July 30, 2023

I liked this book a lot (and the whole series, for that matter). On balance I prefer his historically-set 巷説百物語 series, but it's a pretty close-run thing, and this book is definitely a shorter and easier read than those. It's crime fiction set in the 1950s, with a folklore theme.

My favourite bit was the diversion into the history of 凌雲閣, the tower that stood in Asakusa until it was destroyed in the 1923 earthquake. (The author's style tends to this sort of tangentially-relevant diversion; either you like that kind of thing or you don't, I suspect -- personally I definitely like it.)

The author has a pretty strong personal style which I really like, but if the following are not your thing then you might bounce off this series:

  • maybe avoid if you want action in your mysteries, because basically the whole book is just people talking to each other
  • the author makes some quirky kanji choices for some words
  • the main viewpoint characters have odd-for-the-1950s logical/progressive/modern viewpoints that feel a bit voice-of-the-author sometimes
  • long and not always obviously plot-relevant digressions that can feel a bit like the author is showing off about having done his research

According to Wikipedia the author always carefully arranges his dialogue so that there is never a page break in the middle of a sentence. It’s surprising how completely unnoticeable this is. (Also, I bet this really irritates his publisher.)

Gradings:16
2
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pm215 graded
on May 7, 2024
similar in difficulty to玄鳥L35
pm215 graded
on February 5, 2024
harder thanマリアビートルL34
pm215 graded
on January 4, 2024
harder than月の裏側L33
pm215 graded
on December 25, 2023
harder than笑う警官L35
pm215 graded
on August 22, 2023
harder than鴨川ホルモーL34
pm215 graded
on August 3, 2023
pm215 graded
on August 3, 2023
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
harder than火車L35
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
similar in difficulty to蝉しぐれ 上L35
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
similar in difficulty to陰陽師L35
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
harder than淋しい狩人L33
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
harder thanかまいたちL33
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
similar in difficulty to月の影 影の海 (上) 十二国記 1L36
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
pm215 graded
on July 31, 2023
harder than狐笛のかなたL30