I worked late today. I joined the daily English Zoom meeting this morning, and after that, I went to AEON to spend my time doing a morning activity. I chose Hikaru Okuizumi's mystery book "The 'I am a Cat' Murder Case [奥泉光『「吾輩は猫である」殺人事件』]", which is a sort of parody based on a legendary Japanese novelist Souseki Natsume's work "I am a Cat". Even though I rarely read this kind of mystery book, I could enter this novel's elegant style of trying to "copy" or "realize" Souseki's world onto its pages.
Definitely, I have forgotten THIS taste any mystery book can have... Recently, I just enjoyed theoretical/logical nonfiction books (especially philosophical books), so I can enjoy this Okuizumi's provoking novel world very well. How about I would try to enjoy mystery books more and more? Or, after enjoying this Okuizumi's book, I would be able to choose Souseki's evergreen masterpieces. Also, I thought that I could have a new presentation on the coming Thursday about these novels, especially Souseki's ones.
Once, as a college student (or a little bit later after graduation), I wished to become a pro-author. I enjoyed this Okuizumi's marvelous mystery novel, and also explored other Japanese mystery novels. I even tried to write my original short mystery novel, even though in there no murder, no tragedy happens actually (only, a miscommunication happens. What a silly one!). At that time, even though I could have adored Souseki and Okuizumi because of their cleverness or brainy talents, I could write nothing actually because I had been too cowardly. I had to wait for the time I would be able to meet my current friends who gave me the courage to start mine.
Although my point of literature view can be distorted, I choose to write: For me, this Okuizumi's mystery novel shows how the situation of this novel Shanghai was literally an international place where various unique "cats (yes, in this novel the characters are not human beings but cats)" try to exchange their opinions and also appeal their uniqueness. How about Souseki's world? He must have been also a cosmopolitan who could be fluent in English, and therefore could see this world clearly? Oh, what a strange beginning of the new year!
