Book Review: Strangeness in my mind by Orhan Pamuk

Title: Strangeness in my mind
Author: Orhan Pamuk
Pages: 624
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 9780307700292
Price: $ 19
Genre: Fiction/ Turkish literature
Source: Library




Summary
from goodreads
A Strangeness In My Mind is a novel Orhan Pamuk has worked on for six years. It is the story of boza seller Mevlut, the woman to whom he wrote three years' worth of love letters, and their life in Istanbul.

In the four decades between 1969 and 2012, Mevlut works a number of different jobs on the streets of Istanbul, from selling yoghurt and cooked rice, to guarding a car park. He observes many different kinds of people thronging the streets, he watches most of the city get demolished and re-built, and he sees migrants from Anatolia making a fortune; at the same time, he witnesses all of the transformative moments, political clashes, and military coups that shape the country. He always wonders what it is that separates him from everyone else - the source of that strangeness in his mind. But he never stops selling boza during winter evenings and trying to understand who his beloved really is.

Review

I  read great deal about this novel as Pamuk took six years to complete it..This book has become one of my favorites of Pamuks work. .

The protagonist is Mevlut Karatas who as a kid moves from his village to the city with his father in the 60s with dreams and longs for a better life for love , respect and abundance but with successive failure in schooling, business and politics , he ends up as a poor boza vendor, there are plenty of  other small jobs he holds like selling yogurt, ice cream, chicken on street, being a waiter at a cafe plus working at a electric shop, but its his bozo job at night that impressed me the most as it is when the streets come alive..Later on he falls in love with a woman with beautiful eyes and there are exchange of love letters over three years only to elope with her older sister with few mixups..still he accepts his fate as a gift and they live happy though they remain poor..Yet through all the ordeals of his life he remains innocent to his state of mind and I loved the character even more.

One of the best parts of the novel is Pamuk's  love for Istanbul that you see through all characters of the novel mostly Mevut's extended family..Just like in his  other books, image of Istanbul's image comes alive through his words like a poem.The description is rich that makes you smell the heavenly Bozo and wow it taste so perfect.As we learn about bozo's popularity from the days Ottoman empire and its losing demand and being replaced by a more modern drink raki, Pamuk underlines how the old life was slowly disappearing to the modern day and still when the very few do get a bozo from Mevlut  just for sake of  old days, Pamuk holds us all tight with the grip of nostalgia.

 The different of point of views of all the characters gives us a comprehensive take on socio-economic and  legislation of Turkey moving the story ahead too.The vibrant city of Istanbul  surrounds the reader in all its plenty. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that you could see the streets through the novel so precise are the details.His love for his doesn't blind him though. He points out the inequality of women in the society, their lack of education that does bad for the society than good..

The book also takes an interesting cut on the changes of yesterdays tradition that confronts the present and a hope for the future. Pamuk is a master of loss and memories and if you have read his other works you would know what I mean.This is a very long read but for a lover of classics I even felt that I could go on even more that's the extend of my love for this book , definetely one of my favourites of all time.

Book review: Girl before a mirror by Lisa Palmer

Title: Girl before a mirror
Author: Lisa Palmer
Publisher:William Morrow/Harpercollins
Price: $14.99
Page:384
ISBN:9780062297242
Genre: Women's fiction/Contemporary/
Source: Library

Buy girl before a mirror from amazon


Before I begin let me share some happy news with all you guys, its is been a while that I have posted her.. The one posted was pretty much in my drafts  for long so to be honest this is my first post in a while .In between I got married (i know i know) moved across the globe (wow) , now that I'm pretty much settled in the new place and  found my groove , I thought I should start again.Plus library is just few blocks away dada... so here at my new home Im building my new Kindle library and books borrowed from library.

This book I picked firstly for its title, opened a random page and read these quote

"It's hard being woman. Especially being everyone's idea of what being a woman should be.What we want it is to be okay to be just you. All of you. And to know that that's not only good enough, but downright heroic."

Some words you see !

But I was sort of a let down when the book opened up to a 40th birthday celebration of the protagonist Anna Wyatt whose  being divorced is emphasized plus the fact that she is not very happy with her career her introduction also paves way to our understanding that these are just beginning of her twisted life and after few pages one being her lonely childhood next her alcoholic brother .

She decides to get control of her life and build a fulfilling career  for which  she  gives her heart and soul in reviving Luminex shower gel with a new client . Starting up she is assigned with a new young , beautiful and talented colleague Sasha. Anna realizes that her young colleague is beautiful and when you almost think that there would more drama author quickly establishes depth into Anna's character which was very stimulating to keep reading. Anna is intelligent, resourceful, supportive of her younger counterpart, funny in her own way with a very positive outlook in general.I also loved how Palmer projects other female character as well with not much drama very satisfying characters who don't go overboard.

Anna is introduced to a self help book- Be the heroine, find your hero.Though not swept way by romantic novel initially unlike Sasha through the course  she starts to consider its claim..The plot where Anna meets her prince charming Anna , Lincoln a British  financial consultant whom she meets at the hotel during her convention sounds like a page from princess diaries, but you don't really complain as Palmer establishes her characters who openly disapprove romantic novel only outside while loving them every bit inside and even dreaming about it. Ending is very predictable still you enjoy it.

Though not a big fan of romantic novel I do like a change here and there.This is the kind of book you wouldn't rave about still enjoy on a relaxing day with too many interesting quotes about life, some of which are

"I want to be happy and not feel guilty about it.I want to be accepted regardless of what I look like, what I do for a living, my marital status, whether I have kids. I want Purpose, Contentment. to matter, freedom..I want to be. Just be."

Book Review:Best kept secret by Amy Hatvany

Title: Best kept secret
Author:Amy Hatvay
Publisher: Washingnton square press
Pages:330
Genre: Woman's fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: online

Buy Best kept secret from flipkart.com



Summary
Cadence was not into more than a glass of wine till she got divorced from her cheating husband ..Just to relax and for a deep sleep it all started with one glass then she couldn't get sleep without  one full bottle and then it just went on...From a happily married life with a lovely son she had a perfect life until her divorce lead to reach out for alcohol to cope up with her sinking career and life all together..Predictably the bottle took control over her and she lost everything around even her son the only hope of her life..This novel is about a long struggle of Candence getting over her addiction and finding a new life..

