The document consists of homework by Bhavya Popli, which includes book reviews of 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens and 'Murder of Roger Ackroyd' by Agatha Christie. 'Great Expectations' follows the life of Pip, an orphan who struggles with personal growth, wealth, and relationships, ultimately conveying themes of self-worth and gratitude. 'Murder of Roger Ackroyd' is a mystery narrated by Dr. Sheppard, revealing an unexpected plot twist where he, the narrator, confesses to being the murderer.

1. Library Holidays Homework Made By : Bhavya Popli Class: IX-A Roll Number-21

2. Book Reviews of : "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens "Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie "Murder At The Vicarage" by Agatha Christie "Treasure Island "by R.L. Stevenson "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift

3. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is the deep and moving story of the life of a boy named Pip, and follows him through his young life. At the opening of the book, we find Pip as a young boy, parentless. His parents and siblings having passed away through reasons unknown to the reader, he was left to his sister, known as Mrs. Joe, to be brought up, rather painfully, "by hand." Fortunately she was not his sole source of upbringing, as she was married to a blacksmith, Pip's friend and mentor through his life, Joe. As the first scene unfolds, we find our young Pip seated uncomfortably on a tombstone in the graveyard out on the misty marshes by his village. A certain ragged convict is staring down at him, and he also plays a very important role in Pip's life. As Pip matures, he unexpectedly becomes the subject of some anonymous party's very great expectations, and is endowed with considerable wealth by that party. We follow Pip through his various adventures, interests, and coming to maturity as he grapples with his conscience and his very strong sense of right and wrong. Great Expectations

4. The way Charles Dickens portrays his characters and develops them through their life is incredible. Each character played an important role in Pip's life. Many of them were unlikely and recurring acquaintances, such as "the pale young gentleman" that he fought in the courtyard at the Satis House, who later turned out to be Herbert, the young man who Pip was to room with at Barnard's inn. Another such astounding reoccurrence was that of Abel Magwitch, the convict, as Pip's own benefactor! All these characters together, and the excellent way in which they are developed and related to Pip shed a light of familiarity and nostalgia on the mood of the story. This book, though full of pleasantry and familiarity, is also filled with hardships and conflicts for Pip as well. One major conflict falls into the classic "man versus himself" category. Throughout the novel we can see that Pip has a strong conscience and a defining wish to improve himself. The reader can see from near the beginning of the story Pip's desire to rise above his surroundings and make the most of himself he possibly can, and maybe more. This desire really began with his introduction to Miss Havisham, the very eccentric woman who resided in the Satis House uptown from Pip. There he met not only Miss Havisham, but the young adopted girl, Estella, whom Miss Havisham had raised since early childhood.

5. Pip was very much attracted by Estella but she hated Pip. Pip couldn't understand at that age why she did this, and was very ashamed of himself and his background, wishing "his boots weren't so thick and his accent not so coarse." He considered himself to be very coarse and common and felt a strong urge to improve. Poor Joe, Pip's best friend and father figure, could not compete with the sophistication found at the Satis House, nor the wealth and property that Pip came into. However, later in the story we see a sort of guilt on Pip's conscience over having been so scornful to Joe and his friend and maid, Biddy. Pip has a very strong sense not only of self worth, but of gratitude and love for those who love him as well. Dickens, being a very descriptive writer, has peppered Great Expectations with a great many literary devices, and makes strong use of symbolism. One such symbol is the mists around the marshes, making things cloudy and uncertain, concealing the future from view in a way. A second symbol to be found in the book is the prison hulks out on the water, ominous and foreboding, hanging over Pip's guilty head like a dark cloud, each sounding of the guns like the fall of a judge's gavel, declaring Pip guilty of grievous crimes against those who had raised him. The book also places emphasis on the importance of Pip's past, and characters return from those misty depths like ghosts come to haunt him. Compeyson, the enemy of Pip's fugitive, Magwitch, and Magwitch himself struggling in the stream in the marshes, the unceasing sound of Magwitch filing away at his leg iron with the file Pip procured from Joe's workshop: all were images to return to Pip again and again through his life.

6. This story is clearly written in the first person, seen through the eyes of Pip, our narrator, and it the perspective remains so throughout the plot. Charles Dickens has underlain this book with a deep sense of meaning. He is trying to show us, the readers, through Pip's trials, tribulations, relationships - his life, that one must always value oneself and appreciate people for who they really are. Pip came into so much wealth, so much property, but did it improve the quality of his life? No, rather it lessened it. How many times did Pip think to himself how much better it would have been for him to stay with Joe at the forge, and make an honest day's living each day with people he cared for? How he regretted having been so scornful and haughty to those who had shown him only friendship and love. An example of this main theme is to be found early in the book. The passage reads as follows: "In his working clothes, Joe was a well-knit, characteristic-looking blacksmith; in his holiday clothes, he was more like a scarecrow in good circumstances, than anything else." Joe is a hard-working man who takes pride in his simple and honest work. He doesn't strive to be something he's not and to be unnatural. He is happy being who he is and satisfied with his simple life. I once heard the majority of this story on tape while on a long car trip. However, only having heard roughly two thirds of this involving and endearing work, I leapt at the chance to read it in its entirety. I did just that and relished every chapter of it. This is truly a great work, and emotional as well. I found myself moved several times throughout the piece by Dickens' innocent and familiar characters and the book's pervading sense of nostalgia and bittersweet happiness. To anyone with any serious interest in reading whatsoever, this masterpiece is absolutely a must-read.

7. This is one of the most famous novels of Agatha Christie.The book is set in the fictional village of King's Abbott in England . It is narrated by Dr. James Sheppard, who becomes Poirot's assistant (a role filled by Captain Hastings in several other Poirot novels). The story begins with the death of Mrs. Ferrars, a wealthy widow who is rumored to have murdered her husband. Her death is initially believed to be an accident until Roger Ackroyd, a widower who had been expected to marry Mrs. Ferrars, reveals that she admitted to killing her husband and then committed suicide. Shortly after this he is found murdered. The suspects include Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Roger's neurotic hypochondriac sister-in-law who has accumulated personal debts through extravagant spending; her daughter Flora; Major Blunt, a big-game hunter ; Geoffrey Raymond, Ackroyd's personal secretary; Ralph Paton, Ackroyd's stepson and another person with heavy debts; Parker, a snooping butler; and Ursula Bourne, a parlourmaid with an uncertain history who resigned her post the afternoon of the murder. The initial suspect is Ralph, who is engaged to Flora and stands to inherit his stepfather's fortune. Several critical pieces of evidence seem to point to Ralph. Poirot, who has just moved to the town, begins to investigate at Flora's behest. The book ends with a then-unprecedented plot twist . Poirot exonerates all of the original suspects. He then lays out a completely reasoned case that the murderer is in fact Dr. Sheppard, who has not only been Poirot's assistant, but the story's narrator. In the final chapter of Sheppard's narrative (a sort of epilogue ), Sheppard admits his guilt and reveals that he had hoped to be the one to write the account of Poirot's great failure: not solving the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Thus, the last chapter acts as both Sheppard's confession and suicide note. Murder of Roger Ackroyd

8. Murder at the Vicarage