Strange Pictures or strange book?

I recently finished reading Strange Pictures after seeing it on my fyp for a while. It was definitely an interesting book, although I found it pretty confusing at times. The author, Uketsu, is an anonymous Japanese horror and mystery writer whose identity remains unknown. The English translator for this novel was done by Jim Rion. Uketsu has written four stand-alone novels: Strange Houses, Strange Pictures, Strange Buildings, and Strange Maps. These were published in that order, and the first three currently have English translations. 

I first started reading Uketsu’s works with Strange Houses. Although I read most of it, I eventually gave up near the end because I found it difficult to follow. The novel heavily focuses on analyzing floor plans that connect to a murder mystery, but I had trouble keeping track of all the details and understanding the conclusions. It could still be enjoyable for readers who love complicated mysteries, but it definitely requires patience.  

Since this blog is mainly about Strange Pictures, I’ll focus on that instead. 

Like Strange Houses, this book was also challenging to read. The story is structured around four interconnected storylines, although it's hard to tell they are connected at first. In the final chapter, these storylines come together to solve the larger murder mystery. Each storyline centers around analyzing strange drawings created either by children or by people trying to leave behind hidden messages. I found some of the psychological clues within these drawings especially interesting. For example, one deceptively simple looking picture of a child standing next to a tree was interpreted as something else entirely. The tree’s spiky branches represented danger and protectiveness of the artist, while the bird inside the tree symbolized empathy  and motherly care towards a single person. This interpretation later became essential to solving the mystery.  

I think part of the reason this book was confusing was the fact that the narrators, the ones solving the mysteries, often came to conclusions very abruptly. Their thought processes were not always explained clearly, so many of the epiphanies felt sudden and difficult to follow. I struggled to understand how the characters connected certain clues to their final conclusions. 

Additionally, some of the hidden meanings in the drawings felt a little far-fetched to me. This may partly be because I do not know much about psychological picture analysis, but some interpretations still seemed unrealistic. For example, I found it difficult to believe that a drawing of a pregnant woman and an old woman could realistically reveal a slow murder through salt poisoning. Ironically enough, this hidden clue was part of a blog post! I also think the translation may contribute to some of the consumption. Since English is not the book’s original language, some details or cultural meanings may have a direct or clear translation. From my own experience speaking another language, I know that certain ideas simply cannot carry over perfectly into English. 

Overall, I would not strongly recommend this book unless you are willing to read slowly and carefully to fully understand everything. While the psychological symbolism and interconnected mysteries were interesting, I often found the story confusing, and it became somewhat repetitive near the end. Still, I can understand why Uketsu’s books are enjoyable for mystery novel lovers. 

I hope you liked my last blog post!

Lauren K