"This story has been told over and over by liars, and it must be retold." Magda, the witch...
During our Advanced Reading classes this summer at SLI, I will be posting questions--some easy to respond to and others that will take a little more thought. Post your answers to the questions, respond to other students' answers, and just have fun speaking to each other about your thoughts on this book.
Question1: After the first few pages, what are your first thoughts about the writing, the storyline, or vocabulary?
38 comments:
This is the second time I've taught this book at SLI. It takes some time to read but is a very good story--one I hope you remember. You can pick your own vocabulary words, and we'll talk about them in class. Just note the word and page number. In addition, I would like you to find passages or word phrases that you find interesting. Note them in your notebooks or copy them to this blog with some analysis.
I hope you're as excited about reading this book as I am. Some of you my be reading the story Of Mice and Men. It's much shorter, but just as good. We'll talk about both of them as SLI pregresses. Happy reading...
Since some of you will be reading Of Mice and Men, you can also contribute to this blog with information bout your story line.
I think this book interests me quite well, because it has three main things which I always search in a story:
1.The time of the story is very important to us(germans, russians and gypsies in the 20th centtury)and therefore it really caches my attention.
2.Important things are told very understandable(the genre is a novel)and , to my mind, this is a great thing, because many of us get into those books which could be read easily.
3.Vocab is not very difficult.
4.Another thing which had caught my attention is the fairytale.A story about Gretel and Hansel is told differently than the original fairytale and so that is the main point which catches the biggest attention to the whole story.
Justina
So i've read the first few pages and i'd like to continue reading. Vocabulary here is rather easy and reading was touching. I didn't want to give up reading, but it was 3 o'clock and i've put the book on my stomach and fell sleep.
About the story: i liked it. it made me feel myself like that little children felt theirselves in hungry times of war. I imagened how i would be feeling if i haven't anything to eat and had only one pair of underware.
Interesting story about children and the war.
P.S. While been writing this coomemnt in a little computer lab, i noticed that chairs there were very comfortable and i liked sitting there.
Dmitry
After few pages I thought that this is kind of interesting book which will show how people lived at the World War II. To read this book is not hard, although I have found some difficult words but them didn't make my reading much harder. This story makes me want to read another page and it's getting even more interesting with a new chapter. Kornelija
After the first pages I noticed that maybe there is a bit too much told about the bad circumstances the children are having in the forest, becouse I got the point reading like 4 pages,I think it wasn't neccesary to talk about it even more. Otherwise the book seemed to have an interesting combination of a fairy tale and a actual occurrence.
Andris
Then I red first pages of this book, first of all I thought about storyline. I am serious interested in history, so, to know something new about The Second World War, Nazis, Jews and how looked life right then is wonderful. The vocabulary is suitable for me. There aren't a lot of words which I don't know so it's easy to read the book. The author of this book chose interesting way to tell the story, especially telling about children life and parents separately.
Greta
When i started reading a book I found it interesting and catching, as you can find the events during the world war II.So I got the impression that there is some cruelty in this book. The author of this book tells the story in an interesting style. The vocabulary is not so difficult and understandable. anyway you can understand the text from its context.
Erika
I think that writing style is pretty clear, easy to read. Vocabulary isn't very difficult, but you have to be focus so you don't miss any of the words. Although I know the original storyline of Hansel and Gretel it's nice to read old story you know, which is changed and modified a little bit.
Paulius K.
for me vocabulary and writing style are quiet difficult and i think that`s because this was the first time i read an english book. I like the story line,it`s intresting and attracts my attention.
The story seems to be very interesting for me. It is realistic, thought-provoking and sometimes shocking. And so I'm very glad that we can get to know this book and analyze it a bit.
This book impressed me from the first pages. There are a lot of things in this book which make me think deeper. One of these things is "Wasting a little shows you believe in tomorrow".What do you think about that quotation???
Well, after I've tried to read Harper Lee's ,,To Kill a Mockingbird", which I was given at the morning classes, ,,Hansel and Gretel" was such a relief. Firstly, the main story line is known probably for all of us, so it's easy to read when you can predict what's going to happen later. The writing style of Louise Murphy is easy to understand, so I'm able to relax and enjoy the book. Moreover, the vocabulary is known to me, so I don't need to drown myself into the dictionary and that's great, i think.
Well, actually, there are some certain parts of the book which I didn't enjoy. If I had a chance , I would have written these parts in other way, but, oh well, this book is for us to enjoy, so let's do this ;)
Ieva
I liked this book from the first pages. I always liked stories about the war. I read plenty of them, and this one is really different. Good kind of different. I really like, that this story is based on a fairytale, which i had know since i was little.
I'm happy to read this, even if i can't go to the beach because of this ((:
'Of Mice and Men' is a wonderful book. (In my opinion way more interesting then other one about two kids). What I like about it? Both brothers are very lovely personalities. Also mice stuff is very fascinating too. Moreover I like the way how author is developing story. Everything happens very naturally.Of course good thing is that the story isn't very long. Probably the best thing that I like about this book is time. It's very interesting to read about times like 'big depression'.
Can't wait to read more :)
I like the book, because even the cover and smell of it is quite nice. It is a pressure to take this kind of book and read it.
I liked 'Hansel and Gretal' from the first page. I prefer it more then other book I must read- 'To kill a mocking bird', which is more like classic, not modern and fresh new.
Easy vocabulary makes this book better, too. But most of all, I guess, the storyline, because I'm pretty interested in World War II theme, and this book is touchy enough, as my relatives had suffered from it. And it's even more interesting to find something new and mysterious about it.
