얼간이

by Miyuki Miyabe, 미야베 미유키

미야베 미유키의 연작 소설집. 사건이 일어나고 주인공이 그 전모를 파헤쳐 가는 구성이 탄탄한 미스터리로, 독특한 구조의 연작 소설이다. 초반에 일어나는 몇 가지 사건은 독립적이고 서로 상관이 없어 보이지만, 이야기가 진행되며 모든 사건 뒤에 하나의 계략이 있었음이 드러난다. 연작이라고는 하나 결국은 한 편의 장편소설인 셈이다.

인간미 넘치고 조금은 바보처럼 살아가는 선한 사람들이 모여 사는 곳, 에도 시대의 혼조 후카가와. 이곳에서 한 청년이 괴한에게 살해당하는 사건이 일어난다. 이를 계기로 공동체를 관리하는 관리인 규베가 야반도주해 버리고, 사키치라는 젊은 청년이 새로운 관리인으로 들어온다. 사키치는 성실하게 관리인 역할을 하려고 노력하지만, 수상한 항아리 신앙이니 노름패니 하는 이상한 사건들이 이어지면서 사람들은 다른 곳으로 떠나기 시작한다.

혼조 후카가와 지역을 담당하는 무사 헤이시로는 일련의 사건들을 조사하다가, 이 모든 일을 조장하는 배후가 있다는 증거를 발견하게 된다. 사람들이 음모에 휘말려 피해를 입게 되자, 화가 난 그는 마침내 측량을 좋아하는 미소년 조카 유미노스케와 함께 사건을 파헤치기 시작하는데…

592 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

See also 宮部 みゆき (Japanese language profile) and 宮部美幸 (Chinese language profile).

Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.

Reviews

[JooYoun Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I read Miyabe Miyuki's books, I felt like I'm watching Japanese animation. Her writings are very engaging that I felt like I'm listening to Japanese whenever I read dialogues between characters.

Good story and plots, but I can't help myself feeling frustrated with the events and how things turned out to be in the book.

There were series of events happening on Denpin Nagaya. And one by one, people living there began to move out of the area. And all this was controlled by Soemon of Minato firm. Some people even died along the way but he doesn't seems to mind it. He pays people, but its not because of thankfulness or because he is sorry. But it was to cover his ass, treating people like a things that can be purchased and used, showing contrast to protagonist Heishiro. When Heishiro called him out, Heishiro was representing readers like me. But there was no satisfaction given. Heishiro let those go. Maybe it was because that was the way it ways back then (or even way its now, we compromise all the time), or because it was out of character for Heishiro to pursue further... no satisfaction but just this.. frustration left...

Near the end of the book, Aoi visits Denpin Nagaya (not because of her son but because of her curiosity) but Otoku chased her out. She, along with Soemon, was the one who disrupted peace of so many different people living there. But that disruption was just that, just another moment in their life. Otoku and others might have lost their home but they moved on. There were people waiting for her, like Heishiro and Sakichi. They moved on.

Maybe the event of Otoku and Aoi was a way that author was pleading and telling readers that not to be angry so much and giving us some satisfaction. Lol