Books in my Life It‟s no doubt that books are an essential and necessary part of mankind‟s civilization. It gives us an
opportunity to link up with authors who lived hundreds and thousands years ago. Through reading
books we can understand their thoughts, feelings and emotions better. Book is the surest way to
bring people together. I think it is faithful and undemanding friend: it can be put away and taken up
at any moment. We must admit that we can‟t do without them.
As for me I became keen on literature early in life. Probably it happened so because we had a very
good and widely read library at home. Since my childhood I was enchanted by Pushkin‟s tales and
Krilov‟s fables. Gogol was one of the greatest authorities to me. Later on my heart was won by Fet
and Blok. Pasternak‟s and Vysotsky‟s poetry filled my heart with expectation of joy and happiness.
Luckily, our country is rich in such remarkable authors.
And as for the classical authors I study rather than read their books. I‟m sure they have a lot to
teach me as Bacon once said “Old wood best to burn, old wine best to drink, old friends best to trust
and old authors best to read”.
I consider Ivan Franco to be one of the highest authorities in the Ukrainian literature. His greatest
masterpieces of prose are the novels “Boa constrictor” and cycle “Borislav is Laughing”. These
novels for the first time depicted the incipient forms of revolutionary struggle among the workers
and the awakeners of working class conscience. These books are not for the general reader. To read
it one must know the Ukrainian history and the peculiarities of relationships between people then.
There is no doubt the Franco was a highly educated person and it is hard for me to keep up with
him.
To tell the truth I give my preference to the science fiction. As far as my favourite book is
concerned it is hard to choose a one. Lately I have read a wonderful book entitled “The Sands of
Mars”. It was written by Ray Bradbury – famous American science-fiction writer. His stories have a
special charm that lies in its gripping plot, exciting situations and at the same time conveys deep
thoughts, keen observations and sharpness of characterization. This book tells us about the fantastic
events, which took place on Mars. I think this book has got everything: actions, many interesting
ideas to think over, witty characters and, surely, a great deal of dialogs, Ray Bradbury is a master
of. With the help of vivid descriptions the author carries the reader into the wonderful world of his
imagination. The story is so beautifully told that it is hard not to believe it. This book stirs my
imagination and expends the boundaries of the familiar world. Normally I read a book once but this
book I read again and again, discovering something new for me. No matter how many times you
read it, as it always gives you the same feeling of freshness and exciting that you experienced on the
first reading. These qualities of his writing ensure Ray Bradbury the outstanding place in the annals
of literature and in the hearts of the readers.