say that it did not。 Each page was so raw， in its content but also in my reactions and apprehensions to what was going on。 It was completely unpredictable and guided me forward， whether I wanted to or not。 It was interesting watching these people that seemed relatively normal morph into people I both feared and admired。 The power of the prose lay in its simplicity。 It was inconspicuous yet also utterly harrowing。 In other words， the intensity of the novel was not depicted by convoluted language but by the disturbing reflections， revelations and tensions at play。 I recommend this to anyone。 It will go against all that you expect and that's its beauty （view spoiler）[ I loved that the death that started the novel's intrigue， the seemingly pivotal moment of the story， gets buried under other memories and ultimately left to speculation， ridden of it's initial potency （view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]（hide spoiler）] 。。。more
ポピ
，
3。6
Annabel
，
This is a subtle yet incredibly claustrophobic and suspenseful novel set over one night， during which the two protagonists will try to get each other to confess to a crime， told in short chapters with alternating narrators。 There is that feel to the writing that only the Japanese seem to be able to do – being slightly aloof and dreamy， but completely lucid at the same time。 If you enjoy that kind of storytelling， this is a one-sitting， addictive drama。 Full review here: https://annabookbel。net/f This is a subtle yet incredibly claustrophobic and suspenseful novel set over one night， during which the two protagonists will try to get each other to confess to a crime， told in short chapters with alternating narrators。 There is that feel to the writing that only the Japanese seem to be able to do – being slightly aloof and dreamy， but completely lucid at the same time。 If you enjoy that kind of storytelling， this is a one-sitting， addictive drama。 Full review here: https://annabookbel。net/fish-swimming。。。 。。。more
Plainqoma
，
This mystery thriller， or to be exact， this one labelled as a psychological thriller， is very hard to review without giving off any spoilers。 Peculiar but totally compelling。 Alternating between Aki and Hiro's perspectives， we follow the mystery of what actually happened on the mountain。 Who is the murderer？ Or was it suicide？ Or an accident？ Along the way， they uncovered a theory？ Or is it true？ Or was it all in their imaginations？ It even touched on human psychology where they talked about lo This mystery thriller， or to be exact， this one labelled as a psychological thriller， is very hard to review without giving off any spoilers。 Peculiar but totally compelling。 Alternating between Aki and Hiro's perspectives， we follow the mystery of what actually happened on the mountain。 Who is the murderer？ Or was it suicide？ Or an accident？ Along the way， they uncovered a theory？ Or is it true？ Or was it all in their imaginations？ It even touched on human psychology where they talked about love and relationship， their views on each other， jealousy and battling with each other with their own theories。 On the murkier side of this book， it talked about suicide which makes this one a thrilling and suspenseful read。 I can foresee most readers having an issue with the ending， which makes this one a bit unsettling。 Just stick to what you want to believe in I guess， right？！ 。。。more
Lynsey
，
‘Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight’ is an intense， claustrophobic read that makes you question everything and learn nothing！ As in ‘learn nothing’ because you don't know how to trust the characters and everything suggested to the reader is based on conjecture。 It is engaging， gripping and very intense。 I honestly am going to find it hard to review this book as I don't want to give away spoilers。 It's a book that is best approached fresh and without bias。 But it is a book you should read！ Aki and ‘Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight’ is an intense， claustrophobic read that makes you question everything and learn nothing！ As in ‘learn nothing’ because you don't know how to trust the characters and everything suggested to the reader is based on conjecture。 It is engaging， gripping and very intense。 I honestly am going to find it hard to review this book as I don't want to give away spoilers。 It's a book that is best approached fresh and without bias。 But it is a book you should read！ Aki and Hiro are spending one last night in their tiny apartment in Tokyo。 Their relationship broke down after a trip where their guide died and each of them suspects that the other had something to do with the events of that day。 Did they cause that mans death and if so which of them are the guilty party？ This is one of those books that I don't think you can pigeonhole it into a genre。 Yes， due to the death of their guide， it does fall into crime fiction but I would personally class it as literary fiction。 It's a book that elevates the genre。 It startles you， confuses you and makes you question what you have read。 