Barry Eisler - Rain Fall (2002)
John Rain is a man torn between two worlds: half-Japanese, half-Anglo-American, he can call neither culture home. He's even gone so far as to have plastic surgery to make himself look "more Japanese," but that can't change how he feels inside. Rain is also torn between two duties. He once considered himself samurai, a loyal warrior serving his master (in his case, the U.S. Army). Now, though, having been cast aside for the things he saw and did, he has become ronin: a lone fighter serving no one but himself. This streak of individualism might be prized by his American half, but for a Japanese to be ronin is a mark of shame. As a consequence, his own soul is likewise torn.
The story begins with Rain, now working as a highly paid assassin, tracking his prey through the byzantine streets and subways of Tokyo. His unknown paymasters have ordered the elimination of a highly-ranked member of the government bureaucracy. The high-tech hit man carries out his assignment with emotionless precision, daring, and inventiveness that can't help but draw the reader quickly in to this unusual man's world.
That death, however, sets off a chain reaction that forces Rain to flee his comfortable, orderly world, and battle the ghosts of his past. He must fight not only to stay alive, but to earn the love of a beautiful and talented young artist – a woman who just happens to be the daughter of his recent target.
For a first novel in particular, Rain Fall is written with a firm and confident hand. The story's intriguing plot moves forward at a driving pace, but the author still has the skill and foresight to include some rich characterizations, along with enough of the right kind of details to make his writing authentic and engrossing.
Eisler's nuanced vision of Japan gives Rain Fall a deep sense of atmosphere and place. So perfectly does he describe a world that must seem quite alien to most of his fellow Americans, that at times it reads more like a William Gibson cyberpunk novel than a conventional thriller. That setting is a crucial part of the plot, and the author utilizes it so effectively that he even makes complicated trips on maze-like subway lines fascinating.
There is much to recommend about this book, not the least its compelling protagonist. John Rain is a remarkable creation, a multifaceted killer with the soul of a poet. He is easily one of the most interesting characters to come along in some time. One can only hope that Eisler is already hard at work on his return. Rain Fall is a tremendous debut, the best to come out so far this year.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
