In the Miso Soup is…interesting. It’s not bad, but it’s not too good either. There’s one very vivid, gory scene of violence, but besides that I was bored with most of it. It does have some really interesting commentary on the differences between Japanese and American minds, but those parts have very little to do with the plot. Frankly, I really don’t understand why In the Miso Soup is so popular. If you want to read contemporary Japanese novels, try Haruki Murakami – he’s much better.