Roald Dahl was a British author who wrote a children’s book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964. The book is regarded as a classic and it has managed to maintain its popularity among children and sometimes even adults. The protagonist of the book is a little boy named Charlie Bucket, who lives with his poor family close to Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory. Nobody has visited the chocolate factory for years but then Willy Wonka allows five lucky children with their mother and father to visit the magical place. Charlie is lucky enough to be one of those children and he visits the factory with his grandfather.
Dahl’s novel contains lots of poems and playing with words. These poems tell funny and entertaining stories which have got a clear message. Sometimes they are also trying to be instructive. For example there is a poem about chewing gum all day long and its bad consequences. Some of the poems are quite naïve and childish but I probably feel so because I don’t belong to the main target group. I still enjoy these poems and find them pretty hilarious because the language and the rhythm of the poems sound so lovely. In his writing Dahl also uses words which he has invented himself. Most of these words have something to do with sweets. They are logical but it may take a little extra time to realize the meaning of the word if English isn’t the reader’s mother tongue.
Usually in children’s books and fairy tales there are good and evil characters fighting against each other. Charlie is innocent and honest so he’s the hero of the story. The other children are spoiled and nasty. I think it is a happy surprise that the evil characters of the novel are children instead of monsters or grown-ups, which is way too common. On the other hand a really young reader can find this a bit frightening if he or she is used to the traditional plot. The most interesting character in the book is Willy Wonka, the quirky owner of the chocolate factory, because he’s personality isn’t as black and white as everyone else’s, including Charlie. Willy Wonka keeps things going and brings a touch of madness in the book. It wouldn’t be the same without him. Maybe Wonka with his conspicuous top hat is one of the main reasons why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a lovely reading experience after all these years, even for a little bit older reader.
perjantai 27. tammikuuta 2012
Escaping from reality
I usually go to see a film with my friends when something interesting appears in the cinema. In my opinion there is some escapism involved in going to watch a movie but it’s only a good thing. You can relax and forget your everyday worries while you are concentrating on the storyline of the film. It doesn’t matter whether the film is a comedy or an action movie if it gives you a little escape from everyday life. A film can also make you see the matter in another light or provide information about a historical event or a modern day problem.
Last time I went to a cinema was during the Christmas holiday. I wanted to see a British movie called My Week With Marilyn, which is based on a true story. I found the plot interesting and exciting because I had read Marilyn’s biography a while ago. There were also many great actors starring in the film so I decided to go to see it with a friend.
The movie gave me the chills and inspired me a lot. My friend and I talked about the film a lot even later. If I think about the movie and its plot afterwards, I can say it was a really good one and it had a quite big impact on me. But on the other hand the idea of some films is just make people laugh. You don’t think about these films later. This doesn’t make these movies bad and these kind of films are often regarded as great and entertaining by the public. Despite the genre of the film it can be a groundbreaking experience. I think that the most wonderful thing with movies is that you can be a part of a new world at least for the length of the film.
Last time I went to a cinema was during the Christmas holiday. I wanted to see a British movie called My Week With Marilyn, which is based on a true story. I found the plot interesting and exciting because I had read Marilyn’s biography a while ago. There were also many great actors starring in the film so I decided to go to see it with a friend.
The movie gave me the chills and inspired me a lot. My friend and I talked about the film a lot even later. If I think about the movie and its plot afterwards, I can say it was a really good one and it had a quite big impact on me. But on the other hand the idea of some films is just make people laugh. You don’t think about these films later. This doesn’t make these movies bad and these kind of films are often regarded as great and entertaining by the public. Despite the genre of the film it can be a groundbreaking experience. I think that the most wonderful thing with movies is that you can be a part of a new world at least for the length of the film.
E-books – books of the future
I usually read the news online but I may also take a look at the newspaper in the morning. Nowadays people, especially the young, check the news on the Internet because it’s easy, fast and you can do it whenever you want. The selection of the papers isn’t so large and modern people are interested in things which are even more out of the ordinary. Maybe E-books and online newspapers are the solution to that modern time problem.
E-books are useful because they don’t take up space in your bookshelf and you can read them even on your mobile phone. It’s obvious that E-books will become more common. But in my opinion E-books don’t have the same feeling as books made of paper. I have a few of my mum’s old books, which have been printed in 80s and they have so much sentimental value for me. I couldn’t imagine that an E-book would be equally dear to me even if the writing was the same. If the contents of the book are completely identical, many people don’t care if the book is an E-book or a book made of paper. But I would still choose the latter one because I prefer to have physical books and I don’t mind if my bookshelf is filled with them.
Maybe in the future schoolbooks and other teaching material will also be E-books like some of the novels are already. The idea is interesting but I would like to see it in practice before saying it works. I am also wondering if the E-books will be popular from now because they can just be a passing trend. Will we borrow E-books in the library instead of the traditional ones after a couple of years? I don’t believe that E-books will replace traditional books entirely. The invention of books made of paper is extremely old. It’s almost impossible to think that they wouldn’t be used anymore but we can never know what the future holds.