Review
Reading the back cover I was convinced that this would be an emotional read for me, my only question was how far..Quite amazingly the book held me enchanted...Alcoholism was the only thing that made me skeptical about the book but as I read through all doubts just evaporated... Just divorced, now a single parent of a pre-school son, Candence resorted on two glass of wine for a deep sleep each night..Slowly and steadily this habit expands onto one bottle and by a year she turns out be a fully alcoholic, yea I know its nothing to be proud of or to be boasted but well that's what happened to Candence...She ended up there with all her senses loud and wide still I couldn't help from sympathizing with her..Predictably she takes grave steps that further risks her to the edge..She now has no friends she can identify with..Her son who was her life is taken away by her ex-husband..Her life is all messed up from there on her path to recovery begins., alcoholism to sobriety she makes it through her ebbing confidence that she somehow pushes high...Her strive to stay in touch with life after divorce, her inabilty to find a job after being a stay home mother,her sinking career graph as a freelance writer, are vividly portrayed by Hatvany....Hatvany makes Candence's character   likeable, in spite of her flaws..Yes, she isn't anything closer to perfection, she makes dumb mistakes. succumbs to alcoholism when she knew right away that would end up losing her beloved son, yet she did it all but that happens to many..Candence recovery is driven by one determined thought., that is her son, I really felt bad when her sister put Candence in hospital..She is all alone and no one to hold on or lean to., well life can in deed could go through rough water...All the perfect description of alcholism made me search more for Amy Hatvany's profile and interviews and there she was admitting to be on the path of recovery from alcoholism....One trouble with alcoholics is that.,  apart from their own life, they also disrupt the lives of people around who care and love them...During her initial stages of recovery, she feels at peace at home all alone., somehow she feels she feels good without her son to mess up things around....To deal with a infidel husband itself toils up a wife emotionally and then when you venture upon alcohol just to shake off the sinking mood which starts to control you is definitely not a great way to deal with things...One of my friends said that.,this book has helped her see alcohol addicts in a new light, now I can see why!!!!Its sad that like Candence., alcoholics are judged , but its also important to make way for them to recover with a helping hand and with some assuring words that they eagerly look out... The novel is not just fabulous but quiet thought provoking too...The honest take on alcoholism and recovery just took my heart away..This book makes me want to read her other works too...

Book review:The bone people by Keri Hulme

Title:The bone people
Author: Keri Hulme
Publisher: Penguin books
Pages: 553
Price: Rs 930
ISBN:0143116452
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Personal

Buy The bone people from flipkart.com
Buy The bone people from amazon
Summary
Kelwin Holmes is a painter and a loner, convinced that "to care for anything is to invite disaster"..Her isolation is disrupted one day when a six year old mute boy ,Simmon, breaks into her house..The sole survivor of a mysterious shipwreck, Simon has been adopted by Maori factory worker Joe who eventually loses his wife and his other son to flue...Joe is horribly brutal towards the boy..The novel reveals each character's thoughts and feelings as they struggle with the desire to connect and the fear of attachment...

Review
I haven't often come across disturbing characters at a single go, but this one is so alluringly haunting , I had taken for granted that only memoir could be like this..Get the help of index in the book or else anything in Maori language and its culture would just go over the head..I found the dialogues and thoughts of  characters to be very confusing, many times I kept wondering what and where and how things were moving ahead..But that is Hulme's style, even through the strange confusions you don't really want to put down the book..Then slowly I started to  like this book then slowly it ebbed away and towards the end I didn't know if I really liked it or not..I have not come across many writers who develop such contagiously disturbing characters...Hulme puts the readers right into Joe's mind that you get the psychotic vibe on his physical abuse towards Simmon his mute son...The characters seem strange yet interesting.. Kerewin an artist with her self imposed exile living in a tower by the sea..Simon has his memory completely washed out and being mute is unable to express a thing, yet his expressions are poetically put forward to the readers...Joe is held by grief of losing his wife and son finds , to get away from it , he gets it undone on Simon who is all troubled son..In spite of his love he consistently abuses his son...I also liked the way Maori culture and myth were intertwined into the story, giving insights on New Zealand's local life and people....Violence and self annihilation somehow becomes the core of the novel...Joe almost beats Simmon to death when Simon grabs a piece of glass to attack Joe both end up in hospital alive..Kerewin, Simmon and Joe share a muddled up relationship yet they care for each other..I also loved the way Hulme had created a situation by which the relationship is forced upon them, yet they take it and live by it....I also liked the way Simmon's character was used to highlight and develop the characters of Kerewin and Joe and their internal struggle for identity and choice of life and living....Simmon at times had my sympathy., losing his family he only had Kerewin and Joe to be something close to a family....Simmon quite aggressive he beats up older children breaks up window of neighbours even when he was in a good mood, the mind of a troubled mute boy just striked in me...Even when Kerewin comes to Simmon's rescue by suggesting an alternative in dealing with him to Joe, she eventually gives up when her own treasured things are taken carelessly away by Simmon and her window broken...Though Kerewin's loneliness and lack of family and happiness are fulfilled to an extend through Joe and Simmon, still she is resolute to come in terms of the absence of it through her life and art....Hulme's use of tenses again was a bit confusing...Reading the novel was vexatious to an extend still I marveled at the Hulme..She leaves many question unanswered, and the climax is left undone.,to take it  positively or negatively is up to ones's own ..Though in my personal opinion I don't see a place where these three souls would fit in together, yet human behaviour is so complex and unfathomable at times that anything could happen....I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wants to sit and relax with a book...

Book Review : Hunger by Knut Hamson

Title:Hunger
Author:Knut Hamson
Pages:250
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Online

Buy Hunger from flipkart.com
Buy Hunger from amazon.com




Summary(from flipkart)
A true classic of modern literature that has been described as ?one of the most disturbing novels in existence” (Time Out), Hunger is the story of a Norwegian artist who wanders the streets, struggling on the edge of starvation. As hunger overtakes him, he slides inexorably into paranoia and despair. The descent into madness is recounted by the unnamed narrator in increasingly urgent and disjointed prose, as he loses his grip on reality.

Review
A quick note before I get to the book..I wanted to read "Growth of the soil" by Knut that earned him Nobel Prize in 1920, but since I found Hunger before finding the other one I gave in to it..

Hunger is about an unsuccessful anonymous writer (lets call him hero) who is trying hard to meet his end meet through his writing skill..He goes around without food for days together, yet he is too proud to ask for help..He is a contrasting figure of psychological pride and survival...One day we find him annoyed by an old lady begging for food and soon we see him going to the extend of selling his vest in exchange of money giving away more than half of the share to her, while keeping smaller portions for himself when he himself hadn't had food...Next instant he thinks that the supreme power is against him and life very harsh and the very next moment we see him switch back to high spirits..

Our hero is quite strange in his own terms, he is impoverished yet has no complains, he wanders through the streets, has no money for food and  carries a clear conscience.. In an exceptional circumstance he steals food which leaves him deeply hurt so the next time when he has money he gives away all the vendor just to free himself from guilt..Above all he is too proud of himself, he doesn't ask for a ticket even when he has been with no food three or four days in  row..He is seen through starving most of his days worse unemployed too...He amuses himself by various tales around and keeps on going planning his work in the coming days...Finally he decides to leave all this sufferings for good and start a new life.. Does he succeed?? Read it to find out..

I took  my own time to get a hang about the story and when I got it I got my pace quite well..The novel is simple, easy to follow and a good read...The hero loves the things around him,the way they are he doesn't feel low about himself or the situations yet he is not sure about that many times..

I was so surprised to hear his name as a link between Dostoevsky and Kafka, even with a Nobel prize to his credit he seemed largely invisible among readers... in short this book would be a different read, as there are no plot to take the novel forward but only events that makes our hero's day and night...There is nothing remarkable about our hero yet his goodness stays throughout untouched by harsh situations of life... 

