"Life is made up of meetings and partings. People come into your life everyday, you say good morning, you say good evening, some stay for a few minutes, some stay for a few months, some a year, others a whole lifetime."

Some cultural aspects

“Books are bound people.”

   Books will tell you a lot of things if you want know them. Many aspects can be seen in the story. But I am interested in cultural aspects.

1)      “The same damn black BMW 330 Cabriolet.” This was Elizabeth’s car. So I can guess that this woman had a lot of money, because it is a very expensive and prestigious vehicle.

2)      “Her heels against the marble floor echoed loudly in the empty high-ceiling room. The room was hot from the sun’s glare through the glass of the conservatory. The spotless kitchen gleamed, the black granite counter tops sparkled, the chrome fittings mirrored the bright day. A stainless steel and walnut heaven. She headed straight to the espresso machine. Her saviour… She placed the steaming espresso cup on a marble coaster to protect the glass kitchen table.” This passage can tell us about the many details: a) American designers have a good salary; b) This is a description of the designer’s kitchen. So I suppose that this room was very fashionable and modern; c) Elizabeth’s life was very stressful, so she used to drink coffee.

3)      “It’s Jinny Joes Day!” For the first time I learned about the existence of this day. It was a revelation to me. Of course, it is not an official holiday, but maybe some families really make wishes on this feast-day. I want Dandelion’s Day in Russia too!

Self-evaluation

 “It is not so important what we read, but how and for what purpose.”

   Good evening, my diary! You know that everything in that life has a sense. There is nothing useless in the world. We should look for something positive every time. And now I want to share my thoughts about my work with the wonderful book “If you could see me now”.

  This time I just couldn’t go away from this book! I read it quickly in spite of many unfamiliar words. And this fact was very important for me, because people who learn foreign languages should have the linguistic intuition. And I finally realized that I have it too. I learned a lot of new phrases and interesting words. And I feel more confidence with this information. So I should read more English books or maybe articles. In addition, a man need to read ten pages a day to keep his brain in a good shape. A healthy body has a healthy brain.

New Word's Wall

Feel like a film director

   Good evening, my dear! Today I want to tell you about Elizabeth Egan. The author did not spare words to describe this character. It was the right decision, because now I can imagine this woman clearly. Let’s start!

   Elizabeth’s hair was tied back neatly and tightly at the back of her head. She wore a smart grey trouser suit and high heels.  Also she preferred dark colors.  Woman’s brown eyes were in harmony with her chocolate-brown hair. She had a soft olive skin and every day used mascara and lipstick. Elizabeth had never planned on having children – “in fact she had made a pact with herself never to have children.” She had raised herself and raised her sister; she had no desires to raise anybody else.  At twenty-eight years old, she had been successful in starting up her own interior design business. This woman reached her goal by being in control, always being realistic, believing in facts and not dreams, working hard. “So she was thirty-four years old and living alone with Luke in a house that she loved. A house she had bought, and was paying for, all by herself.” Love for this character was one of those feelings that she could never control. And she needed to be in control. Nobody knew that her mother had left her when she was a child, that her sister was wildly out of control and that her father barely spoke to her.

   So, these are the principal facts. I thought a lot of time about this character and came to the conclusion that the famous actress Salma Hayek would play this role perfectly.

  What do you think?

What I did not like about the story

1)    The end of the story. It was clear that the main characters could not stay together, because Ivan did not grow old. It would be terrible for him to see her death. But it was almost a fairytale...

2)    Elizabeth’s desire to control everything. It prevented her from enjoying life. She drove herself into the frames. Life is not life without dreams.

3)    The main character’s family had a lot of problems. It’s too much, I suppose. Notwithstanding, these misfortunes were the best set-off for this magical plot.

What I liked about the story.

1)    A touch of a fairytale. It was uncommon to encounter with magic story for adults. And now I just want to believe.

2)    The language is clear enough.

3)    I liked Ivan’s fad to say words backwards. It was like his own language. (A gnirob is someone who is boring).

4)    The main idea. Sometimes we all need some magic or just a special man to get through the days.

All stories have the end

– I am going to tell Elizabeth Egan that I love her and that I want to spend my days with her. I can still help people while I’m with her.

–Oh, Ivan, you can’t!

–You taught me that there was nothing that I couldn’t do.

–No one else will see you but her!

   This was a conversation between Ivan and his boss Opal. She told him that she knew how to fall in love. Then they went to a strange house with a lot of photos in different frames. An ancient man was sitting there. This old man was Opal’s beloved. Opal watched as Ivan’s face displayed many different emotions in a matter of seconds. He went from confusion, to shock, to pity, and then as soon as he had applied Opal’s words to his own situation, to despair. 

   ‘That’s what I was trying to tell you, Ivan. You and Elizabeth can live together perfectly happy in your own cocoon without anyone knowing but what you forget is that she will have a birthday every year and you won’t.’

     “It’s the Delta Aquarids. They are meteors that come from the constellation Aquarius. The normal dates are the fifteenth of July to the twentieth of August but they peak on the twenty-ninth of July. That’s why I had to take you out tonight, away from street-lights.”

