Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination, by Edogawa Rampo **3/4

These were fun, clever little tales, easy to read but not dull. Rampo is imaginative and has a quirky sense of humor. There's always a little twist or shock, though there's nothing truly frightening in the collection. I would read more by Rampo if it were translated, because this is relaxing and entertaining stuff. It also managed to work in any setting - my house, coffee shops, on the subway, waiting for a concert to start, whatever. And there's something valuable about having books that can just be picked up and read whenever you have the time. I'll always have room in my life for this kind of literature.
(Winter 2007)

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