Strange Pictures is my second read by mysterious Japanese author, Uketsu. The other was Strange Houses and, as you might be able to tell from the similar titles, they follow a similar narrative structure. In Strange Pictures the narrator analyses drawings to give clues to the story and in Strange Houses, it was unusual floorplans.
Opening sentence: The professor, Dr Tomiko Hagio, stuck a sheet of paper onto the university classroom blackboard.
A unique take
I really like books that give a fresh spin to storytelling. As well as the picture analysis giving a unique way to deliver story clues, Strange Pictures actually uses a triple timeline to tell its story too. The way all the plots are woven together is very clever.
It starts with a student reading a blog – Oh No, Not Raku! – that then opens up to a very interesting and sinister back story involving a family.
‘It’s called Oh No, Not Raku! A t first glance, it seems perfectly normal, but there’s something there. Something strange about it. I can guarantee a chill, at the very least, so do give it a read.’
As the saying goes, pictures say a thousand words and it was very impressive how the pictures clues were woven into this story and how they all came together in the end.
I would just say, as I also found in Strange Houses, some of the narrative leaps are a bit wild and far-fetched, so for me, that does take away from the flow a bit and make the overall story lose credibility a little.
That aside, I really enjoyed Strange Pictures and do recommend if you’re looking for a clever, entertaining read.
- Get your copy of Strange Pictures here;
- Published by Pushkin Press 2025;
- Translated from Japanese by Jim Rion;
- 240 pages;
- Book review rating:
Books on the 7:47 
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