Inspector Imanishi Investigates

Can art truly be innovative? 

Is innovation the pathway to power?

These questions form the grand backbone of this thoughtful and homely tale of murder, betrayal and one man's obsession to find the truth. 

Inspector Imanishi Investigates immerses the reader into 1960s Japan, a country whose identity at this point in time remains in flux after the terrors of the Second World War. 

As with most detective stories, we begin with the discovery of a body; a manhunt ensues - to no avail at first. But slowly and surely, the dark events that led to the initial gruesome deed, unravels into a murderous rampage, leaving our protagonist, Chief Inspector Eitaro Imanishi in hot pursuit. 

Imanishi in many ways is your archetypal detective: a middle-aged family man placed at odds with his sense of duty to discover the truth behind the mysterious events. Nevertheless, despite the common caricature appended to him, what sets apart Imanishi is his relatability. 

Matsumoto places emphasis on the small moments of Imanishi’s life throughout the novel; whether it be going to the local bathing house or eating dinner with his wife. Not only does the reader build an extensive picture of how this Chief Inspector operates within his profession, we also get a rich and detailed exploration of his person. Imanishi, as opposed to other protagonists of the detective genre, feels much more real. 

Imanishi within the story represents the generation who were of an age to have lived an equal proportion of their lives before and after the war. This uniquely places Imanishi as the bridge between the world of pre-war Japanese tradition and the disorienting new world of post-war Japan, influenced heavily by the western world. Imanishi employs this to his advantage during the story; allowing him to leverage every situation and ultimately gain the trust of others.   

This change of national identity and Imanishi's relationship to it is placed in direct opposition with the would-be main suspects in this case: a group of innovative young creatives, who are posed to mould the landscape of the wider Japanese cultural identity for the current generation and beyond. 

Initially, this creates tension between the traditional sensibilities within the novel. However, as the novel progresses, we see this Nouveau collective succumb to the entrappings dictated by tradition. 

Amidst this embattled foreground, the reader is transported across the landscape of Japan, and emersed within its quirks and beauty. Matsumoto's greatest achievement within the novel is his firm grasp of travel writing. We are transported to an impressive number of settings during this thriller, and in the process are treated to a sensory and visual rollercoaster; Matsumoto manages to achieve a tonal clarity in this regard without inducing disillusionment in the reader. 

Resultantly, the novel, despite it's darker tones, does not lend itself to the typical heaviness attached to novels of this genre. Matsumoto's bright and lifeful description of a transforming Japan elevates the reader into an enthralling snapshot of history.

 

by Seicho Matsumoto

ISBN: 978-0241756409


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isabelle Baafi - Chaotic Good

Chaotic Good gives an interesting offering into the death and rebirth cycle attached to the pains and aftermath of divorce.  Firstly, the collection's title ('Chaotic Good') is an interesting manifesto in itself. Reading from cover to cover, the reader is often set at odds with what truely Chaotic Good means to the poet and to ourselves. We only come across the answer after deep reflection, through the realisation that the entire healing process is indeed a chaos process. This point is illustrated excellently through the collection's non-linear structure.  The entire collection is split into 5 distinct chapters: Sepearation, Childhood, Adolescence, Marriage and  Rebirth. Starting with initial trauma and upheaval of divorce. The collection returns the poet back to their past, allowing them to recontextualize their past experiences in light of present circumstances. It is from this recontextualization of the past, that the poet and indeed the reader are allowed then to de...
Read more

Suspicion

 Suspicion is itself a challenge to the genre of crime fiction we have all become so accustomed to in the present age. From the outset the reader is put at odds with the moral and legal definition of innocence, as well as the significance media has on society.  Told within the back drop of postwar Japan,  the story revolves around the prosecution of a morally dubious woman, turned national pariah, for the murder of her recently wedded husband; on whom she had taken out multiple life insurance policies. Passed from legal council to council,  she maintains to almost a fanatical nature her innocence.  In parallel, the dogged local reporter who first propelled this case into the national Japan conscious, is himself embroiled in a fanatical quest to ensure the woman's conviction and eventual execution, by any means possible.  The conflict between these two is masterfully told through the inner workings of the Japanese legal profession. The overall narrative is e...
Read more

Modern Physics: Why the World Works

Modern Physics is a novel revitilsation of the standard 1st year education in undergraduate physics. The text is very comprehensive; it covers a broad spectrum of topics from quantum mechanics to condensed matter physics and cosmology.  What makes this book special is its approach in explaining physics phenomena. This text gives intuitive, relatable and detailed explanations of the how's and why's.  This is refreshing, as it build gently the readers physical understanding of how the world should work. This is remarkably important for building student's confidence when solving problems, but also their mathematical toolkit to do so. This is further aided by the numerous worked examples, conceptual questions and exercises throughout. There is no doubt in my mind that Modern Physics will soon become the standard reference for first year teaching. Modern Physics by Gary N. Felder and  Kenny M. Felder ISBN:  9781108913270
Read more