Book Review - 9; The Ring

Title; The Ring
Author; Bernard Smith
Publisher; Penguin Readers
Level; 3
Summary;
Rafael was a poor, crazy man who lived in an old boat as a house on the beach. He had been a well before a certain day. One day, he got a gold ring and then he went mad. The ring was a magic ring. Rafael became mad, and he killed Anita – a so beautiful girl and being in love with each other – and The Soldier – a man who came to the village those days. The story teller looked for the reasons why he committed murder. (86 words)
Evaluation; 4 stars
Review;
This is a mysterious story. I couldn’t believe that Rafael killed Anita, who was in love together. Rafael had been a good man before he got the ring, but he had changed so mad. I was frightened at the ring. If I had the ring, would I commit murder? It was long story so I felt it hard to read but I excited it. So I evaluated it at 4 stars. (71 words)

Book Review-8; The Escape and Other Stories

Title; The Escape and Other Stories
Author; W.Somerset Maugham
Publisher; Macmillan Readers
Level; 3
Summary;
The Escape: Roger is a tall and hand-some man in forty-year-old. There were many women who wanted to marry him but he had always escaped from them. In a party, he met Ruth, a beautiful nice woman and she also wanted to marry him. Roger once had promised to marry her, but soon he didn’t want to do. But if he broke the promise, he had to pay so much money to her. So he planed to avoid to marrying her without breaking his promise.
Louise: Louise was an attractive woman and she told everybody that she had a weak heart. Everyone believed it and many man were attracted and wanted to look after her. She had married twice. She told both of men to go out and do what they want to do, not only to look after her. But when they followed her words and went out left her at home, she had a heart attack.
The Ant and The Grasshopper: Two men in this story were alike the characters in The Ant and The Grasshopper. George was like to the Ant – working hard and careful with money, his brother Tom was like the Grasshopper – enjoying himself. In the story of the ant and the grasshopper, the ant succeeded, but in this story, on contrarily, George didn’t succeed.
The Fall of Edward Barnard: Both Edward and Bateman loved Isabel. After a while, Edward and Isabel were engaged to marry but they couldn’t marry because Edward had little money. He went Tahiti left her in Chicago to earn. He promised her that he would return to Chicago two years later, but he didn’t some back. Bateman worried about them and looked for him, and then, Bateman found Edward going to marry another woman. Isabel was so sad, and Bateman promised to make her happy. They got married. (308 words)
Evaluate; 5 stars
Review;
This book contains four stories. Every story has humor, sadness and tricks. I like four stories; especially I like “The Escape” the best. Roger was dandy and hand-some, so many woman wanted to marry him but he always escape. He seemed so clever and childish. He wanted to be in free, so escaped from marrying without penalty. The way he escaped is enjoyable.
I enjoyed other stories. It is not so hard for me to understand. I recommend you to read this book. (83 words)

Book Review – 7; The Secret Garden

Title; The Secret Garden
Editor; Jennifer Bassett, Tricia Hedge
Publisher; Oxford University Press
Level; 3
Summary;
A little girl Mary was bad-tempered and disagreeable child. One day, both of her parents died of a disease so Mary was sent to her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven. Mr. Craven and his housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock, were cold, and Mary felt so impatient. She had a servant, Martha, told her a secret that there was a special garden nobody could enter because it was locked up. Mary could found the key and there she experienced some magic. She told it Dickon, Martha’s brother, who were loved by animals in Craven’s garden. One night, Mary found Mr. Craven’s son, Colin. He was ill and couldn’t walk by himself own, and he was so crooked. Mary persuaded him to go to their secret garden, and then, when Colin experienced the magic, his week legs became more and more strong. Though Colin and Mr. Craven hadn’t liked each other, the moment Colin showed his recovered legs, Mr. Craven was so glad and gently smiled to his son. (164 words)
Evaluation; 5 stars
Review;
It was the first time I read the story ‘The Secret Garden’. Mary was bad-tempered and selfish girl and, I felt, she was also so active, innocent and strong. Her vitality and curiosity enabled herself to find the key of the secret garden and enter it. Colin’s illness – crooked mind and week legs – were cured by her vitality and Colin and Mr. Craven were reconciled.
In this story, there were many characters but it was not so difficult for me to read and I enjoyed it. So I evaluated it at 5 stars. (93 words)

