Books and Authors

Books and Authors

Pictures
- Describe the following books. What kind of information can you find in each? Would you read these particular books? Why? Why not? Who would you recommend to read these books?

- Match the titles of the books with the age level. Why do you think they are suitable for the chosen age level? What can you find in these books? Which of these books have you read so far? Did you enjoy it?

- Describe the picture. Do you also like doing this activity? Where? When? What do you like reading?

- Describe the picture. Identify the place? Have you ever been to this shop? What can you buy there? What types of books would you buy for the members of your family? Why?

 
Discussion
 

- Are you fond of reading books?
- What sort of books do you prefer?
- What books do you read/buy/like/borrow?
- How often do you read/buy/borrow books?
- How often do you go to library?
- How are the books arranged there? /alphabetized and filed/
- How can you become a member of a local library?
- What services does a library provide?
- What is the admission card good for?
- Describe a situation at a local library.
- How often do you buy books?
- How does the price influence the choice of a book?
- Do you buy book as a present? Why? Why not?
- Do you get books as a birthday present? Do you like them?
- Name the sort of books and example authors
- Who is your favourite author and book? Describe plot, character, setting, feelings.
- Do you know any English or American writers who were awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature?
- Why do people read books? What are the benefits of reading? Explain.
- Why do you read books?
- Are you a bookworm?
- Are you a book collector?
- What sorts of book do we know? Explain.
- Which parts does a book consist of?
- Do you buy book as a present? Why? Why not?
- Do you get books as a birthday present? Do you like them?
- Describe a situation in a local library.
- What books have you read recently which increased your fund of knowledge?
- What hero from a book have you admired and wanted to imitate? In what way?
- What book, that you have read, have you also seen as a film? How did the two versions compare?
- How does different reading make you feel?
- What type of reading do you find the most relaxing?
- Do you have a book that helps you when you feel under stress?
- Do you enjoy humorous reading? What kind of humour do you like?
- Do you like reading sad or tragic stories?
- Do you prefer reading fiction or non-fiction? Why?
- Who are your favourite writers from this country or from overseas?

Role-plays and simulations
- Tell the class about your favourite book. Use the following to help you: say a few words about the author, give details about the book /genre, style, language, length/, outline the plot briefly, describe the main characters and your most/least favourite character, say what you liked best/least about the book and what you have learnt from it, why is it worth reading. /Simulation/

 

- Preparation: Think of suitable books for the following people – your 5-year-old sister, your 16-year-old brother who is into hip hop and computer games, your aunt who loves opera, your great-grandfather who is a keen stamp-collector and soap opera fan.

A: Christmas is coming and you have decided to buy books for your family and friends. You are at a bookshop – ask the shop assistant to help you.
B: You work as a shop assistant at a bookshop. Help the customer by recommending him/her some books.  /Role-play/
 
- You have been asked to make a speech on the occasion of ´March – the Month of Books´. Your topic is: Reading is less popular with teenagers these days. Express your opinion on the importance of reading books for children and teenagers.

- You are asked to read a book for your English lesson but your classmate doesn’t like reading books. Therefore he decides to watch it. Persuade him/her that he would rather read the book. Give some reasons supporting your opinion. /Role-play/

- Your best friend is keen on reading magazines full of information about celebrities, scandals and crime. You think they are load of rubbish. Persuade your friend to start reading something serious, advice him/her what books of good quality he/she should start with. Give the reason for your choice. /Role-play/

Kniha – priateľ človeka
- knihy – výber, čítanie
- obľúbený autor a žánre
- prečítané dielo spisovateľa krajiny, ktorej jazyk sa učím  /život a dielo spisovateľa/
- nositelia Nobelovej ceny za literatúru a ich diela
- kríza v čítaní beletrie /príčiny, kupovanie kníh, služby knižníc, inštitútov/
 
A. Benefits of reading

- Information – There is something for everybody in books. You can find the answers to many questions. Clearly, the greatest benefit of reading is the information gained. People can be thoroughly educated through books.
- Geography - Books help us to learn about foreign countries as well as exotic lands with their wonderful plants and animals. We also gain knowledge of the people – their habits and character.
- Values – Through reading we learn to discern what is good, intelligent and valuable, as well as what is bad, foolish and worthless. Fairy tales, for example are important for small children – from them they begin to learn about good and evil.
- Wisdom - People who read a lot gain wisdom. They better understand situations and now how to make wiser decisions.
- Empathy – In reading books about people, we sometimes find that their lives are a mirror of our own. We face the same situations as the heroes we read about. Through books, therefore, we learn to empathize with others.
- Behaviour – People need to change their behaviour. From books we can learn how to behave without hurting other or ourselves, and how to live in harmony on this small planet called Earth.
- Imagination – Reading improves one’s imagination. Which is better – reading a book or watching a film based on the book? Reading is better because you can imagine things which cannot be portrayed in a film.
- Languages – When people read, they can begin to appreciate good language expression and the beauty of language.
- Vocabulary – Reading increases one’s vocabulary and therefore develops one’s word power.
- Therapy – Books are like a cure when we are tired or sad. A book can be one of our best friends.

