Also, the Cat by Rachel Swirsky, published 2024

The writer is an accomplished author of science fiction and fantasy, having won the Nebula Award twice. Her latest story revolves around the ghosts of three sisters: Irene, Viola, and Rosalee, who continue to harbor deep-seated animosity towards one another even in death.

Unfortunately, the narrative is challenging to follow, filled with complex vocabulary and obscure idioms that I had never encountered before. By the end, each ghost departs from their shared home, with Irene remaining in place, Viola heading east, and Rosalee venturing west.

Irene is portrayed as stubborn, aloof, and sophisticated, looking down on her sisters and refusing to cooperate with them. I struggled to grasp the writer’s intention behind crafting such an eccentric ghost story; it felt unrealistic and lacking in excitement. I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters, and my interest waned with each page. Reading became a chore, and I lost count of how many times I had to consult a dictionary. Thankfully, I finally managed to finish the story.

Some of the bewildering phrases and words included: "the double-barreled jumping jiminetty," "wherewithat," "soul of a particularly stupid technothriller," and "the cat had napped" (which I assume meant "kidnapped?"), as well as "throw her ambitions out with the bathwater."

最後の胡弓弾き 新美南吉

時の流れとは残酷なものだと読者に語っている。

胡弓弾きの木之助は少年の頃から老人になるまで正月には門附けに行き、一銭貰っていた。年を取ると相棒の松次郎は鼓を打つのを止めた。時代が変わり、村人は正月になっても胡弓の門附けを聞かなくなった。

木之助は、それでも聞いてくれる人を廻るのだが、追い払われる始末。親の不幸とか自分の感冒で二年間行けなくなった。翌年、いつも親切に聞いてくれた味噌溜屋の主人だけは、必ず待っていてくれると思った。それで、病気にも拘らず、味噌溜屋を訪れる。が、「味噌溜」看板が変わり、「味噌醤油製造販売」となっていた。聞けば主人が亡くなり、息子が跡取りとなっていた。落胆していると、昔、味噌溜屋で働いていた女中に会い、仏壇の前で胡弓を弾く。

この場面は泣かされる。時代の移り変わりを木之助は胡弓を弾くたびに感じただろう。帰りに「もう胡弓時代は終わった」と胡弓を古物屋に安く売ってしまう。売ってから「しまった。長年の連れ合いを手放すとは」と後悔し、古物屋に買い戻しに行く。ところが、売った値段の二倍に値上がりし、６０銭になっていた。金がなくて買い戻されず、木之助は帰路に着く。

「そして力なく古物屋を出た。午後の三時頃だった。また空は曇り、町は冷えて来た。足の先の凍えが急に身に沁みた。木之助は右も左も見ず、深くかがみこんで歩いていった」

新美南吉の文章は柔らかく、分かりやすく、情景や心情がひしひしと伝わって来る。哀れな木之助に同情した。何も難しい言葉を並べる必要はない。

蜩ノ記 葉室麟

出だしから登場人物の人間関係、背景、出目など錯綜して混乱した。途中から相関図を書き、ウィキペディアで調べたりして、やっと軌道に乗った。最後の１００ページぐらいから筋が楽になり、のめり込んでいった。

長所

設定が巧みである。

秋山が「三浦家譜」を著わすことにより、様々な登場人物の背景が分かってくる仕掛けになっている。

戸田秋谷が１０年後に切腹することになるが、庄三郎が秋谷に会ったのは余すところ三年であった。著者は三年間の成り行きを書けばよい。読者は次第に切羽詰まって来る

日記「蜩ノ記」の著述によって、事件の真相が次第に明らかになるように仕掛けてある。

家老・中根兵右衛門と戸田順右衛門との確執が実は根幹にあったことが最期に分かる仕掛け。

最後に秋谷の切腹で終わるが、その前に息子郁太郎が元服し、庄三郎は薫と祝言を挙げる、のも読者は一安心する。

最後に、秋谷はひょっとして助かるかと思わせる要素もあるが、家老は、秋谷が切腹する意味を語ることで読者も納得する。

欠点

お由と交わったという噂を流した場面がない。

１０年後の切腹は無理がある。

秋谷の性格が冷静過ぎる。

宣伝文では、最後に庄三郎と秋谷の間に深い絆ができるように書いてあるが、なかった。なくても良いが。

文章は一流。情景描写、心理描写、神の視点で書いている場面多し。

直木賞を取るにはこれぐらい込み入った話を作らなければならないのか

How to Run a Bodega Successfully in the Boogie Down, NYC by Ivan Suazo

 Bodega is a small grocery store in New York. This is a very interesting story. The way the protagonist, Perdomo, speaks is enjoyable because his speech is casual, friendly, and humorous. The successful way to run a bodega is to 'check your  scruples at the door' by rubbing the expiration date with your saliva and when Bob leaves you sell the goods.You can't beat Pleasantville or a giant supermarket, like TJ. Perdomo is the only person that speaks in the story. He is a narrator, too. No other character appears. So, this is a one-way story-telling. The ending is good:This is the Bronx, compadre. This is how we boogie down. A little Spanish would have helped me a lot in reading the story.

Tell Me Your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon

I have found every page interesting and exciting. The beginning grabs the reader by disclosing some murder cases which occur in different places. Strangely enough, they are all connected with the protagonist, Ashley Patterson.

The reader will be surprised to know that she possesses multiple personalities: Toni and Alette.

The court scenes are also exciting. The debate between the prosecutor, Brennan and the lawyer, David is well written. At the last moment, she is regarded as a holder of multiple personalities and is judged innocent.

The story does not end here; it continues how she is cured.

I enjoyed reading “Tell Me Your Dreams.”

Sidney Sheldon is a master of storytelling. 

A Handful of Dates by Tayeb Salih

This is a a coming-of-age story. The boy (protagonist) first adores his grandfather because he is tall and looks great. The boy knows how to please him “by bringing his prayer rug and fill the ewer for his ablutions.”

His grandfather despises Masood, owner of a vast land of dates palms, because he is indolent. Masood inherited his land.

His grandfather had nothing first but gradually buys dates palms and now he has two-thirds of the land.

Mashood looks sad and vulnerable when the dates were collected and divided among his grandfather and the dealers. The boy feels sympathy with Mashood. After selling his dates, the boy “heard him make a noise in his throat like the rasping of a sheep being slaughtered.”

At the end of the story the boy spewed up the dates he had eaten. He hated his grandfather and everything he touched, even the handful dates he gave the boy.

The change of the boys attitude toward his grandfather is well written. The ending is very good.

A Game of Cards by Witi Ihimara

 This is a short story written in English by a native New Zealand authour named Witi Ihimara. It depicts his  child days' memories about his grandmother called Nani Miro. She likes to play cards with her family members and friends, especially her old friend, Mrs. Maka Heta. Even when Nani was dying, she plays cards with Maka. The interesting point is that both of them are skillful cheaters. Nani dies while she was playing cards and laughing. Porbably, the author wrote this story to commemorate her life. 

I pondered about the life of Maori people, whose mother tongue changed into English and whose land was invaded by white people.