Title: In the Woods
Author: Ryunosuke Akutagawa (translated and retold by Michael Brase)
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (1)
Summary:
One day, in a thicket a dead body of a man was found. Concerning the body, seven people testified what they saw there, but their words are slightly inconsistent with each other’s testimonies. First, the woodcutter told the circumstance around the dead body. Second, the traveling monk said that he saw the man walking toward Sekiyama together with a woman on a horse. Third, the bounty hunter spoke the story about the suspect who killed the man. Fourth, the woman’s mother talked about what feature her daughter had and what person she and he were. Following these, the suspect, the woman, and the dead man through a medium witnessed to having seen what happened then. The story suddenly becomes exciting at this point, because testimonies of these three people were in complicated conflicts. The suspect says that he killed the man as the result of fair battle. The woman says that she killed her husband and tried to die together, but she failed in any method. Moreover, the man through a medium says that he committed suicide…
Evaluation: 3stars
It was not boring, but also not so interesting, I thought. The reason why I decided to read this book was that the summary on the back of the cover seemed really interesting. And now, I felt I had expected a little too much. To say more, I think it is perhaps better to read in the original language, Japanese, than in English, though I haven’t read it in Japanese. Because, expressed in English, witnesses of people seemed too suspicious unnecessarily for me.
2010年1月15日金曜日
Book 9 "The Man Who Planted Trees"
Title: The Man Who Planted Trees
Author: Jean Giono
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (5)
Summary:
The story is like memorials of a young man’s journey about a man who achieved a really magnificent work there. The narrator says at first; “For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years. If its guiding motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake.” He was taking a long trip on foot over mountain heights, where the Alps thrust down into Provence. In the midst of unparalleled desolation, he found himself at a loss, and had run out of water the day before. With no other choice, he continued to walk to somewhere. However, he glimpsed in the distance a small black silhouette, and of course, started toward it. It was a shepherd and thirty sheep. The man took him to his cottage, and gave a drink from a very deep natural well, above which she had constructed a primitive winch. He was living there alone, only with his some seep. He had been planting trees in the barren. He did his works with the greatest care, for example, to select good seeds, and to plant them. The land he planted trees was not his. Moreover, he didn’t even know whose it was. He supposed it was community property, or perhaps belonged to people who cared nothing about it. Anyway, he continued to plant trees, and after some decades the dried up land recovered moisture on its surface. There were also streams again. Everything was changed by the man, compared the sight the narrator saw before.
Evaluation: 5stars
Words used in this book was a little too difficult for me, so I read this twice to understand roughly. Nonetheless, This story moved me at heart. It is written like a true story that the author experienced really, but it’s not. Originally it was asked to write about the most unforgettable person who the author had met ever by a publishing, but he didn’t so, and this is not a real memorial. However, this wonderful story caused a big sensation firstly in America, and it is translated to about ten languages now. Though it is not nonfiction, it tells us the wonderfulness of the human who does a real great achievement.
Author: Jean Giono
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (5)
Summary:
The story is like memorials of a young man’s journey about a man who achieved a really magnificent work there. The narrator says at first; “For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years. If its guiding motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake.” He was taking a long trip on foot over mountain heights, where the Alps thrust down into Provence. In the midst of unparalleled desolation, he found himself at a loss, and had run out of water the day before. With no other choice, he continued to walk to somewhere. However, he glimpsed in the distance a small black silhouette, and of course, started toward it. It was a shepherd and thirty sheep. The man took him to his cottage, and gave a drink from a very deep natural well, above which she had constructed a primitive winch. He was living there alone, only with his some seep. He had been planting trees in the barren. He did his works with the greatest care, for example, to select good seeds, and to plant them. The land he planted trees was not his. Moreover, he didn’t even know whose it was. He supposed it was community property, or perhaps belonged to people who cared nothing about it. Anyway, he continued to plant trees, and after some decades the dried up land recovered moisture on its surface. There were also streams again. Everything was changed by the man, compared the sight the narrator saw before.
