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''The Road of Dreams'' is a book of poetry by crime writer Agatha Christie. It was published at her own expense by ''Geoffrey Bles'' in January 1925 priced at five shillings (5/-).〔''The English Catalogue of Books''. Vol XI (A-L: January 1921 – December 1925). Kraus Reprint Corporation, Millwood, New York, 1979 (page 310)〕 Only one edition of the 112-page volume was ever published and this was undated. Christie wrote poetry for most of her life; her first traceable published works are three poems from 1919: ''World Hymn'' in ''The Poetry Review'' issue for March/April, ''Dark Sheila'' in ''Poetry Today'' issue for May/June and ''A Passing'' in the same journal for November/December.〔(Japanese website with details of publications )〕 All three poems are reprinted in ''The Road of Dreams'' (with the first under the slightly amended title of ''World Hymn, 1914''). The book is divided into four sections: * ''A Masque from Italy'' * ''Ballads'' * ''Dreams and Fantasies'' * ''Other Poems'' The final section includes a poem titled ''In a Dispensary'' which mentions many of the poisons that Christie would use in her long fictional career. ==Literary response== The ''Times Literary Supplement'' in its issue of 26 February 1925 praised ''A Masque from Italy'' and other selected poems whilst stating that "her talent, however, is too delicate to turn a ballad convincingly" and ''World Hymn, 1914'' was a "subject too large for her hand to grasp". It did conclude, however, by stating that in poems such as ''Beatrice Passes'' (from ''Dreams and Fantasies'') her "real poetic gift is best displayed".〔''The Times Literary Supplement'' 26 February 1925 (Page 142)〕 ''The Scotsman'' of 23 March 1925 said, "Miss Agatha Christie, in her book of poems, ''The Road of Dreams'', reveals a pleasing lyrical sense. The movement of her verse is light and graceful, and its substance, though not of the 'thought compact,' is not empty. Such lines, however – and there are a few – as:– :"The South Wind comes a-whispering, a-whispering from the sea," are banal. Flow in verse is not everything. A stronger note is struck in some of the ballads, for instance, ''The Ballad of the Flint''. Here Miss Christie has a story to tell, and along 'the road of reality' she swings quite vigorously. In the first collection of songs, grouped together as ''A Masque from Italy'' – the players are the old and over-new Harlequin and company – Miss Christie is perhaps happiest. The poem is quite a charming bubble.〔''The Scotsman'' 23 March 1925 (Page 2)〕 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「The Road of Dreams」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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