Overall: 3.5/5 I think I like the movie more than the book. Recently, I watched the movie My Fair Lady, filmed in 1964. It is an American musical comeOverall: 3.5/5 I think I like the movie more than the book. Recently, I watched the movie My Fair Lady, filmed in 1964. It is an American musical comedy-drama film adapted from the 1956 Lerner and Loewe stage musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 stage play Pygmalion. The main characters include Eliza Dolittle, who was acted by Audrey Hepburn, while Professor Henry Higgins by Rex Harrison. (view spoiler)[The prominent storyline is that Higgins was bet on turning Eliza, who was a lowly flower girl, into a noble and passing her as an upper-class lady. Higgins, despite believing that women would ruin men's lives, became attached to Eliza during their training period. However, Eliza slowly came to discover her powers over other men and found confidence in her speaking abilities. She realized she did not need to rely on Professor Higgins and could be an independent woman who could support her life. Higgins, as stubborn as he was, laughed at her and thought Eliza would quote-unquote, "come back crawling to him one day." However, when he was going back to his now-empty house, he was hit by the feeling of missing Eliza. The movie ended with Eliza reappearing suddenly and Higgins asking, "Eliza, where the devil are my slippers?" (hide spoiler)]
I enjoyed the movie a lot. An 8 out of 10. Especially since I know the songs in this musical. I also like the character development of Eliza, which props to the scriptwriter and learned to be independent. In the original play, the name of it was Pygmalion. It originated from Greek mythology, where a God fell in love with a sculpture, and it eventually came alive. So in the musical and the movie, Eliza was the sculpture that came alive as she fought for her freedom and independence. She became more human and less like a figure sculpted and crafted by Higgins. However, the dubbing was a little weird, and I did not enjoy that the actress didn't sing the songs herself.
The movie followed precisely with the stage musical. Initially, the scriptwriter Shaw ended the play by Higgins laughing to himself at the idea of Eliza marrying Freddy, another nobleman. However, popular audiences, looking for pleasant entertainment, wanted a happy ending for the characters they liked so well. On the other hand, Shaw explained precisely why the story couldn't end with Higgins and Eliza getting married because of the tremendous difference in their mindsets. Shaw insisted on protecting the play and Eliza's integrity by keeping the last scene. In my opinion, I am leaning towards the original script. I also think that there was too much history and differences between Eliza and Higgins. There was too much badness between them for there to ever be anything more.
There was an enormous controversy over the lead actress in My Fair Lady. The director chose Audrey Hepburn instead of Julie Andrews, who played the first Eliza Dolittle on Broadway. Julie Andrews was also known for acting in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Also, the songs sung by Eliza in the movie were dubbed by another person. It was estimated that only 10% of the songs were sung by Audrey. This is really sad, as she put a lot of effort into practising her singing skills and taking vocal lessons every day. All the while the director had already decided to dub her voice without telling her. It was said that Audrey was extremely upset by this fact and that she definitely shed tears over this topic. Audrey ended up didn't even being nominated for the Oscars. ...more
Overall: 2/5 This book is about three children discovering the mystery of faeries in their family house. The book is in a modern setting and is the firOverall: 2/5 This book is about three children discovering the mystery of faeries in their family house. The book is in a modern setting and is the first of its series. In this book, there is an introduction to the family of characters. There are several difficulties. 1. The parents divorced. 2. The three children with their mum have to move to a creepy old family house and adapt to a new environment. 3. One of the kids, Jared, was bullied and had issues dealing with anger. The three children went to discover the house and found mysterious creatures. However, I felt disappointed to see the book ended here.
To me, this book feels very simple as there is only new development from the original problem faced by the protagonists, and it ends with a very cliche cliffhanger. It is also shorter than I expected. (Maybe I am more used to reading longer books with multiple turns in the plot.) There really is nothing to talk about ;-;
I quite like the plot of the story. It is very intriguing, and even though the ending is sad (view spoiler)[(Maximus died) (hide spoiler)], I was toucI quite like the plot of the story. It is very intriguing, and even though the ending is sad (view spoiler)[(Maximus died) (hide spoiler)], I was touched.(view spoiler)[ Maximus sacrificed his life to save Rome (quite literally). (hide spoiler)] The thing I hate about adaptations is the flow of the book becomes choppy. I was literally clueless about (view spoiler)[(why Maximus and Lucilla suddenly kissed) (hide spoiler)]?! There is no plot development for the whole romance plotline. Maybe it's because this book is supposedly for kids, so the author cut the romance? (disappointed but not surprised) Nonetheless, I think the original book/movie would be much better and I would like to read/watch them one day. ...more
Honestly, I am lost for words. This book is beautifully written, albeit too easy for me. The ending took an unexpected turn, and I was deeOverall: 5/5
Honestly, I am lost for words. This book is beautifully written, albeit too easy for me. The ending took an unexpected turn, and I was deeply moved by the plot. I even shed a few tears, to be honest. I kind of wanted to have an imaginary friend when I was little. I think most kids have an imaginary friend at some point in their lives due to various reasons. I was the only child at home, and I felt very lonely at home when my parents were at work. This book is healing to me and takes off the stress I have these days. (Actually, I am still stressed. But reading helps)...more
**spoiler alert** (view spoiler)[It is a story about a grandma and her little grandson. The grandma comes from Norway, while the little boy grows up i**spoiler alert** (view spoiler)[It is a story about a grandma and her little grandson. The grandma comes from Norway, while the little boy grows up in England. An unfortunate event happened, and the little boy lost his parents. His grandma took care of him and told him stories about witches. According to the grandma, witches are bald, don't have toes, and have curled nails. Just by this description, I feel horrible. The story's climax is when the little boy and his grandma go to a hotel for his summer holiday, and the boy stumbles across the witches' annual meeting. The witches from England plot to turn all children into mice and destroy all kids. The little boy was petrified. When the meeting approaches the end, one of the witches smells the little boy. They caught him and turned him into a mouse. Unexpectedly, the little boy found himself with his brain and memories of himself, though his appearance turned into a mouse. He went to his grandma, and they thought of a solution to turn all the witches in England into mice. The process was thrilling and scary at the same time. (hide spoiler)]
This book kept me on my toes, and I don't particularly like this feeling. I enjoyed the story plot, and the storyline is very intriguing. Yet, not really my cup of tea....more
I didn't really like it because some turning points are awkward and unnatural.
