And then as well as Japanese translations of Western novels, there were the original, untranslated works of Ellery Queen, Dickson Carr, Freeman Wills Crofts and Agatha Christie, etc. Some readers desperately attempt to work out the solution to the crime and figure out whodunnit long before the end, like the novel is a puzzle box. While it isn’t a revelation of a story, it is a seriously clever one. A classic of the honkaku genre, 'The Honjin Murders' is the first of Yokomizo's mysteries to feature the perennially scruffy but ingenious investigator, Kindaichi Kōsuke. Upon finishing it, I can't say I loved it, though. Sometimes it feels like the translation of Japanese novels into English comes at a very slow trickle, especially when you realize a book like THE HONJIN MURDERS, one of the most famous books by one of their most famous authors written more than 50 years ago, has just been translated for the very first time. What perhaps sells us on The Honjin Murders even more than Kindaichi does is the setting and how it is crafted and presented to us. And so, The Honjin Murders – the first book in a legendary series of Shōwa period Japanese detective stories by Seishi Yokomizo – is quite a place to properly jump into the genre. -- Tuttolibri show more To a large degree he succeeds. 3.75 stars. It was a magnificent sight: an entire library of detective novels.”, https://pushkinpress.com/books/the-honjin-murders, Detective Kosuke Kindaichi (English Translation Order) #1. Buy The Honjin Murders: the classic locked room mystery (Pushkin Vertigo) 01 by Seishi Yokomizo, Louise Heal Kawai (ISBN: 9781782275008) from Amazon's Book Store. This, at least to me, doesn’t matter. Rather than this being a novel in the traditional sense, it is instead an author explaining his novel to us. I fall into the latter category and yet there was more than one red herring which I caught onto immediately. 8 thoughts on “ The Honjin Murders Review ” May Wrap Up 2020 – India Reads says: 15th June 2020 at 12:01 pm […] The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (5 stars and FAVOURITE) […] Like Like. There is some family dispute about the match, with Katsuko not being seen as of a good enough background for Kenzo. He solved the murder mystery whereas I wouldn’t have. There were red herrings, yes, but not absurdities. The Honjin Murders reads as any good Agatha Christie novel would. December 24, 2020 jamesscottbyrnside. The Honjin Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, #1), “A locked room murder, a red ochre-painted room and the sound of the koto...”. The way it is read to us here makes it a dream for a potential stage adaptation. The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo has been recommended to fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie, and I couldn’t agree more. Browse The Guardian Bookshop for a big selection of Crime & mystery books and the latest book reviews from The Guardi Buy The Honjin Murders 9781782275008 by Seishi Yokomizo for only The fun that’s to be had with this book is in the interactions between the characters and the setting, as well as simply sitting back and enjoying the detective character of Kosuke Kindaichi with all of his eccentricities. And while The Honjin Murders isn’t a play, the theatrical nature of this book creates a very particular atmosphere which falls somewhere between camp and melodrama. When I started this rather thin book I didn't know I was in for a treat. Is that you Sherlock? The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. While I didn’t anticipate all of the reveals that make up the final act, not every twist and turn had the impact that was intended. The Honjin Murders is a wickedly fun time. About Seishi Yokomizo. This was the book club pick for February. This Japanese murder-mystery is set in the 1930’s and involves the marriage of Kenzo, the proud, eldest son of the Ichiyanagi family, with Katsuko, a schoolteacher. I found myself a willing reader as the narrator presented the various stages of the crime: characters and setting involved, set up of events and the deaths themselves. Yokomizo Seishi (1902-1981) was a Japanese mystery novelist. I can defintely see why this is a classic murder mystery in Japan, I really enjoyed it! I not long ago read a book that I marked down a bit for being a locked room mystery. There is a Japanese movie based on The Honjin Murders (Honjin Satsujin Jiken) that I have yet to see. The Honjin Murders: Classic Japanese murder mystery. He’s especially known for his series of stories featuring young detective Kosuke Kindaichi (77 total). A short murder mystery under 200 pages but with interesting characters adding to the plot. Among them, Kanari Yozaburo who took inspiration for his manga (and anime) series Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo (featuring the fictitious grandson of Kosuke Kindaichi) or Aoyama Gosho, author of the Metantei Conan series. The problem is, how did the killer escape? The details, not the event! The mystery of The Honjin Murders is, of course, finding out whodunnit. See 1 question about The Honjin Murders…, Japanese Mystery/Detective/Crime Fiction Translated Into English. I would love to see the reenactment of the murder on screen as I had a hard time visualizing it completely. Reply. This is, in short, a superb winter read. I found the elements of this book that are uniquely Japanese fascinating - the house, garden and everything in it, the way of life in Japan just before WWII, the formality and feudalism that persisted until then. The cover with the sword in the snow is from the English translation. The Honjin