I'm a devoted reader.

Целищева Мария Сергеевна

15 лет,

ученица 9-го класса,

ГБОУ СОШ № 629, г. Москва,

Учитель – Баева Марина Леонидовна.

Hello Everybody!

My name is Maria, I like to read books. Now I want to analyze some Macmillan books.

I know that there are a lot of books of many genres in the world of literature and I know that Macmillan has published only works of high quality. That’s why, I read your books.

I like your books in adventure genre and guide books, love stories and mysteries, historical chronicles and poetry. I am a real bookworm, as my parents say about me.

The first book, which I have read, is “This is London” by Philip Prowse. It is not a thoughtless choice, because I have always wanted to know more about the history of London, its attractions, parks, shops, theatres and cinemas, cafes and restaurants.

 I have learned a lot of interesting things about London in an amazing book “This is London”. It’s a guide around London with a map of London and many photos of its sights.

If you don’t know what London is, I tell you: “It’s the biggest and most important city in Britain. It’s an ancient city, which was built in AD 43. This place is connected with Shakespeare; there you can see the Globe Theater. This city is connected with Dickens too, the greatest English writer, who wrote about the lives of the rich and poor people of London at that time. If you want, you can visit the Dickens’ home in Doughty Street. The Thames is a “blood” of the city. That’s why, the river is a place for the rest and entertainment for some people, it is a place where they can work. “

Let’s go around the city using a map from pages 14-15. You can see a lot of attractions: Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, the British Museum, the Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, the national gallery and many others.

As for me, I have found the useful information about shopping. I am fond of music and I have learnt that in Soho I can buy musical works of different musicions.

I advise you to read this book if you want to go to London.

My second book, which I read, is "Hamlet" written by the greatest author of all times, William Shakespeare.  

This is a wonderful work of the master which conquers our hearts. Shakespeare lived during the Renaissance, during the creation of the nation-state, an extraordinary flowering of arts and crafts, science and commerce. Biographical information about Shakespeare is rather scarce and not always reliable.

William Shakespeare was born in April 23, 1564 in the town of Stratford on the River Avon. He was a  founder of the English literature and the theatre.

“Hamlet” is the greatest tragedy of Shakespeare's , which Belinsky called "The brilliant diamond in the crown of the king of radiant dramatic poets”.

The story of Hamlet is based on a Danish legend, first recorded at the end of XII century by a Danish chronicler. The hero of the tragedy is Hamlet, the man of his time. Hamlet has his own philosophical views, which have revolutionary influence on the people of that time.

A human death is terrible. The tragedy has its content - it is not a real death, but it is a moral death of a person that led him to the fatal path of ending doom. In this case, the real tragedy of Hamlet is that he, a man of beautiful spiritual qualities, gets mad.

 When I see the horrible side of the life: a deceit, a betrayal, a murder of relatives, I get upset.

Hamlet lost the faith in people, in love, his life lost its value for him. Pretending to be insane, he really is on the verge of madness from knowing how monstrous people are. He sees them as traitors, perjurers, murderers, hypocrites and flatterers. He finds the courage to fight, but really he can only watches them with sorrow.

If you like classical books, read this book! You will enjoy this masterpiece of the ancient writer.

     My third book is “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri.  

Deep feelings can be seen in the book "Heidi", written by this wonderful writer.

The book tells the story of a girl-orphan, which was taken care by her aunt Dete. Auntie takes a 5-year Heidi to her grandfather. At first, it is an unhappy visit to Heidi's grandfather, but eventually the girl manages to overcome its external alienation and they begin to live in perfect harmony with him and his best friend.

 Dete returns after three years and carries Heidi to Frankfurt to a 12-year-old girl. She is a disability girl, named Clara.  She is learning to read and write, motivated by the desire to go home.

After a year, Clara is sent back to the grandfather. And the girls write letters to each other. A doctor, who visits Heidi and grandfather, recommends Clara to travel and to visit a friend.

Meanwhile, Heidi teaches Peter, a little boy, to read and write. Clara arrives the next year and spends a wonderful summer with Heidi. Clara's wealthy family promises to give Heidi shelter and provides it.

