Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Book title: Pride and Prejudice


 

Author: Jane Austen

Date: 07/08/’11

Page Number: 392 pages

Star Rating: 5


Overview: The story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters is one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature. Excitement fizzes through the Bennet household at Longbourn in Hertfordshire when young, eligible Mr. Charles Bingley rents the fine house nearby. He may have sisters, but he also has male friends, and one of these—the haughty, and even wealthier, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy—irks the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the Bennet girls. She annoys him. Which is how we know they must one day marry. The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and Darcy is a splendid rendition of civilized sparring. As the characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, Jane Austen's radiantly caustic wit and keen observation sparkle.

Comments: When I only read the beginning, I quite disliked this story due to the difference in time and I thought the Bennets are all very foolish and vain, especially Mrs. Bennet. However, after finishing the whole story, I discovered that this book did not only reflect greatly of the problems of young ladies wanting to marry because of wealth and rank not only during that time period, but also throughout history. Furthermore, it has a moral: “Don’t judge anybody by the first acquaintance and impression of him/ her because they might have their own reasons for their actions,” although, lots of people do judge others by their first impressions.

Another moral coming from this fabulous book is: “Don’t just listen to one side of the story and give prejudice to some people; you have to listen to the whole story so you won’t make any understandings.” Also, it tells us that although politeness is really important, however, sometimes it is better to say your thoughts directly to the person because it can help with the understanding between two people. This book teaches us a lot while giving us a romantic love story- therefore I recommend it to everyone!


Good Sentences: 

• It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
• Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate.
• At five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half past six, Elizabeth was summoned to dinner.
• Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them.
• You shall not, for the sake of one individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour to persuade yourself or me that selfishness is prudence, and insensibility of danger security for happiness.
• They were listened to with about as much delight as the rattle of a chair.
• Smiles decked the face of Mrs Bennet.
• ELizabeth, as she affectionately embraced her, whilst tears filled the eyes of both, lost not a moment in asking whether any news had been heard. 

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

Book Title: Journey to the centre of the earth


Author: Jules Verne


Date finished: 11/04/’11


Page Numbers: 232 pages


Star Rating: 5/5


Overview: This tremendously written novel by Jules Verne is about a professor of rocks and his nephew found a piece of paper written by N. Saknussem stuck in a book. They recoded the piece that is originally written in Latin and found out that it is a piece of paper on Saknussem’s journey to the centre of the earth. Therefore, the professor and his nephew decided on a journey following the steps of Saknussem deep into the centre of the world. Their adventure began by getting there but their surprise was way more they could even dream of. Deep under the crust of the earth, a lot of prehistoric plants and animals that were extinct millions and millions of years ago back on the crust were as live as anything under the crust. This story tells of their journey and what difficulties they had faced.


Comments: This novel is, without any doubt, a total masterpiece written by the master story-teller Jules Verne. This thrilling novel was not only written with beautifully descriptive sentences and a wild imagination, but also it deeply explores into the adventurous and courageous personality of Jules Verne, and perhaps his own great ambition to travel deep down beneath the earth’s crust into the centre of the globe. Although, from the technology of today, we all know that all of this is quite impossible, however, Jules Verne made everything all possible in our imaginations!!


Good Sentences: 

• Certain peaks, rising up boldly, pierced the grey clouds, and reappeared above the moving mists, like reefs emerging in the sky. 
• Here and there an isolated farm, a solitary farmhouse, made of wood, mud or pieces of lava, appeared like a poor beggar by the wayside.
• I gazed on all the wonders in silence, words failed me to express my feelings.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’ Dell

Book Title: Island of the Blue Dolphins

Author: Scott O’ Dell

Page Numbers: 184 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Date: 22/03/’11

Good sentence(s): ‘….for animals and birds are like people, too, though they do not talk the same or do the same things. Without them, the earth would be an unhappy place.’

Overview: This captivating, touching and mesmerizing story accounts the story of an Indian girl named Karana, who was accidentally left behind on the island of the blue dolphins, where she lived, when white men from other countries came and sailed away with the other villagers to their country. She jumped out of the boat she was sailing on when she discovered that her little brother was left behind, and she accompanied her brother on the island. However, good times never last, one morning she woke up to discover her brother lay dead on the ground miles away from her house, attacked by wild dogs on the island. From there, the story begins the account of Karana’s determination of living on the island alone and her optimism and hopefulness of seeing the white ship sailing back to get her.

Comments: I was really touched by this remarkable masterpiece by Scott O’ Dell. The author does not only describe with great detail of the difficult and harsh life Karana had to put up with on the island and all the difficulties she faced living alone on the island, but also, he vividly described Karana’s determination and courage on fighting the wild dogs for revenge for her brother and her optimism and how she never gave herself up.

Near the ending part of the story, after having many pets and cared for them as her family, Karana finally understood that animals isn’t only for food and using their skins for making weapons, they could also be loved and cared for just like our family. I totally agree with the sentence the author wrote ‘….for animals and birds are like people, too, though they do not talk the same or do the same things. Without them, the earth would be an unhappy place.’ Although there are a lot of sad events in the story, such as the death of Karana’s brother and her dog, the ending was excellent.

I absolutely loved this intriguing and exciting story with a useful and excellent moral, Karana’s courage, determination and optimism is surely worthy of our admiration and praise.