Murders has both the strengths and the weaknesses of the tradition it so cleverly, and self-consciously, invokes. Sarah Gilmartin. What’s also stirringly impressive about this story is that it does have a subtly political edge to it. I would like to thank Netgalley and Pushkin Press for a review copy of The Honjin Murders, the first novel to feature Private Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, originally published in Japanese in 1948. Fans of Agatha Christie will really enjoy The Honjin Murders and how Seisho Yokomizo crafted the storyline keeping the reader guessing with a number of red herrings to throw the reader of course just when you think you have nailed who killed the newlyweds. Copyright © 2021 Books and Bao | Trellis Framework by Mediavine, How Phones Allow the Freedom to Work From Anywhere (Phones Are Good). "A classic locked-room murder mystery, the first in the Detective Kindaichi series . etc. This took me a while to get into, largely because I struggled keeping all the different Japanese names straight, but by about halfway through I realised I was thoroughly absorbed in it. The Ichiyanagi family are a proud, wealthy, high-class family, and one of their sons, Kenzo, is due to marry the young Katsuko. The Honjin Murders, published in 1946, introduced Japan to Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, who would go on to star in a total of 77 books before the death of the author in 1981. The Honjin Murders, Seishi Yokomizo, trans. The eventual explanation for. The bride and groom have been murdered on their wedding night. Now I am going to do an about face and say I enjoyed this example of the genre quite a bit for those rules or conventions it breaks or stretches quite widely. Posted on Last updated: 6th December 2019 Categories Asian Literature, Literature. The Honjin Murders is an ode to the locked room mysteries favoured in earlier detective fiction. This really added a density to the tale that was unexpected but adroitly inserted into the story. The Honjin Murders is a classic Japanese murder mystery, first published in 1946 as a serialized publication. Instead, as the pacing picks up, Kindaichi almost seems to turn the page for us, not allowing us the choice to look away. Fortunately, it appears Seishi Yokomizo also loved detective stories growing up and went on to become an accomplished author in his own right. The backdrop of pre and post war Japan elevates this book from being just another murder mystery. The book is the first one in the Kosuke Kindaichi series and covers a murder that happened in a locked room of a Japanese mansion. The first comparison that sprung to my mind as I read on was, in fact, Lemony Snicket in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Honjin Murders is the first (of 77!) While it’s impossible to discuss them without giving the ending away, the theme of class, hierarchy, and familial responsibility within Japanese society is certainly there to be picked apart and mulled over long after the story ends. Thus starts the classic locked room mystery of The Honjin Murders. This Japanese murder-mystery is set in the 1930’s and involves the marriage of Kenzo, the proud, eldest son of the Ichiyanagi family, with Katsuko, a schoolteacher. The Honjin Murders is a wickedly fun time. An ideal book to curl up with on a winter's night.' My Christmas present to myself was the full boxset of ITV’s Poirot, my favourite adaption of Agatha Christie’s series of books looking at the cases of the detective of the same name. The Honjin Murders has been translated by Louise Heal Kawai and published by Pushkin Press, and finally brings to English-speaking readers, 74 years after its publication, the first novel in the Kosuke Kindaichi detective series, published by what the Guardian calls "the locked-room mystery king" Seishi Yokomizo (, This was a thoroughly engrossing, sleekly written murder mystery -- I blazed through it in a single sitting. Then there was the Japanese section: it began with nineteenth-century novels by Ruiko Kuroiwa, and also featured Edogawa Ranpo, Fuboku Kozakai, Saburo Koga, Udaru Oshita, Takataro Kigi, Juza Unno, Mushitaro Oguri all crammed in together. Who killed the newlyweds; is it someone we know or a stranger; what is their motivation; how did they get in and out? This was so good - a detective story with the actual detective, a seemingly unsolvable mystic mystery and absolutely logical resolving of it. Can I have this cover, but translated in English? Originally published in 1946, it is the first book in the renowned […] Now I am going to do an about face and say I enjoyed this example of the genre quite a bit for those rules or conventions it breaks or stretches quite widely. Then there is an unwinding that, for me, was well done. Yokomizo introduces his detective also, Kosuke Kindaichi, who actually goes on to feature in another 76 stories.. but this one, a reissue from the wonderful. However, the wedding night becomes a tragedy and Ginzo calls in private investigator, Kosuke Kindaichi, to uncover the truth. There is an eclectic cast (even introduced in a play-like character list at the start of the book), as well as five very clearly delineated acts. There is a theme that is gently uncovered towards the end of the book which frames it in a political light. Now, if one were to consider that moment in time for Japan, it was less than a year after the bombings that left a nation scarred and a generation deformed. Well, that entirely depends on how you like to read them. December 5th 2019 The author, Seishi Yokomizo, created the iconic detective character Kosuke Kindaichi. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Honjin Murders is a masterpiece of stage magic by a man who had absorbed the lessons taught by writers like John Dickson Carr and was confident enough to believe he could take them on at their own game. And to cement its reputation as a landmark of the Japanese mystery novel, the story marked the debut of Yokomizo's iconic series-detective, Kosuke Kindaichi! It is heavy on ingenuity but light on humanity, sacrificing deep engagement with its characters to sustain our pleasure in treating their violent deaths as an intellectual exercise. The narrator is always cool and detached, sizing up the characters with an off-hand air and the story is always simply written (although that may be on the translator’s part). This ‘locked room murder mystery’ is a unique take on the formula made iconic by major Western writers like Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Gaston Leroux. I even considered that variation on the locked room murder theme of Roger Scarlett’s Murder Among the Angells.”, “There was the whole collection of Arthur Conan Doyle, Maurice Leblanc’s Lupin series, and every translated work that the publishers Hakubunkan and Heibonsha had ever released. Seishi Yokomizo (1902-81) was one of Japan’s most famous and best-loved mystery writers. Join our Patreon Community for exclusive content and bonuses. The locked-room murder mystery, though cleverly conceived, left me cold and the reason for it…. Those times are long gone, but the Ichiyanagis are still proud of their illustrious lineage. To add to my excitement the locked room mystery came with a heritage. While the setup to all of this is just engaging enough to keep us rapt and turning the page, the story really comes into its own when our necessarily enigmatic and eccentric young detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, arrives on the scene. books. It felt a bit surreal to be reading a crime novel that references Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (among others), and made my reading experience even more enjoyable. I would like to thank Netgalley and Pushkin Press for a review copy of The Honjin Murders, the first novel to feature Private Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, originally published in Japanese in 1948. It’s a short novel of less than two hundred pages, and its first half is very much engaged with telling the story of the wedding and the murder, as well as establishing the supporting cast of characters exactly as much as needs be – enough to be familiar with their names and their roles within the family, but not so much that we know each of their backstories. It was published in 1948 making it a silver-age era mystery but with a deliciously different perspective. He did have more information though and didn’t tell the reader everything he saw. This book is a classic locked door murder case and one of the most famous Japanese murder mysteries ever written! Now, at last, what many consider the best Japanese detective story has arrived in English in the form of a punchy, thrilling translation by Louise Heal Kawai. In this book we meet the main star of the series, detective Kindaichi, who solved murder and other crimes (I hope) in next 70 something (!) Review | The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. what can I say, only in Japan perhaps. No. Seishi Yokomizo, who died in Tokyo back in 1981, carved out a real legacy with his series of detective stories. It was true to the characters an. Seishi Yokomizo. The Honjin Murders or The Murder in the Honjin as it was originally called, was published in Japan's now legendary Shonen Magazine in serialized form in the April 1946. We have a long way to go. 4.0 out of 5 stars The Honjin Murders. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2020. The cover with the sword in the snow is from the English translation. I not long ago read a book that I marked down a bit for being a locked room mystery. Somehow, this edition from Pushkin Vertigo is the first time the beloved Japanese classic has been translated into English. There's a certain amount of overt referencing them to classic detective fiction in The Honjin Murders, from Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie, which makes it seem a little bit hokey and old-fashioned, but Yokomizo also manages to delve quite successfully into the historical complexities of post-war Japanese culture, class and society, and how its legacies and traditions have some bearing … and netting the first-ever Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1948. A newly married couple are murdered on their wedding night within hours of the final sale ceremony. Unfortunately Goodreads has a strange policy o. I don't understand your question. The Honjin Murders. by Pushkin Vertigo. The Honjin Murders is set in November 1937 in the village of Okamura, home to the Ichiyanagi family, whose ancestors once ran a honjin – an inn where noble travellers would stay during the Edo period. It’s an ingenious and deceptive mystery. The first that came to mind were Gaston Leroux’s The Mystery of the Yellow Room and Maurice Leblanc’s The Teeth of the Tiger; then there’s The Canary Murder Case and The Kennel Murder Case, both by S.S. Van Dine; and finally, Dickson Carr’s The Plague Court Murders. Read More: The Best Translated Books of 2019. An ideal book to curl up with on a winter’s night.’ An extended Japanese family is living at a large rural compound. in a famous series of Japanese detective novels. “When I first heard the story, I immediately racked my brain to think of any similar cases among all the novels I’ve read. He’s abnormally skilled at deduction, oddly dressed, has a few quirks such as a stammer and a wild enthusiasm. Yokomizo proves here to be a master of pacing and setting: he knows what is important and what isn’t. Conclusion. Police are baffled until the uncle of the bride brings in an unorthodox private detective to investigate. Here there is the murder of two people, seemingly impossible as there was no means of escape for the murderer, though no trace can be found of the culprit. The Honjin Murders can be satisfyingly read as a classic who-done-it, although through the lens of one of Japan’s most famous writers of the genre. Others simply go along for the ride. I love crime fiction and nothing thrills me more in this genre than the locked room mystery. To help you sleuth out a new read, we asked the... To see what your friends thought of this book, I don't understand your question. . He is brought in by the murdered bride’s uncle, and Kindaichi proves to be a suitable fill-in for Holmes or Poirot. Welcome back. While it isn’t a revelation of a story, it is a seriously clever one. The story evolves and unfolds at pace giving the reader just enough information in each chapter for their armchair sleuthing to be satisfied whilst keeping something back for the grand reveal, just like Columbo would have done. etc. S EISHI YOKOMIZO was one of … It was true to the characters and family involved and the information the reader was given. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Seishi Yokomizo (横溝 正史) was a novelist in Shōwa period Japan. We help to expand your horizons with reviews of the latest fiction and poetry from around the world and showcase cultural adventures that inspire. There is the single setting of the honjin (an Edo period inn for the upper classes), and the cold, dark, yet literarily romantic snow covering the stage. Locked Room Murder Strikes Rural Japan! In the character of Kosuke Kindaichi – first introduced here in The Honjin Murders (originally published in 1946) – Yokomizo invented his own Sherlock Holmes. Start by marking “The Honjin Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, #1)” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Set in early 1930s Japan, it features the baffling murder of two newlyweds on their wedding night. This breaking of the fourth wall is again what makes for such wonderful theatricality. Review of murder in the HONJIN by Sheisi Yokomizo. We specialise in unique travel guides, delicious culinary experiences, and everything art and literature related. Its short length, quirky cast of characters, engaging mystery, and theatrical setting and plot make for a fantastic murder mystery tale. It was easy to read so a good translation and I enjoyed it. This sensational case marked the debut of the eccentric young detective genius Kosuke Kindaichi. So, it is with great anticipation that I began reading The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. The entire story is told to us by the author himself, who explains at the beginning that this is a ‘true story’ – that he visited the scene after the crime was solved, and that he talked with witnesses to gather their testimonies and to turn them into this book. The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (August 2020), Meet the Authors of Spring's Biggest Mysteries. February 5, 2021 aliceb Leave a comment. Tbh, this was one book i enjoyed less than i had hoped to.This happened primarily because of the complicatedness of the solution to this locked room mystery. In short, he is a delightfully charming detective who fits the role and never becomes overly frustrating. -- NB Magazine 'The master of Japanese crime.' Not because this island is full of traps and dark alleyways, and the murder rate is alarmingly high, but simply because we all have genres that we gravitate towards and detective stories were never mine, save for my big collection of Sherlock Holmes stories that I’ve dipped into because I feel like I should. The Honjin Murders was originally serialized in Houseki magazine from April to December, 1946, before being published as a novel in 1947 (?) Set in Japan in the 1930's. He cuts the fat and keeps a sharp focus on the story and events. ‘The Honjin Mysteries is beautifully writing and highly descriptive, rich in period detail and local custom. Then there is an unwinding that, for me, was well done. The beauty of this book is that it’s never anything less than fun from beginning to end, but it is also smartly political, and the theatrical elements – the fourth wall-breaking, the static setting, the large cast of eclectic characters – make for a truly engrossing novel. A couple are slain on their wedding night, and a mysterious three-fingered man is implicated, though the room the … It’s an ingenious and deceptive mystery. By Seishi Yokomizo. Louise Heal Kawai The Honjin Murders is a classic Japanese murder mystery in translation, drawing very much from the sort of locked room mysteries favoured by John Dickson Carr, whose books are even referenced in the story. The first novel in Yokomizo's sizeable Detective Kindaichi series shows the author's distinct love of whodunits as it pays homage to previous locked room mystery greats. Refresh and try again. book review The Honjin Murders. There is a certain style that is very present amongst popular Japanese novels like Convenience Store Woman or Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and The Honjin Murders is no exception. So, my fault and not the book's. Lit Review: ‘The Honjin Murders’ and ‘The Inugami Curse’ by Seishi Yokomizo That the last few months have been stressful is an understated and moot statement so much so that the declaration needs no further elaboration. In the winter of 1937 head of the family Kenzo Ichiyanagi marries Katsuko Kubo despite opposition from the rest of his family because the bride doesn’t come from an illustrious enough family. The Honjin Murders was originally published in 1946, and went on to be awarded the inaugural Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1948. There’s an enormous theatricality to The Honjin Murders. Book review: Seishi Yokomizo’s ‘locked room’ thriller is translated into English. