📚Banter: Fiesty & Lizzie's Literary Lounge - Aug '25 Book Buddies - Page 7

Originally posted by: missFiesty_69

Yeah Lizzie, finished it yesterday! Loved it!!

Damn, that was a banger & how!!! I'm mind-blown actually!!

I think I was a victim of the blind spots too because I actually thought Ishigami would turn out to be a stalker but damn, the devotion like Kusanagi said, is both staggering and a little scary.

Though I feel for the guy who died and didn't even know why.

The last part though, broke my heart a wee bit! I understand what he did was a terrible crime but it wasn't as if Togashi was a good person. He was basically blackmailing Yasuko. I only feel bad for the Engineer guy.

Imo, Yukawa was even more brilliant than Ishigami, because essentially he found out the question of the solution 🫡

In the end, I did think that 'devotion' was scary - the extent to which he went. And he was kinda creepy stalkerish (with Kudo he definitely was) - he would go to her lunch place every day and he was obviously listening in on their convos. It's a breach of privacy in a way, even if his intentions were noble. I mean, did the man have no self-preservation instincts? (I forgot why he was trying to off himself - was it because he was 'bored' with life or something mundane like that?). And yeah the Engineer was the guy who was collateral damage no? It's a dangerous sentiment - that some people are more expendable than others and it's alright to pass judgment! I mean what's the use of 'devotion' that plays with your morality like this?

Actually it was Yasuko that frustrated me- because how can someone be so benign and passive when it comes to their own actions and consequences? She was happy to just go with the flow and do what she was told - and it did not seem like she was like that because she did take steps to ensure her and Misato's safety - she took herself away from a toxic relationship, got a more 'respectable' job etc etc. So her being this sort of 'puppet' who simply did what she was told was off-putting and a little unbelievable for me.

I understand that the story is between Ishigami and Yukawa and the P = NP problem, but Yasuko doing nothing until she found out the truth? Did not sit right with me. She would have been happy with whatever fate befell Ishigami if she had not learnt the extent of his 'devotion'? Nah, bro!

Or perhaps the triggering point for her conscience was Misato and her downward spiral. She must have realized she wouldn't be able to live with herself. What Ishigami did was clearly for Yasuko but maybe what Yasuko did was more to assuage her sense of guilt. It's actually a fascinating study in psychology I feel.

Yeah, the book was good! I like the various angles and PoVs explored but it did get frustrating at times because of the way it was told - obviously the author had to camouflage what really happened until the end but I wonder how that would have gone if the story was told entirely from Kusanagi and Yakuwa's PoV? I also found the translation to be lacking and painfully difficult to read at times, and juvenile at others.

You know, I was on such a high after I finished that I went ahead and watched Jaane Jaan. Big mistake!

Originally posted by: missFiesty_69

Hey Lizzie, is the buddy reads completed ? Or would you like to continue with Last Mrs. Parrish ?

Sure we can Buddy read 'The Last Mrs. Parrish' but I've committed to reading 'Turn of the Key' with Hinna so I'd like to finish that first before starting this one if that's okay with you? Also, you're welcome to join us if you'd like! (I haven't yet started reading it)

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Yeah I also thought that Ishigami was a creepy stalker and I thought he'd try to get some form of 'revenge' on Yasuko or even Kudo.

Oh yes, I was kinda convinced that Ishigami is worse than Togashi.

In the end, I did think that 'devotion' was scary - the extent to which he went. And he was kinda creepy stalkerish (with Kudo he definitely was) - he would go to her lunch place every day and he was obviously listening in on their convos. It's a breach of privacy in a way, even if his intentions were noble. I mean, did the man have no self-preservation instincts? (I forgot why he was trying to off himself - was it because he was 'bored' with life or something mundane like that?). And yeah the Engineer was the guy who was collateral damage no? It's a dangerous sentiment - that some people are more expendable than others and it's alright to pass judgment! I mean what's the use of 'devotion' that plays with your morality like this?

@green : I feel that was also part of the plan and not him being a stalker. But it was extremely creepy NGL.

