By VS Naipaul
Like as if it were a rule - I would never pick a book written by VS Naipaul and Salman Rushdie. But with their tales they’ve made me fall in love. The transportation to a new place, another time gives me a new high, a surge of new life.
I read the mystic masseur with no expectations – it was my first Naipaul. I loved it.
What I loved in this book? Everything, from the insight into the way Indians live or rather speak in Trinidad and Tobago, to the innocence of the plot and the lesson that when God gives you a lemon, make lemonade – Truly, this tale of really sweet characters just charmed me no end.
As mentioned in my previous posts – it’s not the story but the way the characters are, the depth in them, their introduction and significance that makes for a really sumptuous read.
Definitely – pick it up!
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Twilight
By Stephanie Meyer
Well. Amateur, no creativity, predictable.
Mmmmm Don’t read it. Or do read it if your travel time is also like mine – 2 hours and you forgot your laptop or ipod.
Well. Amateur, no creativity, predictable.
Mmmmm Don’t read it. Or do read it if your travel time is also like mine – 2 hours and you forgot your laptop or ipod.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Interpretation of a Murder
By Jed Rubenfeld
I like books that take me away from my world and into something so different and so mesmerizing that keeping the book down for a moment would be like coming back to the ordinary. Which is quite disheartening at once.
Interpretation of murder was one such book. While I was looking for a good book to read, I came across this book after nearly 2 hours of searching. I took it up especially because Freud is one of the characters and so is his troupe including Karl Jung. It good to understand their theories, work and life and times in a background of a murder mystery or vice versa. This book indeed was a very interesting option.
Of course, I read it in 5 hours between 2 days and definitely it didn’t disappoint me. It gives you a slight history of things that could have happened for Freud and Karl Jung to go their separate ways, the face of New York at the turn of the century and Freud’s fear that America will be going to the dogs.
The story itself is gripping, with unforgettable characters, including a triumvirate, a love story angle and Freud helping in solving the mystery. It’s a complete pot boiler – but better without the tackiness.
When you read books like this you realize its not about the story but the information, the research, the knowledge, the history that makes for a complete book.
I loved it. Read it.
PS: I found 2 things unsolved in this book though.
I like books that take me away from my world and into something so different and so mesmerizing that keeping the book down for a moment would be like coming back to the ordinary. Which is quite disheartening at once.
Interpretation of murder was one such book. While I was looking for a good book to read, I came across this book after nearly 2 hours of searching. I took it up especially because Freud is one of the characters and so is his troupe including Karl Jung. It good to understand their theories, work and life and times in a background of a murder mystery or vice versa. This book indeed was a very interesting option.
Of course, I read it in 5 hours between 2 days and definitely it didn’t disappoint me. It gives you a slight history of things that could have happened for Freud and Karl Jung to go their separate ways, the face of New York at the turn of the century and Freud’s fear that America will be going to the dogs.
The story itself is gripping, with unforgettable characters, including a triumvirate, a love story angle and Freud helping in solving the mystery. It’s a complete pot boiler – but better without the tackiness.
When you read books like this you realize its not about the story but the information, the research, the knowledge, the history that makes for a complete book.
I loved it. Read it.
PS: I found 2 things unsolved in this book though.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Gone With the Wind
By Margaret Mitchell
"Until you lose your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is"
I read Gone with the wind when i was 14. And the quote that inspired me most was the one above. Others are hopelessly overrated quotes. The above explains volumes about how beautifully Margaret Mitchell could explain big things in a simple sentence - its a pity that she published only one book in her lifetime. But what a book! Either you write it this big or you don't write at all.
A heart wrenching family saga, a romance like no other, background elements that could give Hardy a run for his money and despite all these amazing stuff that makes up this great book, the one that stands out, the one thing that will be unforgettable is the heroine who can take anything in her stride. Life literally throws the biggest challenges to her and she treats it like its a daily household chore.
One critique here mentions that i hardly write a review, so i will not go into details to explain why the quote above inspired me. Rather let me write something about the book itself.
This book should be read when you think that life has been quite unfair. It comes like a whack on the head and tells one to wake up and take charge.
Scarlet O'Hara was not beautiful, but had a gut that could stand the harshest storms, the coldest winds and what have you and still remains an eternal optimist! Albeit in her own style! There is a thing or two we could learn from this bravado.
In your lowest of times, pick this book and you will realize that there are bigger problems and there is always a way to deal with them and that yours is just one of those. Because a problem is one only till a solution comes along.
I know, this isn't quite a review either, but hell i will think about it tomorrow for 'tomorrow is another day'!
