Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1 - light novel

This begins Holo and Lawrence's long journey together some times slice of life others mercantile scheming and at others action adventure all some how wound together seamlessly into a single narrative

I've read 4 of the novels so far, and watched both seasons of the anime. Yes, in the end Spice & Wolf is a love story. But the setting, the protagonist, and the drama itself surrounding the "they fall in love" theme is all very different from what most other stories present these days. See, Spice & Wolf doesn't try to be an action, "knight saves damsel", or even "girl has superpowers and it's awesome" type of story. It's a down to earth, joyfully playful tale of a merchant (yes, a simple merchant) and how he met a transcendental wolf named Holo, who takes the form of a girl.From that description, you would probably think the story revolves around her and her abnormal powers; but no, it's mostly about...wait for it...MONEY! Yes, Spice and Wolf is unique (at least to me) in that the main drama the protagonists face is monetary schemes; and so you get this very peculiar mixture of the problems faced in a developing love relationship and those of a Renaissance merchant living day by day from his hard work in the field of finances. The financial drama in which the protagonists plunge themselves is quite intricate, and often revolves around financial concepts that affect our very world today, yet they are presented in a way more akin to a mystery novel than a lecture from Harvard. Boring things like price speculation and return on investment are suddenly transformed into the very sword and shield of a knight fighting for his damsel's love, yet the roles are often exchanged and it is Lawrence who finds himself needing saving.Laurence has many characteristics often seen in other "anime" stories, like his inexperience in love, which gives him the typical shyness of male protagonists often found in animes. However, he is also a very clever merchant who has confidence in his work and is not afraid of climbing the economic ladder. He is a hardworking person with a purpose, which differs greatly from the "I don't care about anything, the wind carries me", "I'm a delinquent", or even "I don't want to pilot this robot, why was I chosen?" attitude that anime protagonists often show.For her part, Holo also presents many characteristics often seen in anime female protagonists, like her "tough and clever" attitude counterbalanced by her soft spot that emerges when faced with her loneliness and longing for her home. Yet she is also playful and honest in her relationship with Lawrence, most of the time taking the initiative to advance their love relationship in original ways, not so much as "I'm gonna suddenly kiss you now" but rather more like "I'm going to test you through a complicated commodity inflation scheme to see if you trust me" type of thing.Their relationship has a "homely" feeling to it, and gives the impression that it could really happen in the real world compared to the often exaggerated, idealistic relationships of most anime. All in all, I highly recommend Spice & Wolf, more so to adults than teenagers.

Rating system:1 star = did not like2 star = it was okay3 star = liked it4 star = really liked it5 star = it was amazingThis is an interesting series. I'd heard it was mostly commerce themed, so I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it was actually intriguing to read. Some of the stuff went over my head, so I'm sure it's not for everyone. This particular volume had a lot of talk about the value of money based on the purity of the metal and how it can fluctuate as well as how you can profit from that, for example. They don't always tell you everything, though, sometimes you have to connect some of the dots yourself to figure out what they mean.The story was good, especially toward the end.This is the first volume, so a big chunk of the first few chapters was world building and getting to know the two main characters and how they interact with each other.The characters seem well thought out, and their banter is amusing. I see potential for character growth for Lawrence. I get the feeling Holo will be a catalyst for that.

Lawrence is a traveling merchant that is very trusted throughout the land, even though that land is very heavily controlled by the church, who will do anything to make sure the gods from the past are no longer worshiped. This doesn't affect Lawrence what-so-ever, until he finds one of these old gods sleeping in his wagon cart after a Pagan harvest festival.The adorable god he finds is Horo, a wolf god! She can shift between forms, even though it's not the most convenient of ways, but in human form she is still left with cute little wolf ears and a tail. Her life depends on a sheaf of wheat that Lawrence has in his cart.Obviously, Lawrence's new travel friend would cause a problem if anyone found out that she's really a Pagan god, so Horo is constantly hiding her "special additions". Lawrence agrees to help Horo get north, while Horo promises to help his sales to earn her keep.This book heavily focuses on economics, but it isn't overwhelming. The main sub-plot surrounds the coin system and silver purity. Lawrence and Horo get wrapped up with two companies, with very similar names might I add, that have much more power than they do. This will not be the last time we see these two companies or the church, I'm sure.This is a romance, but it's the definition of slow-burn romance. Lawrence and Horo are both such lonely creatures that truly do not deserve to be. I think I want to continue on with this series mostly just to see their happy ending (they better get a happy ending).This book was much longer and much more thought provoking than I thought it would be. When I saw it only had a prologue, six chapters and then an epilogue, I thought it would only take me about an hour to read. Boy was I wrong. This was actually very meaty, and took me two nights to read. There was a lot to the story and plot, and the character development (as slow as it might be) was also exceptional.This story read very beautifully, and I feel like it was translated well. I think fantasy lovers would really enjoy this, and it would be a nice place to start if you want to get into light-novels and manga.

英語のタイトルとそのロゴの見た目が、「こちらの英語版の方が本家なのでは？」という感じなのが良いです。まだ読みはじめたところですけど、ホロの廓風の言葉づかいが普通っぽいのは・・・シェークスピア原典みたいにされても読めませんから・・・仕方ないですね。

Part of a series purchased as a gift.

ライトノベルの英語版の中では、アクションや擬音の少ない作品ため、英語の勉強に使えます。アニメで放送もされており、話や会話の流れも掴みやすく、初めて英語図書で勉強しようとする方におすすめです。

表紙カバーは実写みたい、紙の本体の表紙の萌絵イラストと違う、ギャップに気づいた。 実写っぽい表紙カバーのバーコード面に、鳩麦っぽいのが写っていて、 本体のバーコード面には麦のイラスト。 本文は書き言葉で複雑めに書いてあり、さらに古めかしい言葉遣いの語り部みたいで、辞書。 もしかすると、ストーリーを知っているなら、台詞だけを読めば良いかも。 語り部は一文が長くて、文法とイメージの擦り合わせの教材になりそう。 that if as by,が続いて三行になると、文の組み立て順序の常識が必要で、慣れるには暗記とイメージの擦り合わせ。 日本語だと、説明のかかりかたが自由だから、長い文の理解を日本風にやると困る。 英語のまま理解できることが必要になり、たぶん馴れれば英語のまま読めるんだと思う。 簡単な範囲を、理解して覚えて、眠って休んで、また明日に少し覚えていけばいい。