MondayLunchCrew

Anyone who has looked at my Books Read page will have seen that in the past few years I’ve been reading some Japanese novels in translation. I’ve read some Banana Yoshimoto, I’ve read some Haraki Murakami, but while they were good, I didn’t get really into it. I’m really much better at reading mysteries. Here are the ones I would recommend.

One thing I find interesting about mysteries is how they explore human nature and how they are a good insight into society. I’m always on the look out for mysteries translated from the original language. Soho press does a good job of bringing many to the general public.

Akimitsu Takagi

The Tattoo Murder Case*****

The Informer***

Honeymoon to Nowhere***

When you read many books by the same author in a close succession you really get to see the strength and weaknesses of their writing. Sadly, more weaknesses than strengths. I’m still on the look out for more translated works by Takagi-san, I’ll be waiting to read them for a while given recently reading three in the past month. I definitely observed that he does seem to have a formula for his work of sorts and does use the same devices from book to book. However, while in some ways I can almost always guess the mystery, I never quiet do get it 100%. So that’s always great for a mystery lover. I do like the twists he puts in the novels. I enjoy the books greatly and probably would not have noticed the repetition of devices if not for reading three in a row. I’d recommend not doing that unless you want to discover the tricks for yourself.

I enjoy reading about the relationships between people. While Honeymoon to Nowhere and The informer was written in the 60′s and Tattoo Murder Case in the 40′s, I still find the relationships it portrays in the books to be relevant and modern. In fact, given the usual proper and uptight and conservative image one may have of Japanese people and culture, the books highlight a more liberal society while not neglecting the more proper.

The settings, name, places, certain cultural differences and a Japanese identity in language never lets you forget it’s a book not originally written by an English native. The mysteries, however, does read as very western in style. I do not know if it’s due to the translation of the work for western audiences or it’s due to the western mystery influence of mystery novels in Japan. (The popularity of them referred to even in the books themselves.) I suspect the later to be the case here.

Miyuki Miyabe

All She Was Worth*****

Shadow Family**

I first read Miyabe-san’s work with the acclaimed All She was Worth. I was blown away. It was superbly written. The story was engaging and it brought to my attention a very different view of Japanese Society. [I was always under the assumption that everything being so cashed based, that there was little credit card debt etc.] It’s been said that she writes about the Dark side of Japanese society, but I don’t quite see it that way. This base of this book was about over-consumption and person debt, and Shadow Family about online families and friends. While some may consider them foreign or dark, I think it’s very mainstream in modern North American life. The ties that binds people around the world are not so different.

Seicho Matsumoto

Points and Lines*****

Points and Lines was a complex read. It’s a short book that had a novella feel to it. The characters while interesting didn’t captivate me as much as other books, but the mystery itself was fascinating. It had a rather scientific feel to it which I liked. While the mystery was complex that was part of what was satisfying about it. It wasn’t far fetched and human behavior and insight being key really cinched it for me. There’s nothing I love more than to finish a mystery and crave more.

Next on the list to read:

Tokyo Zodiac Murders

Inspector Imanishi Investigates

Crossfire

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