A Room with a View
March 11, 2008Posted by mmarvs in : Books
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Review by María Cotelo
A Room with a view is a novel set in England and Italy. The story is a romance and a criticism of English society at the same time. It takes place at the beginning of the 20th century.
The novel is divided into two parts. The first one is set in Florence and it makes a description of a young English woman (Lucy Honeychurch) who is travelling around Italy with her family. They are accommodated in a hotel whose owner had promised them a room with a view. But instead of this, the room looks over a small garden. At this moment a love relationship between George (the hotel owner’ s son) and Lucy starts. The relationship continues in the second part of the book but this time in England. Lucy has returned home to “Windy Corner” where she gets engaged to Cecil. But unexpectedly the Emersons (George`s Family) lease a cottage in that area and it is there, where Lucy and George meet again. After a kiss with George Lucy starts to feel a bit confused. She must decide between what it is supposed to do and what she actually desires. Finally she breaks her engagement with Cecil and marries George without the approval of her mother.
Never Let Me Go - A book review
March 11, 2008Posted by mmarvs in : Books
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Review by Margarita Nogueiro
Do you like science-fiction books? Are you interested in stories of love and friendship? This is your book! Never let me go is a novel written by Kazuo Ishiguro and set in England. The main characters are Kathy, who tells the story recalling her childhood and adolescence, and her best friends, Ruth and Tommy.
Kathy looks back at her schooldays in Hailsham. There, she starts her friendship with Tommy and Ruth. Despite the fact that they seem to have a happy childhood, Kathy and her friends are not like all children, so their teachers educate them for their inevitable destinity. And here my summary must stop because I would not like to reveal the main secret of the book.
What I liked least of it was that all the story is centred on Hailsham and it is a bit repetitive. Moreover, it is filled with hints that you only understand at the end. Anyway, along the book I found that the story was different from what I expected and it was enough to keep reading. The power of this novel is the combination of feelings and intrigue.
A sad story that I would recommend to everyone who wants to enjoy a book that will not make you indifferent.
Thirty-nine Steps - A book Review
March 11, 2008Posted by mmarvs in : Books
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Title: Thirty-nine steps
Author: John Buchan
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Adapted Version: Level Advanced
Review by Daniel Antuña jiménez
This is one of the best known spy stories based on the First World War and one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. John Buchan translates us to the first years of the past century, the turbulent days before the First World War, when you could find spies everywhere, sharing important documents for the government of an enemy army and making plans of conquest. There’s no man safe, even in their own apartments. The novel is fictional, but Buchan is so worried about the description of the countryside and the feelings of the main character, Richard Hannay, that you are feeling the entire book the action has really happened in the stormy days of 1915. In fact, due to its constant action and its suspense, Alfred Hitchcock immortalized the book in the film of 1935 with the same title, which is considered his first masterpiece.