2017年1月9日 星期一

【105-1 第三名】行政二A 游〇晴:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle


參賽者:游〇晴(行政二A)
名次:第三名
書名:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
得獎作品:

     “You don’t know where to look, and so you missed all that was important.” This is what Sherlock Holmes told John Hamish Watson in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 19 century. Also, this is what I like most after reading the book.

     In The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, the author focused on the cases Holmes, a consulting detective, and Watson, a doctor in a clinic, face. The stories are mostly based on Watson’s view. In every case they face, they observe details, discuss clues, think logistically, and try their best to solve it for their clients. Both of them have an abundance of knowledge about how human think and how things usually work. With their perseverance and profession in detection, most cases come out in ends. The main character, Holmes, is a consulting detective who is consulted by private or officials once they have troubles. He is good at using deductive method and forensic science to solve cases. He could observe things in detail as if nothing could be left after his eyes. For instance, he says that Watson’s leather shoes were cut by an inexperience young maid when cleaning stains off from a rainy day. This astonished Watson, since he never tells Holmes about the maid and the weather before. Holmes uses deductive method to let go the impossible ones, and thus the remains are absolutely right. The two ways help him a lot in dealing with cases.

     In the cases-series book, The Scandal in Bohemia case impressed me the most. Though it isn’t quite a happy ending for Holmes, it indicates that being sensitive and viewing things in detail are absolutely important. At the beginning, Holmes uses his knowledge and keen observation ability to help his client, the king in Bohemia, to solve the case. Things go smoothly and the good ending was about to come as if it has been arranged by a director in a comedy. Nevertheless, Irene Adler, the client’s ex-girlfriend, is a much keener one. Not only does she notice that she has been observed and framed by Holmes, but try to make sure the orientation of Holmes. Eventually, Irene wins the “competition” between Holmes and herself. That is to say, Holmes is so confident about his own ability that he doesn’t notice Irene’s brilliant in observing things. This gives me a lesson-Never look down on your enemy even though you are already the best one in your field. Since many extraordinary ones are just busying with other things, they don’t pay highly attention on your field. I believe that both Holmes and Irene are undoubtedly keen enough in observing in detail and thinking in a logistic way. Also, they are sensitive in dealing with people.

     In another case in this book, The Case of Identity, Holmes says that Walton misses all that is important since he doesn’t know where to look at. Though this is an old book written in 19 century, this is still quite true in our days. We could never reach our destination if we don’t get the most important one or find the key points, even though we prepare or know a lot about the details. This may sound cruel and unfeeling, but this is what reality is. As a result, in the case-The Scandal of Bohemia, both Irene and Holmes know the important ones for themselves are and almost fulfill their destination in the end.

【105-1 第二名】財政三 康〇愉:Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie


參賽者:康〇愉(財政三)
名次:第二名
書名:Murder on the Orient Express
得獎作品:

     The murderer is with us – on the train now…’ This particular statement made my whole body shudder when I was scanning through my sister’s books collection. I was itching to find an interesting book when this crime novel made its way to my hands. As a mystery lover, I wouldn’t want to miss this exceptional word: murder. Truth to be told, this book intrigued me from every aspect. I was expecting, what kind of murder will take place on the train?

     Written by a famous English novelist who has sold roughly 2 billion copies of her works, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ was chosen as second place’s ‘World’s Favorite Christie’ in 2015. Agatha Christie, also known by the title of ‘Queen of Crime’ is listed in Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling novelist of all time. With the faithful protagonist, Hercule Poirot, who has been accompanying her ever since the first novel she published, Murder on the Orient Express successfully hit the bookstores on January 1934.

     The story begins with Hercule Poirot, a private detective who arrived in Istanbul, is going back to London because he received a telegram which prompt him to cancel his arrangements. By taking a first class compartment of Orient Express, Poirot met Mr. Ratchett, who attempts to hire Poirot’s strength because he believes his life is threatened. However, Poirot refused with the reason of doesn’t like his face. I’m impressed by how Poirot refuses the big money Mr. Ratchett offered firmly.

     On the second night, the train is stopped by a snowdrift and that was when the incident occurred. The next morning, Poirot was asked by Mr. Bouc, an acquaintance of his and the director of Orient Express to solve the case before Yugoslav police arrives in order to avoid any complication. Poirot agrees and conduct an investigation right away.

     This is when the story starts to get interesting. Poirot started with checking the crime scene, then he asked for the passenger’s alibi and search for any evidence he could find. Strangely, the murder was somehow related to a kidnapping case long ago in America. The evidence presented was undoubtedly sufficient, not too little but also not too much to reveal who the murderer is.

     I like how observant Poirot is even before the murder happened. He kept an eye of the people in the first class compartment acutely, but not intense enough to raise any suspicion. He also acted calmly during the whole incident, even though there were so much complicated pieces of puzzle. How he ever could arrive at such outcomes and possibilities, I think it’s because he think objectively. Nevertheless, I am fond of his character and his nature. ‘Mon ami, if you wish to catch a rabbit you put a ferret into the hole, and if the rabbit is there he runs. That is all I have done.’ He said to Mr. Bouc when he taunted one of suspect. Hercule Poirot is one of the best main character indeed.

