Loop (Ring Series, Book 3)
Loop (Ring Series, Book 3) book cover

Loop (Ring Series, Book 3)

Paperback – October 3, 2006

Price
$13.95
Format
Paperback
Pages
288
Publisher
Vertical
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1932234251
Dimensions
5.25 x 0.75 x 7.98 inches
Weight
10.7 ounces

Description

" Loop is a Suzuki masterpiece and will shake you to your core whether you like it or not." - Book Magazine (Japan)"[Suzuki] does not disappoint... Loop satisfies better than the original or its sequel when you want real answers." - bookslut.com "High-flying science-fictional redefinition of reality... [Suzuki] is more interested in separating your head from your body philosophically than physically." - The Agony Column Koji Suzuki was born in 1957 in Hamamatsu, southwest of Tokyo. He attended Keio University where he majored in French. After graduating he held numerous odd jobs, including a stint as a cram school teacher. Also a self-described jock, he holds a first-class yachting license and crossed the U.S., from Key West to Los Angeles, on his motorcycle.The father of two daughters, Suzuki is a respected authority on childrearing and has written numerous works on the subject. He acquired his expertise when he was a struggling writer and househusband. Suzuki also has translated a children's book into Japanese, The Little Sod Diaries by the crime novelist Simon Brett.In 1990, Suzuki's first full-length work, Paradise won the Japanese Fantasy Novel Award and launched his career as a fiction writer. Ring , written with a baby on his lap, catapulted him to fame, and the multi-million selling sequels Spiral and Loop cemented his reputation as a world-class talent. Often called the "Stephen King of Japan," Suzuki has played a crucial role in establishing mainstream credentials for horror novels in his country. He is based in Tokyo but loves to travel, often in the United States.

Features & Highlights

  • The Inspiration for the New Major Motion Picture RINGS
  • Learn the final truth about the Ring! In this much-awaited conclusion of the
  • Ring
  • trilogy, everything you thought you knew about the story will have to be put aside. In
  • Loop
  • , the killer mimics both AIDS and cancer in a deadly new guise. Kaoru Futami, a youth mature beyond his years, must hope to find answers in the deserts of New Mexico and the Loop project, a virtual matrix created by scientists. The fate of more than just his loved ones depends on Kaoru's success.
  • Loop
  • is written as a stand-alone work though it is best enjoyed by fans of
  • Ring
  • and
  • Spiral
  • . The author's own favorite of the trilogy, this astounding finale is an emotionally resonant tale that scales conceptual heights from an angle all its own. Fiction about fiction has rarely been so gripping.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(174)
★★★★
25%
(73)
★★★
15%
(44)
★★
7%
(20)
-7%
(-21)

Most Helpful Reviews

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This is the way the world ends; not with a bang, but a yawn.

I read the first "Ring" book upon it's American release back in 2003. I loved it so much that I ordered its sequel, "Spiral", upon its American release in 2004. As other reviewers have pointed out, whereas "Ring" is pretty much a straight horror novel, in "Spiral", the story takes a turn towards science-fiction. I'm more of a horror fan than a sci-fi fan, so I didn't like "Spiral" as much a "Ring". Because of this, I only just got around to reading "Loop", several years after its American release. "Loop" continues the "Ring" story along the sci-fi path that it turned down in "Spiral". If you liked "Spiral", then you will probably like this book. However, if you didn't,... well, perhaps you would be better off buying something else. "Loop" is very much a sci-fi novel with long passages of exposition explaining various scientific facts and theories, such as cloning and viruses. If this sounds interesting, then you might enjoy it, but if not, you will probably be bored out of your skull by the time you finish. That's what happened to me. Don't say you haven't been warned.
6 people found this helpful
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Not too exciting for horror fans, great for science fiction fans!

This book fails for many, I imagine, because it's more of a science fiction novel than it is a horror novel. However, the same could be said of the second book in this series "Spiral." Some of the visual concepts are quite vivid, and the use of Native American culture I thought was superb. Many have already provided 1 star because they feel it's scattered-brained. To this, I would say that the second book is much more difficult to follow. The narrative is complex because it's the equivalent of "The Matrix." Simulation fiction really throws you for a loop (pun intended), so you should be prepared to suspend some reason, and let Suzuki showcase the final aspect of Sadako!
3 people found this helpful
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Not a great conclusion - SPOILERS

As interesting as the book was at times, it seemed like Suzuki spent a lot of pages convincing the reader of the possibility of his huge plot twist rather than actually developing the story. There was no explanation for how Sadako was to be defeated. And further, if you make a simulation where everything turns out exactly the same as reality, why aren't there copies of everyone within the simulation? Nobody addressed this, why the system produced exact mirrors of species, geographic features, historical events and so on, but somehow not individuals. Also, there was plenty of opportunity, even within this plot, to make things scarier. What was the purpose of Ryoji's strange death? Anyway, the book left quite a bit to be desired. On the plus side, it arrived within 2 days : )
2 people found this helpful
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Huh?

The sequel to Ring and Spiral, Loop is not really a horror story like the other two, but some sort of medical mystery that plays with alternate realities, destiny, medical proof of the existence of god. It creates a fascinating world, which is set in the year 2040 although you would never realise it if it weren't stated explicitly. Of course, when you get someone creating such a fascinating world, the problem is that there are so many possibilities of things that should have happened, or been explained, and there are many avenues that the book doesn't go down. The resolution is also quite silly, and a bit too hopeful to be realistic. This may be the reason the book has never been filmed - movies based on Ring and Spiral were released in Japan, but Ring was a hit and Spiral was a flop. This makes sense - Suzuki's grand plan to move the story towards the events of Loop were a bit confusing to viewers, and the low budget knockoff sequel to Ring, called Ring 2, proved to be fantastically successful. Of course, with the movie world of Ring shifting away from the grand scheme Suzuki had in mind, there was really no going back and filming Loop. Probably better this way - I think that a film version of Loop would be much less popular than even Spiral had been, and probably would have ruined the enduring value and legacy of Ringu.
2 people found this helpful
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Suzuki does it again

Again, Suzuki blows me away. This book can be read as a standalone, but is really best if read after Ring and Spiral. There was a point in this book where I said to myself "this is good, but how does it connect to the other boo...OH MY F***ING GOD"

One thing is for sure, the implications in Loop are far scarier than anything Sadako could have done.
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Mad respect for Suzuki

Look I can't say I actually liked the direction the ring series went - but I really respect the author for bringing his vision to the page. This is out there. Really out there. But I dig it.

To paraphrase hansel "Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that." I feel the same way here. I can't say I always understood what the hell was happening in this book or in the book that preceded it - but I respect it.
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Not as good of a twist as Spiral.

But at least this series didn't do the same thing over and over again like the movies do.
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Showed up with a broken spine.

The book showed up with the spine damaged. I don't think it's going to survey very many rereads.
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Great product.

Amazing book. Perfect conditions. Arrived in time.
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Four Stars

Great book and arrived on time