Evaluation: 5stars
Words used in this book was a little too difficult for me, so I read this twice to understand roughly. Nonetheless, This story moved me at heart. It is written like a true story that the author experienced really, but it’s not. Originally it was asked to write about the most unforgettable person who the author had met ever by a publishing, but he didn’t so, and this is not a real memorial. However, this wonderful story caused a big sensation firstly in America, and it is translated to about ten languages now. Though it is not nonfiction, it tells us the wonderfulness of the human who does a real great achievement.
Book 8 "The Trojan War"
Title: The Trojan War
Author: Thomas Bulfinch
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (4)
Summary:
In ancient Greece, humans and gods exist together. In such a world, something outrageous would happen. The story begins in this way: All the gods were invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis except for Eris, because she was the goddess of discord. This made Eris very angry so she threw a golden apple among the guests. On the apple, it was written that;” For the Fairest.” Of course, three beautiful goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athena claimed the apple. Zeus, Almighty God, was afraid to decide on such a delicate matter, so he sent these goddesses to Mount Ida, where the very handsome Paris, a shepherd, was watching his sheep. Three goddesses tried to make him to chose herself for the fairest: Hera promised him power and riches; Athena promised glory and fame in war; and Aphrodite promised him the fairest of women for his wife. Finally, Paris decided to give the golden apple to Aphrodite, thus he also made the other two goddesses feel fitter toward him. Aphrodite to fulfill her promise gave a woman as his wife who was really the fairest of all women, Helen. However, Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the king in the Greece. Otherwise, Paris was one of the sons of the king in the Troy. He carried Helen off to Troy, which was the cause of the famous Trojan War. Afterwards, many people, like Achilles, Odysseus and Hector, even more many gods and goddesses were involved in the war.
Evaluation: 3stars
As is often said to myths, it is always ridiculous, but it is also a good point of myths. Before you go to bed, it is fine to read because you may be able to sleep in a dramatic dream. However, in this story, the most impressive part was the first of “The Sailing of the Greek Fleet to Troy,” which was written about sincere loves among a couple. Compared to exaggerated behaviors of the gods, their true loves were impressive for me.
Author: Thomas Bulfinch
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (4)
Summary:
In ancient Greece, humans and gods exist together. In such a world, something outrageous would happen. The story begins in this way: All the gods were invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis except for Eris, because she was the goddess of discord. This made Eris very angry so she threw a golden apple among the guests. On the apple, it was written that;” For the Fairest.” Of course, three beautiful goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athena claimed the apple. Zeus, Almighty God, was afraid to decide on such a delicate matter, so he sent these goddesses to Mount Ida, where the very handsome Paris, a shepherd, was watching his sheep. Three goddesses tried to make him to chose herself for the fairest: Hera promised him power and riches; Athena promised glory and fame in war; and Aphrodite promised him the fairest of women for his wife. Finally, Paris decided to give the golden apple to Aphrodite, thus he also made the other two goddesses feel fitter toward him. Aphrodite to fulfill her promise gave a woman as his wife who was really the fairest of all women, Helen. However, Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the king in the Greece. Otherwise, Paris was one of the sons of the king in the Troy. He carried Helen off to Troy, which was the cause of the famous Trojan War. Afterwards, many people, like Achilles, Odysseus and Hector, even more many gods and goddesses were involved in the war.
Evaluation: 3stars
As is often said to myths, it is always ridiculous, but it is also a good point of myths. Before you go to bed, it is fine to read because you may be able to sleep in a dramatic dream. However, in this story, the most impressive part was the first of “The Sailing of the Greek Fleet to Troy,” which was written about sincere loves among a couple. Compared to exaggerated behaviors of the gods, their true loves were impressive for me.
2010年1月12日火曜日
Book 7 "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"
Title: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Author: Stevenson Robert Louis
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (4)
Summary:
The bad rumor about Mr. Hyde is circulating. That is say, he bumped into a little girl at the corner of the town, but he didn’t apologize, even more he stepped on the girl! The girl cried and the fuss became bigger. Mr. Hyde was claimed damages by her parents then and there. He recognized that, and paid by a cheque whose name was Dr Jekyll. The doctor is wall known for his good personality, fame, and great fortune. Thus, everybody felt it strange. Especially, the lawyer and the one of best friends of Dr Jekyll, Mr.Utterson were wondering it, because Hyde had been designated as his inheritance heir in accordance with his will. So, Mr.Utterson began to investigate something about Hyde, worring about Dr Jekyll. The more he searched, the more strange facts appeared. And then, the horrible news came suddenly from the houseworker of Dr Jekyll, that he seemed to be murdered by someone in his room and the criminal was still there. Mr.Utterson went to the house and listened to the voice sercretly from Dr Jekyll’s laboratory. In fact, the response to the houseworker from the person in the room was different from Dr Jekyll’s.
