Tabula Rasa

The Prince's Tale is SO overrated

2012-02-13T10:58:00.024+05:30

There. I said it, and I do think it is. I see how this goes against the planned Valentine's Day strictly lovey-dovey posts, but this is one love story I certainly did NOT like. Finding out Snape's 'big secret' was probably the worst part of reading the Deathly Hallows for me. Well, until the movie came out and I was made to watch the incredible Alan Rickman actually cry like a baby. Quick question Rowling, why did you have turn such an amazing, complex character into a soppy teenager? WHY!?

Let me take you back seven Hogwarts years. I loved Snape from the moment he was introduced, you know, ever since when Harry saw him in the Great Hall and his scar hurt. The malicious, badass Slytherin professor who does everything in his capacity to make Harry's life miserable, and in spite of being described as greasy-haired and icky, is portrayed by Alan Rickman. What's not to like?

Actually, it's not the part where he turns out to be on Dumbledore's side that bothers me. That's one 'twist' we all sort of expected; I mean, you didn't really think he fooled Dumbledore, did you? I wish it wasn't because of love though, because a mushy love story just doesn't fit in with such a badass character.

It's funny how Snape suddenly goes from 'an adult who bullied you, not to mention all his friends, for seven years' to 'a great man you ought to name your kids after'! And all because he had a crush he couldn't quite get over.

Sure, he loved Lily. I bet Lucius loved Narcissa; doesn't make either of them saints. Did everyone who read 'The Prince's Tale' not read 'Snape's Worst Memory'? When James Potter was a troublemaker, Snape was a budding Death Eater. Did he not care about Lily when he turned into one? And when he told Voldemort about the prophecy? When he asked Voldemort to spare Lily and just kill her child? And in Hogwarts, after supposedly turning super-good, it wasn't just Harry, whom he bullied. Snape tortured every person he set his eyes on who wasn't a Slytherin.

Snape wasn't evil, true. He stayed loyal to Dumbledore till the very end. But he was definitely not the hero he is made out to be. I mean, think about it, if it had turned out, that the prophecy was actually about Neville Longbottom, Snape would have switched loyalties in a heartbeat...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Love

2012-02-12T13:57:00.115+05:30

Willow - The one boy that’s really liked me, and he’s a demon robot. What does that say about me?
Buffy - It doesn’t say anything about you.
Willow - I mean, I thought I was really falling…
Buffy - Hey, did you forget? The one boy I’ve had the hots for since I’ve moved here turned out to be a vampire.
Xander - Right, and the teacher I had a crush on? Giant praying mantis.
Willow - That’s true.
Xander - Yeah, that’s life on the Hellmouth.
Buffy - Let’s face it, none of us are ever gonna have a happy, normal relationship.
Xander - We’re doomed!
Willow - Yeah!

[They all laugh, though their laughter quickly becomes nervous and stops..]

This post may be ten years late, (and ten pages long... sorry!), but I'm still going through with it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS) is probably my favourite television show ever. If this makes you roll your eyes or smirk or go 'ew, really', then you've never seen the show, or worse, only seen the movie. I don't like love stories, which diminishes my stock of Valentine's Day themed posts considerably. What I do like are witty, romantic sub-plots, which this series is full of. I know it's old, but what the show lacks in effects and technology, it makes up for in the ingenuity of the plots and the amazing script. It's not a love story, because it's more like an action-story about the Slayer and all her fighting and saving the world stuff. The trio, Buffy, Willow and Xander, fight demons on a regular basis, guided by Watcher and high school librarian, Rupert Giles. Sunnydale high is situated directly on the Hellmouth, a place where all the evil in the world converges. And isn't that what high school is like, anyway?

Still. BtVS has got a lot more to do with romance than it initially lets on. A witch in love with a werewolf; a witch losing control of her powers, using dark magic, and wanting to end the world when the love of her life dies; a thousand year old demon girl falling for a human boy; a vampire restoring his soul for a human...

The vampire-in-love-with-a human concept is old news, now. I haven't seen it as deep and insightful ever as in Buffy. In Buffyverse, when a human is turned into a vampire he loses his soul or conscience, his ability to care, making him just a ruthless killer. Angel, however, is a vampire who is cursed with a soul, to make him eternally suffer for his sins.

Buffy can't help being attracted to him (I mean, have you seen David Boreanaz?) They kiss and he turns into his vampire self. Being the slayer, she sets out to kill him, until she finds about the curse that keeps him "good". Their relationship develops and when they have sex, in that moment of perfect happiness, the curse on Angel is revoked, turning him ruthless again. He begins to terrorize Buffy and her friends, and plans to destroy the world. Prior to a huge fight, Willow somehow restores Angel's soul, but it's too late. Buffy kills Angel. He is banished to a Hell dimension, where he seemingly spends an eternity before mysteriously returning to Earth, a few months later. Though Buffy and Angel get back together, noticing the effects he has on Buffy's life, Angel decides to leave her; hoping that she would be happier without him. And unlike most vampire-human love stories, he goes for good. He loves her enough not to risk her life. She keeps loving him till the very end, though. I think Buffy and Angel make the perfect example of forbidden love, the most real one at any rate.

With Angel gone and high school over, Buffy is at a turning point in her life; soon, she meets the perfect guy, Riley Finn. Riley is an agent in a top secret government operation to capture, study and incapacitate demons. Riley already knows about the supernatural world and Buffy finally finds a human boyfriend, whom she can be completely honest with. Soon, though, Riley begins to think of himself as a liability to Buffy. Seeking thrills (and also, assuming Buffy loved Angel because he was a vampire) Riley lets a female vampire feed on him, which later turns into a sort of addiction. Buffy finds out and their relationship ends when Rileys leaves Sunnydale.

The third big romance for Buffy is another vampire, Spike. After Buffy is magically resurrected from the dead by her friends, she feels lost and lonely. Spike is everything Buffy hates about this world, and the only one she can talk to. They start a violent, sexual relationship. Buffy breaks it off, when she realizes that she is just using him to get over her own suffering. Afterward Spike almost rapes her, losing her trust completely. Wanting to prove that he is good enough for Buffy, Spike undergoes a series of trials and - wins back his soul.

Spike returns to Sunnydale completely crazy. He is haunted by the memories of the people he tortured. When Buffy learns about his newly-acquired soul, she lets him back into her life. They never develop a relationship again, though they are close. He is her only support, when everyone else turns their back on her. In their very last fight, Spike dies to save the world. And when's he's about to die, Buffy holds his hand and tells him that she loves him. He goes laughing in the face of death, becoming a true champion.

Spike: A hundred plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of - you. Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. When I say I love you, it's not because I want you, or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are. What you do. How you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you, and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You are a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy.

Now that's true love, or unconditional love, or sometimes true love, which doesn't really work out because the time isn't right. You know, some love stories end happily, some not so much. But the thing is, I love they way they are written. It's not that original, true, but it's very grown-up, mature, well thought out.

I love how every single thing has an in-depth explanation, how carefully every single action is filmed and how all the seasons are sort of related and tied together. It's what I feel when I read Harry Potter, like the entire plot was planned first and then divided into seven parts. Which is crazy, because, of course they didn't plan the tv series beforehand! But must be some show if it makes you think that...

More than anything, this is one of those shows that knows it has to become super-intense and dramatic at times, but makes up for all the cliches by laughing at itself the next moment. You may think that the dialogues are cheesy, you're just not in on the joke.

Angel: I saw you before you became the Slayer.
Buffy: What?
Angel: I watched you, and I saw you called. It was a bright afternoon out in front of your school. You walked down the steps... and... and I loved you.
Buffy: Why?
Angel: 'Cause I could see your heart. You held it before you for everyone to see. And I worried that it would be bruised or torn. And more than anything in my life I wanted to keep it safe... to warm it with my own.
Buffy: That's beautiful. Or, taken literally, incredibly gross.
Angel: I was just thinking that, too.

Why I love the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett (more than Harry Potter) #2

2012-02-10T11:05:00.046+05:30

Okay, so my last post was very vague, and didn't exactly do justice to the 'Why I love the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett (more than Harry Potter)' title. Here's a post that will. I compared the Tiffany Aching sub-series of the Discworld with the Harry Potter series because they are quite similar in many respects; for one, they both belong to the young-adult fantasy genre, are written by British authors and were published around the same time.

To anyone who cares to read, this is why I think the Tiffany Aching series is a much better read than the Harry Potter series:

1. The Lead Characters:

Tiffany Aching and Harry Potter - Tiffany Aching discovers she has magical powers at a very young age, and so does Harry Potter. Harry has lost his parents and Tiffany, her grandmother - their only possible connections to the magical world. They come from a similar background and grow up to be similarly powerful, each in his/her own world.

I have never quite loved Harry, even though I loved the series. I honestly don't think he is a very appropriate lead character. I mean, he IS kind of boring. He is neither particularly smart nor very talented. He is brave and good and modest, but that doesn't make him any different from any other hero. Think about it, we hardly learn anything else about Harry Potter's character through the seven years that we know him.

Tiffany Aching on the other hand is witty and quirky. She loves words and loves to imagine the way certain words might sound. She thinks she can taste certain words. She thinks fairy tales and children's stories are silly. She finds it, for instance, hard to believe that some boy stupid enough to sell a cow for just five beans could kill a giant and steal all his gold. She refuses to wear black robes or be a wicked old witch in black, with warts and a crooked nose. Tiffany also seems very mature in comparison to her Wizarding World counterpart, who is pretty naive, in spite of all that he has faced. Tiffany Aching has character, that makes her a much more lovable lead than Harry Potter.

Dumbledore and Granny Weatherwax - I am comparing, here, Tiffany Aching's witchcraft to the wizardry from the Harry Potter series. (Wizards and witches of the Discworld, unlike the Potterworld, practice completely different forms of magic.) Granny Weatherwax is the all-powerful witch in the Tiffany Aching series and Tiffany's teacher/guide/mentor; like Dumbledore is for Harry Potter.

I have always said I would have loved to know more about Dumbledore. Things of greater relevance than his sexuality, for example. You can't just wear a pointy hat and sport a foot-long white beard and call yourself a great wizard. I know Dumbledore is more than that, and his past (the one with Grindelwald) tells a lot about his character. But it doesn't show why he is so powerful now. You learn about his weakness in the last book of the series, but when do you learn about his strength? Almost everything you know about Dumbledore is what other wizards said/wrote about him.

Mistress Weatherwax has quite a personality. She uses her common sense and is willing to bend rules, and frankly, the ability to get inside the heads of animals and things makes her more powerful than any incantation-saying wizard, non-verbal incantations included. As a teacher though, Granny Weatherwax pretty much helps Tiffany help herself. Granny Weatherwax definitely wins in the power-department, but I would give it to Dumbledore for playing a better role as a guide.

2. The Bad Guy:

I cannot compare Voldemort to just one character from the Tiffany Aching series, because there is no singular villain in all the Tiffany Aching books as there is in the Harry Potter series. That being said, Voldemort is the single Wizarding World character with as much personality as any of the lead Discworld characters. He is the perfect villain and also the thing that ties all the seven books together (it's unfortunately not Harry, who does that.) While I love Voldemort the character and the ingenious way in which he was defeated, I do wish I could believe with total conviction that Harry Potter was capable of pulling that off.

3. The most prominent Side characters:

The entire Weasley family functions, for me, as sort of a side-character. I am not including Hermione in this, because again, I don't there is much to her than being very studious. Molly Weasley is the perfect mother, strict but actually pretty nice, Arthur is the eccentric Dad, Fred and George, the ultimately fun and lovable pair and so on. It is the parts involving the Weasley family that I love to read in every Harry Potter book. Who would be the Tiffany Aching series counterpart for the Weasley family?

Not in the sense of relationship with the lead, but purpose in the book, I'd say the Nac Mac Feegles. The Feegles are smurf-sized fairyfolk with super-strength and super-speed, who are usually thieves and pests, but are on occasion very helpful, and are also very loyal to Tiffany. I would love to see Ron Weasley try and take down Rob Anybody (hey, that rhymes!) Each Weasley, on his own, is a more developed character than each Feegle. All the Feegles put together, though, are much funnier and more enjoyable than all the Weasleys put together.

4. Witchcraft:

Another thing to think about: what does Rowling really tell you about the craft? The Tiffany Aching series provides a much deeper insight into the craft, and magic, generally. It doesn't leave many unanswered questions; say, for example, why are some people magical, and others, not? Why do wizards need wands? Where, incidentally, do the wands get their power from - it's the wand that chooses the wizard, right? I could write an entire post about how the Tiffany Aching series magic is superior to the Potterworld magic, but I guess this speaks for itself:

'Come outside then,' she said. 'I'll give you lesson one. It's the only lesson there is. It don't need writing down in no book with eyes on.'

She led the way to the well in her back garden, looked around on the ground and picked up a stick.

'Magic wand,' she said. 'See?' A green flame leaped out of it, making Tiffany jump. 'Now you try.'

It didn't work for Tiffany, no matter how much she shook it.

'Of course not,' said Granny. 'It's a stick. Now, maybe I made a flame come out of it, or maybe I made you think it did. That don't matter. It was me is what I'm sayin', not the stick. Get your mind right and you can make a stick your wand and the sky your hat and a puddle your magic... your magic... er, what're them fancy cups called?'

'Er . . . goblet,' said Tiffany.

'Right. Magic goblet. Things aren't important. People are.' Granny Weatherwax looked sidelong at Tiffany.

If it were only the plot that mattered; I would have chosen the Harry Potter series over the Tiffany Aching books a thousand times. The theme of the books and the detail and insight that Pratchett provides in everything that he writes makes his books much deeper and more commendable than the Harry Potter series. The Harry Potter books may be more accessible to the general public, and easier to relate to or to understand than the Discworld series. First: You don't face that problem with the Tiffany Aching novels. Second: If you could get through seven enormous volumes, you do definitely like to read enough to give one of these a try. More importantly, do note that reading the Tiffany Aching series makes for an amazing experience!

P. S. - If you compare the Harry Potter wizards with the Discworld wizards, the Harry Potter ones seem so much cooler. Then again, when it comes to magic schools, you would be crazy to think that Hogwarts could beat the Unseen University!

Why I love the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett (more than Harry Potter)

2012-02-09T11:18:00.015+05:30

We had gone to visit my aunt tonight, and we were in the car on the way back. We were chatting about my sister's wedding, which happened last week and is the reason I have been so busy lately. I thought about writing an entire post about the awesomeness that the big event basically was; but I scrapped that idea, what with this essentially being a Book Blog and all. The wedding was preceded by weeks of shopping and other dull activities like that, though I did soon learn to enjoy them. And I happened to socialize quite a lot during the actual ceremony, which was fun too. Plus, of course, I am so very happy for my sister!

Getting back to the point, we were crossing this bridge and I noticed the huge moon. It was a particularly, notably huge moon. Only, it was not quite a half moon, but not really round at the same time. It was this "gibbous" moon which instantly reminded me of (from Terry Pratchett's Discworld) Tiffany Aching.

"Tiffany knew it was gibbous because she'd read in the Almanack that gibbous meant what the moon looked like when it was just a bit fatter than half full, and so she made a point of paying attention to it around those times just so that she could say to herself: "Ah, I see the moon's very gibbous tonight...."

It's possible that this tells you more about Tiffany than she would want you to know."

If it were just a couple of years ago, I would have, observing the moon awhile, thought of (from J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World) Bane or another centaur repeatedly and monotonously stating "the moon looks unusually bright tonight" or something of the sort. Definitely not gibbous.

You see what I am getting at? This is not another Harry Potter vs. some other fantasy series post. Fine, it may be. But it's also an appreciation post... appreciation of fantasy fiction in general, how hugely books affect my thinking, and of course, the great Terry Pratchett for creating the fantastic Discworld.

Harry Potter was a great introduction to fantasy fiction for me - no, I hadn't read Lewis or Tolkein before Rowling. I have always thought of it as the ultimate book because of all the memories I have attached to it. It basically defined the better part of my childhood. Being a complete novice when it came to fantasy fiction, I was utterly fascinated by every single thing I read.

My love for Discworld, on the other hand, has much more to do with the actual book than how much fun I had reading it. It is a work of pure genius. There are puns and word-plays I had to read twice (initially) to work out, every sentence makes you laugh, every line makes you wonder about the symbolism and double meaning. What, on the outside, seems like a completely new, original world is full of subtle parodies of and references to the real world wherever you care to look for them - that's great writing. You cannot compare a novel written for adults and children alike to a book you'd have to be a very intelligent and well-informed child to completely understand and enjoy. (The latter is Discworld, by the way.) You cannot compare J. K. Rowling to Terry Pratchett. Consider this: Pratchett had already published twenty Discworld books before the first part of the Harry Potter series was written.

You can, however, compare two young adult fantasy series, both written by British authors, both published around the same time. The Tiffany Aching sub-series of the Discworld is a lot like the story of the Boy Who Lived. Tiffany is barely nine years old when she discovers that she is a witch, just like her grandmother who happens, also, to be a very powerful witch. Her grandmother isn't alive any more though, and Tiffany has to learn to use her magic powers and save her brother from an evil Queen of the Elves all by herself. When she defeats the Queen, Tiffany earns herself a teacher and a lot of respect. Throughout the series, Tiffany grows up a great deal, and it is rather wonderful to read about it than have me give a not-good-enough summary.

Like the rest of the Discworld series, it's a series of four amusing books; but quite unlike the rest, it's also touching. I know people who love the Harry Potter series but don't quite get the Discworld. (Well, it's pretty difficult not to get this one.) The Tiffany Aching series has less satire and more action, drama, whatever. The plot is much more significant here than in the usual Discworld book and the writing is much more young-adult-ish; easier to get into. And I found it better than/as good as Harry Potter for all the reasons that makes Discworld a more evolved story; the experienced writer and the intended audience being the more important of those. Tiffany Aching tells us that witchcraft is as much about helping people and doing all the things no one else will do as brewing potions and reciting spells. It is, on the one hand, the coming-of-age story of a lonely little girl who grows up to find her charming knight and on the other, an amusing adventure of the girl who dances with Winter.

