The Rope Artist

Modern Japanese noir has been a style that many readers have found difficult to digest with its wide-ranging plots, tangents off the main storyline, and a fascination with sexual needs outside of the mainstream. All of those ring true in this book. While most noir stories have a minimal plot to discuss larger social constructs, the plot of this book is even less important. While there is a murder, detectives are assigned to the case, and a suspect is sought. The main point of the book is to explore the seedy underworld of sexual practices in Japanese society. Exploring the role of how the oppression of one’s desire can often lead to issues in society later down the line. Both detectives have their roles to play, with the young detective getting sucked into a world, literally and figuratively, which will transform him and his life. Many readers will find this book difficult to follow and keep up with. There is not much discussion of the case or chasing of suspects. It moves at a fairly methodical pace and is geared toward people who already like this type of fiction.