Literature
Here you can discuss books, poetry, short stories, plays, etc., either for your reading pleasure or books that you have to read for A1 class. This forum is for the discussion of books only, whereas discussion of any literature assignments should go in the Language A1 forum.
366 topics in this forum
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"Where writers unite." That sounds corny. Whatever. Anyway. Lc and I love to write. One of the ambitions of our lives is to publish a book (separately, not together). So we thought we needed a place here to talk about our writing and consequently see how many other writers we have here. So do you write? This is the place to share your works, maybe get some constructive criticism or comments, or just talk about your writing habits. To be totally honest, I can be extremely defensive and insecure about my writing, so I don't show them around too much, but I occasionally do. And when I do, it's either because I think it's pretty darn good, or it was written to be shar…
Last reply by Taylanian, -
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- 380 replies
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I loved Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front", I fell in love with "The Wars" by Timothy Findley, love Jane Austin (too bad I wont get to read her books at all ) love and am looking forward to "The Stranger" by Camus. What about you? what books do you need for IB that you absolutely want to read?
Last reply by Befuddled, -
A book that I had to read for school that I absolutely despise is Julius Caesar. I had to read it back in 10th grade (Pre-IB) and I thought it was absolutely boring. If I read it over a few times more, I might begin to like it, but I doubt that would happen. So what are some of the books that you all can't stand?
Last reply by TheTroll73, -
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This summer I became completely obsessed with the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, and I completely fell in love with Edward Cullen!! However, in my Spanish class we read " The Unbearable Lightness of the Being" by Milan Kundera and it changed the way I perceive literature. Now I consider Twilight series to be quite superficial.. good, yet superficial...what do you think?
Last reply by stevens579, -
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So there was a Harry Potter thread and as much as I LOVE those books (my absolute favourite) I also love other books and thought it would be fun to create a thread for it. Do you consider yourself as a bookworm/bibliophile? What are your favourite books? Least favourite? Any books you think everyone should read? What kind of books do you prefer? What was the last books you read and are you currently reading something? Post everything here I am myself a huge fan of books. My bookcases are filled with novels that I have still yet to read because of time. My favourites (beside Harry Potter...) are; the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan H…
Last reply by ShootingStars, -
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Was curious about what people thought about this. Just organized in a poll-like form I guess... and not comprehensive, just some examples. i.e. for me Best: Ian McEwan's novels Worst: Twilight series; Eragon series What do you think? Dissidents welcome... thumbs up if you agree, down if you don't!
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Amaaaazing Books? 1 2 3 4
by timtamboy63- 61 replies
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This thread is for everyone that loves to read~~ What are your favourite books/authors/series? I really like Matthew Reilly, he has a pretty awesome fast pace and has a pretty grand plot I also liked Kite Runner, it was written quite well
Last reply by cclina32, -
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Well, since Lc wanted to "rant" about HP7 and she can't find me online, I thought I might as well give her a place to rant. Really, so who has read (and finished) it? I don't have so much of a rant as a rave. Spoiler - Click me! First impression: The events moved so fast! The whole book, really, rushed. But I guess it sets the pace - it was a war, everything moved quickly.The deaths: Hedwig was shocking, especially all everyone's been speculating about had been human death. Mad Eye was expected, it was appropriate how he died in battle. Snape - again, expected. But I half expected him to turn out evil after all when all through the book there was no clue of …
Last reply by Daedalus, -
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What is the most memorable book you have ever read, and why? It doesn't have to necessarily be a good book, but the one that left the darkest mark on you. I have quite a few, but one of the most prominent of mine was called My Brother Bernadette. It was one of the first chapter books (despite the humongous font) that I read and really enjoyed.
Last reply by Jellyio, -
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What, in your opinion, are the best dystopian novels? Of course, everyone (as in, dystopian lovers ) worships 1984 and Brave New World - but what else? I personally find Player Piano (Kurt Vonnegut) and Darkness at Noon (Arthur Koestler) to be as good as, if not better than, the famous two
Last reply by CeciliaL, -
- 45 replies
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Which do you like more and why?
Last reply by candy6, -
- 43 replies
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Just started a book (physical book, in one volume, in English) that is 2192 pages long, tiny text, huge pages (Concise Anthology of American Literature 2nd Edition if you're wondering... and yes, it is called concise, and no, it doesn't make sense!) - but the longest I've ever managed so far is some Robert Jordan book, probably 1000+. What are your greatest achievements? What is the longest book you have browsed?
Last reply by Ambriah, -
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I know a lot of people hate poetry but I am a total English nerd and I am looking for good poetry to read. My favourite poem is The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot, what are you some of your favourites?