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. While he mentioned quite a few of the staples of this literature and touched on the general mechanism behind these cases, it's a (relatively) good thing that he managed to only spoil one Sherlock Holmes story, as I plan to look these up later. The Honjin Murders might be read as a rather scathing commentary on the rigid systems put in place, not only in Japanese society, but in cultures around the world, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Translated by Louise Heal Kawai.Pushkin Vertigo; 192 pages; $14.95 and £8.99. The Honjin Murders was originally published in 1946, and went on to be awarded the inaugural Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1948. In that vast, open sea of genre fiction, detective stories exist on an island that I’ve never really visited. The Honjin Murders …is a classic locked-room murder mystery…The premise alone is dazzling…. An English translation of the masterful Japanese mystery author Seishi Yokomizo, one of Japan's most beloved mystery writers. Unfortunately Goodreads has a strange policy of considering all translations in all languages the same book, so you will find reviews of other language translations in this thread. It’s also quite a spectacular novel. Verified Purchase. Despite this, the characters take the story and its events extremely seriously, but there’s also the added element of the narrator. Is The Honjin Murders, however, a truly good detective and murder mystery story? There are no prints in the snow, no signs of escape as every entryway is locked. The New York Times Book Review - Marilyn Stasio. 'The Honjin Mysteries is beautifully writing and highly descriptive, rich in period detail and local custom. It is the first Detective Kindaichi mystery, and it is an impressive, awesome debut! If there’s anything I love better than chocolate it’s a deliciously atmospheric crime/mystery novel. The room is locked from the inside and the snow around the building is undisturbed. The rest of the household report hearing the twanging of a koto (traditional Japanese instrument) and such an instrument is found missing a bridge and string. While Yokomizo wrote 76 stories featuring the intrepid detective, only two have been translated into English to date (the second is. Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2020 – India Reads says: 22nd June 2020 at 12:03 pm […] The Honjin Murders – Seishi Yokomizo […] Although her Uncle Ginzo is worried about the match, he accepts the marriage. If you ask us, it's always the perfect time to lose yourself in a page-turning mystery. *Reading this brought back many happy memories of when I lived in Japan, so I might be biased. What follows is the dismantling, by amateur sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi, of a rich family dynasty whose chequered history is in part responsible for the deaths. The book allows Yokomizo, who died in 1981 after a prolific career, to introduce readers to his famous detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, for the first time. I found myself a willing reader as the narrator presented the various stages of the crime: characters and setting involved, set up of events and the deaths themselves. Its short length, quirky cast of characters, engaging mystery, and theatrical setting and plot make for a fantastic murder mystery tale. Book review: The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Louise Heale Kawaim, reviewed by Rohan Maitzen It's a who done it, closed room mystery. Seishi Yokomizo’s The Honjin Murders is a bloody locked-room whodunnit containing a lot of the typical tricks of our favorite murder mysteries. On the night of their wedding, they are murdered by a mysterious assailant who flees into the night, leaving nothing but a handprint and a bloodied katana in the snow. Editorial Reviews. We’d love your help. It's an ingenious and deceptive mystery. Particularly of interest are the hierarchies within society and within the family unit The Honjin Murders is published by Pushkin Press who kindly provided me with a NetGalley review copy in exchange for an honest review. This is a classic ‘locked-room’ mystery from 1946, set in Japan though it pays homage to the classics of American and British crime writing. The balancing of theatrical components with a surprisingly weighty political theme that gently unravels towards the conclusion makes for some intense reading. The solution, the how not the why of the murder, was dependent on the readerbeing able to visualize the architectural nuances quite in detail and that proved a difficult point for ne and marred the effect it would have otherwise created. Travel to the locations in the novel here! It takes place in a fixed location: the Ichiyanagi household in the village of Okamura. . His influence can still be seen today in many authors. The plot was structured effectively for me - well paced and the several different narrators’ perspectives on events mixed it up nicely.