Ironically, however, Revenge shows that this suffering, though ineffable for each individual character, is common to all. Thus stifled, Ogawa’s characters are overtaken by the metaphorical, titular “poison plants” of the collection’s final tale, and Revenge showcases the toxicity of internalized suffering. But Revenge does more than simply shock for shock’s sake, for the characters’ base instincts grow from a common seed: an oppressive sense that they can never fully share the longing, grief, or disappointments that arise not only from extraordinary situations but also from everyday life. Why bother? Because it keeps them from getting out.” Certainly, on an individual level, Ogawa’s jealous lovers, murderers, and mourners each succumb to their own base instincts. It is morbidity unchained, our most base instincts let free. It deliberately appeals to all that is worst in us. Stephen King wrote that “the mythic horror movie. The purpose behind the Gothic tone of Ogawa’s collection compares, in part, to that of the horror genre. The blurb on the interior cover of Yoko Ogawa’s Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales appeals in sensationalist terms, highlighting “jealous lover,” “violent envy,” and “murderers and mourners,” all appeals that engage with the same enduring interest that drives the popularity of crime shows and romantic dramas.
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