Book Review by LV of Land&EDIFICE
STRANGE BUILDINGS
by Uketsu
Translated by Jim Rion
*Warning: Contains Spoilers*
"However, I will say that unlike Strange Pictures, where the connections between stories felt forced, the connections here made more sense and felt better planned."
This is the third book in the Strange series by Uketsu. While it is a direct follow-up to Strange Houses, it follows the same structure as Strange Pictures: different stories that eventually turn out to be connected to one another.
Strange Buildings follows the characters we already know: Uketsu and his friend Kurihara. In this story, Uketsu investigates 11 files he received from readers of his recently published book, Strange Houses. Each file contains different oddities, but they all revolve around the same mystery: the structure of the houses. As Uketsu goes through each file, he attempts to solve the mystery behind the strange architecture of the buildings involved.
I was so excited for the release of this book that I even pre-ordered a copy from a well-known bookstore. My first reaction upon receiving it was that it is much thicker than its two predecessors. It seems like the author is going grander in scope with each installment. It’s no surprise, then, that the next book in the series is titled Strange Maps.
After finishing the book, I can say it was a good read. The first eleven chapters were dedicated to each individual file, and for me, that was the best part of the book. Sadly, while the chapter dedicated to Kurihara’s deductions was entertaining, it was also disappointing. It felt as though many of the things we learned in the files didn't actually matter. However, I will say that unlike Strange Pictures, where the connections between stories felt forced, the connections here made more sense and felt better planned.
*Spoiler starts here*
Despite the enticing setup, I didn't think the ending was worth it. They seemed to make a villain out of someone who was barely mentioned in the files. In my opinion, the true villain of the story was none other than the Holy Mother. She allowed her child to be sexually abused by the Yakuza—of course the daughter is going to develop animosity toward her mother!
What I do like about this book is that it touches on an important socio-political topic: religion. It shows how a person blinded by faith can end up with their life in smoke—literally. Instead of coming clean and acknowledging their wrongdoings, the characters find refuge in a cult that, in turn, takes advantage of their weak-mindedness.
Another weak point is that the book is not as scary as its predecessors. Strange Pictures terrified me visually because of the eerie quality of the images. Meanwhile, Strange Houses was bloodcurdling because of the vivid, wild imagination it sparked as I read. In fact, I would say Strange Houses was the scariest of the three because it used a very effective method: the fear of the unknown.
Sadly, while Strange Buildings felt like a combination of both styles, it failed to deliver. This was primarily because the investigation takes place after the fact; the horrifying things have already happened, so there is nothing left to be scared of. The murders are over and the religious congregation has already been dismantled. I didn't feel the same dread I did with Strange Houses, which left me afraid to be alone for a while. The only chapter that really terrified me was "The House Where It Happened."
Moreover, contrary to the title, the stories didn't really have much to do with "buildings" per se, but rather houses—with the exception of the Hall of Rebirth and the Watermill. I was hoping they would uncover strange occurrences in high-rise buildings, but there were none.
One thing this book got right, though, was the surprise twist regarding the truth of the escort services. It was good that this wasn't revealed immediately, as it shook things up a bit. However, it wasn't enough to save the ending.
Overall, I would still recommend this book, especially to those who loved Uketsu’s first two works. While it isn’t the strongest of the three, it is a refreshing and entertaining read. There’s a reason this series remains so popular: the books follow a formula people love by making the "normal" seem very strange.
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