"Until you lose your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is"
I read Gone with the wind when i was 14. And the quote that inspired me most was the one above. Others are hopelessly overrated quotes. The above explains volumes about how beautifully Margaret Mitchell could explain big things in a simple sentence - its a pity that she published only one book in her lifetime. But what a book! Either you write it this big or you don't write at all.
A heart wrenching family saga, a romance like no other, background elements that could give Hardy a run for his money and despite all these amazing stuff that makes up this great book, the one that stands out, the one thing that will be unforgettable is the heroine who can take anything in her stride. Life literally throws the biggest challenges to her and she treats it like its a daily household chore.
One critique here mentions that i hardly write a review, so i will not go into details to explain why the quote above inspired me. Rather let me write something about the book itself.
This book should be read when you think that life has been quite unfair. It comes like a whack on the head and tells one to wake up and take charge.
Scarlet O'Hara was not beautiful, but had a gut that could stand the harshest storms, the coldest winds and what have you and still remains an eternal optimist! Albeit in her own style! There is a thing or two we could learn from this bravado.
In your lowest of times, pick this book and you will realize that there are bigger problems and there is always a way to deal with them and that yours is just one of those. Because a problem is one only till a solution comes along.
I know, this isn't quite a review either, but hell i will think about it tomorrow for 'tomorrow is another day'!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Bookless in Bagdad!
By Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor is my favourite Indian writer. Its inexplicable that someone so good looking can be so talented!
Nevertheless I will not write any further on Tharoor’s beauty – rather let me just give a sneak peek on his book – Bookless In Bagdad.
There were many reasons previously for me not to pick up that book. It sounded like one of those books with similar titles. I had been reading Orhan Pamuk and Salman Rushdie and Khaled Hosseini, so I wasn’t ready for this title.
But I picked it up and kept it in my cupboard. One day when I had nothing to read, I had to read this one. And to my surprise, it had nothing to do with Bagdad!
It’s a very easy read on various authors who have made (or not made) a difference to the English reading population. Of course this is from the point of view of Mr. Tharoor.
You get a nice peek into the past writers, the so called classic writers and the real greats. It will inspire you to read some of them but mostly it will give you an overview, an easy way to choose and a look into the past days, the journey of writers over the years.
You don’t have to go by the book but you can go buy the book J
Shashi Tharoor is my favourite Indian writer. Its inexplicable that someone so good looking can be so talented!
Nevertheless I will not write any further on Tharoor’s beauty – rather let me just give a sneak peek on his book – Bookless In Bagdad.
There were many reasons previously for me not to pick up that book. It sounded like one of those books with similar titles. I had been reading Orhan Pamuk and Salman Rushdie and Khaled Hosseini, so I wasn’t ready for this title.
But I picked it up and kept it in my cupboard. One day when I had nothing to read, I had to read this one. And to my surprise, it had nothing to do with Bagdad!
It’s a very easy read on various authors who have made (or not made) a difference to the English reading population. Of course this is from the point of view of Mr. Tharoor.
You get a nice peek into the past writers, the so called classic writers and the real greats. It will inspire you to read some of them but mostly it will give you an overview, an easy way to choose and a look into the past days, the journey of writers over the years.
You don’t have to go by the book but you can go buy the book J
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Introduction
Sometimes I look for a book review which is different from anything I would have read or heard.
Different from what a book critic would write. A review which should be from a reader who read the book not because of the story but because of the author, the history, that important aspect that was relatable, the amazing-ness of the whole idea and various other reasons.
What are those reasons that makes a book unique? If its a 'My Name is Red' its the story, the unique time and place, the amazing-ness of the writer and the way in which it is written. A 'Gone With the Wind' where there is a heroine and the saga narrated so well and the irony of the whole story and the recent award winning 'White Tiger' for its readability, its un-put-downable quality inspite of its various faults and weaknesses.
The idea of this blog is to take out that uniqueness.
To talk about books that make it to the list of 'contemporary classics'.
Welcome to ira-reviews-books.blogspot.com (due to want of a better names pls :))
Different from what a book critic would write. A review which should be from a reader who read the book not because of the story but because of the author, the history, that important aspect that was relatable, the amazing-ness of the whole idea and various other reasons.
What are those reasons that makes a book unique? If its a 'My Name is Red' its the story, the unique time and place, the amazing-ness of the writer and the way in which it is written. A 'Gone With the Wind' where there is a heroine and the saga narrated so well and the irony of the whole story and the recent award winning 'White Tiger' for its readability, its un-put-downable quality inspite of its various faults and weaknesses.
The idea of this blog is to take out that uniqueness.
To talk about books that make it to the list of 'contemporary classics'.
Welcome to ira-reviews-books.blogspot.com (due to want of a better names pls :))
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