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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
The politics behind solving a mystery is wonderfully illustrated through the stories, I did feel at times that it was difficult to follow the plotlines, especially in the beginning. If you pay close attention to the context that is set, you can follow the story well, otherwise like me you might have to keep referring to older pages to follow the book! The twists right at the end are fantastic, so if you're a fan of Japanese literature and translation works, this is to be added to your shelf.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
[Received an e-copy via Netgalley] The story is convoluted with too many characters, and I could not make head or tails who is who. Messy plot.
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I needed some time to think about this review to make sure I had some distance from the reading experience and now I think settling where I have on this reading experience is what feels right.
The easiest summary I can give is that this is a political historical fiction murder mystery set during the turmoil of the post Shogunate era when Japan had been forced to open its borders to foreign influence and Japanese society as a whole was trying to find its footing and identity in a new era. It's styled around the honkaku subgenre - that being a 'fair play' mystery, and it's told in what feels like interlinked short stories all coming together in the final chapters to give a satisfying 'denouement' but you may come away from this wondering what on earth you just read.
As a fan of the translated works of Seishi Yokomizo's Kosuke Kindaichi series I felt comfortable with the style of writing in this work and I am personally interested in Japan, Japanese history and culture so the use of untranslated Japanese words and the heavy historical and political focus didn't overwhelm or intimidate me. However it may not work for other readers especially as you really do need to pay attention to keep track of characters, themes and background information.
Reflecting back on the book I've realised that the clues to solve the mystery are all there but, as above, there are so many characters and names to keep track of that it can be confusing, not helped by a distinct lack of characterisation of most of the characters.
That said, I appreciated the look at a Japanese society in turmoil, and the struggle to reconcile tradition with modern expectations is universally understandable. I did find the conclusion worked really well and enjoyed the twists and turns as everything was laid out for us but at times it was just a little bit of hard work to get there.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for a digital review copy of "The Meiji Guillotine Murders" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
The easiest summary I can give is that this is a political historical fiction murder mystery set during the turmoil of the post Shogunate era when Japan had been forced to open its borders to foreign influence and Japanese society as a whole was trying to find its footing and identity in a new era. It's styled around the honkaku subgenre - that being a 'fair play' mystery, and it's told in what feels like interlinked short stories all coming together in the final chapters to give a satisfying 'denouement' but you may come away from this wondering what on earth you just read.
As a fan of the translated works of Seishi Yokomizo's Kosuke Kindaichi series I felt comfortable with the style of writing in this work and I am personally interested in Japan, Japanese history and culture so the use of untranslated Japanese words and the heavy historical and political focus didn't overwhelm or intimidate me. However it may not work for other readers especially as you really do need to pay attention to keep track of characters, themes and background information.
Reflecting back on the book I've realised that the clues to solve the mystery are all there but, as above, there are so many characters and names to keep track of that it can be confusing, not helped by a distinct lack of characterisation of most of the characters.
That said, I appreciated the look at a Japanese society in turmoil, and the struggle to reconcile tradition with modern expectations is universally understandable. I did find the conclusion worked really well and enjoyed the twists and turns as everything was laid out for us but at times it was just a little bit of hard work to get there.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for a digital review copy of "The Meiji Guillotine Murders" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I have been loving the English releases of classic Japanese murder mysteries released by Pushkin Press, but this one really did not work for me.
Set in Tokyo, 1869, it is the start of the Meiji Restoration which is a period of great turmoil in Japan. The book is broken out into parts which all contain different murders which felt really disconnected to me. The last part does pull it all together but at that point I was so checked out that I really didn't care. I also think I struggled with the prose, though I can't be sure if it is the author or the translation that I struggled with. There were so many names of people and of places listed that I found it hard to keep track. I might have gotten along with this better if I had more familiarity with the era.
I do think the central theme of just vs corrupt governments is an interesting question, and I appreciate that this book was written in a time of great change/uncertainty in Japan (1979) set in a time of great change/uncertainty in Japan (the start of the Meiji Restoration) and is being brought to English readers in a time of great change/uncertainty (2023). But I really slogged my way through this.
I have been loving the English releases of classic Japanese murder mysteries released by Pushkin Press, but this one really did not work for me.
Set in Tokyo, 1869, it is the start of the Meiji Restoration which is a period of great turmoil in Japan. The book is broken out into parts which all contain different murders which felt really disconnected to me. The last part does pull it all together but at that point I was so checked out that I really didn't care. I also think I struggled with the prose, though I can't be sure if it is the author or the translation that I struggled with. There were so many names of people and of places listed that I found it hard to keep track. I might have gotten along with this better if I had more familiarity with the era.
I do think the central theme of just vs corrupt governments is an interesting question, and I appreciate that this book was written in a time of great change/uncertainty in Japan (1979) set in a time of great change/uncertainty in Japan (the start of the Meiji Restoration) and is being brought to English readers in a time of great change/uncertainty (2023). But I really slogged my way through this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy to me in exchange for honest criticism.
The Meiji Guillotine Murders is a murder mystery set in 19th century Japan. At least, that’s what the description says. In truth, it feels more like an Agatha Christie story where the focus is more on political intrigue than the actual crimes being committed.
Not enough time is spent with the characters to get to really know them - we’re told how they are, but we don’t really get a chance to see their personalities - so certain things don’t really feel sincere or authentic. The last section of the book is by far the most exciting, but it doesn’t really feel earned.