I guess he was trying to commit suicide because he felt he wasn't contributing to Math, just being a 'cog' in the wheel, which he was tired off. Maybe the psychology of a genius, who knows.

Exactly, that kind of devotion lacks boundaries and borders on maniac. Plus the way he killed both of them comes across as very violent and he had no computations scares me.

The only person I felt bad for is the Engineer guy because he didn't even know why he died, because of someone's crazy devotion / obsession.

Actually it was Yasuko that frustrated me- because how can someone be so benign and passive when it comes to their own actions and consequences? She was happy to just go with the flow and do what she was told - and it did not seem like she was like that because she did take steps to ensure her and Misato's safety - she took herself away from a toxic relationship, got a more 'respectable' job etc etc. So her being this sort of 'puppet' who simply did what she was told was off-putting and a little unbelievable for me.

I couldn't understand her character. She was very passive for a person who left an abusive marriage, had no problems raising a kid as a single person. She might have never turned herself in if not for Yakuwa telling her the actual truth.

I understand that the story is between Ishigami and Yukawa and the P = NP problem, but Yasuko doing nothing until she found out the truth? Did not sit right with me. She would have been happy with whatever fate befell Ishigami if she had not learnt the extent of his 'devotion'? Nah, bro!

Or perhaps the triggering point for her conscience was Misato and her downward spiral. She must have realized she wouldn't be able to live with herself. What Ishigami did was clearly for Yasuko but maybe what Yasuko did was more to assuage her sense of guilt. It's actually a fascinating study in psychology I feel.

Ahh yes, I had similar thoughts. Ishigami's devotion was clearly because of his love/obsession but Yasuko's was more for not carrying the guilt rather than her remorse of the extent Ishigami went for her .

Yeah, the book was good! I like the various angles and PoVs explored but it did get frustrating at times because of the way it was told - obviously the author had to camouflage what really happened until the end but I wonder how that would have gone if the story was told entirely from Kusanagi and Yakuwa's PoV? I also found the translation to be lacking and painfully difficult to read at times, and juvenile at others.

The translation could have been so much better! I really liked the book! Should thank Shibani for that

I really would have liked the book from Yakuwa's PoV. While he understood Ishigami's actions, he was more scrupulous I feel.

You know, I was on such a high after I finished that I went ahead and watched Jaane Jaan. Big mistake!

My comments in coloured.

Oh no! Adaptions are rarely true to the book, especially Bollywood though I heard the movie was good!

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Yeah the Buddy Read (whatever we needed to do for the badge ) is complete. Could you update the first post with the page counts etc?

Sure we can Buddy read 'The Last Mrs. Parrish' but I've committed to reading 'Turn of the Key' with Hinna so I'd like to finish that first before starting this one if that's okay with you? Also, you're welcome to join us if you'd like! (I haven't yet started reading it)

Totally, whenever you are free to read ! Turn of the Key? I'll check the blurb once, if that's okay ?

Updated the first page, Lizzie.

Originally posted by: missFiesty_69

My comments in coloured.

Oh no! Adaptions are rarely true to the book, especially Bollywood though I heard the movie was good!

Killed both of them? Am I missing something - I thought he only killed that one homeless guy?

You know my library copy had mentioned the Hindi adaptation in the blurb - idk if some Indian employee wrote it or it was a bid to attract more readers knowing how popular Bollywood in general can be . That's how I got to know about the movie. I mean I knew about it - had even thought about watching it (thank god I didn't - it would have ruined the book for me!), but i didn't know it was an adaptation.

It was okay I guess - but they changed so much from the plot of the book (I especially was irritated when Kudo, Kusanagi and Yukawa were all the same person! ), and they also made the ending very cheesy. Fwiw, I really liked the ending of the book - I don't think it could have ended in any other way, unless there was a way for both Ishigami and Yasuko to get away with what they did.

Oh, was this Shibz' recommendation? I need to stalk her log more often. Fyi, she also recced Turn of the Key.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Yeah that's what I mean about him being morally ambiguous - it was always part of his greater plan to save Yasuko - so everything was kinda justified (in his head). We never see Ishigami regretting his actions or feeling any sort of guilt - he only reacts when Yasuko turns herself in - because he feels his sacrifice has gone to 'waste'.

