The Door into Summer (1957)

The Door into Summer was written by Robert A. Heinlein.

Author

Robert A. Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. He is a one of the Big Three of English science fiction authors (Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov). Some ideas that appeared in his work have actually been realized. He predicted the cell phone, online newspaper, and the cleaning robot. You can see the cleaning robot in The Door into Summer.

Overview

The Door into Summer is a science fiction and this story took place in 1970 in Los Angeles. This book was written in 1957, so 1970 was the future at the time. There are many future objects in this story, like a cleaning robot. This story deals with stock and technology. By the way, The Door into Summer is famous for only Japanese. The story may be perfect for Japanese.

Summary

In 1970, Los Angeles. There is a one fashionable thing. The thing is a cold sleep. People are interested in journey to the future. The main character (Dan) has a cat named Pete. He runs his company with his best friend (Miles). Later, they get a secretary woman (Belle) to establish a joint stock company. Belle is a beautiful woman and she is excellent. Dan takes fancy to Belle and Belle reciprocates. They promise to marry each other and Dan gives a part of his stock to her and then Belle becomes a stockholder. Belle is actually a swindler and she was engaged to Miles. At a company meeting, Belle and Miles decide to fire Dan by majority vote, so Dan loses his job and his invention's patent. After that, Dan decides to go into cold sleep with Pete.

Opinion 

The Door into Summer was written 60 years ago, but you may enjoy this book like a modern one. At first half was little bit boring for me because Dan talked about technology a lot. I'm not interested in technology, so I felt it was boring. However it got more be interesting after the story advanced. I want you to read this book to the half way point and then you will finish reading before you know it.

Shumatsu no Fool (2006)

Shumatsu no Fool was written by Kotaro Isaka

Author

Kotaro Isaka is a novelist and mystery writer. He also wrote Shinigami no Seido and Maoh. His writing style is said to be similar to Haruki Murakami's writing style, but he doesn't care about it. He links characters with other characters that appear several chapter in same book.

Overview

This novel consists of eight chapters. The chapter's titles are written in rhyme. The main characters of each chapters are different. The common thing between them is their location. They live in the same town named Hills Town in Sendai in Japan.

Summary

One day, all people hear sad news on TV. The earth will be crushed by an asteroid eight years later. In Japan, many people lose their jobs and some people change themselves to be robbers or murderers and some people commit suicide after hearing the news. People fight for food and then many people are killed by crazy police officers. Japan is becoming a waste land. After five years, almost all the  dangerous people have died and a few people who live in Hills Town restore a bit of peace. They have only three years to live. What will they do in the limited time.

Opinion

I think the way to enjoy this story is to think about it as if you face the same situation. If you will die three three years later. You can start a new thing or you can miss the opportunity. I don't know the correct answer even I have read this book. That is the thing you have to decide. Anyway, people's tastes are different. I want you to tell me your opinion. 

Boku to Bokura no Natsu (1988)

Boku to Bokura no Natsu was written by Yusuke Higuchi

Author

Yusuke Higuchi is a novelist and mystery writer. He writes mystery novels in a  hard-boiled style. He also wrote Peace. Peace is said to be his masterpiece, so I will read it someday.

Overview 

This novel is a mystery novel, and the events took place in Tokyo in Japan in the 1980's. In that era, the baseball player Tatsunori Hara was still a player (he is a manager of Giants now). People played records to listen to music and they always went to cafes. You may feel the old atmosphere from this novel.

Summary  

One summer day, a girl (Iwasawa) who is a classmate of the main character (Togawa) dies. Togawa heard she committed suicide. The hero didn't care about her before her death, but he wonders whether she really committed suicide. His father is a police detective and his father tells him some information about the case. Togawa and one of Iwasawa's friends, Sakai (she is a daughter of a Japanese gangster), seek clues of the case together and they finally find a witness. The witness is their classmate, but she also dies before she can give them some information.

Opinion

This is the best novel I've read to date. Before I read this book, I hadn't read any mystery novels, but I could enjoy this novel very much. I think the reason why I could enjoy the book is the feeling of youth in this story. As case proceeded, the relationship between Togawa and Sakai proceeded as well. That thing didn't allow me to be bored. I really want you to read this novel and if you finish reading this novel, you can't wait for summer!

Hear the Wind Sing (1979)

Hear the Wind Sing is written by Haruki Murakami

Author

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer and translator. He is one of the most famous translators. He wrote many famous novels, such as Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore, and 1Q84. He translated famous American literary works, such as The Great Gatsby and The Things They Carried. 

Overview

This novel's events took place in Japan in 1970. It was Murakami's first work. He wrote the novel while he managed his jazz cafe. He based the novel's atmosphere on Moonlight Serenade, a famous American jazz tune.

