British and German Literature, History and Culture

Valley of FearBritish and German Literature, History and Culture

Conan Doyle's "Valley of Fear" Synopsis and Comments - My favorite in the Sherlock Holmes series!

As I mentioned in the title, this work, "The Valley of Fear," is my favorite in the Sherlock Holmes series.

In the commentary at the end of the book, it is written, "Some reviewers seem to be more attached to this work than to 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' which is generally regarded as Doyle's masterpiece," and I am one of them.

It is true that "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is probably better known and more popular. Until I read "The Valley of Fear," I too thought of Holmes as "The Baskervilles.

But after reading "Valley of Fear," I was completely hooked on the fun of this work, and that is exactly why I read it over and over again.

Hound of the BaskervillesBritish and German Literature, History and Culture

Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles" Synopsis and Thoughts - The best of the best mystery novels! One of the most popular Holmes series!

Although "The Hound of the Baskervilles" was written more than 100 years ago, it remains a favorite of many fans and is Holmes' most acclaimed full-length novel.

First of all, the title of the book is good to begin with. The title of the book is "The Hound of the Baskervilles," which is both mysterious and catchy.

And from the very beginning of the story, the mystery is a mystery, and even Holmes has a tough time with it. The enemy is quite skilled enough to smoke out that Holmes.

The setting of the story is also excellent. It is an eerie space where something is about to happen. The terrifying setting, in which the natural environment and mankind are intertwined, keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat.

This is a definite masterpiece to read.

The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesBritish and German Literature, History and Culture

Conan Doyle's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" - The first short story collection with gems such as "The Ugly Tales of Bohemia" and "The Red Hair Guild".

The current "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" will be the first short story in the Sherlock Holmes series, which was a big hit with "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Four Signatures".

Although this is the first collection of short stories, the quality is unmistakable. I am sure that there will be many more short stories to come, but this one is so interesting that I think it is the best of them all.

My favorite case among them is still "The Ugly of Bohemia". First of all, the title is ridiculously stylish. I take my hat off to the translator's sense of word choice.

You can read the book at a leisurely pace, one a day, or read it all at once, and enjoy it in different ways.

This is a great collection of short stories that I can confidently recommend to beginning readers. Why not pick up a copy?

Four SignaturesBritish and German Literature, History and Culture

Conan Doyle's "The Four Signatures" Synopsis and Comments - The Great Thames Chase! The second film that defined the Holmes series serial!

The Sherlock Holmes series was paved the way for serialization with the creation of this "Four Signatures" series.

Like the previous film, this one also features Holmes' brilliant deductions, but this time the action scenes are even more entertaining. The chase scene in the Thames River, which is a direct confrontation with the killer, is full of realism and visual enjoyment. The chase on the river is a powerful homage to the famous scene in Dickens' "The Great Inheritance," which is also famous in the UK.

The Four Signatures, which inspired the Holmes series serialization, is an entertaining masterpiece. We highly recommend this book as well.

A Study in ScarletBritish and German Literature, History and Culture

Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet" Synopsis and Comments - The memorable first novel in the Sherlock Holmes series!

Recently, I have been asked more and more often, "I don't usually read books, but are there any interesting novels that are easy to read even for me?

In particular, "A Study in Scarlet" is the first in the series and is a work that will lead to the next in the series. I would be more than happy if this work would be your entry point to the Sherlock Holmes series and mysteries. This work is the best way to learn about the fun of mystery novels.

mountain where monsters roamBritish and German Literature, History and Culture

Thomas Mann's "The Devil's Mountain" Synopsis and Comments - What is life? A hodgepodge of strong personalities! A masterpiece of German literature!

This novel is very important to me. If I had to choose my "Ten Greatest Novels," "The Devil's Mountain" would certainly be among them. It is so powerful and has such a strong impact. It is a work of great scale!

I first read this book when I was a graduate student. I had been wanting to read a profound novel about life issues, and this was the one I suddenly came across. I was originally interested in Thomas Mann, having read "Death in Venice" as a student and having heard his name mentioned in connection with Goethe.

Then I came across this book, and a passage I will never forget was burned into my mind.

British and German Literature, History and Culture

Harumi James, "The Scarlet Queen" - Recommended biography to learn about the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, a tragic, too tragic woman.

Tragic, too tragic!

Reading this biography I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I couldn't help but cry, wondering if life could be so tragic.

Mary Stuart as portrayed in this biography is so fascinating that it makes me want to begrudge fate for how such a great person had to suffer so tragically.

I would highly recommend this biography. James Harumi's narration is excellent and I was quickly drawn in. This book will change the way you see England and Scotland. Why not pick up a copy?

British and German Literature, History and Culture

Richard Killane, "Illustrated History of Scotland" - Many photos! Recommended reference book to learn about the relationship between England and Scotland.

The book is characterized, first and foremost, by its abundance of photographs and drawings, which make it easy to visualize the history. And the emphasis is on the relationship with England. As a lover of Shakespeare, I was particularly interested in the flow of English royalty from the 16th to the 17th century, so this was very interesting to me because I could see England from a different perspective, that of Scotland.

British and German Literature, History and Culture

Jyunmi Arai, "Noblesse Oblige: Britain's Upper Class" - A recommended work that explains the reality of the British upper class!

The British upper class that you may know but know little about.

What kind of beings are they?

It is full of exciting information about how titles of nobility work, how inheritance works, how country houses came to be and how they maintain them now, and much more. This is interesting! It is a very interesting piece of British culture. I highly recommend this book.

British and German Literature, History and Culture

Junichi Tsujimaru, "England = Lake District: A Tale of Four Seasons" - A book with many photos of the beautiful English countryside!

In this book, photographer Junichi Tsujimaru travels to the Lake District in England, famous for Peter Rabbit and the poet Wordsworth, to show its charms with many photographs.

Before I go any further, I want to warn you that this book is dangerous.

I want to go there so badly after reading it.

It is full of great photos that will make you say "Wow! I highly recommend this work!