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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.
 Not what many would expect.
While this is a very fine book, lovers of the Ring movies should be wary. After the first book the series has no similarity with the movies.(execept of course for Rasen which most devotees of the movies ignore as part of the canon.)
This book is really more sci-fi than horror. The curse of the ring is not supernatural but viral. If you try it you will probably like it, only be aware of what this novel is about.
 Mind Blowing
Loop is the conclusion to Koji Suzuki's Ring trilogy. Although each book in the series can be read as a stand alone work, it is best to read the prequels Ring and Spiral to feel the full effect. If you haven't read those before, there is a brief synopsis of both novels to let you in on what has happened.
In truth, the series is more science fiction than horror, with concepts such as DNA sequences and theology touched upon in profound detail. Before reading I had heard that some would claim this book is a rip-off of the Matrix, not true! The only comparison is the idea of different realities, but comparisons stop there. I found near the end to be some surprising plot twists that to some may sound cliche, but are worked in a manner that works beautifully. The conclusion I must say though, is on a more positive note than the previous two books, I'm still contemplating the series even though I finished Loop days ago.
An intriguing closing to a great series
The jacket for Loop states that its Suzuki's personal favorite of the lot, and I must say that it's mine too, mainly because of the interesting directions it takes the series.
In Ring and Loop, Suzuki shows us the cyclical nature of evil, ultimately culminating with the eventual doom of the human race in Spiral. So it's interesting to note that in Loop, he opts to end the trilogy as a whole on a postive note, one of hope and healing. Along the way, Suzuki asks the Big Questions, namely those of existence and the nature of reality.
Many reviewers have noted, some to their dismay, that the series shifts from a more horror oriented slant to science fiction. I have no problem with this, as it shows Suzuki's range as a writer, with an ability to work in different genres. If you would like to see the evolution of an idea, be sure to pick up Loop.
 Not up to par with the first two, but interesting.
Koji Suzuki, Loop (Vertical, 1998)
Loop, the final novel in Suzuki's Ring trilogy, is, to be short about it, not the literary equal of its two predecessors. That said, if you've already invested the page time from Ring and Spiral, you're going to want to read this anyway to see how everything turns out.
The book opens, quite unlike Spiral, with us seeing no one we know. Which is all well and good, of course, but Suzuki's pauses in the action every once in a while to examine some scientific point or other was buffered, in Spiral, but the fact that we already knew a number of the characters; here, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Because of this, the first hundred or so pages of the book are slower than the corresponding bits of Ring and Spiral.
The payoffs are certainly interesting, though. Once you've got it figured (or explained to you) how all this relates to the events of the first two novels, you'll appreciate what it is Suzuki's doing, though whether you like the direction he finally goes with it or not is more than likely a matter of personal taste. (I wasn't thrilled, but I didn't hate it.)
In any case, we begin the book with the world saddled with a new form of cancer, MHC, which is viral in nature and has infected millions of people, including Hideyuki, the father of our hero, Kaoru, a medical researcher who's dedicated his life to combatting the MHC virus. Between his father's old job, his mother's mysticism, and the desperate hope of his lover, whose son is also infected with the disease, Kaoru finds himself deciphering clues to the virus, but can't quite get everything to fall into place.
If you've read the first two, this one's pretty much de rigeur. If not, you should be starting with Ring anyway, so why are you reading this? ***
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