EMMA author : Jane Austen

This is a very strange love story. At the beginning, I felt it was boring. But its second half was very interesting. Mr. Nightly is a very, very intelligent person. If I met him, I must love him. So I'm agree with Emma that it doesn't need to feel sympathy for a woman who thinks to be loved by Mr. Nightly. And this story reminded me of 'Die Buddenbrooks' that was written by Thomas Mann. I think that I would like to write about it later. (2002,9,20)

Spring author : Shimazaki Toson

That book belonged to my grandfather's personal library. I found it at my mother's home this summer. And it is one of my favorites books. So I read it again. It is very interesting that we both read the same book, and loved it, beyond the generation and the time. I felt him very close, so it is very sorry that he had died already. This story is a drama of young persons who wish to become a writer. I really think that I would like to hear his impression of the story. (2002,9,4)

The War Chronicles of Leyte

author : Ohoka Shohei

Sometimes I wondered why Japanese army had to do an honorable death at the Philippines Islands. This book gave me one of the answers of the question. The imperial headquarters abandoned Japanese soldiers at Leyte. If the casualties are beyond 10%, it means that that army lost the battle. But Japanese soldiers' casualties at the battle of Leyte were beyond 94%. It's not an honorable death, just a genocide. I think that people need to think what it means more and again. (2002,8,29)

Timeline author : Michel Crichton

My e-mail friend Wim recommended me to read this book. It's very interesting as a typical science fiction. When someone explains about quantum theory, I think that a photon is often shown as an example. The same explanation was in it. I expected that the secret project was very, very terrible. However, that project was a big Disneyland, so I was disappointed a little. If you are a sci-fi fan, I'm sure that you can enjoy it. After I had read it, I thought that I would like to read a science fiction more. It recalled me of a work of James P. Hogan. But I'm not sure its title, though. (2002,7,16)

Paradise Lost author : John Milton

This was a very, very interesting fantasy. I think that it might have been a base of all fantasies. The most impressive describing is a speech of an ex-Angel Lucifer at inferno. He tries to make a revolution against God again, and it moved me very much. I'm interested in Christianity, and I had a lot of questions. But 'Paradise Lost' made them into one question. Who is he? I think that this is the most basic question. I would like to know its answer really. (2002,6,28)

Die Aufzeichnungen

Des Malte Laurids Brigge

author : Rainer Maria Rilke

I had much free time today, so that I had read it again. I have read it 4 times for recent 10 years. It isn't enough to say that I just like this story. Of course Malte isn't equal to Rilke, but Malte's thought about art and his criticism about human are based to Rilke's thought. It isn't enough to say that it is just a note of a young man. There are full of the delicate sensibility in it. And the thought of Rilke as a poet gives an impact to readers still now. I'm sure that I would read it again in the near future. (2002,6,24)

La Divina Commedia　author : Dante

This book was very interesting more than I thought. It goes without saying that it is difficult. But if you made an effort to understand it, you would find a strange world in it. The author Dante criticised many famous people who lived before 14 century, and they all were written boko-boko. And people who lived before Christ, they all are in inferno. It reminded me of a movie 'The Canterbury Tales' that was directed by Pasolini. Both of them are strange, eccentric, peculiar, erotic, and are even bizarre.

The great literature has been given a kind of authority, but sometimes I wonder if the authority is necessary. It seems to refuse a potential reader. It is interesting, that's all why I recommend you to read it. I hope that people would read the great literature without any preconception.

I also found myself within a forest dark. I have been lost my way for a long time. And no Virgilius has spoken to me yet. (2002,6,17)

More Than Human

author : Theodore Sturgeon

An Australian, Julius recommended me to read it. And it was as interesting as the other books that he recommended me before. I think that the concept of homo gestalt is very interesting. It made me recall of 'Cyborg, 009' that is a comic in Japan. Nine cyborgs have a different talent individually, and they make a fighting unit in order to eliminate a evil force. There is a sentence 'You will be a god, knowing both good and evil.' in the Bible, as you know. I think that it might mean that human would become more than human after human knows a conscience of humanity correctly. I think that everyone needs to reconsider what a conscience is. (2002,6,1)

BLITZKRIEG

From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkeirk

　author : Len Deighton

Just after British army retreated from France, and France surrendered to Germany, this book has ended. I was disappointed, because I think that the war started really after that. However, its detail was interesting. I felt that this book had different nuance from the usual historical view. Its author Len Deighton is a novelist, and I think that it might be a reason of that. His thought about Rommel was interesting very much. (2002,5,30)

FAUST　author : Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Of course it was very interesting. While I had been reading it, I imagined that Sam Shepard performed as Mephistopheles. It made me laugh very much. I think that the story of Margaret at the first half is tragic enough. So I felt that the second half was even verbose a little. It might be its reason that my understanding of human isn't enough yet, though. However this script is interesting enough to make me feel that I would like to see its play on a stage.

