conclusion
I felt that this work is not something I would strongly recommend to someone who has never read any of Kotaro Isaka's works before.
However, the typical talkative character that often appears in Kotaro Isaka's works does make an appearance, so you should be able to get a feel for the atmosphere.
Also, I think it's a work that fans of the author will enjoy without any problems.
If you're wondering whether to read it, I'd say: if you're a fan, buy it; if not, skip it; if this is your first time reading Kotaro Isaka, either way is fine.
(This is purely my personal opinion.)
Preface
This work does not belong to the so-called "mystery" genre.
However, since there is a "mystery" that drives the story and a "culprit" who brings it about, it could be called a mystery in a broad sense.
I wrote "the culprit," but this doesn't mean someone who has directly committed a crime.
It means the person who creates the "mystery" that drives the story forward.
The scene in the latter half of the story where the mystery is revealed is just like the resolution in a detective novel.
The first clear mystery in this work is, "Why would Kawasaki go to the trouble of raiding a bookstore just for the Kojien dictionary?"
Seeing how strongly Kawasaki's character is portrayed, you might be tempted to think, "Well, that's just Kawasaki, so what can you expect?"
However, I think the author's skill lies in making the reader think that way.
It's unlikely that someone would commit robbery just to get their hands on a copy of the Kojien dictionary.
This suggests there might be another purpose, but I don't think it's possible for the reader to deduce this through reasoning.
Review (contains spoilers)
To put it very simply, it's a story about taking revenge on the person who drove a woman he was close to to her death.
It's more accurate to say that the protagonist, Shiina, gets caught up in the story of the three main characters.
A common pattern in Kotaro Isaka's works is that a relatively sensible protagonist becomes acquainted with an eccentric character (in this case, "Kawasaki") and gets involved in a series of events.
This work follows that pattern perfectly, and while it felt familiar, it had a reassuring structure.
I think the appeal of Isaka's works lies in the witty exchanges between these unique characters.
It takes words we use casually every day as its subject matter and highlights meanings we hadn't consciously considered.
For example, Kawasaki said to someone attending an art university"The idea that 'art' is written with the characters for 'beautiful technique' is quite good."That's the scene.
It's true that we use these compound words without much thought, but I'd never broken them down and considered them in this way before, so I found it quite insightful.
Shiina was also invited to join the lacrosse club."Not knowing whether it will be easy or difficult is a bit of a problem."The moment when, immediately after getting through that, someone approaches you saying, "You're good," and invites you to join the rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) club, is sure to make you chuckle.
These kinds of wordplays can be found throughout the book, and as you read, you get the illusion that your own sense of humor is being honed.
The technique used in this work is what is known as a narrative trick.
The point is that the person we thought was Kawasaki in the "modern era" is actually not Kawasaki, but Dorji.
I was certainly surprised when it was revealed.
However, one thing that puzzles me is the necessity of Dorji impersonating Kawasaki.
Is there anything that wouldn't work if Dorji didn't impersonate Kawasaki? The answer is no.
If I had to give a reason, it would be that when luring Shiina into the attack, they steal the Kojien dictionary to give as a gift to a foreign student.
However, this reason is weak because it can be easily justified by changing the book you're targeting.
Since this work is not a pure mystery novel, perhaps demanding a sense of inevitability in this way is uncouth when it comes to enjoying Isaka's world.
However, without a compelling reason for Dorji to impersonate Kawasaki, it inevitably feels like a trick designed to surprise the reader, bringing them back to reality.
It might be an expression of how much Dorji admired Kawasaki, but it didn't quite sit right with me.
Regarding the title, it suddenly appears at the very end, making it feel like a forced, afterthought.
Overall, I think Kotomi, Kawasaki, and Dorji probably all died, and it's not a very cheerful story.
However, despite some parts that didn't quite sit right with me, I was still able to enjoy reading it, so I'm glad about that.
The works I introduced are here.
Rakuten Market: アヒルと鴨のコインロッカー（楽天ブックス）