50 books to read before you die number 9 Mark Haddon. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time.

I think that the greatest accolade I can give this book is simple, I passed in to my 12 year old daughter who read it in a couple of hours.
The story of Christopher an autistic 15 year old, who sadly experiences the break up of his parents.
Christopher is a mathematical genius and he uses this skill to get by in life, I think to distract him from the chaos of his family life.

This is a wonderfully told yet far too true story of the breakdown of family life in a town like any other in England.

Apparantly , another film is on its way, could be difficult to portray this very complicated young man.

Excellent book!

50 Books to read before you die No 8 George Orwell. 1984

I seem to remember reading this at school. Yet I do not have as many memories of this book as I have of Animal Farm.
Having seen where Orwell wrote this book on the island of Jura, very close to the Cory Wreckon Whirlpool, I can imagine how he came up with such a dark and terrible story.
There are so many prophesies in this book that are so current in today's society, especially some of the technological ideas that he used.
Voices from the wall and cameras everywhere, how true is that of today's world with satellite and radar traps. You really do not know who is watching you.
George Orwell had a great influence on me as a young man, I suppose that after reading, 'Down and Out in London and Paris' so many years ago, the image of 'Le plongeur' the poor kitchen porter in the huge Parisien hotels has always given me the reality of how bloody hard it is sometimes to get by.
1984 is without doubt one of the very best books I have ever read and it has given me the inspiration to read some of his other work, especially 'Hommage to Catalonia' as I really should understand more regarding the Spanish Civil War. I also remember another wonderful book, 'The road to Wigan Pier'

Уроки русского

Здравствуйте.
Меня зовут Петр.
Большое спасибо , Галина, Малгожата и
Данута.

Película española 2 Barrio

Una película española.
Director Fernando Léon de Aranda. 1999
Críspulo Cabezas, Timy Benito and Eloi Yebra.
Esta película es sobre tres jóvenes hijos en Madrid. Viven en un barrio trabajadora y suenen de una vida mejora.
Aunque esta película es bastante gracioso, es también muy triste.
Esta película muestra el lado escuro de la vida en un ciudad española, personas sin hogar, uso indebido de drogas, la violencia doméstica y alcoholismo. Me gusta mucho una escena con un esquí acuático que es totalmente inútil por los chicos, pero representa nuestra sociedad de consumo. Uno otro chico que esta desperezara para trabajar se convierte un repartidor de pizza sin motor de scooter por consiguiente todos de los pizzas están sobre frio!
Una buena película que es muy triste.

50 Books to read before you die No 7 The Color Purple

What an amazing book! This selection of books has probably given me the chance to read a book that I would not have normally chosen. Why not The Color Purple? Simply because , I had always thought it was a book about women, written for women. Which of course, some of this is true, it is a book about women, but it is much more that I had thought. The book is written in the form of letters, letters to God and letters to sisters. It is a tragic story of the plight of women and another example of the shocking situation in Africa during the colonialism period, especially by us the British! Well the British upper Class!
I now have a copy of the DVD to have a look at the comparison to the book.

50 Books to read before you die. No 6 Heart of Darkness

Joesph Conrad's classic is but a short story or a novella in a book with 2 other very readable stories about the sea.
This story influenced one of the most famous of all War films, 'Apocalypse Now' with Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando.
Written in the 1890s by Conrad who in fact was born on the Ukraine,I was convinced he was American.
Themes are rampant in the book, Modernism, Imperialism, God knows slavery and racism and the more I think about the appalling European treatment of Africa, it's people, the Ivory trade, it is quite horrendous.

An amazing story, thought provoking, moving, frightening, genius.

Next book, equally anticipated because of my memory of the film, Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple'.

Pelicula española 1 . Te doy mis ojos. España Director Iciar Bollain.

Esta pelicula es de 2004 y los actores principales son, Laia Marull y luis Tosar.
Es una historia muy triste sobre la violencia doméstica.
Yo no conozco los actores pero creo que Laia Marull da una interpretación ¡fenomenal!
Para mí es un tema muy sensitibo y desgraciadamente muy común actualemente en nuestra sociedad.
Me parece que el cine española es una mina de talento y tendré que investigar y descubrirlo.
Mi película próxima sera el Barrio, una película española dirigida por Fernando Léon de Aranoa[1998]

Frankenstein the Movie 1

This version of the film, directed by James Whale is from 1931!
80 years old! Incredible!
The monster, Boris Karloff used to frighten the life out of me on a Friday night, when I was a kid and to be honest is still awesome! As with Moby Dick, the story from the book is very loosely portrayed , however, this does not in any way affect the film. The film is just simply a classic !
Kenneth Branagh made a version of the story in 1994, starring Robert de Niro as the monster. I have ordered a copy, as I understand that he has tried to keep to the story, but there are some awful write-ups on the film. Watch this space for mine!