arciawebb: 2011

Welcome Aboard!

Welcome to arciawebb's blog.

Here, I'm going to be reviewing books that I've read.

I was the person who didn't like reading at all, but people change! I have the specific person who changed the image of reading books that I always had: Mother-in-law.

She is the very person I want to turn into when I get older. She sits in a recliner couch, puts on her glasses (not for the farsighted but for the shortsighted), with a paperback book in her hand, a cup of drink in the other, and falls asleep. Isn't that cute? I mean, if you're a massive book reader, then that probably sounds normal to you, but for me, like I said I was not a big fan of books, it's the luxurious life with time.

We Japanese don't really have time just for reading. Many people read on train while they head to work. I don't even have time to ride a train more than a few times a week, which leaves me with less choice when to read: before bed. I read in bed, trying to make myself sleepy. However, sometimes I get too excited and can't stop turning the pages, so I have to stay up until I can't open my eyes anymore. You know that feeling, don't you?

As a Japanese, being amazed at how English language itself got me interested in reading and interested in learning more English, I'll be reviewing books in English. I probably have to warn you: the genre is going to be teen romance. That's my level of English, I believe.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake

You might already know, or you have guessed from the title, that this book is the sequel to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." If you haven't read my book review for the previous one, click here. So I hear many people say that they don't like this one as much as they like the first one. Well, I thought I didn't like it either, but after I read it again and remembered how the story was interesting and all crazy, I have to admit I like it pretty much!

So this book, "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator," was first published in 1972, which was 8 years after the previous book was published and only a year after the movie was released. It's doing quite a tremendous job that this old book is still going around after about 40 years.

The story of a young boy Charlie continues in this book, too, but also about his family traveling in the traveling elevator. The grandparents, who don't want to get out of their bed after so many years, get in the elevator and off to the space. Those aliens think that the bed is some kind of a weapon, they get caught by a satellite and become famous, there's this Space Hotel they stay at, and everything more!

If you like fantasy or adventurous stories, I'm pretty sure you're going to love this one, too. It's just so out of your imagination how that story goes (even though I said a little bit above) and those funny-looking illustrations make it even better. I was smiling and laughing while I was reading those good parts. If you already read, or will read the previous "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" book, then I totally recommend this to you all.

"Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator"

You can get it on either Amazon.co.jp or at your local bookstore. Already read this one? You can get more books from this author: Want more from Roald Dahl? (Amazon.co.jp) If you want to share your review, post it as a comment below.

Thanks for reading, and let's enjoy reading books!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake

I'd tried some English books but this was the very first English book that I actually read till the end. I remember taking so much time to read and understand one sentence at a time, but as the story grows much fun it didn't take much effort to finish it off.

(Edit: So, apparently I thought this was the very first English book that I could finish reading till the very end, but it wasn't. I found out the other day that I had read a lot more English books before this one, and now I'm not sure what was the first English book that I have ever read. I have a bad memory and I'll try and think about it because some of you might be wondering what my first English book was.)

This novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was published in 1964, and the movie based on it was released in 1971. I hear that it wasn't a very big hit compared to the later remake movie starred by Johnny Depp in 2005.

The story is about a boy and a chocolate factory. It's not an ordinary chocolate factory, but it is the largest and most famous in the whole world! Charlie and the other four kids, Augustus, Veruca, Violet, and Mike, try finding the special golden ticket to the inside tour of Wonka's Factory.

Well, the story moves in a good pace. Not too slow or not too fast. There are a lot of simple but fun illustrations for those important scenes, which makes you feel like you're one of the five kids in the book with such an excitement! It'll make you keep turning the pages, one after another. For ESL readers, vocabulary is not that difficult. Some chapters contain songs that don't always make sense, but you can just scan through them and watch those parts in the movie. If you want to be in a shining world with lots of dreams and hopes like you used to have when you were smaller, you definitely want to try reading this one.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

Movie (1971) Movie (2006)

You can get it on either Amazon.co.jp or at your local bookstore. Already read this one? You can get more books from this author: Want more from Roald Dahl? (Amazon.co.jp) If you want to share your review, post it as a comment below.

Thanks for reading, and let's enjoy reading books!