allardyk0127's review
5.0
this story,... put me on the edge of my seat... *literally*!!!
*Loved It 1000.0%*
Cannot wait to purchase another one of his works...!!!!!!!
*Loved It 1000.0%*
Cannot wait to purchase another one of his works...!!!!!!!
mugadum's review
3.0
Written in 3rd person narrative voice in 1936.....Considering the author's cemented position in the founding of Japanese mystery fiction (and also b/c this book was written for kids), it comes as no surprise that elements within the plot are predictable and seem cliched. Despite this, it was fun to see the elements Ranpo took from a famous sleuth (Sherlock cough), and with these borrowed/stolen/whatever elements had influenced many popular Japanese mystery franchises today (e.g. Hanshew's Man of Forty Faces clearly influenced Ranpo's Fiend of Twenty Faces who in turn influenced Aoyama's Magic Kaito).
The author broke the 4th wall constantly, which may come as irritating to some, but personally had a nostalgic storyteller feel to me. Ranpo's writing style is one that lulls the reader sweetly into a journey of uncertainty, which doesn't disappoint the adult reader either.
Although it wasn't the intention of the author, the story offered interesting glimpses into the lives of Tokyo people right before WWII. The well-off enjoyed free labor basically from students who performed housework etc in exchange for meals &/lodging. Kids knew of a military base that eventually turned into the center area of Shinjuku. Voila:
「東京の読者諸君は、戸山ヶ原にある、陸軍の射撃場を御存じでしょう。」
Obviously the rich and privileged were the only ones who gave a shit about the artifact stealing thief, and the cat and mouse game were played by the elite, those who had government/military positions lel. And ofc women were just decorations in the book. Welp. What can you expect? 20th-century popular author? Ya gonna follow the status quo of that time. Not that it has changed much cough.
Long story short, as original of a plot as you can get. I mean that with the utmost sarcasm. You got the stereotype genius Gary Stu detective with quirks. You've got the villain, who's only purpose in life is to enjoy the police trying to chase him everywhere, and also has a masochistic tendency for the main dude. You've got a cute 10 person kid detective group, and only 2 of them exist for the reader. Kobayashi, the kid Watson to the Sherlock gets a chapter. Souji, the son of one of those wealthy men who got fucked over and then unfucked, gets a few lines. Cool. The strength's in the writing style though.
For fans of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown and all those youth mystery series, I suggest you give this a try.
The author broke the 4th wall constantly, which may come as irritating to some, but personally had a nostalgic storyteller feel to me. Ranpo's writing style is one that lulls the reader sweetly into a journey of uncertainty, which doesn't disappoint the adult reader either.
Although it wasn't the intention of the author, the story offered interesting glimpses into the lives of Tokyo people right before WWII. The well-off enjoyed free labor basically from students who performed housework etc in exchange for meals &/lodging. Kids knew of a military base that eventually turned into the center area of Shinjuku. Voila:
「東京の読者諸君は、戸山ヶ原にある、陸軍の射撃場を御存じでしょう。」
Obviously the rich and privileged were the only ones who gave a shit about the artifact stealing thief, and the cat and mouse game were played by the elite, those who had government/military positions lel. And ofc women were just decorations in the book. Welp. What can you expect? 20th-century popular author? Ya gonna follow the status quo of that time. Not that it has changed much cough.
Long story short, as original of a plot as you can get. I mean that with the utmost sarcasm. You got the stereotype genius Gary Stu detective with quirks. You've got the villain, who's only purpose in life is to enjoy the police trying to chase him everywhere, and also has a masochistic tendency for the main dude. You've got a cute 10 person kid detective group, and only 2 of them exist for the reader. Kobayashi, the kid Watson to the Sherlock gets a chapter. Souji, the son of one of those wealthy men who got fucked over and then unfucked, gets a few lines. Cool. The strength's in the writing style though.
For fans of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown and all those youth mystery series, I suggest you give this a try.
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
3.0
The Fiend with Twenty Faces originally published in 1936 is the first of Edogawa Rampo’s boy detective series. For younger readers this featured a youthful sidekick and troop of his famous eccentric private detective Kogoro Akechi who must also match wits with the nemesis for which the novel’s title refers.
Twenty Faces, a gentleman thief and master of disguise, is much in the same vein a character as Arsène Lupin in early 20th century French literature. As should be evident, beyond Maurice LeBlanc other works by western writers such as Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle were an effect on Edogawa as well. I rather love situations of cross-cultural influence and as the best creatives tend to do Edogawa came up with a style very much his own, even under turbulent periods for his country and governmental interference with his work as well. Being a novel for youth the boy detective series (another which was previously translated in the 80s btw) may not be as engaging and can suffer under certain incredulity comparing some of Edogawa’s other titles for adults (or maybe being as he comes up with some creepy and bizarre scenarios in the latter, the series suit just fine). But nonetheless these mysteries still can offer moments of surprise and suspense. In ways I’m drawn to remembering hours spent with other mystery stories born of a similar period and aimed at a comparable audience like The Hardy Boys. And while I haven’t read those so much anymore over the years, titles by Edogawa or works which owe him a nod do continue to fill up some of my down time.
It may be hard to characterize the influence of Edogawa Rampo on mystery fiction or literature in Japan though, there have been innovative writers both before and after him. Thankfully the Kurodahan edition translated by Dan Luffey also has a preface by Ho-Ling Wong that goes about offering such context. Edogawa is for even those with the most cursory knowledge of such genres likely a figure one is aware of, or at the very least would recognise aspects of his legacy. Mysteries are great entertainment regardless of age, and here is a novel that can introduce children to the fascinations of the genre from one of the best.
Twenty Faces, a gentleman thief and master of disguise, is much in the same vein a character as Arsène Lupin in early 20th century French literature. As should be evident, beyond Maurice LeBlanc other works by western writers such as Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle were an effect on Edogawa as well. I rather love situations of cross-cultural influence and as the best creatives tend to do Edogawa came up with a style very much his own, even under turbulent periods for his country and governmental interference with his work as well. Being a novel for youth the boy detective series (another which was previously translated in the 80s btw) may not be as engaging and can suffer under certain incredulity comparing some of Edogawa’s other titles for adults (or maybe being as he comes up with some creepy and bizarre scenarios in the latter, the series suit just fine). But nonetheless these mysteries still can offer moments of surprise and suspense. In ways I’m drawn to remembering hours spent with other mystery stories born of a similar period and aimed at a comparable audience like The Hardy Boys. And while I haven’t read those so much anymore over the years, titles by Edogawa or works which owe him a nod do continue to fill up some of my down time.
It may be hard to characterize the influence of Edogawa Rampo on mystery fiction or literature in Japan though, there have been innovative writers both before and after him. Thankfully the Kurodahan edition translated by Dan Luffey also has a preface by Ho-Ling Wong that goes about offering such context. Edogawa is for even those with the most cursory knowledge of such genres likely a figure one is aware of, or at the very least would recognise aspects of his legacy. Mysteries are great entertainment regardless of age, and here is a novel that can introduce children to the fascinations of the genre from one of the best.
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