サン・ジュルマン伯考 阿刀田高

期待外れの作品。
伯爵が不老不死の秘薬（エレキシィ）を知っているという話で、どういう秘術かと期待しながら読んでいくと、実は子孫代々その人の遺伝子が生きているという「仕掛け」である。これは秘術でも秘伝でも秘薬でもない。ＤＮＡが継続することを、３００年も５００年も生きているというレトリックは、言葉のごまかしで、いただけない。

A Domestic Dilemma by Carson Mccullers

The description of Martin's phycology is vivid. I can understand how he is tormented by his wife's intoxicated behavior. But I don't see any reason to attempt to kill his wife. He apparently tries to kill her because he forsaw the difficulties his children would face in the future as the writer says, "... his wife was a dissolute woman. Dissoute. And he and his children were bound to a futrue of degradation and slow ruin."
His motivation to kill his wife is not persuasive enough.

The comentator says in the Interpretation section that "If the story is successful, we must be made to feel that Martin and Emily are believable and that their actions and thoughts, including Martin's final shift in feeing  toward his wife, are true to this pair of people would do and think and feel.

A lesson in fiction writing:
The writer should not forcibly bend the natural development of the story to suit to his intention. 筋を無理に曲げない

 

黒衣の僧 チェーホフ

凄い話だ。狂人を凡人が“治療”で凡人にしてしまうと、狂人が抱いていた幸福感が消滅し、逆に失望感にとらわれる。治療前までのコヴリンとターニャの関係、またコヴリンとターニャの父の関係は最も好ましい関係であったが、治療後は最悪の関係になる。立派な果樹園が、最後には荒れ果てて他人に売り払われるのはその典型例。
最後に黒衣の僧が現われて、コヴリンが再び至福を味わい死んでいくのは心を打つ。展開の仕方が見事。

The First World Joseph O'Neill

The story describes Arty's constant source of worry, that is, Glady's dependence on him. The protagonist "listens" to him, but not so much interested in Arty's worry.
What bothers and disappoints Arty is the cold attitudes of Glady's brothers, former employers, relatives, protagonist's ex-wife, and her "grand-daughters." They would not spend a penny to assist her. The protagonist himself is one of the cold people, who has been uneasy for the loss of his wallet, but not so serious about it. He is an optimistic man: he thinks "the world would return " his wallet.
The contrast between the cold people and the protagonist's "belief" in the goodwill of the people is interesting.

黒南風の海 伊東潤

文禄慶長の役の時に降倭した沙也可（佐屋嘉嘉兵衛）と順倭した金宦と余大男を小説の中で一堂に会させるのは、着想がいいと思うが、あまりにも非現実的で、信憑性がなく、読みながら、最後まで違和感を感じた。
また、秀吉が朝鮮に出兵したのは「朝鮮の民を支配者から救い、秀吉の
徳を明国まで広め、すべての民を苦しみから救うため」と書いてあるが歴史的事実に反する。また加藤清正が民のことを思う情けある名将のように書いてあるが、清正は余大男を朝鮮から拉致している。
「加藤清正『文禄慶長の役』異聞」とあるから、作り話と思えばそれでいいのかもしれないが。
 

Origin by Dan Brown

Dan Brown again fascinated me by his excellent plot development and the surprise ending.

There are about 100 chapters, but each chapter is dramatic and ends with the lines that make the reader want to read further more.

The story takes place in Spain, precisely speaking, at famed tourist spots like Guggenheim Museum, and Casa Milà and Sagrada Família designed by Gawdi

The story centers around two themes: where do we come from and where are we going? Dan Brown skillfully answers the questions utilizing his supercomputer named William.

  The ending part was difficult to comprehend with so many scientific and religious terminologies, but Brown shows harmony between religion and science.

The reader should pay attention to "William."

The Intermediate Class by Sam Allingham

　　This is a story of a man named Kiril, who attends a German intermediate class. Since the students are not allowed to speak English, they try to communicate in simple German. Kiril feels a barrier in communication because of his poor German. The other students feel the same way.

But even if Kiril is away from the class, his English, which is supposed to communicate far better than his broken German, does not convey his true feeling. He feels irritated.

At the end of the last class, the German teacher plays Schubert: Der Erlkonig on the piano. As he plays it, he explains how the story develops by the sound of the music like: now he sounds frightened. And here is the father. You can hear he is strong, in his voice.

  As a whole, Allingham showed how inconvenient a language is. It is sometimes a hindrance for communication, while music is a better tool for communication.

 But a perfect commutation is after all impossible.