A Book Every Week: "Mathilda" by Roald Dahl

You can either watch the film I have linked to the previous post before reading this marvellous book or the other way round: read the book and see if you like the screen adaptation. I think I'd rather read the book first, because I love it (is it a bit childish?). Anyway, I hope you find a bit of time to do some reading and listening, I am sure that practice is the key to develop your skills and pass the final exams.
See you soon!

Click here if you want to read Roald Dahl's text!

A Book Every Week: "The Picture of Dorian Gray", by Oscar Wilde

Did you enjoy The Happy Prince? Well, now you have a new chance to read Oscar Wilde. The book I would like to recommend today is The Picture of Dorian Gray. This is the only published novel written by Oscar Wilde. The basic theme is of a man whose portrait ages while he remains young, leading him to debauchery. If you feel like reading something good while listening to an actor at the same time, follow this link. Notice that there is a pdf available for each chapter.

You can also watch a recent film adaptation here!!!

Have a great time!

 

A Book Every Week: "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story" by Paul Auster

Do you fancy a short story?
Read and listen to a Christmas Story by Paul Auster:

Listen to Paul Auster reading his short story here.

Download the text from here.

A Book Every Week: John Fante's "Ask The Dust"

           

It might be a bit long to read. You might need to wait. But, if you have a free weekend, or whenever you have enough time to breathe and relax (at Christmas? In summer?), I recommend that you read this amusing book. To me, this is one of the best novels ever written. And you can find it here! But I will remain silent this time and let somebody else talk about the novel. Did you know that Charles Bukowski was a huge fan of John Fante? He wrote an introduction to Ask The Dust that is worth reading before you swallow the book:

I was a young man, starving and drinking and trying to be a writer. I did most of my reading at the downtown L.A. Public Library, and nothing that I read related to me or to the streets or to the people about me. It seemed as if everybody was playing word-tricks, that those who said almost nothing at all were considered excellent writers. [...] I pulled book after book from the shelves. Why didn't anybody say something? Why didn't anybody scream out? [...]

Then one day I pulled a book down and opened it, and there it was. I stood for a moment, reading. Then like a man who had found gold in the city dump, I carried the book to a table. The lines rolled easily across the page, there was a flow. Each line had its own energy and was followed by another like it. The very substance of each line gave the page a form, a feeling of something carved into it. And here, at last, was a man who was not afraid of emotion. The humour and the pain were intermixed with a superb simplicity. The beginning of that book was a wild and enormous miracle to me.
I had a library card. I checked the book out, took it to my room, climbed into my bed and read it, and I knew long before I had finished that here was a man who had evolved a distinct way of writing. The book was Ask the Dust and the author was John Fante. He was to be a lifetime influence on my writing. [...] 

There is much more to the story of John Fante. It is a story of terrible luck and a terrible fate and of a rare and natural courage. Some day it will be told but I feel that he doesn't want me to tell it here. But let me say that the way of his words and the way of his way are the same: strong and good and warm.
That's enough. Now this book is yours.

There is a film adaptation too, but I don't think this is as good as the book:

I hope you enjoy...

Click and read!!!!!!!

A Book Every Week: Mark Strand

Together with novels and short stories, poems are excellent learning companions. They are short, musical and, sometimes, unforgettable. I am especially fond of British and American poetry so today I would like to introduce you to Mark Strand. He is a Canadian-born poet, essayist and translator. You can watch the video below and listen to Mark Strand reciting one of his poems, The Couple. If you feel like reading the poem at the same time or more slowly, click here.

A Book Every Week: "There Will Come Soft Rain" by Ray Bradbury

Dear students,

this weekend I want to recommend this short story by the great writer Ray Bradbury. You can listen to Burgess Meredith reading it while reading the Pdf file available HERE.
If you feel curious, you can also have a look at this webpage full of resources and continue researching a bit. Just click.

Enjoy!!!

A Book Every Week: "The Happy Prince"

My dearest students,

I am going to fulfill my promise and recommend a book every week.  I have been thinking about different fascinating short stories that you might like, and a title has come to my mind: The Happy Prince, by Oscar Wilde. I have read this story many times in my life and its beauty has always touched my heart. Even though, in a sense, The Happy Prince is a sad story, I believe there is something blissful and marvellous about it. You might have read this story when you where kids, as I did. Now we have the chance to read it in English and "hear" Oscar Wilde's real voice. In order to do so, you just need to CLICK HERE.

Do you also want to listen to the story? Just play the video below:

Enjoy the reading!