By the end， you ask yourself did anything happen but are also fatigued as so much happened。 I felt detached as I read it， as if I was one of the fish swimming in my dappled sunlight， watching the action through my glass bowl。 I mean this in Ya good way and hopefully， it was meant by the author and I'm not creating something that wasn't there。 Aki and Hiro were experiencing such an intense emotional night that no one should be a witness to it。 It's their story alone and we are being honoured with a glimpse of their experiences。 Hence， feeling as if these characters are just out of grasp， reachable but not obtainable。 Kudos to the translator of this book， Alison Watts， as it was beautiful to read。 At times the writing stunned me with its simplicity and ease of tone。 This is a book I wouldn't be surprised if you saw it in the International Booker prize lists it's that good。 This is the first book I have read by the author but it won't be the last as I just adored this one。 。。。more
Vix
，
This seemed to change halfway through， it started as a mystery/thriller then developed into something different。 I will say that the language is beautiful， Riku really knows how to paint a picture with words。It started as an interesting mystery， each chapter switching between their pov's - and the claustrophobia of just being in that one room throughout the night was good。 I liked the slow discovery of what happened and what the other one was thinking （if only they'd talked to each other sooner） This seemed to change halfway through， it started as a mystery/thriller then developed into something different。 I will say that the language is beautiful， Riku really knows how to paint a picture with words。It started as an interesting mystery， each chapter switching between their pov's - and the claustrophobia of just being in that one room throughout the night was good。 I liked the slow discovery of what happened and what the other one was thinking （if only they'd talked to each other sooner）。I was a little shocked by the subject matter when it was revealed， but managed to move past it。 I found the ending quite anticlimactic， all this build up to uncover the truth and it seemed to rush off to a tangent that ended in nothing。I'd say it's more relationships and self-discovery with a bit of thriller thrown in rather than the other way round - but the writing is definitely beautiful and even though there was some confusion at the end， I enjoyed reading it。*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review。 。。。more
Abby Millott
，
3。5 stars。 This is such a strange little book that is different from anything I’ve ever read。 We follow our main characters Aki and Hiro over the course of one night as they explore events that have impacted their relationship。 In particular what happened on a hiking trip they took a year ago。 I would go into this one knowing as little as possible as there are some great twists thrown in throughout that really shocked me。 There is one twist in particular that I never saw coming which I loved。 Th 3。5 stars。 This is such a strange little book that is different from anything I’ve ever read。 We follow our main characters Aki and Hiro over the course of one night as they explore events that have impacted their relationship。 In particular what happened on a hiking trip they took a year ago。 I would go into this one knowing as little as possible as there are some great twists thrown in throughout that really shocked me。 There is one twist in particular that I never saw coming which I loved。 The writing is so well done and I loved all of the interesting discussion surrounding life， death and relationships。 The only reason this isn’t rated higher is that I wanted more from the ending。 Personally I just like more answers and for things to be tied up in the end of my books whereas this one was pretty ambiguous and a lot of the answers were just speculation。 Overall though a super interesting read with a great premise and nice and short too。 Would definitely read more from this author。 。。。more
Cheryl M-M
，
The story is set in a flat in Tokyo – a young couple removing all traces of their time their as they prepare to move on as individuals。 Aki and Hiro have a complicated bond， one that was once strong and has become brittle and is now broken。 The events leading to the demise of their relationship seem to be tethered to a trip they took together。 A simple mountain trek that has left them both deeply suspicious of each other。 The events of that day occur in moments of flashback， memories that are ja The story is set in a flat in Tokyo – a young couple removing all traces of their time their as they prepare to move on as individuals。 Aki and Hiro have a complicated bond， one that was once strong and has become brittle and is now broken。 The events leading to the demise of their relationship seem to be tethered to a trip they took together。 A simple mountain trek that has left them both deeply suspicious of each other。 The events of that day occur in moments of flashback， memories that are jarred from the deep recesses of their minds， and sudden realisations that perhaps they both never knew the other at all。Onda has a remarkable talent for creating a captivating read by setting the scene with the bare minimal。 Just two people， their heightened emotions， their suspicions， and their strong bond。 A bond that takes on a destructive nature – possibly a lethal one。I find the way this author plots quite fascinating。 Giving readers an inch then retreating back into the circle of safety。 Is this a goodbye with closure， one where they retain fond memories and part as friends， or will this end with just one of them closing the front door behind them。 It’s a short and poignant read。 。。。more