This book is about a real friendship, about carefree relationship and happy childhood. It is read easily and after the end of the story you feel peace and quiet.

    The next book is an adventure story.

Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe in 1917.

Robinson was the third son in the family.  His head was filled with dreams of sea travels.

His dreams come into true. He becomes a sailor! He travels a lot, and one day his ship was in a terrible shipwreck.

For Robinson a new life begins, a life with a lot of adventures and a lot of dangers.  

I think this book can teach us that the man, in his will in the circumstances, can build yourself out of almost nothing, can create his own environment and live in it as a man and  have everything in abundance.

And the most important reason to have and use all to the maximum of their capabilities: «Today we love, what tomorrow we hate, today looking for, what tomorrow will be avoided. Tomorrow we will lead the thought in awe of what we crave today».

    My next book is “Little Women”

Many books have been written by great writers, and in each of the hides its meaning, which you want to solve.

When you read, you would like to understand the characters:  their actions, words, sometimes the expression on their faces...

A huge impression on me made a novel of an American author - Louisa M. Alcott -  "Little Women", which was published in 1868.

The novel is a story about coming of age of four daughters in the family March (Meg, Jo, Beth and Emi), living with their mother at Gettysburg during the Civil War. Their father is a military doctor who is at the war.  After a terrible battle the troops of Confederates go through their city and burn it with their house.    They become homeless people and beggars and they go to Concord, where father’s aunt lives. The March hopes that the old lady will help them. The girls try to adapt for a new life and meet new friends. Later, Mr. March is wounded in a combat and is hospitalized in Washington, DC, after the treatment he returns to his family.

"Little Women" is a very touching and honest story about that that is worth striving for and what you believe. It has a unique moral core, which is so often lacking in books. The book contains some interesting ideas that can help us in life.For example: "We are all woven of deficiencies"; or " Women use a deception to keep their big and small secrets, lovers, it is necessary to hide the unpleasant incident."

But I like these lines of the novel: "You cannot change what you do not know."

They mean that everything depends on many circumstances, and if you don’t know them you are helpless.

Read this book if you want to enjoy the charm of the real life.

My next book is “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen.

“Northanger Abbey” is the novel about people in English Society. These people had money, houses and land. They did not work. They visited each others’ houses. They played cards and they read books. They went to balls and to theatres in the towns. They rode horses in the country. Or they drove in their carriages.  

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is one of ten children of a country clergyman. Although, she was a tomboy in her childhood, by the age of 17 she has been excessively fond of reading Gothic novels, among which Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho is her favourite.

Catherine is invited by the Allens, her wealthier neighbours in Fullerton, to accompany them to visit the town of Bath and take part in the winter season of balls, theatres and other social delights.

James and John soon arrive in Bath. While Isabella and James spend time together, Catherine becomes acquainted with John.

The Thorpes are not very happy about Catherine's friendship with the Tilneys. At home Catherine is listless and unhappy. Her parents are unaware of her trials of her heart. They try to bring her up as usually it is accepted, but they can’t.  When Henry returned to Northanger from Woodston, his father informes him of what has occurred and forbids him to think of Catherine again. When Henry learns how she has been treated, he breaks with his father and tells Catherine he still wants to marry her despite his father's disapproval. Catherine is delighted. Eventually, General Tilney acquiesces, because Eleanor has become engaged to a wealthy and titled man; and he discovers that the Morlands are not extremely rich, but they are far from destitute.

The book is about love. And love is forever. The real love can break all barriers and make miracles.

If you are a romantic person, read this book.

I like books about mysterious too. And my next book is about them. But I am very afraid of them. So I take the book “The Canterville Ghost and Other Stories ” by Oscar Wilde.

The author was born in Dublin in 1854 and died in Paris in 1900. It’s not important, but the importance is his books: the Picture of Dorian Gray, The Happy Prince and Other Tales, Ravenna, An Ideal Husband and others.  

Who was the Canterville Ghost?

It was Sir Simon de Canterville. But this book isn’t about him, it’s about love.

His soul was wandering around the castle and tried to find a place for resting, while scaring people.

Once Virginia, the daughter of the owner, helped him to redeem himself.

Another story of this writer is “The Model Millionaire”. It’s about love between Hughie Erskine and Laura Merton. It is an unrequited love, because Hughie doesn’t have money. But at the end of the story they have a cheque for ten thousand pounds as a present to their wedding.

The third story is about Mr Podgers who reads people’s hands.

He was a close friend of Lady Widermere and her palmist, whom Lord Arthur Savile didn’t like. Once Lord Arthur had a “clever” idea to kill Mr Pordgers.

 If you want to know the end of the story, read the book.

As I'm a teenager, I am attracted to read books with interesting stories with adventures and stories of my peers.

One of these books is a book about a life of a little girl, it’s a diary of a girl, which was written by Meg Cabot. This book is “The The Princess Diaries 2”.

In this novel, Mia must learn to deal with public people.

Beginning with a primetime interview, Mia is instructed how to behave during it.

During  the interview Mia accidentally says a number of embarrassing things.

 On the day of the wedding, which her grandmother organizes for the Royal Genovian Event Planner,  Mia discovers that her secret admirer is her biology partner Kenny Showalter. Mia is disappointed, as she hopes that it would be Michael, Lilly's older brother.

The book ends with Mia philosophically reflecting, that "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger", and that she cannot hurt Kenny's feelings and accepts a date with him.

The main idea lies in this sentence: "In addition to the bonds of  friendship there are other ties, ties that we do not understand, such ties that we do not want to understand. Such bonds  do not have the names, only feelings. Such bonds have no barriers, no boundaries. Such ties do not bound our hearts from love.

Read the book, and you know how it is difficult to be a princess if you are a simple little girl.

           My next book is “Washington Square”.

“Washington Square’ is a short novel by Henry James. Originally published in 1880 as a serial in Cornhill Magazine and Harper's New Monthly Magazine, it is a structurally simple tragicomedy that recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant, domineering father. The plot of the novel is based upon a true story told to James by his close friend, British actress Fanny Kemble.

Dr. Austin Sloper, a wealthy and highly successful physician, lives in Washington  Square, New York, with his only surviving child, Catherine.  

One day, Catherine meets Morris Townsend at a party and powerfully falls in with him. Dr. Sloper believes in that that he needs only Catherine's money.

When Catherine and Morris announce their engagement, he looks into Morris's background by visiting his sister and learns that he is a parasitic spendthrift.

The doctor forbids his daughter to marry Townsend, whom he considers to be a 'selfish idler' and Catherine cannot bring herself to choose between loyalty to her father and devotion to her fiancé.

 Many years pass. Catherine refuses two respectable offers of marriage and grows into a middle-aged spinster. Dr. Sloper finally dies and leaves her a sharply reduced income in his will out of fear that Townsend will reappear. In fact, Morris is now fat, balding, cold-eyed, but still somewhat attractive. He does eventually pay a call on Catherine, hoping to reconcile. But she calmly rebuffs his overtures. In the last sentence of the novel Catherine tells us that she loves him and have never forgotten him.

The book is very touching, it is about love. If you want to know more about this case, you should read it,

The last my book is “One Day” by David Nicholls. This day is 15th of July, the day when two young people, Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley, meet every year.

The first day when they met was after their university graduation in 1988.  It was the day when they spoke about their last life and dreamt about their future. The man was rich and the woman was poor. His parents didn’t want that they would get married because they didn’t see their tomorrow. The man had a family: a wife Maddy and a daughter Jasmine. The woman didn’t have a family, she liked him the whole her life.

On 15th July 2004 Emma died after their rendezvous. It was a rainy day, the roads were wet. It was awful to end her life in a terrible accident. Dexter remembered her every day. He missed her every day. She was his best real only friend.  

It is difficult to judge about two lovers, because it’s not impossible to judge love. We cannot blame their act, as everybody can make a mistake in a fit of love. It was a pure feeling which is rare these days.

One Day is wonderful and moving love story which takes place over the decades of the eighties, nineties and “noughties”.

At the end of my reflection I would like to say that I am a devoted reader of Macmillan books. I know that every year new and new books are published and I know that I will be with your books forever!