Book Review: Amphigorey by Edward Gorey

Title: Amphigorey
Author: Edward Gorey
Publisher: Turnaround publisher service
Pages: 189
Price: Rs 1241
ISBN: 9780399504338
Genre: Art / fiction/ satire
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Borrowed



Buy Amphigorey from flipkart.com

Summary (from good reads)

The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross-hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15.

Review
Amphigorey is the first among the series of book of three.I happened to read this book in strange circumstances  just like the bizarre collection of stories that set a classic example for social satire..There are fifteen short stories in this book and each one a unique in its own way..Gorey's illustration is something that one would find it quite different from any of the books one usually reads..I read the stories at random and though unique some of them where not my cup of tea .....

What would you do with ghastly, grim, sullen and somber circumstances and events?? Tone it down so much that they start tosound amusingly witty..I think anyone but  Gorey could do this kind of work with these stories..

There are kids such that in that of  "The Grashlycrumb Tinies" who die at unusual circumstance that is amusing ..But then can you believe that? well that is Gorey for you.. Gorey has created an era that is strangely funny , creatures are strange and quite fantastic at that as in "The Doubtful guest", it is a story of an animal visiting a family much to the irritation and dismay of the family, worse part it doesn't talk while dropping their precious belonging to the pond stealing towel and so on, the family is never able to get rid of it even after 17 years, while the animal doesn't show any sign of leaving in near future either..The Unstrung harp is another interesting hypnagogic conversations in an authors head, his creativity that roots in and branches out as tales..The mental pressure when an author is unable to pen down his thoughts his frustrations and creating a masterpiece and trashing them all are depicted in an unusual way ...
"The hapless child" was one story that in spite of its melancholy aura, could be for a normal read. Its about Charlotte Sophia whose father, Colonel dies on duty, mother too dies of ill- health, she is sent to a boarding school where the teachers are cruel, her fellow mates bizarre to the extend that they tear off her doll's limb, to escape all this she runs away  only to come face to face with thugs who are even worse but then some good news comes her way towards the end.."The curious Sofa"  was my least favourite among all..

Overall the book is for an off-beat read which would treat you with a very different reading experience..The language is old school hence may not be that reader friendly, still it is worth a try..

The illustrations

Book Review: One flew over cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey

Title:One flew over the cuckoo's nest
Author: Ken Kesey
Publisher: Penguin modern classics
Page: 320
Price: Rs 350
Genre:Fiction
Source: Online
Rating: 4 out of 5


Buy One flew over cuckoo's nest from flipkart.com
Buy One flew over the cuckoo's nest from amazon.com

Summary:
Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electric shock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy – the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. Ken Kesey's extraordinary first novel is an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness.

Review:
Set in a mental asylum , One flew over cuckoo's nest somehow transcends a  message that it is fun to be crazy.. The story moves through the eyes of Chief Bromden a schizophrenic pretending to be deaf and dumb so that he goes unnoticed by others.The somber mood swifts off as Randle McMurphy is admitted as the new inmate Mc Murphy chooses a life in hospital to that of the hard labor at the farm , he has many good and not so good things to his credit, he is a breeze of fun, breaking rules is his favourite pass time, he is also allegedly accused of raping a juvenile..McMurphy befriends other inmates just like that , he even  get intimate with many, he lights up the whole environment by means of gambling and many other activities, in short he becomes a ball of energy ..Though one may not agree with his actions, nonetheless all are entertaining..
Of course things doesn't go on in this jolly spirit especially when the whole hospital is supposedly under the strict regime of Ratched the chief nurse who runs the hospital with iron fist..I happily and instantly disliked her..Many a times Mc Murphy pushes his way playing around with Ratched.. But the problem is Mc Murphy can get into serious trouble as Ratched can get him lobotomized which is her extreme end of action towards patients..The problem is no matter Mc Murphy tries his way, the fact would be that he is a patient and Ratched being the nurse  gives her the upper hand over any situation and force him or any patient  for that matter  to go through any kind of medication in the name of therapy..Ratched does manages to keep McMurphy on check for few days...When Ratched almost thinks that everything is under her control things go hayward ..
Mc Murphy ways are bit off track, for example he carries cards that has sexual positions in place of kings, queen and jacks, he even smuggles  wine and finally get prostitutes into the hospital premises...He helps Billy (another inmate) with prostitutes company...This doesn;t go unnoticed by Ratched but what follows was something none could imagine, Ratched  itimitade Billy and he commits suicide, accuses Mc Murphy for his actions..Then on there is a situation of conflicts between Ratched and Mc Murphy finally one day Mc Murphy is taken to lobotomy ward and gets back to the ward in a vegetative state..Bromden unable to bear to watch him in this state kills him and relives him off the agony..Brombden escapes the hospital hikes a ride and set a new path towards his freedom...
Though McMurphy tries to breathe an air of happiness into the lives of inmates at the hospital , on a closer watch the book is a mix of gender bias and racial discrimination ..This might because of the era the tale was set in..Even when you don't agree with Ratched, there are instance when McMurphy works hard to prove  that Ratched is just a woman..
On a positive note, the novel explores the fine line between insanity and sanity and how people can be easily pushed to a state of so called of insanity by the surrounding and how seclusion can only aggravate the situation than help.
Kessey highlights on the liberation of mind invariably of the situations. Kessey has succeeds  in creating an image of hospital , ward, nurse and inmates just like one is watching a movie... I read somewhere that Kessey underwent an electroshock just to get the feel so that he could write about it better, now call that going extra mile on what you do...

Book Review: The Redeemers by Suresh Taneja

Title: The Redeemers
Author: Suresh Taneja
Publisher: Frog Books
Pages:229
Price: Rs 145
Genre:Fiction
ISBN:9789382473398
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Author



Buy The Redeemers from flipkart.com
Buy The Rdemeers from amazon.com

Summary:(from back cover)

One bizarre vacation marked a turning point in the lives of four teenage friends. It dawned upon them that corruption and malpractices had become rampant and deeply ingrained in our culture. They felt anguished and shocked at the shameful state of affairs. They pledged to redeem and change the destiny of the country. They had only two weeks of vacation left to take some big initiatives. The pressure on them was immense. Status quo or failure was not an option for them. Read the inspirational story of a unique movement masterminded by youngsters through innovative ideas and creative thinking. Not a single family could escape from its unrelenting onslaught. It was a rewarding outcome for their persistence and hard work, as they nostalgically recall in 2030.

Review:
Its is 2030, and India is a super power (wow!!! Now who wouldn't want that), people who played the pivotal role in steering the country to this peak are the protagonist of this novel Redeemers, they are the G4 as they call themselves, comprising of Vikram, Yuvika, Manisha, Akshay ..They are the children of closley knit friends inheriting their friendship and values as a way of life.Its bee customary that as kids they grew up spending their vacation together, a custom that they have kept up..Its during one of such a get together that their story unwinds to their children who like their parents are thick...The story opens upon up in 2030 going back to 2099 back in their parents time the G3 group..

