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【That Old Ace in the Hole】を
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mediocre prose, dreadful structure　　（2004-02-04）
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Seeing who the author is, is where the first surprise lies. This work by a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award recipient has unremarkable prose--which is pardonable, if more than made up by content (as in "The Shipping News"--dour, slow-paced, but nonetheless a mixture of circumstances and emotions, first thrown together, then gradually intertwining).

Indeed, "That Old Ace In The Hole" has an interesting story line. And the descriptions of the people in the town have a wry and lucid consistency. But it is ruined by a few characters who appear in the protagonist's life, for no apparent significance, and more than a few who leave for no reason, nor significance in timing, much less leave their mark.

Without prejudice to the literary talents of Annie Proulx in general, this must be not be among her best works. This one has been disappointing.

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mediocre prose, dreadful structure　　（2003-10-31）
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Seeing who the author is, is where the first surprise lies. This work by a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award recipient has unremarkable prose--which is pardonable, if more than made up by content (as in "The Shipping News"--dour, slow-paced, but
nonetheless a mixture of circumstances and emotions, first thrown together, then gradually intertwining).

Indeed, "That Old Ace In The Hole" has an interesting story line. And the descriptions of the people in the town have a wry and lucid consistency. But it is ruined by a few characters who appear in the protagonist's life, for no apparent significance, and more than a few who leave for no reason, nor significance in timing, much less leave their mark.

Without prejudice to the literary talents of Annie Proulx in general, this must be not be among her best works. This one has been disappointing.

.

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mediocre prose, dreadful structure　　（2003-10-31）
.

Seeing who the author is, is where the first surprise lies. This work by a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award recipient has unremarkable prose--which is pardonable, if more than made up by content (as in "The Shipping News"--dour, slow-paced, but
nonetheless a mixture of circumstances and emotions, first thrown together, then gradually intertwining).

Indeed, "That Old Ace In The Hole" has an interesting story line. And the descriptions of the people in the town have a wry and lucid consistency. But it is ruined by a few characters who appear in the protagonist's life, for no apparent significance, and more than a few who leave for no reason, nor significance in timing, much less leave their mark.

Without prejudice to the literary talents of Annie Proulx in general, this must be not be among her best works. This one has been disappointing.

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フライパンのとって　　（2003-06-23）
　この小説の舞台，テキサスのパンハンドル地方は「フライパンのとって」，平野から突き出した細長い土地，という意味だそうです．この地方で牧場の牛のために多数設置されたアメリカ風車（多数の羽根がついたタイプ）を立てたり修理したりする人が登場する，という個人的な興味がこの本を買った理由です．風車の仕事は何十メートルもある高いところでするたいへんな仕事で，しかも点在する風車を直して回るために，一度家を出たら何日も戻れません．そんな風車修理の仕事をしてきた老人がこの小説のキーパーソンですが，物語の主人公はデンバーからきた青年です．会社の命令で養豚場用の土地を買うのが目的です．牛を育てることを誇りにしてきた土地柄で，「ブタの土地を売って」といっても相手にされないので，彼は社長の命令で「豪華な家のための土地を探している」とうそをつかなければなりません．

　土地を手放したいと思っている人に出会うために彼は町のひとびとの日常に積極的に入り込もうとします．この土地に祖父やその父の代から１００年以上に渡って住んできた人々の生活や生き様，こだわりやどうしようもない哀しさ，が美しく荒々しい自然の描写の中でいきいきとしかしコミカルに描かれます．これがこの小説の面白いところでしょう．

　会社から早く土地を見つけろ，と催促されるなか，ようやく彼は土地を売ってもいいと思っている２，３の人たちに目星をつけます．ところが彼等に「うん」といわせるには，あの風車の仕事をしている老人が承諾しなければならない，という事情がだんだんと分かってきてます．青年が老人に話をつけに行こうとする終盤，次々といろいろなこと起こって物語は一気に盛り上がってすばらしい結末を迎えるのです．

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mediocre prose, dreadful structure　　（2003-06-05）
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First, please see who the author is. Which is where the first surprise lies. This work by a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award recipient has unremarkable prose--which is pardonable, if more than made up by content. Remember "The Shipping News"--dour, slow-paced, but nonetheless a mixture of circumstances and emotions, first thrown together, the gradually intertwining.

Indeed, "That Old Ace In The Hole" has an interesting story line. And the descriptions of the people in the town have a wry and lucid consistency. But it is ruined by a few characters who appear in the protagonist's life, for no apparent significance (could I have missed them ALL?), and more than a few who leave for no reason, nor significance in timing, much less leave their mark (did I miss them all AGAIN?).

Without speculating on the literary talents of Annie Proulx in general, this must be not be among her best works. It is disappointing.

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