Talking about stories

comic book noun. /ˈkɒmɪk bʊk/

truyện tranh

a magazine for children that tells a story using comic strips

My younger brother started to love reading through comic books about superheroes.

fable noun. /ˈfeɪbəl/

truyện ngụ ngôn

a traditional short story that teaches a moral lesson, especially a story about animals

In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, the slow but steady animal wins the race.

fairy tale noun. /ˈfeəri teɪl/

truyện cổ tích

a children’s story in which magical things happen

Many fairy tales begin with the words 'Once upon a time'.

fantasy noun. /ˈfæntəsi/

truyện, phim giả tưởng

a story, film etc that is based on imagination and not facts

Her favourite fantasy series is set in a world full of dragons and wizards.

folk tale noun. /ˈfəʊk teɪl/

truyện dân gian

a very old traditional story from a particular place that was originally passed on to people in a spoken form

My grandmother often tells us the folk tale of the starfruit tree and the magic bird.

graphic novel noun. /ˌɡræfɪk ˈnɒvl/

tiểu thuyết đồ họa

a novel (=long written story) in which the story is told in a series of pictures drawn inside boxes like in a comic

The graphic novel version of the classic made the story much easier to follow.

myth noun. /mɪθ/

thần thoại

an ancient story, especially one invented in order to explain natural or historical events

The ancient Greeks told myths to explain thunder, the seasons and the stars.

novel noun. /ˈnɒvəl/

tiểu thuyết

a long written story in which the characters and events are usually imaginary

It took me the whole summer holiday to finish that long novel.

play noun. /pleɪ/

vở kịch

a story that is written to be performed by actors, especially in a theatre

Our class is performing a short play about friendship at the end of term.

poetry noun. /ˈpəʊətri/

thơ ca

poems in general, or the art of writing them

Reading poetry aloud helps you hear the rhythm of the language.

short story noun. /ˌʃɔːt ˈstɔːri/

truyện ngắn

a short written story about imaginary situations and characters

She wrote a short story about a lost dog for the school magazine.

sympathetic adjective. /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/

biết cảm thông

caring and feeling sorry about someone’s problems

Our form teacher was very sympathetic when I told her my grandfather was ill.

caring adjective. /ˈkeərɪŋ/

chu đáo, biết quan tâm

thinking about what other people need or want and trying to help them

The main character is a caring older brother who looks after his three sisters.

charming adjective. /ˈtʃɑːmɪŋ/

duyên dáng, dễ mến

very pleasing or attractive

The narrator is a charming old man with a story for every occasion.

enjoyable adjective. /ɪnˈdʒɔɪəbəl/

thú vị, vui

something enjoyable gives you pleasure

The book club meeting was so enjoyable that nobody wanted to go home.

gorgeous adjective. /ˈɡɔːdʒəs/

rất đẹp, tuyệt (thời tiết)

extremely pleasant or enjoyable

It was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for the school picnic.

be a bit of a bookworm /bi ə bɪt əv ə ˈbʊkwɜːm/

khá là mọt sách

to be someone who likes reading very much (said in a light, modest way)

I'm a bit of a bookworm – I always carry a novel in my school bag.

heavy going /ˈhevi ˈɡəʊɪŋ/

nặng nề, khó đọc

if a book, play etc is heavy going, it is boring and difficult to understand

I found the first chapter heavy going, but the story soon became exciting.

get into sth /ɡet ˈɪntə/

bắt đầu thích, say mê (điều gì)

to begin to enjoy something or be interested in it

I couldn't get into the novel at first, but now I can't put it down.

judge a book by its cover /dʒʌdʒ ə bʊk baɪ ɪts ˈkʌvə(r)/

trông mặt mà bắt hình dong

used to say that you should not form an opinion based only on the way something looks

The book looked boring, but you should never judge a book by its cover.

page-turner noun. /ˈpeɪdʒ tɜːnə(r)/

cuốn sách hấp dẫn, khó rời mắt

a book that is very exciting

The mystery was a real page-turner; I read it in one night.

read between the lines /riːd bɪˈtwiːn ðə laɪnz/

hiểu ẩn ý

to guess someone’s real feelings from something they say or write, when they do not tell you directly

If you read between the lines, you can tell that the narrator is lonely.

to cut a long story short /tə kʌt ə lɒŋ ˈstɔːri ʃɔːt/

nói tóm lại

used to say that you are only going to mention the main facts of something

To cut a long story short, we missed the bus and walked all the way to the library.

good bedtime reading /ɡʊd ˈbedtaɪm ˈriːdɪŋ/

sách hay để đọc trước khi ngủ

a book that is easy and pleasant to read in bed before you go to sleep

Short, funny stories make good bedtime reading for young children.