Question

英文书评

书名不限。
内容要求如下
title and author
type of book
characters
events in the story
your opinion of the book

Answer 1

　　第一篇——Princess at Sea：

　　Princess at Sea, follows The Decoy Princess in Dawn Cook's Princess series. Tess is escorting Queen Contessa and her Misdev consort Alex on their honeymoon. With them on the journey are the rouge Duncan and Jeck, the Captain of the Misdev Royal Guard and fellow player. Needless to say, the honeymoon goes awry when Tess and the royal couple are captured by pirates. True to form, the pirates want a ransom for the roal couple. Tess, however, has gotten on their bad side by killing a few of their crew. The pirates want rid of Tess, since she is troublesome. Duncan, on the other hand, is becoming buddies with the pirates. Duncan does try to help Tess out by saving her from ravishment and probable death. After a series of misfortunes, Tess and Jeck win free of the pirates, leave Duncan and the royals behind, and race to the capital to head off the kidnappers. No, I didn't give it all away. This is a twisty, tricksey, one regardless of the predictableness in some of it. Read only if you have read the Decoy Princess, you'll be lost without it.

　　So far, this series seems to hold more potential for cleverness than the Truth series and the books in the Truth series are also good reads. Can't wait for more!

　　2
　　Tom Sawyer is one of the most endearing characters in American fiction. This wonderful book deals with all the challenges that any young person faces, and resolves them in exciting and unusual ways.
　　Like many young people, Tom would rather be having fun than going to school and church. This is always getting him into trouble, from which he finds unusual solutions. One of the great scenes in this book has Tom persuading his friends to help him whitewash a fence by making them think that nothing could be finer than doing his punishment for playing hooky from school. When I first read this story, it opened up my mind to the potential power of persuasion.

　　Tom also is given up for dead and has the unusual experience of watching his own funeral and hearing what people really thought of him. That's something we all should be able to do. By imagining what people will say at our funeral, we can help establish the purpose of our own lives. Mark Twain has given us a powerful tool for self-examination in this wonderful sequence.

　　Tom and Huck Finn also witness a murder, and have to decide how to handle the fact that they were not supposed to be there and their fear of retribution from the murderer, Injun Joe.

　　Girls are a part of Tom's life, and Becky Thatcher and he have a remarkable adventure in a cave with Injun Joe. Any young person will remember the excitement of being near someone they cared about alone in this vignette.

　　Tom stands for the freedom that the American frontier offered to everyone. His aunt Polly represents the civilizing influence of adults and towns. Twain sets up a rewarding novel that makes us rethink the advantages of both freedom and civilization. In this day of the Internet frontier, this story can still provide valuable lessons about listening to our inner selves and acting on what they have to say. Enjoy!

　　3 The Count of Monte Cristo ：

　　The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas is an amazing story of revenge, hatred, love and justice. Much can be learned from its many pages, insights to human nature and philosophies are presented, giving opportunities for in depth discussions. The Count of Monte Cristo is classic about a young man named Edmond Dantes who was wronged by his enemies and falsely thrown into prison. After escaping he takes it upon himself to serve vengeance upon his hated condemners. Near the end of the book Dantes realizes with much regret that there is more to life than simply justice and revenge.

　　The story began in a little French town located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea where Edmond Dantes lived. He was a happy young man, a fiance and soon to be Captain of the merchant ship, the pharaoh. Two men loathed him, one because of his beautiful fianc and the other because of his newly acquired position as Captain. They plotted against him and succeeded in having him condemned to prison, were he stayed for 13 years.

　　In the meantime his enemy married his fiance and through much cheating and lying advanced to the high position of Count, which only the wealthy attain. His other enemy, who had envied his position, was soon appointed Captain of the Pharaoh, and after investing in the exchange became very rich. Edmonds father, whom he dearly loved, died without seeing him again.
　　While in prison Edmond was relegated to solitary confinement. This almost drove him mad to the point of suicide, especially because he was innocent. After 5 lonely and agonizing years, the Abby, another innocent prisoner, tunneled into Dantes cell. He was a symbolic type of Savior to Dantes, providing him with a renewed hope in life. They soon became best friends and tunneled together.

　　The Abby was old and wise. He taught Edmond everything he knew. They spent there days digging an escape, while Edmond learned of science, history, mathematics and every other thing of importance in the world. Soon Edmond too, was extremely wise and learned. One tragic day the Abby had a seizure and died. Before passing away he entrusted Edmond with a secret; the location of his dead master's wealth which was a treasure of riches beyond imagination. He told Edmond to use it for the good of others and his future happiness.

　　When Edmond finally escaped, he went straight to the island of Monte Cristo, found the treasure and became an extraordinarily rich man. He then changed his name to The Count of Monte Cristo. Yet upon hearing of his father's death, and his fiance's marriage, Edmond became disturbed.

　　He wanted his enemies to suffer as much as he had while in prison. But the goodness within him restrained him from doing so. Instead he decided to use his wealth to bless the lives of his former friends. Among these was his old employer, M. Morrel. M. Morrel had pleaded Edmonds innocence with the prosecutor many times and had also taken care of Edmonds father before he died. Because of this Monte Cristo used his wealth to save Morrel's almost bankrupt shipping company. He also provided a dowry to Julie, M. Morrels daughter who otherwise would not have been able to marry Emanuel, the man she loved.

