In this essay I want to talk about Sherlock Holmes. The main idea of the book is that no matter how twisted the crime is, it will still be solved and the culprit will be punished. It is very interesting, tense and full of surprises for the reader. This book tells us a story about a detective who solves the most difficult and practically unsolvable crimes, which even the police struggled with. 

There was a detective named Sherlock Holmes, who helped people and caught real criminals. Today a man named Mr. Kibbitt came to him asking for help and told his story. He had a wife who received letters from dancing men. The police couldn’t help him and that’s why he turned to Sherlock Holmes and gave him these letters asking him to solve the mystery.

Sherlock Holmes realized that these dancing men were mafia hieroglyphs and he understood what it meant. He went to Mr. Kirbbitt but when he got there it was too late because he was dead and his wife was wounded. Sherlock Holmes began an investigation. He interviewed all the people living there, looked for evidence that the police could not find, and found out that the man who wrote these letters was a male friend of Mr. Cuban’s wife, who lived in America and came to England. He tried to meet his beloved Kaltan by writing these letters and tried to extort money. One night, when a woman tried to give money to her ex-boyfriend, her husband saw her and shot her friend. This friend then shot and killed Mr. Kubiti.

 When Elsie saw her ex-boyfriend kill her husband, she took her husband’s gun and tried to kill herself.  Sherlock Holmes wrote a letter in the language of those men and asked for a meeting to trap the murderer, and he succeeded 

                                Movies and Books

I love books and movies because books help us to develop our imagination. Movies can show us scenes, which are unimaginable. When I read, it helps me to develop my imagination and if I watch a movie, I will notice details I might not have grasped when reading the book 

ROBINSON CRUSOE

In this essay I chose to talk about Robinson Crusoe, because I thought it would be interesting to think about how he would celebrate the New Year. He had neither a calendar nor knew the days. He was on a harsh island and had nothing with him. What I would do differently in that situation is that I would create a calendar and mark New Year’s Day as January 1st. What would I do alone on New Year’s Day on January 1? I would carve figurines of people out of wood, sit around the fire, catch fish, eat tropical fruit and decorate one small bush as a Christmas tree. What would I wish for in Robison Crusoe’s place? My biggest wish would be to go back to my home. I hope that someone will eventually find me on this harsh island. If they stopped looking for him and couldn’t find him, then Robinson Crusoe would build a big boat and try to go home.

There are many false beliefs about New Year including the concept of fate and the tradition of Mekvle. The most important thing is to be positive and joyful during New Year as well as every day that follows.

My goal is to study well, do good deeds and have many happy days.

In Georgia, New Year’s is celebrated the day before when big preparations begin, a big table is laid, guests are invited and songs, dances and laughter can be heard. Families also meet at home on New Year’s Eve and enjoy outdoor concerts.

I chose Germany as the second country. The common thing between Germany and Georgia is that the Christmas tree is lit and gifts are bought.  At midnight we light fireworks. The difference is that in Georgia we invite guests and it’s a big day of celebration, while in Germany they first spend time at home as a family and then celebrate outside the house, for example at concerts.

Author: Luka Asgarov

People have long been divided into two groups when it comes to choosing between books or movies. Unfortunately the screenplay of a book often does not live up to the expectations of the audience, and reading the book is more interesting, especially when you have a rich imagination.

When we read a book, the characters come to life before our eyes and the environment where the action takes place is born. We bring them to life through our imagination, while in the film the director decides what kind of appearance the characters and scenes will have. Oscar is the cutest,  but he doesn’t look like the Oscar I imagined.The book allows us to think, work our minds and find ourselves for a short time away from our everyday problems. Reading allows us to escape our reality for a moment or two. When talking about the positive qualities of reading books, another argument will come in handy. In the film,we see a beautifully dressed character. We know that he\she is a tragic figure, but his/her pain doesn’t seem to touch us. 

 Oscar is an ordinary boy…maybe a little smarter than his peers, but still ordinary. However, one day his life falls apart. The same thing happened to many people on September 11. Oscar found his own way. He faced many of his fears in his own way, and after the death of his father, he began a small investigation…Of course, after that, you will all agree that Oscar is a smart, purposeful and strange child. In my opinion, Oscar would welcome the New Year with new inventions.