They were sure of Dr Jekyll’s death, and pried the locked door open and entered the room. However, there was only corpse of Hyde…
Evaluation: 4stars
The latter part, the confession by Dr Jekyll in a letter is most interesting part in this story. Because it doesn’t only show the truth of the story clearly, but also indicates dual personalities that we have more or less. You can read “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” in two good views as an entertainment and a study for complexity of human’s emotion.
Author: Stevenson Robert Louis
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (4)
Summary:
The bad rumor about Mr. Hyde is circulating. That is say, he bumped into a little girl at the corner of the town, but he didn’t apologize, even more he stepped on the girl! The girl cried and the fuss became bigger. Mr. Hyde was claimed damages by her parents then and there. He recognized that, and paid by a cheque whose name was Dr Jekyll. The doctor is wall known for his good personality, fame, and great fortune. Thus, everybody felt it strange. Especially, the lawyer and the one of best friends of Dr Jekyll, Mr.Utterson were wondering it, because Hyde had been designated as his inheritance heir in accordance with his will. So, Mr.Utterson began to investigate something about Hyde, worring about Dr Jekyll. The more he searched, the more strange facts appeared. And then, the horrible news came suddenly from the houseworker of Dr Jekyll, that he seemed to be murdered by someone in his room and the criminal was still there. Mr.Utterson went to the house and listened to the voice sercretly from Dr Jekyll’s laboratory. In fact, the response to the houseworker from the person in the room was different from Dr Jekyll’s.
They were sure of Dr Jekyll’s death, and pried the locked door open and entered the room. However, there was only corpse of Hyde…
Evaluation: 4stars
The latter part, the confession by Dr Jekyll in a letter is most interesting part in this story. Because it doesn’t only show the truth of the story clearly, but also indicates dual personalities that we have more or less. You can read “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” in two good views as an entertainment and a study for complexity of human’s emotion.
Book 6 "The Night of the Milky Way Train"
Title: The Night of the Milky Way Train
Author: Kenji Miyazawa (translated by Yoko Toyozaki and Stuart Varnam-Atkin)
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (2)
Summary:
I doubted at first how an air of fantasy in Kenji’s stories would be expressed in English, not in mother tongue. However, I started to read once, I felt on cloud nine at the dreamy and beautiful tale. The hero of this story, Giovanni is poor and teased about that by his classmates. Nonetheless, His chum, Campanella has spent good times with him really friendly. One day, the “star festival” day came. Many children go to a river to float their lantern, but Giovanni can’t do that because he was not able to prepare his lantern of poverty. On the way to a farm to get milk for his ill mother, he met some classmates and Campanella heading to a river. As usual classmates made fun of him, but at that time, even Campanella were laughing and didn’t speak up for him! Therefore, he ran away and reached the top of a hill. He cried silently there. At that time, a wonderful train came though there was no rail. He rode on the train, moreover Campanella also came. So, they began to go on a trip on the Milky Way Train! They enjoy many strange things on Milky Way, for instance, electric squirrels, golden apples, and a bird like a sugar. Giovanni feel happy being with Campanella, and says, “Let’s go on together, wherever, for ever and ever!” However, his trip came to the end suddenly. Campanella disappeared from the train after the moment he said, “there is my mother!” Giovanni cried again, and noticed that he lay on the hill alone. So, he was dreaming. But the story doesn’t end at this, end with a sorrow fact…
Evaluation: 5stars
The stage of this story is the Milky Way. Many imaginative things appear, and I like the eighth chapter “ The Bird-Catcher” especially. The bird-catcher’s work is to catch geese, snow herons, and cranes. Those birds melt down if they weren’t caught before landing on the Milky Way, and they tastes sweet and better than chocolate. Such beautiful and fantastic episode adds more brilliance to this story with a little sadness.
