LITERARY MAGAZINE

Step 9

Literary Magazine

Adriana BarrazaAngie Breton David Bermudez Diego Wees

Lewis Carroll's classic tale, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," transports readers into a vibrant, imaginative world brimming with talking animals, magical potions, and mind-bending encounters. This timeless story follows the curious and courageous Alice as she navigates the bizarre landscape of Wonderland, discovering the power of curiosity and the importance of embracing the unexpected.

Step into the whimsical world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, where logic is turned upside down, and nothing is as it seems. This enchanting novel follows Alice, a curious young girl, who falls down a rabbit hole and embarks on a journey through a fantastical land full of peculiar characters and strange adventures. The novel features a cast of unforgettable characters, including the mischievous Cheshire Cat, the eccentric Mad Hatter, and the imperious Queen of Hearts. Carroll’s use of surrealism and wordplay enhances the dreamlike quality of Wonderland, where the boundaries of reality blur and readers are invited to explore deeper themes like identity and authority. In terms of literary devices, Carroll masterfully employs satire, nonsense, and irony to create a playful yet thought-provoking narrative. The frequent puns, riddles, and paradoxes keep readers on their toes, offering layers of meaning that can be appreciated by both children and adults alike. The genre blends fantasy and literary nonsense, creating a timeless classic

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Reading skills and techniques

Opinion on why this book was chosen

The target audience

Genre and literary devices and examples

English proficiency level required

B1-C1

New vocabulary and language feature

aDRIANA barraza

Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club is a gritty exploration of identity and consumerism, presented through the eyes of an unnamed protagonist who grapples with insomnia and a disillusioned life. His existence transforms when he meets Tyler Durden, a charismatic soap salesman with radical ideas about masculinity and societal norms. Together, they establish an underground fight club that evolves into a subversive movement challenging the very fabric of modern society.

Key characters include the Narrator, whose struggle with selfidentity and societal pressures drives the narrative, and Tyler, whose anarchistic philosophies offer a disturbing yet compelling counterpoint. Marla Singer, an enigmatic woman entangled in the men’s lives, serves as a catalyst for conflict, highlighting themes of intimacy and alienation.Palahniuk employs a stark, minimalist style that mirrors the bleakness of the protagonist's existence. His use of unreliable narration creates a layered, thought-provoking experience, compelling readers to question the nature of reality and the self. The novel blends elements of satire, psychological fiction, and transgressive literature, making it a powerful critique ofcontemporary life

Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.

DIEGO WEES

Reading skills and techniques

Opinion on why this book was chosen

The target audience

Genre and literary devices and examples

English proficiency level required

B2-C1

New vocabulary and language feature

The Vanity of Human Wishes, penned by Samuel Johnson in 1749, is a poignant poem that delves into the futility of human ambition and desire. Inspired by Juvenal's satirical works, Johnson employs a rich tapestry of historical and mythical figures to illustrate how aspirations often lead to disillusionment. The poem serves as both a reflection on individualhuman experiences and a broader commentary on society.

The central theme of the poem revolves around the idea that the pursuit of wealth, power and fame can ultimately result in disappointment and suffering. Johnson explores the transient nature of human wishes, highlighting the irony that what is often sought after can lead to despair rather than fulfillment.His style is characterized by eloquent language,vivid imagery, and sharp satire. Through personification and metaphor, Johnson vividly portrays abstract concepts, making the poem both engaging and thought-provoking. Johnson's work is a masterclass in blending personal reflection with social critique. The poem’s structure, with its rhythmic flow and poignant imagery, effectively captures the reader’s attention. Each stanza builds upon the last, drawing the reader into deepercontemplation of their own aspirations. Johnson's insights into the human condition are timeless, making the poem relevant even in contemporary contexts.

The Vanity of Human Wishes

David bermudez

Reading skills and techniques

Opinion on why this book was chosen

The target audience

Genre and literary devices and examples

English proficiency level required

B2-C1

New vocabulary and language feature

It is set in a constant atmosphere of mystery, threat, racism and injustice; it tells the story of Marlow's (ship's pilot) dangerous journey along an African river called the "Congo". He witnesses waste, incompetence, abuse, negligence and extreme racism.

A Journey into the Deepest Depths of Mankind follows the narrator Marlow's account of his journey down the Congo into the heart of Africa and into the heart of darkness. Marlow takes command of a Belgian trading company's dilapidated steamer during the final period of European colonialism. Upon arriving in Africa, he hears rumors about a Mr. Kurtz who supposedly lives and rules hundreds of miles upriver. Kurtz is the company's most successful trading agent. He supplies unimaginable quantities of ivory and appears to be a charismatic character. Despite all the inconveniences, Marlow travels upriver to meet this man. He will not forget what he sees there for the rest of his life. Although Conrad's images of the jungle and the cruelty of colonial rule are concrete, the author has little interest in narrative realism. From the confrontation of the white man with the primitive world, which is described as terrifying, the author creates a gloomy reflection of human existence and one of the darkest representations of European colonialism in literature.

HEART OF DARKNESS JOSEPh CONRAD

Reading skills and techniques

Opinion on why this book was chosen

Genre and literary devices and examples

English proficiency level required

B1-C1

New vocabulary and language feature

angie breton

thank you!

English Literature

Fight’s club

Diego Wees

I chose Fight’s club because I watched the movie a long time ago, and I already knew some things about the book, but the principal reason why I chose it was cause I really like its plot, the background history is amazing, and the final plot twist is one the best plot twist I had ever seen in my life, I also like the places where the history was located, and its characters are full of life, their mental problems and ills are nothing but interesting.

The book is mainly geared toward male audiences, not just by the violence, it is also about the problems that those men are involved and how they take care of them.

The main genres in this book are satire, and science fiction. The literary devices that this book used are foreshadowing, symbolism and irony. They are one of the most literary devices used in the book.

“Rummy without sleep” this is a phrase to mean inebriated due to lack of sleep. “Tiny life” A term the Narrator uses to refer to the single-serving portions of everything from soap to airline food that he encounters during his business travels. “Downsizing”, meaning a reduction in work force to reduce cost.

New Vocabulary

Vanity of Human Wishes

David Bermudez

My option was on the vanity of human wishes just because it looked different from what I heard of it, I've never read something like this in my life and I can tell it was a pure and crude experience thanks to the way the book is written, there's no characters at all, just the personification of selfish ambitions and the risk to fall for them, it makes you see ambitions from other point of view, I can tell this book can make you change the perception you have of selfish ambitions.

the main genres are poem and satire, Irony, methafor and personification are the most used literary devices.

I'd dare to say that it is for people who have a strong interest in this kind of writing, that could be found in this book, the containment is not something you can find so easily besides you must be focused and paying attention to understand the ideas

Elysium: it's a conception that consists in rewarding the righteous ones in the afterlife. Squalor: Being extremely unpleasant, often this is due to poverty.

New Vocabulary

HEART OF DARKNESS

ANGIE BRETON

I have chosen this novel for several reasons. First, the title of the novel caught my attention. Second, the short description was to my liking, it contains the themes that I like to read. Third, I was really interested in knowing the full novel.

"Wanton." It means something sexually lawless or unrestricted; loose; lewd; obscene, aggressive, serious, dark, violent. When this word precedes a verb or subject it is to intensify that the action or thing is very bad and cruel.

New Vocabulary

I consider that the audience for this novel should be adults; it has a colonial literary language of modern genre.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

ADRIANA BARRAZA

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a unique choice for readers seeking an imaginative escape and a story rich in creativity and wit. I chose this book because it offers a delightful mix of fantasy and literary nonsense, inviting readers to explore the whimsical land of Wonderland with Alice as their guide.

As readers will encounter a variety of complex language structures and Carroll’s signature wordplay. The genres present, including fantasy and surrealism, are enriched with literary devices such as satire, irony, and riddles, which add layers of meaning and make the story engaging on multiple levels.

The target audience spans both children and adults, making it a versatile read with timeless appeal

New vocabulary terms such as "curiouser," "riddle," and "nonsense" enhance the reading experience, encouraging readers to delve into Carroll’s unique use of language while exploring Wonderland’s deeper themes of identity, authority, and the absurdity of strict logic.

New Vocabulary