Gray Men

A requiem for Malaysian Democracy

Author: Ishikawa Tomotake

"The weather's bad when it rains"

The strong prey on the weak. The rich exploit the poor. The elite are synonymous with invincibility. These are the central themes explored in Gray Men, Ishikawa-sensei's debut novel. Dark and gritty, it certainly is a perfect book to mourn the death of Malaysian Democracy.

Ryotaro is your average salaryman who one day, unable to stand being bullied at work, decides to take his own life. As he is searching for a place to die, he stumbles upon the enigmatic Gray, who asks him for assistance in staging a robbery at the very jewel store he worked for. Ryotaro soon gets recruited into Gray's plan of Redistribution, a rebellion that will shake the very core of Japan itself.


Like the titular character Gray, Ishikawa-sensei plays upon our feelings of distrust and anger, carefully introducing characters we can closely relate to and tragic victims of circumstances we cannot help but feel sorry for. While the premise might not be the most believable thing ever, the way the plot unfolds stirs up our sentiments to the point that we often, or are even willing to, overlook such elements. Feelings of anger against a fictional government corrupted to the core, subconsciously fueled by real-life dissatisfaction. Throw into the mix acts of blatant corruption and injustice, it's not hard for one to find himself rooting for Gray - even though his very acts label him clearly as a terrorist.

Towards the end of the novel, after the heat of the moment has died down, Gray Men enters its 'cooling off' phase where it attempts to tie together loose plot ends. I have mixed feelings about the way it ends - while I was certainly hoping more than an ending that is best described as 'anti-climatic', I realize that even in real life, things do not always go as planned and perhaps the author was trying to inject a little realism. One thing I will say though is that it seemed a little rushed, with a plot point suddenly shoe-horned into the conclusion, as if Ishikawa-sensei had suddenly remembered about it and tried to wrap it up before the conclusion. That particular plot point was messily handled in my opinion, and would have been better off left as a loose thread for readers to ponder what actually happened.


Where to savor:

Such a gritty novel is best read alone, on quiet evenings with mild rain. More than so, it is best suited to be read now, while feelings of anger, humiliation and despair are still strong. Take time to soak in the blatant injustice, and the revel in the harsh realities of life.

Most notable quote:
"You were good for nothing, Lord Almighty. Neglecting to reform evil, you let it run free and even live in peace. Lord Almighty, you allowed a twisted world to run its course. You forsook me, unmerciful God. Hapless God, good for nothing. Look on in envy as you do nothing.

Lord Good-for-nothing, I shall be your proxy."
- Gray



Overall thoughts and score:
I must admit, if I had read Gray Men a month earlier, I would have definitely felt less impact from it. That said, its still a decent novel to read despite the rushed ending, and serves as a reality check as to how flawed our society can be. If you plan to give it a go, I certainly recommend that you check it out as soon as possible, while memories and feelings remain fresh.

Overall score:  6.75 / 10