Prefecture D (陰の季節[1], Kage no Kisetsu, "Season of Shadows") is a 1998 novella collection by Hideo Yokoyama, published by Bungeishunju. The English translation, by Jonathan Lloyd-Davies, was published by the MCD imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2020.
There are four novellas in the collection:
- "Season of Shadows" (陰の季節)
- "Cry of the Earth" (地の声)
- "Black Lines" (黒い線)
- "Briefcase" (鞄)
The novellas take place in "Prefecture D", which itself is not specified. Paul Sedan of The Christian Science Monitor argued that it would likely be "one in a mountainous location in the middle of the country."[2] They focus more on day-to-day business of the police agency of that fictional prefecture, including personal conflicts.[3] Kirkus Reviews stated that "politics" rather than "mayhem" is the focus.[4]
Background
editReception
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2024) |
Sedan argued that the work has "attention-grabbing prose" and that the translator did "a yeoman’s job here."[2]
Publishers Weekly stated that the book is "disappointing", arguing that the resolutions "are largely anticlimactic" and that the characters are not "memorable".[5]
See also
editOther works by Yokoyama:
References
edit- ^ "Prefecture D - by Hideo Yokoyama (Paperback)". Target Stores. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
About the Book "Originally published [...] (Season of shadows)"--Copyright page.
- ^ a b c Sedan, Paul (2020-11-17). "The intricate inner workings of a Japanese police department". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Ulin, David L. (2020-11-12). "Review: Bureaucracy noir? Japanese novellas wring soulful suspense out of cop office politics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ "Prefecture D". Kirkus Reviews. 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ "Prefecture D: Novellas". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
External links
edit- Prefecture D - Macmillan Publishers
- Kage no Kisetsu - Bungeishunju (in Japanese)
- Kage no Kisetsu - Bungeishunju (in Japanese)