For a person like me who has problem remembering to many characters in a story author has given a family tree in the beginning..As the author refers the protagonists as the G3 as kids were nothing special , they had their happy fun filled moments with their parents with beauty and splendid living every moment, until one vacation when their life turns upside down, The gang G3 stand corruption, and every single downtrodden elements that holds the country back, result they become indispensable and a driving force with media help from Zarine..Close encounters with the PM didn't go that well with me though I would love to see something like that in future...

Taneja's love for the country is evident throughout the book, his dream and aspiration for the country peeps through every dialogue, well then who doesn't wish to see the country in the forefront..Indian Rupee is far low when compared to Kuwait dinar yet it always hit the news when the value of US dollar picks up against Indian rupee , that is the effect of super power, even that is taken into consideration in the story where Indian rupee rises above US dollar.Vikram one of the protagonists is Indian ambassador to US and his press conference though bit overdone is definitely optimistic...Every character stands apart from each other with their own ideologies and thoughts yet they bond together with a common motto and Vikram was my personal favorite..G4's actions though believable and practical they seemed to be too good with no shades of grey...The book has a healthy mix of friendship, love, family values, fun, inspirations..Too often Taneja refers to the gang as G4 or G3 that made me feel that they weren't people, but some robot being referred to...

Today though the generation is fed up with the corruption and social malady they lack the proper direction to fight for, many would prefer to open face book and press the like button rather go out there and fight for it ..Though time isn't far when there would be a time when all that Taneja has dreamed would come true..

The book has a beautiful theme that emphasis on the importance of youth power in nation building..Taneja has weaved in together wonderful instants that makes the reader smile and join hands with the endevour, still it didn't let me jump all about it...Language is simple, narrative appealing it wasn't alluring enough for a five star for me..yet I would recommend this book to every youth for Taneja's sheer gracious step to bring together a tale that has style and substance..

Book Review: Ten Shades of Life edited by Nethra .A

Title: Ten shades of life
Author: various authors edited by Nethra.A
Publisher: Mahaveer Publication
Page: 240
Price: Rs 139
ISBN: 9789350880418
Genre: Fiction/Short stories
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Editor
Buy Ten shades of life from flipkart.com


Nethra has worked her way to bring together ten stories of different genre into one book...For that reason this anthology stays different and an enjoyable read..Though I started systematically after first story, I chose the story randomly..

The Incarnadines by Miss Cheyenne Mitchell: Teenager Liane is a lonely girl, she has no friends and is ignored by her alcoholic parents..She is an expert living a life of being invisible to everyone around..Deeply disturbed by her abusive parents her life starts to change, when Dinga Mason the class topper befriends her, she introduces the subject of Incarnadines witchcraft and so on.. Slowly she discovers lot of secrets about them and surprisingly many family links that changes her life and her mother's forever..The book started well for me with an emotionally deprived girl in the story the story went a step ahead when the secret of Incarnadines started unfolding, but thereafter I lost it,..Mitchell somehow couldn't pull off well after that for me...Still an enjoyable one,I felt Mitchell could have done it better...

Red and Gold by Monika Pant: The story brings alive the true flavor of Indian spices with all its grandeur from the by gone days...Set in 18th century Lucknow it is a story of  Love struck couple Kishan and Shagufta ..The rich Muslim culture and the inter religious battle a love struck couple from different religion and socio-economic background status face..In spite of  a dash of gloom with pensive aura, the love carries a spark ...Can they unite in the name of love for the years to come as a family..Read to find out..Pant has painted the wonderful period of history every beautifully..

Harry's Bluff by Dr.Roshan Radhakrishnan: This was my personal favorite with its racy pace and assailant's assignment gone haywire, worse the group trying hard to put things on track...Radhakrishnan has incorporated every element to make the suspense thriller a total hit ..The story also tells how a person carry their own burden of cross which they live...I thoroughly enjoyed it and kudos to Nethra to have included this one in the collection..

Something Like That by Shankar Raman A: This is a kind of story that we could come across anytime around our working space.An elderly Mr. V and Chetan are the examples of people we stumble upon any day..How some people very cunningly take advantage of other's weakness and make a dig at them at every possible moment...I loved the end where the hunter becomes the bait...Raman's writing is simple and very enjoyable..If you expect it to humor you it might disappoint you but works well on satire..

Weekend in The Country by Bruce Memblatt: In the beautiful English land on a wonderful weekend when two friends go camping, you expect fun and happiness but murder and betrayal lingers in the air..It is a horror story that really didn't work for me.. Nevertheless a good read..

A Nootropric Eggress by Karthik. L: A very good attempt on the extra terrestrial story..Rohit the extra brilliant curious brain that been working right from his childhood with n number or things..He is even selected to pursue his higher education in exchange program and that is when his encounter with the E.T happens..With his narrow escape and his subsequent behavior makes up an entertaining read...

The secret of Ahiraah by Reshmy Pillai: This is an historic fiction, I loved the way the story unfolded.Reading this novel one gets a gist on the general history of India too..The Oswals',  Seths'  all stay bright throughout the story and this was one among my personal favorite, many Urdu, Hindi, and old style of Indian language has added to authenticity of the era..

Where did you go by Deepa Duraisamy:This one is a contemporary story with a old prevalent society stigma attached to having a baby boy..The pressure on the couple especially the daughter-in law is too much...The pressure even make people to travel along the track of destruction, breaking relationship..This story explores one instance with suspense and drama..Motherly love, care and parental care is effectively delivered...

Barren Harvest by Vinaya Swapnil Bhagat: Again a genre which is not the kind for me..It has the metaphysical elements with deep logical thoughts in them..Reaching out to reach with the likes of authors  like H.G Wells..

A Good day to die by Rahul Biswas: This is the highly dramatic story among the book were humane  fallacy that complicates life.The three character bring alive everyday turmoil of  fire fighters..Their friendship, their hatred mixes to form a highly striking story..The end I felt it to be too dramatic..Biswas has done justice in portraying the working class in Mumbai city with their naive language and style well..

The book sums up for an easy breezy read creating different mood, since all ten stories belong to different genre one may not enjoy all stories alike still a read worth it...This would be a treat to a reader who loves every kind of genre..Nethra has an impressive profile do go through them..

Book Review Poor folk by Fyodor Dostoevesky

Title: Poor Folk
Author: Fyodor Dostoevesky
Pages:103
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Online

Buy Poor folk from flipkart.com
Buy Poor folk from amazon.com




Review (from the back cover)
Written in the form of letters, it recounts a blossoming romance amid St. Petersburg's slums between a middle-aged writer and a much younger seamstress. Compact and easy to read, it represents an excellent introduction to Dostoyevsky's work.