Also - Tiffany is a very lovable character.

Tiffany thought a lot about words, in the long hours of churning butter. 'Onomatopoeic', she'd discovered in the dictionary, meant words that sounded like the noise of the thing they were describing, like 'cuckoo'. But she thought there should be a word meaning 'a word that sounds like the noise a thing would make if that thing made a noise even though, actually, it doesn't, but would if it did'.

Glint, for example. If light made a noise as it reflected off a distant window, it'd go 'glint!' And the light of tinsel, all those little glints chiming together, would make a noise like 'glitter glitter'. 'Gleam' was a clean, smooth noise from a surface that intended to shine all day. And 'glisten' was the soft, almost greasy sound of something rich and oily.

If you're as great a Harry Potter fan as I am, do make it a point to read the Tiffany Aching series! And while you're at it; don't miss the footnotes - they are some of the best parts of the books!

P. S. - The Nac Mac Feegle could beat every Wizarding World creature.

Which book genre do you stay away from?

2012-01-27T11:28:00.004+05:30

Follow Friday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This week's question is:

Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

Soppy romance - okay, I know "soppy" doesn't count as a genre. The thing is, though, it's not like I don't like romances in books, not just as the main theme, specially when they are just depressing, sob stories. I wouldn't for example particularly enjoy a book by Nicholas Sparks or Cecelia Ahern!

What I have avoided at all costs till now is Paranormal romance, and after reading Jane Eyre, romances set in the Victorian era. Of course, after reading and loving books that I never imagined I would like, I am open to any suggestions that might change my opinion.

What genre do you tend to avoid?

Top Ten Favourite Non-fiction Books

2012-01-24T10:50:00.030+05:30

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at The Broke and The Bookish.

Top Ten Favourite Non-fiction Books (in no particular order):

I finished reading the book Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life yesterday. I realized I have been reading quite a lot of non-fiction these past couple of months. I love fiction, but there are a bunch of non-fiction books that I just couldn't help loving just as much.

1. Danse Macabre by Stephen King - (that's French for Dance of Death) a look at horror books, movies, comic books, tv series and more by one of the best horror writers ever!

2. Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - "how little things can make a big difference"; one of the first non-fiction books I read and liked.

3. The Wonder that was India by A. L. Basham - an amazing book on ancient Indian history that studies the culture of India before the arrival of Muslims.

4. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach - a wonderful popular science book about the use of cadavers in science and the ethical issues surrounding it.

5. A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain - a collection of hilarious essays about a journey through central and southern Europe!

6. Lectures on the Science of Language by Friedrich Max Mueller - Well, this is pretty much the first book I have read on linguistics and I love it.

7. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones - a must-read for all fantasy fiction fans; written in the form of a tourist guide, the book pokes fun at all the cliches of fantasy fiction.

8. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King - this is another favourite by Stephen King; a book that deals with the art of writing fiction and King's own journey to becoming a famous writer, written more in the form of random anecdotes and experiences than a story.

9. The Art of Fiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers by Ayn Rand - an extensive analysis of the four basic components of good fiction: theme, plot, characterization and style..

10. The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett - how a real cat is hardly anything like the ones that you see in cat food advertisements. This is a must read for all pet owners!!

What are your favourite non-fiction reads?

Balasaraswati: Her Art & Life by Douglas M. Knight Jr.

2012-01-22T23:43:00.006+05:30

About the book: According to Wikipedia, Balasaraswati was “a celebrated Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style, made this style of dancing of south India well known in different parts of India, as also many parts of the world.” She has received numerous national awards for dance as well as music. This book, written by her son-in-law, is her first biography to ever be published. The book contains many rare pictures of the dancer, along with a huge glossary and notes by the author.

Summary: Born in a matrilineal family with a long and rich tradition of dance and music, we might as well say, that Balasaraswati had art in her blood. That won't be entirely true though, as is the case with any real artist. Along with that inborn talent, it was years of practice that helped Balasaraswati reach her level of perfection. Ever since she was a little child, Bala learned dance and music from the elders in the family. Her childhood was quite different from yours and mine; she was rarely even allowed time to sit still. Various incidents, right from her childhood, display her love for the art, as well as her dedication to it.

"As a child just old enough to walk to the door of Dhanammal's home, Bala was fascinated by a beggar who stopped regularly in front of the house on Ramakrishna Street, dancing wildly, chanting rhythmic syllables like those recited by a nattuvanar mirroring a dancer's footwork. (...) Bala would imitate him, both dancing like monkeys. (...) That was the real starting point for Bala's dancing mania."

After her Arangetram (debut performance after years of training) at the mere age of seven, Balasaraswati began to receive growing recognition, in the art world as well as the general public all over India. The tours and performances that followed were her first steps towards becoming a revolutionary Bharatanatyam dancer, a legend.

My Thoughts: Honestly, I have no idea why I decided to review this book. I don't have much experience with art - apart from a span of five traumatic years spent learning, quite ironically, Bharatanatyam itself. It taught me, if anything, that I can never be a good dancer. I did however learn quite a bit about the dance form (willingly or otherwise.) Besides, considering how I failed at it myself, I do also realize, respect and appreciate the effort and passion involved in excelling at it.

Getting back to the book...

I loved it as soon as I tore open the package it arrived in. It is hard not to judge the book by its beautiful, glossy black cover. The stunning front-page photo of Balasaraswati, in a way, conveys more about the dancer than the entire book. Another thing I loved (most predictably) was the author's note on the translations and transliterations from Tamil to English. The preface is pretty much a brief summary of the entire book, and a look at Balasaraswati through the author's individual perspective (throughout the rest of the book the author stays clear of that personal touch.)

The book is long and the size can be intimidating. If I didn't have to review it within seven days, I would have spent months reading it at leisure. That being said, it was hard to pull my eyes away from the book. The descriptions, the imagery is so surreal. It almost made me guilty that I wasn't as informed about the culture and traditions of my own country. The only thing that bothered my was the chronology of events; I had a hard time keeping up with what happened when.

All non-English phrases or concepts are explained in the book wherever they appear - and more information is given in the extensive (and thoroughly fascinating) Glossary at the end. I guess that's what makes the book so much more special; you don't have to be a student of Dance to understand it. The language, of course, is wonderful.

The book tells us not only about Balasaraswati's life but about the political and social conditions in the India of the 1800s and early 1900s, the evolution of Bharatanatyam and other forms of art, and many other renowned artists of her time. The fine detail makes you feel like you're living history.

It is hardly possible for a biography to get all the facts right, not to mention be completely impartial, especially when it is written by someone closely related to the person. I am hardly qualified to judge whether all the facts are correct. What I do believe, however, is that while this may not by a completely true account, it is a very honest account of the artist's life. It is difficult to do justice to a legend or fit such a glorious life in only three hundred pages. It is apparent that a lot of effort and research was required to write this book, and frankly, the result is commendable.

I consider myself incredibly lucky, to get to review such a book. I am also glad, that this book wasn't published years ago, so that now it'd only be lying in some old library, where I would have hardly gotten my hands on it. It's a must read for anyone interested in the arts, or anyone interested in getting to know one of the reasons India is known to have a 'rich tradition'! The book has inspired me to read more about India. According to my mother, reading about great people such as these, makes us feel pretty insignificant and thoroughly inspired at the same time; and it's true. If anything, I am going to make it a point to learn more about the history of Indian dance and music; if you happen to know me, you'd know that that is saying something.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes": Two book reviews

2012-01-22T02:22:00.009+05:30

That's a famous line from Shakespeare's Macbeth, first used by Ray Bradbury as the title for his famous horror-fantasy novel. Now I haven't read Macbeth, but after reading Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes last month, I thought it would be rather amusing to follow it up with Agatha Christie's By the Pricking of my Thumbs - making it a couple of really great reads!

1. By the Pricking of my Thumbs by Agatha Christie

‘I don’t suppose I shall ever see this house again. I’m looking at it very hard, so that I shall be able to remember it.’

‘Do you want to remember it?’

‘Yes, I do. Someone said to me that it was a house that had been put to the wrong use. I know what they meant now.’

This is unlike any Agatha Christie mystery I have read; mostly because it's more a thriller than a detective story. When Tommy and Tuppence (they are old now) go to a nursing home to meet Tommy's great aunt, Tuppence meets a suspicious old lady who talks about a mysterious dead child. The lady owns a painting of a house, which somehow looks familiar to Tuppence. Tuppence sets off to solve the mystery, like a "terrier on the trail", only to walk right into a trap...

I loved the scenery in this book. The descriptions are vivid, and more thrilling than I have read in any Christie book; not to mention very eerie. The plot, however, is not up to the mark, if you compare it to Christie's usual detective fiction. I did like the typically British humour and the characters, though older now, are just as lovable. It's a must read, especially if you're curious to find out what happened to ol' Tommy and Tuppence!

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2. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

"Death doesn't exist. It never did, it never will. But we've drawn so many pictures of it, so many years, trying to pin it down, comprehend it; we've got to thinking of it as an entity, strangely alive and greedy. All it is, however, is a stopped watch, a loss, an end, a darkness. Nothing."

A mysterious carnival arrives in town, in the middle of one night; bringing Halloween a week early, with its freaky creatures and intriguing mazes and carousels. Two little boys, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade feel drawn, like the rest of the townspeople, to this carnival; as if it were a way to fulfilling all their dreams.

By the end, the horror story turns more into a coming-of-age story. It's beautifully written, and almost poetic (in this case, I liked it.) The writing almost has a Lovecraftian air to it. The author talks about good and evil, and people and choices that they make. It is unlike any horror novel I have read; not scarier but definitely makes a lot more sense than most. It is one of the books Stephen King has discussed in Danse Macabre, calling it one of "one those books about childhood that adults should take down once in awhile... not just to give to their own children, but in order to touch base again themselves with childhood's brighter perspectives and darker dreams."

Stephen King's 11.22.63 - A long overdue review/rant

2012-01-21T22:14:00.009+05:30

I have been putting off publishing this review for so long. It's just been lying in my drafts and I have read it time and again, wondering why it just doesn't seem right. You know, it's difficult to write a review that does justice to such a long book - long, not only because of the number of pages, but because of the content. Let's just say, your everyday non-Stephen King author could have easily made three books out of it - for instance, a love story, a science fiction book and a historical fiction novel.

Now I have decided to scrap the "About the book + Summary + My Thoughts" review format and write this instead. I have just read horror fiction by Stephen King, along with a couple of non-fiction books. I haven't read the Dark Tower series, so I had no idea what to expect from a combination of science fiction and King. I read about King's upcoming book on New York Times and I just had to get my hands on it; which I did manage to, thanks to someone who (apparently) noticed my silent plea in the form of a Facebook link of the review.

Anyway, right from the cover, the book is fascinating. The first thing that caught my attention were the lines: The day that changed the world. What if you could change it back?

And that is basic plot of the book. The "What If?" When Jake Epping is led to a time portal by one of his friends, when he is asked to go back in time, to Dallas, to the day that changed the world, and save John Kennedy - what does Jake Epping do? Does Jake Epping decide to take the fate of the world in his hands and stop JFK's assassination? Can he go through with his plan?

Like I said, 11.22.63 is not just science fiction. It's one of those very long stories by Stephen King that you wouldn't want to carelessly throw into one genre. Jake Epping is a very lovable old character. He is an English teacher from Maine, with a failed marriage, and not much to look forward to in this time. When he discovers the time portal, the 'rabbit-hole' as it is called, he finds a purpose. I mean, really, wouldn't you say yes if someone proposed the idea of going back and changing history? And how bad could it be? - in case of this rabbit-hole, whatever time (weeks or years) you go back for, when you return, you have always only been away for two minutes. There's a catch of course, but Epping doesn't know it yet...

Saying anything else would qualify as a writing a spoiler, and I try to avoid that. In the rest of the book, you watch (well, read) history unfold. I have always loved Stephen King's characters, but this is one book where I appreciated the scenery just as much. You feel as if you are experiencing history along with the lead character (Epping, who now prefers to be called George Amberson.) The romance, though quite natural for such a book about time travel, did get a little too soppy for my taste for a while. The explanation for the concept of time travel and the rabbit-hole, which is not revealed till the very end, is very intriguing - actually, it is also a bit confusing, I had to re-read it a couple of times.

Along with everything else in the book (the Sci-Fi, romance and history) there is that suspense that builds up until the very end. The What If? That's what kept my nose buried in the book throughout - even through those few parts that seemed sort of unnecessary. King surprised me till the very end, when I decided I already knew what was going to happen, when I decided it was now sort of obvious... the surprises kept coming.

The ending is lovely, if you do ever decide to read the book (and I think you should!) don't give up halfway through. Even though the length is intimidating, the end is worth it.

Scary books for those who don't normally read scary books!

2012-01-17T10:45:00.047+05:30

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted on The Broke and the Bookish. Today's top ten list:

Top Ten Scary Books I'd Recommend to Someone Who Doesn't Read Scary Books:

1. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty - If your think that books just can't be scary enough, or that horror isn't fun when it isn't scary; this one is a makes-you-want-to-rip-your-eyes-out-and-wipe-away-your-memory scary novel. Along with that, unlike the movie, the book isn't focused entirely on the actual exorcism, making it much more intriguing. Do read this book, if you happen to believe, somehow, that words can't be scary!

2. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (also other stories) by H. P. Lovecraft - If you're the exact opposite, and think you'd just be too scared to keep on reading, read The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. I love this book. All stories by H. P. Lovecraft, for that matter, specially the Cthulhu Mythos stories; but I would recommend this one. This is book is terribly fascinating, and while very creepy and chilling, it's not outright scary.

3. The Shining by Stephen King - I could make this entire list of Stephen King novels, but this is the one that actually turned me from a scaredy-cat into a horror enthusiast! It is one the most convincing of King's books, and since the focus is more on the characters than the plot, I think it is a great introduction to horror, for someone who doesn't know what to expect. While it isn't the scariest of King's books, it's probably the most concise.

4. Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris - It doesn't have to be supernatural to scare you, and Silence of the Lambs is proves that. This book is probably the most frightening crime novel I have ever read; with Hannibal the Cannibal, the worst serial killer in fiction.

5. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - A mysterious carnival in a small town and two boys looking for an adventure make the perfect setting for a ghost story. But this story goes much deeper than just run-of-the-mill horror fiction. The prose is beautiful, almost poetic, and the book deals not just with freaky costumes but themes like youth, beauty and time.

6. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - This is supposed to be one of the best literary ghost stories, and one of the best horror novels according to Stephen King (which is saying something.) A classic haunted house story; you don't have to be a horror fan to like this book.

7. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi - This is the story of the popularized Manson Family murders of 1969. The fact that it is true crime, written by the man who prosecuted Charles Manson and his followers, makes it the most frightening book I have ever read.

8. Ghost Story by Peter Straub - As opposed to what the title suggests, this is not just any ghost story. Ghost Story is about a group of people who get together once in a while, and every time one of them narrates a ghost story... no one knows whether the stories have any truth in them, that is, until the tales come back to haunt them! A wonderful tale of how fear can haunt you better than any ghost...

9. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - This is one of the first novels about zombies, only in this novel, they are supposed to be vampires. It's a post apocalyptic novel, where the entire world population has turned into vampires, with the exception of one man. It is exciting and scary at the same time.

10. Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque by Edgar Allan Poe - Actually, most short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, because no author can write stories as vivid and beautifully eerie as Poe can. This one will be loved by classic literature lovers.

Special Mentions: Perfume - The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Sueskind and Lord of the Flies by William Golding - two novels, which, though not conventionally scary, completely freaked me out...

The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts by Arthur Miller

2012-01-13T12:16:00.027+05:30

About the book: The Crucible is a 1952 play by Arthur Miller. It is a tragedy, which draws a parallel between the Salem Witch trials (1692-93) and the McCarthy era (1950s). There are two film versions of the play, a 1957 movie with a screenplay adapted by Jean-Paul Sartre and a later Academy Award nominated 1996 version.

Summary: Set in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, The Crucible is a fictionalization of the Salem Witch Hunt. When a group of teenage girls accuse the townspeople of witchcraft and association with the Devil, claiming to be their victims; the entire town falls apart in a mass hysteria. The superstition and paranoia combined with building guilt and vengefulness led to wrongful punishment of a number of people.

"The witch hunt was a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims. (...) Long-held hatreds of neighbours could now be openly expressed, and vengeance taken, despite the Bible's charitable injunctions. (...) One could cry witch against one's neighbour and feel perfectly justified in the bargain. Old scores could be settled on a plane of heavenly combat between Lucifer and the Lord; suspicions and envy of the miserable toward the happy could and did burst out in the general revenge."

My Thoughts: The Crucible is a powerful book. The dialogue is gripping and moves along at a nice pace. The characters don't start out strong, but they do develop along the way.

Not used to reading plays, I appreciated the little snippets of information about the 'original characters' and explanation of the setting, which the author provides between the scenes. But I enjoyed the book even more, when the author stopped interrupting the flow of the play with 'background info' and the dialogue stood strong on its own.

The book gives you a glimpse at a society of an entirely different time. Yet from the underlying themes of wrongdoing under the guise of religion, blame, vengeful lies and irrational fear, you can draw parallels to your own society in so many respects. It's a chilling story; a tragedy much more moving than I could have imagined.

The review is a part of the Back to Classics Challenge hosted at Sarah Reads Too Much.

A book is much more than a delivery vehicle for its contents...

2012-01-05T21:59:00.056+05:30

The title of the novel The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett made me want to read it. When I started reading the novel, I hadn't read any reviews or synopses and had no idea what to expect.

It is the story of a notorious book thief and a clever rare-book dealer who tracks him down. It provides a glimpse into the quite magical world of rare book collectors.

There is not much to say about the writing style. I found it a bit pompous, too literary; but it's one of the things you learn to overlook when only the plot/ideas get you so involved in the book.

