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Club de lectura virtual en anglès amb Klára Kodetová. Estiu 2025
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Klára Kodetová és llicenciada en Història i Filologia Anglesa per la Universitat de Carles de Praga i té un màster en Estudis culturals per la Universitat de Barcelona i de Professorat per la Universitat Pompeu Fabra. És professora d’anglès i també tutora en la UNED Barcelona d’assignatures de Literatura Nord-americana i Mons anglòfons.
#Llegim
:: JULIOL
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hailed by Henry James as "the finest piece of imaginative writing yet put forth in the country," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter reaches to the nation's historical and moral roots for the material of great tragedy. Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the defiant Hester Prynne; the fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth.
In the stern, unforgiving world of Puritan New England, Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" unfolds a drama of guilt, repression, and insurrection against societal norms that has captivated readers for over a century. This enduring masterpiece delves deep into the human heart, exploring the complexities of sin and redemption through the lives of its unforgettable characters.
At the heart of the story is Hester Prynne, a woman who defies the constrictions of Puritan society by bearing an illegitimate child. For her sin, she is condemned to wear the scarlet letter "A" for adultery on her bosom as a perpetual reminder of her transgression.
As Hester Prynne navigates her ostracization with grace and fortitude, she becomes a figure of feminine strength and resilience. Her charity and dignity slowly transform the meaning of her scarlet letter in the eyes of the community, from a mark of shame to one of respect. Through this transformation, Hawthorne questions the values of the society he depicts and suggests that redemption and goodness can emerge from the acknowledgment and acceptance of one's sins.
"The Scarlet Letter" remains a critical exploration of the American soul, wrestling with themes that still resonate today: the conflict between individual desire and social norms, the burden of guilt, and the complex interplay between sin and redemption. Hawthorne's nuanced character studies and his rich, symbolic imagery create a novel that is both a profound moral tale and a deeply personal story of love, judgment, and forgiveness.
With The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne became the first American novelist to forge from a Puritan heritage a universal classic, a masterful exploration of humanity's unending struggle with sin, guilt and pride.
:: AGOST
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
It’s an ordinary Thursday morning for Arthur Dent . . . until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly after to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and Arthur’s best friend has just announced that he’s an alien.
After that, things get much, much worse.
With just a towel, a small yellow fish, and a book, Arthur has to navigate through a very hostile universe in the company of a gang of unreliable aliens. Luckily the fish is quite good at languages. And the book is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . . . which helpfully has the words DON’T PANIC inscribed in large, friendly letters on its cover.
Douglas Adams’s mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with both time and physics, offers up pithy commentary on such things as ballpoint pens, potted plants, and digital watches . . . and, most important, reveals the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Now, if you could only figure out the question...
:: SETEMBRE
We have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson
"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson is a chilling and atmospheric tale of mystery, isolation, and the dark secrets that lurk within a seemingly idyllic family home. Set in a secluded village, the novel follows the lives of the Blackwood sisters, Merricat and Constance, who live with their uncle Julian in the family's sprawling mansion.
The Blackwood family has been ostracized by the villagers following a tragic event that left most of the family dead. Merricat, the younger sister, is fiercely protective of her sister Constance, who was accused but acquitted of poisoning their family members. Together, they lead a reclusive and eccentric existence, relying on rituals and superstitions to maintain their fragile sense of security.
Their secluded world is disrupted when a distant cousin, Charles, arrives with plans to claim the family's inheritance. As tensions rise and suspicions mount, Merricat becomes increasingly desperate to protect her sister and their home from outside intruders.
Narrated by Merricat with her eerie and unreliable voice, "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is a haunting exploration of madness, guilt, and the destructive power of secrets. Shirley Jackson's masterful prose and atmospheric storytelling create a sense of dread and unease that lingers long after the final page, cementing the novel as a timeless classic of psychological suspense.