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Edogawa Rampo
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Paul wrote: "Dear all - it kind of looks like this author's name is the wrong way roundhttp://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Books give Edogawa Rampo but GR is showing the name as Rampo Edogawa. "
It isn't clear which is the correct way to write his name. "Edogawa Rampo" has 98k hits, "Edogawa Ranpo" has 97k, "Rampo Edogawa" has 28k, and finally "Ranpo Edogawa" has 25k, not exactly definitive.
There is or rather was an existing profile for "Edogawa Rampo" and another for "Ranpo Edogawa" both of which have now gone.
And this thread:
www.goodreads.com/topic/show/910690-e...
thanks, librarians! I know I can always rely on you, however arcane the question is.
Just as a note, the reason for this confusion is because of Japanese naming conventions. In Japan the Family name comes first, so Rampo Edogawa would be the correct form, but usually translated works are brought into line with western conventions. I have several books by Soseki Natsume and one by Natsume Soseki, though, so there are those who think we should stick to their terms.
Concerning the "Ranpo" and "Rampo" confusion, I think the correct version is "Edogawa Ranpo", because the author's name - a pen name - was meant as a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe, transcribed to the "japanese" way of pronouncing it: Edogawa Ranpo = Edoga Waran Po = Edgar Allan Poe, therefore, the name should be written with an n, not m.
Just to throw a spanner int your works, I had a couple of anthologies which included two stories from this guy and they spelled his name Rampo.this was one of them
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...
Ranpo EdogawaRampo Edogawa
Edogawa Rampo
Edogawa Ranpo
Hmmmm
Mod
rivka wrote: "Ranpo Edogawa is preferred by LoC, our usual final arbiter is such cases."Hmmm. LoC mentions Edogada, Rampo which would signify first name "Rampo", last name "Edogada". So, like any other Japanese author (e.g. Akutagawa), the entry for Edogada Rampo should be changed into Rampo Edogada.
The author took his name from "Edgar Allan Poe" so whichever version of Ranpo/Rampo we go with the Edogawa part is likely to be first.
Banjomike wrote: "The author took his name from "Edgar Allan Poe" so whichever version of Ranpo/Rampo we go with the Edogawa part is likely to be first."No. Look at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13... which shows clearly the family name EDOGAWA capitalized.
The French Wikipedia entry leaves no doubt (wikipedia.org/wiki/Edogawa_Ranpo), nor do all the other languages which I can read (German, Italian, Spanish) - they all have all Japanese names first European style [first/last], then Japanese sign language, then translated from Japanese [last/first].
And have a look in the Library of Congress, which refers to him as "Edogawa, Rampo" like "Miller, Henry".
Yes it is a pseudonym, yes it derives from E.A.Poe, but it is still structured as last name/first name. Sorting of ALL Japanese authors in Goodreads is based on last name, so why should Edogawa be sorted on his first name Ranpo/Rampo?
Sorting on Goodreads is nearly always a bit weird.Profile names regularly get edited according to whatever desires the editor has. Until Goodreads comes up with a way of locking a record there is nothing that can be done to stop such changes.
Forgetting about the Rampo/Ranpo argument, the Wikipedia page you link to has "better known by the pseudonym Edogawa Ranpo", the Japanese characters say "Edogawa Ranpo" 江戸川 乱歩 with Edogawa (江戸川) first then Ranpo/Rampo (乱歩). I think Ranpo and Rampo would be the same characters but they still have Edogawa first. It is a pseudonym not a true Japanese family name.
I own this edition of his works:
http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/books...
The publisher is based in Tokyo AND the USA and has no problems referring to the author as Edogawa Rampo.
I think Ranpo and Rampo would be the same characters but they still have Edogawa first.They have Edogawa first, because in Japan, they have always the principal name [last name] first, followed by the [first name]. That is a rule. In Japan, the would call "Henry Miller" "Miller Henry".
Therefore, we Western barbarians switch all Japanese names around to have the familiar "Western style" of [first name] followed by [last name].
So, the Japanese "Kurosawa Akira" becomes the Westernized "Akira Kurosawa", the Japanese "Imamura Akitsune" becomes "Akitsune Imamura" etc etc etc...
As the only possible consequence, the Japanese "Edogawa Rampo" (regardless of pseudonym or not) needs to become a Westernized "Rampo Edogawa". Or Ranpo, which is beside the point.
OK, based on the facts I reverted Graham's change and notified Paul and Graham (#1 and #2).Edogawa Rampo is Rampo Edogawa (again).
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Books give Edogawa Rampo but GR is showing the name as Rampo Edogawa.