Agony Column

Dear Jane,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for your last letter, because you were very opened and shared your thoughts and feelings with me. You asked me what would have I done, if Mrs Reed's son had hit me and when she had locked me into the Red Room and also what I think about going to Lowood.

Well, first of all, Mrs Reed and her children are definitely treating you very badly. It's wrong and impolite to say that you are lower than the servants. After all, you are Mrs Reed's lost husband's sister's daughter, not some kind of stranger. Secondly, it's is absolutely unfair that you got punished instead of Mrs Reed's son, who caused the trouble by throwing that book. Maybe you shouldn't have hit him back after that, but I'm afraid that I'd have done the same; Moreover, when she wanted to punish someone, she should have punished you both then, though it still wasn't your fault. OK, she decided to punish you, but locking you into the Red Room is too rough. It's normal, because she knows that you are afraid of this room due to your uncle died there. 

You also wrote me, that you got ill soon after the incident. I'm glad that you're fine now. Doctor suggested you to go school. I think that it's a good idea. Firstly, you'll get away from your cruel aunt. What ise more, you will become an educated young lady one day. If I were you, I'd definitely use this opportunity. I'm sure you are going to like this place a hundred times more and be happier than you are at the moment. 

Jane, use this opportunity and go to school. I'm sure that you are not going to regret this decision. Life that you are living now is quite miserable, so I believe that things can go only better. I'm already waiting for your next letter.

All the best,

Katren

"Jane Eyre" . Charlotte Bronte

      I read C. Bronte's "Jane Eyre". This book's publisher is Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books Ltd. Reading level is 5 and number of pages is 152.

      This book tells a story of an orphan girl named Jane. She is living with her cruel aunt and her children with who she doesn't get along with. She is unhappy and miserable. Fortunately she is sent to Lowood school, where she is willing to go just to get away from her aunt. Jane has some difficulties at the beginning in new school, but she makes friends with Helen Burns and starts to enjoy studies. She likes there quite well and she gets along with the school's head teacher, too. During the school-years unfortunately her close friend Helen dies. Then after few years Miss Temple also leaves Lowood. Since Jane has grown-up she wants to experience something new. She gets a permission to leave Lowood behind and go to Thornfield to become a governess there. But in Thornfield, after meeting Mr Rochester, happens something new for Jane...
      Although this book was quite sad and miserable at some points, it was still very good. I'd definitely recommend it to everyone. Here's some words that were new to me:
murmur- sumin
anxiety- rahutus
deceitful- valelik
obedience- kuulekus
hollow- kume;õõnes
urge- aje;tung
clergyman- kirikuõpetaja
firmly- kindlalt
scorn- põlgama
plainness- lihtsus
   

A letter from one character of the book to another character

      During the time when Inman was at war Ada wrote many letters to him which he didn't receive. Here's one letter that I think how it may have been written.

Dear Inman,

I haven't heard from you for such a long time. I've written to you before, but I'm not sure if you have received the letters. I am hoping and believing that you're alive and fine and I hope the war ends as soon as possible.

I'll write a bit about myself, too. Since my father died I was thinking whether to sell the farm and return to Charleston or stay in the farm. To my own surprise I decided to stay here, in farm. At first it was very hard- I couldn't do any of those farm works since I just didn't know how to do them. I even didn't eat much because I didn't really know how to cook a proper food. Fortunately on one day came a girl named Ruby here and offered her help. I accepted it. She isn't my servant, she's more like a friend and for now she has taught me to do all these farm works. We live, eat and work together side by side. We are managing just fine. We are raising the necessary supplies we need for ourselves and changing some of them in the town for the things that we need.  

I just can't wait the war to end. It has done so many horrible things to people. Me and Ruby once helped three women with children whose men are fighting and whose' house were robbed and burnt down by Federals. Besides, if there wasn't this far, you would be here, also. I'm feeling actually quite lonely and sad without you.

Come back to me is my request.