Moreover, I admire the beauty and originality of characters, what makes this book attractive to finish till the fast page. Thank Captain Happy for choosing this particular book. It's great. Marija
Maybe I read more then few pages, but I must said that this book is excellent and I am looking forward for this what will happen with children. It is interesting that the story is going on during the war. I am pleased that I understand what I read and I am really curious what will happen with characters.
Magdalena .
I like this book. I think it shows real war. It also shows human's pain.
Vocabulary isn't difficult for me.
I understand almost everything. The story is very interesting. I like reading it. This is the book that I don't forget. The book is sometimes terrifying but I believe it helps to understand how the war looks like.
This is not the kind of a book I am used to read, but I am still going on reading this book. It means that I like it. The story is told in an interesting way, so that attracts me the most.It is also cool that while reading about 130 page there are still something, which surprises me and makes an impression. Historical period (war,jews, Nazis...) is worth mentioning too, cause that makes a book useful. It keeps your attention and I think it's one of the most important features a great book should have :)
Firstly I thought about vocabulary, because it's really difficult to understand. But the storyline is really attractive and characters are interesting. I hope i will finish this book with good emotions.
In the begining I didn't expect that this book will be so interesting but I was impressed from the first book's pages. I travelled through this story together with characters.
My very first thought was how will this story differ from the fairy tale. The beginning of the story was quite similar to the beginning of the fairy tale: the kids were left alone in the forest. Then I had no idea about the other events: will they meet an evil witch like in the fairy tale or maybe other characters.
What impressed me more was the plot of the story, enriched with so detailed description of each scene that participation effect was absolutly inevitable.
The most of the characters don`t have any names but their personalities aren`t faceless.Each of them is bright and distinct , each of them has its own place and role to act.
My first impression of this book is stuning.I really enjoy reading this book,because the whole plot is in WWII which is one of my interests in life.
then I red the first chapter , it was my best chapter ;D , I thoght that it would be easy to read about not easy stuff
When I had read some first pages of the book it really impressed me. The storyline is very interesting especially for those who likes history about WWs. The vocabulary isn't very difficult. There are some uknown words but you can guess their meaning from the context.
I suppose, this book is really good choice for studying in SLI's advanced reading class.
When I saw Hansel and Gretel I thought it will be booooring because I hate history and everything that's related with it. BUT, when I started reading it, I understood that this book is not hystorical. Oh well, it is, but the story is interesting and easy to understand.
Good choise, David. :)
I have been reading one book, when I got this particular book. So I started to read two books parallel, which was exciting and the story of "Hansel and Gretel" involved me at the first 10 pages. This story is unusual approach how to tell terrible stories fro the past (about the WW-I, WW-II) by using the imagination and feeling like reading the fairy-tails. This way is much better to find more readers instead of publishing documentary or bibliography books.
I like it =) Everything is clear and I don't need to use a dictionary for understanding. Of course, there were some moments which I couldn't understand at first, but I caught it after discussion at the lesson =)
P.S. There was one thing which really shocked me. It is the quality of bad words! I understand that the author use it for describing the atmosphere of the war, but I think we should avoid it in the literature!
Your sincerely, Christina.
I stoped reading this book becouse i found it booring. But iam reading a book by Dan Brown "Angels and demons" This is the 8 book iam reading! I find almost any books interesting for me, but this book is just awesome!!
It grabed me right from the start and i just cant stop reading it !!!
It has one of the best if not the best plot ever. So i recomend this book to everyone! IF YOU DONT READ IT THE ILLUMINANTI WILL GET YOU :P.
When i will finish this book i will probably watch the movie and then read The da vinci code which is also write by Dan Brown.
The wiriting is gripping, magical and it's easy to ilustrate the whole story in your mind. Maybe vocabulary is not very simple, but it is easy to understand context. It's the interesting, different description of World War II time. Moreover it is the first real book I have read in English and I'm really satisfied. :)
Cathrine
quite strange for Hansel and Gretel, but I'll read it )
Still i think it is too depressing
After I read first pages I couldn't stop because this book is very interesting. It made me to look into the Hansel and Gretel fairytale anew. Also, the writing style is different from other books and makes this one even more special. And the storyline is wonderful because it has a lot of events happening and they are related to The Second World War therefore I learned more things about it. Finally, the vocabulary isn't very hard, but even if you don't know some words you still can understand the context of the book.
Asta
After the first few pages, I thought that it wouldn't be ordinary fairy tail. From 1st page it's very unusual, because witch invites us to join for a journey through whole book, it's amazing.
What's about vocabulary, inspite of the fact that there are many unfamiliar words for me, I clearly understand the plot of each chapter.
As for the storyline, I think it's fantastic, because author has changed simple fairy tail into this great history.
Anton 2012
I use to read this fairy-tale to my son befeore night. He just listened and expected for the happy end of the story. The boy didn't care deeply about the facts and for me it looked a very cruel fairy tale. But this fairy-tale is not the only one cruel story. It has been said that fairy tales is an reflection of our life. So many terrible things happens ir our lives and might be they will be retold in future as fairy tales. Life is circular and witches are immortal.
Actually, the narrative is quite unusual. I mean, the identity of the witch is still unrecognizable and mysterious. At the very beginning the reader can infer that this witch is kind but this book reveals unexpected turns of events and further in the story the witch may show her real face that way telling us the narrator is evil which is a bit unusual. Well, that is only expectation, we'll see how the story develops further on. Dovydas 2012
Actually, I have liked this book since i started reading it. The storyline is more and more interesting when I start another chapter. Also, I'm interested in history, especially in Lithuania's, and these years were quite difficult for us I think. So, it's interesting. The vocabulary isn't difficult, but I have to look up some words because there are some that I don't understand. The writing is not difficult for me, actually, it's quite easy.
Milda, 2012.
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