Great Books that I liked

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery Review from 1887

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:19:00 +0000

Arthur Conan Doyle, often celebrated as one of the greatest pioneers of detective fiction, is a name that mystery lovers hold dear. He’s best known for creating gripping detective stories with plots that pull you in and keep you guessing until the final page. Over his career, which spanned several decades, Doyle wrote a large number of detective tales that became incredibly popular. His most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, has made him a literary legend, with his books selling millions of copies worldwide. His stories have been turned into plays, radio dramas, countless TV series, and blockbuster movies, bringing his clever mysteries to life in new ways. If you’re a fan of detective stories or just looking for an exciting read, Doyle’s books, including A Study in Scarlet, are a fantastic choice.

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Doyle’s own life had its share of intrigue, adding a layer of fascination to his legacy. While he didn’t face a personal mystery as dramatic as some authors, his journey as a writer was remarkable. A trained doctor, Doyle initially struggled to gain recognition for his writing, but the success of Sherlock Holmes changed everything. He eventually became so tied to Holmes that he once tried to “kill off” the detective in a story, only to bring him back due to public demand. This love-hate relationship with his most famous character shows how deeply Holmes captured the hearts of readers—a legacy that began with A Study in Scarlet, the first-ever Sherlock Holmes novel.

A Study in Scarlet, published in 1887, marks the debut of Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend Dr. John Watson, two characters who would go on to become icons in detective fiction. This book is special because it introduces Holmes’ brilliant mind and unique methods, setting the stage for countless adventures to come. It’s known for its clever plot twists and a surprising reveal at the end, but I’ll avoid spoiling that here. Instead, I’ll share a bit about the story and what makes this book so captivating, especially for fans of Arthur Conan Doyle or anyone new to Sherlock Holmes. Whether you’ve read Doyle before or this is your first time, A Study in Scarlet is a thrilling read that showcases his talent for crafting smart mysteries.

Why Arthur Conan Doyle’s Mysteries Are So Loved

Arthur Conan Doyle’s books have a timeless charm because of his ability to create plots that keep readers hooked. His stories often center on a puzzling crime, and the journey to solve it is filled with clever clues and unexpected turns that aren’t easy to predict. Doyle had a gift for planting details that seem small but turn out to be key, making you feel like you should have solved the mystery, but leaving you amazed when the truth is revealed. This is especially true in A Study in Scarlet, where the ending surprises you in a way that’s both satisfying and thought-provoking.

Doyle’s characters are a big reason for his popularity. Sherlock Holmes, the star of A Study in Scarlet, is a tall, sharp-eyed detective with a brilliant mind and a love for logic. He’s known for his “deductive reasoning”—a method where he observes tiny details, like a scuff on a shoe or a smudge of dirt, to solve crimes that baffle everyone else. His friend Dr. John Watson, who narrates the story, is a warm, loyal companion who helps ground Holmes’ eccentric personality. Together, they make a perfect team, and their friendship has won over readers for generations. Their adventures have been adapted into TV shows, movies, and even modern retellings like the BBC series Sherlock, keeping Doyle’s legacy alive for new audiences.

Doyle’s books also reflect the time they were written in. A Study in Scarlet, for example, came out in 1887, during the late Victorian era in England. The story captures the atmosphere of that time, with foggy London streets, horse-drawn carriages, and a sense of curiosity about science and crime. This historical setting adds depth to the mystery, making it more than just a puzzle to solve. Plus, Doyle’s writing is straightforward and easy to read, even though his plots are clever, making his books perfect for readers of all ages.

What Makes A Study in Scarlet Unique

A Study in Scarlet stands out in Doyle’s collection because it’s the first time we meet Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, setting the foundation for their legendary partnership. The book is also unique for its structure—it’s divided into two parts, with the first focusing on the crime in London and the second taking us to a completely different setting, the American West, to explain the motive behind the murder. This mix of detective work and historical drama makes the story feel fresh and exciting. For Arthur Conan Doyle fans, this book is a must-read because it shows the beginning of Holmes’ career and his incredible skills. If you’ve never read Doyle before, A Study in Scarlet is a great place to start—it’s not too long, the characters are easy to follow, and the mystery will leave you eager to read more of Holmes’ adventures.