Love,
Ada

"Cold Mountain" . Charles Frazier

     This book is published by Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books  Ltd and it has 86 pages. Reading level is 5 (upper intermediate) and the number of words is 2300.
      This book tells a story of war and love through the eyes of people involved. Inman is injured due to the Civil War and he is tired of it and doesn't want to fight any more. He decides to escape and go home to Ada and he wants to marry her, but it's dangerous journey since the Home Guard is hunting the deserters. He travels for quite a long time and faces many obstacles and dangers on his way. At the same time Ada Monroe, the woman who Inman is in love with, is struggling with the farm that her father left him after his death. Fortunately a young girl named Ruby comes to help her and Ada is learning how to manage the farm. At one day Inman manages to find Ada and they spend a few days together in one empty village where Ada and Ruby are staying because of Ruby's injured father who isn't able to travel back to the farm. Ada and Inman are making plans for the future and they decided that Inman goes to the north and gives himself up to the Federals and then he just has to wait for the war to end. They started leaving towards the farm with Ruby's father on the horse. Ada and Ruby went ahead and Inman with Ruby's dad behind them. Unfortunately they met the Guards. Inman fought against them and when it was only one of them left, a young boy, he didn't want to shoot him, but the boy himself shoot Inman. Ada heard the shots and ran back. She was with Inman for the last minutes of his life...Years later Ada lived with Ruby's family and her daughter in the farm.
      I enjoyed this book very much and would definitely recommend it to everyone. Only thing that I didn't like about the book was an unhappy ending, but as in life, there aren't always happy endings. What I especially liked about the book was that it payed attention to the war- how it changes a person and how much harm can it do.

Interior monologue- Edgar's proposal to Catherine

      I'm very confused at the present. Edgar has just asked me to marry him. And I accepted. My mind says to me that it's right to accept this proposal, but my heart tells me the opposite. If I'll marry Edgar Linton I'd be the greatest lady in the hole neighbourhood. Besides Edgar is handsome rich man who is pleasant to be with. I'll have a fine and stable life at the Thrushcross Grange. I also get along with her sister Isabel very well. I'd definitely spend many great times with them there.
      But my heart and my soul doesn't feel the same. They know that Heathcliff is my soul mate- mine and his souls are the same. If my brother Hindley hadn't pushed him so low I won't even consider marrying Edgar. But now is too late. I can't be with him. Or can I? What kind of future we will have? Not bright, especially as long as Hindley is alive. He heard my conversation with Nelly where I said the same thing and run away. Now his gone. And I'm even more confused: whether I should listen to my heart and soul or my mind? I think that sometimes it's better if you listen to your mind and sometimes the opposite. But this time I'm sure that if I'll marry Edgar I'll have a carefree and luxurious life, but I'd be miserable. I do love him but in a differend way.
      I think that I must find Heathcliff no matter where he is, explain my feelings to him and we have to leave Wuthering Heights together and forever. Only then we can be happy together and start our lives all over again.

"Wuthering Heights" . Emily Bronte

This time I read "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. This book is published by the Penguin Group (published in Penguin Popular Classics). It hasn't got written a reading level. The number of pages is 279.

      This book tells a story about difficult relationships, love, hate and forgiveness. Mr Lockwood, who's a new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, is about to find out a story of mysterious Mr Heathcliff, the owner of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. His made Nelly is going to retell it to him. Heathcliff was an orphan boy who was adopted by old Mr Earnshaw. Heathcliff never got along with Hindley, but he did get along with Catherine. When they got older, they even fell in love. Then, one day, Edgar Linton proposed to Catherine. Catherine consulted with Nelly about it, but Heathcliff heard some things he shouldn't have and he left. Catherine was devastated by that and got seriously sick. Later, she still married with Edgar although who she really loved was Heathcliff. After few years Heathcliff returned and started a revenge- he treated those people bad who had done the same to him. Catherine, after giving birth to a daughter, (who was also named Catherine) died. Heathcliff got his son back, who he had with Edgar's sister Isabel. Young Linton was a very weak boy since his birth and Heathcliff did nothing to help him to recover. Instead, he used him in order to get him married with young Catherine. He managed to do that, but then Linton died. Years later Heathcliff himself died and Catherine fell in love with Hareton- Hindley's son. so the book has a quite happy end. 