   I suppose that you, my dear, has guessed that out characters had an unforgettable date together. Be sure that Elizabeth looked stunning in her red dress. They had a great time. The couple lay on the sand and looked at the stars. Of course, I can’t offer you the same, but it is also can be interesting for you.

Do you remember, sweetie, that Jinny Joes can deliver people’s wishes? Look! Someone wants us to learn new words!

The mind is the most powerful thing in the body. Whatever the mind believes, the body can achieve.

   Elizabeth’s life started to change with the great speed. Ivan helped her in every moment, listened to her and gave her advice. But he never spoke about himself. 

 The woman did the things she had never done before.  One morning Ivan announced that it was Jinny Joy day: “Luke, my friend”, Ivan said happily, «they are what you call Jinny Joes.” Elizabeth looked up. Ahead of her were hundreds of dandelion seeds, blowing in the wind, catching the light of the sun with their white fluffy threads and floating towards the three in the car like dreams.” Then Ivan explained that Jinny Joes carried wishes in the wind and they were supposed to catch them in their hands, make one wish and then let them go so they could deliver them.

   So can you imagine the woman and little boy in pajamas jumping across the field early in the morning and catching dandelion seeds? (Don’t forget that other people can’t see Ivan). Today it’s a miracle to make busy person to forget about daily routine so celebrate Jinny Joes day. 

The important thing is not what we look like but the role we play in our best friend’s life.

   In this story Ivan wanted to help Luke, the boy who lived with his aunt and saw his mother once in a blue moon. She was out of control because of alcohol. Luke’s aunt Elizabeth took care for him and tried to do her best, but her job stole a lot of time. The woman understood that it was something wrong with Luke. She started to wait for the moment when boy’s conversation with silence would come to the end. But from time to time she also could feel Ivan’s presence. The man was confused. This had never happened with him before. Ivan turned his attention to the woman and tried figure out whether Elizabeth could see him or not.

   And one day Luke’s aunt met cheerful man. She mistakenly thought that this man was a father of her nephew’s friend. But we all know the truth. It was Ivan. And, of course, they fell in love. Elizabeth‘s   colleagues considered about woman’s love, but they never saw this mysterious Ivan. And they would never see.

Kids always know what’s going on, even before you know yourself sometimes.

 Ivan is a handsome young man. He adores pizza with olives, Fridays and chair spinning. The man always looks for adventure and can’t live without games. There is nothing special about him. But some facts make you change all your minds.

    Ivan works in the office which is called “What If”. He can’t open doors and sometimes says words backwards. He spends all his spare time with friends. But some of them already have forgotten him. And it is normal. Usually, children with some family problems or lonely children are Ivan’s best friends. And parents do not know about this friendship at all. But if they know, they call Ivan “an imagining friend”. Ever since he has started this job, parents have been calling him that and it is really beginning to bother him. There is nothing imaginary about him whatsoever.

   They just can’t see him. 

Vocabulary

1)      Snip – ножницы (для металла)

Syn. – scissors

“ …the sound of the lady snipping”

2)      Spell – короткий промежуток времени

Syn. – moment

“I observed them for a spell”

3)      Weapon – оружие

Syn. – arms

“She dropped the offending pencil from her hand as though it was a dangerous weapon”

4)      To taunt – насмехаться, говорить колкости

Syn. – to mock

Ant. - to empathize

“She would have continued to taunt her”

5)      Pleadingly – умоляюще

Syn. – beggarly

Ant. – compulsorily

“His blue eyes looked pleadingly into hers”

6)      To squeak – пищать, скрипеть

Syn. – to creak

“His jeans squeaked against the leather”

7)      To retreat – отступать

Syn. – to recede

Ant. – to approach

“ …the place she could retreat to and feel safe”

8)      Blizzard – снежная буря к

Syn. – snowstorm

Ant. – desert

“Her mind was a blizzard of thoughts”

9)       To loathe – ненавидеть

Syn. – to hate

Ant. – to love

“This is part of my job I absolutely loathe”

10)   Dummy – манекен, кукла, дурак

Syn. – fool

Ant. – clever man

“No, you dummy! Fire engines are for putting out fires”

About the plot

   Elizabeth Egan is too busy for friends. As a reluctant mother to her sister’s Saoirse young son Luke and with her own business to run, every precious moment is made to count.

   But with Saoirse crashing in and out of their lives, leaving them both reeling, Luke and Elizabeth are desperately in need of some magic.

   Enter Ivan. Wild, spontaneous and always looking for adventure, Ivan changes Elizabeth in ways she could never have imagined. With her newly open eyes and heart, Elizabeth sees what she is been missing all along.

   As for Ivan, he thought he was there to help Luke, not Elizabeth – or himself…

What am I waiting for?

   Every day we make a choice. And a lot of things depend on our decision. We can use common sense, and we can listen to only our heart. Certainly, nobody is insured from mistakes. I hope that my intuition hasn't brought me and I have chosen the correct book.

   Firstly, my friend advised me this author, because there is a lot of colloquial lexicon, but it is read without huge tension.Secondly, the book has a very attractive cover. It is also the great pleasure even to touch it. I can feel every letter with my fingers.And the last argument is the phrase “there is more than a touch of fairytale about Cecilia Ahern’s novels…” on the book cover. Sometimes we all need a little magic. 

   So… What am I waiting for?