One day from last year 
  If I had to choose one day to repeat over and over again, I would choose the last day of school. This is when I am at my happiest. I know that the holidays are starting and school is over. That is the best feeling ever. 

New year in Georgia

 In Georgia one of our New Year’s traditions is that of the Mekvle or first house-guest to enter your home in the New Year. This guest brings good luck and blesses your family and your home. Each country has its own traditions when it comes to celebrating New Year.

Italians celebrate the New Year by shouting and singing. At midnight, they throw old belongings out of their homes through the window and New Year’s sweets are made with honey and nuts. Lentil soup and boiled eggs are also enjoyed. The Italians also eat preserved grapes. Grape seeds are viewed as gold coins and whoever eats a lot will earn a lot of money. In Italy, grapes are a symbol of health, prosperity and long life.

Author: Mariam Ratiani

There are many stories that you can read and movies you can watch. Famous books get turned into movies. There are people who prefer the original books and people who prefer the movies.

Seems simple? No, it isn’t. Do you prefer the book or movie version of a story?

There are those who like both, or can’t bear to choose. Movies will make you want to read the book, because you want to know more about the story and about the characters.

For example, I prefer books over movies. I think reading books gives us more knowledge and it helps us improve our vocabulary. It helps us to become a better human being while movies are just for entertainment. Watching a movie can’t give you the same depth of understanding of the story, which reading a book gives. 

Another reason why I choose books over movies is because in the original version of the book we see the real personality of the characters and we see much more action including battles or details you might like to remember.

Sometimes the way we imagine characters based on book descriptions are nowhere close to what they show in the movies. In addition, there are many things we get to imagine when we are reading a book. We have the most freedom and we can use our minds to ‘design’ the world or universe we are reading about, the people, buildings, animals, plants, etc. When we are watching a movie, we have to get used to what is shown on the screen, what the producers thought it would look like. Obviously everybody’s imagination is different and so we may have a completely opposite way of seeing the world. And everyone can make up their own universe while reading a boo

Every person has different thoughts and opinions. Some people prefer movies, some prefer books, but some just can not choose. I do like both books and movies, but I still prefer books.

Author: Tekle Iashvili

In modern times, there are so many different methods of transmitting a story as there are so many sources out there. In earlier times books have been popular, but now movies seem to be getting more popular even though they have the same storyline as books do. There is a question. If movies are becoming so popular then why are people still reading books? The answer is easy. Even though books aren’t popular in the 21^st century, they can always improve people’s’ reading and writing skills. Nowadays most people either read a book or watch a movie in their free time. Books and movies have some similarities and also differences. Some people argue that movies are better than books, or some people think that books are better than movies. In my opinion, books are better than movies. Reading books gives us more knowledge and it helps us improve our vocabulary. 

Imagination plays a very important role when we read books or watching movies. Basically, movies are part of our lives, also reading improves a person’s imagination. On the other hand, when we watch a movie, we focus on visual effects, such as design, animations and so on. Movies take 2-3 hours to watch for example: ,,Harry Potter’’ and if we read the ,,Harry Potter’’ books, we will need maybe 1-3 weeks. Many people would rather watch movies than read books which is maybe boring for them. 

Several people who both read books and watch movies claim that they were disappointed after seeing the movie as they had a higher expectation. In my opinion, it is easier to discuss a movie with your friends. Reading a book from cover to cover is boring for some people and they prefer to read from online sites. Many people enjoy reading books in their free time. 

Teenagers imagination about books and movies 
The serious topic is that children such as teenagers don’t care about books and only depend on computers and movies. In my opinion, when I read books it feels great. When you are reading a book you are imagining nature, you are feeling a person’s pain or happiness which is important to me. Older people read books more than they watch movies, while the youth would rather watch a film in their free time. 

Parents, grandparents and teenagers all like to watch movies, especially kids my age, because they think it’s more fun to watch with them. Most people are disappointed when they read a book and then watch the movie because the story is told in more detail in the book than in the movie. I was also disappointed when I watched a movie that I had high hopes for, for example ,,Harry Potter’’.

Some people have tried to read a book but gave up, because they couldn’t understand the main topic. On the other hand, watching a movie is easy and can save a lot of time.  