      I liked this book very much. I've also read it in Estonian. For me, there were quite many new words in this English book, but I still understood the main point and have understood it even without reading it first in Estonian. It's quite sad and depressing book to read, but still good in it's own way. It's interesting from the beginning to the end. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone!

Compare Maxim's relationships with his first and second wives

      Maxim de Winter met her second wife in Monte Carlo, where she was working as a companion of one American women called Mrs Van Hopper. In one evening when Mrs Van Hopper and Maxim were going to have a coffee he insisted the young woman to join them. He started to took her out and it didn't take very long when they got married and they moved to Manderley- Maxim's home. Newly married couple, especially the second Mrs de Winter, hoped to get happy there.

      But unfortunately there was a dark shadow of Maxim's first wife over them. No matter what she tried to do or how hard she tried- there was always something that had to remind Rebecca. People also told her how different she was from Rebecca who was sociable, intelligent and incredibly beautiful woman. But she, Maxim's second wife, was young, inexperienced and quiet woman. She felt that her husband still loved Rebecca and that it will always affect their marriage. But she was completely wrong...After one discussion with her husband, Maxim admitted that he had never loved Rebecca and that she had been cruel, smart and he hasn't seen anyone that evil. He had always known almost all of her dark secrets, but he was together with her because Rebecca knew how do take care of Manderley and Maxim loved this place too much. He had never loved Rebecca and he even knew that Rebecca had affairs with other men at the time of their marriage. It didn't bother him as long as she didn't take her men to Manderley. Maxim also told her second wife that Rebecca actually wasn't drowned as everybody thought she had died, but Maxim himself killed her. And he didn't regret it. On that night Rebecca went too far with her "jokes" and Maxim lost his temper and shoot her and made it look like an accident. But during the later inquiry, when came out that the holes in the ship's bottom weren't made by rocks, and Mr Favell accused Mr de Winter killing his wife, and also came out that Rebecca had been seriously ill. Mrs Danvers, Rebecca's servant and friend, told that if she were able to choose how do die, she'd want it to be fast and painless. Then Maxim realised that Rebecca actually wanted him to murder her. For conclusion I'd say that Maxim and Rebecca seemed to live a perfect and happy life, but it was everything else beside's that. 

      The marriage between Maxim and her second wife was completely different. I think that there was love between them. When they were in Mone Carlo everything was alright. After arriving at Manderley things changed. At first she just felt Rebecca's shadow everywhere and thought that Maxim still loved her. When Mrs de Winter found out that Maxim was a murderer and when the inquiry for Rebecca de Winter's sunken boat was started she was beside him. She hoped it will end as well as possible for her husband. Maxim wasn't sure if young Mrs de Winter would handle all of it, but she did and very well. She said that she loves him. And she certainly did. So this relationships was different from the first one. Different like a night and a day. But although everything ended well for Maxim de Winter, because Mr Favell couldn't prove that Maxim killed Rebecca, and he went back to Manderley with young Mrs de Winter, things weren't and wouldn't be the same. But no matter what, Mrs de Winter wanted to be with Maxim and have a family with him and what's even more important- she loved him.

"Rebecca". Daphne du Maurier

      The first book that I've read this school year is "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier. It's published by Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books Ltd. This year I chose a higher reading level- upper-intermediate. So that book has 2300 words. Book itself has 101 pages.
      This book is about de Winter's- Maxim and her new lovely wife (whose name isn't mentioned in the book). There's always a dark shadow of Maxim's dead first wife Rebecca on them and it's on their way in order to live happily. But then Rebecca's sunken boat will be found and everything keeps going even more worse, especially for new Mrs de Winter, as new fact's comes forth about Rebecca's death. As her husband says to her: "I can't forget what it has done to you. It's gone for ever, that funny, young, lost look that I loved.""...It's gone, in twenty-four hours. You are so much older..."
      I enjoyed reading it. It was very interesting, mysterious and catching book. I'd recommend it to everyone. Almost every page of it had something different and interesting about the whole story. The reading level was "new" to me, too. It wasn't as easy as reading books on intermediate level, it was more challenging I think, but not difficult. It's my level of reading at the moment I think.

