Well, I've re-read through Chapter 2, which seems like a good stopping place for the first round. It's enough to give people a taste of what the book is like, without overwhelming them with information (all the new names and places were kind of hard for me to process in the introduction, but I read slow, and absorb even slower, so maybe that's just me).
What do y'all think? Who's here? So far, just like last time, pretty much none of the posts have anything to do with the topic, so it's hard to tell who's interested in discussing this. 
Should we give people until Monday to find and read the beginning before we start the discussion, or is that too long to wait?
Again, to find this just google "Another Monster," and pick the obvious link.
I received my copy yesterday, and now I understand that Naoki Urawsawa co-authored this with Werner Weber, and Takashi Nagasaki acted as translator. So apparently at least part of this was originally written in German, I guess (wish I had that manuscript!).
It's a lovely book - I've never seen a paperback with a dust cover before, and it's front and back facing pages are red, textured paper. On top of the dust cover's front illustration is a thick, silkscreened splash of blood in enamel paint (the actual cover is in b&w). There are illustrations and photographs throughout, including a photo of a German newspaper article about the serial killings - there really are times in this where it's done so realistically you wonder if they're referencing actual events and working them into the Monster story. I'm still not completely certain it's 100% fiction... >.>
Okay, so I was thinking about some of the things Gina said and maybe I will read this now after all. Since according to her, it supposedly reads like a data log or journal as oppose to a page-turning novel, and even has a more coherent time line of the events in Monster, I may just check it out after all. 
And if it isn't like a strict novel per se, it won't be as annoying when I get to the end of the translated chapters.
I figure we could read one or two chapters, and come back in here on Monday to discuss what we've read during the week. It would be an easy schedule to go by because we used to have two episodes of the original Anime on Monday.
Of course, you could discuss whatever the current point we are at throughout the week, but whenever you decide to read the next Chapter(s), you'd probably want to wait until Monday to discuss it, if that makes any sense.
I thought it would have been better to have a cooling off period and let Monster settle in on our brains, and sink in, but maybe it would be better to jump into this while it is fresh on our mind and some of the gang is still around.
Ok, so I'm assuming everyone from here on out has read from the beginning through Chapter 2. There will be spoilers.
I think the premise of this novel is just brilliant.
Whoever the journalist is, he seems insightful enough to give Lunge a run for his money.
Dorn seems to be inspired (or have inspired, not going to look up the timeline) Light Yagami.
So I guess the mysteries of the introduction are, who killed Carek and why?
Chapter 1 mentioned that Eisler Memorial went downhill after the murder of the Dr. Heinemann and ended up moving from Düsseldorf to Niedersachsen. So it appears that he was actually essential to the success of the hospital after all and not just a power- and money-seeking jerk. Even Tenma's stellar reputation couldn't save the place.
I love Chapter 2! All those wonderful little details about young Kenzo! Especially the very Tenma-esque outcome of the hide and seek story. But ouch...poor Tenma. Not often you hear of a mother who favors her step-children over her own. :/ I wonder what that was all about.
I'm kind of scatterbrained tonight (can't seem to find the words I'm looking for), so that's all I have to say for now.
Not much to say on the first two chapters I'm afraid. Tenma's characterization didn't have many surprises, and I don't say that just because I've read it before. 
The introductory portions regarding Carek and Kottman are interesting, but won't have any light illuminated on them until much later, since this is Urasawa. The journalist is probably correct, but there's too much ambiguity at this point to guess the identity and motives of the accomplice.
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