Desde aquí quiero felicitar a mi alumna Laura Angulo, de 1º Bachillerato A, por su excelente participación en el concurso "Student Review Contest" del periódico New York Times.
Laura participó en este concurso con una crítica al libro "Origen" de Dan Brown y, entre casi 1500 participantes, muchos de ellos hablantes nativos, Laura ha quedado entre los "runners-up", del puesto 11 al 25.
Felicidades también a su familia y al claustro de profesores/as del IES Ángel de Saavedra. Es un orgullo, además de una responsabilidad, trabajar con esta alumna.
¡CONGRATULATIONS LAURA!
Origin, by Dan Brown
Over the last lustra, one question has been roaming our minds: is the growing sector of technology hijacking society? Dan Brown has intended to provide us with a suitable answer – and I would say that he succeeded wholeheartedly. Brown predicts a terrific yet terrifying outcome – in the short term, we will merge ourselves with high technology in a symbiotic relationship in order
to elongate our lifespan and living standards. This story contains thought-provoking ideas that I am sure will disarray a few's previous knowledge on the subject of how science and technology affect religious beliefs.
Settled in the contemporary Spain, “Origin” opens with our longtime friend Professor Robert Langdon attending the announcement of a crucial discovery for the human race hosted by his former student and the worldwide hailed inventor Edmond Kirsch. The disclosure takes place in the modern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, with a breathtaking and controversial display screening regarding the origin and fate of humanity during which Kirsch is murdered. Henceforth, Langdon and his competent companion Ambra Vidal (the Museum's director and Kirsch's friend) embark themselves on an adventure in Barcelona that will lead them to the unveiling of Kirsch's secret, which “will change the face of science forever.” However, members of extreme religions want to silence them and have them in the spotlight, so Kirsch's secret may waiting in the wings either to be unlocked and revealed or to belost forever.
“Origin” is a mixture of science, technology, religion and ethics with splashes of fiction here and there, which majestically manages to captivate the soul and nature of each notion, although it frequently feels like a distorted caricature when it comes to Spanish stereotypes.
As a Spaniard myself, I am able to confirm that nobody prays that much. The fact that such devotion had to be reflected by hook or crook is understandable; nevertheless, certain statements might be considered misleading and deceitful, either for better or for worse. Besides, although the plot is interesting enough to keep us engaged to the pages, there is hardly any character development and appreciable cracks (e.g. no one questions or attempts to verify any debatable conclusion that the protagonists have jumped to).
What really is worthy of admiration is the easiness with which Dan Brown's utterly original way of uncovering clues has us on the edge, following a scrupulously traced path that will ultimately let us looking in the eye of the mystery itself without realising it. Including an omnipotent macro computer which makes audacious forecasts and helps the main characters evade being arrested or assassinated by the policeman and contract killers, this book will make your neck hurt as you devour the pages avidly and incessantly.
With all the audiovisual files we have been provided by the Greek team, they have to make a travel book, as their partners did before our visit to Keikiavik, Iceland (April, 2017)
