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''Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates'' (full title: ''Hans Brinker; or, the Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland'') is a novel by American author Mary Mapes Dodge, first published in 1865. The novel takes place in the Netherlands and is a colorful fictional portrait of early 19th-century Dutch life, as well as a tale of youthful honor. The book's title refers to the beautiful silver skates to be awarded to the winner of the ice-skating race Hans Brinker hopes to enter. The novel introduced the sport of Dutch speed skating to Americans, and in U.S. media Hans Brinker is still considered the prototypical speed skater.〔("It Beats Freezing To Death: America Gets Its First Indoor Speed-Skating Rink" ). ''Newsweek''. January 3, 1993. Accessed August 15, 2008.〕 The book is also notable for popularizing the story of the little Dutch boy who plugs a dike with his finger. ==Overview== Dodge, who never visited the Netherlands until after the novel was published, wrote the novel at age 34. She was inspired by her reading of John L. Motley's lengthy, multi-volume history works: ''The Rise of the Dutch Republic'' (1856), and ''History of the United Netherlands'' (1860-1867).〔Gannon, Susan R.; and Thomson, Ruth Anne. ''Mary Mapes Dodge''. Twayne Publishers, 1993; p. 10.〕 Dodge subsequently did further bibliographical research into the country. She also received much firsthand information about Dutch life from her immigrant Dutch neighbors, the Scharffs,〔Gannon, Susan R.; and Thomson, Ruth Anne. ''Mary Mapes Dodge''. Twayne Publishers, 1993; p. 55.〕 and Dodge noted in her preface to the 1875 edition of the book that the story of Hans Brinker's father was "founded strictly upon fact".〔(Dodge, Mary Mapes. ''Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland''. Scribners: 1886 ), p. 9.〕 Full of Dutch cultural and historical information, the book became an instant bestseller, outselling all other books in its first year of publication except Charles Dickens' ''Our Mutual Friend''.〔 The novel has since been continuously in print, most often in multiple editions and formats, and remains a children's classic.〔Morad, Deborah. (''Children's Literature Review, Vol. 62'' ). Gale Research, 2000. p. 58.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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