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Books reviews
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Capitain Grant’s children
by Jules Verne
A captain who was called Glenarvan found a bottle with a message inside in a shark’s stomach. It was a call for help but he couldn’t read it. However he decided to look for the person in danger. After a few days, he arrived in London. He began to look for the mystery man’s relatives. Fortunately Glenarvan found two children: they were the mystery man‘s son and daughter. Together they left for South America. There, during the night, they “met” a lot of animals because the volcano erupted. Fortunately, a Glenervan’s companion, Paganel realised that the message was interpreted wrongly: the island was Australia. They left and there they met Ayrton, a member of Britannia, the mystery man’s ship. The adventurers and Ayrton set off on foot to cross the province of Victoria. Glenarvan discovered who Ayrton really was, a criminal. Glenarvan and his companions left for Europe but they were captured, then fortunately they escaped. Finally they found Captain Grant and his two sailors on the island of Maria Teresa and they returned to Scotland.
This book is beautiful written, it isn’t difficult to read. It is for children and adults. When you read it certainly you found it absorbing and involving.
The main character
Glenarvan is about 35 years old, he is tall and slim. He has black hair and black moustache. He is a handsome man. He wears a brown raincoat and black trousers. He is very brave because he decides to look for the mystery person. He is kind, wants to help Children, and he is clever because he always has an idea.
(Jessica Furlan)
Chemical secret
by Tim Vicary
The story talks about a man, John Duncan., who lived in a small and miserable flat with his two children: Christine and Andrews. They were eighteen and fifteen years old. John was married with Rachel and they had had a big house in the country and much money.
But, when she died, he was terribly unhappy and later his company closed. So, he had to sell his beautiful house and moved to this old flat. After that he did have a job until now. He worked as a biologist in a chemical factory. First he and his family were happy: they bought a new house with a horse and a boat. But he knew that his job was dangerous for all the people and the animals, because the factory put dangerous chemicals into the river. The babies of a group of seals when born weren’t normal: three were died and one was born without a tail. John tried to say that to his manager, but he didn’t want to listen to him! Then all the people knew that. John’s daughter with his husband and some friends of green world tried to push bags of building cement in the pipe but Christine fell into the river while she was pregnant. She drank a lot of dangerous river water! John confessed the truth to the Public enquiry. For six months Christine won’t talk to him and then she will have a beautiful baby.
(Serena Benetton)
Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde
by R. L. Stevenson
Mr Utterson is walking in a street of London with his cousin Mr Enfield. Mr Enfield begins to tell Mr Utterson a very strange story of a mysterious and evil man called Mr Hyde.
After this adventure that Mr Enfield saw some day before, in London strange stories of murderers begin to happen. Mr Utterson tries to find Edward Hyde, the murderer. Soon, Mr Utterson has to see the death of two of his friends and he receives a letter of one of these friends. Mr Utterson understands that behind the killer Hyde, there’s an old of his friends… Doctor Jekill! What will happen?! How can it end?!
This book is beautifully written with excellent dialogues, and keeps the reader absorbed from the beginning to the end.
The writer, R.L. Stevenson, created an adventure and mysterious story with unbelievable characters. This is a book for all the ages.
The main character
Mr Utterson, the main character, is a lawyer. He’s a quite, serious man. He’s shy with strangers and afraid of showing his feelings. He is a very simple man and his eyes, however shine, with kindness and goodness.
(Sara Scantamburlo)
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
Set between Geneva and Great Britain, the story tells about a university student, Victor Frankenstein, passionately fond of electricity and chemistry, who learns the secret of imparting life to inanimate matter and creates a horrible creature which escapes and starts to cause many casualties. After that Frankenstein realizes his mistake and decides to catch and stop the creature but when he finds it, the monster proposes to compromise: he wouldn’t have stopped killing unless the scientist had created a female for him with the same defects. At first Victor says yes but some time later he deny to himself to generate another awful being like that, so he comes back to Geneva and he marries a beautiful girl. But the monster hasn’t forgotten its promise, in fact it goes to Italy and it kills Frankenstein’s wife. After that the scientist leaves to take revenge on his creature. Ages later he finds it but the monster kills him and at the same time it realizes it is destined to be alone.