Summary:
As the name suggests the story revolves round people ridden with poverty..The two protagonist of the novel Makar Dievushkin a clerk and Barbara Dobroselova a seamstress are poor and Makar is deeply in love with Barbara ..The story spans for a period of eight months through exchange of letters between Makar and his distant relative and orphaned Varvara who is sick and is flirting between the line of prostitution and a life of dignity...Coming back to our main story, Barbara never confesses her love for him nor she encourages the generous gifts Makar bestows upon her with whatever he has and at times depriving himself of his basic needs, yet she never refuses him entirely... A love which is destined to doom and you know  what to expect in the end , yet you keep on reading...Unlike Dostoevesky's other works like Crime and Punishment, Brother K and The notes from the underground this story is pretty simple and the characters do not carry the depth of grey that are usually predominant in his other books...The letters in spite of its somber mood is a clear depiction of people who crave for love,care and affection and a self loathing for their life of ruin ... Makar consistently tries to win Barbara's hand even when he knows deep inside that he would eventually lose his side..Barbara goes on to marry Monsieur Bwikov whom she has no particular affection to, still takes such a decision to drift herself away from poverty..Makar even knowing Barbara's decision asks her to right back may be for one last time...Makar's fate

Misery of a poor man is portrayed in a way that earns compassion from the reader than that of sympathy.. Readers get a feeling that they are quite happy about their tattered state...Apart from the state of people and their behavioral psychology,  Dostoevesky also explores the history of Russia with a dash of melancholy and its fall to disgrace... Life of lower middle class society  and their battle to stay afloat leaves us bit disturbed at times..There are also reference excerpts from other authors and writers were Dostoevesky tries to make his opinion upon them...This is a short novel where you get a peek on to the lives of  poor, down trodden, impoverished mass of people of the gone by era...

Book Review: The Nun by Denis Diderot

Title: The Nun
Author: Denis Diderot
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Price: Rs 743
Page: 189
ISBN: 9780199555249
Genre: Fiction/ Classic
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Borrowed
Buy The nun from amazon.com
Buy The Nun from Flipkart.com

Summary
Diderot's The Nun (La Religieuse) is the seemingly true story of a young girl forced by her parents to enter a convent and take holy orders. A novel mingling mysticism, madness, sadistic cruelty and nascent sexuality, it gives a scathing insight into the effects of forced vocations and the unnatural life of the convent. This new translation includes Diderot's all-important prefatory material.

Review
Set during 18th century France, the story is about Suzanne who is forced to become a nun by her parents..Growing up unloved, as she is born to her mother by a secret lover...Suzanne though dares to refuse when asked by the priest at the alter on the day of sacred vows, but then fates has it hard on her..Her parents die and she has no where to turn to..At the nunnery she is subjected to n number of agony both mental and physical..Taunt and harassment becomes an everyday event as her dark days unfolds.. The story moves on as is acquainted with different personalities, some good, some sweet, some kind to wicked to shrewd finally she is molested at the hand of a lesbian...At some point I expected Suzanne to run away from all this distress for good...One really feels bad for Suzanne, who is put in the convent as a plot to get rid of her from her parent's lives..Taking order against her wish made her to retaliate it that is evident through actions ...Her life in the second convent seemed all the worse where she encounters the rest of the horror , she is thrown into a cell, she is stolen and she is always a victim all the time...

The story shows a very different perspective to the life of nuns..It makes a point that no matter how pious certain things are if it were forced upon you things would turn pretty ugly...The book must have created real havoc for dealing with homosexuality back in 18th century that directed against the catholic church..The book was published after Diderot's death and believed to be a true story of nun in someway..At many instances the book carries an air of satire humor and you can't help but laugh too...Suzanne's prayer to god after being caught going against her sacred vows was in the list...The plot speeds away through the melancholy  to misery ..The first person narration makes it  even more earnest as we see things through Suzanne's head as she goes about a life that she never intended to live..At times the events and her torture seemed sadistic too..

The description of the homosexuality amazed me as it were written some two hundred years ago and I couldn't help but wonder if Diderot had got carried away bit too much at times...But the best part is Diderot doesn't attack religion and he stays away from going against God..On the other hand Diderot is nailing down hypocrites who do live a double lives in the name of living a pious life as the messenger of god..The book is an interesting read for unveiling events that  go behind the walls of convent...

Book review: The saint , the surfer and the CEO by Robin Sharma

Title:The saint, the surfer and the CEO
Author: Robin Sharma
Publisher:Hay House India
ISBN:9788190565554
Pages: 224
Price: Rs 295
Genre: Visionary/ Inspirational/metaphysical/Indian writers
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Personal



Buy The saint the surfer the CEO from flipkart.com
Buy The saint the surfer and the CEO from amazon.com

Robin Sharma  has adopted the age old technique of conveying a message through stories like how our grandmothers used to do..I'm really not much onto self help book but this one takes your through the fictional tale that makes it readable..Jack Valentine is really going rough, nothing seem to work well for him, his job going through difficult time, he financially broke, his love life too seem to taken on a wrong path, she has left him for good to beat it all he is met with an accident..At the hospital he meets a dying patient, Cal..Cal is Jack's estranged father.. Cal Valentine  and his mother were separated when he was a kid and Cal  never returned until now..After the magical meeting with Cal, Jack's life is transformed forever..
Cal leaves Jack with a special gift, a letter and three first class airlines tickets with maps to Rome, Hawaii and New York..He is advised by his father to meet three masters and find answer to three questions..Has he lived wisely,loved well,and finally served greatly? that too in three months.T.Hence he sets on to journey to meet The saint, the surfer and the CEO.
First Jack meets the saint , Father Mike priest in a cathedral at Rome..Jack stays there for four weeks, he is given a personal journal to make entries . Here he is taught about destiny, authenticity and integrity, he is showed to access his true power getting to his spirit, he learns that being a spiritual man has nothing to do with religion but its all about being an authentic human being..
His next place Hawaii he steps onto the most beautiful beach on earth to meet Moe Jackson, a hearty guy with toothy grin, living in a thatched hut with a garden by the beach he helps Jack to open up his heart so that he can then open up to life and all its delight, in other words Moe becomes his personal coach of heart..Moe lives his life, moment to moment, dedicating his life in a state of continuous grace.. He tries to be alive to everything that unfolds for him ,in short he doesn't let his yesterdays take up much of his todays..Jack also learns that this simple surfer was the founder of one of the world's top advertising company..Jack also learns that miracle is nothing but more to a shift of mind that help you see things in a new way..Jack learns to follows his heart..
Finally he meets Tess Welch, CEO of a brokerage firm in New York..She becomes his career, leadership and life-legacy coach...She teaches him how to live a life that matters: how to shift from simply striving for success to creating lasting significance, how to manifest one's heart's desires in the physical dimension while building fulfillment in one's psychic dimension; and how to realize ones potential in career and grow into greatness..Jack is taught on the importance of value creation and the main aim of  business on how to serve selflessly..Jack learns that life is all about choices and one should choose how to live to have a better life..

Father Mike, a saint of sorts in a way he viewed and conducted his noble life, Moe Jackson, a cool dude who stays loose to the moments of his world while Tess Welch, CEO carries a charismatic persona that radiates..From each person he learns the three most important ingredient of life to lead a balanced life..The plot moves pretty fast that makes reading enjoyable , there were few quotes that I loved..simple language that carries deeper meaning to meaningful and essential part of life..Jack from a confused soul makes a markable transformation into a confident and happy soul, though there were few loose ends, I liked the novel on the whole..

