CHEMICAL SECRET (by Tim Vicary)

SUBGENRE: Thriller;

NARRATOR: Third person narrator;

CHARACTERS: John, Christine (his daughter), Simon (her husband);

STYLE: Suspense;

PLOT: John Duncan is a biologist, who started a boat-building company. He s a widower and with his wife's death the company failed and he lost everything. After few time he got a job ina a paint factory to have a better life with is daughter. But there he discovered that chemical stuff from the factory was polluting a nearby river but stopping the pollution was very expensive, so he had to decide if tell everything to the newspapers or make nothing to not lose the job.Then everything is discovered and John had to say the truth, so he lost job.

PERSONAL COMMENT: I think it's a quite good book, I quite liked reading it but I'm not very satisfied because it's a bit simple; this is also an important book because it dials with one of the most important themes of today: the pollution and the fight that every day the Earth has to struggle against the man. 
                                                                                                 Pasquale Lo Nigro

ROBINSON CRUSOE

ROBINSON CRUSOE by Daniel Defoe

SUBGENRE: Adventure
SETTING: 17th century
STORY/PLOT: Robinson Crusoe was a young man that wanted to go around the oceans, against his father's idea that wanted his son to be a lawyer. So he went by ship in Guinea but he shipwrecked off at the South America. He lived alone for many years, he hated food which was on the island and built a little house with some objects in the nature. He discovered that in the island there was another man that became his friend, but after that, he returned with a ship in England and got married.
CHARACTERS: Robinson Crusoe, Friday
NARRATOR: 1st person
PERSONAL COMMENT: I like this book because it's interesting for the adventures and I admire the action that Robinson Crusoe do to survive in the island.


Chiara De Ninno

WHITE FANG by JACK LONDON

SUBGENRE: novel

PLOT: White fang is a puppy wolf so called for the colour of his hair. When he is young he learns to defend himself from the cold or from the hunger; so when he grows up he becomes strong  and brave. But one day an Indians group takes away him in their village where he is ill-treated from men and other dogs. White Fang defeats all opponents, including several wolves and a lynx, until a bulldog is brought in to fight him; the wolf nearly suffocates. When Weedon Scott sees this scene he helps and save White Fang and he goes away  to California with him. From that moment the wolf lives a good life with people who loves him. The story end with the scene of White Fang, Collie and their six puppies.

NARRATOR: third person

THEMES: growth, courage, mother love, affection

PERSONAL COMMENT:  I liked this book because with beautifully realistic details of the harsh realities of life in the Yukon, White Fang is a  grippingly original novel about morality and redemption.

The Tempest

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Subgenre: fairy tale 
Situation: This book speaks about the events that have just happened to the magic Prospero and his daughter Miranda that have been exiled on a island for about 12 years. In possession of magic powers, he is reluctantly served by a spirit, Ariel. Prospero having predicted that his brother Antony would pass near the island with a ship, causes a storm that will drown the brother’s ship.On the ship there are also King Alonso and his son Ferdinand then Prospero with his spells able to separate all survives. So Alonso and Ferdinand believe that the others is died. After all are reunited to the cave of Prospero; also a new love story born between Miranda and Ferdinand that causes the reconciliation of the brothers. Finally Prospero renounces magic with famous monologue. 
Point of view: narrator’s
Narrator: third person 
Themes: love, revenge, hate, marriage 
Personal Comment: The tempest is one of the most famous Shakespeare’s fairy tale. I liked reading this book a lot because the thing that struck me the most was the atmosphere of the magic island and especially the presence of the several themes like forgiveness. 

                                Jessica Lacetera

"Five Canterbury tales" - G. Chaucher

subgenre: tale
setting: Canterbury - 14th Century
story: some piligrims are going to Cnterbury to visit the tomb of S. Thomas Becket. On the way everyone tell stories. A nice story is narrate from a Knight;his story deals with two friends that are captured and imprision from Theseus in the Ancient Grece. They see a relative of Theseus, Emilia, and they fall in love. When they are out of the prision, they argue for her, so Theseus decides that the next year they will fight with a their army. One wins, because he is helpd from the love goddes, and he and Emilia marry. another nice story is narrate from a woman from Bath. She narrates that  the story is setting in King Arthur time,and there is a kinght that loves a woman, so he kidnaps her. But the King Arthur orders to come at the court. He wants kill him, but Guinevre stops him and gives the Knight a second chance. The king has on year to understand what women want. An year passed, but he didn't understand what women want. He meets an ugly woman that gives him an answer, but then he must marry her. So the Knight gives Guinevre an answere:"to rule their husbands". The answereis right and he is a frre man, and he and the ugly woman marry. But he is not happy, so the ugly woman asks him to kiss her, and she becomes a beautiful woman.
characters: the knight, the merchant, the woman from Bath...
narrator: 3rd person
personal comment: this book is very nice. I like it very much because it can give you a smile while you read it.
-Imma Lamacchia

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 

 
SUBGENRE: tragedy 
SETTING: indefinitely 
SITUATION: It speaks about two lovers that love each other but they can't stay together because their families are eanimies. They meet each other during a party, so they fall in love. Then Juliet's family decides to give in marriage their daughter to Paris, a gentlman of Verona. Juliet doesn't want to marry this man,so she decides to marry Romeo secretly. Then when Romeo was exaild, Juliet sends him a letter in which she explains her plane. Juliet pretends to be died and when Romeo knows that she is died, he kills him self. When Juliet wakes up, finds him died and decides to kills herself too. 
CHARACTERS: Romeo and Juliet; Romeo's family; Juliet's family; Benvolio, Mercutio, Abram (Romeo's friend), Paris, Friar Lawrence, Tybalt. 
POINT OF VIEW:  narrator's
THEMES: true love, jealousy. 
STYLE: realistic description. 
PERSONAL COMMENT: I like this book because it is the most important tragedy written by William Shakespeare. This story is know all over in the world, and it has marked the history of English literature.