Last reply by poppop828, -
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Was there a book that inspired you to develop passion in literature? For me, it all began with Lee Young Do's fantasy novel, Dragon Raja. I still thank my friend who recommended that book to me, because without reading that book, I would not have realized how fascinating literature can be, earlier. How about you?
Last reply by mechnight, -
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So I was ranting about Shakespeare the other day, and I realized that while I'm not a big fan of his plays, it's mainly because I can't understand them. But even so, I just don't see how he's the greatest there ever was and think we should be exposed to more playwrights. The sonnets I've read by him are just easier to discuss and to enjoy. What do you think of old Willie? Like him? Hate him? Want to build another monument in his honor for CAS?
Last reply by Kiara5, -
- 28 replies
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So I was wondering this? I used to read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction when I was in the IB (that was a while ago) and it was always a guilty pleasure of sorts. Once, one of my friends caught me reading it in Maths class and she flipped out because she read an excessive amount of fanfiction too. We later found out that 5/8 people on our lunch table used to read fanfiction in their spare time. I sort of reduced this as university became intense, but I've continued to read the occasional story every now and again. So, anybody else out there? Also, if you do read HP fanfiction in particular, any recommendations?
Last reply by Arrowhead, -
Hey, For those of you who don't know 2008 is my first year in IB. Since age seven I've been an avid creative writer, and since last year I've been getting the urge to write something more than a few pages which is what I call a short story. A plot has been brewing in my head for some time now and I have to get it out of my system - if you're a prolific writer like me you'll know what I mean. So I want to start a novella... just when to do it is the problem. I recently discovered NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and I have been instantly hooked (http://www.nanowrimo.org/). Read all about it if you don't know and you're interested. But all who already understand h…
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As you may know, summer holidays for North American students are in one week (for me). I really want to get back to my habit of reading books. Are there any good novels or series to go after? I really open to any genre of novels... So just fire away with any novel that you think is good Thanks
Last reply by Raina Doshi, -
- 25 replies
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What's a book that everyone raves about but when you read it, you can't understand the hype behind it? I have two: The Fault In Our Stars (I found it predictable) Divergent ( Why is this series so popular? The factions are too similar to the Houses in Harry Potter and the dispute between the factions made no sense to me)
Last reply by Rosalina, -
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Hi IBSurvival! Does anyone else on here enjoy reading dystopian literature? You know, like Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, Ayn Rand's Anthem, or George Orwell's 1984? That's just to name three I've read (the first in class this year, the latter two for my EE that I'm writing). I really enjoy dystopian literature and I was just wondering if anyone else on here does. It really gives insight into what is wrong with the world, and what will happen if that doesn't change.
Last reply by Lynxarin, -
- 25 replies
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While many people are discussing school work in the summer break (at least it's still summer break for me), not many people have mentioned their choice of literature this summer. Which books have you guys read this summer, while trying to relax? So far I've finished North and South for my EE in English, as well as having read these books for leisure: - Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami - Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin - Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll - The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum ... And right now I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. So how are you guys doing? If yo…
Last reply by thinksyoucanthink, -
- 24 replies
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The Hunger Games have become very popular since the film came out. I don't consider myself a fan but I enjoyed the books (I didn't like Mockingjay very much though..). Before watching the movie my friends and I discussed whether the books can be considered as literature. My first response was no. It is a YA novel, and most novels of that genre can't be considered as literature. *cough cough* Twilight (btw I hate it when people compare The Hunger Games with Twilight just because of the love triangle). We reached to the conclusion that The Hunger Games describesa a dystopian society and it portrays significant themes (like the control of the government, or the power of mass…
Last reply by Aegle, -
- 24 replies
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Hello! I have quite the dilemma going on. I don't have anything to read in the summer I feel like I have read every books that could interest me (which is definitely false) So, I am asking you guys for some suggestions I like: Books with action. I really enjoys books with a medieval/dystopian/fantasy/historical setting. I don't care much for romance. I don't know what to call this genre I dislike but two of the authors who write these are Lauren Oliver and Sarah Dessen. I also like graphic novels/comics like Smile, Sisters, Tintin, Calvin and Hobbes, etc. Thank you
Last reply by Nomenclature, -
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Hey people, Just wanted to get a few minds together to see what we can come up with pertaining to the book (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen). I think Mrs. Bennet's behavoir is sometimes adorable but sometimes annoying too. Like when she's constantly gossiping and almost desperately tries to keep her daughters around the men SHE wants them to marry, almost regardless of what they want. What are your views?
Last reply by LiveLaughLove, -
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I'm just starting to read The Great Gatsby (bought it an hour ago ) and I started to wonder what do you guys think about this particular book? Is it really such a masterpiece as many have said? Or is it an abstruse piece of literature which you must read for A2 language as some have said? What do you think? Any comments?
