What books can help you with Advanced English? (1 Viewer)

[Dragonmaster262]

I'm not the best at English so I wonder if there are any good books which could enhance your skills of the subject. I'm not talking about any Text Books or Study Guides but rather Story Books. Are there any good books that you guys could recommend which make an elaborate and vivid use of sophisticated English Techniques?

 

[jennieTalia]

This is the thing.
The books that are good, are difficult to read and even more difficult to analyse.

I'm talking 1984 by George Orwell and so forth.

One idea-
For an easier attempt, although not AS deep but nonetheless good, try Animal Farm by George Orwell. It is a short book, but should be useful. The storyline is also very poignant and the double meaning means that it is quite an advanced book and looked upon as intellectually high, but is a quick read.

There are also heaps of resources on the internet about it and countless study guides, so imo you can't go wrong.

If you want to read something to get an idea of how to use language for SHORT STORIES, then the only way to start is by getting a short story book! However, you could also try A Painted House by John Grisham, as this has BEAUTIFUL descriptions.

I hope this was what you were looking for, if it was something different please don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[dp624]

It's my personal opinion that reading big books won't help that much.
Rather, I think you might want to take a look at the past AOS paper 1s.
These have texts which are relatively chock-full of techniques.

 

[tommykins]

It's my personal opinion that reading big books won't help that much.
Rather, I think you might want to take a look at the past AOS paper 1s.
These have texts which are relatively chock-full of techniques.

Sally Morgan - My Place had fuck all techniques, but was a perfect text for the paper 1 AOS question.

haha spent the whole year bitching about it and ended up being saved by it.

 

[dp624]

Sally Morgan - My Place had fuck all techniques, but was a perfect text for the paper 1 AOS question.

haha spent the whole year bitching about it and ended up being saved by it.

I meant, the reading comprehension texts that they set you.

 

[tommykins]

I meant, the reading comprehension texts that they set you.

oic.

 

[pamelacohen]

I would recommend The Book Thief by Markus Zusak as it makes extensive use of motif, metaphor and structural elements. Would ne an excellent related text for many of the units offered in Advanced.

Tim Winton's Dirt Music also offeres a plethora of language devices- almost too many - but they are there to be analysed and are quite obvious.

Tim Winton's IN the Lake of the Woods is excellent- Crime Fiction/ Vietnam War narrative- uses structural elements and metaphor in very sophisticated ways.

Gail Jones Sixty Lights is beautifully written - also provides extensive use of language devices.

Any of the classics- Picture of Dorian Gray; Great Expectations; Pride and Prejudice and anything Jane Austen are all excellent texts to use to practice anaysing techniques and context.

 

[Dragonmaster262]

Thanks for the answers guys. I took a look at the English Advanced HSC Paper and it seems that the only texts that you are expected to write are essays and short stories. I'm good with essays but I aint that great with Creative Writing. The reason is that I do write an interesting story but I usually can't think of a way to make it follow the General Structure. I start with an introduction, a body but the resolution is where I lose marks becuase I usually end the story with a cliffhanger in which the fate of the characters are left ambigious. This style is interesting but the teachers in my school reckon that a PROPER resolution can earn you full marks. I was just wondering if any of you would mind uploading a Short Story in which there is no cliffhanger ending?