The author's opinion about the fact that many collectors don't actually read the books they collect was first surprising, then convincing. It is the love for the physical beauty of books that drives people to collect them. The yellowed pages, the delicate spine and that old smell, I'd be lying if I said never I loved books for all of that.

"Much of the fondness avid readers, and certainly collectors, have for their books is related to the books’ physical bodies. As much as they are vessels for stories (and poetry, reference information, etc.), books are historical artifacts and repositories for memories—we like to recall who gave books to us, where we were when we read them, how old we were, and so on."

Don't you completely agree? There are so many books that I do judge by their covers. So many books I don't like but can't manage to give away, because they have that special meaning, beauty attached to them. I have fond memories to associate with every book I owned as a kid; serious discussions along with bookish games and crazy fan-girl obsessions.

I still remember reading the first few pages of The Diary of a Young Girl in my school library. It was the first hardcover novel I read, and that edition carried pictures of the girl and her family and a map of the place she lived in; along with a few copies of the original diary entries scribbled in her own handwriting. The fact that I didn't like the book as much as I thought, doesn't remove the memory. The excitement it caused me to think that the book was actually someone's life, gave me sort of a new perspective on reading. Like the author says, even physical artifacts (like books or paintings) carry memory and meaning.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves reading or loves to hold a book in their hands or loves, much like the author, to spend time in libraries, surrounded by books. It is one of the best books about books.

"Sitting in any library, surrounded by high shelves of books, I sense the profoundly rich history of scholarship as something real, and it’s both humbling and inspiring. This manifestation of reality is true of other artifacts as well. We can read about the Holocaust or where Emily Dickinson wrote her “letter to the world” or where Jim Morrison is buried. We can view online photos of all these places. Still, each year, thousands of people visit Auschwitz, The Homestead, and Père Lachaise. I suppose our desire to be near books rises from a similar impulse; they root us in something larger than ourselves, something real."

A Year in Review: 2011 Wrap Up

2012-01-01T23:54:00.007+05:30

2011 was a great year, reading- and otherwise! I did read 78 books, which is 13 more than my goal of 65 (which I never thought I'd reach in the first place!) I'm going to take a look at some of my favourites this years.

I did not quite manage to count the number of pages I read - and counting them now, knowing I read 78 books is nearly impossible.

Genres read in 2011: Fantasy, comic fantasy, horror, gothic fiction, satire, historical fiction, dystopian, classic fiction, science fiction, mystery/thrillers.

Top Reads of 2011 (in the order I read them):

1. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

3. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

4. On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

6. Helter Skelter - The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi

7. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carre

8. Ghost Story by Peter Straub

9. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

10. The Clown by Heinrich Boell

(two special mentions)

11. Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett

12. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Apart from reading new genres, I tried out different forms of books like plays, essays, short stories and even audiobooks; I turned into quite a reviewer for some part of the year; and I believe I spent the most on books in 2011.

Best Gifts of 2011 (also review copies and giveaway wins - basically, books I didn't have to pay for!) : Thanks to all those who gave me these (you know who you are!)

1. Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling

2. The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald

3. 11.22.63 by Stephen King

4. The Clown by Heinrich Boell

5. Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey

I gave a bunch of book-gifts myself (like The ultimate Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy collection by Douglas Adams to my sis and Nicholas Sparks's Message in the Bottle to a friend.)

I will also put up a favourite characters of 2011 post, it's in my drafts - but it's getting too late and I'm sleepy now - the first day of 2012 is already over and I'm loving the new year. I do hope you guys have just as wonderful a year!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

2011-12-27T13:02:00.039+05:30

Imagine an anti-intellectual society where reading is outlawed.

Guy Montag is a fireman; but in this world a fireman's job is to find books and burn them. In the society Montag lives in, people don't think or feel, they just go on doing what they're told. Teenagers drink and hurt/kill other for fun. There are virtual families, only television screens to interact with. Books are banned; people in possession of books are put in institutions, their books are burned along with their houses.

Montag lives a content life as a fireman. That is, until, one day, he meets his new neighbour, Clarisse McClellan - the seventeen year old, who is endlessly curious about all the things the world has forgotten to care about. In this bland lifeless world, she represents individuality and freedom. The young girl makes Montag question his happiness, makes him feel uneasy about the life he lives.

One day, on seeing a woman choose to burn alive with her house full of books, than live without them, Montag begins to wonder if the world is wrong about reading, after all. And that is when he steals a book to see for himself...

I haven't read many dystopian novels, but I always wanted to read this book. The idea of a world without books is scary, fascinating and even after all these years (the book was published in 1953) very relevant. You hardly see kids playing in the park anymore, usually they just sit at home and play videogames. Reading is un-cool and the movies are becoming increasingly nonsensical. Don't you think? And so the author shows us the future - a world where those who dare to think and feel differently, those who dare to think at all, are suppressed by the society.

"With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual', of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar. Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally 'bright,' did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man's mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?"

The author doesn't ask us to really follow books, because that would be as dangerous a statement as any. Reading makes us think (contemplate, whatever.) It is like food for the mind. The author wants us to be curious; remember why things should be done and not just how. Reading helps us hold on to the thing that makes each of us unique; our mind, our opinions.

It's a beautiful concept, the theme of this book. What I didn't appreciate, was the execution of the idea. The fast-paced, science-fiction-ey style of writing makes it an exciting read. But, the book is too short; Montag has his epiphany-moment, even before you understand this new world or its rules. The characters are strong, but not well-developed. The novel, with all its metaphors and symbols, gives you a lot to ponder over; but too much is left to you. I would have liked it if the author had developed more on the basic ideas, that were given a paragraph each in the book. I would have liked a longer history of how society got to this point, or Montag's life over the years, before this abrupt turn of events.

The concept and the themes discussed in this book definitely make it worthwhile. In terms of the plot, I thought it was a good read. I just didn't happen to love it.

Holiday Reads

2011-12-25T20:24:00.003+05:30

I haven't been blogging much lately (for one reason or another) and I do sincerely miss it so I decided to make some time in my seemingly insanely busy life to wish you guys a happy Christmas! I had planned a whole set of twelve reads for the "twelve nights of Christmas", but I am neither supposed to know nor do I happen to know when these nights start or end. So I just read a lot of other books along with a few Christmas-ey reads this month.

One of the books I read and loved was The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore. After reading the likes of Heinrich Boell and Max Frisch in November, this laid-back Christmas story was more than welcome - for getting out of the serious-literature-mode and into the holiday spirit! While looking for some good Christmas reads, among the usual Dicken's A Christmas Carol, Tolstoy's Papa Panov's Special Christmas, in a list titled Christmas Horror I spotted that little cartoon angel, who made me want to read the book in the first place - and also wonder whether the book was in the right list! I loved the book - so much, in fact, that I spend the next day reading two more just-as-funny books by Moore!

It is Christmas time in the fictional town of Pine Cove. An angel (a very silly one) is supposed to grant a lucky boy one wish. The little boy has seen Santa die (well, someone dressed up as Santa, but the boy doesn't know that, does he?) The wish goes awry, and instead of making Santa alive again, the angel manages to raise a graveyard full of people from the dead - making it a very zombie Christmas!

Only last Wednesday I read a short story called The Festival by H. P. Lovecraft, that I forgot to post about. A man returns home for Christmas, to the little village of Kingsport to meet his folks. Instead he is greeted by strangely silent streets and crazy people. This story is one of the first short stories of Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos. The strange rites performed in the caves and the old battered and scary grimoire of Necronomicon do make me want to read so much more of Lovecraftian horror - which I hear it's called!

Last night, I re-read my most favourite (holiday) book - Terry Pratchett's Hogfather - 'twas (after all) the night before Hogswatch...

Reading Heinrich Böll

2011-12-09T19:58:00.046+05:30

During the German Literature Month - November 2011, I received two books by the Nobel Prize in Literature winning author, Heinrich Böll as part of a giveaway (big thanks to Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lizzy's Literary Life) - his first ever novel, The Train Was on Time and another renowned one, The Clown. A week before I wouldn't have been able to name my favourite German writer. Now, these two hauntingly beautiful novels seem to have changed that.

The Train Was on Time by Heinrich Böll

About the book: Published in 1949, The Train Was on Time (original: Der Zug war puenktlich) is Heinrich Böll's first novel.

"That's something no one would ever be able to understand, why I don't take the next train back to her... why don't I? No one would ever be able to understand that. But I'm scared of that innocence... and I love her very much, and I'm going to die, and all she'll ever get from me now will be an official letter saying: Fallen for Greater Germany..."

Summary: The novel is the story of a soldier, Andreas, who is stationed on the Eastern Front. Hitler has already lost the war; and as the troop train leaves Germany and slowly enters Poland, Andreas is sure of his eventual death. The story is about Andreas's last train journey, the fellow soldiers and their experiences.

My thoughts: I found this to be a beautiful novel, like I said, hauntingly beautiful. The emotions portrayed in this novel are painful but real. A blurb on the back cover says that "Böll has feelingly symbolized a guilty Germany doing penance for its sins through suffering and death." I couldn't have said it better.

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The Clown by Heinrich Böll

About the book: Published in 1963, The Clown (original: Ansichten eines Clowns i.e. Opinions of a Clown) is an acclaimed work (an instant bestseller of its time) and a German classic by Heinrich Böll.

"I don't trust Catholics," I said, "because they take advantage of you."

"And Protestants?" he asked with a laugh.

"I loathe the way they fumble around with their consciences."

"And atheists?" He was still laughing.

"They bore me because all they ever talk about is God."

Summary: Hans Schnier is a famous clown; a clown whose 'wife' seems to have left him because he won't marry her within the Catholic church. This searing loss has affected the man and the clown in him, and now alone at home, Schnier launches into a long, mordant monologue - that is this book.

(when Schnier's sister, Henrietta, dies at war.)

For the first time I sensed how terrible are the objects left behind when someone goes away or dies. Mother actually made an effort to eat, no doubt it was supposed to mean: Life goes on or something of that sort, but I knew very well: that wasn't so, it isn't life that goes on but death.

My thoughts: The Clown is one of the most amazing books I've read, and definitely my favourite this year. The novel is written in a style that along with being deeply painful, is strikingly intelligent and humorous. The inability of the young man to fit in with his own society, an outcast and the helplessness of a nonbeliever in love with a devout, of a child who has lost his sister to the war, are the themes dealt with in the novel. About post-war Germany, it seems that the author has a lot to say - country struggling to find a new identity, Nazi-guilt, religion and post-War German consciousness.

(about the seeming lack of guilt in the society, the pretentiouness that Schnier hates.)

What upset me was the innocence of the returned emigrants. They were so moved by all the remorse and loud protestations of democracy that they were forever embracing and radiating good fellow-ship. They failed to grasp that the secret of the terror lay in the little things. To regret the big things is child's play: political errors, adultery, murder, anti-Semitism - but who forgives, who understands, the little things? The way Herbert Kalick grabbed Götz Buchel by the collar, stood him in front of the class, although the teacher protested mildly, and said: "Look at him - if that isn't a Jew!"

I remember too many moments, too many details, tiny little things.

I have heard people mention that the scope of the book is too narrow, the intended audience and the people who can relate to it. But doesn't everyone have something they are/should be guilty about, every person and every country? Someone they have lost and the whole question of religion. I think, when put in to the right context, the book can be about any society, about any of us. It's a must read and kind of a collector's piece! I see myself re-reading this book many times!

Teaser Tuesday: 11.22.63 by Stephen King

2011-12-06T13:20:00.015+05:30

Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted at MizB's Should be Reading.

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"Why the hell do they call you Silent Mike?" I was hoping he'd say Because I can keep a secret, but he didn't.

"When I was a kid, I thought the Christmas carol was about me. It just kind of stuck."

I didn't ask, but halfway back to my car it came to me, and I started to laugh.

Silent Mike, holy Mike.

Sometimes the world we live in is a truly weird place.

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My teaser is from Stephen King's new book 11.22.63. It's the story of a man who goes back in time to save JFK's assassination in 1963. The book is unique, really funny and just an amazing read!

German Literature Month - Wrap Up

2011-12-01T12:17:00.005+05:30

German Literature Month - November 2011 (hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lizzy's Literary Life) ended yesterday. I haven't been much active lately, because I have been quite busy reading Stephen King's amazing new book - 11.22.63 along with the two great books I received during GLM itself, i.e, Heinrich Böll's Clown and The Train Was On Time.

Books I read: (I haven't managed to review all the books I read - owing to the very busy last week. I have linked to the reviews I did manage to write, and I will review the rest in the coming week.)

1. Perfume by Patrick Sueskind

2. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

3. Mozart's Journey to Prague by Eduard Moerike

4. Crime by Ferdinand von Schirach

5. Gantenbein by Max Frisch

6. Hotel Savoy by Joseph Roth

7. The Train Was On Time by Heinrich Boell

I guess seven books in the month is a lot more than I thought I would read. I do look forward to reading more German literature!!

Challenges for 2012!

2011-11-19T02:01:00.026+05:30

I took part in only a couple of challenges this year - but plan on participating in a whole lot in 2012. Here are the ones I have decided to sign up for:

1. The Sir Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge hosted at Once Upon a Time - I absolutely LOVE the Discworld series, of course. But I still have a couple of books from the series, here and there, which I haven't read - including the Tiffany Aching novels. There are a whole bunch of Pratchett's non-Discworld books, that I would love to read as well. Not to mention, re-reads. The challenge runs for the whole year, from January 1st to December 31st 2012. You can set your own goals and read as many books as you want!

2. Back to the Classics Challenge hosted at Sarah Reads Too Much - I stayed away (and I mean far away) from classics of any kind until very recently. I decided to give them a try and turns out they aren't all that bad. Which is why, I decided to participate in this year-long challenge. The categories are:

- any 19th century classic

- any 20th century classic

- a classic re-read

- a classic play

- classic mystery/horror/crime fiction

- classic romance

- a classic translation (from it's original language into your language)

- a classic award winner

- a classic set in a country you would never visit (or never be able to visit!)

3. Dystopia 2012 hosted at Bookish Ardour - I haven't read any dystopian fiction, at least, not lately. So, I am not sure if I will like it. Which is why, I have chosen to participate in the "Asocial" level - which means reading 5 novels throughout the year, right from January 1st to December 31st. Who knows, I might even end up liking the genre!

4. What's in a Name hosted at Beth Fish Reads - Between January 1st and December 31st, read one book with each of the following things in its title:

- a topographical feature

- something you'd see in the sky

- creepy crawly

- type of house

- something you'd carry in your pocket, purse or backpack

- something you'd find on a calendar

I just realized what this means: I have already planned a twenty plus reading list for 2012. Not to mention, the whole stack of books sitting on my shelf! I can't wait for the new year...

Hotel Savoy - Joseph Roth (Week III)

2011-11-16T23:00:00.032+05:30

It is Week III of the German Literature Month (hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lizzy's Literary Life.) I read Hotel Savoy in less than a couple of days - and since I read it in German, that is quite an achievement for me. The book is only a little more than a hundred pages, though. It is a quick and quite pleasant read.

(I didn't manage to find any quote from this book in English - so I translated this on my own; unfortunately putting both the quality and the authenticity at risk.)

"I am a cold person. During the war, I never felt one with the company. We were all lying in the same dirt and waiting for the same death. But all I could think of was my own life and my own death. I walked over dead bodies, and sometimes, it hurt me that I felt no pain."

About the book: Hotel Savoy is a novel written by Austrian writer Joseph Roth. It was first published in 1924.

Summary: Gabriel Dan is a "Heimkehrer", an Austrian soldier and later, POW returning home from a Siberian prison camp. He stays temporarily at a certain Hotel Savoy in an unnamed city in Europe. Situated somewhere between Russia and Europe, Hotel Savoy regularly provides shelter to the refugees of the Great War, both the rich and the poor. Encountering a variety of people, including his presumably rich uncle, an exotic dancer and a rather old and intimidating lift-"boy" - it is in Hotel Savoy that Gabriel Dan, the cold ex-soldier, finally finds his home.

My thoughts: I loved this book for making me realize how unimportant a story line can be, in a well written book. The book has no plot; it is only a series of events stringed wonderfully together. The descriptions are beautiful and vivid. The language is simple, but the ideas are powerful.

The hotel is like a small world on it's own - a microcosm - representative of the entire post-war Europe. The characters, all very realistic, come from all sections of society, and the main theme of the novel is the effect of the war on the people. You can see that Europe will never the be same again. And then there is that tinge of humour and parody that prevents this short book from becoming dull.

The book is unlike anything I have read before. It's a must read!

Mein Name Sei Gantenbein by Max Frisch

2011-11-13T23:20:00.022+05:30

In my German class, we once studied a page out of Max Frisch's Mein Name sei Gantenbein. A man is returning home after a long time, and on his way, in the airplane he sees the news of his own death in the newspaper. He then goes home to attend his own funeral. On seeing his own family accepting his death, he leaves without letting anyone know he's there.

I was very curious to put this story in context, and I really wanted to read the book ever since. Published in 1964, Mein Name sei Gantenbein is a book by Swiss author Max Frisch. After a failed relationship, the author is trying to put himself and the woman in a number of scenarios, trying to picture what would have worked out. He says, "I try on stories like clothes." (Ich probiere Geschichten an wie Kleider.)

The stories revolve around the two main characters - the man and the woman, Lila. There are three identities of the man - that is, Theo Gantenbein (the narrator himself), Enderlin and Svoboda. The narrator slips into the roles of the characters, each of whom is in some way related to Lila. The stories don't follow a sequence. The narrator says: A man has had an experience. And now he seeks the story of his experience. The underlying themes of the novel are existence, identity and social roles.

The incidents in the novel are all as fascinating as that of the man who attended his own funeral. Like the man who pretends to be blind and sees the world in a different light.. The plot is complicated and inconsistent - so it requires some getting used to. But the book is long, and once you do get used to the curious, slightly confusing writing style, it is quite enjoyable. I think it's a must read - and if not anything else, I did improve my German drastically, while reading this one.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2011-11-11T15:25:00.055+05:30

"Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18." (Mark Twain)

About the story: Youth is wasted on the young; isn't that what they say? Inspired by Mark Twain's quote, F. Scott Fitzgerald's amusing and imaginative short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button proves just that. The story was first published in 1922 in Collier's Magazine. Along with ten other stories, it is also a part of Fitzgerald's short story collection titled Tales of the Jazz Age.