Author: Kenji Miyazawa (translated by Yoko Toyozaki and Stuart Varnam-Atkin)
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (2)
Summary:
I doubted at first how an air of fantasy in Kenji’s stories would be expressed in English, not in mother tongue. However, I started to read once, I felt on cloud nine at the dreamy and beautiful tale. The hero of this story, Giovanni is poor and teased about that by his classmates. Nonetheless, His chum, Campanella has spent good times with him really friendly. One day, the “star festival” day came. Many children go to a river to float their lantern, but Giovanni can’t do that because he was not able to prepare his lantern of poverty. On the way to a farm to get milk for his ill mother, he met some classmates and Campanella heading to a river. As usual classmates made fun of him, but at that time, even Campanella were laughing and didn’t speak up for him! Therefore, he ran away and reached the top of a hill. He cried silently there. At that time, a wonderful train came though there was no rail. He rode on the train, moreover Campanella also came. So, they began to go on a trip on the Milky Way Train! They enjoy many strange things on Milky Way, for instance, electric squirrels, golden apples, and a bird like a sugar. Giovanni feel happy being with Campanella, and says, “Let’s go on together, wherever, for ever and ever!” However, his trip came to the end suddenly. Campanella disappeared from the train after the moment he said, “there is my mother!” Giovanni cried again, and noticed that he lay on the hill alone. So, he was dreaming. But the story doesn’t end at this, end with a sorrow fact…
Evaluation: 5stars
The stage of this story is the Milky Way. Many imaginative things appear, and I like the eighth chapter “ The Bird-Catcher” especially. The bird-catcher’s work is to catch geese, snow herons, and cranes. Those birds melt down if they weren’t caught before landing on the Milky Way, and they tastes sweet and better than chocolate. Such beautiful and fantastic episode adds more brilliance to this story with a little sadness.
Book 5 "Roald Dahl’s Short Mysteries"
Title: Roald Dahl’s Short Mysteries
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (2)
Summary:
This book has four short mysteries. These are mysteries, so I don’t want to tell you about stories definitely because the end of each story is really interesting, but I have to do. You will be able to find them very exciting throughout four stories. “ Man From the South” begins with the peaceful scene that a man having evening sun besides the pool. So it is like a restful vacation. An oldish man in a white suit came next to the man and sit down the beach chair. They talked friendly; moreover, a cadet and his girlfriend who seem to be around twenty came out of the pool, and joined the conversation. At first they were chatting happily. When a young man was about to light a cigar of the old man, saying, “This lighter will never fail to work,” the old man asked persistently, “never fail?” To the surprise and strange thing, the old man said that he would bet him a Cadillac about whether the lighter works without a mistake. If the boy wins the bet, he can get the Cadillac, but if he loses, …he is to give his little finger to the old man! Why he suggested such a strange bet? The end describing terror of bets will impress you at heart. “Skin” is the story about a painter and a tatooist. “The way up to Heaven” shows humans’ insanity. “ The last tale, “Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat” is written about an affair and its humorous end. You will not think that you are ok exceptionally at an affair if you read this.
Evaluation: 5stars
I could read the stories interesting at heart and didn’t feel them so difficult. This is ranked level 2 at publishing’s standard, but at the libraries standard this is level 3.8. Too difficult words don’t appear in the stories and I could also enjoy reading in English. Of course, Roald Dahl is a very famous writer and his works are already admired all over the world.
So, you will be able to find this book very interesting if you read, I assure!
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher (level): IBC Publishing (2)
Summary:
This book has four short mysteries. These are mysteries, so I don’t want to tell you about stories definitely because the end of each story is really interesting, but I have to do. You will be able to find them very exciting throughout four stories. “ Man From the South” begins with the peaceful scene that a man having evening sun besides the pool. So it is like a restful vacation. An oldish man in a white suit came next to the man and sit down the beach chair. They talked friendly; moreover, a cadet and his girlfriend who seem to be around twenty came out of the pool, and joined the conversation. At first they were chatting happily. When a young man was about to light a cigar of the old man, saying, “This lighter will never fail to work,” the old man asked persistently, “never fail?” To the surprise and strange thing, the old man said that he would bet him a Cadillac about whether the lighter works without a mistake. If the boy wins the bet, he can get the Cadillac, but if he loses, …he is to give his little finger to the old man! Why he suggested such a strange bet? The end describing terror of bets will impress you at heart. “Skin” is the story about a painter and a tatooist. “The way up to Heaven” shows humans’ insanity. “ The last tale, “Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat” is written about an affair and its humorous end. You will not think that you are ok exceptionally at an affair if you read this.