I would recommend this well-written book not only to the keen readers of horror novels because it includes a lot of metaphors and meanings very similar to the real life.
The main character
It is a being of gigantic stature, about eight feet tall and proportionally large. His skin scarcely covers his muscles and veins, his hair is black and flowing, his teeth are white, features which create a more horrid contrast with his “watery” eyes, withered complexion and straight black lips.
In the story it is described like a bad and evil character, but really it isn’t: it is just a being that was created and then denied and so, just like a human, feels emarginated and lonely and needs a companion to live in happiness.
(Lara Michieletto)
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley.
The protagonist of the book is Victor Frankenstein. He was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. He had a beautiful family, his parents loved each other very much, and he was happy. When he was seventeen years old Frankenstein went to university, because he would like to become a very good scientist. One day he thinks has found the secret of life. He takes parts from dead people and built a new man, the monster of Frankenstein, but the monster hasn’t got friends and soon he learns how to kill. After a time, the monster of Frankenstein kills Frankenstein’s brother and his friend Elisabeth. Frankenstein is very sad so he decides to kill the monster of Frankenstein.
The book is beautifully written. The writer has created a shocking gripping plot with well-developed. There are tragic scenes near the end of the story and some parts are so frightening that I nearly jumped off out my seat.
Frankenstein is a horror book with a fascinating story, so if you are looking for a horror but original story you should read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
(Claudia Montagner)
In the year of the dragon
by H. Q. Mitchell
Norris family arrives at Hong Kong airport after a long flight. There are moving from London to that Chinese city because Mr Norris has to work there.
Jason has sixteen years old and often is very impolite, instead his brother is always happy and he always smiles.
The older brother is very unhappy, he misses his English friends, his English school.
When they arrive at their new home, Jason thinks of a plan to escape and return to London. Meanwhile, in the Cantonese town, the preparations for the Chinese New Year are in full swing. Streets are full of decorations and lanterns. Unfortunately, Jason’s plane is intercepted by his younger brother, then they have a lot of adventures and meet new friends around Hong Kong.
This is an original story, well-written, it teaches about friendship, acceptance and especially it teaches to look trough ourselves.
The main character
Jason is tall with straight blond hair and blue eyes. He’s sixteen years old and he rarely smiles. He’s often very impolite, specially he never listen to his younger brother because he thinks that he’s only a problem. However, with his adventures he’s going to learn to think positively and smile more.
(Marta Pavan)
Lisa visits Loch Ness
by H. Q. Mitchell
Lisa went to Scotland to practise her English.
She travelled on a bus and during the journey Lisa could take al lot of photos. The McGregor family waited for Lisa at the bus station in Glasgow.
Mr and Mrs McGregor had two children Sheena and Rory. They stayed in a cottage near Loch Ness Monster, Nessie.
One day, Lisa and Sheena rode to the village and they went to a Loch Ness Monster exhibition.
The next day was very foggy. Colin and Margherita, his girlfriend, disappeared and his father showed a photograph of them to the McGregor family.
The McGregor and Lisa went to visit a castle and she took lots of photos. When they developed some photos, Lisa saw Colin and Margherita near the forest.
They called Colin’s father and they found him and his girlfriend. Then they torched the children.
Sometimes they went out together and Lisa took a lot of photos near the loch.
When she returned home and developed the photos, she found one with Nessie. Lisa was very happy!!
The main character
Lisa was about sixteen years old, she was Italian.
She was travelling to Scotland because she wanted to practise her English. She stayed with the McGregor family. Lisa loved photography, she took a lot during her holiday. She was also very curious!
(Alice Nardese)
Mama, is Granny white?
by Richard Wright
There was a woman with her black son waiting for the train. They were going to live with the boy’s grandmother.
The young boy started to notice there were two parts of the train: one for the whites, one for the blacks.
He began to ask himself the reason of that why. So he just began to make questions to his mother if his grandmother was “white”. He was really curious. But suddenly his mother started to have strange and angry manners.