Summary: When Mr. Button rushes to the hospital to see his new born baby, he is greeted by an angry doctor, who wishes never to see the Buttons again. Just like the doctor, the nurses inside the hospital seemed to be spooked by Roger Button's child. When Mr. Button insists on seeing his baby, a flustered nurse leads him inside a room. Instead of a baby, however, there appears to be an old man squeezed into the crib.

"Where in God's name did you come from? Who are you?" burst out Mr. Button frantically.

"I can't tell you exactly who I am," replied the querulous whine, "because I've only been born a few hours - but my last name is certainly Button."

"You lie! You're an impostor!"

The old man turned wearily to the nurse. "Nice way to welcome a new-born child," he complained in a weak voice. "Tell him he's wrong, why don't you?"

The Buttons pretend to be oblivious to the fact that their baby is a disgraceful old man. They decide instead, to raise him as a normal little boy called Benjamin Button, send him to school and make him play with the other little boys. Not wanting to disappoint his father, Benjamin Button obliges. As he grows up, he seems to become younger. In his fifties, Benjamin falls in love and marries a certain Hildegarde Moncrief. It is the fact that he is the only such person on the earth, creates problems for the guy. As everyone around him ages, Benjamin goes from a responsible father, to a moody little teenager, to a child who remembers very little of his life.

My thoughts: I saw the movie version (very loosely based on the book) of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett about two years ago when it was released, over-discussed and awarded three Academy Awards. I thought that movie was ridiculous! They took the idea and turned it into a sad, romantic love story. What I actually loved about the book was the humour.

The glaring difference in the book and the movie is that, in the book, an entire fully grown old man is born; over the years, he grows in reverse, that is, he becomes younger physically and mentally. In the movie, what is born is a baby-sized baby with the appearance and features of an old man; he grows in size but becomes physically younger and mentally older... OR something like that. Now, why would you want to complicate such a perfectly good story!?

A young man trying to pass off as an older guy and an old man going to kindergarten gives the book its dark-ish comedy. When made to play with little children, the old man pretends to break neighbours' windows. Later, when Hildegarde believes she is falling in love with a mature man in his fifties, Benjamin has been alive for hardly more than fifteen years.

The story shows the relationships between different generations of men (which may be one reason why there are startlingly few women in the plot; the other being the time when this was written.) The main premise, of course, is how great it would be to age in reverse. After experiencing the drawbacks of old age, Benjamin is able to appreciate his youth that much more. Beyond that, it's a touching story; sad, because, Benjamin is the only one who experiences this strange order of things. The story deals with many themes, of which the most significant are the passage of time and all that is inevitable.

"Roscoe's son moved up into the first grade after a year, but Benjamin stayed on in the kindergarten. He was very happy. Sometimes when other tots talked about what they would do when they grew up a shadow would cross his little face as if in a dim, childish way he realised that those were things in which he was never to share."

Verbrechen (Crime) - Ferdinand von Schirach (Week II)

2011-11-08T14:53:00.053+05:30

The German Literature Month is hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lizzy's Literary Life. The reading theme for the second week is Crime Fiction. I read a volume of short stories titled Verbrechen/Crime by German author Ferdinand von Schirach, in the original German.

About the author: Ferdinand von Schirach is a defense counsel from Munich. He is specialized in handling controversial cases of his high-profile clients. His grandfather - Baldur von Schirach - the Nazi youth leader later convicted of being a war criminal, is not the only reason Ferdinand is world famous. In 2009 Ferdinand von Schirach published his debut book entitled "Verbrechen" or "Crime." The book stayed on the bestsellers' list of Der Spiegel magazine for over forty weeks.

About the book: Verbrechen is a collection of eleven short stories about law and crime. It is a work of fiction; but even if not entirely based on reality, the book certainly draws inspiration from real events.

Summary: A nameless lawyer, the narrator, describes random cases to the reader. From an old man murdering his dominating wife after forty years of marriage to a young girl poisoning her brother to end his difficult life; the stories deal with shocking events, introducing us to everything from drugs, abuse and cannibalism to incest.

My thoughts: The mere thought that these gruesome stories might be rooted in truth can haunt the reader's mind. The book is touching, at times heart-breaking, and a frightening glimpse into the world of law and crime. The author's own vast experience in the field is clear throughout the entire book - from the way he describes crime scenes, to the way he analyses motives.

So much is expressed, without really diving into anything too emotional. The book is frank, it only relates the facts. The reader has to add the dabs of emotion wherever necessary. The writer is impartial. In each case, at the end, the "guilty" is punished; but whether he is rightfully punished is left for us to judge. The stories seem real and believable, as much as the reader wants to convince himself they couldn't possibly be. That, according to me, is what gives the book credibility.

I never liked any short stories quite as much as I loved these eleven. (Do check out Risa's Bread Crumb Reads for Short Stories on Wednesday.)

I'd recommend this book, original or translation, not just to fans of the crime genre, but to just about everyone who cares to listen!!

Mozart auf der Reise nach Prag - Eduard Mörike (Week I)

2011-11-06T02:16:00.017+05:30

For the German Literature Month (hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lizzy's Literary Life) Week I, I also read the novella Mozart auf der Reise nach Prag (Mozart's Journey to Prague) by Eduard Mörike. It was short and I enjoyed reading it in the original German; when I read translated versions, I always wonder if there was anything else that got lost in translation...

"Die Erde ist wahrhaftig schoen und keinem zu verdenken, wenn er so lang wie moeglich darauf bleiben will. Gott sei's gedankt, ich fuehle mich so frisch und wohl wie je und waere bald zu tausend Dingen aufgelegt, die denn auch alle nacheinander an die Reihe kommen sollen, wie nur mein neues Werk vollendet und aufgefuehrt sein wird. Wieviel ist draussen in der Welt und wieviel daheim, Merkwuerdiges und Schoenes, das ich noch gar nicht kenne, an Wunderwerken der Natur, an Wissenschaften, Kuensten und nuetzlichen Gewerben! Der schwarze Koehlerbube dort bei seinem Meiler weiss dir von manchen Sachen auf ein Haar so viel Bescheid wie ich, da doch ein Sinn und ein Verlangen in mir waere, auch einen Blick in dies und jens zu tun, das eben nicht zu meinem naechsten Kram gehoert."

English translation (I found this online. Not sure if it is right) : “Truly the earth is beautiful, and we can blame no one for wanting to remain on it as long as possible. Thanks be to God, I feel as young and well as ever and am in the mood to do a thousand things, which will have their turn as soon as my new work is finished and produced. How many remarkable and beautiful things there are – wonders of nature, or science, of the arts and crafts – in the world, both near and far, of which I know nothing yet. I am sure there are many things about which I know as little as the black-faced lad sitting by his charcoal kiln over there; but yet there has always been in me a burning desire to look into this, that and the other, which is not my immediate stock-in-trade.”

Summary: The novella describes a day in Mozart's life, but not just any day. For the opening of Don Giovanni, Mozart is on the way to Prague with his wife. On the way, he is caught trying to steal an orange from a garden of a stately home. When the family finds out that their 'trespasser' is, in fact, the great composer, the delightedly invite him to be the guest of honour at their daughter's wedding.

My thoughts: The book is beautifully written. I love that story has so little to do with music, but tells us so much about Mozart himself. Another thing I love is that it's just a small story, not an attempt at a novel; it has all the right elements in the right amount - a little more would have spoiled the book. The writer never strays from the matter at hand. Mozart's thoughts and views about life, the forest and so on, are definitely worth a read. I mean, really, what could go wrong with a story about Mozart stealing fruits from a farmer!! I'd recommend this novella in a heartbeat.

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (Week I)

2011-11-05T22:08:00.001+05:30

This is the first book I read as part of the German Literature Month 2011 hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lizzy's Literary Life.

"
There was just such a
fanatical child trapped inside this young man, standing at the table with eyes aglow, having forgotten everything around him, apparently no longer aware that there was anything else in the laboratory but himself and these bottles that he tipped into the funnel with nimble awkwardness to mix up an insane brew that he would confidently swear - and would truly believe! - to be the exquisite perfume Amor and Psyche. Baldini shuddered as he watched the fellow bustling about in the candlelight, so shockingly absurd and so shockingly self-confident."

Summary:

Perfume is the story of an unusually talented perfumer named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who has the best sense of smell in the whole of Paris (and, every other place); but who, ironically, has no scent of his own. Though outwardly harmless, people find Grenouille disturbing. Even as a mere baby, he is considered to be possessed by the devil. This strange man is a bad omen for everyone he meets, overturning their fortunes, destroying their lives. As the book proceeds, Grenouille becomes darker and more inhuman; and in the quest of creating the perfect perfume, he turns into a murderer.

My thoughts:

I have never read a plot like this one, nor seen similar characters. I liked Grenouille's character as the ultimate anti-hero, and I loved that we got to know the detailed stories of even the minor characters, even though they weren't always that pleasant. I agree, the book is amazingly unique; in fact, I haven't read a book in my life that focused on the sense of smell. I loved the underlying theme of obsession in the book; and the way it gives a great insight into people through one of our most downplayed senses. It's incredibly creative.

But it's also excruciatingly long. German sentences can pass off being long and complex - that's how they usually are. But Patrick Süskind's writing isn't that suitable for a translation. I don't like English books that have paragraph-length sentences. Nor do I like authors who insist on describing every single thing in every possible way. For the first part of the book, I almost gave up reading several times. I am glad I continued though, because the second part is where things get really wonderful! I suppose I would have liked the book more had it been shorter.

The book is one of a kind, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves to read. It may be that someone who understands perfumery better than me would appreciate the book more that I could...

Why do I like horror fiction?

2011-11-03T18:42:00.041+05:30

Don't roll your eyes, answer, "...because people like to be scared... it excites us... blah blah." and convince yourself that this is one of those articles. Believe me, I don't like to be scared. In fact, I never dared to read the horror genre until very recently, when I read my first Stephen King book. That too, only because some idiot told me it's not as scary on paper as it is on screen..

For someone who got scared even by the obviously fake white faced, black eyed ghosts in most run-of-the-mill horror movies; and whose only experience with horror fiction involved pathetic childhood encounters with R. L. Stine, King's book was something else. I am, what you call, a classic "scaredy-cat." And this post is about why I love to read horror fiction.

"At last he crept back into bed and pulled the blankets up and watched the shadows thrown by the alien streetlight turn into a sinuous jungle filled with flesheating plants that wanted only to slip around him, squeeze the life out of him, and drag him down into a blackness where one sinister word flashed in red: REDRUM." - Stephen King (The Shining)

It's not like I've ever actually come across the word "Redrum" splattered somewhere in blood, like Danny here. But at night, when I read this, I'll pull the blankets up to my chin and focus my eyes completely on the book, trying to ignore the shadowy trees outside my window. And I'll be just as terrified as Danny is. And you know what I'll tell myself... Such things don't exist? Not really. Something like... "Calm down. It's not like it's happening over here!"

Horror fiction, according to me, anyway, is not about how gory you can be; but, how convincing. The story can star vampires or zombies, spirits and ghouls or just plain crazy people - a horror novel works when the reader believes in it, if only for a second. I mean, I can never be completely sure that there isn't a ghost standing in the next room as I type, wondering what is making the tapping noise. And it's this paranoia that a horror writer gets to play with.

Movies are too definite. When you watch a horror movie, you are watching someone else's nightmare. But yours is always the worst. For instance, spiders or snakes or dark jungle scenes only creep me out - but add a white faced ghost to the equation and bam! I'm scared. In a movie, you'll only see what you're shown. In a book, though, the writer just lays the groundwork; the imagery is up to you. It is up to you to fill in the blanks, and like I said, nothing is scarier than your worst nightmare.

I still maintain, though, that I don't like the fear. But the fear is intriguing. I find it fascinating, that a bunch of words can completely convince me that there is someone standing behind me, watching me read. How they can make me quickly glance back and make sure there isn't. It's horrible, that I can't sleep well for days after I read a particularly scary novel. It's wonderful, that a writer can so effectively do his job.

German Literature Month

2011-11-01T22:03:00.005+05:30

German Literature Month is hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lissy's Literary Life.

I don't have a whole reading list planned for the entire month. I have decided to go on planning according to the weekly schedule. I had also decided to try to read two books - one in German, one in English. (Let's see how that works out!)

Week 1 starts today, in my part of the world, and it is time for German Literature.

My tentative reading list:

1. Perfume (Das Parfum) - Patrick Süskind

2. Death in Venice (Der Tod in Venedig) - Thoman Mann

3. Die unendliche Geschichte (The Neverending Story) - Michael Ende

Happy Reading!

Conversations by Rajeev Nanda - book review

2011-10-28T15:44:00.000+05:30

At first glance, the book seemed wonderful. The pleasant cover page has a picture of three coloured chairs, in front of an old, patchy wall. It reminded me of a painting I'd seen a long time ago, of an old man sitting outside his old house, with a cane in his hand, and a dog at his side. The title Conversations stands out against the pale background. And the effect told me what the title meant to me - conversations, yes, but with yourself.

Conversations is a book by Indian author Rajeev Nanda. The author is an IT professional and is also the author of E-everything.com: How To Map Out a Viable E-Strategy, along with various articles, both technological and academic. His new book Conversations is a collection of thought provoking short stories and poems on various aspects of life. The basic underlying theme of the stories as well as poems is, of course, what gave the book its title - discussions and conversations.

As I read the introduction, I was sure I would like the book. The book turned out to be quite unlike what the introduction suggested. This sort of reading isn’t usually my cup of tea, and I think this book proves why not. At the risk of sounding judgmental, I would label the book pseudo-intellectual.

“The stories and poems in the book have resulted from my years of observing people around me and then mulling over various challenges and dilemmas we face in life. Therefore, I think it is better for this book to introduce me to you rather than me trying to introduce this book. I will consider it as the success of this book if it makes you think, reflect and develop new perspectives.”

Quoting just what the author says in the introduction, I believe he should have mulled over just a tad bit more. You see, the emotions discussed in the book, the challenges that were uncovered weren’t deep enough. The poetry seemed child-like. The stories touched me, but they didn’t give me a perspective that I haven’t already read in a thousand other self-help books, that I haven’t seen in a thousand other movies. Like I mentioned before, this isn’t my kind of book - but I chose to read it, because people do surprise you sometimes.

I would have liked to read a book that retells normal incidents, narrates normal stories; that end up being something more than just normal. Instead, what I get is a collection of stories planned to impress; planned, even, to preach hefty life lessons. This book is nice. But it could have been one that stays with you for a long time, after you’re done reading it. The feelings mentioned in the book didn’t keep me awake in bed. I can’t say I even thought about the book once I put it down. I only really liked a couple of stories, a few poems here and there; that’s it.

That being said, I liked the writing. The author has a good command over the language, the wording is simple but effective - and there isn’t any slang or teen-talk. There were some obvious clichés, but what I called ‘pseudo-intellectual’ never got too cynical. The writing is humble, and the book is honest. It is clear that the writer means what he says, and that’s more than I can say for most authors.

I would only recommend this book to someone who is more familiar with the genre than I am; and less judgmental than I am, as well.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

The Dead Smile (Short Stories on Wednesday)

2011-10-26T07:56:00.024+05:30

I have read mostly horror novels this month, and not only for the R.I.P. Challenge and Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon! So to keep up with the Halloween spirit, I read a short story by American author Francis Marion Crawford. It is a gothic tale called The Dead Smile.

"It was a low-moaning voice, one that rose suddenly, like the scream of storm. Then it went from a moan to a wail, from a wail to a howl, and from a howl to the shriek of the tortured dead. He who has heard it before knows, and he can bear witness that the cry of the banshee is an evil cry to hear alone in the deep night."

The themes of the story are lies, secrets and forbidden love, combined with the supernatural. The story is wonderfully written and has in every way the aethetic beauty of gothic literature. The descriptions are so vivid and at times, gruesome, that you can almost see the scenes unfold before your eyes. That being said, the plot is awfully predictable and riddled with loopholes. As long as you don't try to make sense of every action, the story is a beautiful and touching read.

You can read it here. Short Stories on Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads.

R.I.P. - Ghost Story by Peter Straub

2011-10-24T09:18:00.043+05:30

"We see things, but we don't believe them; we feel things—people watching us, sinister things following us—but we dismiss them as fantasies. We dream horrors, but try to forget them. And in the meantime, three people have died."

- Ricky Hawthorne (Ghost Story by Peter Straub)

Over the weekend, I read five horror novels, but none of them managed to frighten and disturb and fascinate me as the one I finished reading only a few days earlier, as the fourth and the last book for the R.I.P. Challenge. Peter Straub's Ghost Story is a homage to the best novels of the horror genre, and an amazing one at that.

Summary: The book opens with a man driving a strange little girl in his car, in the middle of nowhere. He seems to have kidnapped her, but is more scared of her than she is of him. Right when he is about to kill her, about to drive his knife through her... the scene changes.

Milburn is a fictional small town in upstate New York. An ageing bachelor, Sears James and his friend Ricky Hawthorne are attorneys. They also form half of what is now left of the Chowder Society. The Chowder Society is originally a group of five friends, who gather every month to drink and talk. That is, until one of them, Edward Wanderley, dies under mysterious circumstances, exactly a year before this story takes place. What is left now is the two attorneys, a doctor Joseph Jaffrey and Lawrence Benedikt. The Chowder Society meetings are private and the four don't talk about business or politics. They tell stories. Every month, one of them tells a ghost story - the scariest thing that ever happened to him. That is, until, one day that scary thing returns and their past comes back to haunt them.

