Dangerous fairy tales

Author: [Japan] Takao Katō
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: "Why is the old woman's gaze so terrifying?" "That's because she's going to kill you!" The psychological world that shifts unconsciously depicts the violent impulses of human nature. A man who meets his classmates after 40 years readily lends 15 million yen to him—why? A man who marries a lazy woman, what is the last job he does for her? Amidst the depiction of ordinary life, it conveys the irrational loss and corruption. The content of Takao Katō's novels has a mysterious hue. In the world, there is much more that we don't know than what we do know. Is death the end of life? Does nature possess mysterious powers? Is there telepathy between heaven and earth? This seems to be a question that writers who focus on portraying human beings would not explore. However, some mysterious, bizarre, and suspenseful short stories often become the for writers to express their understanding and perception of society, life, and life phenomena. I feel that Takao Katō seems to have been influenced by the supernatural horror novels that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the West, dedicating himself to cultivating the "strange" flower in the soil of mysterious, bizarre, and suspenseful life. Many of his works are filled with a supernatural and irrational force, such as Falling Cherry Blossoms and Snow, The Scent of Death, The Refreshing Eyes, The Study of Prophecies, and The Unbelievable Sounds. These works tell us that beyond the world of human life, there exists something intangible, omnipresent, and all-knowing, which controls, influences, and participates in our lives. The more realistic the works are, the more they create a mysterious and oppressive, tense and terrifying atmosphere, making readers' heads tingle, their backs sweat, and feel breathless. Writing supernatural forces with such charm is a success for Takao Katō!