Final Point

A final point to share is that even though books and movies are different, they also have some similarities. Books, as we all know, focus on details while movies don’t. Therefore, books and movies have their own importance and it depends on whether you prefer reading books or watching movies. Reading books and watching films have the same purpose. Movies and books have different ways to present the story. 

In conclusion, reading develops imagination, improves writing and can help you get a better job. Meanwhile films are quicker to watch, but can watching films get you a better mark on an assignment? Can watching a film get you a better job? NO. Some people may answer YES to these questions. It is your choice whether to watch a movie or read a book. If you want to have a bright future, the best education you can get is through studying and reading books. Watching films won’t help you. 

Author: Masho Urushadze

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Pride and Prejudice is the story of Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of an English country gentleman, who meets Mr. Darcy, a rich landowner. At first, Elizabeth hates him and thinks he is proud, but slowly her feelings start to change.

This book teaches us many things about love and life and about how people lived in the past. In my opinion, knowledge of our past is really necessary…

I’m not a huge fan of romance, but I enjoyed every single page of this wonderful novel, and truly did not wanted it to end! I would recommend this book to anyone. 

Books or movies?

I prefer movies. Why?

First, let’s agree that some movies are pieces of art. Creating a movie is as much of an artistic act as it is to write a book. 

Movies do come with certain advantages and there’s a reason why they are so popular nowadays. 

Here are some examples:

1. It takes less time to watch a movie than to read a book;
2. Movies are more visually stimulating;
3. The actors can bring the characters to life.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

The series is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, a town charged with supernatural history. It follows the life of Elena Gilbert, a teenage girl who has just lost both parents in a car accident, as she falls in love with two 162 and 170-years-old vampire brothers named Stefan and Damon Salvatores.

,,The Vampire Diaries’’ is one of my favorite series. Between the book and the series there are so many differences. For example, in the book, the characters are described differently, and in the series they are completely different.

I liked the series more, because the actors’ emotions and manners made me more interested in the series. 

Elizabeth Bennet

Elizabeth Bennet is beautiful, lovely, bold, intelligent, and independent, with a witty sense of humor. She considers herself to be a proper young lady and a good judge of character. However, throughout the novel, Elizabeth realizes that she is not perfect; she does misjudge people at times, and her pride eggs on these mistakes. Furthermore, her prejudice leads to her struggling to understand other peoples’ points of view. Throughout the novel, Elizabeth Bennet’s character evolves to become more humble and empathetic while maintaining that signature confidence in who she is.

Elizabeth Bennet’s New Year

I think Elizabeth will celebrate New Year’s Eve with her husband, Mr. Darcy and her children. They will decorate the Christmas tree; Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy will buy some presents for their children to make them happy and have dinner together.

Also they will visit Elizabeth’s family: Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Jane Bennett, Mary Bennet, Kitty Bennet and Lydia Bennet. They will spend some time together; give each other some gifts, have dinner together, the children will play, and enjoy their time together.

THE BEST DAY OF 2022
The best day of 2022 was July 11^th. July 11^th I went at Kakheti, Telavi. I visited king Erekle II’s palace and learnt about his history. I also visited a museum and listened to some history. I love history so I enjoyed it.

SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT NEW YEAR’S EVE

People have many superstitions about New Year’s Eve. People often say, “As you meet the New Year, you will spend the whole year“. They also wish for good luck, money, jobs and so on. All of that requires action, and not only a wish. Children believe in Santa Claus. All of this are stupid superstitions.

GOALS

I believe that setting goals at the beginning of a New Year is not necessary. A goal can be set and accomplished at any time. If you really want it, you don’t have to wait for the New Year.

NEW YEAR’S DAY

GEORGIA

In the New Year, all the children are waiting for Santa Claus to bring them gifts. From time to time they steal the delicacies from the table silently and eat them before the New Year. As soon as the clock strikes 12 o’clock, they go outside and light fireworks, at which time the mothers stay at home and silently place presents under the Christmas tree … In Georgia, on New Year’s, mothers and grandmothers make some food including Gozinaki, Churchkhela, chicken and much more.