My thoughts: Ghost Story is a huge book, not only in size. 'Vast' may be a better word to describe it. It has numerous back-stories of numerous characters intricately woven together to form one novel. The book is not about one vampire, or one ghost - but the whole idea - the thing that takes on different forms to make us afraid, the thing that has lived in every culture in every country, and prevailed through all these years. The original evil.

What I really like about the book is that it is more like a psychological thriller than a story with slimy white ghosts and creepy noises. I have never been more terrified of descriptions of fear and I've never been more certain, that someone's following me.

The characters are wonderful. It's a long story and you have a long time to get to know them. By the end of the book, I was almost in tears when anything happened to my favourite people. It is amazing to get so involved in a story, and to be able to relate so closely to something about ghosts and demons!

The book is a recommended read for anyone, even those who haven't read the genre before or don't consider themselves horror fans. Believe me, once you read this book, you'll want to read more horror fiction; I know I did!

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon Wrap Up

2011-10-24T01:21:00.015+05:30

The Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon was hosted at Kindle Fever and My Shelf Confessions for the weekend (October 21st - 23rd). With Halloween coming up, I decided to read only books from the horror/thriller genres.

Since it is now the 24th on my side of the world, I have decided to do a wrap-up post. I finished reading five books; i.e. one more than my set goal.

Reading Stats -

Books Read: (Total - 5)

1. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

2. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

3. I am Legend by Richard Matheson

4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

5. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

Total Pages Read: 1103

Total Challenges completed: 5

This was my first read-a-thon and I have to tell you, it was a huge success. After reading five horror novels back-to-back, I can't look in mirrors, be alone in stairways in my own house and sleep with the lights out.

My eyes are so swollen, I have had a number of people asking me if I was sick for the past couple of days. Now when I close my eyes, I see words floating around in my head. And I am so tired that I am afraid that if I let myself fall asleep now, it'd be impossible to ever wake up. I love this feeling! I am looking forward to taking part in many more read-a-thons.

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon Update #3

2011-10-23T15:20:00.013+05:30

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon is hosted at Kindle Fever and My Shelf Confessions for this weekend. With Halloween coming up, I decided to have a horror/thriller reading list (Though that is not a must for the read-a-thon.)

Reading Stats:
Total Books Read - 4
Total Pages Read - 973

Last Book(s) Read: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - This is definitely one of the best horror/thriller novels I have read. It's eerie and creepy and really just a classic ghost story

I am Legend by Richard Matheson - The story of a the last man surviving in a strange, new world, where every other creature is a vampire. If the "apocalypse due to a disease" theme sounds too cliched too you, you ought to keep in mind that this book is one of the books that introduced the theme. Cool, huh? This makes me want to read books about zombies.

My (tentative) to-be-read list: (I can definitely manage one more book)

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

Persepolis - Reading a graphic novel

2011-10-22T23:17:00.011+05:30

One of the many things I am unduly critical about is graphic novels (or comic books.) I wasn't very fond of either, as a child, when the only comic book I ever owned starred Donald Duck.

I recently read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a beautiful and touching autobiographical comic book. The author shows us the memories of her childhood and adolescence, in the form of simple illustrations, just like a child would. Originally written in French, it has two volumes (The Story of a Childhood & The Story of a Return) which are illustrated in a charming black and white. The story is set during and after the Islamic revolution and the Iran-Iraq war.

Brought up in Tehran, Marjane dreamed, as a little child, of being God's Prophet and later, during the revolution, dressed up and pretended to be the likes of Che Guevara. While she grew up in a relatively independent and liberal family atmosphere, the world around her turned into something entirely different. The book deals with themes like war, discrimination, religion, politics; all from that little girl's point of view. I never imagined a comic book could handle such a "grown-up" topic in such a "grown-up" way. You can't blame me, though; I actually don't know any one who reads comic books of any genre other than fantasy.

What I loved the most about the book, is that it captures a youngster's perspective perfectly. I always think that when writing about his childhood, an author writes what he feels retrospectively (or what he thinks he must have felt back then.) Because of that, autobiographies tend to exaggerate a child's capacity to express or understand emotions.

On the other hand, once you're in your forties, twelve-year-olds and eight-year-olds all seem about the same. So some authors make their younger characters too, well, childish. This comic book displays the little girl's innocence wonderfully - and without making her seem naive. And as the girl grows up, you grow up with her!

Now, I am not claiming that I am suddenly a fan of comic books about superheroes or Japanese animated characters with uncharacteristically huge eyes. I'm just saying, I'll try not to be so judgmental the next time; because this particular comic book (Persepolis) is certainly one of my favourite books!

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon Update #2

2011-10-22T11:25:00.014+05:30

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon is hosted at Kindle Fever and My Shelf Confessions for this weekend. With Halloween coming up, I decided to have a horror/thriller reading list (Though that is not a must for the read-a-thon.)

Reading Stats:

Total Books Read - 2

Total Pages Read - 400

Last Book Read: The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker (detailed review coming up shortly) - I loved this book. It is actually the novella on which the movie Hellraiser is based (I haven't seen the movie, though.) In fact, I am wondering if I should add another Clive Barker novel to my weekend read-a-thon reading list!

My (Tentative) To-be-read List:

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon Challenge

2011-10-22T02:28:00.012+05:30

So far, the Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon is going way better than I would have imagined! This is a challenge hosted at LovelyLit as a part of the Read-a-thon.

"For this challenge you will be making one sentence using only book titles. You can't add or leave out any words. You can use as many books as you like. Your sentence will probably be silly but that makes it even more fun! Just make sure it's a real sentence. Subject & Verb!"

Well, I used six books (pretty long, I know, but it was fun. And kind of crazy!) Here's my sentence:

Only time will tell, if on a winter's night a traveller abandoned the time traveller's wife forever in the land of winter.

And the books:

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon Challenge

2011-10-22T01:47:00.000+05:30

This is a challenge hosted at Book Briefs as a part of the Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon.

"Ok, so how does this work? First you pick a book. Then you find pictures to represent the words in the book title. Then you put the pictures/clues together and try to guess what the book title is. Get creative and make it as challenging as you want. Make a post with your Book picture puzzles and go around to different blogs and try to guess some of the puzzles."

Here's mine.. I suppose it's easy to guess...

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon Update #1

2011-10-21T23:09:00.014+05:30

My first ever read-a-thon kicked off to a great start; I did almost nothing else but read.

Reading Stats:

Total Books Read - 1

Total Pages Read - 291

Last book read: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (a detailed review coming up shortly) - I did not find the book as horrifying as I thought I would. Although all the obvious horror elements are present, it just doesn't seem like the creepiest of books. I guess the spooky figures and their crazy behaviour just isn't as frightening to read as it is to watch. I haven't seen The Exorcist movie, though, so can't comment on that...

My (Tentative) To-Be-Read List:

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Happy Reading! ;)

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon

2011-10-21T12:41:00.016+05:30

I came across this great read-a-thon at Aeicha's Word Spelunking. This is my first time participating in a read-a-thon, but since I am leaving for a short vacation on Monday, it seems like a good idea to get some reading done before saying bye-bye to books altogether! I'll post updates as and when I can and take part in whichever challenges I can!

The Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon is hosted at Kindle Fever and My Shelf Confessions for the weekend. The read-a-thon kicks off today, but you have until tomorrow to sign up!

Happy Reading!

R.I.P. - The Warlock's Hairy Heart by Beedle the Bard (by J. K. Rowling)

2011-10-20T13:30:00.042+05:30

I have been reading less and less short stories lately (and not liking it at all.) So this is may be a day late, but I am participating after two weeks in Short Stories on Wednesday, a bookish meme hosted at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads. (This is also a part of Peril of the Short Story for the R.I.P. Challenge - I suppose it fits the theme.)

My story this week is a wonderfully gruesome tale from J. K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and my favourite one of the five popular children's fables of the Wizarding World. The Warlock's Hairy Heart is a dark fairy-tale with a tragic ending, resembling a Brothers Grimm tale! In a way, the story has the strongest message.

A handsome and skilled young warlock, who has all the riches of the world, views love and vulnerability as a weakness. So he finds a way to escape it. The warlock uses Dark Magic to lock away his heart in a dungeon. But separating his heart from his body doesn't make him more powerful like he wishes; instead he turns inhuman and is either despised or pitied by everyone else. The heart itself, locked away from its natural place, turns black and shrunken, covered with hair - like a beast. The savage heart seeks what it can never gain, a whole human heart. The warlock tries to correct his mistake, but it is too late by then. The warlock's secret ultimately leads to his own destruction, along with a poor young girl who falls in love with him.

In his notes, Dumbledore aptly describes this story to handle "one of the greatest, and least acknowledged, temptations of magic: the quest for invulnerability." By dividing what is clearly not meant to be divided (Body and heart. Rings a bell, doesn't it? It's similar to separating body and soul, and we all know where that gets you!) and by going against nature, the warlock loses his chance even for redemption.

This is the only story from the book that I found more fascinating than Dumbledore's notes of it. I would have loved it so much more as a kid. I mean, what's not to love about a bedtime story that can give you nightmares?

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

2011-10-19T13:50:00.000+05:30

About the book: So, I only managed to read three of the six Booker Prize shortlisted books. The other day they announced the winner - The Sense of an Ending by English author Julian Barnes. I'd read that one. It's no Life of Pi, but it's certainly the best out of the three that I read.

Summary & Theme: The narrator, a man in his early sixties, talks about his life. He has had a good career, a marriage followed by an amicable divorce; some achievements and some disappointments, and of course, some mystery. The main theme of the book is memories. It's about what you think when you grow old and look back at the life you've lived; what you do when you realize the truth of what you have done; when you see your actions in a different, grown-up light and realize your mistakes; what you do when you can't take those actions back.

‘I don’t know, sir.’

‘What don’t you know?’

‘Well, in one sense, I can’t know what it is that I don’t know. That’s philosophically self-evident.’ He left one of those slight pauses in which we again wondered if he was engaged in subtle mockery or a high seriousness beyond the rest of us.

My thoughts: I think what held the book so wonderfully together was the dry humour; especially as the narrator recounts his story, you see that he finds it immature, funny even, and you tend to agree with him! The characters are very engaging and each one unique. The relationships and the bonds the narrator forms over the years (with his four childhood friends, with his divorced wife) are all too realistic not to be true. The book being a narration, the author has a lot of chances to indulge in long monologues about life and such, and he uses these opportunities to the fullest.

The one problem I had was that there is very little focus on the plot. It all seems very loosely tied together. There is no direction, no focus... and the twist ending came more as a shock than a good surprise to me! It is very unpredictable and very irrelevant. Retrospectively, though, isn't that how life is, anyway? (Maybe I like my fiction to stray from the reality and stay fiction-like. It's not an autobiography, after all.)

Overall it is great one-time read. In fact, I would love to re-read excerpts of the book that I really liked, parts that were really funny or really beautiful; and there were many. Now, being the 2011 Booker Prize winner, it is a must read!

Books I read because of the Cover/Title!

2011-10-18T11:33:00.057+05:30

Well, I try not to judge a book by its cover or title. Mainly because a lot of books I like have pretty dull titles or covers. But there are exceptions to every rule ;) Top Ten Tuesdays is a bookish meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

Top Ten Books You Read Because of the Cover or the Title:

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - I love this cover; a lot more than I like the book, in fact. I love the colours and how mysterious it looks.

2. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M Valente - The title reminded me of all my favourite childhood fairytale stories and I just had to read it! The blurb by Neil Gaiman - "A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian fairy tale, done with heart and wisdom" - on the cover page made me pick it up.

3. Papillon by Henri Charriere - I love the book cover. I love how it is so related to the plot, with the tarnished old lock and key being a symbolic prison and the butterfly being the fugitive nicknamed Papillon because of the butterfly tattoo on his chest.

4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon - I love the book's title; it made me very curious about the incident with the dog. The book is so great too. And after I read the book, I loved the title even more because it is so exact, and yet so much different from what you could have imagined!

5. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - The cover is so magical. I love the colours and the fairy-tale-like look with the green lizard and the little winged fairy. And it does look like someone is climbing out of a window from a different world into our own; which is sort of how the story goes!

6. The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett - The title just made me want to read the book. Of course, the fact that it was written by Terry Pratchett helped. I was kind of eager to find out what my favourite author had to say about my favourite animal. I am glad I read it, it's one of the funniest books anyone acquainted with cats can read!

7. Room by Emma Donoghue - The cover makes the book seem so eerie and mysterious and that is just how it it. Normally I hesitate before reading books by authors I don't know; but I am glad I read this one. Just like its cover, it's a really beautiful book. I even like the other cover, the white one, but nothing compares to this pretty blue!

8. If On a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino - My first reaction was "if on a winter's night a traveller... what?" The title sounds so unique and incomplete that it just made me want to read the book to find out that "what"! The book is even more unique. I love it.

9. Marley & Me by John Grogan - How can you possibly resist the cute little face looking up at you with twinkly eyes filled with innocence? It makes my heart melt.

10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I know it was really all the hype and the great reviews that made me check out the book. But I read it because I loved the title. I mean, isn't a book thief exactly someone, whom bookworms like you and I would like to read about?

So, is it only me or do you choose (judge is strong word) books by their covers and titles as well?

My bookish story

2011-10-17T00:14:00.000+05:30

Do you remember that one book that really turned you into a bookworm? I can't say that I do. But one book always stands out in my memory - it was one of the few good novels in my school library. It was a book by Robert Ludlum and I loved it. It might have been the book that turned me from the 'likes-to-read girl' to the 'never-stops-reading girl'! But the story neither starts nor ends there!

I was always sort of a bookworm; but I was never too eager to get out of my comfort zone. I always read the same genres and even the same old authors. So, when I randomly borrowed this book from the school library, I didn't read even a single page for two entire weeks. On the last night, for God knows what reason, I started reading the book. I read late into the night and woke up with the book next to me. I read throughout the morning, thoroughly enjoying the experience. I never finished it, though. And I had to return it the same day.

Here comes the crazy part. All I could somehow remember about that book was that it was written by Robert Ludlum. How I could have forgotten the book title, I don't know! Or the plot, for that matter. I read many Robert Ludlum books after that, bought and borrowed, and I liked them. But I never did find that one. That is, until now.

You know that feeling, when you are trying hard to remember something and it constantly keeps nudging the insides of your brain making sure you are unable to concentrate on anything else? The battered old book has been doing that to me for the past... about six years. No kidding. When I somehow ended up on Robert Ludlum's Wikipedia page today, it got me wondering how long it would take to skim through the summaries of Ludlum's 23 thriller novels and find out that mystery book, once and for all. Well, it takes two hours and a bout of scolding from your mother for staying up too late.

As it turns out, it is a spy-thriller novel called The Scorpio Illusion (the name sounds strangely familiar now; you know, as if I had known it all along.) I can't wait to buy it and read the whole book and you know, re-discover why I fell in love with reading in the first place! So, do you have a bookish story of your own?

R.I.P. - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

2011-10-16T17:55:00.046+05:30

While I do like reading horror, I am still not quite sure about watching horror movies (without, that is, freezing of shock.) Which is why I decided to watch only animated (and hence, not scary) movies for the R.I.P. Challenge for now.

After watching Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, I was thinking of re-watching Corpse Bride. Instead, someone recommended this movie to me - Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. It is an Academy Award winning horror-comedy flick, starring (the voices of) Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. I loved it!

"Something wicked this way hops."

Wallace, the cheese-loving inventor, and his intelligent but humble pet dog, Gromit run the pest-control (well, relocation) service "Anti-Pesto". They get rid of the town's worst and peskiest rabbits, and are loved by the townspeople. Only days before the town's famous Giant Vegetable Competition, the most prized vegetables start mysteriously disappearing. It is up to Anti-Pesto to save the townspeople from what appears to be a giant monster of a rabbit.

I adored the clay-mation. The characters were simple but charming! Gromit is officially one of my favourite cartoon dogs. He is quiet and faithful and incredibly patient (considering that he is far smarter and better at his job than the incompetent Wallace.) And just look cute he is! Having no voice, he only consists of a few extremely expressive pieces of clay.

Aside from the wonderful animation, it was the silly, cheesy British humour that I loved. The plot is slightly overdone; and the movie could have been shorter. Still, being a witty parody of almost all horror and thriller films, it is a great source of entertainment!

Books I Wish I Could Read Again For the First time

2011-10-11T10:55:00.010+05:30

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at the Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again For the First time

(I am going to keep this list simple. These are, in no particular order, some of my favourite books ever; that were either my firsts by that author, or my firsts in that genre, or I read them in just a couple of hours and was hooked from the first word. I still clearly remember the first time I read these books and I wish I could re-live it.)

1. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

3. Misery by Stephen King

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

5. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones

6. Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

7. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino

8. Dracula by Bram Stoker

10. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Killing Floor by Lee Child

2011-10-08T22:19:00.004+05:30

I thought: should I be worried? I was under arrest. In a town where I'd never been before. Apparently for murder. But I knew two things. First, they couldn't prove something had happened if it hadn't happened. And second, I hadn't killed anybody. Not in their town, and not for a long time, anyway.

About the book: Killing Floor is a crime thriller novel by Lee Child. Published in 1997, it is Lee Child's debut novel. It is the first book in the Jack Reacher series.

Short summary: Jack Reacher is arrested for murder, almost as soon as he enters the tiny town of Margrave, Georgia. But the tough ex-military policeman has been through much worse. Unable to convince the cops of his innocence, Jack Reacher decides to take matters in his own hands. As he tries to uncover the truth himself, he stumbles across a much deeper conspiracy in Margrave.

My thoughts: It was a good read. With the fast paced action, the twists in the plot, the strong (albeit stereotypical) characters - it was a really good read. It was the sort of thing that I'd very reluctantly add to a list of 'Guilty Pleasure Reads', though. What I didn't like was the drama. The first thing I thought was it would make a good movie (I don't know if there already is one..?!) At times I found it too brutal, I found some dialogues kind of cheesy, and I didn't like the fact that most of the core happenings in the book were shaped by some pretty huge coincidences.

