The Hunter of the Grotesque: From the casebook of Akechi Kogoro

by Edogawa Rampo, Alexis Brown (Translator)

A nightmarish tale of deception, depravity and death, in which no one can be trusted. A fantastical game of cat and mouse played out on the streets of an other-worldly pre-war Tokyo. First published in 1930, this is the third full-length novel to feature the private detective Akechi Kogoro.Born as Hirai Tarō, Edogawa Ranpo (1894-1965) was an influential author and critic known for his tales of the mysterious and macabre. His pseudonym is a rendering of ‘Edgar Allen Poe’ using Japanese characters. Ranpo often dealt with themes of sexual perversion and the grotesque, as well as writing more conventional detective stories.Alexis J Brown is a translator living in London.

Genres: Japanese Literature

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2020

About the author

Hirai Tarō (平井 太郎), better known by the pseudonym Rampo Edogawa ( 江戸川 乱歩), sometimes romanized as "Ranpo Edogawa", was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery fiction.

Reviews

[Mehedi Sarwar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edgawa Rampo's detective Akechi Kogoro is over the top, unrealistic and bombastic but a lot of fun if you are not too critical. Remember that these detective novels were often written for children and young adults.

In this novel, Akechi again is fighting against all odds against a sinister villain who can change his appearance at his will. It started with one or two isolated events and then a full blown sinister plan in action.

The plot is mostly over the top and ridiculous. The writing is mediocre to excellent in different places. The later part of the novel progressed with an unnecessary haste. The good part is the imagination od bizarre ideas by Rampo.

[Sem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more I read of the Akechi Kogoro series, the more I feel that he deserved the fate dealt to him in the Takeshi Kaneshiro film K20. At least none of his irritating boy detectives were present for this outing.

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is insane. Thw first half is an unsettling examination. Of self as there is a doppelganger screwing up a magazine editors life. Then it is a weird crime story where an evil organization plans to take over Japan through plastic. Surgery. It is so mad and untethered, but always fun

[Tuca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like the mystery worked in this one, I was unsure what the truth was throughout the first part. The second part gets a bit silly, honestly. I thought the "solution" and the ending were pretty funny to read almost 100 years later

[Theopompom]

how does one escape a basement?

[Raymond Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was good, but 2nd half was a bit too mad for me