E-books are useful because they don’t take up space in your bookshelf and you can read them even on your mobile phone. It’s obvious that E-books will become more common. But in my opinion E-books don’t have the same feeling as books made of paper. I have a few of my mum’s old books, which have been printed in 80s and they have so much sentimental value for me. I couldn’t imagine that an E-book would be equally dear to me even if the writing was the same. If the contents of the book are completely identical, many people don’t care if the book is an E-book or a book made of paper. But I would still choose the latter one because I prefer to have physical books and I don’t mind if my bookshelf is filled with them.
Maybe in the future schoolbooks and other teaching material will also be E-books like some of the novels are already. The idea is interesting but I would like to see it in practice before saying it works. I am also wondering if the E-books will be popular from now because they can just be a passing trend. Will we borrow E-books in the library instead of the traditional ones after a couple of years? I don’t believe that E-books will replace traditional books entirely. The invention of books made of paper is extremely old. It’s almost impossible to think that they wouldn’t be used anymore but we can never know what the future holds.
Pop – my kind of music
I have never been picky when it comes to my taste in music. In my opinion the music genre doesn’t matter so much if it sounds compelling and has interesting lyrics. I listen to everything from pop to classical music. However there are a couple of exceptions, which aren’t certainly my cup of tea. I am not so into rap and heavy music. I also think songs that are played on the radio a lot lose their originality and become a bit boring. Despite this I do listen to the radio sometimes and find lovely surprises.
If I picked one genre of all the music genres, it would eventually be pop. There are many reasons why I would choose it. Most of my favorite bands and artists can be classified as pop music or it has had a big influence on them. Pop music is quite comprehensive because it can be light and cheerful or blue and realistic. Often it has got meaningful lyrics which many people find easy to identify with. I can say that the part of pop music I love the most is independent pop. For me it has so much more soul in it than the well-known songs which are played on the radio.
Pop music has a great past, including many amazing artists and bands that have achieved the status of legend. Its future looks bright as well because it has gained a huge popularity among all age groups.
If I picked one genre of all the music genres, it would eventually be pop. There are many reasons why I would choose it. Most of my favorite bands and artists can be classified as pop music or it has had a big influence on them. Pop music is quite comprehensive because it can be light and cheerful or blue and realistic. Often it has got meaningful lyrics which many people find easy to identify with. I can say that the part of pop music I love the most is independent pop. For me it has so much more soul in it than the well-known songs which are played on the radio.
Pop music has a great past, including many amazing artists and bands that have achieved the status of legend. Its future looks bright as well because it has gained a huge popularity among all age groups.
sunnuntai 22. tammikuuta 2012
A film review of Memoirs Of A Geisha
Memoirs of a geisha is a story about a little girl who grows up, changes her name and becomes Japan’s most famous geisha. The film also concentrates on themes like love, friendship and the tragedy of being a geisha. Rob Marshall directed the movie in 2005 and it won three Oscars. The script is based on Arthur Golden’s novel with the same name.
The leading actors of the film are Zhang Ziyi as the adult version of a girl called Chiyo and Suzuka Ohgo as the child version. Ken Watanabe and Michelle Yeoh are also starring in the movie. In addition John William’s classical but courageous soundtrack fits to the scenes almost perfectly.
In the beginning the main character, Chiyo Sakamoto, has been sold to a geisha house by her poor parents. The intriguing environment is totally new to Chiyo, who still misses her family, especially her sister. Eventually Chiyo gets used to her new life and decides to become a geisha.
The film follows Chiyo’s life from a little girl to an adult. Because the genre of the film is drama, it isn’t everyone’s favourite. The setting, all the costumes and make-ups are beautiful and dramatic. The biggest problem of the film is, however, the language. All the actors are speaking English in the film even though only a couple of them are native speakers. The actors who don’t have English as a mother tongue can’t express themselves so well and that leaves me a bit cold. There are also traditions and other cultural things which are maybe a bit incorrect in the movie. When the viewer remembers that it’s a film, not a documentary, she or he can find the beautiful power behind the historical story.
The leading actors of the film are Zhang Ziyi as the adult version of a girl called Chiyo and Suzuka Ohgo as the child version. Ken Watanabe and Michelle Yeoh are also starring in the movie. In addition John William’s classical but courageous soundtrack fits to the scenes almost perfectly.
In the beginning the main character, Chiyo Sakamoto, has been sold to a geisha house by her poor parents. The intriguing environment is totally new to Chiyo, who still misses her family, especially her sister. Eventually Chiyo gets used to her new life and decides to become a geisha.
The film follows Chiyo’s life from a little girl to an adult. Because the genre of the film is drama, it isn’t everyone’s favourite. The setting, all the costumes and make-ups are beautiful and dramatic. The biggest problem of the film is, however, the language. All the actors are speaking English in the film even though only a couple of them are native speakers. The actors who don’t have English as a mother tongue can’t express themselves so well and that leaves me a bit cold. There are also traditions and other cultural things which are maybe a bit incorrect in the movie. When the viewer remembers that it’s a film, not a documentary, she or he can find the beautiful power behind the historical story.
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