★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
This was an odd little book that made me take a step back and wonder to myself, "What have I just read?" It's creepy, mysterious, and goes deep into a human's way of life.
My first impression of this book when I started, was that it reads a lot like a Japanese book (a translated one, if you will). There's just something distinct about it. Although I haven't read much of Japanese novels before, I did touch on a Murakami book, and his style has stuck with me since. But while Murakami's book could not hold my attention, Kappa Quartet did. I would say the writing style is befitting of the setting in this book — and it does include the kappa, a Japanese demon found in folklore.
There are many 'main' characters here. Each of them has their own chapter, written in the first-person perspective. It's like a mesh of companion novels in one, when I think about it, only that each novel is one chapter short. And their common denominator is a man named Kevin, whose chanced encounter with one person after another causes a rippling effect. The one thing I dislike about this format is when I'm on the chapter of an unimpressionable character. There are so many names for me to remember, to recall, and somehow each of them are important even though my mind didn't fully agree in earlier chapters.
The thing I do like, however, is the feeling I get when I read. It's like there is something more within each chapter. The creepiness set in when I got to the part of a woman dancing all of a sudden when her father was on the phone. I believe that there are many messages behind a lot of things that Daryl has included in his book, but unfortunately, there are many that I don't think I understood fully. Still, I took it as it is, and enjoyed the story, or more like the individual experience that each character faces. It's interesting how just one person can affect so many people's lives, even if indirectly. The character that affected me the most is Kawako, who changed after her father's death, and decided to disappear on her own.
When reading this book, I would suggest that the reader drink in every chapter slowly and see how everything links together. I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes a strange, but not horrifying, read. I would probably remember this book for a long while, seeing as how I don't often read books by a local author. And it was so good!