It felt almost as if the writer had planned the ending first, and wrote the book backwards. So when I read it from the starting, it was hard to believe how the characters guessed and assumed all the things they did; it was almost as if they knew the end. The plot holes were a huge disappointment.

I thought of the book as something written to attract a huge number of fans - which it rightfully did. It was a fun read, but I also thought it could have been much better.

German Literature Month - November

2011-10-08T18:09:00.011+05:30

After seeing this on Vishy's blog, I immediately decided to take part in it; I hardly have anything to do this November and it is about time I caught up on some German Literature.

German Literature Month is hosted by Caroline @ Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy @ Lissy's Literary Life.

The weekly schedule for the month is -

Week 1 - German Literature

Week 2 - German Crime Fiction

Week 3 - Austria and Switzerland

Week 4 - Kleist and Other German Classics

Week 5 - Wrap up

I haven't found the time to make a complete list of the things I would like to read. In fact, that's good, because every time I make a reading list, I end up reading something entirely else. But there are certain German books, which I always wanted to read - these include Patrick Süskind's Perfume, Max Frisch's Mein Name sei Gantenbein, Michael Ende's The Neverending Story, and Kafka's the Trial. Along with that, some Bertolt Brecht, some Günter Grass, Ingrid Noll and something (anything) by Goethe.

Of course, I couldn't even dream of finishing half this stuff. But you can call it my tentative list. Let's just see how much I actually read. I'm definitely looking forward to November!

Audiobooks vs. 'the Real Thing'

2011-10-05T21:27:00.007+05:30

I never did like the idea of listening to books. At the risk of sounding kind of poetic, let me just say, I like the process that goes on in my head when I read - letting the words sink in, hearing them in my own voice inside my head. Going back and reading that last line and understanding it better, knowing what happens next. It's a great experience. And something I get to enjoy without having to meet/talk or listen to other people.

Being read aloud to was fun only till I couldn't read myself, and the one reading to me was my grandmother. When someone reads aloud to you; they are interpreting the lines in their own style. They might not pause just right or chuckle at the right time. As a reader, I like the freedom the author gives me in a book; the chance to use my own imagination. I'd rather not have a narrator steal that from me.

On the other hand; there are those practical, non-poetic advantages of an audiobook. You can read it while driving, while standing in queues, when you're forced to go shopping with your friends. An audiobook can come in quite handy when you're at a family function, gloomily listening to your relatives gossip. Which is why I decided to skip the skepticism and actually listen to an audiobook first. I chose to 'read' Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman, narrated quite nicely by Stephanie Leonidas.

Would I have liked it more had I actually read it? Probably not.

Mirrormask was a beautiful book, very imaginative and it had the kind of story that works better as a movie, anyway. The narration was great, and since you do not require too much concentration for a fantasy story like that, I'd say an audiobook worked quite well.

Does this mean I now like audiobooks? Not really.

There are a thousand things that could go wrong - one of the worst being an incompetent narrator. Another thing I'd hate is if the book were abridged - even by a sentence.

I also think the first person perspective played a big part in making Mirrormask good. One point of view, one voice. When there are too many dialogues and too many characters; each with a different voice, I would find it very distracting to have to figure out who is speaking every time. If one person pretends to be seven different characters with seven different voices; don't even get me started on how wrong that could go.

Listening to an audiobook is like watching a movie without the video and reading a book, without the, well, pages - neither of which I'd be particularly eager spend money on!

R.I.P. - The Nightmare Before Christmas

2011-10-04T21:36:00.051+05:30

"It was a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story you're about to be told began with the holiday worlds of old. Now you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't, then I'd say its time you've begun."

I first watched a Tim Burton film ages ago - the animated musical Corpse Bride, which I remember loving. Much recently I read an adorable book of short poems also by Burton called The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories. So, as a part of the R.I.P Challenge (Peril on the Screen) I decided to see another of Burton's animated movies that I never got around to watching till now - The Nightmare before Christmas.

In the unique reality where every holiday has its own world, we meet Jack Skellington of Halloween Town. The Pumpkin King, the brains behind the festival of Halloween, once stumbles across the world of Christmas. A misfit in his own world, Jack now believes it his sole purpose in life to improve his festival by merging the worlds of Christmas and Halloween. What follows is a wonderfully funny tale of twists and turns, when the monsters of Halloween Town start preparing for Christmas. It is on the night before Christmas, when Skellington kidnaps 'Sandy Claws' to replace him, that our world sees what has become of Christmas.

The movie is for 'kids' of all ages. It's awesome. The detailed animation, of course, is what makes the movie so great. The wonderful cartoons reminded me a lot of the thin, dark, stick-like creatures in Corpse Bride. The characters are unique and the dialogues are genuinely funny (well, most of them, anyway.) Even though the story is kind of ridiculous, I think I would have pretty much loved it when I was a kid. If it were a little funnier and made a little more sense, I would have enjoyed it even more. If not anything else, though, the movie does get you in the holiday spirit!

Musing Mondays

2011-10-03T14:26:00.014+05:30

Musing Mondays is a bookish meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading. This week's question is:

What are you most excited about reading, right now? (can be a book you're currently enjoying, or a book that's yet to be published, etc.)

This question could not have showed up at a better time. The book I'm most excited about? The upcoming sequel to my first and favourite Stephen King novel, The Shining.

I'm serious. It's a book titled Dr. Sleep, and King is currently working on it. It is the story of the very same Danny Torrance, only forty years old this time. He works in a hospice, helping patients, until he comes across a tribe of psychic vampires who feed on people's energies... or something like that. It sounds awesome, right? I did love King's vampires in Salem's Lot, and I can't wait to read what became of little Danny; I did always wonder...

While the release date is far from out, it is confirmed, as of September 26th, that King is working on this book. If you're as excited as I am, you can listen to this video of him discussing the idea behind the book!

R.I.P. - The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré

2011-09-30T01:40:00.017+05:30

As they got to the door, Control put his hand lightly on Leamas' shoulder.

"This is your last job," he said. "Then you can come in from the cold."

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is a 1963 spy/crime thriller novel by John Le Carré. The protagonist is an agent called Alec Leamas, working for the British Intelligence Service (referred to as "the Circus") in early Cold War Berlin. He gets called back to London by his spy master, Control, who gives him his last, scary assignment.

When I started reading this book, my first spy novel, I had no idea what to expect. With a continually twisting story line, the book is fast and packed with tension. Anything I reveal under "Summary" could be counted as a spoiler; the book is best read directly and is a must read.

The story is genuinely complicated and seems highly probable. This is what a spy's life is like; each man for himself and no one is a hero. There is no flashiness and no glamour, just dark and touchingly realistic experiences. More than anything else though, the book, coming from an agent himself, sounds a lot like an anecdote, making it all the more involving.

The characters are great, each with a detailed background story. It is not easy to figure out their motives and Le Carré has maintained the suspense throughout the novel; letting us know little at a time, and keeping us wait for more. The relationships are complex but not complicated - the single love story is intricately involved in the plot, leaving many blanks for us to fill. The story is mostly plot based, but it involves some of the strongest characters ever.

The book is not only a thriller, but so much more. I might just have found my new favourite novel.

I wrote this book review as a part of the R.I.P Challenge.

Kipling's The Phantom Rickshaw

2011-09-29T21:48:00.006+05:30

"The weather in India is often sultry, and since the tale of bricks is always a fixed quantity, and the only liberty allowed is permission to work overtime and get no thanks, men occasionally break down and become as mixed as the metaphors in this sentence."

The Phantom Rickshaw is a short story written by Rudyard Kipling and published in 1888 as a part of a collection called The Phantom Rickshaw and other Eerie Tales.

Set in Simla, a popular tourist destination in British India, the story is a first person account of a man named Jack who is haunted by his past. Literally.

This is undoubtedly one of the best ghost stories I have read. The story was slightly weak in places, but I loved how realistically the supernatural element is presented. I also liked the writing style; the combination of witty and eerie. You can (and you should!) read it here.

Short Stories on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme (and the one thing I have to thank for my growing fascination with short stories) hosted at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads.

Pottermore!!

2011-09-28T15:51:00.018+05:30

After spending a couple of days exploring the wizarding world of Pottermore, I ended up deleting the spur-of-the-moment squeakily excited post I had written when I first got in.

My wand is a pretty alder with phoenix core, ten and three quarter inches and slightly springy, my familiar is a black cat and I got sorted into Ravenclaw. I never really thought about which house I'd like to be sorted into, and let's be honest here, I do have 'wit beyond measure', so I am perfectly content with the Sorting Hat's choice.

Exploring the first book and reading J. K. Rowling's wonderful additions to it brought back so many memories of when I first read Harry Potter. The story of how Petunia met Vernon, the history of the Hogwarts Express and so on; while exploring each key scene from each chapter you learn something new!

You also get to have your own Gringotts account, a trunk full of things you collect as you read on (it's a wonder how many Chocolate Frog Cards are just lying around the castle) and you get to practice spells, duel and even brew potions.

When it comes to potion making, though, I am no Half-blood Prince. Every time I melt my cauldron or the contents spray all over the place, creating greenish fumes that don't look particularly fragrant, I end up feeling like Neville Longbottom.

With spells, on the other hand, I'm pretty good. A little more practice and I'll be off duelling!

Top Ten Tuesday #15

2011-09-27T09:26:00.027+05:30

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I want to Re-read:

1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville - I read what I thought was the abridged version of this book a long time ago (around the time when I read and liked Enid Blyton) and I hated it. I saw this book in a bookshop years later and realized what I'd read was the original book and it is supposed to be pretty good. I need to re-read it!

2. The Book Thief by Makus Zusak - When I read this book, I just loved it. I want to re-read it to re-love it!

3. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - I remember loving this book. But it was the kind of thing where you stay glued to a book for twenty hours straight without eating or sleeping; and later it seems very unreal; like the whole thing was just a big dream and you get back to your routine and reading that book is only a hazy memory. (Or, maybe, it only happens to me)

4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman - I just re-read Anansi Boys and it reminded me so much of American Gods that I want to read it again!

5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - I miss Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Okay, I don't really miss Wormtail...

6. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - Because I am only one re-read short of a thousand reads.

7. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein - The third time's the charm. When I read this for the first time I hated it. When I re-read it, I liked it. Maybe if I read it one more time, it could convince me to finally read the Lord of the Rings series.

8. On Writing by Stephen King - I do keep reading it over and over in parts. So often, however, that I don't remember the book as a whole at all.

9. Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris - I loved this book and I'd like to be reminded why.

10. The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones - Haven't read anything by her in a long time and I had enjoyed this book a lot!

Happy Banned Books Week!

2011-09-25T17:40:00.019+05:30

Banned Books Week started yesterday; the 24th of September, and goes on, obviously, till October 1. (So, I do realize, this post is a day late.) For this celebration, I have decided to read just two books (e-book format) that have been banned here in India, so as not to add too big a load to my already busy schedule and my already toppling to-be-read pile.

Banned Books Week is a time to celebrate the freedom to read, and that is certainly a freedom I wouldn't give up easy. I'm not fighting for the freedom of expression here. When it comes to movies that show violence or anti-feminism or anti-religious views, or those that offend specific groups of people, the censorship, though not correct theoretically, seems like something I can live with. In particular instances of, say, animals abused for art, I am not that generous. But books - why do you need to ban books? When you take your kid to a museum, you have no choice but to let him watch that poor dog tied up on display! When you put on the television, you cannot help watching that scene where the man hits the woman. But you have the choice to not read a book. I mean, really, I can't see how the Catcher in the Rye can hurt anyone? Bore them to death, may be, but hurt? I don't think so.

There can be like a notice, at the back of the book, you know after the blurb - P.S: May hurt the sentiments of/bother 'some people'. Read at your own risk." Or a parental advisory, say - "Warning! Explicit content, don't read unless first read/reviewed by a parent."

Now, I am not the biggest fan of Indian literature, and I haven't decided which books to read. The first one that came to mind was Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, but let's see. I'll put up reviews once the week is done, of course! Happy Reading!

Adrift: A Junket Junkie in Europe (Review)

2011-09-24T22:23:00.008+05:30

"It is no wonder then that travel remains the one and only escape route when I want to get away from it all. It is no wonder then that changing direction comes as easily as changing clothes. It is no wonder then that travel takes on the interchangeable role of affliction and soothing balm, all at the same time. And, it is no wonder then that travel is what appears to me as the light at the end of the tether."

About the book: What with the wonderful travel quotes adorning the beginning of every chapter, it seems only fair to quote the author herself. Adrift - A Junket Junkie in Europe is a book written by Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu, about her wonderful experiences, wandering around some of the best countries of the world! She's not following her destiny nor is she embarking on a journey to discover her true self; she's just a self professed travel enthusiast looking for a fun filled vacation!

Rating: 3/5

My thoughts: 'Adrift - A Junket Junkie in Europe' is a small book, with only a little more than a hundred pages. However, it is certainly not the quickest read. What I normally would have read in a day, I needed a couple to finish. The book was a bit inconsistent and sometimes hard to keep up with. There were certain anecdotes, and detailed descriptions that I found too personal for a reader who doesn't actually know the author. Certain bits of information, usually involving the author's relatives and friends could have been skipped entirely.

Another thing that really got on my nerves was the number of spelling mistakes the editor has skillfully managed to overlook. At the risk of sounding too pompous, I must say, it's not Jardin de Tuilleries, but Jardin des Tuileries and the book says Castle Neushcwanstien when it should be Castle Neuschwanstein. If you can manage to overlook the fact that the words 'bar tender' are, in fact, rightly written as one word, then I am sorry, you don't get my sympathy.

That being said, I did like the book. One of the things I liked is the way it is organised, so to say. Right from the cover art, the book is simple but striking. The book is neatly sectioned into the various countries she visited; with every chapter for one or a couple of countries. Even before the Acknowledgements, the writer presents us with a few pages dedicated to nice, small blurbs about every chapter. You know what to expect without having to read a three page long prologue. And it is certainly much more creative than your usual Index.

Someone once told me that a book can never come close to describing the actual experience. I believe this book did come pretty close. The author's picturesque language gave me a strong case of wanderlust as well.

I don't like travelogues that go - "I saw this, I saw that, I rested for a while and then I went and saw that." You shouldn't feel like you could have read a travel guide instead. This one was different. The writer tells us specific, unique experiences, the kind that a travel guide would never throw light on. It is a book of anecdotes, rather than an itinerary, which I appreciated immensely.

The author chooses her words carefully, to paint the clearest picture in your mind. The writing is simple but fresh; and has a wonderful flow. You can easily relate to the book, put yourself in it and experience the story first-hand. And what's not to like about a book that places a constant chuckle on your face?

This book is no literary pleasure. But if you simply want to sit at home and experience Europe in a one-of-a-kind way, this is the book for you!

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

And then there were seven...

2011-09-23T20:24:00.046+05:30

September has been an incredibly bookish month. I started reading the classics, that I'd planned to read in August; I am done reading more than half of the 2011 Booker prize shortlist; I participated in some fun challenges and memes; I received books to review; I read many essays, short stories, and even poems (but more on that later!)

With my birthday right on the third day of the month, I got many wonderful books, without having to spend a single penny on them. And they just kept coming. Until today - and now there are seven. A huge thanks to all the generous gift-givers! Now I own seven books that I am desperate to read. I will have to wait till October to finally get to read all od them, though, considering that I'm supposed to study for my exams as we speak (not that we are speaking right now; but I'd rather write it and explain this than not write it at all.) These are seven of the most awesome gifts I have received in my nineteen years of existence.

One might say I am exaggerating the awesomeness. In which case, I would suggest one to look carefully at the photograph. Yes, that's right; it says The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Followed by the red and green books, that are Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages. Which would mean I am actually understating the awesomeness, for I fear I might start acting like one of those crazy, squeaky fan-girls if I don't. Enjoying J. K. Rowling all over again; now that's something I'm definitely looking forward to. October is surely going to be a hell of a month!

Top Ten Tuesday #14

2011-09-20T00:58:00.018+05:30

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I feel as though everyone had read but me:

There are a lot of books that have hit the bestseller lists, but I still haven't read. But most of those books and the kind which I'm most likely never to pick up. For instance, any Nicholas Sparks novel or the books that fit into the 'paranormal young adult' genre. But there are some books that I could have read by now, along with the thousand other people who read them; but I didn't get around to it. There are the books everyone seems to have read, except, unfortunately, me:

1. Lord of the Rings by J. R. R Tolkien - I am going to save these for some long vacation somewhere down the road.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

4. The Stand by Stephen King

5. The Tiffany Aching books (from the Discworld series) by Terry Pratchett - I will read them. Soon.

6. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

7. Sandman series by Neil Gaiman - I am still not convinced that I could like comic books.

8. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

9. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

10. The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher - From this entire list, I probably want to read these the most!

A Week in Review

2011-09-19T20:26:00.014+05:30

The past week has been terrifyingly eventful (book- and otherwise). So much that it made my usual quiet weekend seem quite boring.

I have been following the Man Booker Prize selection this year for the first time ever. I've read only two Booker books before - one I loved and one I didn't love so much. I didn't dare to commit to reading the whole long list but since the short list is only six books, I sort of 'challenged' myself to read it before the prize is announced. Of course, I am already regretting this surge of ambition. I have read these two books by now:

1. A Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes - The book was a wonderful read. My only problem was, I thought it lacked a bit in the plot, in that it didn't really have one. I loved reading the narrator's long monologues about memory and time and morality; so much that I wished it was a non-fiction book. I loved the main character's sense of humour and his writing; but it seemed as though an idea was stretched and dragged into a book, to show off a few genius characters and their beliefs. I would call it a great one-time read, albeit with a spectacularly disappointing ending!

2. Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch - The book is too dramatic, and too slow! I actually had to force myself to continue reading in certain parts. It's not that nothing much happens. The lot of unrelated things crammed into the little book just make it hard to decipher the actual plot. You can't make head or tail of the story for a long time; but something very ambitious seems to be brewing up under the surface. When it finally surfaces; the very ambitious thing, I mean, it is sort of anticlimactic. A lot many people have compared it to Yann Martel's Life of Pi (because of the symbolic use of animals) but the writing is nothing like Life of Pi. I am sure there are several better survival accounts out there than this one.

