Taroko GorgeA disillusioned and raggedy American reporter and his drunken photojournalist partner are the last to see three Japanese schoolgirls who disappear into Taroko Gorge, Taiwan’s largest national park. The journalists—who are themselves suspects— investigate the disappearance along with the girls’ homeroom teacher, their bickering classmates, and a seasoned and wary Taiwanese detective. The conflicts between them—complicated by the outrageousness of the photographer and the raging hormones of the young—raise questions of personal responsibility, truthfulness, and guarded self-interest. The world and its dangers—both natural and interpersonal—are real, changing, and violently pressing. And the emotions that churn in dark rooms overnight as the players gather in the park visitors’ center are as intense as in any closet drama. There’s enough action and furor here to keep readers turning the pages, and the cultural revelations of the story suggest that the human need for mystery outweighs the desire for answers. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 26 | |
PETER NEILS | 42 |
TOHRU MARUYAMA | 56 |
DETECTIVE HSIEN CHAO | 74 |
MICHIKO KAMAKIRI | 87 |
PETER NEILS | 111 |
TOHRU MARUYAMA | 126 |
PETER NEILS | 157 |
TOHRU MARUYAMA | 170 |
PETER NEILS | 178 |
MICHIKO KAMAKIRI | 195 |
PETER NEILS | 209 |
TOHRU MARUYAMA | 231 |
HSIEN CHAO | 235 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 241 |
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Common terms and phrases
alright anyway arms asked believe Buddhist can’t Chizu cigarette Class Rep cops crazy Detective Chao door Egyptian Ratscrew everything eyes face feel felt Feng Fo Guang Shan friends fucking girls goddamn gone gotten grabbed guess guys hair hand happened he’d heard helicopters hell Japanese Jesus Jin-kun Kamakiri Kaohsiung Kari kids kind knew Koizumi laughed leaned looked Mai-chan Maruyama mean Michiko Michiko-san Morioka never nice night nodded Okay Omitofo PETER NEILS Pickett Pikketto-san pretty Pure Land quiet Sakura sarabai scared Seiji-kun Sheng Shiranu shit shook his head sitting sleep smiled smoke someone sorry sounded started stay stood stupid Sumiregawa sure Taeko Taeko-chan Taiwan Taiwanese talk Tanaka Taroko Gorge tea egg tell temple there’s they’re thing thought Tohru told took walked wasn’t weird What’s Yeah yelled you’re Zhu ran Zhuangzi