Last reply by ninety, -
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I love Shakespeare! Which one is your favorite and why? Be detailed! I want to know cause I haven't read all his plays and you could really open my eyes to his other work. By the way, if you want to recommend any classic literature you can too! I am a huge bookworm!!!!
Last reply by Avan:), -
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Which books are you reading/did you read for your Literature course? (English or other languages) Which one was your favorite?
Last reply by Solstice, -
- 19 replies
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Is anyone reading Death of a Salesman, A Doll's House, or The Pickup?
Last reply by Amina13, -
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Hello guys, i've read the book Lord of The Flies recently and would like to see how you guys view this book! It could be anything (eg: Motifs, Themes, Characters, Feelings, Emotions, etc, etc)! I actually do enjoy the book a lot not only for its simplicity but William Golding's ability to convey deep implications of darkness in one's heart using just such simplistic words. This things i love about the book: -Language: Simple, yet profound and seeped with plenty of implications. -Theme: Savagery, Anarchy, Dystopia - Characters: Many say that Ralph and Jack are the more important characters but in my personal opinion i feel that Piggy and Simon play the biggest parts in the…
Last reply by Blackcurrant, -
- 18 replies
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Hey Guys, Im starting IB next year and im taking english A SL and these are the books we will be covering Nineteen Eighty Four George Orwell The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald A Streetcar Named Desire Tenessee Williams Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays Oscar Wilde The VisitFriedrich Dürrenmatt I was wondering are any of these books good> if you have taken them or read them? any opinions will be helpful Thanks in advance
Last reply by poppop828, -
- 17 replies
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Someone else created a "least favorite book" topic, but not only do I love two of the books people listed as their least favorite, this "least favorite" approach seems to pessimistic to me. I absolutely love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Emma because the characters in both are so well-developed, and the plots of both are interesting. I really enjoyed reading Shelley's Frankenstein. What books do you like? Why?
Last reply by King112, -
- 16 replies
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What are the greatest books of all time, in your opinion? Personally I haven't read as much as I feel inclined to, but I was just wondering what some of the really great literature in the world is.
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 16 replies
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I have my final IOP on Monday and i'm stressing out. I choose De Tales the graphic novel, its short stories, 2 without words and the rest with speech bubbles. My teacher helped with an idea since i couldn't come up with anything. He said to do it on characterization and maybe plot. But i need a thesis to look into. Idk could someone please guide me and help me out with a thesis. Would really appreciate it!
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- 16 replies
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Anybody read those books. The first book is called The Lightning Thief and it is actually being made into a movie. It's being directed by Chris Columbus (the guy that directed the first 2 Harry Potter movies). Anyways, the point is that my friend bought me the first book, and I was wondering if it was any good???
Last reply by ShootingStars, -
- 1 follower
- 16 replies
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On behalf of this thread I intend to discuss the infinite themes and motifs of one of the greatest dystopian novels of the twentieth century. I read 1984 for IB english and found it very interesting, it opened my mind to the reality of the world and existing power relationships. As an IB history student, it contributed to my understanding of single party leaders. It is a novel full of symbolism, suspense and emotions. It made me realize about the freedoms that we nowadays enjoy and made me wonder how long will these liberties last, as well. I absolutely loved it and I believe it leaves certain issues open to readers to question such as the abuse of power from the authorit…
Last reply by Teertha, -
- 16 replies
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I'm a quarter way through the book and i'm finding it interesting so far. I do agree with most of the reviews though that it's alarmingly different to the magical imagination Rowling put into Harry Potter. This one is just so... British Townsfolk drama. Sort of below her if anything! It is still well written I think, and it is a page turner so far. Has anyone else read it yet? No spoilers please!
Last reply by Captain Jeeves, -
- 15 replies
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I have to read several books this summer for English A: Literature, and I can't decide whether I should by normal paperback versions or digital versions to read in iBooks on my iPad. I like reading on my iPad: it doesn't hurt my eyes as some might think, I can make bookmarks, highlight and underline text (using different colors), add notes, and then easily access all my bookmarks, highlights, and notes from one place. Moreover, I can search through the book and look up words in the built-in dictionary. The two are very useful to me because the search tool allows me to quickly find a passage and the dictionary lets me better understand the text (whenever I read a physical …
Last reply by Oxymoronic, -
- 13 replies
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What are your opinions of The Great Gatsby? It seems like everyone either loves it or hates it. A friend and I were recently discussing Nick and whether or not he could be considered an empty shell of a character, and I'd like to know what people on here think of that and the book in general. Also, if you saw the recent movie version starring Leonardo di Caprio, what did you think of that?
