The Big Sleep trailer

THE BIG SLEEP

Raymond Chandler (Oxford Bookworms)

This is a thriler with a lot of characters: Philip Marlowe, a private detective; General Sternwood , a rich and very ill oil baron; Vivian Sternwood, General Sternwood eldest daughter; Carmen Sternwood, the General's youngest daughter; Rusty Regan, an ex-bootlegger and Vivian's husband; and Eddie Mars, the corrupt leader of a gang of gamblers.


The story takes place in Los Angeles California.

I chose it because I like detective novels.

Detective Philip Marlow is hired by General Sternwood to solve two mysteries. The first one is abaout Carmen, who is blackmailed, and the second is about the disappearance of Rusty, the General's son-in-law.Marlow will discover what is behind these mysteries. Carmen is related to Rusty. She is the darkest character in the family and is involved in pornography and drugs. Carmen killed Rusty, but the reason is not very clear. Philip also discovers that Vivian is blackmailed by Mars who threatens her with making public that she killed Rusty.

The story is full of crimes and secondary characters, so it is difficult to say how it will end. Raymond Chandler uses subplots for other sagas featuring Detective Marlowe. It reminds me of Agatha Christie's and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing technique. It is a very light and short novels written on purpose to be an easy read. I would recommend the novel to people who are looking for something easy and entertaning to read.

Rosa María Rodríguez Rivas

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Charles Dickens (Oxford Bookworms.

The main character is Doctor Manette though there are other characters: Mrs. Lucie Manette (Dr.Manette's daughter), Jarvis Lorry (Tellson's Bank employee and Dr. Manette's friend), Charles Darnay (Marquis Evremond's nephew and Mrs. Lucie's husband, Sydney Carton (Dr. Manette's friend, he falls in love with Lucie), Marquis Evremond (Dr. Manette's enemy) and finally two important characters: Madame and Monsieur Defarge.

The story takes place in 18th-century Paris and London and in popular places like Rue St. Antoine and La Bastille.

I chose this book due to its writer, Charles Dickens. I watched Great Expectations on TV. That great film came to my mind when I saw Tale of Two Cities in a bookstore.

During the French Revolution, English and French noblemen abused the poor people. French noblemen ran away from Paris to London and took their money with them. However, othe rnoblemen remained in France and their future was the guillotine. When the story begins, Dr. Manette has been in the Bastille for almost 20 years. He is released and his daughter and friends help his in his new life, so he becomes the man he had been before he went to prison. The Revolution breaks out and he is a heroe, but his son-in-law is France's enemy and due to the Revolution he is sent to prison and punished with the guillotine. At the end, Darney leaves Paris with his family and friends thanks to his friends.

In my opinion, the French Revolution was a cruel moment in history, laws were unfair, citizens were poor, angry and hungry and they worked hard every day.

The story is easy to read and maybe it can give you a different point of view of history. Apart from that, it is a bit sad story within a romantic novel.

Diana Martínez Haz.

THE LONG TUNNEL by John Milne

The publishing house is Heinemann and is an adventure book with three main characters: Paul, Sheila and Charles. The story is in Wales.

I liked this book because it is great and easy. The book is about three friends going on holiday to a cottage in Wales. Paul becomes a prisoner when some men are going to rob money on the train. Sheila and Charles release Paul and the police arrest the men.

By Nuria Pancorbo Ruiz (Básico 1).

Image taken from www.shotsmag.co.uk

If you like crime stories and thrillers, Milne has written many of them. Click HERE to read about this.

LONDON (Mirna Rodríguez Arguibel) This is a book by John Escott in Oxford Bookworms. It is a book about an interesting place. The book is about the city of London. It is a beautiful city today. But two thousand years ago, the Romans came and built the town. Nowadays London is the biggest city in Britain. There are places to go, for example, theatres, museaums, galleries, parks and gardens. You can see alot of sports. You can go shopping and you can eat fish and chips. Other palces, the red buses, Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, the Big Ben. These are only some of the things you can see in London.

Image taken from Flickr (Reg Ramal, all rights reserved)

Tim Burton This is Halloween

Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë, Oxford Bookworms) This is a romantic book about Jane Eyre and Rocherster, although there are many characters, like Mrs. Reed (Jane Eyre's aunt), Bessie (from Gateshead), Helen (Jane's friend at Lowood school), Adele (Mr. Rochester's daughter), Mr. Fairfax (Thornfield's housekeeper)) and Mary, Diane and John (Jane's cousins). The action takes place in England in the 19th century. There are scenes in Gateshead, Lowood school, Thornfield, Moor House and Ferndean Manor. I chose it because I really like romantic novels.I watched Jane Eyre film when I was a child, and I loved it. When I saw the book at the bookstore, I decided to buy it immediately. The book is a tale about one girl in the nineteenth century. Jane is an orphan, she has no parents or loving relations. She does not have any money of her own. The world in the ninteenth century was so different for a woman, if we compare with life now. The world was a man's world, but Jane has a strong character and is a dreamer. Her childhood is so sad becasue she does not have any freinds and she has to learn how to live without a family. I am sorry I remember that she has one friend, but for a little time. This is Helen, although she dies when she is young, due to a disease, consumption. Jane leaves Lowood school after eight years there, because she gets a job as a governess in Thornfield, where she falls in love with the master. It is here where she finds hapiness. The novel is great and I can imagine waht life in England was like two hundred years ago. I would like to live there for a moment. I would be happy. I recommend this book if you like to know what life was like at that time. The novel is romantic too. Diana Martínez Haz.

Death of a soldier

Death of a soldier by Philip Prowse (Heinemann) is an adventure book about a British soldier, David. It takes place in Belfast (Northern Ireland) and it is about the war there. David wants that the war between Catholics and Protestants ends. He works in Belfast with his patrol. A man kills his partner.I like the story because it is short.José Luis González (BASIC 1)

(Image taken from openlibrary.org)