I also read Orwell's Politics and the English Language essay (you can read it here) the other day, which I am in no way qualified to review. An excerpt:

Silly words and expressions have often disappeared, not through any evolutionary process but owing to the conscious action of a minority. Two recent examples were 'explore every avenue' and 'leave no stone unturned', which were killed by the jeers of a few journalists. There is a long list of flyblown metaphors which could similarly be got rid of if enough people would interest themselves in the job; and it should also be possible to laugh the not un- formation out of existence*, to reduce the amount of Latin and Greek in the average sentence, to drive out foreign phrases and strayed scientific words, and, in general, to make pretentiousness unfashionable.

*One can cure oneself of the not un- formation by memorizing this sentence: A not unblack dog was chasing a not unsmall rabbit across a not ungreen field.

Apart from that, my sister wrote another of her awesome blog posts which, when compared to my own blog, make me hang my head in shame. Also. I baked cookies. I can't cook; anyone who knows me knows that! But I did, anyway. That's what being bored, sick and alone at home does to people. Anyway, a few burned, but the rest turned out quite alright. I was so happy, and I repeat, so alone, that I ate them up all by myself, except for one that I managed to save for later. That night I proudly presented it to my mom. Knowing my luck, I should have guessed it would turn out to be one of the slightly charred ones. I have to say, I did not deserve the 'Oh, I bet the rest tasted perfectly fine' remark that goes with that pitying smile.

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller

2011-09-16T20:51:00.023+05:30

Book Beginnings on Friday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at A Few More Pages. To participate, share the first line (or two) of the book you are reading, along with the author and title. Also share your first impression based on that first line!

This is the beginning of one of hell of a book, which I recently read (in one sitting) - If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino :

"You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a winter's night a traveller. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade. Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room. Tell the others right away, "No, I don't want to watch TV!" Raise your voice - they won't hear you otherwise - "I'm reading! I don't want to be disturbed!" Maybe they haven't heard you, with all that racket; speak louder, yell: "I'm beginning to read Italo Calvino's new novel!" Or if you prefer, don't say anything; just hope they'll leave you alone."

About the book: If on a Winter's Night a Traveller is a 1979 novel by Italian author Italo Calvino. It is translated into English by William Weaver in 1981.

Summary: You (yes, you) go to a bookshop and buy a copy of Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveller. You start reading it, but you realize there is an error. You find the first chapter very exciting, but the book ends there. The book is incomplete, and you exchange it for what you assume to be a complete copy of the same book. Soon, when you read it, though, you realize it's a completely different book. This goes on for quite a while (every even chapter is a different book and every odd chapter is you reading it) and you never finish reading any of the books. Except for If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, which does eventually end, and you do finish reading it!

My thoughts: A book about reading starring... me? I was glued to it. I have never really read a book in second person perspective and I certainly didn't imagine it to be so much fun. It is the most annoyingly witty and interesting book I have ever read. The book had a lot of underlying themes, mostly writing, writers and readers; the book business, media and frauds; all dealt with in a subtle but hilarious manner. It is a wonderful read!

R.I.P. - The Lame Priest by S. Carleton

2011-09-15T23:15:00.001+05:30

"I do not know why, but that black track had a desolate look on the white ground, and the black priest hurrying down the hill looked desolate, too. There was something infinitely lonely, infinitely pathetic, in that scurrying figure, indistinct through the falling snow."

The Lame Priest is a gothic short story by Susan Morrow Jones (S. Carleton), first published in December 1901.

The story opens as the narrator is walking back to his cabin, a little shack in the woods, after a trip to the nearby village. On the way, he sees a strange priest in a black robe running hurriedly towards the village. He looks gaunt and desolate and has a limp. Back in his cabin, the narrator meets his friend Andrew, an Indian, who warns him about the wolves and the strange things that might be hiding in the woods. And when the narrator runs into the lame priest again, the priest gives him a similar and equally cryptic warning. Soon enough, the strange prophecies seem to take shape, as a lone wolf starts preying on the villagers' children.

The Lame Priest is beautifully written. I loved the air of mystery, which is there right from the first page. Though the writing isn't outright scary, it is distinctly eerie. The setting is wonderful, the descriptions are vivid and you are involved in the story from start to finish.

You can read this story here. This review is a part of Peril of the Short Story from the R.I.P. Challenge. You can read more short stories on Short Stories on Wednesday at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads.

Mr. Nancy (American Gods)

2011-09-15T17:09:00.003+05:30

Someone asked me which my favourite Neil Gaiman book was and I immediately thought of an old man wearing yellow gloves, with a wheezing, cackling laugh and a faint West Indian-ish twang in his voice. Anansi Boys. I am re-reading it right now.

We all know Anansi as the trickster Spider-god brought to America by the African slaves. I first 'met' Mr. Nancy in his checkered suit, smoking a thin cigar in Gaiman's earthbound-deities novel American Gods. And then in Anansi Boys, as the father of Fat Charlie Nancy, the one who spends his entire life chasing women, embarrassing his son, Fat Charlie, and then drops dead on a karaoke stage following a particularly hilarious performance.

Mr. Nancy, the humorous story teller, doesn't have much stage time in American Gods, but he does have a strong presence. He is fun, and relaxed and has the best lines.

"They don't look very friendly," said Nancy. "A story's a good way of gettin' someone on your side. And you don't have a bard to sing to them."

As for Anansi, well... (I couldn't say it better if I tried)

"Olden days, all the animals wanted to have stories named after them, back in the days when the songs that sung the world were still being sung, back when they were still singing the sky and the rainbow and the ocean. It was in those days when animals were people as well as animals that Anansi the spider tricked all of them, especially Tiger, because he wanted all the stories named after him.

Stories are like spiders, with all their long legs, and stories are like spiderwebs, which man gets himself all tangled up in but which look so pretty when you see them under a leaf in the morning dew, and in the elegant way that they connect to one another, each to each.

What’s that? You want to know if Anansi looked like a spider? Sure he did, except when he looked like a man.

No, he never changed his shape. It’s just a matter of how you tell the story. That’s all."

The increasing gossip about the American Gods HBO series is making me wonder who they will cast as Mr. Nancy. And despite the numerous online votes for Morgan Freeman, I just don't see him pull off an Anansi. Speaking of which, I am really looking forward to this series, if there is going to be one, for a lot of the other awesome characters like Laura, Low-key, Mr. Jacquel and Mr. Ibis and Sam Black Crow.

Character Connection is a bookish meme hosted on The Introverted Reader.

The Grey Gentlemen by Michael Ende

2011-09-13T16:27:00.027+05:30

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading.

"The great cities of long ago lie in ruins, together with their temples and palaces. Wind and rain, heat and cold have worn away and eaten into the stonework. Ruins are all that remain of the amphitheaters too. Crickets now inhabit their crumbling walls, singing a monotonous song that sounds like the earth breathing in its sleep."

Who doesn't like a nice children's book (though I wouldn't classify this as only that) once in a while? The Grey Gentlemen (original: Momo) is a 1973 fantasy novel by German author Michael Ende. I have just started reading the book, but it already seems wonderful!

It is the story of a little girl named Momo, who lives alone in the ruins of an amphitheater. She is poor and alone, but special; she has the gift of listening. When the Men in Grey try to take over the city, it is up to Momo to stop them!

What makes a book a "must-read"?

2011-09-12T11:12:00.023+05:30

Musing Mondays is a meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading. This week's musing is:

What is the one (or maybe two) qualities a book must have for you to pass it along to your best friend as a "must-read"?

Of course, the book depends on the person I am recommending it to. If it were my sister, I'd recommend every book I love; because she'll also love almost all of them! But that's not the same with my friends. I tend to read rather genre-specific books these days - mostly fantasy or science fiction. And they tend not to like them. So, for my friends to like the book, the first requirement is that the book does not belong to either of those genres!

Usually, what I tell my friends to be a"must-read " has a different or new or unique plot. Not like your usual mysteries, crime stories, classics, romances or horror stories. The last book I really forced my best friend to read was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. (Isn't this cover absolutely beautiful?) And the next book I am going to make her read is The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester.

R.I.P. - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

2011-09-11T16:18:00.015+05:30

Another book I read as part of the R.I.P. Challenge.

"It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs." - Victor Frankenstein

Summary: It does seem pointless to give this book a summary. Anyway, the book opens with a couple of letters written by Captain Robert Walton to his dear sister Margaret. Their ship is trapped somewhere near the North Pole and there the voyagers come across a miserable, emaciated man. This man is Dr. Victor Frankenstein and he has a terrible story to tell.

As a scientist, Viktor Frankenstein is fascinated and inspired by ancient philosophers, the likes of Cornelius Agrippa. After years of crazed work, Frankenstein succeeds in manufacturing an actual living being. Terrified of the effects of his actions, he abandons the creature. Years later, the monster returns with a vengeance. The book is concluded by Robert Walton in his letters.

My thoughts: After a while, I have to admit, I got tired of the romanticism. I didn't like that there is no focus whatsoever on the scientific realism of the book. I always thought Frankenstein's monster would be, well, a monster. But the creature is a lot more human than I had imagined. His story of the way he learned his way around this world, the way he learned to speak and how he sought after his creator; it sounded somewhat far-fetched to me.

“Nature decayed around me, the sun became heatless; rain and snow poured around me; mighty rivers were frozen; the surface of the earth was hard and chill, and bare, and I found no shelter.” - Frankenstein's Monster

I did like the theme; an outcast, born a romantic, turned into a monster by his surroundings. I loved the detail with which the book is written. The book is very character oriented. Of all the different perspectives in the book, the ones that I really enjoyed were Robert Walton's letters and when Frankenstein's Monster told his story; I loved the imagery. I was slightly disappointed with Dr. Frankenstein. I suppose he might have been intended to be the weak man that he was, but reading the entire book from his painfully dull perspective was frustrating.

Then again, Frankenstein is one of the earliest 'science fiction' novels and Mary Shelley wrote this book when she was nineteen. I won't call it bad, because it's not. I admit I found the book a bit annoying. But other than that, it is a good book, and a must read!

Happy Pet Remembrance Day!

2011-09-11T06:03:00.032+05:30

The second Sunday of September happens to be National Pet Remembrance Day. I am not entirely sure what "nation" the name refers to. Even so, do you really need a reason to remember your awesome pets? If someone says it is Pet Remembrance Day, well, here I am all ready to celebrate it.

I love pets since as far back as I can remember; and I have also had pet cats since right about the same time. Whoever decided cats are shrewd or wily or scary, clearly didn't know what he was talking about. I adore cats. Now, I can either write a long post describing exactly why I love cats and end up sounding like Mrs. Figg. Or, I can post this:

He appeared at our doorstep one day, with no sign of a mother or sibling-kittens. Of course, we took him in, and fed him. The little kitty decided to stick around. So, we let the him sleep in this small basket in our kitchen. He loved that place. He grew up to be quite a loyal young cat. But he never grew out of sleeping there. Here, more than a year old, the big tom cat that he was, he could hardly fit in there. It didn't bother him one bit.

Cats are kind of stupid and very adorable and lovable, which anyone who bothers to take care of one would say! Happy Pet Remembrance Day!

(Neither of the pictures of the cats - no, they're not the same cat - was taken by me. Thanks to those who did - you know who you are - for capturing such cute moments!)

Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey

2011-09-10T15:05:00.064+05:30

“In the world of homelessness, poverty, and desperation, you fight for survival, and there are no polite limits to the fight.”

Children of the Street is a mystery novel by Kwei Quartey. It is the second book (after Wife of the Gods) in the Inspector Darko Dawson series.

Rating: 4/5

Summary: Darko Dawson works as an inspector in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He has seen a lot of things in this brutal place, laced with poverty and unemployment. Yet something about the latest series of murders makes them much worse. Street children are turning up dead, each body mutilated and thrown away in the exact same way. All the deaths seem to point to one killer. It is up to Inspector Dawson to figure out if it is some sort of a ritual killing or the job of another psychopathic serial killer. But the list of suspects isn't short, as this murderer isn't the only bad thing roaming the dark streets of Accra. Everyone's got skeletons in their closet.

My thoughts: I loved the book right from the cover design. I haven't read the first book in the series, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The book did have a rough start for me. What struck me as odd were the sudden and many gory details. The writing seemed repetitive and there were a few page-long descriptions that were almost entirely unnecessary! The story did catch pace, though, and it was a soon a smooth and enjoyable read.

Considering how little I know about Ghana or even Africa for that matter, I thought the author painted a very complete picture; with all elements, the good and the bad! What I loved the most was the story had no villain and hero, as such. Every had problems and secrets and regrets. The characters were strong, and dark in a way which (and this is a huge compliment coming from me) reminded me of Stephen King's books. I felt the plot slack a couple of times, but the characters never became even remotely uninteresting. Their secrets and lives so intricately stringed together became for me, the highlights of the book. I can think of very few mysteries that aren't almost completely focused on the plot.

I can't wait to read more books by the author. Meanwhile, I definitely recommend this one to all mystery and crime fiction fans or anyone in search of a short, exciting read!

Book Beginnings

2011-09-09T22:37:00.018+05:30

Book Beginnings on Friday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at A Few More Pages. To participate, share the first line (or two) of the book you are reading, along with the author and title. Also share your first impression based on that first line!

This week I started reading Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and I loved it right from the first line!

Here's why:

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’
He didn’t say any more but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that.

I think I know a little something about being "unusually communicative in a reserved way!" I just love how simple, swift and communicative the writing is - I am thoroughly enjoying the book, you will too!

R.I.P. - Metzengerstein: A Tale in Imitation of the German

2011-09-07T08:48:00.002+05:30

Metzengerstein is Edgar Allan Poe's first published short story.

Summary: The families Berlifitzing and Metzengerstein of Hungary have been rivals for centuries. Legend has it that the reason is this prophecy:

“A lofty name shall have a fearful fall when, as the rider over his horse, the mortality of Metzengerstein shall triumph over the immortality of Berlifitzing."

The story begins when one night, the stables of today's Berlifitzing family catch fire. At that same time, in his own castle, Baron Frederick von Metzengerstein notices the horse in the tapestry suddenly look alive. The painting depicts a Metzengerstein while dead at his feet, fallen from his horse, is a Berlifitzing, whom he killed. Only a few minutes later a ferocious and demon-like steed is found by the Metzengerstein guards. The horse is fiery and energetic, and has the letters "W.V.B" branded on its chest. News later reaches the Metzengerstein family that Count William von Berlifitzing died in the fire. Baron Frederick decides to keep the monstrous horse, unknowingly setting the prophecy in motion.

"In the glare of noon - at the dead hour of night - in sickness or in health - in calm or in tempest - the young Metzengerstein seemed riveted to the saddle of that colossal horse, whose intractable audacities so well accorded with his own spirit."

My thoughts: This is the first time I have read anything by Poe (apart from listening to and not understanding the Raven once, a long time ago.) I really liked the prose. That something so modern was written more than a hundred years ago seems amazing. The tale, like the subtitle says in some prints, is argued to be a subtle mocking of the typically German gothic writings. While it is only argued (and not definite) and I am certainly no expert; I did detect a slight satire.

I loved the authority the narrator has over the text. He is almost a part of the story (as opposed to a silent observer) and is the only one left standing, at the very end. The key theme of the story, as is hinted to us very early in the story, is the general belief of those times in Metempsychosis, or transmigration of the soul.

I liked the eeriness of the story and do see myself reading more of Poe's famous short stories. Meanwhile, you can read this story here. This review is a part of Peril of the Short Story from the R.I.P. Challenge. You can read more short stories on Short Stories on Wednesday at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads.

WWW Wednesdays #2

2011-09-07T07:50:00.002+05:30

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading. To play along just answer the following questions:

1. What are you currently reading?

2. What did you recently finish reading?

3. What do you think you'll read next?

1. What are you currently reading?

I am on the verge of finishing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley with only the last twenty pages remaining. I started reading The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. I am also reading the short story Ms. Found in a Bottle by Edgar Allan Poe.

2. What did you recently finish reading?

I read Carrie by Stephen King a couple of days ago. I also finally finished reading Helter Skelter - The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi. My first true crime novel, and I have been reading it since June! I read Poe's short story Metzengerstein today.

3. What do you think you'll read next?

After The Great Gatsby, I plan on reading Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I also want to read Peter Straub's Ghost Story this month!

What are you reading?

R.I.P. - Stephen King's Carrie

2011-09-04T23:25:00.067+05:30

Carrie is Stephen King's first novel (published in 1974) and is one of the most frequently banned books in schools. I never did read Carrie, because I always thought I wouldn't like it. Why? Because I already knew most of the story. With three movies and one horrible spin-off, it is hard not to know most of the story. That shouldn't stop you from reading the book, though. Actually, you know "most of the story" within the first three pages of the book...

"Carrie glared at him with sudden smoking rage. The bike wobbled on its training wheels and suddenly fell over. Tommy screamed. The bike was on top of him. Carrie smiled and walked on. The sound of Tommy’s wails was sweet, jangling music in her ears."

Summary:

Carrie White lives in the small town of Chamberlain, Maine. Being a high school outcast, she has no friends and no life. She is victimized by her schoolmates and abused by her over religious mother. It all becomes too much one day when, after her gym class, in the showers, Carrie gets her first period. Since her mother never bothered to tell her what exactly a period is, Carrie assumes she is bleeding to death. The shock, coupled with a bunch of girls screaming at her, disgusted, telling her to "plug it up" triggers a power in her she never knew she had. This extreme outburst is enough for Carrie White to take control of her (till then only involuntary) telekinetic abilities. What follows is a chain of events leading up to one disastrous night, which is later popularized by the media as the Black Prom.

"What happens if there are others like her? What happens to the world?"