Last reply by Gb123, -
- 13 replies
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I might be alone on this subject but for a while I have kinda been going through an age crisis of my own. I don't know, maybe it's because of some kind of empathy towards my dad (who is 50 years old now) but anyway I have kinda been pretty "oh my god I'm only gona be young only once how am I gona spend this precious time of my life omgomgomg" (okay fine not in a such a radical way but anyway). A book that I would really recommend to all of you for this would be Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. I found it truly interesting and fascinating and I belive it managed to portray a vivid image of the youth obsessed culture that has been a part of us for a while now. I'm…
Last reply by Tilia, -
- 13 replies
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Hey you guys. So I've noticed that people were talking about Twilight in another thread, but I don't enjoy it much (don't eat me...). So I decided to start another thread about another series which I really like. It's called the Bartimaeus Trilogy (fantasy/mystery) and I recommend all who haven't read it to give it a try. Anyone read it already? Are there any other series you guys enjoy reading? Recommend a few for me!
Last reply by iMedic, -
- 12 replies
- 3.5k views
This is a book that I recently read for IB and will possibly be writing on for my WL assignments either 1 or 2 so I wanted to get some ideas on what people who have also read this book thought of it. Also, what were some major issues that came up as you read it? What do you think the central meaning is?
Last reply by lilianna009, -
- 12 replies
- 5.5k views
If you read Historical fiction, what is your most favorite books ever? The Alexander Tri-ology by Valerio Massimo Manfredi- my favorite books <3
Last reply by CanadianRice, -
- 12 replies
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Heyyy everyone. Does anybody here start exams on Monday with language a literature? Do you have any tips for paper 1 and 2?
Last reply by Elise1201, -
- 2 followers
- 11 replies
- 5.6k views
Hey all, I take English A SL and need to do my IOP after Christmas break. I have decided to do it on The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. My Thesis is: "The story creates an atmosphere that conveys a dark theme of insecurity and instability". I was to talk about punctuation, repetition,diction , the narrator , and the vulture eye (symbolism). My teacher says the thesis is too vague, that it needs to be falsifiable. What does this mean? And what can I come up with as an alternative. I want to be done quickly so that I can rehearse and perfect my presentation. All help is appreciated, I haven't had English literature before.
Last reply by Nomenclature, -
- 11 replies
- 2k views
Does literature offer a means to understanding other cultures? Foreign mindsets? Which literary work (novel, poem, memoir, literary non-fiction) has given you insight into another mind, time or culture? Or your own culture and time? How? Share your personal views and experiences here.
Last reply by emantse, -
- 11 replies
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Well, my current...obsession, if you will, is Narnia fanfiction. I was listening to a Narnia fanfic podcast the other day and they mentioned the fact that if you didn't read the Narnia books as a child and tried to read it as an adult, you pretty much miss the boat because it's so...well, boring to read as a mature reader. To be honest, I would agree with this. Actually I never actually read Narnia as a child and only started reading them for my EE. But then I was looking at it more from a literary perspective so I wasn't thinking about how interested I might be otherwise. Recently I went back and reading them just for fun, and well...there is no doubt these are kids' boo…
Last reply by kingdomx, -
- 11 replies
- 1k views
Hi! I took literature because I love to read and I am good at analyzing texts. I created this topic to open a space where we could share what we are reading (in class and outside of class/in our free time), what are our favorite books, favorite genres, favorite authors, book recommendation, and everything you would like to share. I took English A Lit HL and we read: Persepolis Woman at Point Zero (loved it) A Doll's House The Great Gatsby All my sons Death of a Naturalist (poems) That's it so far. In my free time (IF I CAN EVER FIND SOME FREE TIME, IB LIFE ) I am reading The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. He is one of my …
Last reply by nicolech00, -
- 10 replies
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My friend and i are doing our IOP and we are finding it hard to make it creative, or how to intrigue the audience we are looking for more unique was rather than jokes, powerpoints/prezis, etc
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- 10 replies
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So, what does everyone think of the book? Has anyone ever read the book Three Cups Of Tea.? My history teacher, aka the snow god, recommended it last week and i'm already half way through. i absolutely love this book and it's fueled my need to travel everywhere and see everything (as if i wasn't already crazy with wanting to leave here). i absolutely love the vocabulary in this book there is one word in the first couple chapters that i've only ever seen used as an adjective or adverb, but this book uses it as a past tense verb and i think it looks so cool
Last reply by SouthernBelle, -
- 10 replies
- 1.9k views
The Syllabus for English A1 Higher (or Standard, or any language really) should include more of the classics. In the 2 years of the IB the only text I can say that has been assigned that I feel is a classic is Shakespeare's "Hamlet", and that's a play! We should be reading the works of Jules Verne; Oscar Wilde; Arthur Conan Doyle. What do you think?
Last reply by Andyboi,
