Describing books and films

1. THAT’STHAT’S
ENTERTAINMENT!ENTERTAINMENT!
Isabel Bastida & Ana Mena

2. Discuss in pairs
• What of the things in the box do you
ever read?
• Which do you enjoy reading most/
least? Why?
• How often do you read in English?
What sort of things do you read in
English?
• Would you ever consider joining a
book club? Why (not)?
• Do you usually go to sleep with some
good bedtime reading?
• What do you prefer reading a
paperback (or hardback) book or an e-
book? Why?
• Do you enjoy flicking through books in
a bookshop, library, ..?
• Can you think of a book you have read
and couldn’t put down because it was
a real page-turner?
newspaper articles, academic books,
comics, poems, novels, blogs,
best-sellers, self-help books,
instruction manuals, internet forums,
travel / restaurant guides, reviews

3. DESCRIBING A BOOK
His slim novel contains seventeen loosely
connected chapters and centres /
revolves on the lives and loves of two
elderly female artists. There is very little
plot / argument as Jansson is far more
interested in the minutiae of everyday life
and in the way the relationship between
her two stars / protagonists is realised
through the sparse, minimal dialogue /
speech.

4. This vivid portrayal of love and
politics in medieval England is
rooted / based on a true story
and manages to bring / carry its
characters and era to life through
its rich, vibrant language. If you
believe that love conquers all and
enjoy stories held / set in the past,
then this uplifting history / tale
may well be for you.

5. This gripping non-fiction work
traces / discovers the history of
the feminist movement in
twentieth- century America and
explores / finds the impact it
had on women. Basing /
Revolving around the lives of
ten women, the book sorts out /
tackles such issue as marriage and
divorce, domestic violence and the
civil rights movement.
“STEP BY STEP”
by Megan McDonough

6. This comic novel is so frequently
laugh-out-loud funny that you might
not want to read it in public! Told in
the main / first person, the book
explores the many arguments
between the narrator / commentator and
his German girlfriend- to hysterical effect!
By turns / episodes, absurd, dark and full
of insight / judgement, it’s a must-read
for anyone who’s ever been in a
relationship!

7. In this moving memoir / memory,
Jones confronts her childhood and
her troubled relationship with her
abusive mother, whose conflict /
struggle to overcome her
alcoholism is explored in heart-
wrenching detail. The book treats /
deals with the themes of
acceptance and transcendence
and is a real page-turner from start
to finish. I can’t suggest / recommend it
highly enough.

8. In pairs/ groups. Discuss these
questions
1. Would you recommend any of the five
books to people you know? Which
one(s)? Who to? Why?
2. Which of the books would you most /
least like to read? Why?
3. Have you ever read anything similar to
any of the books described? Talk about
it.

9. Adjectives to describe books
Positive Negative
In pairs. Classify the adjectives below
gripping inaccurate offbeat spine-tingling flat fluent
mind-numbing bombastic verbose dull soppy heavy-going
life-like uninspired tedious confusing poignant riveting
dreary redundant dazzling twisted awe-inspiring subtle terrific
Which of these adjectives would you use to talk about a film?
Can you think of any other adjectives (positive and negative) you would
use to describe a film?

10. FILMS
• What’s your favourite film genre?
• How would you describe the following types of
films?
- a chick-flick - a tearjerker - an indie movie
- a blockbuster - a B-movie

11. Expressions connected with films. Complete the sentences with
the right expression from the box.
film buff trailer potty humour adaptation cult film screenplay flop
remake stunt shoestring budget cameo twist PG film plot
feel-good movie bombed left something to be desired
a) The director was unknown and couldn’t get funding, so the film was made on a………………… with
a cast of amateurs
b) It was a box office smash in America, and made millions of dollars, but in this country it was a
…………………
c) After reading the rave reviews online I was dying to see film, but honestly watching the
………………… has put me off going.
d) It’s a faithful ………………… of Ian Fleming’s novel.
e) The film doesn’t appeal to a mass audience, but it has become a …………………
f) The ………………… is by Tom Stoppard and John Williams composed the score.
g) My brother is a real …………………; he can list all the films any director has made.
h) The special effects were breathtaking, but the acting …………………
i) The first movie was a hit, the sequel …………………
j) The completely implausible ………………… at the end ruined it.
k) What’s the film rated? I’m going with the kids. “It is a …………………”
l) This romcom by Woody Allen deserves an Oscar nomination for the ………………… roles.
m) When shooting Skyfall, Daniel Craig broke two ribs as he did all the ………………… scenes.
n) To be honest, I liked the ………………… better than the original. The cast were much believable.
o) It’s the ………………………….of the year- I found it very heartwarming and touching.
p) My boyfriend thought it was hilarious, but I thought it went a little overboard with the
………………. .
q) Although the premise was intriguing, the …………………..was complex and a little hard to follow.