A serial killer has appeared in Japanese literature - a character who commits numerous atrocities for no apparent reason. He has no repentance or concept of sin. He does not feel guilty and easily justifies what he has done: “I always do things for no particular reason. So he also killed people for no particular reason. It’s like falling in love lightly, when you’re tormented by idleness and don’t know what to do with yourself. People are very susceptible to this condition.” This is the psychology of this unusual character for Japanese literature, an artistic study of which is presented in the novel “The Blue of Heaven” (1990).

Sono Ayako (born in 1931) is one of the most famous writers of modern Japan. Over 50 years, she published more than 40 novels and essays, translated into almost all European languages. Her work has been recognized with many prizes and awards, including the Vatican award (1979). A devout Catholic, Sono Ayako belongs to a small group of Japanese who, living in a Buddhist country, must balance national values with Christian ones. In “The Blue of Heaven” this feature is manifested in the merciless psychological analysis to which the main characters of the novel are subjected.