Write about the story you enjoyed most, describing what it is about and why you liked it

      The story that I enjoyed most was "Lost Hearts". In September of 1811 a little boy called Stephen arrived at Aswarby Hall, where he went to live with his elder cousin Mr Abney. Mr Abney was very kind to him and Mrs Bunch (his servant) said  only good about him. She said that he was especially kind with children and that he had taken years before one boy and a girl into his house to live, because those children didn' have a home. But the both of them disappeared or just left the house.
      After that Stephen started to see strange dreams at night. One day Mr Abney asked him to come to his library at eleven o'clock. While there was a bit time, Stephen was in his room and was looking out of the window, when he suddenly heard strange cries and then he saw two children standing under a tree and looking towards to him. They both had a hole on the left sides of their chests. Then the children disappeared. Stephen went to Mr Abney's library, but he found him dead there with a large black hole on the left side of his chest. The book in front of him was open and there was written that Mr Abney had killed both of those children and had taken out their hearts in order to do magic. Stephen suppose to be the next one. But fortunately he was saved.
      I liked the story because it was very catching and interesting from the beginning and it wasn't predictable. It wasn't hard to imagine all of this and scared me quite a lot. But I'm afraid that if I had read it at night I wouldn't have been able to fall asleep.

"The Locked Room and Other Horror Stories" . M. R. James

      The seventh and last book this term I read was "The Locked Room and Other Horror Stories". All the stories in that book are written by M. R. James. The book's publisher is Addiosn Wesley Longman Limited & Penguin Books Ltd. The book's reading level is 4 (intermediate) and it has 1700 words.

      As the title of the book says, there are 9 horror stories in it. They have all been written by Montague Rhodes James. I liked all the nine stories although I'm not a fan of these kind of stories, but these ones were very interesting. My favourite story was the very first one in this book. The title of it is "The Ash-Tree". It talked about a man, who were killed probably because one witch was killed because of him. His bedroom was very close to the ash-tree and a few days after the hanging of that witch, he was found dead in his bed and he was all over black. The same happened to his grandson when he wanted to cut the tree down. Later, when that tree accidentally burned down, the creepy creatures came out of it (they looked liked very furry spiders)  and inside that tree were a bones of the witch...

      Even though this book was quite scary it was very interesting and excited to read. I'd definitely recommend this book to my classmates! 

Which character of the book do you feel most sorry for?

      This book is quite complicated due to it's story. There are many characters to feel sorry for. But I feel most sorry the main character- Elizabeth.
      Bell had a psychical disorder, because during the book it came out that, when she was 12 she had murdered her baby sister. When she was older she murdered her husband and later her lover too. She didn't plan her murders ahead, not more than 5 minutes. But she also didn't regret, when she had accomplished them. Some way I even feel sorry for her, because she had to be sick when she did those thing, but otherwise there's no apologizes to her actions. There was also a good-hearted woman called Cosette. I feel definitely sorry for her, because she was very kind and people took advantages of that. For example they all lived in her house for free. And Bell and his lover Mark wanted first to get rid of her, so that they could get her money. But fortunately they didn't manage to do that. Later I felt sorry for Mark too because he later actually fell in love with Cosette and when he told that to Bell, she murdered her.
      But the most sorry I feel for the innocent sufferer- Elizabeth. Because it was kind of her fault that all this happened, because when she hadn't told the story from the book "The Wings of the Dove" to Bell, then Bell wouldn't have got all of her "great" ideas. But she suffered very much for that. At first she had loved Bell, but she couldn't accept her past and Bell's present acts were cruel. Later she just had to stay with her, because everyone she had loved and who had been close to her, had died and though she was rich she had nobody else to devise her legacy than Bell. So she was unfortunately stuck with her.

"The House of Stairs" . Barbara Vine

      The sixth book that I read was "The House of Stairs" by Barbara Vine. Publisher is Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. The book's reading level is four (intermediate). The book has 53 pages and 1700 words.
      This book is mostly about woman called Elizabeth. She's a writer. She meets a woman named Bell and they fell in love. She tells her a story from the book "The Wings of a Dove", where a woman is in love with a man, but they don't have any money. The girl suggests her lover to marry one ill and rich woman. When that woman dies, the two lovers get all of her money and merry. And that gives Bell a great idea...
      I wouldn't recommend this book very much to others to read, because it was quite shocking book. But if someone has interest, then he/she should definitely read it, because the story was interesting, though it was a bit difficult to read.
   