Review-6; Psycho

Title; Psycho
Author; Robert Bloch
Publisher (Level); Penguin Readers (3)
Summary;
Marion Crone, who is a secretary from Phoenix, is in live with Sam Loomies, who lives far away in Texas. She wants to marry him, but his money shortage prevents them from getting married. So she steals $40, 000 from her boss and drives away with the money to be with Sam. It’s a long, dangerous journey. It’s dark, it’s raining, she’s tired and hungry, and so she enters the small, quiet motel. She wants to feel perfect and take a shower. Then, while taking a shower, she is killed by someone. Norman, her boss, wonders his mother killed Marion. When Lila, who is Marion’s sister, Norman, and anyone there are confused, Arbogast a detective researches and thinks about this case. Everyone searching for some information about Marion, Arbogast is killed by someone, and Norman and Sam have a quarrel and Sam is injured by Norman. And Lila is barely injured and killed by Norman but Sam helps her so she is all right. At last, Dr.Steiner, Lila, and Sam can get the entire story. All the mysteries are solved. (180 words)
Review; 5 stars
I was so excited. This is a story full of thrills and suspense. I couldn’t believe that Marion stole a huge amount of money to marry her lover. And I was shocked at the scene of Marion’s death. I was also frightened very much at the killer and attracted to this story. This story has been made into the movie, “Psycho”. I really want to watch it, although I’m afraid that I can’t sleep the night for fear. I evaluated it at 5 stars.(84 words)

Review-5;ROBIN HOOD -The Silver Arrow and the Slaves -

Title; ROBIN HOOD -The Silver Arrow and the Slaves -
Editor; Fiona Beddall
Publisher (Level); Scholatic (2)
Summary;
Robin Hood and his friends live in Sherwood Forest. They fight for the poor people against their dangerous ruler, the Sheriff and his attendant, Gisborine. When the Sheriff buys slaves to work his mine, Robin and his friends decide to stop him. They make some clever plans and with the slaves they cheat the broker and fight the Sheriff’s men and Robin and his friends can help the slaves to escape. While Robin goes to the archery competition from the place where the slaves are, Marian she is loved by Robin and also she loves him is in danger. She is loved by Gisborine although she hates him. Rowan, whose father was killed by Gisborine, is going to kill her because he wants to take revenge on Gisborine. But Robin barely arrived there and can rescue her, and helps Rowan to take revenge by winning Gisborine in the archery competition. (150 words)
Review; 3 stars
This book contains many beautiful pictures of its story, so I could imagine the scenes easily. I had heard the title, “ROBIN HOOD”, but I had never known the story. I read it now for the first time. I like its fantastic world. It was easy to read because of its simple construction. There are a bad guy and his attendant, a hero and his good friends, a heroine, and people to be rescued. I could read it easily and enjoyed it but it seems to be for children, so I evaluated it at 3 stars. (96 words)

Review-4; The Lady in the Lake

Title; The Lady in the Lake
Author; Raymond Chandler
Publisher (Level); Penguin Readers (2)
Summary;
Marlowe, a Los Angels detective, was asked by Derace Kingsley that his wife Cristal has gone away for a week or two – and didn’t come back. She left a letter to Derace which was written she was going to marry Chris Lavery. Marlowe began to find her. He met a man working at Kingsley’s house, Bill Chess, and met a girl with short red hair at Kingsley’s Office. The Redhead told him a lot of people around Kingsley. Bill confessed that he had got into bed with Cristal, and Muriel, Bill’s wife with the same hair, eyes and nice little body as Cristal, has gone away. Then, a woman, apparently Muriel, was found from the Lake in front of Kingsley’s house. Then he knew a suspicious doctor, Dr. Albert S. Almore, who was Cristal’s doctor for a time. Muriel seemed to see with Almore using false name, Mildred Haviland. When he searched Cristal, Chess and Almore, he found Chess but he had been killed by someone. There, he met a detective Degarmo. Marlowe thought about a lot of mysteries around him and at last, he could find Cristal. But she had been killed by somebody. He examined the spot and thought over about three murders and he could solve this mystery. (211 words)
Review; 4
This is a complicated mystery. Researching a missing woman, Cristal, Marlowe came across murder cases. They were connected each other and complicated. Many men and women related. When Marlowe got a clue, a murder has occurred. I was excited and a little hasty because the troubles were not solved easily. But, in the end, all mysteries were solved. I enjoyed this story very much, but there were too many characters. It’s a little hard to understand for me, so I evaluated it at 4 stars. (85 words)

Review-3; Love among the Haystacks

Title; Love among the Haystacks

Author; D. H. Lawrence

Publisher(Level); Oxford University Press (2)