Types of literature
Fiction – allegory, drama, fairy tale, legend, novel, parable, parody, play
Non-fiction – autobiography, biography, chronicle, diary, essay, history, science information, thriller, war novel
Novel – adventure novel, detective novel, existential novel, Gothic novel, historical novel, psychological novel
Drama – comedy, melodrama, tragedy
Poetry – ballad, epic, lyric, sonnet
Name the sort of books and example authors: fiction, non-fiction/faction /Zamarovsky/, sci-fi /Capek, Verne/, short story /Joyce, Steinback, London, Kukucin, Capek/, thriller /Grisham/, travel book /Ondrejov, Hemingway, Greene/, crime fiction /Christie, Hitchhock/, fable /Ezop, La Fontaine, Krylov/, detective stories ’whodunit’/Christie/, story of adventure /Verne/, psychological novel /Tolstoj/, historical novel /Zweig/, war story /Hemingway/, prose/poetry, novellette, novel, fairy tale, satire, encyclopaedia, dictionary, books for learning languages,
If you ask people about their favourite leisure time activity, the answer you will get quite often is reading books. People have always liked books. Even before the printing press was invented and most people were illiterate, they loved looking at manuscripts /hand-written books/. At that time being able to read was considered a unique achievement. After Guttenberg made printed books available to almost everyone, people fell in love with books. Each year, millions of books are written, sold, read and even presented as gifts on occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.
Books accompany people everywhere: we read them while travelling to school or work, waiting for a consultation with our GP, during breaks at school, on holidays. We just cannot imagine our lives without books. Reading gives people a lot of pleasure. There are books that give a chance to learn about the world around you. Other books give a lot of information and advice. And, of course, there are those entertaining books which are amusing to read because they are about other people’s experiences. Those who are keen on reading can choose from a wide variety of books.
Literature can be divided into two categories: non-fiction books and fiction books. Non-fiction books are usually for information. There are textbooks /educational books containing information and ideas about some subject/, dictionaries /books that tell us the meaning of words/, encyclopaedias /large books or a set of books containing facts about different subjects in alphabetical order/, biographies, autobiographies and memoirs, self-help books, travel/history/art books and finally, cookery books. Fiction is about imaginary people or events. There are two types of fiction books: poetry and prose. People who are keen on poetry can read poems by famous poets in books of poetry. Those who prefer prose can choose to read tales, short stories, novellas, romances, crime novels, mysteries, science fiction, westerns, thrillers or historical novels.
A story in a book can be set in a real or imaginary place/time in which the characters live. The plot /the series of events which form the story of a novel/ can be narrated by the author or by one of the characters. Talented writers are excellent storytellers, able to attract readers and keep their attention from the very first page until the plot culminates at the end of the book. The best books are usually read in one sitting.
Every year, the Novel Prize for Literature is awarded to the writer whose work of fiction is considered to be a unique literary achievement. There are many writers who are Nobel Prize winners, W.Faulkner, J.Steinbeck, and E.Hemingway just to mention some of them.
People whose hobby is reading cam buy books in a bookshop or borrow books from a library. Libraries store books, magazines and newspapers and you may be sure you will be able to find almost any book you need there. Some libraries are free of charge, but most of them charge a small fee for yearly membership or for each book borrowed. If you want to borrow books from a library, you should get a library card. There are several ways to choose a book to read. You can ask a librarian or a friend who is keen on reading to recommend a good book or you could check to book reviews in your local newspaper.
Reading is a great hobby, which gives people the opportunity to learn something new and improve their communication skills. It also challenges their imaginations and brings pleasure to their lives.

B.
- Do you prefer reading fiction or non-fiction? Why? – I like to read fiction such as ……. Such reading keeps me in suspense/develops my imagination/entertains me…. . I prefer non-fiction for example, books about history/travel/people. I find this kind of reading inspiring/educational/motivational.
- Who are your favourite writers from this country or from overseas? – In this country, my favourite writer is … because … I find his/her writing beautiful/thought-provoking/insightful. My favourite foreign writer is … because… I like English/American/Germans literature because….
- What is your favourite historical period in literature? – I enjoy older literature, for example, from the … century. This is because … I like to read books from different periods – I don’t favour any particular time in history. I prefer modern books from different periods … I think that some of the best works were written at the beginning of this century/after the Second World War/ in the last ten years because…

An appraisal of a book /film
 
1. Work in groups of three. Here are two appraisals of a book. Read them carefully. Compare their organization, and the way they present points.
I once read a book called ´The Collector´. It’s about a man who kidnaps a girl, and she eventually dies. It’s quite a horrible story, but I liked it. Ferdinand Clegg is very inhibited with women, he doesn’t know how to talk to them, so he kidnaps a girl he’s seen in the town. He keeps her in a cottage and takes her photograph. In the end she dies but he didn’t kill her. It was written by John Fowles.
 