Diary entry: Scarlett O'Hara

Dear Diary,

      My life since the Civil War has completely changed and I know that it would never be the same, because so many things have happened during the time after. I have been married three times with men, who I didn't love, because I've always loved and wanted Ashley. But if I haven't marry to those man, I wouldn't be here at the moment and everything would be different. Even though I have good and sweet memories about good old days in Tara, I have to let them be in the past, because if I won't, I'd be like Ashley.

      Melanie died and I promised her that I'll take care of Ashley, but I regret that a bit, but I guess I'll have to keep my promise. Melanie cared about me and I realized after her death, that I cared too. Because she always protected me and didn't believe all those negative rumours about me. I've been a lot through recently. I lost my baby who I was carrying and my four-year old daughter. The both accidents were hard to manage and not only for me, for Rhett too. I don't blame him, but both of them were his fault too. And besides that I finally realized thanks to Melanie, that I don't love Ashley, I love... Rhett. Oh,  I've been mean to him, especially in the past. He has always loved and helped me, but I haven't understood it. Of course I told this to him, but he said that he is leaving and it's loo late. But I won't give up hope on him. I've always get what I have wanted, and so it will be this time! But at first I need to go Tara and rest all of this, because it isn't over and I have to wait for Rhett. I wish so much the old days, when me and my sisters lived with our parents in Tara and we had a good life. I fooled boys and it was all just a game for me, but now I'm a grown woman and I have children to take care of, and Pa and mother is gone and Tara doesn't look the same. But the most important is this that I still have Tara. I did so many sacrifices for this place, but I don't regret them. This was worth it. I have to emit that I married with Charles and Frank because of money. And with Rhett too, but...I just hope he comes back soon.

      I'm sure everything goes well, it just has to. I've came this far and there's nothing could stop me now.

Love,

Scarlett

"Gone with the Wind" . Margaret Mitchell

      The fifth book that I read was "Gone with the Wind" and it was part two. The author is Margaret Mitchell. It's published by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. The reading level is 4 (intermediate). This book has 56 pages and 1700 words.
      It's the second book of "Gone with the Wind". The American Civil War is now over and nothing is the same for the Southerners. The laws have changed and also the people. But Scarlett hasn't changed- she'll still do everything to get what she wants. I must say that it was even more interesting than the first book, because the first one was more about war, but the second one about human relationships and Scarlett surprised me again. It was also quite dramatic book, because there were many unexpected deaths. It also changed my opinions about some characters, for example about Rhett Butler. I understood that he acted quite as a pig sometimes, but he did it, because he loved Scarlett. And what surprised me about Scarlett, was that she desired something she didn't got, but when she had it, she didn't want it anymore. The same went with Ashley. When his wife died, she realized that she didn't love him and that she loved Rhett, who didn't want her anymore. This book was interesting to read from the beginning to the end. I would definitely recommend it to my classmates. It's one of the best and most interesting books that I've read so far.
      This book was again at a good level to read for me. But I still found some new words, like: sawmill- saeveski; Ku-Klux-Klan- valgete salajane grupp, mis karistas (peamiselt mustanahalisi) selle eest, mis on nende arust kuritegu isegi, kuigi seadus nii ei arvanud; delay- viivitama; smooth- siluma; a bad head- peavalu.

