The Devotion of Suspect X - Review

This week ‘Books and Authors’ will feature crime and mystery novels from my library. The first novel that I would like to discuss is ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ by the Japanese author Keigo Higashino. I got introduced to this author 2 months ago through an old friend of mine from MCC. Keigo Higashino is known for his mystery novels. Most of his books have been turned into films and T.V series. He started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso company. The book that I am introducing today is the second highest-selling book in all Japan. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best novel which is the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. The story involves a mathematician and his neighbours. The life of Ishigami, Yasuko and her daughter Misato get entangled in this novel. The reader also is treated to some valuable insights about Mathematics and Education. There is also the celebration of academic camaraderie between two mathematicians, Yukawa and Ishigami. There are references to mathematical geniuses like Arthur Cayley and Paul Erdos. There are some interesting insights based on the art of teaching and learning. Sample these lines – ‘Yet too many teachers refused to answer simple questions of relevance from their students. No, Ishigami thought, they probably aren’t able to answer them. They taught without really understanding their subjects, simply following a set curriculum, thinking only of coaxing a passing grade from the students so they could send them on their way to make room for next year’s flock. Questions like Morioka’s would have been nothing but an irritation to them’.

You can also trace the true ‘inspiration’ for the Malayalam movie ‘Drishyam’ which was later made in Tamil as ‘Papanasam’. This book inspired the Japanese director Hiroshi to make a movie titled – Suspect X which in turn inspired the Korean movie – The Perfect Number (2012) and since most Indian filmmakers watch Korean movies, Drishyam came out  in the year 2013 followed by Papanasam in 2015.