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rj18 's review for:
The Dragon Scroll
by Ingrid J. Parker
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't think this was a book for me.
Rather than a mystery, this reads as a very slow thriller, as contradicting as it might sound. I think this largely comes from how Akitada doesn't feel like an active detective throughout the novel. Most of the mystery's progressions comes from Akitada conveniently getting exposition. Yet when he gets a lead, he doesn't follow up on it until the plot requires him to. It really doesn't foster a sense of urgency to solve the case. I would've liked it if Akitada had been more of a participant in the mystery rather than a vessel for the reader to experience the plot, if that makes sense.
The mystery itself felt a bit straightforward considering how long it took to get anything on it. The culprits were kind of obvious because they were portrayed as bad and evil, it felt very juvenile.
One of the murder cases also felt completely out of place; it didn't feel cohesive with the tax theft or Tachibana's murder.
Another point of contention: the misogyny. On one hand, it's arguably period accurate and I suppose it makes the novel more immersion. On the other hand, it's such a frequent presence throughout the book even when there was no reason to bring it up?
Kind of also reflects in how little sympathy is shown to women sex workers or Lady Tachibana when more sympathy/understanding is given to male characters that are also doing what they have to in order to survive like the Rat or who have commit similar social transgressions like Yukinari with adultery. Again, reflective of the time period, but it gets so heavy-handed and pervasive that it honestly felt more annoying than immersion, especially since the author tried to set Akitada as a bit more "progressive" in some way. In the beginning as well, the misogyny felt like it was written to be obviously period accurate, like it was based on rapport and mutual understanding with the reader that this is just old fashioned beliefs. But it started feeling less and less like it as it kept going on.
Likewise, any positive woman characters just fade into the background by the end as well. For example, Ayako was introduced as a skilled warrior in martial arts and feisty, but after she sleeps with Akitada, her role drastically reduces, she never gets a chance to demonstrate her skills again and functions as a damsel in distress (even when she does attack Akitada by accident in the dark, it's Hidesato who ultimately rescues her), and she is just a grieving daughter and lover at the end. I realize I'm being too harsh and it's not that bad, but I did feel disappointed with Ayako's direction.
Furthermore, the misogyny felt very western in a way I can't quite describe. It did irk me a bit for how much the narration and description tries to reflect the time period and culture, somehow it felt like a westernized version of Japan.
Same goes with how it portrays Buddhism near the end. And how macho-y and gruff all the action became; it's hard to describe, but it honestly felt more reminiscent of an American action movie rather than a Japanese mystery.
Maybe it's a bit telling that there didn't seem to be any Japanese proof-readers in the acknowledgements.
I actually think that if you like descriptive prose and American Westerns, and you would find it interesting to set it in a differnet culture, you might like this.
That said, I did remember that the beginning half really mirrored how english translations of Japanese works felt; perhaps not 100% accurate, but I thought it captured this kind of ethereal beauty atmosphere, if that makes sense?
Rather than a mystery, this reads as a very slow thriller, as contradicting as it might sound. I think this largely comes from how Akitada doesn't feel like an active detective throughout the novel. Most of the mystery's progressions comes from Akitada conveniently getting exposition. Yet when he gets a lead, he doesn't follow up on it until the plot requires him to. It really doesn't foster a sense of urgency to solve the case. I would've liked it if Akitada had been more of a participant in the mystery rather than a vessel for the reader to experience the plot, if that makes sense.
The mystery itself felt a bit straightforward considering how long it took to get anything on it. The culprits were kind of obvious because they were portrayed as bad and evil, it felt very juvenile.
One of the murder cases also felt completely out of place; it didn't feel cohesive with the tax theft or Tachibana's murder.
Another point of contention: the misogyny. On one hand, it's arguably period accurate and I suppose it makes the novel more immersion. On the other hand, it's such a frequent presence throughout the book even when there was no reason to bring it up?
Kind of also reflects in how little sympathy is shown to women sex workers or Lady Tachibana when more sympathy/understanding is given to male characters that are also doing what they have to in order to survive like the Rat or who have commit similar social transgressions like Yukinari with adultery. Again, reflective of the time period, but it gets so heavy-handed and pervasive that it honestly felt more annoying than immersion, especially since the author tried to set Akitada as a bit more "progressive" in some way. In the beginning as well, the misogyny felt like it was written to be obviously period accurate, like it was based on rapport and mutual understanding with the reader that this is just old fashioned beliefs. But it started feeling less and less like it as it kept going on.
Likewise, any positive woman characters just fade into the background by the end as well. For example, Ayako was introduced as a skilled warrior in martial arts and feisty, but after she sleeps with Akitada, her role drastically reduces, she never gets a chance to demonstrate her skills again and functions as a damsel in distress (even when she does attack Akitada by accident in the dark, it's Hidesato who ultimately rescues her), and she is just a grieving daughter and lover at the end. I realize I'm being too harsh and it's not that bad, but I did feel disappointed with Ayako's direction.
Furthermore, the misogyny felt very western in a way I can't quite describe. It did irk me a bit for how much the narration and description tries to reflect the time period and culture, somehow it felt like a westernized version of Japan.
Same goes with how it portrays Buddhism near the end. And how macho-y and gruff all the action became; it's hard to describe, but it honestly felt more reminiscent of an American action movie rather than a Japanese mystery.
Maybe it's a bit telling that there didn't seem to be any Japanese proof-readers in the acknowledgements.
I actually think that if you like descriptive prose and American Westerns, and you would find it interesting to set it in a differnet culture, you might like this.
That said, I did remember that the beginning half really mirrored how english translations of Japanese works felt; perhaps not 100% accurate, but I thought it captured this kind of ethereal beauty atmosphere, if that makes sense?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Sexual violence