I intended to wait to read the great literature until I become old, because I'm sure that they are interesting. But I will become 40 years old the next year, so that I think that it is enough to read them. So I will try the great literature after this. (2002,5,17)

The Silver Metal Lover　author : Tanith Lee

It was very interesting until the fifth chapter. It was very good and sad enough to make me cry, but the fifth chapter was terrible. I think that its ending was very sorry. I think that it would be one of the best science fictions, if it didn't have the fifth chapter. (2002,5,8)

Le Passe Vivant　author : Henri de Regnier

I love this book very much. At the beginning, I thought that it was a romantic novel, but it had elements of science fiction, and I felt even a horror taste. Its author isn't popular enough for Japanese unfortunately. I would like to read other works of him. This book would be one of the best books that I read this year. (2002,5,7)

Les Fleurs Du Mal
author : Charles Baudelaire

While I was reading it, I thought that it could have been likely that its publishing had been forbidden. It was indiscreet, disgraceful, and immoral, so that it made me be tired with a slight fever. I have forgotten already how I had read it when I was a teenager. But I'm sure that I could enjoy its immoral beauty more than before. (2002,4,17)

LAOKOON　author : G. E. Lessing

About fifteen years ago, I have seen Laokoon at the Vatican museum. It gave to me the great impression like Nike at the Louvre. The author Lessing wrote his thought about beauty comparing art and literature. Sometimes his thought was very arrogant and self-righteous, and I enjoyed it very much. He considered if the ugly art would be allowed to exist. How do you think about it? (2002,4,16)

Earthsea Trilogy
& the last book, TEHANU
author : Ursula K. Le Guin

I hadn't read the last book 'Tehanu' before. So it was the first time for me to read through 'Earthsea Tetralogy'. It moved me very much, and I think that the child Tehanu might show the warning for mankind. Please knock out your exclusive mind with your intelligence. Although Tehanu seems to have a great power, most people who are discriminated don't have any power. Please respect others who don't look like you. It goes without saying, I also make an effort for it of course. (2002,4,11)

The Chronicles of Narnia
author : C. S. Lewis

I had read this series long ago, but I didn't remember its detail. So I could enjoy it the same as the first time. I would like children to fight in order to save the fantasy world. Of course it doesn't mean that I accept a real children's fighting. My little niece is reading 'The Lord of the Rings' now, and I will recommend this series to her. But there are some racial discriminative expressions in this story, so I will give her some notes. It was sorry that Suzie couldn't enter to Narnia finally. I hope that I and my little niece would be able to enter to Narnia someday, and you, too. (2002,3,27)

Dogs and Demons author : Alex Kerr

My e-mail friend, Wim recommended it to me, and I read this original book in English, because it hasn't translated in Japanese yet. Actually, it was a difficult task for me, but I could finish it finally because it was very interesting. Although many English books are translated in Japanese as soon as possible, I have no idea if it would be translated in Japanese in the near future. I think that Japanese had better read it, because the author Alex Kerr shows the current problems of Japan clearly. However Kerr made a few misunderstanding. Readers can know how foreigners think about Japan and Japanese by this book that contains their misunderstandings. Please click its title, and you can read my impression in detail of this book. (2002,3,14)

The Dark Tower　author : Stephen King

The Gunslinger, The three, The Waste Lands,

Wizard and Glass

This series was published until the fourth book, and the fifth book hasn't been published yet. I think that the author's mystery isn't interesting enough, because he always writes a mystery as a weird matter. But this series is a fantasy, so there is no problem to write as a weird matter. Gunslinger Roland is very attractive, because he is strong enough and has a lot of secrets. His experiences are very severe and terrible but interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book. One of my e-mail friends Wim recommended me to read them. I really thank for him, because he always shows me an interesting story.(2002,1,26)