Summary;
This is a love story of two contrary men and two contrary women. Geoffrey and Maurice are brothers working at their father's farm piling up the hay. Maurice, the younger brother, is a good-looking young man and strong with a quick bright tee and a ready smile. On the contrary, Geoffrey is a tall, heavy young man, and is full of strong feelings but they burn silently inside him. He hates Maurice because he suffers from an inferiority complex. Both of them were shy of women and neither of them knew what to say to a woman or how to win her love.There was a beautiful German girl. Her name is Paula and she is and charming. At first, both of the brothers felt in love with her and they often fought. But one day, Geoffrey found that Paula liked Maurice better and Maurice began to see her.One working day, in the afternoon, the brothers and their father ate their meal sitting down in the shade of a big tree. Then, a woman came there. Her clothes were neat and tidy, but she had a pretty five while there was a hard, cold look in her eyes. At a glance, Geoffrey found she felt alone in the world as he felt. And she seemed to feel the same. In that night, because of a heavy rain, Maurice and Paula couldn't come home from the hayfield and spent the night together. Geoffrey found it and felt miserable, and then he went back to the shed and lay there. Then, a woman, who he met in that afternoon, came there, and they had a good talk. Her name is Lydia. The next morning, he declared his love for her and she also did so.A few days later, Paula was engaged to Maurice, and Geoffrey and Lydia stayed true. (309 words)

Review; 3 stars
The theme of this story is the conflict between twee contrary brothers. I enjoyed how each brother approached a woman they loved. The woman the brothers loved wren fascinating. And I like the atmosphere of this story which makes me feel nature. I enjoyed this book, but there are too many characters in this story, so it was a little hard to read and understand for me. It may be easy to understand if I read the original book. So I evaluate it at 3 stars. (86 words)

Review-2; Stories from The Five Towns

Title: Stories from The Five Towns

Publisher(Level): Oxford University Press (2)

Author: Arnold Bennett

Summary:
This book has four different stories about ordinary people in the Five Towns. "News of the Engagement" is a story that a man tries to tell his mother that he has been engaged to his girlfriend. The man is very considerate of his mother because she is a widow and he is her only son. He writes her every week but he can't tell her about his engagement. When he comes home after a long time he tries to tell her that, but then he fined unexpected fact; his mother and her old friend Mr. Nixon have been engaged. He feels very happy and relieved. "The Burglary" is a story about a magistrate; Jee, who wants t gets rid of his big and weird portrait of himself. The portrait is not good and his wife dislikes it so much, so he asks a burglary who he meets at the court to steal it. On the night of 24th December, Christmas Eve, when his wife has gone to her son's and he is alone, the burglary comes his home and carries something with his friend. The next morning he finds the portrait still left on the floor and every silver dinner set missing. "Beginning the New Year" is a silent story. A silent man returns the town after 23 years where he has gotten married and lived with his wife. The house belonged to his wife and he didn't hear her saying "this house is mine", so he had left home. New Year's Eve he unexpectedly visits the house. Then his wife is glad to meet him and tells him slowly and silently that she got married, had a daughter, her daughter married and the man whom his wife married was dead. They decide to libel together again. In "The Silent Brothers", John and Robert, brothers, have had a quarrel for about ten years and they have not been speaking to each other though they are around forty years old. Their sister is dead leaving her will that she would give all her money to the brother who marries Annie, who is a businesswoman and loved by both of them. They ask her to marry, but she answers "OK" to both of them. She makes a fun of them because she knows that they want to marry her for their sister's money and she feels them stupid. (396 words)

Review: 4 stars
This book contains four stories of people in the Five Towns. It was a little easy, so I enjoyed reading it very much. There are not any adventures, horror or dramatic love stories, but there are humor and irony. I like "News of the Engagement" the best because it has a happy end. The hero of this story at first worried about telling his mother that he has been engaged because he is her only son and she is a lonely widow. But he is surprised at the fact that his mother has been engaged and they feel so happy.I like this book but I want to read more stories. This book contains only four stories and that is a little short for me, so I evaluate it at 4 stars. (132 words)

Review-1; My Fair Lady

Title: My Fair Lady

Author: Lerner Alan Jay

Publisher (Level): Penguin readers (3)

Summary:
This is a story about the way the English think about people who speak their language with different accents, and also it is a wonderful story about growing love between two very different people.
Eliza is not a very good-looking young woman and has a very strong London accent. When Professor Higgins meets her, he decides to teach her a way to speak good English and good manners. Eliza takes his lessons, and about four month later they go watching the horse races at Ascot. She is wearing a wonderful dress and looks very beautiful. Freddy, who has met her once before she takes his lessons, is immediately in love with her. Although while watching the races her London accent got stronger and stronger, Freddy loves her strongly. About six weeks later, they attend a party, but Eliza feels sad and hopeless. After the party, in the midnight, she left Higgins' house and early in the morning of that same night, Eliza and Freddy get married at St George Church with everybody there celebrating them. After Eliza has gone, Higgins finds the fact that his lessons made her unhappy and he needs her. (193 words)

Evaluation: 5 stars
At the start of the story, I think it is a success story. But going on reading, I gradually wonder what way of life is good for me. If I took some special lessons which made me a real lady and I behaved like a member of the upper classes, would I become happy? Eliza, the heroine of this story, was unhappy. I would also become unhappy because I, who am not a real lady, am also the I.
This story contains music, songs and dance, so I really want to watch it on the movie. (96 words)