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Thank you @MinovskyArticle for pushing Edogawa Ranpo - I just finished my first short collection of his (starting with The Human Chair) and had a really great time!
The gripping eeriness worked great with reading in a non-native language! I kept pushing forward to see what happened next, and each sentence felt like a winding corridor.
And the guy can certainly tell a story! I especially don't think I've seen framing devices done better.
And the guy can certainly tell a story! I especially don't think I've seen framing devices done better.
The Human Chair is the headliner for a reason, but I also especially enjoyed Dr. Mera, The Cliff, Osei, and Oshie
The only one here Wikipedia lists as untranslated was also the only one that wasn't much to write home about (minor dentistry-themed murder mystery)
The only one here Wikipedia lists as untranslated was also the only one that wasn't much to write home about (minor dentistry-themed murder mystery)
This did definitely make me want to give fan translation a shot...
I get the impression it would be simultaneously way easier and way harder than I can currently imagine.
I get the impression it would be simultaneously way easier and way harder than I can currently imagine.
There's an interesting bit from the ending commentary by rock musician Kenji Ohtsuki where he lists (non-comprehensively) 8 charms of Ranpo's writing:
1. a knack for titles
2. bizarre illustrations to match
3. utopian aspiration
4. returning-to-the-womb aspiration
1. a knack for titles
2. bizarre illustrations to match
3. utopian aspiration
4. returning-to-the-womb aspiration
5. shock!
6. perfect use of comic absurdity
7. tragicomedy of hopeless people
8. strolls through retro-cool Tokyo
6. perfect use of comic absurdity
7. tragicomedy of hopeless people
8. strolls through retro-cool Tokyo
...which seems like a spot-on list. This edition has more of a sparse and classy vibe going graphically, and it seems like I need to read Panorama Island to fully get the utopia bit, but otherwise these were all AMPLY represented...
