ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Novels
Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck published by Penguin Books
George and Lennie are migrant American labourers - one alert and protective and the other strong, stupid and potentially dangerous. This is the powerful story of their relationship and their dreams of finding a more stable and less lonely way of life. Of Mice And Men is also a 1992 film starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, and directed and produced by Sinise. It is the third movie adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name. The first adaptation was made in 1939, and a made-for-TV movie version was produced in 1982.
The book is now available for loan. Call number: English STE
About the author: John Ernst Steinbeck III (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, and the novella Of Mice and Men, published in 1937. In all, he wrote twenty-five books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories. In 1962, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd published by Headline Group Publishing
The Secret Life of Bees boldly explores life’s wounds and reveals the deeper meaning of home and the redemptive simplicity of “choosing what matters.” In the end, though she could not find the mother she lost, Lily discovered and came to terms with her mother’s past, found a hive of new mothers, and fell in love with the great universal mother.
Now available for loan. Call number: English KIDD -[MO]
About the author: Sue Monk Kidd is a writer from southern United States, and is best known for her novel, The Secret Life of Bees. She got her start in writing when a personal essay she wrote for a writing class was published in Guideposts and reprinted in Reader’s Digest. She went on to become a Contributing Editor at Guideposts.
Short Stories
“No Looking Back” by Robert Shearman (from the book, Tiny Deaths, published by Comma Press)
This story is like a modern version of the Greek legend poet Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. It examines the choice Orpheus had to make about redeeming his wife’s soul when she accidentally passed away and in this comical modern version, Orpheus wondered if he did the right thing as Eurydice proved to be annoying.
“My Cousin Tim” by Simon Tay (from the book, Stand Alone, published by Landmark Books )
In “My Cousin Tim”, the author depicts the dilemma of a young man Tim, who lived the life of a spendthrift and disappointed his father, and of the cousin Eddie, who grew up with him and realised the ambitions and dreams of the older generation. Eddie and Tim were brought up in a typical family with high parental expectations to follow a dictated life of which decisions were made by his parents. However, there is a critical and significant difference between them that separates them into opposing sides of the coin.Tim and Eddie serve as a juxtaposition of characters: Eddie is the epitome of a typical ‘good’ person; a filial son; a dutiful husband and father. Tim, on the other hand, is the unconstrained individualist who lives for himself and seeks the intangible things in life.
About the Authors:
Robert Shearman
Also credited as Rob Shearman (born 10 February 1970,near London, England), Robert Shearman is currently best known as a writer for Doctor Who, a British science fiction television programme. His first book, Tiny Deaths, a collection of short stories, was short listed for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and made the long list for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. In November 2008, it was named Best Collection at the annual World Fantasy Awards. Shearman describes himself as a comedy writer, but it might be truer to call him an absurdist; most of his work, whatever the medium it is written for, is concerned with the effect on ordinary people when they are propelled into extraordinary or fantastical situations.
Simon Tay
Simon Tay is an award-winning writer of stories, poems and essays, as well as a professor and public intellectual. His book of stories, Stand Alone, published by Landmark Books, was short listed for the Commonwealth Prize and “5” was highly commended for poetry by the National Book Development Council. In public service, he initiated in 1995 Singapore Volunteers Overseas, a programme for development and assistance in other countries. In 1997 to 2001, he served as Nominated Member of Parliament. From 2002 to 2008, he was Chairman of National Environment Agency. He is Associate Professor of international law and public policy at the National University of Singapore and has also taught at Harvard Law School. He is concurrently Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank, and a regular contributor of comments in the national and international media. He lives in Singapore but works in the USA as a Schwartz Fellow at the Asia Society in Manhattan and teaches at Yale University.