                                                                        Ludovica Mega

Sherlock Holmes and the Sport of Kings

Sherlock Holmes and the Sport of Kings by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

SUBGENRE:Novel.

SETTING: Around 1800 in London.

PLOT:This book speaks about the most important sports of the kings, the first is the horseracing.A lot of important people take part in this sport.For example in this book is quoted Silver Blaze he was an important figure in this game because he takes part in a lot of races and he often wins..But oneday with an other important man were disappeard and everybody asks some other people where they could be.
.

CHARACTERS: Watson,Sherlock Holmes,Silver Blaze,John Straker,Ned,Inspector Gregory,Gregory's wife.

NARRATOR: Arthur Conan Doyle.

POINT OF VIEW: Narrator's.

STYLE:Easy.

THEMES:''sports,horseracing,homicide,bet's game resolution of the problems.''

PERSONAL COMMENT: I think that  is an interesting book because I can find in this a lot of stories and themes.

The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad

SUBGENRE: Crime and mistery 

NARRATOR: Third person

PLOT: Adolf Verloc is a double agent, working for both the British police and a foreign country. He pretends to live a normal life, with his wife, Winnie, and has a shop in London, which, at night, becomes a meeting place for anarchists. One day Verloc is told to plant a bomb - but the plan goes terribly wrong 

Does Verloc really love Winnie, or is she just part of his cover? Can Winnie ever forgive him? Who is Verloc really working for?

PERSONAL COMMENT: I liked this book because was fascinating.

Title: The Importance of Being Earnest

Author: Oscar Wilde

Genre: Comedy

Characters: Jack Worthing,Algernon Moncrieff,Lady Bracknell,Miss Prism,Cecily,Gwendolen

Setting 1890

Plot:  Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff pretend to be Ernest to seduce as two gentlemen Lady Gwendolen,a rich heiresses,and Cecily, Jack's cousin. Gwendolen's mother instead doesn't want her daughter frequent Ernest,because he is orphan and hasn't gor noble origins.Instead Jack doesn't want his cousin frequent Algernon because of his superficiality.At the end Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen's mother, allows her daughter to marry, and Jack allows his cousin to marry Algernon,because he find that Algernon is his brother.

Personal comment: It is a fantastic and ironic comedy. In this script Wilde exposes,with a great humorism, the london social convention of the Victorian's age.

Pasquale Iuliano

SALADIN by Nina Prentice

NARRATOR-3rd person
POINT OF VIEW-Narrator's
SETTING-Middle-East countries under the rule of Arabs in 12th century
PLOT-When Yusuf went to Aleppo in Syria to learn to fight under General Shirkuh, no one knew what this young man would do with his life. But years later, Yusuf became the great and valiant general, Saladin, the man who helped to bring Muslims together to win back the holy city of Jerusalem from the Franks.
PERSONAL COMMENTS-Arabic culture is represented very well in this book that can take you in a travel straight to the heart of Saladin's Empire with very detailed and precise descriptions of time and space.

Gaetano Moretti

“IRELAND”- Tim Vicary
NARRATOR: Three person- Tim Vicary
STORY/PLOT: Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland and Nothern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. Ireland is a beautiful island with peaceful riders, green fields and very nice islands. Ireland was invaded by Celts and Vikings. The Celts liked living in the country, but the Vikings lived in towns. Many years after, Ireland had many kings and they often fought each others. Ireland was also marked by the terrible struggle between Catholics and Protestans. There was also a war between British and Irish people, from 1795 to 1798; Irish people, with the help of French ships and soldiers, fought the British. But Britain won and many Irish people were killed or they emigrated to escape. Northern Ireland was created as a division of the United Kingdom by the Government of Ireland. In Ireland the people spoke two main languages: Irish and British. St. Patrick’s day is a cultural and religious day celebrated on  17^th March. It is named after St. Patrick; the most commonly recognize him as the patron of Ireland. In Ireland, the most important cities are Dublin, Belfast. Dublin is the most important city in the Republic of Ireland and is known for the black beer “Guinness” and for the Custom House. Belfast is the biggest city in Northern Ireland, famous for the ships, aeroplanes and for the “Titanic”. 

SETTING: Nowadays
PERSONAL COMMENTS: I think Ireland is a country to discover because there are many different kinds of Ireland: the Ireland of rivers and fields, the Ireland of songs and dances and the Ireland of young people. Ireland is a special country and I think it is very beautiful. 

- Coretti Emanuela

The Teacher's Secret and Other Folk Tales

The Teacher's Secret and Other Folk Tales by Joyce Hannam

SUBGENRE: folk tales  
SETTING: indefinitely
PLOT: In this book there are different folk tales that try to explain what are the difference between sons and daughters, because sometimes women are betters than men. We can see that sometimes a poor man is cleverer than a rich man and also the students can be cleverer than their teachers. Everyone in this book want to be clever, so what can happen?  
CHARACTERS: Fanta-Ghirò, Nasreddin, a teacher of an expensive school, princess Tara, Fredderick, Fatima NARRATOR: third person  
POINT OF VIEW: narrator's  
STYLE: the language in every story is very easy 
THEMES: differences between human behaviors, folk tales, legend, love  
PERSONAL COMMENT: I liked this book because it's a very interesting story of the human behaviors and because it is very easy to understand.

 Giusi Paolicelli