So he asked him why he was asking all that about it, but he didn’t know exactly, so he went on asking silly questions, until his mother slapped him.
Not so much later, she began to tell him where his grandmother came from.
When they arrived to the destination, the young boy started to know his family, he discovered his aunt had a local place where the boy could take all what he wanted from there.
It seemed like a dream for him, so he started to steal the bread and to hide it until his mother discovered him.
Then he didn’t steal anymore, because he didn’t fear any longer that someone could take away his food.
The main character
He was a curious boy, too curious for that time. He suddenly started to see the difference between blacks and whites and he wanted to know why coloured people were poorer then the other ones. He was a black boy, and his family was all black, except for his grandmother.
He knew he had a whole new world to discover, many things to know… but he had just to wait to grow up.
(Manuela Cendron)
Paul and Pierre in Paris
by H. Q. Mitchell
If you want to read a special adventure story of friendship, Paul and Pierre in Paris is the right book for you. It was written by H. Q. Mitchell and it is set in Paris.
The protagonist is Paul, an English boy with a French pen friend Pierre Dupont.
Paul went to Paris to visit his friend, there he met Pierre’s family and his cousin Sylvie. Pierre told Paul they had to make a project for school about the sights of Paris. Paul helped them, so they visited Notre Dame Cathedral; they saw all Paris from the top of the Tour Eiffel. They also went to enjoy Disneyland; there they saw their favourite cartoon characters. The day after Paul had to go home, everyone was sad, but when Paul sat down in the carriage he found the French family. Why was the family there?
If you want to know the answer, and the end of the story, read this book. It will be an easy, fast reading, but under it you can find a special friendship between foreign and far people. It’s very interesting because if you don’t know anything about Paris and its monuments, with this book you can find very real pictures about the city of lights.
(Erika Bessegato)
Save the forest
by H. Q. Mitchell
The novel tells the story about a brave and obstinate boy, Christopher Andrews. He tries anyway to prevent Alyesworth trees from being cut down in order to build new blocks of flats. At first he wrote a letter to BBC Channel where he explained the problem and asked some people to solve it.
After some days, he received a letter from the bbc and went to Brian Hunt’s tv program. He was so nervous and angry with a building Company, that he snapped all that he had to say in the camera.
Then he received a phone call from the ecologist company ‘The Friends of the Earth’ who wanted to help him to save the forest. So, he made a petition and picked some signatures from the people of his city and other city.
Finally, the Mayor Preserved the forest and Christopher decided to became an ecologist in the future.
I like this book very much.
The main character
The protagonist of the story is Christopher Andrews, a tall boy with brown hair and black eyes.
He doesn’t like school, he finds it so boring, and actually he hasn’t got good marks.
He’s stubborn and brave to save the forest, because it is a peaceful place with animals and few birds. He’s gone there since he was little, and so he feels very happy when he succeeds to save the forest. He’s very good to explain the problem to the people. His parents are very proud of him.
(Martina Milan)
Sredni Vashtar
by Hector Hugh Munro
One of the short stories, called Sredni Vashtar, of the book Tooth and Claw written by Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), set in a quiet house with a shed in the garden, talks about the strange life of Conradin.
He is a Child, he is ten years old and he is often ill: «He won’t live much longer», said the doctor. But the only thing that keeps him alive is his imagination. In his unreal world he is strong and brave, and moreover, exciting, violent thoughts run wild inside his head. He lives alone with his aunt. He has two secrets: one is that he hates his aunt with all his heart, because she is often unkind to him and also, she forbids him to do everything. The second secret is that he keeps a small, wild ferret into the garden shed. The animal has sharp, white teeth and it loves fresh blood. Every night Conradin prays to this ferret and asks it to do just one thing for him. In fact one day, his aunt goes to the shed to see what keeps Conradin all the day inside. But she doesn’t know anything about the animal. So, after she enters the door, she begins to scream: the ferret bites her throat and runs away.
Finally Conradin will be very happy.
The book is well-written, with a good description of the setting and with convincing dialogue. The writer has created a dramatic plot and the characters are well-developed.
