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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Great Classics for Boys

Well, it took me quite a while to convince myself that I should read classics too. So I suppose that it will take a longer period of time to persuade boys to read classics. To tell you the truth, I even take some time to convince myself to write this post. But who knows, there are Great Illustrated Classics which are suitable for boys even if they are "illiterate", just kidding. Below are a few which I think you all might be interested, even girls, since they are simple and will be a short and quick read which takes about half an hour to one hour, depends.
No. 1, these classics are not Jane Eyre or what-so-ever, so don't expect them to be listed below although they are "great".
1. Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Extremely thrilling and interesting. A hundred times more interesting then Mr Midnight or True Singapore Ghost Stories, no offense, but that is true. I have the Great Illustrated Classic at home, so it is extremely simple to read since someone simplified it. Ask me for it if you are interested. :) Short summary:
Jonathan Harker is sent to see a client of his company in a distant part of Europe. The castle is deserted and the count is a very strange host. But little does young Jonathan suspect that he and the people closest to him are about to be put into the worst danger and the most gruesome terror that anyone can imagine! Now they must track and destroy Dracula before he finds and destroys each of them.
2. Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles, by A. Conan Doyle. This book is one of the best works of Doyle. A must read for those who enjoyed Jia Hern, Shi Yu and Bryan's mystery story. Again, I have the Great Illustrated Classic at home, so ask me for it if you are interested. :) Short summary:
The curse of a supernatural hound brings Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to England's gloomy moor country to solve Sir Charles Baskerville's murder. Will they find the murderer in time to prevent another killing? And what strange secrets are the people in and around Baskerville Hall trying to hide? Follow the greatest detective of all time as he solves this baffling case!
3. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. I, unfortunately, do not have it. But I have another book by the same author-- Huckleberry Finn, which is not a Great Illustrated Classic so it will take some time to read it. Still, both books are extremely interesting, but I have a preference of "-Tom Sawyer". Short summary:
Join Tom Sawyer and his friends in a series of unexpected adventures: forming secret societies, pretending to be pirates, attending their own furnerals, solve a murder, and even being criminals themselves! See how exciting a boy's life can be!



4. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a wonderful book about pirates and treasures. If you are a "money-face", a must read for you too. Short Summary:
When former pirate Billy Bones leaves an old sea chest and an ancient treasure map at the Admiral Benbow Inn, young Jim Hawkins embarks on a treasure-hunting adventure that takes him to the South Seas.





5. Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle, is a great adventure story. If you like the Disney adaption of this book, with the fox as Robin Hood, this will be even more enjoyable! Short summary:
The adventuresome young man, Robin of Locksley, doesn't have a worry in the world until one day when a drunken man working for the King shoots an arrow at him. Robin' s aim is better, to his lasting regret, and he becomes an outlaw subject to capture and hanging. Before long, however, Robin attracts a hearty band of other outcasts to Sherwood Forest. Their only wish is to lead a free, merry existence while doing any kindness they can for the downtrodden. If it means making sport with the authorities, so much the better. Little do they know that their deeds will grow into a timeless story.

5. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, is a marvellous classic which has also been made into a movie. If anyone happens to have this book, please kindly lend it to me. Short summary:

One of Dickens' most popular and moving novels, OLIVER TWIST deals with a world Dickens himself knew only too well -- a world of debtors, prisons, alms houses and poverty. Oliver is born in a workhouse. Apprenticed to an undertaker, he runs away to London where the "Artful Dodger," Jack Dawkins, takes the starving boy into a den of thieves. Among this motley crew, Oliver meets the sinister Bill Sikes, his pitiful and tragic Nancy and the master criminal, Fagin. And an adventure begins...


6. The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, is fantastic. A book that everyone will love. Short Summary:

Set against the turbulent years of the Napoleonic era, Alexandre Dumas' thrilling adventure story is one of the most widely read novels of all time. In it the dashing young hero, Edmond Dantes, is betrayed by his enemies and thrown in a secret dungeon in the Chateau d'Lf -- doomed to spend his life in a dark prison cell.


The story of his long, intolerable years in captivity, his miraculous escape, and his carefully wrought revenge creates a dramatic tale of mystery and intrigue, and paints a vision of France -- a dazzling, dueling, exuberant France -- that has become immortal.





Well, this are the classics which are great reads in my opinion, for both boys and girls. Of course, there are still more such as Ivanhoe, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, The Last of Mohicans and many more. Take your time to read them one by one and you will realize that you will never get tired of them! I think that you will have to read them in "Popular" Bookstores or Kinokuniya and other big bookstores, since I think that the library has run out of them. If you need any more titles, gladly ask me! :)


Read on!

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