     Agatha Christie is my most respected author and the number one crime novelist in my list. She always managed to make me wonder and think about the murderer, only to be astonished by the outcome in the end. I could have never guessed it right, and that only makes me feel like I haven’t catch up to her yet. I totally recommend Agatha Christie’s novels!

【105-1 第一名】應外三 陳〇心:All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque


參賽者:陳〇心(應外三)
名次:第一名
書名:All Quiet on the Western Front
得獎作品:

     A book with disturbing tone, All Quiet on the Western Front arouses me to question what a war is really about. The story opens during the World War I, when Germany was in a crazy of war with France. Young and naive, Paul and his friends were inspired by their patriotic teacher Kantorek to join the army voluntarily on the French front. The war experience, however, was anything but what they had thought. People barely survive from the front in each battle; friends die in pain and horror; soldiers were maltreated in the camp by the government, and people feel not the glory of fighting the war but the fear of dying every day. The war made deep scars in the protagonist. Paul, a sensitive young man who is interested in poetry at school, describes himself as a “human animal”, lacking the ability to think and feel like a natural human being. The story ends sadly; Paul was shot to death as he tries to catch a butterfly, which was once his favorite insect before the war.

     The themes in the story pointed out how war could affect one’s psycho. To begin with, the soldiers lose their humanity senses such as empathy, compassion, and emotion; the replacement is numb and indifference. This can be seen as one of the wars most drastic impact on soldiers—struggling from physical danger and the lost of friends, the soldiers had no time to console their fear and sorrow; hence, they were forced to detach themselves from emotions. Secondly, some ironies could be found when the author arranged the plot. At one scene of the story, Paul and his friend were discussing the reason that caused the war. It turned out it was not because of one country’s man is offended by another country’s man or due to a nation offending another nation. They finally realize that someone, maybe the emperor or the king, wanted the war to happen; whoever wanted the war must have benefit from it. Sarcastically, those who fought in the war do not feel that they are benefited in any aspect. The war eventually leaves most people in mourn and pain instead of benefiting them. Another point that the book wants to demonstrate is how the society is imbued with patriotism. Paul’s teacher was an extreme patriot and encourages his students to die for honor in the war for their country; however, too much patriotism blinds people with the cruel part of the war including suffering, wounding, dying, and fear. I think the author wrote this part out in order to criticize the society at that time.

     The most grieving part which hovers me after reading is when Paul killed a French soldier in the trench due to fear. In the well-written words, the author depicts how absurd and cruel the war has made people become. After stabbing the French soldier, Paul realized that the French soldier was practically like him, who has a loving family waiting from him in his country. Paul felt even guiltier to find the photo of the soldier wife and thought of how despairing and painful for his wife to receive the dead news. This part ended sadly as the French soldier died eventually, and Paul curse to the sky of the bloody war. From my perspective, the story admonished how dreadful a war has cause a man, a family, a country to break down while criticizing the lust and vanity that the war possess in nature.

【105-1 特別獎】社工三 程〇環:The Girl on the Train: The Underside of Marriage

The Girl on the Train: The Underside of Marriage


參賽者:程〇環(社工三)
名次:特別獎
書名:The Girl on the Train
得獎作品:

     The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller, written by English writer Paula Hawking. Although comments on this novel are mixed, which is frequently compared with Gone Girl, I still find it creepy, scary but gripping. The characters, the plots as well as the narrative are organized by the author at an optimal level to discuss the topic she wants to discuss.

     It is a story about five interconnected individuals, including an alcoholic, a liar and cheater, a vamp, a control freak, and a mistress, which means there are all terrible and morally-imperfect main characters in the story. Basically in thriller, there will be at least one character who are sober enough to discover clues piece by piece to unravel the mystery and murder, then have the murderer brought to justice. But in the novel, the heroine — Rachel is a drunkard and literally a loser: breaks up and lose her job, but pretending to work and commuting everyday by train, peeping and imagining others’ perfect life in the train. On account of alcohol, she goes through black-out and memory loss every now and then. It is not even a charming character, but the story records the experience how she just tries to entertain and excite herself in the murder at first, then struggle to get rid of her pathetic life and regain enthusiasm eventually. In this perspective, it is a story of self-salvation, which I think is the positive element underneath the gloomy narrative.

     The story is told by three female narrators alternately through each other, and also cut into little pieces non-chronologically. Although it seems a bit confusing, and needs readers to pause and sort out the story. In my opinion, the method actually improves the interest of reading, and controls the story in a restrained pace, which strengthens the tense and uneasy atmosphere haunted in the novel. Three narrators are either losing memory, concealing or cheating to readers, so you hardly guess what is really going on, and drawing your attention to read and read until the end is revealed. It is a wonderful process.

     In addition, the author wants to talk about the underside of marriage. What if the partner you live with everyday is actually hiding some secrets from you and even lies to you? Like Gone Girl, the story will change the readers’ thoughts towards marriage and love.