I would recommend it because it is gripping plot with a highly-entertaining climax. I believe also that it is quite realistic but predictable. Finally in my opinion I think that all ages will love it.
(Francesco Marconato)
Tales of mistery and imagination
by Edgar Allan Poe
The story is called William Wilson and it’s a horror story.
The main characters are two: both “Williams Wilsons”, two men with the same name.
They met when they were children at school, but they weren’t friends. They both had strong personalities, so they argued very much. The protagonist hated the other William, because he seemed him, people thought they were brothers, and the other boy always dressed like him and talked like him. So the protagonist escapes from the village and went to university and grew up. Unfortunately one day he saw again the other William, who started to follow the protagonist around the world. But one day the “first” William killed the other. The dead William told the other William that they were the same person.
In my opinion it’s a very strange and original story.
The main character
He was a very rich person. He played poker very much. He was very clever, tall with a thin face. He liked to give orders. He was good at school. He wasn’t an honest person. He lived his life escaping from the other William and then he killed him, or rather himself?
(Alessandra Nappi)
Tales of mistery and imagination
by Edgar Allan Poe
In a country everybody was visited by a deadly disease: the Red Death. People called it so because it left blood in every part of the body. Everybody was afraid of it, except Prince Prospero: he lived in an extraordinary castle with some friends and in that way they could not be touched by the terrible disease. They had everything they needed there. But one day the Prince decided to give a fantastic masked ball. Everybody was dressed like a terrible dream. Suddenly somebody noticed a strange mask... The head and the body were covered with horrible blood! He killed the Prince with a sword. Finally the other person came there and they understood that now the Red Death was there, among them. One by one fell down dead. The only things left in the castle were darkness and disease.
I think it isn’t a good story. I wouldn’t recommend it to the children…They could be frightening!
The main character
Prince Prospero is not an honest person because he thinks only of his own life-not of the country’s life and he thinks to live in a world without problems and diseases. He’s tall with long hair and dark eyes. He’s also too full of himself.
(Giorgia Zilio)
The black cat
by Edgar Allan Poe
The black cat is a real teal of horror, but the protagonist and the place aren’t described very well.
The protagonist is a man but his name isn’t mentioned. He married late and, when he was young, he loved pets so, now he has birds, gold-fish, a small dog, rabbits, a small monkey and a cat. His favourite pet is the cat and the cat’s name is Pluto.
The protagonist likes alcohol. One night returning home, much intoxicated, from one of his haunts about town, he decided to take a penknife from his waistcoat-pocket, he opened it and he groped the poor cat then he cut one of its eyes.
The following morning he felt a sentiment half of horror and half of remorse for the crime. For months he couldn’t rid himself of the phantasm of the cat.
The story is set day by day and the protagonist tells of about his experience.
In my opinion the story isn’t very beautiful, because when I read it I didn’t feel gripped, but for horror lovers it’s a good story.
(Elena Merlo)
The Canterville ghost
by Oscar Wilde
The story talks about a mysterious house, Canterville Chase, that had been lived by a ghost, but the new American proprietaries couldn’t believe in ghost until they saw him.
Since then, the new American family has humiliated and has done bad jokes to the ghost, who couldn’t frighten them.
The ghost has become so depressed that only an innocent and pure girl like Virginia – Mr Otis’s daughter – will help the poor ghost to try to end up with his death after three-hundred long years.
I think this book’s well written and it is very interesting.
With his original story, his nice characters, his mystery and sometimes his sense of humour, Oscar Wilde could transform a story in a masterpiece.
This is a good book for all readers.
The main character
Sir Simon (the Ghost) has lived in Canterville Chase since 1584 when he killed his wife Lady Eleanor. Is over three-hundred years old and he is always been a good watchman and protector of his house until Mr Otis and his family has come to live there. Since that moment he is become nervous, depressed and sad because he couldn’t terrify the new proprietary of his house.