Lisa
，
3。5⭐️ The events on the mountain that have led to this night are not the only thing causing problems in this relationship。 I thought this would be a tense whodunnit but it’s less about solving the crime and more about understanding these two characters， Hiro and Aki。 Told alternately from each character’s point of view， we discover what they think and feel about the other， the incident on the mountain and and life in general。 I sometimes found their characters confusing as both seem to have very 3。5⭐️ The events on the mountain that have led to this night are not the only thing causing problems in this relationship。 I thought this would be a tense whodunnit but it’s less about solving the crime and more about understanding these two characters， Hiro and Aki。 Told alternately from each character’s point of view， we discover what they think and feel about the other， the incident on the mountain and and life in general。 I sometimes found their characters confusing as both seem to have very strong conflicting emotions and it almost felt like they were dancing on a knife edge and that either could become dangerous a the drop of a hat。 This sense is increased by the atmosphere of the apartment， which is made to feel incredibly claustrophobic as the night goes on， with both characters seeming to want escape from their stifling relationship but also needing to remain close together。 This is quite a slow burn but it’s a short read with lots of twists along the way。 It is definitely original and unlike any other psychological thriller I have read。 。。。more
Lisa Quinn
，
Claustrophobic。 This book left me feeling like I needed to run outside and take a massive gulp of fresh air。Set inside a tiny apartment， the whole book takes place over one night， and features two people during their last night of living together。 Set to separate for good the following day， they sit in their empty apartment， each with one intention only。 To somehow get the other person to admit to murdering their guide on a hike a year previously。 The atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable。 Relay Claustrophobic。 This book left me feeling like I needed to run outside and take a massive gulp of fresh air。Set inside a tiny apartment， the whole book takes place over one night， and features two people during their last night of living together。 Set to separate for good the following day， they sit in their empty apartment， each with one intention only。 To somehow get the other person to admit to murdering their guide on a hike a year previously。 The atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable。 Relayed via dual POV， both narrators seem unreliable and as though they have an ulterior motive。 The book is character led， with not much plot to speak of。 There are twists and turns as they have flashbacks and memories of that traumatic day， each challenging the other to remember more and more to try and put the story together and find out what really happened。 The book is fairly short with short snappy paragraphs。 It is easy to read and I read it quickly - there is a sense of time running out as you read as you know the characters only have the one night to figure it out， steaming towards the sunrise with a sense of inevitability。 It didn't go in the direction I felt that it would， and the ending felt almost unsatisfactory， but I feel like this was intentional to reflect real life rather than a tidy story book ending。 The characters were flawed - again， I feel this was intentionally so。 It almost feels like they have been living on a knife edge for so long that any answers they get would be underwhelming， and they are not sure what to do when the truth is revealed。 I enjoyed many aspects of it， and the writer is incredibly good at creating this oppressive atmosphere that left me squirming。 It felt stark and echoey， like the empty apartment they were sat within， with a sense of ennui exuding from the characters that pervaded the experience for the reader。 I enjoy character based books， but can imagine that the lack of plot would make this a difficult read for some people。 There was a level of repetition， especially regarding the foreshadowing about the guide， within the book which marked it down from a 4 star for me， but overall an easy， if uncomfortable， read。 。。。more
Runalong
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