Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination

I can't put into words how great this book is. It's literally just so intriguing, you wouldn't want to put it down till you finish one story. 10/10 for sure.

I am a huge Japanophile and a lover of dark tales of mystery and I found that this book is the best of both worlds. After reading these stories, I pulled out my dusty old collection of Poe stories and started reading them all over. The translations are excellent (despite a few questionable spellings) and the overall feel of the novel is very Poe-esque (undoubtedly because Edogawa Ranpo, himself, assisted the translator in the creation of this collection).While a few reviewers have criticized Edogawa Ranpo for his stories lacking Poe's feel for the dark horror novel, one must know that Edogawa Ranpo is regarded as the father of the Japanese MYSTERY novel, not horror. So, for anyone hoping to get a good scare from this book, you will be let down.But, with that said, the stories are wonderful and I, quite honestly, would have forgotten that the stories were set in Japan if not for character names. A beautiful collection of dark mysteries that would please fans of Poe's "The Purloined Letter" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," but not necessarily fans of "The Pit and the Pendulum."I highly recommend this book to fans of Japanese literature, those who like the "Kindaichi Case Files" (Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo) and fans of a good mystery.

Got this for a family member for Christmas. This was on his wanted list. He said he loved the book and was happy to have it.

Creepy and atmospheric, "Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination" partakes deeply of Poe's work and not quite enough of the author's culture and experiences. In my eyes, only one story (about the human caterpillar) added original elements to the background of 19th century horror. However, this homage is excellent for what it is, just perfect for curling up in a large chair in a candlelit room with several mirrors on a stormy night.

It has some of his best short stories, The Human Chair, The Caterpillar. Erotica,grotesque nonsense, is a great Era of literature for Japan that arose in the decades following WW2. It is Definitely worth a read for the stories as well as a glimpse into where literature was in Postwar Japan.

I've heard great things about this author. This anthology of translations did not disappoint. Great selection of stories; They're all solid.

Thoroughly enjoyable read if you like anything written by Edgar Allan Poe or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.Tarō Hirai, the actual author of the book, was a great admirer of Poe (along with Doyle) and used 'Edogawa Rampo' as his pen name and nod towards the famous western author.The tales within this book incorporate the very same elements of mystery, intrigue, the bizarre, and the grotesque commonly found in Poe's works. If you enjoy stories of this nature the you'll love this collection. 'The Human Chair' is one of my favourites!

good

I was surprised with how witty this collection of stories was, for the time period it was written.The stories included are simultaneously shocking, hilarious and gripping. A few of them will really sit with you long after you've read them.Well worth reading if you enjoy psychologically creepy tales.

Great book. I originally bought because I read that Junji Ito admired Rampo. After reading this 2 years ago, I still can't stop thinking about it. The only advice I can give is to read this book!

Very interesting weird tales

Quirky short stories. Very much enjoyed the author’s style

not quite finished it yet ( on the last story) but so far I've very much enjoyed it. Japanese stories are the best!