´The Collector´ is a novel written by John Fowles. It was first published in 1963, and it is a sort of horror story. It is one of the most sinister book I have ever read. It holds your attention from the start and becomes more shocking as it progresses. ´The Collector´ is a good title. The ´hero´, Ferdinand Clegg, collects butterflies, but he adds to his collection the girl of his dreams, Miranda, who is an art student. We learn enough about his background, an orphan brought up by his aunt and uncle, to have some understandig of his behaviour. He is a very lonely character and painfully shy, especially with women. We see him following Miranda from a distance, fascinated by her every move. There is a turning point when he wins some money, and his plans become a reality. He buys a remote country cottage, captures Miranda and keeps her there just to look at and admire. All he wants of her is to take her photographs. She is his latest and most precious ’butterfly’. One of the most interesting aspects of the story is the portrayal of Miranda, as she tries to handle the bizzare situation she finds herself in. Her behaviour goes to extremes – from trying to understand Ferdinand and be his friend to violence and trying to escape. In the end she falls and dies, while he does nothing to help. The reader feels all Miranda’s hopes and fears until the final dreadful outcome. This is a book which, once you have started, is impossible to put down.
 
2. Divide the second version into paragraphs. What is the purpose of each paragraph?
3. What tense is used to tell the story and describe the characters?
4. Underline any words or expressions which you think are useful to describe a book or film.
5. Why are the words ‘hero’ and ‘butterfly’ in quotation marks?
6. Write an appraisal of a book or film that you have liked. Organize your paragraphs like this.
Paragraph 1 – Factual information about the book or film /Give some basic information about the book or film: ‘Dances With Wolves’ won an Oscar in 1990. It was directed by Kevin Costner./
Paragraph 2 – An introduction to the setting and the characters. A description of the plot. /This might need  two paragraphs./ 
Paragraph 3 – Your reactions, and the reasons why you liked it. /Give your opinions – good and bad things about the book or film: The film is very realistic in the way it shows us the everyday life of the Indians./
Paragraph 4 – A conclusion and recommendation / It is a historical film with an obvious message. It speaks to people of all ages.
 
The following expressions might help you:
…tells the story of…
…based on real life/the author’s experience…
…was directed/written/produced by…
It stars X in the title role.
X’s performance as Y was wonderful/convincing…
As the story unfolds, we see…
The story takes place in the 1950’s.
The story is set in Texas at the beginning of the century.
The relationship that X has with his mother…
In the end…
We don’t learn until the end that…
I was impressed by…

Vocabulary:
parts of a book /preface /predhovor/, introduction,  chapters, footnotes,  epilogue, table of contents, list of illustrations, summary, supplement, pages/, paperback, hardback/hardcover book, leather- bound book, dog-ears, manuscript, volume, dictionary /look up a word, concise/comprehensive description of a word – podrobný/stručný opis slovíčka/ , writer, author, poet, publish a book, copyright, publisher, publishing house, bookseller, bookshop, second-hand bookshop, forthcoming books, bestseller, book collector, bookworm, be well-read, extremely readable book, narrative power /rozprávačské umenie/, sweeping imagination /strhujúca obrazotvornosť/, unusual dénouement /nezvyčajné rozuzlenie/, message of the book, public library, librarian, reading room, magazine room, admission card, library lends, reader borrow, loan period, lending form /výpožičný lístok/, return the book, reminder /upomienka/, loan collection /výpožičný fond/, new acquisitions /nové prírastky/, basic catalogue, look up an entry, subject heading, author heading
The book is out of print.
I read it at one sitting.
It gripped me from the beginning.
I wasn’t able to put it down.
The story builds to a tremendous climax. – Príbeh vyúsťuje do skvelého vyvrcholenia.

D.
The Nobel Prize for Literature, one of the five prizes established from a fund bequeathed by the Swedish inventor and industrialists Alfred Nobel “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind”, has recognized the whole spectrum of literary works including poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays and speeches. Starting off in 1901, the Nobel Prize for Literature has distinguished the works of individuals from different languages and cultural backgrounds who have produced “the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency”. It has been awarded to unknown masters as well as authors acclaimed worldwide.  The process of selecting a winner starts about a year before the prize announcement. Individuals and organisations qualified to nominate candidates submit their proposals. They are examined by the Nobel Committee. In October, the Academy makes its choice.
Each Nobel Prize consists of a gold medal, a diploma bearing a citation, and a certain sum of money.
English-speaking writers awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature:

- Seamus Heaney – Irish poet, essayist and translator /1995/ - works: translation of the old English epic Beowulf, Death of a Naturalist, Door into the Dark, Wintering Out, North, Station Island, Seeing Things, The Spirit Level, Electric Light
- William Faulkner – American writer /1950/ - works: Mosquitoes, The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Light in August, Absalom Absalom!
- Ernest Hemingway – American writer /1954/ -  works: The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell To Arms, The Death In The Afternoon, For Whom The Bell Tolls, An Old Man and the Sea
- Rudyard Kipling – English prose writer and poet /1907/ - works: The Jungle Book, Kim, Just So Stories
- Eugene O´Neill – American playwright /1936/ - works: Bound East For Cardiff, Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, The Strange Interlude, Mourning Becomes Electra, The Iceman Cometh
- George Bernard Shaw – British playwright and critic /1925/ - works: Caesar and Cleopatra, Pygmalion, Saint Joan
- John Steinbeck – American writer /1962/ - works: Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Travels with Charley