Book review by an amazing blogger and ECPE holder

Reviewer: Manolis Tz
Book: Agatha Christie: And then there were none

Hi guys!I used to be a student of this school before 2 years or so and as a trip to the past I felt like writing a short summary of one extremely interesting book. I firmly believe it will make many of you to want to read more such books, even those not interested in reading since I used to consider it boring as well, the reason being that I was trying to read classic literature which I could not get into.

The book is about a group of ten people,strangers to each other ,being invited to mansion on a private island to work as the owner's employees for a short period of time. However, when all of those different personalities arrive to the mansion the owner is nowhere to be found. The first night a dark secret all of those people share is revealed mysteriously and one of them is found dead by poisoning on purpose. That is when they understand there is a murderer besides them and a little child's poem is hung on frames on every each of their rooms.

I don't know if I did a good job with writing the summary interesting or not; however, if you have the chance to read it I can assure you ,as someone who found books hardly interesting, the experience will be worthwhile.By the way, you can also find ''And then there were none" translated in Greek,and if that brings a little more validity to my words, Agatha Christie is one the best, if not the best, authors of detective books and that is one of her most known books.

CPE book review

The Alchemist

Written by Paulo Coehlo only 26 years ago, it has been translated into more than 60 languages and read by tenths of millions around the world till now. There is such a widespread acceptance of the book (to sound more natural: the book is so widely accepted/ acknowledged/ renowned) that it is considered by many as a "classic" novel of the modern literature.

"The Alchemist" recounts the story of a poor but skilled shepherd named Santiago and it starts , the story starting to unfold in the Andalusian fields of south Spain. Although Santiago originally plans to live as a shepherd, (comma) two unexpected events make his life take an unexpected turn. After a dream of finding a great treasure near the Egyptian pyramids and a meeting with an old and strange king, Santiago sets out for a long journey in pursuit of his dream.

The book in not renowned for its glossy language nor for its complicated plot. Though the book moves at a relaxed pace , it is extremely absorbing without being dull or loose. Coehlo has a remarkable gift of story-telling that challenges your imagination using a series of unexpected turns in the flow of story line and making great use of symbolism in most of the events and hero's decisions. The reader will invariably find himself many times contemplating about his own life, dreams and choices (unnecessary: that he makes from time to time). And that is what lifts the book above others of its type. Moreover, there is a number of thought provoking scenes where the readers will stop reading and start wondering if the hero made the best decision and whether (unclear:he) the readers/ they would make the same decision under the same circumstances.

So, if you are the kind of reader that you like slow, relaxing and thought provoking reading with not much background information, (comma) this is the book for you. The end of the story (no comma) carries to the reader an air of lytrosis brings about a catharsis that will satisfy even the hardest heart. 

Comments: Great ideas and vocabulary once again, with a few more mistakes than usual. 3/5 :)

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To Kill A Mockingbird

One of the most classic novels that have been written in the last century, shelved/ selected 23 times as one of the 100-books-to-read-before-you-die (or better: ‘100 Books To Read Before You Die’). Written by Harper Lee and published in 1960, (comma) this book has been loved by millions of readers and has been widely used in education. 

The story of the book takes place in a small town of the state of Alabama U.S and the central characters of the story are two children, Scout and Jem who live with their father, Atticus. Atticus is an honest lawyer who tries to be just, which is not easy since he sometimes has to deal with the prejudice and hatred of some of his fellow citizens. His children, with their innocence and lack of experience, tend to categorize people as good and bad and they feel surprised or confused when some people do not react according to this categorization. Through many real life encounters and the guidance of their father, (comma) the children gradually understand that before you judge someone you have to put yourself in his shoes and walk a mile. 

The story deals a lot with issues concerned with human morality like racism, prejudice, hatred and justice. The language is simple and though the book moves at a relaxing pace, it is extremely absorbing without being dull or loose. On the contrary, there are some extremely thought-provoking  scenes throughout the book. The writing style of Harper Lee is far from ordinary due to the fact that a child, Scout, is both the protagonist and the narrator of the story. However, that comes naturally since the story examines the perception and reaction of children to human behaviour and attitude. 

The intertemporal nature of the main theme and the easy-to-follow story-line which is presented from the point of view of a child explain much of the book's enduring popularity. As far as I know, the book remains a staple of high school and college reading lists and, in my opinion, the time spent to read this book is time well invested for sure.

Comments: The only thing that can be said is… wow! 4.5/5 

CPE Film Review by Alex

"Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is finally on the big screens. This is the first part of a trilogy based on the famous novel by the scholar J.R. Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson.

 

The film recounts a story set on an imaginary world called Middle Earth where, besides humans, live elves, wizards, dwarves, dragons and a great deal of other strange, magical or creepy beings live. The whole trilogy is about a fellowship that tries to hide and destroy a powerful ring forged centuries ago by a dark lord named Shauron. Although (no comma here) there are many key characters in this movie, the leading role belongs to the ring bearer of the fellowship; a hobbit named Frodo. Frodo, as well as other key characters who they meet in their journey, are tempted and corrupted to an extent by the power of the ring and the cruelty and malice of Shauron that accompanies this power.

 

Though a science fiction film, the main themes of the story include friendship, courage, self-sacrifice, humility and love. The strength of the movie can be found in the way that these themes are combined with special effects and a group of cliffhangers, most of them breathtaking to the point of being slightly scary. Apart from that, the whole movie is a masterpiece, from the excellent actors' performance to the enchanting Celtic-like film score.

 

The most difficult bet for Peter Jackson was the adaptation of a very long novel in only 3 movies. There are far more characters and scenes in the book than you can see in the movie and a vast amount of background information that relates to the ring and the fellowship. Although/ Even though (do not repeat the same linking words) the movie version does not stray at all from the story line of the book, Jackson has won this bet by carefully selecting the parts that should be cut and cleverly using a number of flashbacks throughout the movie. Having some very positive feedback from both readers and of the book and first timers/ viewers, I think we should expect nothing less than a blockbuster.