Killed both of them? Am I missing something - I thought he only killed that one homeless guy?

You know my library copy had mentioned the Hindi adaptation in the blurb - idk if some Indian employee wrote it or it was a bid to attract more readers knowing how popular Bollywood in general can be . That's how I got to know about the movie. I mean I knew about it - had even thought about watching it (thank god I didn't - it would have ruined the book for me!), but i didn't know it was an adaptation.

It was okay I guess - but they changed so much from the plot of the book (I especially was irritated when Kudo, Kusanagi and Yukawa were all the same person! ), and they also made the ending very cheesy. Fwiw, I really liked the ending of the book - I don't think it could have ended in any other way, unless there was a way for both Ishigami and Yasuko to get away with what they did.

Oh, was this Shibz' recommendation? I need to stalk her log more often. Fyi, she also recced Turn of the Key.

Aavi jo, stalk karne😬

Originally posted by: oh_nakhrewaali

are ya'all talking about devotion of x? Read it coz of jaane jaan, and I think the book made more sense, coz movie mein the devotion felt a bit like "itna pragmatic aadmi aur stupid se reason ke liye jail gaya"

Aavi jo, stalk karne😬

ETA: I am so glad I read the book first - If I had watched the movie first I don't think I'd have enjoyed the book as much as I did.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Yeah I mean in the movie the whole I-wanna-stay-in-jail-and-solve-math-problems-while-the-love-of-my-life-is-happy did not land . The math was not mathing there. In the book, I was actually hoping Yukawa wouldn't say anything so Ishigami would get his wish, or if he did then Yasuko wouldn't do anything and would like leave town or something but the fact that she did I felt saved her character somewhat (for me). Movie mein toh Kareena Kapoor was in mast mahaul - uski toh chandi hee chandi thi

ETA: I am so glad I read the book first - If I had watched the movie first I don't think I'd have enjoyed the book as much as I did.

Yaa, but in movie it felt more blah. Like that's why I came to the book. It didn't land, but movie mein it was like way off mark (because unko itna flesh out karne ko time nahi Mila)

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Yeah that's what I mean about him being morally ambiguous - it was always part of his greater plan to save Yasuko - so everything was kinda justified (in his head). We never see Ishigami regretting his actions or feeling any sort of guilt - he only reacts when Yasuko turns herself in - because he feels his sacrifice has gone to 'waste'.

Killed both of them? Am I missing something - I thought he only killed that one homeless guy?

You know my library copy had mentioned the Hindi adaptation in the blurb - idk if some Indian employee wrote it or it was a bid to attract more readers knowing how popular Bollywood in general can be . That's how I got to know about the movie. I mean I knew about it - had even thought about watching it (thank god I didn't - it would have ruined the book for me!), but i didn't know it was an adaptation.

It was okay I guess - but they changed so much from the plot of the book (I especially was irritated when Kudo, Kusanagi and Yukawa were all the same person! ), and they also made the ending very cheesy. Fwiw, I really liked the ending of the book - I don't think it could have ended in any other way, unless there was a way for both Ishigami and Yasuko to get away with what they did.

Oh, was this Shibz' recommendation? I need to stalk her log more often. Fyi, she also recced Turn of the Key.

Sorry my bad, I made a mistake there, but yeah he killed only the Engineer guy but the way he disposed of Togashi's body gave me the creeps too tbh. Like he cut the body into pieces & disposed it off on three different days with heavy bags with a stone inside them, making them sink to the deepest recesses of the river! And he did them without any inflection of any sort

I mean you can imagine serial killers doing this effortlessly ... But for a man to act this ruthlessly was more than a little jarring.

I didn't watch the movie but I was sure it would haven't stayed true to its adaption. B/w like to add their variations to a already good plotline, varna khana hazam nahi hoti

Shibz didn't recommend per se more like I stalked her page logs and the book's name caught my eye

@b: Btw, you totally should. Her list has a lot of gems. One of the books was a thriller by an Indian author -- I really liked that one! And it was really good.

Is it ? I definitely will try to start the book.