Book Review: East Lynne by Ellen Wood

Title:East Lynne
Author: Ellen Wood
Source: Online
Rating: 4 out of 5

Buy East Lynne from flipkart.com
Buy East Lynne from amazon.com


Summary:
When the aristocratic Lady Isabel abandons her husband and children for her wicked seducer, more is at stake than moral retribution.

Review:
The novel opens up in a beautiful village in a haughty old mansion where William Vane is caught up in debts so much that he is forced to sell the same..Archibald Carlyle is the buyer, lets him live in it but he dies ridden with grief and mental trauma....His only beautiful daughter Lady Isabel is the protagonist of the novel who is left by herself, she is proposed by the well mannered, well respected Carlyle , meanwhile is attracted to the charming rake Francis Levison , but eventually accepts the marriage offer of Carlyle expecting to fall in love with him...Initially the life seems happy and steady and they also have children together but with Carlyle's older sisters  Cornelia Carlyle entry things start falling apart..She interferes in the household decisions leaving Isabel no space, she also takes things in her hand as the head of the family,demeaning Isabel's position...To make things worse she is left all by herself in a sea side house to recover from ill health..But there as an unexpected event, the utterly attractive Levision re-enters in her life alluring her and  fateful coincidences make it appear as though her much devoted husband having an affair with Barbara Hare, while the reality is that Carlyle is helping Barbara's innocent brother Richard get away from murder ...In haste Isabel  abandons her husband and children for Levison..Oh yes a bad decision , which she eventually realizes but is unable to do a thing ..True to a rake Levision deserts Isabel unmarried with a child...Ridden over by remorse and regret  she decides to get back to her children..Again fate plays in her life she is exposed to a train accident in which her child and her assistant die, her face is disfigured while her identity is mixed up, Lady Isabel is reported dead..In a false identity she returns her home to her children to find Barbara Hare as Carlyle's wife and the mother of her children..Isabel takes up the job of a governess, now she has to go by Carlyle's words as orders as a maid address her children as her master and miss..Things unfold in her home where she lived all her life with her father and later with her husband and children in a different way..To her everything remains the same with a difference that someone else is playing her role and she is completely helpless of it...  She has no one to blame about it but her self..Joyce one of the maid discovers  the eyes behind the glasses and the real face layered inside the now disfigured one and predictably she never reveals it to anyone..None realizes the truth until her last breath...What would Carlyle do well read on..

Debts, death, illness are found throughout the book as a matter of fact..The novel looks closely into the life of a woman falling into disgrace...The book holds the Victorian essence in a different cocktail version. Melodrama, murder, mystery makes it a good choice for a sensational novel...Isabel's character has both its share of depth and shallowness...Barbara hare who is clearly in love with Carlyle by the twist of fate find her love in him as Isabel leaves ...Carlyle though kind hearted and hard working somehow fails to care for his wife Isabel somehow fails to makes his mark at many place.. Cornelia is aptly placed with her share of wickedness and jealousy while Levison catalyses Lady Isabel's downfall finally abandoning her...

Wood has written a story where the characters and the story has layers and best suitable for a lengthy conversation with friends...One can discuss in length about  the social environment of Victorian period regarding  bigamy, divorce, deceit, wealth, health and malady in general... The plot is highly engaging but you may not be impressed with Wood's style of writing... If you are romantic about the Victorian writing East Lynne is a wonderful choice that stands different from the otherwise best work of those period..

Book Review:Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov

Title: Oblomov
Author: Ivan Goncharov
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source:Online

Buy Oblomov from flipkart.com
Buy Oblomov from amazon.com


Summary
Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, is a young and guileless nobleman who would prefer to daydream in bed than face the world and its demands. Famously, over a hundred pages pass before Oblomov leaves his bed, and an entire chapter is dedicated to one of his idle dreams of his idyllic past. Eventually, he does leave his bed, and even falls rapturously in love with the beautiful Olga, but the romance is doomed by his laziness. His industrious friend Stoltz urges him to attend to his deteriorating finances, and bails him out when pernicious lords take advantage of him. The name "Oblomov" has become synonymous in Russian with laziness, and Lenin repeatedly used him as an example of the type of people who must be purged from Russian life. However, though Goncharov certainly presents Oblomov as foolish and naive, he also is deeply sympathetic to his simple-hearted and gentle character--a tragicomic Russian brother to Melville's Bartleby.

Review
Oblomov lives a life of lethargy, a life of impassivity in early thirties he is tired like a man in sixties...Living far away from his estate in St.Petersburg in an apartment, he is an epitome of apathy and indifference... Throughout the book we see him busy doing nothing, contemplating on futile things and spends his days changing his positions on his couch, he doesn't even go out of his apartment for a change, he is happy the way he is.....He lives on the income from his estate which he is least bothered..There are serfs who take care of things and while he is away enjoying his free time..Till the end he remains faithful to that trait, very uncharacteristic of a hero ..I wouldn't say he is a heap of negative qualities , but he hasn't any good either..He is not  a person who come in the regular shade of black and white but who flirts through the line of grey irritatingly unmoved...

He owns a large estate with hundreds of peasants yet you can see no nobility in his traits.. His favorite place in the world is his couch to which he stays attached through pages after pages...Even when he is suppose to  move from his current apartment so that this could be renovated, rather looking in for alternative he procrastinates , even when there are issues in his estate that needs his immediate attention , he worries but does nothing to deal with it...This kind of attitude is spread throughout his activities, his only interest seems to be on eating extravagant food and imbibing on all the tasty delicacy ...Its because of Stoltz his only friend  his life seems to move ahead in a right way...The wave seems to take a different turn as a young, beautiful Olga makes her entry in the novel..When I almost thought that the novel is all set to take a turn into a romantic phase wherein  Oblomov starts to act rather just worry and procrastinate , he gets back to his old self reminding us of the saying that old habits die hard..Not even a young spirited, attractive lady could bring any change in him...Through everything Oblomov's obmolovshchina stands tall...Agafya a widow who doesn't ha  mind Oblomov's indiffererance marries him eventually..But Olga married the much likable Stoltz who likes her and loves her intensely doing everything right as a husband...Oblomov's relationship with his orderly Zakhtar is pretty amusing too, through their conversation and occasional arguments their affection for each other is evident..The book also explores about Oblomov's childhood ,growing up age in estate with all luxury surrounded by riches and how social reform brought about a change in them, we get to know the basis of Oblomov's  thought processing through all this, while Stoltz carves his place in the world through his hard work, knowledge and education.. Oblomov thinks about his friend's flourishing business he feels sorry that he has to travel so often all the time for work,while on the other hand Stolz  is unable to digest how Oblomov can spend his days and night on his couch doing nothing...

The book is a beautiful piece of with satire being at its best, be it the mockery upon the aristocracy or sarcasm you have every bit of it with humor and wit that makes you to come to like the book over a lot many..Its not the characters in the novel that makes it special but the narration where the voice of the author is heard throughout.. The plot moves with a steady pace in spite of not having any catalyzing factors and in spite of having uninspiring, dull, indifferent , prosaic protagonist there the story inspired me to read on, not even once I felt like abandoning the book..I usually like the lead character steadily grows up for good, at the least I like them to be creative and intense, but Oblomov is none of it nor he is villainous and that's why you remember him for most ...

