I always prefer to read stories, thus it is a pleasure to discuss particularly the best and most fascinating stories and novels I have ever read. I’ll now talk about the book “The Old Man and the Sea,” which strikes me as having a highly interesting and captivating plot.

What story/novel it was?

The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel authored by Ernest Hemingway. The entire story centres on an elderly guy who relies on fishing and his struggles with a huge marlin in the water. Actually, the elderly fisherman encountered difficulties while fishing and was unable to catch enough fish to support himself.

He lived in this state for 84 days before setting off on a gruelling sea voyage to try to turn his luck around on the 85th day. Despite coming quite close to a huge marlin, he was unable to bring the alive fish to land. On his journey home, the fish was eaten by sharks.

Where you came to know about it?

I took the story out of my father’s personal collection and read it. He owns a sizeable library, which includes books, novels, and old papers. However, he restrained me from reading all the novels when I was a young child. I believe he wanted me to read novels that were appropriate for teenagers, so he instead prescribed some of them to me. The Old Man and the Sea was one of them.

I was drawn to the book’s cover page. Dad claimed that the book was a great novel, but the size and form startled me. Really, I had no idea that the book was a quick read.

When you read it?

As I recall, I was 17 years old when I read the book and finished it in a matter of days. There were summer holidays. The majority of my friends went on vacation. I was therefore left with nothing to do but read books and play video games.

Explain why it was particularly interesting to you?

I find the story in the novel particularly interesting because the plot includes surprises and thrills. The narrative centres on Santiago, a misfortunate old Cuban fisherman, and his valiant attempts to alter his fortune. His attempts to improve his fishing luck and the journey he took to realise his objective were nevertheless brave.

Concluding the Cue Card

Moreover, the novel is one of the literature’s greatest masterpieces, and in my opinion Ernest Hemingway’s best work. He became famous because of the book, which also helped him win the Noble Prize.

Summary of the novel – The Old Man and the Sea

————

MODEL ANSWER 2

A good novel is unquestionably the best companion of a man – both in sad times and cheering moments. So today, I’d take this opportunity to talk about a fantastic work of literature that I found particularly interesting.

Basically, I am a Bibliophile so I always keep a nice collection of books and novels. However, Who moved my cheese is my favourite. Dr. Spencer Johnson wrote this fantastic novel. It is a business fable with motivational elements, the kind of book you read to find inspiration for success in both your personal and professional life.

Once I was travelling in the Delhi metro and I saw a man carrying this book. He looked like an utmost, well-dressed professional so he was hard to ignore. I searched on Google what the book is all about. Truly speaking, I find the summary of the novel very interesting and thought I should read it.

Moreover, my annual performance assessment at the firm left me feeling rather irritated last month. So, I was prompted to read this novel and reflect. After just one chapter, I was completely engrossed. But for a thorough understanding, I had to read the book twice in one week.

Talking about the story, it centres on four characters—two mice named Sniff and Scurry, and two humans named Hem and Haw—who live in a maze and seek out cheese in order to eat and be happy. The word “Cheese” used in the book is actually a metaphor for what you want out of life, such as a fulfilling career, a loving relationship, wealth or material possessions, good health, or a sense of spiritual peace. The “maze” is where you look for what you want, which could be your workplace, your family, or the neighbourhood where you live.

The entire story in the novel is very interesting. First of all, every regular man can relate to the story. Second, there is just the right amount of details—not too many that the book is filled to the brim, but enough to test your imagination.

I think a great story or a novel leaves us with many experiences; That’s the particular thing about them. They let us travel the world without moving our feet!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Victor Emmanuel (@iamsupernaturalvictor)

————

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

Following are the probable set of IELTS Speaking Part-3 follow-up questions for Describe a story or a novel that was particularly interesting to you cue card:

1) What kinds of stories do children like to learn?

Most likely, children appear to enjoy tales that feature adventure, mystery, excitement, discovery, bravery, novelty, and humour. I believe perhaps the best way to help a child explore, express, and understand emotions, problems, problem-solving, habits, and much more is via stories.

2) How often do people in your country read novels?

People in India are diverse, and they have a wide range of hobbies. Those who enjoy reading books do it frequently—every day, in fact. Some people infrequently read novels.

3) What kinds of novels do old people like to read?

Growing old isn’t all doom and gloom. As you age, there is a certain section of novels like fiction, biographies, autobiographies etc that you may find appealing.

4) What are the benefits of listening to stories or reading novels?

If you listen to stories, you can improve your linguistic abilities. Even those who struggle with decoding can benefit from it. When you listen to while reading, you can hone important language abilities. Such activities improve imagination and creativity as well.

5) Are you a good storyteller?

Frankly, I’m a lousy storyteller! I always forget the punchlines to silly stories and get lost trying to get to the point of the serious ones. It doesn’t happen when I’m writing, though.

6) How does technology help people tell stories?

All types of storytelling have been made possible by technology over the years, including spoken stories in movies and recordings, visual stories in images, and written stories on blogs and social media status updates.

7) Do you prefer to read e-books or printed books?

I prefer to read E-books over printed ones. This is simply because E-books are delivered almost instantaneously. They can be purchased from the comfort of your chair. I actually have a Kindle device where I have stored plenty of books to read on the go.

8) Why are mystery novels so popular nowadays?

Simply because people are naturally curious, mystery stories are appealing. People are constantly drawn to suspenseful content and narratives with uncertain conclusions. These books keep readers speculating until the very end, which makes them so popular nowadays.

9) What kinds of novels are suitable for a film adaptation?

I think that true stories or novels based on true stories often work best in a film, where the storytelling is straightforward. Dialogue, rather than reliance on description, is what is needed to move the narrative forward.

Join our IELTS community: Subscribe to our Youtube channel ▷

I hope it gives you some realistic idea on how to carry a conversation around Describe a story or a novel that was particularly interesting to you IELTS Cue card topic. However, it is strongly advised not to reproduce the same answer during the exam. You should rather reformulate and personalize your answer.

If you still need any help, don’t be shy to comment below.

ALL THE BEST!
Rajit

Introduction