(Samanta Benedetti)
The daffodil sky
by H. E. Bates
A man called Bill sold daffodils, vegetables and fruit in the market. He had a horse and a cart too. But he hoped to have enough money to buy his first car. One day, he stopped to pub because he looked for a girl called Cora who he met there thanked by daffodils. She foresaw he sold all the flowers. Then, she helped him to buy a car cheaply. They were made for each other. They bought a farm, too!! But Bill’s jealousy was strong against Frankie Corbett, an old friend of Cora. Especially when he knew that Cora was pregnant. Is the baby mine or his? So, he looked for him, found him and he killed him with a knife. He stayed in a prison for eighteen years. After that, he was outside Cora’s house and he recognized Cora’s daughter, his daughter but.... he decided to tell her nothing about his identity.
The main character
The main character of the story is Bill. He’s about forty years old. He has greying hair and beard. He’s got dark brown eyes. He’s of medium height and weight. He’s good-natured and he loves a lot his two women of his life: Cora and his daughter. His worst fault is the jealousy. It will burn his heart away until he will kill his worst enemy, a defenceless old man.
(Sara Pivetta)
The happy prince
by Oscar Wilde
If you are looking for an unbelievable but original story about a statue of a prince who, with the leaves of gold all over his body, helps misery people, you should definitely read The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde.
The Happy Prince, the main character of the book, is a very beautiful statue which standing on top of a square of a big city in the north of Europe. He has got two bright sapphires instead of eyes and a large sword with a red ruby. When he was alive he lived in a beautiful palace. Everyone was happy but when he died he can also see the misery. A day he meets a small Swallow and they start to help the poor and the ill. But when he finishes the gold the Mayor of the city removes the statue. An angel goes there and keeps the heart of the prince and the dead Swallow. They will be happy in the gold city of God.
The book is beautifully written, full of colours and images; the plot is gripping and original.
Don’t miss your chance to read this fantastic and highly entertaining story. All people can read it because you feel very happy and find yourself in an unreal beautiful world for one time.
(Valentina Fornasier)
The life of Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens
This story is a beautiful novel. It narrates the story about a very unhappy child. Unhappy because his mother died when he was born.
Until ten years old Oliver lived in a workhouse with twenty poor children. But, later he was adopted by a family who was very bad with Oliver and he was very unhappy.
One day, early in the morning Oliver was in the street. He looked to the right and to the left then he decided to go towards London. He was scared, confused and he had only one slice of bread to eat. On the seventh morning Oliver arrived in a small town near London. There he met a boy, his name was Jack Dawkins. He made took Oliver with him, to his family. But there Oliver become a thief, he worked for them.
One day when Oliver went to do his work, the victim took Oliver, but didn’t go with him to the police, but took Oliver to his house. This man was very rich, his name was Mr Brownlow and finally he adopted Oliver.
So Oliver was a very happy boy with people who loved him.
(Rodica Cojocari)
The murders in the Rue Morgue
by Edgar Allan Poe
The Murders in the Rue Morgue talks about a mysterious crime that was committed in a suburb of Paris: Rue Morgue. The protagonist is Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin, a detective who lives in a grotesque, old mansion in a desolate part of Fauborg St. Germain. He was a poor but well reader young man, he’s a gentleman, a brilliant man who was creative but also analytical. Dupin was highly observant and enjoyed having the narrator around. He was also very arrogant; he never admitted any mistakes of his own.
Well, one night, in Rue Morgue some terrible shrieks were heard from l’Espanaye House. Some people ran to the house and when they opened the door the shrieks stopped; they went upstairs and found a terrible scene: two women were mutilated on the fourth-floor apartment. Detective Dupin with his friend enquired on this case and interrogated all the persons who went first to the house: the witnesses included a Frenchman, a Spaniard, an Englishman, a German, and an Italian. All said that they heard a French voice and another foreigner voice.
After the interrogatories, Dupin examined the house and supposed that the killer escaped from a window in the back of the house. Then he returned to his office and a sailor went there and confessed that the killer was his Ourang-Tang who was escaped from him with a razor. He told Dupin the facts and finally the Ourang-Tang was the killer: he went into the house, killed the two women and escaped from the back of the house.
(Massimo Negro)
Fonte: http://www.ittmazzotti.it/progetti/bassan_3ds_2004/recensioni_inglese_3ds.doc
Autore del testo: non indicato nel documento di origine
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