Book suggestions

[Gearoidin]

Does anyone know of some good books that are written in the form of a diary? The only two I can think of are “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Stay True to your School”. I’m looking for books that would be suitable for an upper-intermediate English as a foreign language class.
I’m in Japan so my students are not Christian and are not very interested in religion so a non-religious diary would be best.

Gearoidin

 

[Cat]

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The book is actually several diaries and journals written by several different people, both men and women. It’s neat the way it all fits together.

I have read this book yearly for almost 30 years. I absolutely love it. It is probably one of my top 3 books, along with the Alcott March family trilogy and the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.

There are a lot of theories about Stoker’s motives in writing the book. On the surface, it is an example of heroic quest genre in which a group of people track down the monster. There is a lot of religious motivation (the monster is not only killing people, but keeping their souls from going to heaven).

But there are some who say that Stoker was actually mocking organized religion. Apparently he wrote the book in a little rented “den” in Soho, and was involved in various and unsavory activities in this criminal section of London.

I’m not sure who is correct.

I just finished reading the book again a few weeks ago, and I was actually struck with the idea that Stoker was criticizing the Catholic/Anglican split. The Anglican religion seemed to have no power over Dracula, while the Host and the Crucifix of the Catholics did have power to repel the vampire. ???!!! Just my theory and I haven’t read anything to support it!

The reading level is definitely 8th grade or above. I read it in junior high school when I was about 13. I had no trouble understanding it.

Make sure you get the COMPLETE edition. I was given an edition that doesn’t include the Afterward, which explains what happened to all the people in the heroic quest. The book kind of ends abruptly without this. Also, there are kids’ versions that simplify the diary entries. GET THE REAL THING.

Good luck.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

While not quite a diary per se, C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters is a collection of letters/correspondences.

I was reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons - the first book is set up where each pilgrim tells their story and one is told in the form of a diary.

Also I read a series (found in one book) - The Myst Reader, Books 1-3: Three Books in One Volume (The Book of Atrus; The Book of Ti’ana; The Book of D’ni) by Rand Miller, Robyn Miller, and David Wingrove . From what I recall, one is in diary form.

All of these though are fiction.

 

[Victorious]

One of my favorites – well two of my favorites – are I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves. I don’t know how appropriate these would be for an English class, but they are very lucid and well-written. They are the story of the Emperor Claudius – the same who was married to the notorious Messalina – told from his point of view. (Messalina, by the way, is not the primary focus of the story.)