METROPOLIS, Elizabeth Gaffney

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Enter the world of New York City in the late 19th century. Cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge ... Life isn't easy, especially for an immigrant. This imaginative story gives an in-depth view of what life was like in the city at that time.

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Synopsis: Frank Harris has lived many lives and carried different names. From his childhood in Germany to his arrival in New York City to his unfortunate association with the Whyo gang ... with each turn of bad luck, he enters a new chapter of his life. We identify with his desire to live an honest life, but things keep getting complicated.

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My Thoughts: This is such an interesting book! From the beginning, I felt immersed in the daily life of New York at the cusp of its greatness. I was with the main character through his turns of luck ... his accomplishments and his setbacks. There is quite a cast of characters, some charming and others dispicable. Reading this book made me want to see Gangs of New York again, because although I saw it several years ago, I have some images in my mind of the setting, which is the same. And although it's a different time and place from my life, it's easy to identify with the root of the story.

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rating: ****
read: December 2008 - January 2009
source: English Language Library in Angers (borrowed)

I CAPTURE THE CASTLE, Dodie Smith

Lighthearted but wracked with teenage drama. I loved the narrator's observations ... she's honest and funny, a real personality!

Synopsis: Cassandra and her family were once rather well-off, living on the profits and fame of her father's famous novel. But now they live in the ruins of an English castle, the money has run out, and Cassandra's father hasn't written anything in years. This is Cassandra's account of the state of her family ... and the excitement that ensues when two rich (... young, and handsome) American brothers come to live in the estate down the road.

My Thoughts: This one kept me reading ... I couldn't wait to see how things would turn out! But what drives the novel isn't just the story itself, it's Cassandra. It was so easy to identify with her ... even though she's only 17 ... and 17 was a long time ago for me! Some of her comments made me laugh out loud, and I also got wrapped up in the romance of the setting. It's a great read!

rating: ****
read: November 2008
source: English Language Library in Angers (borrowed)