　　Monte Cristo's desire for revenge eventually became so great that he discarded the Abbeys advice and began his plot for vengeance. He began to witness cruelty beyond imagination, in the hopes of become immune to the suffering of others. Shortly afterwords he had transformed himself into an impassionate being, void of love and happiness which he replaced with revenge and hatred. He could witness the most horrible cruelty without so much as a care for the poor sufferer. Now he felt ready to unleash his revenge and wrath upon those who had taken away all his happiness, hope, joy and most importantly, his love.

　　The Count journeyed to various countries, meeting people and learning of events that would contribute to the success of his plot. His designs eventually took him to Paris. There both his enemies lived, and there he would take his revenge. The newly weds Emanuel and Julie also lived in Paris. The Count decided to make a visit.

　　When Monte Cristo arrived at their home Julie was busy gardening, something she loved to do. She welcomed him and summoned Emanuel. The Count seeing them together, could feel a bond between them, one of happiness and love, a bond which he too once had. They went inside and there in the center of the living room was a diamond set in a glass case. The Count inquired about it and was told it was a dowry given to them by a mysterious man. They told him the story and expressed how the diamond meant more than just money to them, but was a symbol of their happiness and joy. Edmond was deeply touched by this and new that Julie and Emanuel had what he had been yearning for almost all his life. Although the Count was a man past feeling, these words touched him deeply. He decided to cut the visit short, fearing he would show emotion.

　　Once at home he reflected on his past. He had been a kind and loving man, with a bright and noble future before him. If he had not gone to prison, he would have had a life such as Emanuel and Julie. A life of hope, joy, happiness, love and a dear one to look after and spend the most peaceful times with. The Count had missed all of these things, the things that make life dear, the only thing which has kept men living.

　　After much reflection the Count continued with his plot. And at the end of the book when all was avenged, he realized the awful destruction and misery he had caused. All he had wanted all his life was happiness, yet here he was ruining it for others. Now, more than ever he longed for a person to love and take care of. With his hatred and revenge all spent and complete, he felt utterly useless. He wished he had lived a different life.

　　In the very end of the book, Monte Cristo realizes that the Arabian princes he had bought out of captivity, was the only person who could ever bring him happiness. So he departed to some unknown place with her, to live out the remainder of his life as happily as possible. And in the end, the Count truly did find that happiness which had been missing in his life for so long.

　　Although tragic and sad, The Count of Monte Cristo teaches that revenge is not the path to peace and justification. This story captivates the mind and utterly demonstrates in immense detail, the story of a man who was destroyed by evil, wreaked vengeance and then realizes his fault as he sees the misery he had caused. The Count of Monte Cristo is truly classic that is highly recommended and enjoyed by all who have read it.

　　4
　　鲁宾逊漂流记：

　　Robinson Crusoe is a beautiful novel that was written by Daniel Defoe, it was first published in 1719. It was arguably the first novel to ever be published which is no suprise given the date! The book really is superbly written throughout and I found it a real pleasure to read. The novel is about 270 pages and contains an epilogue. Daniel Defoe is seen by many to be one of the most famous writers in English Literature and after reading this novel it is easy to see why; I would really recommend it.

　　The novel is actually a fiction autobiography about the man named Robinson Crusoe. He is a man who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck just off Venesuila and he encounters many things across his journey before actually being rescued. He is stranded on an island that is no way near any ships and the island is completely unihabited. Robinson Crusoe can't stand it at first but he then manages to make this horrible island into a paradise of his own. He was stranded on this island for 24 years with out any company but he then one day rescued a prisoner and things change. The novel is supposedly based on facts and so is a fictional novel.

　　I really found the plot line to be superb throughout the novel and I found it easy to follow. The novel is beautifully written and very well structured really adding to the excellence. If you like tropical island get away novels or films rather like "The lord of the flies" I would really recommend this novel. I hope this was useful and thank you very much for reading.

　　6 The Old Man and the Sea ：

　　The Old Man and the Sea is the most classic and concernful novel of Hemmingway's. Its compendious expression and exciting fighting narrative attracts numerous readers. The author repeatedly emphasized his customary key thoughts in the story: despairing courage, struggling on both physically and psychologically, and the hero's brave, glory and noble character.

　　One of the pivotal sentences, "a man can be destroyed but not defeated" draws our attention. This sentence is gorgeous in surface but a little doubtful in a certain angle. In the end of the story the old man told to the boy that he was a loser who beaten by the sharks. With his bloody hands and the skeleton of the fish, it was really difficult to judge that he was defeated or not. However, he was undoubtedly destroyed in the fighting at the hopeless sea. Therefore, the difference between "destroy" and "defeated" was just something untraceable. We are not expected to tell one word form another, but to feel the antinomy and contact of them.

　　This sentence from the old man was also a reflection of the author himself. Sometimes we may treat a novel as some individual and emotional words. The old man and the sea were the symbols of the author and his life and destiny. As we know, Hemingway suffered a lot from his broken life during two ruthless world wars. In his late years, he was a successful litterateur but also a disable old man. He ended up his life with suicide. It's too arbitrary to say he was defeated from his fate, and also too shallow to use the word "destroy" in his experiences.

　　In my opinion, the most splendid thing in Hemmingway and his the Old Man and the Sea is not the VICTORY OF DEFEAT, but the relationship between the two words "defeat" and "destroy" as well as the novel and the author.