Summary

In 1970 in Japan, the hero I goes back to his hometown. He has a unique friend named Rat. They enjoy drinking and talking in their favorite saloon. One day, I helps a drunken woman from the saloon and brings her up to her apartment. However, she suspects him of lewdness when she wakes up because they are naked. 

Opinion

I couldn't understand this novel very much because the time sequence of the chapter is complicated. It's also inconsistent. There are many chapter (40 chapters) in 151 pages. There are poems, lyrics, fantasy, and the main story. I was really confused while reading this novel, but after reading I didn't care about it. I was satisfied. I can't explain my impression because I can't understand this feeling even I. I want you to read this novel and tell me your opinion.

Salome (1891)

The death of John the Baptist

Salome was written by Oscar Wilde.

Author

Oscar Wilde was an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. He was born in Dublin. He was treated as a girl by his mother because she wanted a girl. He was an Oxford man. He wrote "Salome" in French and his partner translated it into English.

Overview

The title "Salome" is the name of a real person. This story is based on the Bible. This story is for a play, so this book consists of a lot of dialog. The dialog is almost all in verse. It makes this book difficult, but also interesting.

Summary

King Herod stares at his wife's daughter, Salome, in a nasty way, so Salome goes away from the king and then she hears a powerful voice. The voice is Lokanaan's voice. He shouts a prediction to her mother. Salome's mother, Herodias, doesn't want Salome to hear Lokanaan's prediction, but Salome is interested in him out of curiousity. Once she looks at him, she falls in love with him, and she pesters him to kiss her. Lokanaan refuses it and critiicizes her strongly.

Impression

Before I read this book, I thought it seemed boring for me. I had to read this book for a presentation in other class, so I was forced to read this book, but I read it very fast. The reason is simple. This book is interesting, especially the dialog in this book. People in this book use  metaphors. It is long humorous. There are simple expressions in this book, too. It was fun for me and I  hope it will be fun for you too.

The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

The Old Man and the Sea was written by Ernest Hemingway and it is the his last novel.

Author

Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist and short story writer. He is one of the famous writers all over the world. He wrote so many famous short stories and novels, such as "The Sun Also Rises", "A Farewell to Arms", For Whom the Bell Tolls", and "The Old Man and the Sea". His novels were translated by several Japanese translators and some of his novels are very famous in Japan. He went to wars, so he had war memories. After the war, he started to write novel. His works were evaluated, but he had a plane accident two times and he committed suicide eventually. 

Overview

This novel is his last work. He committed suicide after writing this novel, but this story is mild. There are two men who are fishermen. Most of this story is on the sea. The descriptions in this story are very detailed, especially the old man's thought. It is funny, so you are not bored when you read this novel. 

Summary

The boy takes care of the old man. The old man has not caught any fish in a long time, so the boy works for an other ship. The old man was powerful, but now he gets food and beer from the boy. The boy suggests to the old man that he goes to the sea with him, but the old man refuses it and he goes to sea alone. He floats on the sea two days and finally he finds a whopper fish.

Opinion

The reason why I read this novel is nothing. Just because, but I enjoyed this novel very much. This story told me that you don't have to show off your success and you should not forget your past glory. Fighting with present is important. I would like to read Hemingway's other novels because I had some impressions even it's short.  

The Crucible (1953)

"The Crucible" is a play of a witch trial.

The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller.

Arthur Miller was an American playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote popular plays such as "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible". He hated social alienation, so he satirized it in his work. His plays also interested Japanese people especially "The Crucible". The latest Japanese "The Crucible" was played by prominent performers in this year. 

Overview

This story took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and this story was based on real case. Salem is the city where is famous for witch trial. Witches are a symbol of Salem now, but they were detested at the time. Some innocent people were executed in the same way as the history in this story. People didn't doubt existence of witches, spirits and demons. There were many greedy people in priests, but you can also see holy people.

Summary

The crowd called children belong to the church in Salem and their speech have a absolute power. One of children, Abigail put curse on the wife of the man, Proctor. Abigail has worked as nurse at his residence and has slept with him. The wife, Elizabeth fired her because of that immorality, so she hates her. There is a rumor of witchcraft, and it is the most important thing in Salem. Court of low is searching for witch and they use children's speech as reference every time. All of their speeches are lie, but almost all people don't doubt children.  After some innocent people were arrested and executed, Abigail finally prosecute Elizabeth for witchcraft.

Opinion

I watched movie first and then, I was interested, so I read this play. There is difference between movie and book. I think I could not understand this story without movie, so I want to recommend watching movie before you read. The story is dark. You will see crime of lying and unfair of low, but you will also see pride of real believers.