USA

With a champagne glass in hand, fireworks in the sky, tasty dishes to feast on, New Year is going to be a blast undoubtedly. New Year is celebrated in the US very grandly and people come out onto the street to greet each other and to welcome the New Year together. Very few love to sit at home and enjoy their private space and me-time whilst many love to join the crowds to welcome the New Year.  Other than the usual celebrations, Americans have some traditions that they follow very strictly on the New Year’s Eve as well as New Year’s Day including:

1. Times Square Ball Drop;
2. Making Resolutions;
3. New Year’s Kiss;
4. Hoppin’ John;
5. Midnight Countdown.

There are many traditions that people in United States observe on New Year’s Day. Cities witness various traditions like first night, live music performances, dancing events etc.

Author: Natato Togonidze

Oskar Schell is the main character in Jonathan Safran’s book “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”. Oskar seems to be just a normal kid with dreams and interests who had a great life before the 9.11.2001 accident. Before that day, his father was the most important person in Oskar’s life. He and his father always used to be so close to each other. They were often playing a game called “Search Missions”. His father used to give him clues and Oskar would search for the hidden item.

On 9.11.2001 there was a horrible accident that changed Oskar’s life. On that day his father was in one of those buildings that the suicide terrorists attacked. After that day Oskar completely changed. He gained new fears such as buildings, elevators, planes, strangers and smoke. He has become very lonely and sad since his dad died. After a few years, while Oskar was looking through his dad’s room he found a blue vase. The vase fell and broke. There was something inside that vase. It was an envelope. Oskar opened it and found a key. He knew that it was something important and decided to look for what that key was supposed to open. 

All of those things say a lot about Oskar. We can tell that he is not really good at communicating so that’s why he doesn’t really have friends to play with and people to rely on. In the book there’s mentioned that he invents stuff on his own and then collects items. He is creative and rather introverted. He is also scared of things such as planes and elevators. All of these traits can mean that he has ASD (Autism spectrum disorder). He is bad at communicating, only is close and attached to two people and has many interests such as inventing things and investigating. There’s also mention that he only wears white clothes. People with Autism want everything in their lives to be the same and perfect. They often are introverted, have anxiety and stress quickly about small things. People with autism either fear nothing or fear many things.

Based on those symptoms and signs of Autism we can deduce that Oskar is autistic.

Author: Elene Chkhaidze

I have really enjoyed every book I have read in Book Club, but I enjoyed The Great Gatsby the most. Through Gatsby’s actions, I learnt that it is sometimes necessary to be weary of people who seem like they are “too good to be true.” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story shows the consequences of desperately building up a replicated image of a person in your mind. Doing so only makes it hard to discern reality from the imaginary. 

Gatsby was trying to build his future based on Daisy’s shadow. Sadly, this was only a pseudo-representation of a woman that he remembered from years ago. “Things are sweeter when they’re lost. I know–because once I wanted something and got it. It was the only thing I ever wanted badly, Dot, and when I got it, it turned to dust in my hand.” 

The message behind this quote from Fitzgerald’s “The Beautiful and Damned” can certainly be applied to the context of this story. A second good life lesson is that the past should remain in the past. Narrator Nick Carraway’s famous line “You can’t repeat the past” has always remained with me long after I finished reading the novel. In Luhrmann’s adaptation, it’s even easier to hear the conviction in Gatsby’s voice as he replies “But of course you can!” These tie in with the previous theme in the sense that the past should remain in the past. 

With time, the images you remember about certain people or places can change. I have often found myself thinking about the past, and whether there was anything that could’ve been done to tip certain events in my favor. The main point is that there is no use trying to imitate a memory. 

New Year

If any day in 2022 was repeated I would choose my birthday. I would choose my birthday because it was the first time I celebrated in Tbilisi with my friends and I actually enjoyed it. First we went to Mcdonald’s which we usually never do and then we went bowling and that was when I saw how good I was at it. My friends were stunned and even I was stunned, so as I said I really enjoyed that day. 

It is important to set new goals for New Year’s which I don’t usually do, but I have one goal for 2023 and that is to buy a laptop. I’m also planning on getting 10s in every school subject this semester. 

