Bullet Train, Kotaro Isaka
Bullet Train, Kotaro Isaka
6 Rating(s)
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

Bullet Train
A Novel

Author: Kotaro Isaka, Sam Malissa

Narrator: Pun Bandhu

Unabridged: 13 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/03/2021


Synopsis

A dark, satirical thriller by the bestselling Japanese author, following the perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassins—now a major film starring Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga, Joey King, and Sandra BullockNanao, nicknamed Ladybug—the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world”—boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase—and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard.Satoshi, “the Prince,” with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him as does a good philosophical debate—like, is killing really wrong?Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose. When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear.A massive bestseller in Japan, Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller that fizzes with an incredible energy and surprising humor as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwind.Award-winning author Kotaro Isaka takes listeners on a tension-packed journey as the bullet train hurtles toward its final destination. Who will make it off the train alive—and what awaits them at the last stop?

About Kotaro Isaka

Kotaro Isaka is a bestselling and multiaward-winning writer whose books have sold millions of copies around the world. His novels include Bullet Train and Three Assassins, also available from The Overlook Press.

About Pun Bandhu

Pun Bandhu is an award-winning actor who has worked on Broadway, off Broadway, in TV, and in film. He is the recipient of the Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Award for Best Supporting Actor and New Dramatists’ Bowden Award for his distinguished collaboration on new works.

About Sam Malissa

Sam Malissa holds a PhD in Japanese Literature from Yale University. He has translated fiction by Toshiki Okada, Shun Medoruma, and Hideo Furukawa, among others.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Anne on August 27, 2023

A crazy ride with an awesome ending! Ok, so in an embarrassing turn of events, I had no idea that this best-seller even existed until it became a movie. Even then, I wasn't clever enough to realize it had been based on a book. I just happened upon it because my library had it advertised on the front......more

Goodreads review by Regina on April 28, 2022

I wish I could tell you I didn’t choose to read Bullet Train because it’s being adapted into a “major motion picture” starring Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Joey King, and Lady Gaga, but that would be a lie and I wouldn’t do you like that. The book itself is the translation of an uber-popular Japanese......more

Goodreads review by chloe on September 10, 2021

no thanks......more

Goodreads review by Joanna Chu (The ChuseyReader) on September 19, 2021

3/3.5 Stars Thanks V for the book recommendation! I’ll definitely watch the movie when it comes out! I’m interested to see how they will portray the humour...for example will they use the same names (the Prince, Lemon and Tangerine) and the same references to Thomas the Tank Engine. What I enjoyed: • I......more

Goodreads review by Майя on December 20, 2021

If you look for cinematic correspondences, then Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Luc Besson. If genre, then guignol, If literary - oddly enough, Agatha Christie with "Murder on the Orient Express". And all this will give only the most superficial idea of the "Bullet Train". Another important aspect: re......more


Quotes

“High-speed…with lots of twists and turns…It has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it.” The Times (London)

“An impossible-to-put-down thrill ride.” A. V. Club

“It’s fast, deadly, and loads of fun…at once outlandish and virtuoso.” NPR

“The setting of a train keeps all the action cooped up. That, in turn, ramps the suspense up tenfold.” Barnes&Noble.com

“Isaka keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of intricate action fiction will be enthralled.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Breakneck pacing, masterful character development, and well-timed comic relief set Isaka’s pitch-perfect (and seamlessly translated) thriller up for blockbuster status.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Bandhu’s narration…complements author Kotaro Isaka’s taut dialogue and superb plot.” AudioFile

“Off-beat, fast-paced, and humorous…unlike any other thriller you’ll find on the bookshelves.” Your Money Geek

“Fueled by a seductively explosive premise, it’s fast, deadly, and loads of fun.” NPR


Awards

  • Publishers Weekly Pick
  • New York Times Pick
  • Cosmopolitan Pick
  • A.V. Club Pick
  • Today Show Pick