The plot itself is interesting. Emma is a cheerful and lively characterI didn't really like it because some turning points are awkward and unnatural.
The plot itself is interesting. Emma is a cheerful and lively character but she can be a little too oblivious sometimes.
I am reading the classic one but my teacher told me to read this version since it is in the freaking syllabus and honestly, it spoiled the story and I really hate this version. ...more
Overall: 4.5/5 I don't play chess. I really don't. But what I really like about this book is that you don't have to understand chess to read it. It is Overall: 4.5/5 I don't play chess. I really don't. But what I really like about this book is that you don't have to understand chess to read it. It is thrilling and exciting when Beth competes chess with other men. Reading about Beth's growth is intriguing, and I admire her for having an unusual amount of self-control. She is lucky to discover her talent in chess, thus, making herself wealthy and successful at a relatively young age. However, there are some places in the book where I felt dull and repetitive, and that's why it takes off half a star. Nonetheless, this is a book that I will definitely reread. ...more
This book includes 6 short stories. Most of them are quite engaging. However, I personally think it is a bit dull in some stories. The last one standsThis book includes 6 short stories. Most of them are quite engaging. However, I personally think it is a bit dull in some stories. The last one stands out to me the most. It is so heartbreaking that I even cried. Michael used this story to convey the message that human activities are endangering the animals and their habitats. It becomes a very memorable story to me. ...more
The book is written from a perspective of a twelve-year-old girl, Nicki, who has kleptomania. I found it refreshing and quite light-hearOverall: 4.5/5
The book is written from a perspective of a twelve-year-old girl, Nicki, who has kleptomania. I found it refreshing and quite light-hearted generally. Well, compared to books I've been reading. If you are looking for something lighter (tag: light angst), I will definitely recommend this book to you. Of course, there are many exciting parts and occasionally a little violence and blood, but it is over very quickly. I was a tinny bit apprehensive about this book at first because I'm not a big fan of reading from the perspective of a person with some kind of mental disorder. (If you have seen my previous book reviews) However, this book doesn't make me feel overwhelmed, and I can enjoy it. The only setback is the ending is a bit too rushed. ...more
I LOVE IT! Omg I haven’t got caught up in a book for so long, and oh how I miss that feeling. Personally, it has the PERFECT balance of action, magic,I LOVE IT! Omg I haven’t got caught up in a book for so long, and oh how I miss that feeling. Personally, it has the PERFECT balance of action, magic, fantasy, myths and romance. I literally finished the whole book within a day. I love the characters and I love the author’s writing style. Also, I am born in HK, live in HK for my whole life and I’ve heard these legends and I couldn’t not relate to it so much. I cant wait to read the next one! ...more
It's easy to get stuck in these series because it's so good! I can't relate to how the illustrations are perfectly drawn, and Erin and Max are such a It's easy to get stuck in these series because it's so good! I can't relate to how the illustrations are perfectly drawn, and Erin and Max are such a cute ship! Though it always ends with a cliffhanger, which leaves me feeling urggghhh. Nonetheless, I will definitely keep up with this series, and hopefully, the catastrophe will end soon. ...more
This is such a touching book, i think I tear up a couple times. When Lily’s irresponsible mum went to Spain, the huge burden of taking care of her sibThis is such a touching book, i think I tear up a couple times. When Lily’s irresponsible mum went to Spain, the huge burden of taking care of her siblings falls on Lily. It was always amazing to see how creative we can be when we let our imagination run wild. However, I DEMAND A SEQUEL!! ...more
Tracy Beaker is one of the stories that I’m stuck with in my childhood. It was so nice to know Tracy as an adult and still, the plot is so good! You kTracy Beaker is one of the stories that I’m stuck with in my childhood. It was so nice to know Tracy as an adult and still, the plot is so good! You know, I haven’t thought Tracy and Peter as a pair…...more
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