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松本清張短篇傑作選 上
本套短篇集是日本文藝春秋為了慶祝文庫版30週年所推出的紀念特別企劃，由日本暢銷作家宮部美幸擔任本套書的責任編輯。由有「松本清張的女兒」美譽的宮部美幸，親自挑選松本清張最具代表性的26個短篇推理，分成上中下三卷結集成冊，並邀請日本各作家、評論家，以及與松本清張合作過的出版社編輯，在書末提出對松本清張本人或其作品的感想。
松本清張短篇集（上）共收錄十篇經典作品：
一本森鷗外的手札，探訪小倉的鄉野生活－－《某「小倉日記」傳》
一場天災、一個誤會，造成一段無法彌補的遺憾－－《恐嚇者》
一樁家暴案的受害者，如何成為心狠手辣的加害者－－《等待一年半》
一份地方報紙、一個動機，牽扯出一宗案外案－－《買地方報紙的女人》
一名不斷被退稿的失意寫手，一個真實上演的江戶鬼故事－－《理外之理》
一段被遮掉的文字，揭開森鷗外神秘的感情世界－－《刪除的還原》
一個自以為是的「我」，如何犯下一樁超完美謀殺案－－《搜查圈外的條件》
一名落魄的天才畫匠，引發一場考驗人性的名畫之爭－－《真假森林》
松本清張短篇集（上）共收錄十篇經典作品：
一本森鷗外的手札，探訪小倉的鄉野生活－－《某「小倉日記」傳》
一場天災、一個誤會，造成一段無法彌補的遺憾－－《恐嚇者》
一樁家暴案的受害者，如何成為心狠手辣的加害者－－《等待一年半》
一份地方報紙、一個動機，牽扯出一宗案外案－－《買地方報紙的女人》
一名不斷被退稿的失意寫手，一個真實上演的江戶鬼故事－－《理外之理》
一段被遮掉的文字，揭開森鷗外神秘的感情世界－－《刪除的還原》
一個自以為是的「我」，如何犯下一樁超完美謀殺案－－《搜查圈外的條件》
一名落魄的天才畫匠，引發一場考驗人性的名畫之爭－－《真假森林》
- GenresShort Stories
504 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Seichō Matsumoto
591 books664 followersSeicho Matsumoto (松本清張, Matsumoto Seichō), December 21, 1909 – August 4, 1992) was a Japanese writer.
Matsumoto's works created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction. Dispensing with formulaic plot devices such as puzzles, Matsumoto incorporated elements of human psychology and ordinary life into his crime fiction. In particular, his works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nihilism that expanded the scope and further darkened the atmosphere of the genre. His exposé of corruption among police officials as well as criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society in which the crime was committed.
The self-educated Matsumoto did not see his first book in print until he was in his forties. He was a prolific author, he wrote until his death in 1992, producing in four decades more than 450 works. Matsumoto's mystery and detective fiction solidified his reputation as a writer at home and abroad. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction in addition to mystery/detective fiction.
He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970, as well as the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1957. He chaired the president of Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971.
Credited with popularizing the genre among readers in his country, Matsumoto became his nation's best-selling and highest earning author in the 1960s. His most acclaimed detective novels, including Ten to sen (1958; Points and Lines, 1970); Suna no utsuwa (1961; Inspector Imanishi Investigates, 1989) and Kiri no hata (1961; Pro Bono, 2012), have been translated into a number of languages, including English.
He collaborated with film director Yoshitarō Nomura on adaptations of eight of his novels to film, including Castle of Sand.
Matsumoto's works created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction. Dispensing with formulaic plot devices such as puzzles, Matsumoto incorporated elements of human psychology and ordinary life into his crime fiction. In particular, his works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nihilism that expanded the scope and further darkened the atmosphere of the genre. His exposé of corruption among police officials as well as criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society in which the crime was committed.
The self-educated Matsumoto did not see his first book in print until he was in his forties. He was a prolific author, he wrote until his death in 1992, producing in four decades more than 450 works. Matsumoto's mystery and detective fiction solidified his reputation as a writer at home and abroad. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction in addition to mystery/detective fiction.
He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970, as well as the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1957. He chaired the president of Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971.
Credited with popularizing the genre among readers in his country, Matsumoto became his nation's best-selling and highest earning author in the 1960s. His most acclaimed detective novels, including Ten to sen (1958; Points and Lines, 1970); Suna no utsuwa (1961; Inspector Imanishi Investigates, 1989) and Kiri no hata (1961; Pro Bono, 2012), have been translated into a number of languages, including English.
He collaborated with film director Yoshitarō Nomura on adaptations of eight of his novels to film, including Castle of Sand.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 18, 2025
This is first of a multi-volume series of Matsumoto Seicho's short stories, curated by Miyuki Miyabe, a popular Japanese crime fiction writer. The series would be best enjoyed by newbie Matsumoto fans who have yet to read the master's most notable works while occasionally enjoying the lesser known gems.
My ratings of individual stories
From ch.1, "The Origins of the Master":
- "The Legend of the Kokura Diary" 「或る『小倉日記』伝」: 5/5 stars. The 1952 Akutagawa Prize winner. Despite all the specificities in the story---the son's disability and the lost diary of Mori Ōgai---any reader who can feel anything can relate to the protagonist's emotional ups and downs as he tries to trace the footprints of his literary idol. The project will have become personal to the reader that by the time you get to the last line of story.
