Interesting book ??

<< Retour au forum

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR REPONDRE A CE SUJET

Message de flot posté le 2004-12-05 19:35:07 (S | E | F | I)
I would like to begin reading english literature, but I don't know what kind of book I could read.

My global written understanding is good, but classicals are maybe a bit 'boring' for a beginning. I would like some advices about interesting, not too long and well-written English books... or authors.
Thank you

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de salsify, postée le 2004-12-05 19:39:42 (S | E)
Hi !

You can try to read Harry Potter. It's easy to read, well-written and you can find the French books if you don't all understand.
Bye!

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de cocoon, postée le 2004-12-05 21:02:08 (S | E)
Hi!
You can try to read "The legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, it's quite funny, and easy, another short book is 'The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole, it's a gothic story (the 1st one), one that I particularly love: "The picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde , and also "Angela's ashes", quite sad, but easy to read.

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de babyscot59, postée le 2004-12-07 13:42:13 (S | E)
my favourite one in English is "the tenth man" by Graham greene ( the third man exists also, ). He also wrote a series of novels (very short-stories actually), entitled " The hitch-hiker and other short-stories" Penguin collection!!

hope you'll enjoy these

Take care

babyscot

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de serena, postée le 2004-12-07 14:43:59 (S | E)
How about John Grisham ?

As a lawyer, he wrote many stories which deal with the American justice, and through them you'll know something about American history in "the chamber", about the American economic laws in "the partner", dark and hidden things done by politicians in "the client".
And more things in his other books.

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de yannloic, postée le 2004-12-07 17:07:32 (S | E)
I really appriciate the "rising sun" by MICHAEL CRICHTON and american cop story, easy to read and fascinating. Here is the summary:

At the offices of a Japanese corporation, during a party, a woman, who's evidently a professional mistress, is found dead, apparently after some rough sex. A police detective, Web Smith is called in to investigate but before getting there, he gets a call from someone who instructs him to pick up John Connor, a former police Captain and expert on Japanese affairs. When they arrive there Web thinks that everything is obvious but Connor tells him that there's a lot more going on. Connor discovers that the woman was kept by Eddie Sakamura, the son of a man Connor knew in Japan. And while Web thinks that they should bring Eddie in, Eddie asks Connor for some time to prove his innocence. Connor gives it to him, cause he is beholden to Eddie's father. But when evidence shows that Eddie's the killer, Connor and Smith are in hot water with their superiors, and when they try to get Eddie, a high speed chase ensues with Eddie getting killed. But Connor still thinks that there is something funny going on, especially when he discovers that the evidence they were given is false.

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de gewurz, postée le 2004-12-07 19:00:56 (S | E)
Hi there,

if you want to read american anecdotes or the true life of average American people, choose : Paul Auster, Braddy Udall, Russel Banks
if you want to get away through the United States, road 66... choose :
Michael Cimino, Jack Kérouac
if you want investigation, choose : Harlan Coben, Catherine Coulter
if you want something thrilling... choose : John Saul, F. Paul Wilson, Matthew Costello, Dean R. Koontz

echo !

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de serena, postée le 2004-12-08 09:08:34 (S | E)
If you want in an only story love, suspens, history, anecdotes of American life and above all fear and thrills, then read Stephen King !
His stories are also full of humour. For me, this writer is a sensation.

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de flot, postée le 2004-12-08 21:36:00 (S | E)
Thank you very much for your advices.
I'll try to find some of them...

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de celbaz, postée le 2004-12-17 16:56:28 (S | E)

If you want to read English litterature, "The picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde is a good choice, but for later. So are "Wuthering heights" by Emily Bronte, "Jane Eye" by her sister Charlotte and Jane Austen's. (but the're sometimes "boring" !)

I suggest you start by reading the Agatha Christie's books which are now classical : not long, well written and easy to follow because there is an enigma !
But read and forget about the dictionnary : when you find a new word, your brains have to work and to think about a meaning depending on the context, but incounciously ; then when you find the same word two or three times again, your memory comes back and you realize you have a good comprehension of the word ! Believe me !

Furthermore, you'll be able to read American Litterature and appreciate Graham Greene or Scott Fitzgerald, which I love !

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de presley, postée le 2005-01-10 02:49:49 (S | E)
even i couldnt get through Jane Eyre! but Jane Austen is a very good author, once youre a pretty advanced reader.
Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (i think) is funny, and there are other books in the series if you like that one.
Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde are more classical authors that are also funny and not too difficult to understand. Hemingway is another important author, and his writing is probably pretty easy to read, but you have to think about it and make inferences, or else youll think that nothing is happening in the story. Kurt Vonnegut is really good, and very easy to read. very satirical. i recommend Cat's Cradle by him, and Slaughterhouse 5 is supposed to be good too. the last one is about war. if you like that, try Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. I'm reading it right now in English class. its easy to read and even i like it (i hate war books!).

Réponse: re:Interesting book ?? de pap5, postée le 2005-01-10 11:55:11 (S | E)
hi!

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR REPONDRE A CE SUJET