A review by morebedsidebooks
The Fiend with Twenty Faces by Edogawa Ranpo
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.