Moonfleet is a tale of smuggling, royal treasure and shipwreck by the English novelist J. Meade Falkner, first published in 1898. The book was extremely popular among children worldwide up until the 1970s, mostly for its themes of adventure and gripping storyline. It remains a popular story widely read and is still sometimes studied in schools.In 1757, Moonfleet is a small village near the sea in the south of England. It gets its name from a formerly prominent local family, the Mohunes, whose coat of arms includes a symbol shaped like a capital 'Y'. John Trenchard is an orphan who lives with his aunt, Miss Arnold. Other notable residents are the sexton Mr Ratsey, who is friendly to John; Parson Glennie, the local clergyman who also teaches in the village school; Elzevir Block, the landlord of the local inn, called the Mohune Arms but nicknamed the Why Not? because of its sign with the Mohune 'Y'; and Mr Maskew, the unpopular local magistrate and his beautiful daughter, Grace.Village legend tells of the notorious Colonel John "Blackbeard" Mohune who is buried in the family crypt under the church. He is reputed to have stolen a diamond from King Charles I and hidden it. His ghost is said to wander at night looking for it and the mysterious lights in the churchyard are attributed to his activities.

J・ミード・フォークナーの本作は、ゴシックな情緒と人間ドラマが融合した至高の文芸作品です。英国の海岸を舞台に財宝を巡る謎が展開されますが、その本質は過酷な運命の中で見出される「魂の救済」にあります。ダイヤモンドを追うスリルは、若き主人公が世界の光と影を知るための通過儀礼として、詩的な筆致で美しく描かれています。 特筆すべきは、孤児ジョンと宿主エルゼヴィルの間に芽生える血縁を超えた峻烈な絆です。密輸や難破という荒々しい物語の裏で、彼らが選ぶ自己犠牲と誠実さは、時代を超えて読者の胸を激しく揺さぶります。古典ならではの格調高い筆致が、冒険の興奮を人生の深淵へと昇華させており、読後の余韻はいつまでも消えることがありません。