On ParoleA man murders his wife, wounds her lover, and sets the lover's home-with the lover's mother in it-on fire. Sixteen years later, 50-year-old Shiro Kikutani, a former high-school teacher serving a life sentence for this crime, is released. In jail, he had thought of nothing but freedom. His release, however, creates a series of obstacles for which he is not prepared. While he continually examines his conscience, he feels no remorse. On parole, he slowly begins to lead a normal life, and that life seems livable, until his new wife pressures him to express remorse he does not feel. Once again, Yoshimura has written a finely detailed, subtle, powerful story that explores the fragile life of a murderer and the quality of freedom in an unforgiving society. |
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Akiyama apartment asked bayashi began birds bowed brother building cages cell Chiba Station chickens chopsticks cigarette clock cold dark dinner Edo River eggs Emiko eyes face farm finished fish fish food front futon garden guard halfway house hand head heard heater henhouse Igarashi Kiku Kikutani felt Kikutani knew Kikutani looked Kikutani nodded Kikutani sat Kikutani stood killifish kitchen Kiyoura Koinuma leave letter light living lunch Mochizuki moved never night open the door oura parole board parole officer passed prison quietly realized rice Sakura seemed sentence Shinjuku Shinjuku Station shoes Sobu Line someone stairs stared station stopped street sure Takasaki Takebayashi talk tani tank tatami tell thing thought told took town Toyoko train trip turned Urayasu waiting walked walls wanted watching wife window woman wondered worried