Strengths and Weaknesses

      We all have our strengths and weaknesses and there's nothing bad in it. It's part of a person. Some of them might be negative, but some are also a positive ones. In this book were quite many different people with their own strengths and weaknesses.
      I least identify with Scarlett in this book. There are many reasons for that. First one is that she's very brave in many different ways. For example she dared to tell Ashley about her feelings even though Ashley didn't reply to them. I wouldn't have dared to do that, because Ashley never really told her that. The second thing that Scarlett did, and I wouldn't have done, is marrying with Charles Hamilton. That was a brave act because she didn't love him, she did it only because Ashley was marrying with another woman. She had a baby with Charles and became o widow, because Charles died during the American Civil War. So she had to manage herself. Besides that, she also promised Ashley to take care of his wife, because he was also in the war. I wouldn't have enough courage to deal with this request and accept it. She was also forced to help Melanie with a labor if Ashley's baby, because there was no help available. And because the war had arrived to Atlanta, she decided to go home, even it was very dangerous. I believe that I wouldn't have done those things. There is also a one thing that I simply just couldn't never do- it's killing someone. But Scarlett killed one Yankee soldier. That proves that she was a stubborn and a very brave woman. Her strength was courage and stubbornness, but she also had some weaknesses. She was too importunate. She had to get what she wanted and she was made some sacrifices to achieve them. I think that's rather a weakness because she couldn't control herself sometimes and said and did too much. One of her weaknesses were also men, because she enjoyed men's attention and flirted with them. Even though she was a brave and strong woman, she also had her ups and downs and she cried sometimes. But the biggest weakness of her was Ashley. She loved him so much and did crazy things for him, sometimes even incomprehensible things.
      But not only the characters in the books have their strengths and weaknesses, I have them too. I think that one of my strengths is perseverance. If I put a goal for myself, I won't give up on that and I'll to my best to achieve  it. And if I really want something, I'll work for it. Another one is that I can pull myself together if it's necessary and I commit myself to it. But more than strengths, I think I have weaknesses. Sometimes I'm too warm-hearted and take everything more seriously than I should. I also can't say no to people who I love and care about and I always worry about them. I also don't handle criticism very well and sometimes I'm taking it too seriously. And another weakness of mine is all kind of sweet things, like chocolate, ice cream and so on. I just love them! :P But I think it's OK to have weaknesses too. If we wouldn't have them, we'd be too perfect. :)

"Gone with the Wind" . Margaret Mitchell

      The fourth book that I read is called "Gone with the Wind". This books has 2 parts and I read the first one. Author is Margaret Mitchell and publisher is Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books. It's reading level is 4 (intermediate). This book has 56 pages and 1700 words.
      This book talks about love and war. Young girl named Scarlett O'Hara are in love with handsome young man Ashley Wilkes. But when she tells him about her feelings, but Ashley don't reply to them. Then comes a war and Ashley has to go to the army and in anger, Scarlett marries to Charles Hamilton. But then she becomes a widow and another man comes in her life and there's also a war going on... I like this book very much, because it has a romantic, sad and exciting story in it. I read it through almost with a day, because I couldn't put it away. Every chapter left some mystery in the air and I wanted to know, what happens next. It also made me realise what were people going through during the war. I'd certainly recommend this book to my classmates, because it's a very enrapturing book. I'd rate this book good.
      The reading level was at a good for me. I also found some new words, like: typhoid- tüüfus; shells falling- suurtükimürskude langemine; Confederacy- Lõuna-Ameerika osariigid; wagon path- vaguni/vanrki tee; blacken- laimama; lay (adj)- võhiklik; heart grow hard- süda lõi tugevasti; faint-minestus.

