I was fortunate to be able to visit Japan last summer and, of course, bought several books (English translations) to bring home with me as souvenirs. This one caught my eye in a little shop in Kyoto so I thought I would take a chance on it. There are nine stories in this volume and taken together represent a nice sampling of the author’s work. The author’s real name is Hirai Taro (1894 – 1965) but his chosen pseudonym is of interest. Try saying “Edogawa Ranpo” three times fast and you might find a resemblance to a Japanese pronunciation of “Edgar Allan Poe”, an author who reportedly influenced him greatly. That is certainly evident in these stories, combining Poe’s first-person narrative style with similar plots including mystery/detective yarns as well as a couple with more mystical themes.
It is rare that I can say about any anthology I’ve read that I absolutely loved every single piece in it. But it’s true for this collection. Each one immediately captured my interest and held it through the very end. Several times after I finished a story, I sat back and just thought about it, letting it last a while longer in my mind. That sounds corny, I know, but is true, nonetheless. All stories take place in Japan, but the characters and ideas are universal. There is a reason this author is considered the father of Japanese mystery writing.
I feel lucky to have discovered this author for myself and am happy to discover that there are a number of his works (novels and short stories) available in English translation.
Highly recommended!