Book Review : The Professor by Charlotte Bronte

Title:The Professor
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source:Online

Buy The professor from flipkart.com
Buy The professor from amazon.com

  


This year my goal is to read lesser known books my favorite authors and their works which I haven't read so far..And I'm starting with Bronte as Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books ever, "The Professor" being her first book which  got published only after death as it was consistently rejected by the publishers ..You get to  feel the Bronte magic many a times , still Professor stands different in its own terms...

Unlike her other works the protagonist is a man named William Crimsworth who has a clear mind and heart of his own ..he wishes to live by his wish rather going in for the pursuit of easy wealth and luxury..His mother dies during child birth and his maternal uncle reluctantly take care of his education, after graduation he chooses not to marry his wealthy cousin much to the dismay of his relatives and thus is left to himself ..He tries to find a family in his older brother who gives him a job as a clerk in his mill , he treats him rudely, jealousy always clouds his mind that reflects in his actions..Mr. Hundsen one of his brother's acquaintance feels the pulse and worth of William steers way turning events and thus William loses his job that sets him free..He is recommended for a better job in Belgium as a teacher or "professor" in M.Pelet's school which is all boy's school in Brussels and also as a English teacher  in a girls school..Though he handles things brilliantly at the Boy's school commanding the respect of student, in the girls school things take a different turn as he staggers his way yet gaining an upper hand...Slowly and steadily he sets his life defining order that he starts to enjoy well..He comes in contact with Zoraide Reuter headmistress of the girls school, a much older lady, she tries to allure him manipulating him through her sweet words pretending care on him..Though initially he is struck by her charm and even desires to take her as his wife after spending an evening with her which had been calculatingly planned by her, but soon he realizes her true color and stays away from her charm and vile..Meanwhile William happens to meet a shy, demure student turned teacher Frances Henri..She teaches the students sewing and other needlework while taking up English class with William like other students..William is taken aback by her flawless English recital and her humbleness..Seeing a greater potential in her, he spends more time with her after classes tutoring her and engaging in healthy arguments and criticism that both find very enlightening...Now how would you like a story when there are no villain or vamp..Ms Reuter slips into the slot with her jealousy, she plays her cards well and fires Frances from her job and removes every trace of her from the school..Predictably William goes haywire searching for her in every possible away...He receives a letter from Frances that has a payment for his English classes and thanking him  for his kindness and thoughtfulness but leaves no address to reach back ( I guess that was very Victorian )...He quits his job as he learns about the marriage of Ms.Reuter and decides to move on with his will power and  his ability rather than any with any help from a third person..Okay now what happens to his love story?? well read on to know about it...

But for Bronte's style of writing that adds life and beauty to events things would have been dull and plain..Frances adds life and colour to William's otherwise plain life, which is quite infectious..Being Bronte's first novel I was really looking forward to this one and it came out with mixed feelings for me...The moments when Frances William come together you can feel Bronte at her best also when William stands firm  determined to face life ahead on his own terms, but I don't know why the book didn't sweep me off my feet like Jane Eyre...But all in all its a wonderful read if not brilliant...

Book Review:A bolt of lightning by Satyen Nabar

Title: A bolt of lightning
Author:  Satyen Nabar
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
Pages: 243
Price: Rs 125
Genre: Fiction/ Indian Author
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Author
Buy A bolt of lightning from Flipkart.com
Buy A bolt of Lightning from amazon.com

 Summary
 Shiva, 35, hotshot executive, recently divorced, disillusioned with his life and fed up of the rat race in the corporate world, topples completely over the edge after an unexpected tragic incident. In a hilarious journey from the boardrooms of Bangalore to the hippies, face readers, casinos and rave parties on the verdant beaches of Goa, Shiva attempts to 'escape from it all' till his life suddenly changes in miraculous ways after an electrifying act of nature bestows him with an extraordinary gift. Anchored by the strong bond of friendship with his college mates, Sid and Adi, and propelled by love for Anita his estranged ex-wife, Shiva attempts to make the most of his incredible gift to unravel the secrets of life, death and happiness as the story races to its exhilarating conclusion in the exotic jungle valley of Arambol, Goa. A Bolt of Lightning is a witty and contemporary take on a midlife crisis story with an unusual twist in the tale. It at once touches the heart and entertains while offering a fascinating new perspective of the world we inhabit.

Review
Call it midlife crisis, Shiva gets stuck in life,he had everything around him like a cool job with handsome salary, house in a posh residential area, love turned wife and two great friends yet in the most unexpected way he screws up his life...He cheats on his wife she divorce him and he is overwhelmed by his job responsibilities he finds solace in his his two college friends,Sid and Adi who lend him their helping hand not only that they have stuck together through every thick and thin..Sid and Adi are completely different to Shiva, while Sid is onto teaching  a very motivating personality who inspires every one around with his dynamic spirit and personality , Adi is very tom boyish born rich he experiments with various jobs till his calling to medicine clicks...
The plot and storyline was quite engaging... That being said, the moment I thought that I would love every bit of it  I was let down by the turn of events and when I thought I wouldn't be able to read it anymore things got pretty interesting, so for me this book had its high and low..There were  number of quotes from Sid that I marked which were motivating...When the story moved to Goa things got more interesting, there we are introduced to many characters who serve their purpose in the story be it the care taker of the shacks or the son of a millionaire who is a complete drug addict ...The old man and his adopted daughter also add interesting turns to the story who teach Shiva in their simple way...Though I was not head over heels with Shiva's character, I liked the way it evolved from a self centered guy who was tired of the responsibilities to man  who learns from his mistakes , he also takes step to make things better for everyone around ..Anita though she didn't have much role in the novel she acts like a propelling force to Shiva's actions...
A good twist came along in terms of bolt of lightening upon Shiva and things changed for him were done with a bit of reality check.. Hadn't it dealt it any other way I would have really been put off, thanks to Adi who did a good job in the climax...I also liked the way friendship was portrayed among the trio, the way they took care of each other in need...
On the whole the book was quite an entertaining read...I would recommend you to read it completely before liking or disliking the book ...For me it was a mixed feeling and I would definitely recommend for a light  read..

Book Review: Of mice and men by John Steinbeck

Title: Of mice and men
Author: John Steinbeck
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Price: Rs 350
Pages: 144
Pages: 9780141185104
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Rating: 4 out of 5
Buy of mice and men from flipkart.com
Buy of men and mice from amazon.com

Summary:
Drifters in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie, have nothing in the world except each other and a dream – a dream that one day they will have some land of their own.
Eventually they find work on a ranch in California's Salinas Valley, but their hopes are doomed as Lennie, struggling against extreme cruelty, misunderstanding and feelings of jealousy, becomes a victim of his own strength.