Author: Giorgi Chachanidze

Setting a goal can keep your thoughts focused. When a person has a goal in life and he achieves it, his life gets more exciting. He knows that he achieved something by working hard for it and he is happy with himself. I also think that regardless of how hard you work, if you are aiming for the wrong dream, then all that effort will only get you to the wrong destination, and that would be extremely disappointing. You will lose hope, motivation, and probably become insecure too and think that you are useless. By having clear goals, you become aware of precisely what you want to achieve and how to go about doing it. 

You are able to more accurately assess and measure your ability to accomplish the goals and most importantly, you have a plan that can guide you along the way and keep you on track. Setting New Year’s resolutions can help you achieve success in the upcoming year. I personally have great motivation at the start of a New Year, because in my opinion it is a new fresh start to do something good and be productive. I just left all the bad things from last year and am ready to start the New Year with kindness, love, productiveness and motivation. 

My goals for 2023 are that I want to eat more healthily, work out more and just take care of my physical health. I also want to focus on my mental health. To improve your mental health, you should spend time in nature, read books, have some alone time and spend time with your friends, meditate, love yourself, say words of affirmation and just take good care of yourself and do things that you love.

Author: Nana Tsimakuridze

Imagine that one day in 2022 keeps repeating. Which day in 2022 would you choose to relive over and over again? Why?

The day I choose is December, 26, 2022 – My classmate’s birthday.

I can say that it was a crazy day. The day started normally like any other. I woke up, got ready and got an invitation to the party. I had my gifts ready and headed to their house (they are twins). We had a drink and had fun and then everything turned bad. My classmate Nino drank 9 glasses of wine. Then Nino had a fight with Gio, one of the twins. It was verbal, but it turned into a real war. When the cake was brought in, they smashed the twin’s head into the cake. When everything calmed down, they cut the cake. Nino threw her share of the cake in Giorgi’s face. I was standing behind Gio. This caused a food fight. Everything was covered with cake. There was even a piece of chicken lying on the floor, and after 15 minutes, everything was calm again. We started to see off the classmates as they left the party to go home.

We had to drag Nino to her house. Giorgio was waiting for Nino to throw snow at her, but again it hit me in the face and it was painful. We dragged Nino along and ran towards my house. On the way some kid was throwing explosives on the road. My classmate got angry and told him to stop. When I got to my house, I was so drunk I couldn’t open the door, but my classmate’s mother helped me. We were funny; we were 5 kids and one adult. We were so drunk we could barely walk. It was the coolest and funniest day ever. I think it’s already clear why I want this day to happen again. I had a good time and I have good memories of this day. I don’t want to forget this day for as long as I live.

Author: Nikoloz Lomsadze

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald offers up commentary on a variety of themes. For example, justice, power, greed, betrayal, the “American dream”, and so on. I think that none of the themes is explained as deeply as social stratification. Fitzgerald carefully divides the characters in his book into different social classes, but in the end, each class must deal with its own issues. 

This book is serving as a reminder of how cruel this world is. Fitzgerald makes an excellent point about the inequality reaching every level of society by creating three separate social classes: old money, new money, and no money. America faced extensive post-war economic development throughout the 1920s, and Fitzgerald did a good job in capturing the dangers of society. Despite the fact that Fitzgerald had no way of predicting the 1929 stock market crash, the world he creates in his novel seems fatal. The characters in the book have confused values and incorrectly think that social inequality and maintaining social borders are the only ways to survive. 

They fail to develop the empathy and sensitivity that, in reality, separates people from animals, instead believing in fragile things like money and materialism. The characters in The Great Gatsby are the wealthiest people in 1920s New York society. They are not represented as being very inspiring despite their wealth. Instead, the wealthy people’s wastefulness, egoism, and irresponsibility are revealed. “The Great Gatsby” is about the flaws found within high society, and how a lifestyle based on money will never be meaningful. 

Gatsby is the most obsessed with his wealth, because he really wants to win the materialistic Daisy’s “heart”. Many people think that Gatsby’s novel is just as important today as it was when it was written, even if it is set in a different time and features a different set of characters. It considers topics that are general in nature, such as human mistakes, man’s fight with time and so on. What is The Great Gatsby’s main message? Well, in my opinion, the novel’s major theme is that the “American dream” is a fantasy and that nobody can truly have everything. The main message may also be that anyone who gains wealth becomes obsessed with the power they have in their hands.  

Author: Mariam Meskhidze