2017年9月29日金曜日 - 
Charles Bebber : Author Recommendations
For Japanese
students learning English it's often difficult to find popular books written in
English that are easily accessible. Sure, some high-level students can pick up a
random book off the bookshelf in a language they are not native to, but for the
majority of us it's difficult to read anything in another language. Some books
seem easy at
first glance but are significantly harder than
they appear. Others wrestle with complex topics but are written in an easily digestible format.
Today, we'll take a look at a few suggestions. |
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One of the most popular
book series to come out of the last two decades was the Harry Potter novels by
J.K. Rowling. Though targeted at young adults, I find that these books are
difficult for non-native speakers. They often mix fantastical words and words
based on Latin which are not commonly used. A reader trying to read this for
English practice may become discouraged by how many unfamiliar words they're
being subjected to. Rest easy, many of the terms used in the story are
unfamiliar to native speakers as well, but we can use cultural context to know
the difference. These books are so widely popular that they're also available
in Japanese. If you've already read the book in Japanese, it'll become apparent
what terms are not regular English, and the book will become much easier to
read.
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For adult readers that
would rather grapple with darker topics and more adult themes, I can make a few
suggestions. The first is Stephen King. Stephen King is quite popular and has a
unique writing style. His books are often simpler and use common language. He
mostly writes horror novels but has a few fantasy pieces as well. He doesn't
use as many technical terms or describe things in long-winded
sentences.
Tom Clancy is the exact opposite. Tom Clancy stories are famous for elaborate
stories with meticulous detail. His
stories are often about political intrigue, war, spies, and terrorism. He
doesn't actually write everything with his name on it, but stories bearing his name are
often stylistically similar. If you'd rather read something lighter and more
playful than Stephen King or Tom Clancy, I recommend Douglas Adams. Douglas
Adams is a science fiction writer with a sense of humor. He writes with casual
playful language and can introduce complex topics in simple-to-understand
jokes. His stories can change directions suddenly, which can be confusing, but
the vocabulary is simple. One more writer whose stories move along in a very
easy pattern is Dan Brown. He writes stories that have a format very similar to
television. He writes about intense topics but the language itself is simple
and he explains everything he introduces when introducing it. His stories deal
with culture and history though they take
some liberties.
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If you're really
interested in culturally important but ridiculously difficult books, look
no further. The author you need is J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was a linguistics professor
who would make an awful ESL teacher. He's known
for being brutally perfectionist. He sought
to write beautiful stories by building his own languages first and then
creating the world they would exist in. His stories combine deep mythology with
multiple fictitious languages and complicated history about nations that don't
actually exist. They make deep philosophical statements and built much of the
fantasy genre that mobile phone apps, RPGs, video games, and movies mimic
today. Reading any of his Middle Earth canon is extremely
challenging and I wouldn't advise it. However, if you're absolutely certain you
need the challenge in your life, you may attempt it. Another highly popular and
difficult writer is George R.R. Martin. Martin is a kind of spiritual
successor to Tolkien and his 'A Song of Ice and Fire' works are similarly
complex. He writes from a historical and political perspective, much like
Shakespeare. His stories are about a fictional and complicated world of warring
families. It's a smash hit in Western television at the moment as the TV
show 'Game of Thrones' continues to win television awards.
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Notable terms
accessible: easy to approach or try
at first glance: upon basic appearance
significantly: very, intensely, much
digestible: easy to be reduced into something simple
rest easy: relax
long-winded: too complicated and long, senseless
meticulous:几帳面な
bearing: carrying, displaying
take some liberties: not factual
or true
look no further: “this is what you need”
linguistics: science of language and speech
ESL: English as a second languageの頭文字
perfectionist: one who demands the highest degree of
quality
canon: official works
spiritual successor: an indirect
student
a smash hit: something super popular
leisure: fun, a hobby