Review:
Lennie and George are laborers @ California who dream of owning a farm of their own some day....  Helplessness that evoke sympathy is the theme of the book...Lennie is blindly devoted to George...George  is short tempered and there is a steady transformation in terms of his character throughout the novel while Lennie stays consistent to his character evoking  sympathy spreading melancholy.. There are symbolic presentation of life's harsh truth throughout the book,broken dreams, fallen hope all make it a pensive read...An aging dog destines to die is just a hard reminder of that..Curley and his wife present us the grey side of life ......There is quite a contrast even in the physical appearance of the two main protagonist George is short but makes the final decisions for Lennie who seems like a mentally backward giant...George had to ask Lennie to fight back to his (Lennie's ) life...Lennie has a weird habit such that he liked the touch of something soft, which even  lead him  touch a girls dress in turn got him into trouble , as the novel opens up we see him carrying a dead mouse in his pocket...At the ranch where they are currently employed they go through hell......Lennie's unintentional murdering Curley's wife leads to search for him organized by Curley  in which George pretends to join hand ..He avoiding all eyes goes to Lennie who is sitting by a river persuading him to cross river making him to imagine their dream farm across, while is immersed in the tale George shoots him on neck, only left me with a strange feeling...Towards the end George  is taken for a drink ..
Brutal inhuman experience are spread all across the novel...It is not just the hardship people face that leave worse but the treatment of the subject that evokes dejection within you...It's heart drenching to see a common man's dream shatter and turn to mud for no real reason....To read ahead knowing there wouldn't be a happy ending was in itself a task for me, not that I don't like the tragedy but its the treatment of subject that makes you not wanting to read ahead and to go on to finish the book that makes the experience different.. book knowing that their wishes would never come true was the biggest feat to absorb throughout...
This is a kind of book where you find hopelessness, cruelty, coldness,unkindness,ruthlessness all in one, it would take you out of your comfort zone and makes you feel blessed about all the greater things life has bestowed you with in terms of good lifestyle, family support above all a good health....

Book Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Title:The Eyre Affair
Author:Jasper Fforde
Page:384
Genre:Fiction
Rating:4 out of 5
Source:Borrowed

Buy The Eyre Affair from flipkart.com
Buy The Eyre Affair from amazon.com



Summary:
from the book cover
There is another 1985, somewhere in the could-have-been, where the Crimean war still rages, dodos are regenerated in home-cloning kits and everyone is deeply disappointed by the ending of 'Jane Eyre'. In this world there are no jet-liners or computers, but there are policeman who can travel across time, a Welsh republic, a great interest in all things literary - and a woman called Thursday Next. 

In this utterly original and wonderfully funny first novel, Fforde has created a fiesty, loveable heroine and a plot of such richness and ingenuity that it will take your breath away.

Review:
Jane Eyre the Bronte's masterpiece is one of my top five novel of all time, in other words I grew up loving the classic hence any versions of this book gains my interest, one such was this one, though I didn't have much of that luck throughout the novel because of the limited scope of the novel imbibed into it...
People live in a strange world to be exact an alternate world ..People take literature far serious than they should going by it religiously, to the extend that arguments and questions regarding Shakeshpere's work inflicts gang war and murder.....Thursday Next is a literary detective who is in charge of  exposing phony and illegal works..The novel begins with Thursday being assigned the investigation of theft of Charles Dickens's original manuscript, Martin Chuzzlewit  by the notorious Acheron Hades, she comes all close to wrapping up the case, that she is injured and almost killed but for a copy of Jane Eyre's  that saves her from bullets..An enigmatic character watches over her until the rescue team arrives,the strangers leaves behind her handkerchief and jacket... Next finds out that they belong to Rochester of Jane Eyre novel because as a child Next had entered the novel... During her painful recovery her future self and her former fiancee help her out in fixing her path and goal.. She has an Uncle Mycroft , who creatively found the prose portal, which gives access to people to enter the world of fictional works..Subsequent events are Hades kidnapping Mycroft Next's aunt Polly , the Prose Portal and further blackmail to destroy the literary world and many deaths, murder of many characters of the Classic..I won't ruin the fun by explaining the story but read on for how Next rescues people and thereby the fate of the actual Jane Eyre's novel plot and her moves after entering the real world...

The idea itself I found  to be very creative, though the idea of an alternate world is not new to us, the treatment with many twists and turns  makes it to stand apart .....The literary work that encompasses the fun, humor, mystery , sci-fi may not appeal many with multiple genre in the same book, yet for me I liked for the Eyre touch ..Next's character single living with pet with not much to look forward and happiness and fun was a bit cliched yet it fit the novel well..There were not many characters that stood defined in the novel except for Next..Though I may not re read it for the complexities of multiple character that at times drove me crazy...I liked it for the freshness it offered..

Book Review:I am the Messenger by Markus Zurkas

Title: I am the messenger
Author: Markus Zurkas
Publisher: Random house Children's books
Price: Rs 576
pages: 368
ISBN: 030743348X
Genre: Mystery
Rating 4.5 out of 5
Source: Borrowed



Buy I am the messenger from flipkart.com
Buy i am the messenger from amazon.com

Summary:
Ed Kennedy is an underage cab driver who lives a life with no prospects for future or ambitions but suddenly by the turn of events he is onto the shoes of messiah in his own means , but is he up for the challenge when it comes to deal with his won friends??

Review:
"My full is Ed Kennedy.I'm nineteen. I'm an underage can driver.I'm typical of  many of the young men you see in the suburban outpost in the city- not a whole lot of prospect or possibility. That aside , I read more books than I should , and I'm decidedly crap at sex and doing my taxes. Nice to meet u."

Needless to say that the protagonist of the novel is Ed , he doesn't have a very interesting life, or nothing to look forward, but on the other hand his best friends are all well set in their respective lives who are nearly his age, even is brother gets a lot of attention by being a star in college..His mother who doesn't bother much about him, bugs him otherwise for being just an average guy...This is all his life until he unintentionally by sheer twist of situations stops a bank robber from escaping and he becomes a hero ,thanks to the local newspaper for an elaborate coverage and he is in the spotlight, then follows a series of cryptic messages with playing cards and addresses, reason he has to deliver messages to them.. Bottom line he has to make a difference to people that none can make otherwise, he is required to render his helping hand to people in need and that ranges in the complexities from being a victim of an abusive husband till the card points to deal with his best friends and he quickly  he realizes that he has been a complete stranger to them all these years...

I loved Zurkas's earlier book The book thief (click here for review), hence I didn't hesitate to pick this one.. .Ed is a lively guy in his late teen dealing with issues and no purpose in life, but when he is struck by it, he gears up for the task..Audrey (female lead) pushes Ed to friends only zone and they remain just that till things starts unfolding..I only wish if I could love Audrey the way I loved Ed..Ed's character and persona slowly develops from an average well read guy to become THE GUY with extraordinary grit, aspired with resolve and mission to make a difference in his own small way..The best part is that Ed doesn't realize his incredible contemplation...In every person he is able to see the beauty with all its honesty ...I loved his smelly lovely dog with its extra affinity to coffee..
"Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Nor in what they say
Just in what they are."
Zurkas has amazingly woven to bring together the essence of life. After reading it, I am sure people would sit and think about the purpose of one's life at least for few minutes and the way one sees a stranger ..I loved this one all in all for the fun and wit and an angle that highlights the beauty of life and relationships..

Book 6 for book blogger's recommendation reading challenge

Book 16 for TBR reading challenge