요네자와 호노부의 최신작 《가연물》이 드디어 국내에 소개된다. 2023년 7월에 발간된 《가연물》은 주요 미스터리 랭킹에서 《야경》, 《왕과 서커스》, 《흑뢰성》에 이어 작가 통산 네 번째 3관왕을 달성했다.
《가연물》은 수수께끼가 있고 공정하게 단서가 제공되며, 반복되는 검증과 뜻밖의 결말로 마무리되는, 담백하면서도 모범적인 미스터리 형식을 취한다. 독자는 공정하게 제시된 증거만으로 진상을 추론할 수 있는데, 이는 요네자와 호노부가 출간 기념 인터뷰에서 밝힌 ‘미스터리는 독자가 함께할 수 있는 좋은 질문’이라는 말과 정확히 일치한다.
《가연물》은 ‘특수 설정’으로 대표되는 미스터리 장르의 최근 화려함에 휩쓸리지 않는, 단단하고도 묵직한 미스터리이다. “그저 한 명의 작가로서 쓰고 싶었던 글이 높은 평가를 받아서 무척 놀랐다.”라는 작가의 말에서는, 어떤 경지에 오른 여유로움마저 느껴진다. 《가연물》을 통해 독자는 작가의 변화와 또 다른 성장을 고스란히 느낄 수 있을 것이다.
Honobu Yonezawa (米澤穂信), Yonezawa Honobu, born 1978) loved making up stories even as a child and began writing fiction at the age of 14. By the time he got to university he was posting stories on his own website. After graduation he continued writing while working in a bookstore, and first got into print in 2001 when Hyoka (Ice Cream), a YA mystery novel he submitted for the Kadokawa School Novel Prize competition, earned an honorable mention. Sayonara yosei (Farewell, Sprite), a critically acclaimed story of the relationship between Japanese high-school boys and a girl from war-torn Yugoslavia, helped cement his reputation when it was published in 2004. Since then he has been a regular presence on lists of the year's best mysteries. Oreta ryukotsu (Broken Keel) won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Novels in 2011. Though known especially for his distinctive and fresh blending of the tale of youth with the whodunit, Yonezawa has also made forays into science fiction, as with 2006’s Botorunekku (Bottleneck) and 2007’s Inshitemiru (Try Indulging), a sinister "murder game" story. In 2013 he published the novel Rikashiburu (Recursible). He is a leading figure among Japan's younger generation of mystery writers.
The last story with the hostage at the family restaurant and the drowsiness story were pretty good and the rest were serviceable. Very very “Honkaku Mystery” with not much atmosphere and characterization, which isn’t really my jam but these mysteries were all well written enough. I actually think Yonezawa is best when he is focusing on the characters, so I was a little disappointed but this isn’t bad by any critique.