The story is well-written, and for those who love Japanese literature and history, I’m sure that this will be an enjoyable read. For those looking for a fast-paced murder mystery, this isn’t it.
The Meiji Guillotine Murders is a murder mystery set in 19th century Japan. At least, that’s what the description says. In truth, it feels more like an Agatha Christie story where the focus is more on political intrigue than the actual crimes being committed.
Not enough time is spent with the characters to get to really know them - we’re told how they are, but we don’t really get a chance to see their personalities - so certain things don’t really feel sincere or authentic. The last section of the book is by far the most exciting, but it doesn’t really feel earned.
The story is well-written, and for those who love Japanese literature and history, I’m sure that this will be an enjoyable read. For those looking for a fast-paced murder mystery, this isn’t it.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
Recently, there’s been an increase in historical Japanese mystery books being translated into English and I’ve found much joy in discovering different authors (like Seishi Yokomizo and Yukito Ayatsuji) who’ve written works under this genre. The Meiji Guillotine Murders is my first Futaro Yamada book but unfortunately, this one’s a miss for me.
The thing about historical Japanese mystery books is that they can get quite dry at times — especially since writing to tell is more often utilised than writing to show. Nevertheless, I’ve never really felt the dryness of reading such writing style until this specific book. There was just too much information relayed in the most straightforward manner and in chunks after chunks. It got better the further I was in the book, but that initial part was really a chore to go over.
It also didn’t help that The Meiji Guillotine Murders reads more like historical fiction than a murder mystery. The historical and political aspects of the setting are far greater than expected and this ended up being a 50/50 kind of thing for me. On one hand, I found the context intriguing and meaningful. On the other, this contributed to the strong historical fiction vibes which I’m not a fan of. If you’re a reader like me who doesn’t enjoy historical fiction on its own, then this might make it difficult for you to keep your attention from wandering away from the story too.
Even so, I did like the philosophical elements and symbolism. The titular guillotine and accompanying executioner come from the French. Both serve as part of the more prominent symbols of Westernization in this book, which I find intriguing. I liked that the chapters were more akin to a series of short stories that are ultimately linked together by the final chapter as well. It was an interesting, different approach compared to the other historical Japanese mysteries I’ve previously read. Though, this came with the downside of many of the characters being no more than just plot devices.
On the whole, just to emphasise again, The Meiji Guillotine Murders is a historical mystery set in mid-19th century Japan during a period of turmoil where enormous changes in the country’s political and social structure were taking place. It’s not your usual whodunit and does more oft feel like the casebook of two rivals. If that’s something you think sounds refreshing, then I believe you’ll enjoy this book more than I did.
Thank you so much Pushkin Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The Meiji Guillotine Murders by Futaro Yamada is available at all good bookstores.
Recently, there’s been an increase in historical Japanese mystery books being translated into English and I’ve found much joy in discovering different authors (like Seishi Yokomizo and Yukito Ayatsuji) who’ve written works under this genre. The Meiji Guillotine Murders is my first Futaro Yamada book but unfortunately, this one’s a miss for me.
The thing about historical Japanese mystery books is that they can get quite dry at times — especially since writing to tell is more often utilised than writing to show. Nevertheless, I’ve never really felt the dryness of reading such writing style until this specific book. There was just too much information relayed in the most straightforward manner and in chunks after chunks. It got better the further I was in the book, but that initial part was really a chore to go over.
It also didn’t help that The Meiji Guillotine Murders reads more like historical fiction than a murder mystery. The historical and political aspects of the setting are far greater than expected and this ended up being a 50/50 kind of thing for me. On one hand, I found the context intriguing and meaningful. On the other, this contributed to the strong historical fiction vibes which I’m not a fan of. If you’re a reader like me who doesn’t enjoy historical fiction on its own, then this might make it difficult for you to keep your attention from wandering away from the story too.
Even so, I did like the philosophical elements and symbolism. The titular guillotine and accompanying executioner come from the French. Both serve as part of the more prominent symbols of Westernization in this book, which I find intriguing. I liked that the chapters were more akin to a series of short stories that are ultimately linked together by the final chapter as well. It was an interesting, different approach compared to the other historical Japanese mysteries I’ve previously read. Though, this came with the downside of many of the characters being no more than just plot devices.
On the whole, just to emphasise again, The Meiji Guillotine Murders is a historical mystery set in mid-19th century Japan during a period of turmoil where enormous changes in the country’s political and social structure were taking place. It’s not your usual whodunit and does more oft feel like the casebook of two rivals. If that’s something you think sounds refreshing, then I believe you’ll enjoy this book more than I did.
Thank you so much Pushkin Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The Meiji Guillotine Murders by Futaro Yamada is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder
Moderate: Violence
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm like those booktok girlies who subsist entirely on an anemic diet of wattpad-ass smut except in my case I'm absolutely obsessed with honkaku. So this isn't my first rodeo. It isn't even my fifth rodeo. But oh my god when I tell you I didn't know anything that was happening in this book. I didn't know who the main characters were, I didn't know what was going on, I didn't have any idea of when the titular guillotine murders would be committed, nor who would be committing them.
Absolutely inscrutable. There are better honkaku out there. Do not read this
Absolutely inscrutable. There are better honkaku out there. Do not read this