The Resurrection Fireplace

The Resurrection Fireplace is an intriguingly plotted crime mystery which makes full and inspired use of its Georgian London setting. Minagawa shows us the overcrowded city in all her shameful glory and at times I felt as though London's character was more strongly portrayed than those of our sleuths. There are a few more central roles than I thought necessary, particularly in Daniel Barton's five students, three of whom never really rose from the page. However I loved the character of Barton himself - scientifically brilliant, but with limited knowledge of the everyday - and the depictions of magistrate John Fielding's using his blindness as an aide rather than a handicap added a memorably unusual element to the story. John Fielding did actually exist in real life and he and his brother's founding of the Bow Street Runners is referenced in depth. Minagawa does step aside from her story from time to time to impart historical knowledge to her readers which unfortunately I found distracting. The information itself was interesting, but the jumps from being within a historical setting to looking back at history took me out of the atmosphere.

The mystery narrative itself is wonderfully convoluted encompassing the scandals and passions of the day from political intrigues to family secrets. We are led by clues and red herrings all over the city into coffeehouses and pubs, tearooms and private homes. The infamous Newgate prison was particularly harrowing to read about, even more so than autopsy and dissection details of which there are lots (this isn't a novel for particularly squeamish readers). There is so much within The Resurrection Fireplace to make it a great story - plus that gorgeous cover art! - but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I loved the setting and the whole glorious swirl of London life, but I never quite felt as though I was in step with the mystery elements. Perhaps I wasn't concentrating enough, but even when I finally knew the resolution, I still couldn't quite get everything to fit. It's exasperating! The Resurrection Fireplace may turn out to be one of those rare beasts - a book I shall read twice!

The Resurrection Fireplace by Hiroko Minagawa, Translation by Matt Trayvaud

In 18th Century London, a group of anatomy students and their professor get caught up in murder, fraud, and confusion as deception piles on deception in this whirlwind mystery.

This is far and away one of the most intricate, convoluted plots I've read in recent years. There are lies within lies, plots within plots, and crimes both real and imagined. The villains are revealed, then changed, and finally, when all is made clear, the light comes on and you realize the clues were there all along... Or were they?

It's a trip, and one well worth taking.

This is the rare Japanese novel that doesn't revel in its Japanese-ness. It does a wonderful job of evoking the grime, corruption and class heirarchy of Georgian London without exoticizing it, although there are certain times with the exposition of cultural norms can feel heavy for people familiar with the setting (as most Japanese audiences definitely aren't).

The overall pace is smooth and fast, and the characters are well-drawn. The misery of the underclass is played out without pandering, as well. I quite enjoyed the irreverence of the anatomy students at their grisly work, but there are definitely sections that might turn off the squeamish. The violence is not gratuitous, but anatomists in 1700s London dealt in rotting flesh and death. It's not pretty.

I will say that the last section, where everything was tied together, felt a bit rushed and entirely over-complicated, but it seems to fit the overall tone of the story well. I was genuinely taken by surprise by one or two turns, but it was not confusing at all.

Let me say one thing about the translation: This was masterful. I am a professional translator of Japanese to English, and the mere thought of some of the challenges this book brought (the use of original Middle English poetry?! Translated from Japanese?! Holy moly...) makes me dizzy. The language is natural, and the characters have clear voices, and the translation never gets in your face as "translation." It's outstanding.