Cheap Ring (Book) (Koji Suzuki, Robert B. Rohmer, Glynne Walley) Price

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Customer Reviews of Ring

A great read!
After seeing both Ringu and The Ring, I had to read the novel that inspired it all. It's the same basic story from the movies: people watch a strange video and die exactley seven days later. The beginning of the book should be familiar to those who have seen the movies. However, as the story continues, it proves to be very different from either film. It's intricate, creepy, mysterious, captivating and often quite disturbing. The translation is very smooth despite what you may have heard and it was an easy read. It's such a great modern horror tale that's written so well, you'd think it could actually happen. If you've seen the film, read the book to see where it all started. Can't wait for the next book in the trilogy: SPIRAL

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Excellent as a supplement to the movies, or by itself!
Like so many others, I read this after seeing both The Ring and Ringu. However, with several months gap between the experiences, I was able to start this book with only the faintest memories of the movies, other than the lingering fear that refuses to disperse to this day.

Besides having a story and plot that will suck you in deep with all its twists and turns, it's also an interesting glimpse at modern Japanese culture. Westerners will spot the differences imediately, both in way Suzuki-san's words were translated and in the cultural peculiarities themselves. However, as with Ringu, I believe this only enhances the effect of the story; the slightly foreign feel both adding to the unease one feels and letting us pull away just enough so that we feel we are only skimming the surface of something greater.

Indeed, as Asakawa and Ryuji (and consequently, the readers) spiral closer and closer to learning the true nature of Sadako's (Samara's) curse, we find that it's something far greater than anyone can possibley imagine. It's terrifying in it's simplicity, yet the scope of what it can lead to is so large that it boggles the mind.

Nothing about this book is predictable, even if you read it soon after seeing the films. The basic plot may be the same, but the ideas and concepts it encompases are wildly different and hold you glued to the page until the very last word. The scientific explanations are all written and explained so as to be easily understood by any reader, but at no time (unlike some American pieces) does the author talk down to his reader. The characters, while restrained in a way that only the Japanese can be, still hold your attention and make you WANT them to live, even the dispicable Ryuji.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, whether you enjoy mystery/horror or not!

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Added Substance to the Well-Known Plot
Being a big fan of both "Ringu" and its American remake "The Ring," I was intrigued to read the book that started it all. As one might suspect, much of the plot will be very similar to those who have seen one or both of the films. However, the book does hold a few of it's own surprises.

Asakawa is a reporter who unintentionally comes across a story while taking a cab home from work. The cabdriver is explaining how a young man died on the street one day right next to his car. The day and time he notes that the event took place is the same day and time that Asakawa's niece died. Both deaths were described as sudden heart failure. Odd coincidence? Further digging reveals that two other young adults died the same night, at approximately the same time, from the same strange unknown cause. Asakawa's investigation leads him to a resort in the woods, where he discovers and watches the infamous mysterious videotape with the odd, surreal images. Asakawa enlists the aid of his friend Ryuji, a philosophy professor, to help him solve the riddle and save his life. Together they are in a race against time to survive an ill fate.

The two gradually peel away layers of a distant past, and a child named Sadako who was known to have psychic powers. What is Sadako's wish? What is the ultimate purpose of her tape? Will Ryuji and Asakawa discover the truth in time to save themselves?

Some of the differences between the book and the movies are small, such as the fact that the main character in both films was female while the reporter and main character in the book is a male. In addition, the age difference between the reporter's child in both films was slightly older than the child in the book. However, there are some major differences as well. I loved the differences in the plot surrounding Sadako and her mother, as well as the video Sadako mentally produced. The process of discovery varies immensely as well in the book, and for the better in my opinion. The book did a wonderful job of keeping the tension level high as Ryuji and Asakawa painstakingly researched every tidbit of information they could ascertain from the videotape. Every aspect every step of the way is described with great detail and in a way that is easily understood by the reader. The author never asks the reader to take any great logical leaps. Yet another big difference is the way that the deaths of Sadako's victims are described. Clearly the directors of both versions of the film took a great deal of artistic liberty in this area, which is what was needed in order to make this book into a scarier film. Don't get me wrong, the story is still quite intense and even scary. However, it is quite different in the form of text. Suzuki focuses on the thrills and the detective-like inquiry rather than the in-your-face horror and vividly gory description that might have detracted from the plot. Furthermore, the bond between Ryuji and Asakawa and their clashing personalities are expertly described and make for an intriguing side-plot.

Overall this is a great book that any fan of the movies, or even horror or suspense in general, should definitely read. Koji Suzuki gives the reader a slightly different and highly unique spin on the well-known films that should not be over-looked. I most definitely look forward to reading "Spiral" and "Loop" next!