Strange Pictures
By Uketsu
Review by Sophie
Curiouser and curiouser… that was about my thinking when I picked up this unassuming little book. I ended up finishing it in two days, and I have to say it definitely lived up to its strange name. Strange Pictures utilises illustration as a narrative device, pulling the reader further into the fabric of the story in an unsettling way. Each chapter introduces a new image to ponder, and a tale independent from the last. Or so it seems.
While unclear how much is lost in translation from the original Japanese, the prose has this almost detached tone to it which – combined with the seemingly harmless imagery – lends itself remarkably well to the sinister web at the heart of the book. For fans of psychological thriller and horror, or for anyone wanting a unique mystery read.
