Nishimura is a seasoned pickpocket, weaving through Tokyo's crowded streets, in search of potential targets. He has no family, no friends, no connections . . . But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when his old partner-in-crime reappears and offers him a job he can't refuse. Suddenly, Nishimura finds himself caught in a web so tangled and intricate that even he might not be able to escape.
(Source: amazon.co.uk)
There's a certain thrill to be felt when one invades someone's personal space to take something they shouldn't while trying to remain undetected, and the author lets the reader fully experience it every time the protagonist exercises his craft - pickpocketing.
But this isn't an entertaining crime novel where you rejoice with the criminal's cunning and success against all odds - at least it's not only that. It's dark and often sad, although it never gets even close to sentimental. If I had to describe it in one word, I believe "noir" would fit well.
The feeling of being trapped -in more ways than one- comes through very powerfully. There's definitely a lot of indirect social commentary, and deeper themes like fate, free choice and chance are explored. Quite a lot of things - in retrospect, maybe most?- are intentionally left open or unexplained. To me this felt realistic and didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book.
There is a sort of sequel to this, 王国, but the link between the two books is the villain rather than the protagonist, from what I understand.