Evaluation: 5stars
I could read the stories interesting at heart and didn’t feel them so difficult. This is ranked level 2 at publishing’s standard, but at the libraries standard this is level 3.8. Too difficult words don’t appear in the stories and I could also enjoy reading in English. Of course, Roald Dahl is a very famous writer and his works are already admired all over the world.
So, you will be able to find this book very interesting if you read, I assure!
2010年1月10日日曜日
Book 4 "East 43rd Street"
Title: East 43rd Street
Author: Alan Battersby
Publisher (level): Cambridge University Press (5)
Summary:
Six days before the Christmas, Nat Marley, a New York private investigator, was drinking alone at the bar. There were some people who didn’t have happy home to return, like as busy preparing for the Christmas. Suddenly, a woman in an expensive dress, and with a diamond necklace, entered the bar, and she ordered martini. She paid in a hundred-dollar bill, but she left the bar without receiving her change! Marley followed her, because her behavior was strange and mysterious, so he was interested in her. Nonetheless, soon he lost her sight among so many New York buildings. The next morning, as usual he came his office. To the surprise, the woman had been waiting for him. Moreover, she made an odd request to him that he should take a black suitcase from the locker at the Grand Central and give it to her husband, though she herself had the locker’s key and met her husband daily. Why did she ask him such a thing? Marley felt a doubt with her, so he didn’t do all things as she told. He asked one of his friends to prepare a similar black suitcase and check it at the same place. In short, Marley did a sting operation. As he expected, when he was about to accept the suitcase, New York Police Department’s officers arrested him! At this time, his suspicion was soon refused, and he became certain of a plot around him. To know the whole story of this incident, he started to research a lot of things about her and her husband.
Evaluation: 5stars
This book was so interesting, in a thrilling and speedy story, it will never make readers bored. Moreover, this is not so difficult to read, although its level is 5. Perhaps, being written in American English contributes reading easily. Especially, I enjoyed the scene that the gang who was related to the woman forced Marley to do, as he wanted, but the investigator evaded it pretending an accident so well. You will be excited with his action and calm decides, so I do recommend this book to you.
Author: Alan Battersby
Publisher (level): Cambridge University Press (5)
Summary:
Six days before the Christmas, Nat Marley, a New York private investigator, was drinking alone at the bar. There were some people who didn’t have happy home to return, like as busy preparing for the Christmas. Suddenly, a woman in an expensive dress, and with a diamond necklace, entered the bar, and she ordered martini. She paid in a hundred-dollar bill, but she left the bar without receiving her change! Marley followed her, because her behavior was strange and mysterious, so he was interested in her. Nonetheless, soon he lost her sight among so many New York buildings. The next morning, as usual he came his office. To the surprise, the woman had been waiting for him. Moreover, she made an odd request to him that he should take a black suitcase from the locker at the Grand Central and give it to her husband, though she herself had the locker’s key and met her husband daily. Why did she ask him such a thing? Marley felt a doubt with her, so he didn’t do all things as she told. He asked one of his friends to prepare a similar black suitcase and check it at the same place. In short, Marley did a sting operation. As he expected, when he was about to accept the suitcase, New York Police Department’s officers arrested him! At this time, his suspicion was soon refused, and he became certain of a plot around him. To know the whole story of this incident, he started to research a lot of things about her and her husband.
Evaluation: 5stars
This book was so interesting, in a thrilling and speedy story, it will never make readers bored. Moreover, this is not so difficult to read, although its level is 5. Perhaps, being written in American English contributes reading easily. Especially, I enjoyed the scene that the gang who was related to the woman forced Marley to do, as he wanted, but the investigator evaded it pretending an accident so well. You will be excited with his action and calm decides, so I do recommend this book to you.
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