- "The Blackmailer [my translation]"「恐喝者」: 2/5 stars. Forgettable.
From ch.2, "[Miyuki Miyabe's] Favorites":
- "Wait a Year and a Half" 「一年半待て」: 3/5 stars. A crime fiction that uses double jeopardy as a device.
- "The Woman Who Took the Local Paper"「地方紙を買う女」: 4/5 stars. A stalker accidentally solves a murder.
- "An Unnatural Phenomenon [my translation]"「理外の理」: 4/5 stars. Reminded me of "The Dancing Dwarf" (踊る一寸法師) by Edogawa Rampo.
- "Restoration of Deletion [my translation]"「削除の復元」: 6/5 stars. Another story that deals with Mori Ōgai's time in Kokura but traffics in a completely different set of questions. I'm glad that I was able to read this story in the same collection with "The Legend of the Kokura Diary."
From ch.3, "Hearing the Music, Seeing the Picture":
- "Beyond All Suspicion" 「捜索圏外の条件」: 4/5 stars. It probably wasn't meant to be funny, but I chuckled at the ending.
- "The Forest of Real and Fake [my translation]" 「真贋の森」: 7/5 stars. The story itself is interesting---a downtrodden art scholar plots to throw the art academia into chaos by training a painter to paint a forgery to get it appraised by his more successful but untalented former colleagues---but I was more fascinated by the shady aspects of Japanese painting market.
From ch.4, "Has the Black Fog over Japan Been Lifted?"
- "February 26 incident: from Unearthing the Showa Period" : unrated. I couldn't rate this chapter properly because this section is an assembly of excerpts from the original and did not read as a coherent, stand-alone piece. I assume Miyabe was facing page number restrictions and couldn't put in everything she wanted to, but her introduction could have covered some of the critical prerequisite knowledge such as the difference and the makeup of the military factions.
- "Banishment and the Red Purge: from The Black Fog Over Japan" : 3/5 stars. The title refers to the two waves of personnel purges orderd by the General Headquarters during the US occupation of Japan, one that targeted the right-wing faction that supported and orchestrated Japan's military expansion into Asia and the other directed at communists and socialists, the very people who opposed the first group.
My ratings of individual stories
From ch.1, "The Origins of the Master":
- "The Legend of the Kokura Diary" 「或る『小倉日記』伝」: 5/5 stars. The 1952 Akutagawa Prize winner. Despite all the specificities in the story---the son's disability and the lost diary of Mori Ōgai---any reader who can feel anything can relate to the protagonist's emotional ups and downs as he tries to trace the footprints of his literary idol. The project will have become personal to the reader that by the time you get to the last line of story.
- "The Blackmailer [my translation]"「恐喝者」: 2/5 stars. Forgettable.
From ch.2, "[Miyuki Miyabe's] Favorites":
- "Wait a Year and a Half" 「一年半待て」: 3/5 stars. A crime fiction that uses double jeopardy as a device.
- "The Woman Who Took the Local Paper"「地方紙を買う女」: 4/5 stars. A stalker accidentally solves a murder.
- "An Unnatural Phenomenon [my translation]"「理外の理」: 4/5 stars. Reminded me of "The Dancing Dwarf" (踊る一寸法師) by Edogawa Rampo.
- "Restoration of Deletion [my translation]"「削除の復元」: 6/5 stars. Another story that deals with Mori Ōgai's time in Kokura but traffics in a completely different set of questions. I'm glad that I was able to read this story in the same collection with "The Legend of the Kokura Diary."
From ch.3, "Hearing the Music, Seeing the Picture":
- "Beyond All Suspicion" 「捜索圏外の条件」: 4/5 stars. It probably wasn't meant to be funny, but I chuckled at the ending.
- "The Forest of Real and Fake [my translation]" 「真贋の森」: 7/5 stars. The story itself is interesting---a downtrodden art scholar plots to throw the art academia into chaos by training a painter to paint a forgery to get it appraised by his more successful but untalented former colleagues---but I was more fascinated by the shady aspects of Japanese painting market.
From ch.4, "Has the Black Fog over Japan Been Lifted?"
- "February 26 incident: from Unearthing the Showa Period" : unrated. I couldn't rate this chapter properly because this section is an assembly of excerpts from the original and did not read as a coherent, stand-alone piece. I assume Miyabe was facing page number restrictions and couldn't put in everything she wanted to, but her introduction could have covered some of the critical prerequisite knowledge such as the difference and the makeup of the military factions.
- "Banishment and the Red Purge: from The Black Fog Over Japan" : 3/5 stars. The title refers to the two waves of personnel purges orderd by the General Headquarters during the US occupation of Japan, one that targeted the right-wing faction that supported and orchestrated Japan's military expansion into Asia and the other directed at communists and socialists, the very people who opposed the first group.
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July 8, 2023终于读到一本喜欢的松本清张。还是认为他不会写推理，但短篇允许他只写小说。
August 13, 2011
今まで松本清張の「ま」も知れなかったくせに、知ってるように思い込んでました。宮部さん、ごめんなさい。
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February 15, 2023印象中是一部虎头蛇尾的作品：开头打了四星，某一段打了五星，85%之后再也没有看过……
今天快速地翻了下后边，确信自己不会再看！886！
今天快速地翻了下后边，确信自己不会再看！886！
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews