By now you should have bought your copy of the Brighton rock and a Reading Journal. Over the next 8 weeks you should read the suggested chapters and answer the study questions in your reading journal to keep track and have lots of notes for when we start the book in class after Christmas.
See the first set of study questions below.
Dr B.
Reading Journal Entry 1. (To be done by Friday 13th Nov.)
Read Part 1 Chapter 1. (Pages 3-18)
Look closely at the first sentence of the book. How effective is this as an opening to a novel?
The main characters in the story are introduced in the first chapter. These are Hale (the 'Kolly Kibber' character, aka Fred), Pinkie (the boy), Ida (the woman singing in the bar). Also, Brighton itself becomes almost like a character. The crowd of holiday-makers in the first chapter is also important as a comparison with Hale.
As you read you could write H, P, I, B or C in the margin any time these are described in any detail.
Then create a spider diagram for all 5.
Finally, make notes on how Greene conveys Hale's desperate attempts to find company in the second half of the chapter.