My thoughts:

Like with most of Stephen King's books, you feel yourself becoming a part of Carrie. It is a quick read and I loved the unique narration. The book is written in the form of newspaper clippings of the Chamberlain incident, science journal articles about telekinetic abilities, personal stories of the Black Prom survivors and book excerpts, all stringed together by the actual happenings in the form of a story. Starting with the first newspaper article, you know what happened in the town. What you don't know, is how it got to that. Why did the odd teenage girl described in the articles do whatever she did and more importantly, how? You hear the story from so many different perspectives, scientific and personal, that it's hard to figure out the truth. That's part of the magic! You get to pick your own conclusion on the story.

Most of the characters are your regular high school stereotypes. Still, what I love about Stephen King's books is the characters, and he hasn't done anything short of a great job with these. From Carrie White to the (almost) real protagonist Sue Snell, the book has some wonderful, albeit slightly dramatic, characters. And if not anything else, King has nailed the horror element; the "makes-you-wish-you-hadn't-read-it-at-night" horror element.

This was definitely a great way to kick-start the R.I.P challenge (though my planned kick-start book was Frankenstein, which I am not done reading.)

Carrie is an amazing book and a must read for every Stephen King fan and anyone who enjoys getting completely freaked out!

Book Blogger Hop

2011-09-02T09:50:00.018+05:30

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted every Friday at Crazy for Books. You have to answer a question every week. This week's question:

“What are you most looking forward to this season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

Where I am, there is no fall, and no nice autumn-ey weather. We have a lot of rains, wet roads and traffic jams. So, what I am looking forward to, is some quiet time at home with a constant supply of coffee and a couple of books!

Speaking of books - I am desperately looking forward to read 11/22/63, a science fiction novel by Stephen King, set to come out in November; a seemingly exciting story about a time traveller, who attempts to stop John Kennedy's assassination!!

Other books I want to read are a new legal thriller by John Grisham called The Litigators, which will also be out in the bookstores later this fall; and the much discussed novel 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, which will be out in October.

And of course, Snuff, the 39th book in our beloved Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. It will be out in October. According to Wikipedia, Pratchett announced that Snuff is 'the next adult Discworld book' and will be 'based largely around Vimes'. Yay :)

The Man Who Hated People

2011-09-01T13:52:00.021+05:30

"Milly turned her head for an instant and looked out over the audience. The sensitive eye of the television camera picked up a curious trembling about her lips, and then, twice, blinding shafts of light splintered from her cheeks like tiny exploding diamonds."

The Man Who Hated People is a short story by Paul Gallico. It is the story which the 1953 American film Lili is based on. The story was first published in the Saturday Evening Post, and it was later expanded into a novella called Love of Seven Dolls.

"He was cruel to her, harsh and spiteful. Yet he had given her the greatest happiness she had ever known - in a world he made himself."

Milly is a young girl and one of the cast of the popular television show, viewed and love by people of all ages. It also happens to be a puppet show, and Milly is the only human star, working along with six glove puppets. Crake Villeridge is a slightly abusive, misanthropic man and the creator of the show. The story starts as Milly makes her final, farewell appearance on the show. She feels horrible about it. Milly loves the puppets and the fantastic world of the show. But that isn't the real reason why she can't bear the thought of leaving what seems to be the "Never-never-land of the mind".

The story isn't amazing, I suppose it could have been better - but it is pretty wonderful the way it is. I haven't seen Lili. Nor have I read Love of Seven Dolls (I would like to read it though). Both the novella and the movie might just be better than this short story, but it has a wonderful effect on you. I loved how you become a part of the story and begin to know and judge the characters in so few pages! I think, whatever the story loses in terms of plot, it gains it in the language and the flow. The story is beautifully written and worth a read.

I liked Paul Gallico's books related to cats, and I do have a soft spot for all cat-loving-authors (like Diana Wynne Jones or Terry Pratchett). But I think with books like these, he might become one of my favourite authors!

Short Stories on Wednesday (let's make that Thursday for this week!!) is a meme hosted at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads. You can read the story here!

R.I.P. Challenge

2011-09-01T09:14:00.026+05:30

I found this challenge over at Adventures in Borkdom. It is a yearly challenge hosted at Stainless Steel Droppings. The purpose of the R.I.P (R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril) Challenge is to read and enjoy books that could be classified as: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Supernatural. R.I.P. VI officially runs from September 1st through October 31st.

I am officially signing up for Peril the First, which means reading four books of R.I.P. literature. And since I started reading Frankenstein today, that can be my first read. Though I might add a few Perils of the Short Story and Perils on the Screen!!

Update: I started the challenge by reading Carrie by Stephen King. I'll link the reviews here as and when I post them!

Peril the First:

1. Carrie by Stephen King

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

3. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carre

4. Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Peril on the Screen:

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

2. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Peril of the Short Story:

1. Metzengerstein by Edgar Allan Poe

2. The Lame Priest by S. Carleton

Why I Loved... Hop, Skip & Jump!

2011-08-31T19:34:00.012+05:30

Why I Love Wednesdays is a meme hosted on every Wednesday at Reflections of a Bookaholic! Today's topic is our favourite childhood books.

My favourite childhood author was, of course, Enid Blyton! My love for her started with her various books about Fairyland, and weathermen who answered toy phones and bad tooth-faries! I went on to read and love her Five Find-Outers mysteries, followed by the Famous Five series!

The Book of Brownies was one of my most treasured books as a kid, handed down to me by my older sister! It was a story of three naughty brownies called Hop, Skip & Jump. One day, at the King's party, while pretending to do a magic trick, the brownies accidentally send the little princess into an evil witch's lair. They are banished from the Kingdom until they rescue the princess and bring her back.

On the way they meet the strangest creatures, worms and giants and people who only talk in poems. They are trapped in the cruel Red Goblin's house and they rescue a saucepan-man from a tower of chocolate! And finally they use bottled luck to rescue the princess from the evil witch's lair and bring her back home! Exciting, right?

Well, I happened to adore it. Actually, only a few months ago, I gave all my childhood books to one of my younger friends, and this makes me wonder if she enjoys them just as much! I do hope she does.

TT - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

2011-08-30T10:42:00.011+05:30

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading.

"Thus far I have gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas, the very stars themselves being witnesses and testimonies of my triumph. Why not still proceed over the untamed yet obedient element? What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?"

- Robert Walton (Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Frankenstein's one of those books that everyone has heard of. And, Frankenstein's monster, like Dracula, is one of the most famous monsters in pop culture. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is my first in the list of always-wanted-to-read classics. I have just started reading it, but I'm already loving it!

TTT - To-Be-Read List for Fall

2011-08-30T09:38:00.003+05:30

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and The Bookish. This week's topic is, "Top Ten Books that are on the top of my TBR List for Fall!"

I've decided to go a bit classic time of the year. Catch up on all the famous literary works that I should have read by now, and a bit of serious-ish fiction that is lying around on my TBR pile for just too long. I need a break from fantasy fiction. I generally referred to the Wikipedia "100 Classic Book Collection" to pick out my classic reads.

Here are my top ten fall reads: (in no particular order!)

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - When I read Dracula, I actually wanted to read this one. But I read Dracula instead and never got back to Frankenstein. So this one has been on my TBR list for a really long time, just dying to be read.

2. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R. L. Stevenson - It's crazy that I haven't read it yet and more so because I have wanted to read it for as long as I can remember.

3. Time Machine by H. G. Wells - I can't say exactly why, but I think I will (most definitely) like it.

4. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - I completely adored The Adventures of Huck Finn. So, I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - I have heard much too much about Heathcliff, so I want to read this more out of curiosity than anything else. I am just hoping to avoid a Jane Eyre fiasco!

6. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger- Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Catcher in the Rye, I do want to read this one. I have read too many good reviews not to!

7. The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Guevara - I have been recommended this so many times, I have lost count! I do want to read it though - it should be one of the firsts on the list!!

8. The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald - I am guilty of reading this only halfway through. I loved it though, so I do want to finish it!

9. Perfume by Patrick Sueskind - Another recommendation, though I am still not sure I want to read it - maybe only when I run out of all other options (which is another way of saying probably never!)

10. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - That would be "New York, New York" and oh.. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" :) I haven't read many Charles Dickens books since I was a kid, I want to start by reading this!

What are your fall reads?

Musing Mondays

2011-08-29T17:51:00.018+05:30

Musing Mondays is a meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading. This week's musing is... a book meme!

What was the last book you...

1. borrowed from a library? Stories and Short Pieces by Franz Kafka

2. bought? Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Although I just ordered Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and it's on it's way!

3. cried over? Make that almost cried, and it would be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak!

4. disliked and couldn't finish? Actually: Didn't like much and couldn't finish because it wasn't mine and I had to return it - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

5. read and loved? Blaze by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) - it is fun to read something other than horror by Stephen King!

6. got for review/got in the mail? I haven't been doing any reviewing lately, and since the last time was too long ago, I can't remember which!

7. gave to someone else? Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, I lent it to a friend!

8. stayed up too late reading? Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare - actually, I didn't sleep the entire night!

Loving books... all over again!

2011-08-28T23:45:00.014+05:30

Do you remember the first book you read? Or the first book you read in just a day? The first story book I remember reading as a kid was called Mickey's Christmas Carol (Dickens' A Christmas Carol, only with Disney's characters. Very cute.) And then, I remember the first actual mystery book I read. It was from the Five Find-Outers series by Enid Blyton, called the The Mystery of the Hidden House. There is no "I saw it across a crowded bookshelf" story to go with it; just a simple my sister forced me to read it. It was love at first read, though.

People who read books armed with dictionaries and all that to learn new words are crazy. Then again, the best part about reading books in a new language for the first time, is the fun of understanding new polysyllabic words all by yourself! I remember feeling quite elated whenever I discovered a new word and pompously showing it off in class. Oh, come on, everyone's done that. As you read that first book, you feel yourself getting more and more involved with every line and with every word, the writing style seems more familiar. Before you know it, you are deeply immersed in the book, loyally chuckling at all the typical jokes and running gags.

I knew I loved reading when the back of a packet of chips seemed like an interesting dinner table read. But I never actually realized how amazing it felt to be able to read! To read a thousand pages at one go and look back, totally exhausted and happy! Every new book you read is a wonderful experience, true; but nothing can beat those fine first memories.

Unless you get to do it once again, with an all new language. I read my first real German novel the other day. I could write about the book and how great it was, but that is really not the point! I enjoy reading books even now, obviously. As I read that book, though, I realized with horror and pain that reading has become sort of an ordinary habit now. Well, I intend to change that. I loved learning German, for the words and the grammar and the lovely feeling of being better at it than most people; but I never really experienced it. As I held that little German novel in my hands, I knew it was worth learning a new language just to experience that first-book-excitement, all over again.

Reading Shakespeare

2011-08-27T16:11:00.028+05:30

"In nature's infinite book of secrecy

a little I can read - Soothsayer"

That's right. I am doing the unimaginable; reading a Shakespearean play. I don't even know how I got here. It started when I read two German books in one night, desperately wanting to read something English next. And I have always wanted to read a real play. Two days alone at home (no one to disturb me, no errands to run) seems like the best time; the coffee and rain being added advantages.

So, here I am, reading the Antony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. Why this play? Firstly, I wanted to read a tragedy and I wasn't too keen on reading Romeo and Juliet, somehow. A few years ago my sister forced me to watch a documentary on Cleopatra, and I remember being completely fascinated, in spite of myself. There isn't anything not fascinating about Roman history, anyway.

I haven't ever read any plays and this isn't particularly easy for a first-time-play-reader. But although finishing it seems like a terrifyingly daunting task, I do love what I am reading right now. I'll get back to you once I'm done!

Characters or Plot?

2011-08-22T14:01:00.018+05:30

Musing Mondays is a meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading. This week's musing asks:

Do you prefer character-driven stories or plot-driven stories?

I always get more involved in a book that has good, engaging characters. But I also don't like books where you can't make head or tail of what's going on, or worse, when nothing really happens. Honestly, neither extreme is desirable. But if I had to give a preference, I'd give it to the characters. A bad story line can't spoil the book as much as bad characters can.

It would be hard for me to name my favourite book plots, but I can easily name favourite book characters! You can read a dozen stories about cannibals, but there's only one Hannibal Lecter. One of my favourite authors (and I have mentioned him too many times in this context) is Stephen King - I know very few authors, who write can characters like him.

When I can relate to the characters, or when they seem real - the plot doesn't matter so much. Which is also why I have come to enjoy reading short stories this much.

A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain

2011-08-17T14:34:00.003+05:30

For Short Stories on Wednesday (hosted at Risa's Bread Crumb Reads) I was planning to read and review a vampire short story by Anne Rice. Which I did, and it did seem exciting for about the first two pages.

"Julie!" he whispered, in a voice so low that it seemed my own thoughts were speaking to me. But this was no dream. He was holding me and the scream had broken loose from me, deafening, uncontrollable and echoing from the four walls.

The story is called The Master of Rampling Gate and it is a vampire 'love' story, which is something they had forgotten to mention where I first read about it. It was such a grave disappointment, that it didn't make much sense to review it. Let's just say that it's a story Stephanie Meyer would adore; take that whatever way you want.

So, instead, I am reviewing a very beautiful and touching story I read by Mark Twain, titled A Dog's Tale (1903). It is the life story of a loyal pet dog, told from her point of view.

The story begins in a way that is quintessentially Twain - "My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me, I do not know these nice distinctions myself. To me they are only fine large words meaning nothing."

The dog talks about her life with her mother, who was a favourite among the other dogs and about her puppy-hood adventures. She then goes on to tell us about the sorrow of her separation from her mother, the following joys of the nice, new household, until the day she has her own puppy.

The story is crude and cruel, and it is the story of so many other loyal house pets who don't deserve the treatment that they get from their "masters". It is a silent, confused cry for help, and it really affects you. That's great writing for me.

Only Love by Erich Segal (Mini Review)

2011-08-16T21:28:00.008+05:30

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at MizB's Should Be Reading. My teaser this week is from Erich Segal's Only Love.

"There is a popular legend about a graduate student who entered the genetic engineering lab at Harvard twenty years ago and has never emerged. Some say he is still there, eyes welded to an electron microscope, desperately seeking a particularly fugitive gene."

The story is about two doctors, Matthew and Silvia, who fall in love in Africa. It is a reality of their own, away from the rest of the world. Their perfect illusion breaks when they are driven apart during some bloodshed, and Matthew is left alone to mourn. Even today, Matthew Hiller, one of the best neurosurgeons ever, is haunted by the memories of his lover. He faces the worst time of his life, when he realizes that his new patient, a dying woman with a brain tumor is no stranger, after all.

I always stayed away from romance as a genre for fear of pseudo-intellectual, mushy, dramatic writing, designed to make people cry. Only Love by Erich Segal is the first love story I have ever dared to read. And I have to admit, I was mildly surprised. It didn't have any of the drama I was expecting. It is a quick read. The book is funny and romantic and quite believable. I actually loved the fast paced writing style and the fact that it didn't bring me to tears. This is what all love stories should be like, instead of the usual raging sob stories!

Top Ten Books that make Great Gifts

2011-08-16T16:39:00.038+05:30

I was away for a couple of days and couldn't find time to reply to the comments on my previous post. I'll get to that a bit later, along with some serious blogging that I dearly missed. But let me start with a Top Ten Tuesday post - a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new topic every week and this week is a freebie.

I have always considered books to be the perfect kind of gift - there's hardly anyone who totally hates reading. Many of my friends' birthdays are coming up, not to mention, my own birthday is less than a month away. So, this week I'm going to list ten books that I think would make perfect gifts for everyone (no matter what age they are or genre they prefer!)

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Despite the Booker prize, I think this book is seriously underrated. My sister received this as a gift; she loved it and so did I! In fact, I don't know anyone who hated this book. It's unique, well written, exciting and also very moving. I think it makes a perfect gift!

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - This book is amazing. And if you're going to be skeptical about that, I have to say I was doing just that until a few months ago. The book is brilliantly written, with an intricate plot and fascinating characters! I would gift it to any of my friends and would love to have it gifted to me (say...for my birthday?!)

3. The Godfather by Mario Puzo - The Godfather is another one of those books that (almost) no one actually hates. In fact, everyone I know, girls and guys, love this book. It would be a great gift, and I actually remember having given it to someone as a birthday gift.

4. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - This book is hilarious; one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is situation comedy, written in such a simple manner that anyone who reads it is bound to love it. I can't think of a book I could relate to more. It would be a great gift, for all ages, really!

5. Love Story by Erich Segal - I guess this one is sort of a "love it or hate it" kind of book. I know a lot of people, who like romance of the Gone with the Wind sort, who did not particularly like this book. Then there are people like me. I have to admit, I haven't read a romantic novel that is so wonderfully non-mushy. Either way, this is a book everyone should read.

6. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein - I gave this book to my best friend on her birthday. I didn't love it when I read it, but she totally did. I'd also given her a Harry Potter book, but in retrospect, I think this one made a better birthday gift than that. Mainly because it is sort of an introduction to the Lord of the Rings series; but unlike Harry Potter, it's also a stand alone book.

7. Agatha Christie - Although I have hardly read any books by her, I think she has written the sort of detective fiction that is loved by everyone. Her books are funny and smart, and not too Sherlock Holmes-ey either. I love Hercule Poirot, though Christie's books without her usual protagonists are also nice. Many years back, I had even given one of my friends And Then There Were None on her birthday.

8. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov - I think fans of science fiction will love this book for how awesome it is, and non-fans will like it because, well, it is kind of amazing and at the same time, it isn't too Sci-fi-ey for beginners. This collection of unique, funny short stories would make a great gift!

9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon - This is a beautiful and touching tale of a young autistic boy, from the point of view of a young autistic boy. It takes you to a place where very few books can. In case of this book, I am somehow not sure many people would buy it for themselves, which makes it a perfect gift.

10. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - This great combination of fantasy and humour is one of my favourite reads. I might be a bit partial when it comes to this book, but you can't blame me. It is two of the best fantasy and humour authors together - and it may not be the perfect gift for you - but it's definitely the perfect gift for me!!