Les Misérables

Hugo, Victor. Les misérables. London : Penguin, 2012. 

 

Source: http://www.penguin.com.au

A peasant is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread and he is releases after 19 years. As an ex-convict, Jean Valjean will struggle against many odds until he becomes a rich man and is made mayor. All this time he will have to deal with  police inspector Javert, who dedicates his life to recapture him. Beyond the particular story of Jean Valjean, Victor Hugo depicts the France of the first half of the 19th Century and its Revolution. This is a lyrical and long novel with a atmospheric and thought-provoking tone.

An acclaimed musical version of this story, starring Australian Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and directed by Tom Hooper, was released in 2012. Highlights of the movie are the impressive sets, the performances and the songs. More information about the movie can be found on IMDB.

  + Award winning musical, including three Oscars and several other awards.
         + Les Misérables in our library catalogue GO!



Sources: Penguin, IMDB, GoodReads, NoveList (through EBSCOhost), The Guardian Books 

Jane Eyre

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York : Barnes &​ Noble, 2011.

Source: http://www.barnesandnoble.com

An English orphan takes up the post of governess in Mr. Rochester home. She soon falls in love with him and will find out the terrible secret that prevents them from getting married. Full of mystery and passion, this love story is told by Jane Eyre, the heroine that will endure the heart-breaking reality surrounding her. A descriptive writing style and focus on characters make this novel easy to read.

A movie based on this story, starring Mia Wasikowska and directed by Cary Fukunaga, was released in 2011 and won several awards. "Exquisitely shot in a style reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch painting [...] Jane Eyre is an exciting, uplifting story about a young woman making her way in an unkind world." (Tom Ryan, The Sydney Morning Herald).

+  The movie in IMDB
  + Jane Eyre in our library catalogue GO!

Sources: NoveList (through EBSCOhost), Trove, IMDB, FictionConnection, GoodReads, SMH

Sherlock Holmes

Doyle, Arthur Conan. The complete Sherlock Holmes. London : Vintage Books, 2009.

Source: http://www.goodreads.com

A collection of all novellas and short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. A classic in mystery stories. Detective Sherlock Holmes, the most famous resident of Baker Street, takes his assistant Watson and the readers through suspenseful adventures to reveal the most cold-blooded crimes. He is always one step ahead of Scotland Yard. A compelling writing style and the possibility of jumping from one story to another within the book as each story is autonomous, make the book a perfect choice for the eager reader.

A movie starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law was released in 2009. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) takes the hunt of a serial killer, who mysteriously returned from the grave to resume his killing. The movie had two nominations to the Oscars and a sequel was released in 2011 starring the same actors.

+ Sherlock Holmes in Rotten Tomatoes 
  +  Here is a list of Sherlock Holmes Societies in Australia
    + Sherlock Holmes in our library catalogue GO!

Sources: GoodReads, RottenTomatoes, NoveList  (through EBSCOhost), Library Journal (through ProQuest), FictionConnection

 

The curious case of Benjamin Button

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The curious case of Benjamin Button : story to screenplay. New York: Scribner 2008.

Source: NoveList

This is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who suffers from a very particular condition. Benjamin Button is born in his seventies and ages backwards. A theme that could easily become drama if not for the witty and amusing tone used by Fitzgerald to tell the story set in Baltimore in 1860. This particular edition contains the original story as well as Eric Roth's screenplay of the 2008 movie.

Starring Brad Pitt and Australian Cate Blanchett, and directed by David Fincher, the movie has won three Oscars as well as the AFI Award for Movie of the Year. "An epic, melancholic romance that employs a multi-generational cast and groundbreaking visual effects" (Tom Huddlestone in TimeOut London)

+  Listen the full story here
  + The curious case of Benjamin Button in our library catalogue GO!

Sources: NoveList (trough EBSCOhost), Literature Resource Center (Gale), Amazon, Internet Archive, IMDB, TimeOut London

Pride and Prejudice

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Melbourne : Brolga, 2010.

 

Source: http://www.abebooks.co.uk

This is the story of four young women from a low social class but respectable family who are in the age to get married. Elizabeth, one of these young women, meets Mr. Darcy, a man from a higher social level and they become involved in a relationship that will take them closer to each other environment. Through their story we see two social classes  that leave pride and prejudice aside and start to understand each other. 

An engaging and romantic story that take us to the England of the 19th Century through a critical thinking of its social conditions.

The last adaptation of this novel, released in 2005, starred Keira Knightley and was directed by Joe Wright. The film was nominated to the Oscars in four categories.

+ This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publishing of Pride and Prejudice and many events were held around the world to celebrate it.
+ Pride and Prejudice in our library catalogue GO!

Sources: Trove, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (Reader's Club),  IMDB, NoveList

                                                          

The Count of Monte Cristo

Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Penguin, 2003.

 

Source: http://www.goodreads.com

This is the story of Edmond Dantès, a mistakenly convicted young sailor, who will come back after fifteen years looking for revenge. Helped by a treasure only he knows about and by a loyal friend he met in prison, Dantès will become the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. Mostly set in France in the first half of the 19th Century, this novel is loaded with adventure and historical events. 

An adaptation of this classic was released in 2002, starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and directed by Kevin Reynolds.

+  The movie in IMDB
  + The Count of Monte Cristo in our library catalogue GO!

Sources: Good Reads, IMDB, Feedbooks, LibraryThing

The legend of Sleepy Hollow

Irving, Washington. The legend of Sleepy Hollow and other stories. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2010.

 

Source: http://www.bookdepository.com

In this short story by Washington Irving, schoolmaster Ichabod Crane comes to the town of Sleepy Hollow to work as a school teacher and he falls in love with a Katrina, a young woman from the town. In his attempts to win her heart we will find himself involved in a ghost story with a headless horseman. The legend of Sleepy Hollow is a creepy horror story set in New York in the 19th Century.

This edition also contains travel essays, tales of romance, and literary musings by Washington Irving, as well as an introduction by Prof. Wayne Franklin.

A film based on this story was released in 1999, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. It won an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration as well as other awards.

+ The movie in IMDB 
  + The legend of the Sleepy Hollow in our library catalogue GO! 
     + You can also read a digitized 1897 edition here

 Sources: Book depository, Internet archive, NoveList, IMDB