All Reviews by Im Cheungjun
The Nebuly Coat
by J. Meade Falkner
One character in this novel says certain places are bound up with certain men's destinies. Yes, you will find the principal character's destiny is inextricably bound up with the central tower of the minster. Very interesting to read.
The Mysterious Murder of Pearl Bryan
by Unknown
A gruesome account of a real murder case in which a young woman was decapitated while still breathing. The case is presented in a journalistic, matter-of-fact style, and there is not a scrap of sentimentalism.
The Green Mummy
by Fergus Hume
I agree with the previous reviewers. Each time a new clue is discovered, the situation undergoes a complete change. A superb plot. I just wish the writing was as creative as the plot.
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder
by James De Mille
A young adventurer, after wandering the arctic ocean, reaches a land where wealth is held despicable and a public death is the greatest honor in life. A tale full of Swiftean irony, and the language is so rich and powerful that I found the book hard to put down.
The Yellow Wallpaper
by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The first-person narrative by a woman depicts not only the process of her getting mad but also the existence of a repressive (male-dominated) society. A wonderfully crafted and very disturbing short story.
The Mouse in the Mountain
by Norbert Davis
I was amazed when I found that Ludwig Wittgenstein was a gread admirer of this novel and would have written a fan letter if he could have found the publisher's address. Totally hilarious.
Lady Audley's Secret
by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
I enjoyed this very much though the story is long and may seem to be winding a little. I like it because the story is not too "melodramatic" as many of the Victorian sensation novels are, and each character is well-drawn.
From Whose Bourne
by Robert Barr
The ghost of a poisoned man tried to find his own murderer. This is a very good light reading.
The Crooked House
by Brandon Fleming
A French detective runs down a psychopathic killer. This is an awesome mystery. Very disturbing and terrifying.
When the Sleeper Wakes
by H.G. Wells
Graham falls into a coma and wakes up after two hundred years to find himself the master of the world. This is a dystopian novel like "Brave New World" and "1984", but is more action-packed. I enjoyed the nightmarish atmosphere of the story.
The Old Wives' Tale
by Arnold Bennett
I love modernist novels like Ulysses and At Swim-Two-Birds, but this novel made me re-recognize the tremendous achievements of an old masters, Arnold Bennett. I was really deeply absorbed in reading this for five days. Wonderful storytelling.
Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
by Robert Tressell
As a Japanese citizen, I was amazed to find that the working condition in England a hundred years ago is so similar to that of the present Japan where 10 million people work in low-paid jobs with no security or social benefits. This novel gives me a lot of food for thought.
The Grand Babylon Hotel
by Arnold Bennett
An American millionaire buys a prestigious English hotel to find that an international conspiracy is brewing behind its dazzling facade. This is a great mystery/adventure story. Highly recommended.
The Memory of Mars
by Raymond F. Jones
Great read. The suspenseful story with the theme of false memory reminds me of some of the great short stories of Philip K. Dick.
The Great Temptation
by Richard Marsh
The previous reviewer is right. Once I started reading this, I simply could not stop. The text is unfortunately flawed with typos, so I downloaded a pdf of the original book from www.archive.org.
The Haunted Bookshop
by Christopher Morley
Wonderful story. This novel is categorized as "Ghost Stories" by MANYBOOKS.NET, but actually it is a mystery or an adventure story. Carlyle's Oliver Cromwell disappears and reappears from the shelf of a secondhand bookstore in Brooklyn which the eccentric proprietor claims is haunted by the ghosts of all great literature. But what is really going on in this bookshop is...
This is a really nice book for booklovers and mystery fans.
That Affair Next Door
by Anna Katharine Green
Good mystery. This is not the kind of detective novel in which every clue is presented to the reader, but still the final twist was surprising. The narrative of Miss Butterworth, an amateur dective, is delightful, and her battle with her rival, Mr Gryce, entertaining, the scene of inquest impressive.
What Timmy Did
by Marie Belloc Lowndes
This is a story of a young Englishman who, after nine years' experience abroad, rediscovers the beauty of English rural life and gets reunited with his old love. Compared with the same author's extraordinary mystery "The Lodger", I have to give this novel four stars, but still I enjoyed every moment of reading it and was impressed with the author's skillful story telling.
Sight Unseen
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Great story. Dark, eery atmosphere is superbly created with a touch of humor and grotesqueness. This might be a minor story among the works of Rinehart, but I find it very satisfying as a mystery novel.