書けない探偵小説The Unwritable Detective Story

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What you'll learn

The writer daydreams about writing a perfect detective novel, starting with a flashy car scene and a possible corpse, then moves through a series of increasingly absurd plot ideas involving murder, disguise, and historical figures like Trotsky and Lenin. The chapter ends with the writer realizing none of his ideas qualify as true detective fiction, only psychological fairy tales.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～たとたん（に） N1Just as soon as; the instant that. Describes a sudden change or happening immediately after an action.
  と思うトタンに胸がドキンドキンとする。
• ～かどうか N4Whether or not. Used to express uncertainty about something.
  ソンナ探偵小説が書けないものであろうか。
• ～ではないだろうか N2Isn't it that...? A rhetorical question expressing the speaker's conjecture or suggestion.
  日本では書けないだろうか。
• ～ように N3Like; as if; in order to. Used for comparison, purpose, or similarity.
  素人探偵を装って屍体を発見する。

Cultural notes

• 丸髷 (Marumage)A traditional Japanese hairstyle worn by married women, characterized by a round, looped topknot. It was fashionable during the Edo period and often associated with geisha or women of higher status. In the text, it's used in a flashy, theatrical context.
• 火葬場と隠亡 (Crematorium and Onbō)Onbō were workers at crematoriums, often considered low-status in feudal Japan. They were sometimes depicted as grim figures in literature. Here, a hunchbacked onbō becomes a thriller protagonist, reflecting a dark, sensationalist trope.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storymysterycrimecreativitydarkphilosophicalaozora bunko〜かどうかka dou ka · whether or notようにyou ni · so that / in order to