Lessons for living

      In this book, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", were many lessons. Although story in this book can't happen in real life, it still has a piece of truth in it. The most surprising lesson from this book was about beauty and youthfulness.
      Dorian, who was a very handsome young man, was a muse to Basil Hallward. Basil was on artist who was very inspired of Dorian's beauty. On one day he draw a picture of Dorian, which was the best picture, that he had ever painted. Dorian also got fond of it and made a silly wish, that instead of himself, the picture of him, would get old and he would stay young and beautiful forever. Unfortunately that wish came true.
      Dorian met a young girl called Sibyl Vane. They fell in love and wanted to get married. But on one night, when Dorian was watching Sibyl acting with his friends, everything changed. Sibyl acted horribly at that night and  his heart broke. He told the girl, that he doesn't want to marry with her. After that Sibyl killed herself. Dorian didn't knew that and felt guilty about what he did, so he decided to write a letter to Sibyl. But then Lord Henry Wotton told to him the horrible news. Dorian was shoked.. Then Dorian noticed some changes on the picture. He had a cruel mouth. Since that Dorian changed.
      Many years went past but Dorian was the same as before. He was still looking very good, but the picture didn't. There was the real Dorian, who was totally changed. He wasn't anymore that innocent young boy. Instead of it was a cruel man. After Sibyl's death were many rumours about Dorian. On one evening a man who painted that portrait of him, came to visit him. He asked about those evil rumours. Dorian revealed finally his secret to him. He showed this horrible picture to Basil, who was shoked of that how much picture had changed. There were terrible signs of age and corruption. Dorian said that this picture is a face of his soul. When he was young he made that wish because Basil and Lord Henry showed him how wonderful is to be young. Dorian wanted to stay young because of that. Now Basil also felt himself guilty, because he had worshiped Dorian too much. But now was too late. Dorian felt anger, he took a knife and killed Basil. The picture of him went more and more uglier. He asked one man to help him get rid of Basil's dead body. The man helped him, because he didn't have any other choice.
      That man later killed himself and Dorian wanted to become better again. He also hoped that now the picture is prettier too. But it was even worse. So he took a knife and pushed it into the picture. But then Dorian died. When his servants found him, they were shocked, because instead of a handsome good-looking man was old and ugly man and on the picture was young and handsome Dorian.
     That was the most surprising lesson for me. I didn't knew that worshipping somebody too much can cause something horrible. I have always thought, that it would be nice to stay young and beautiful forever, but it's not true, because your soul and you yourself will change so much. And I think that how old you look depends on that, what have you been through. For example, when you have crinkles you should be proud of them, because they can tell something about you and your life. It connects to my life that way, that I have too always thought that it's better to be forever young, but I don't think so now. At least not that much. Because every age has is own pluses and minuses.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" . Oscar Wilde

      The third book I read was "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It is written by Oscar Wilde in 1892. It's published by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. This book's reading level is 4. There are 65 pages and 1700 words.
      The book was really good and interesting to read. It talked about an artist who painted a picture of one handsome man called Dorian Gray. He adored him and Dorian wanted to stay young and beautiful forever and he wished that only the portrait goes old instead of him. He's wish came true, but in a horrible way.

A letter from one character of the book to another character

Dear Peter,

     How are you? I know that we talk quite a lot here, but I still decided to write you a letter.
     At first I have to tell you something. The first time I saw you, I thought that you are weird. I'm so ashamed about it, because now that I've get to know you better, I've realized that you are a very interesting and kind person. I don't know what I would to here or who I'd talk to if you weren't here. Our life here in the Annexe is difficult. I'm sure you agree with me. So it's nice to have a person to talk with, especially with someone, who is about at your age. I like that we can talk about everything! I'm happy and grateful for your friendship. I hope you feel the same way too. I hope, and we all hope, that the war will end soon and we can return back to our normal lives. I would like so much to walk outside and be with my friends, but many of them are gone now and I'm afraid that the world would never be the same again. Specially for us...We are listening to the radio every day and are hoping that there will come some good news, but there hasn't come those yet. I'm also writting a diary here and when the war is over, I'd like to publish it, because then people will know what we went through during the war. Here, in Annexe, we have also a food problems as you know. What you, Peter, think about it? I'm sure that you are bored of it as well.
     Who do you want to become, Peter? Well, after the war, I'd like to become a journalist. I like to write. And that's also one of the reasons, why I'm keeping a diary and writing this letter to you. I hate that we have to hide us and be quiet. You too right? But I'm not giving up. I will handle this situation, even though it has lasted for two years now. But they just can't find us, because if the do, we'll have to go the concentration camp. That would be awful. But we will manage, right?
     There is actually a many things more that I'd like tell you, but I can write another letter to you. I hope that you answer to my letter too. I'm so happy that you are here with me.

Love,
Anne

"The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank"

     The second book that I read was "The diary of a young girl: Anne Frank". It's a diary written by a young Jewish girl Anne Frank. It's edited by Otto H. Frank and Mirjam Pressler, retold by Cherry Gilchrist and series editors are Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter. Her father published her diary after the war. Anne was no longer alive then.

     This book's reading level is 4. This book has 56 pages and 1700 words. I think that this book was good. It was interesting to read. But it was also quite sad. It's based on a true story during the Second World War. The Jews had a difficult times then. I think that this reading level was good for me. It wasn't difficult and also not too easy to read.