A review by athirah_idrus
Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edogawa Rampo

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 

Since I absolutely love both Japanese literature and the mystery genre, it’d be remiss if I did not mention one of the most prominent figures in the development of the Japanese mystery fiction -Edogawa Ranpo. Despite hearing his name being mentioned countless times including the coveted Edogawa Ranpo Prize, this was my first time reading anything by the master himself. 

Born Hirai Taro, he chose his pen name as a tribute to the famed Edgar Allen Poe and he wrote many stories of the mystique and the bizarre, in line with his idol's signature work. The Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a collection of nine stories by Edogawa Ranpo. 

My favorite of the nine would have to be The Human Chair, aptly chosen as the first story in this collection. The wit and ingenuity in this story, mixed with a reasonable amount of weird and creepy, was simply amazing, I bet Poe would be proud to have inspired a writer of this calibre. 

Other stories that I loved were The Cliff, The Psychological Test and The Red Chamber. Though I tremendously enjoyed six of the stories featured, the remaining three were rather disappointing. I’d still recommend this book, at least read The Chair to get a slice of Ranpo’s writing. Solid 4 stars!