The story has been adapted into various formats over the years, including TV episodes in series like Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett, and even modern retellings in shows like Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. These adaptations bring the story to life with Victorian-era settings and costumes, making them a great way to experience the mystery if you prefer watching over reading. Whether you choose the book or a screen version, A Study in Scarlet is a perfect example of why Doyle remains a giant in detective fiction—his stories are smart, his characters are unforgettable, and his plots are always a thrilling challenge.

Themes and Emotions in A Study in Scarlet

Beyond the mystery, A Study in Scarlet explores deeper themes that make the story even more engaging. The book delves into the idea of revenge, as Jefferson Hope’s quest for justice drives the entire plot. It also touches on loyalty and friendship, seen in the growing bond between Holmes and Watson, as well as Hope’s love for Lucy. Doyle uses these emotions to make the characters feel real, so you care about their struggles, even as you try to solve the mystery. The flashback to the American West adds a layer of historical drama, showing the harsh realities of life in a strict community and the lengths people will go to for love and freedom.

The setting plays a big role in the story’s mood. The foggy, gaslit streets of Victorian London create a tense, mysterious atmosphere, while the stark desert of Utah feels harsh and unforgiving, mirroring the characters’ hardships. The historical context of 1887, a time when detective work was still new and exciting, adds to the story’s appeal, capturing the era’s fascination with science and crime-solving. These elements make A Study in Scarlet more than just a whodunit—it’s a story about human emotions, justice, and the power of a brilliant mind.

Why You Should Read A Study in Scarlet

For Arthur Conan Doyle fans, A Study in Scarlet is a book you won’t want to miss. It’s the first Sherlock Holmes story, introducing the detective’s incredible skills and his partnership with Watson. The mix of a London mystery and a Western backstory makes it a unique read, and the clever twist at the end will leave you in awe of Doyle’s storytelling. If you’ve never read Doyle before, this is a perfect book to start with—it’s not too long, the mystery is engaging, and it sets the stage for Holmes’ many adventures to come.

If you prefer watching mysteries, adaptations like the episode in the Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett or the modern take in Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch are great ways to experience the story. These versions bring Holmes and Watson to life with stunning visuals and performances. Whether you read the book or watch a show, A Study in Scarlet is a reminder of why Arthur Conan Doyle remains a legend in detective fiction—his ability to captivate, surprise, and entertain is unmatched.

Spoilers Below: Proceed Only If You Don’t Mind Knowing About the Story

Here’s where the story of A Study in Scarlet starts to unfold. If you’d rather discover the plot for yourself, you might want to stop here and pick up the book or watch an adaptation. But if you’re okay with learning a bit about the story, let’s dive in.

The book begins with Dr. John Watson, a former army doctor who’s returned to London after being injured in the Afghan War. He’s looking for a place to live and meets Sherlock Holmes, a mysterious man who describes himself as a “consulting detective.” The two decide to share a flat at 221B Baker Street, and Watson quickly becomes curious about Holmes’ unusual methods. Soon, they’re called to a crime scene by Scotland Yard detectives, who are stumped by a murder. A man named Enoch Drebber has been found dead in an abandoned house, with no signs of a struggle but the word “RACHE” (German for “revenge”) written in blood on the wall.

Holmes takes the case, using his keen observation skills to notice details the police overlook—like the footprints in the dust, the type of cigar ash left behind, and the fact that a wedding ring was found near the body. He deduces that the killer is a tall man who arrived with Drebber in a cab, and the murder was driven by a deep motive, not a random act. Watson is amazed by Holmes’ ability to piece together the puzzle, and the two set out to find the killer. Soon after, another man, Joseph Stangerson, who was Drebber’s secretary, is found dead in a hotel, stabbed through the heart, with a similar trail of clues pointing to the same murderer.

The story then shifts to a surprising flashback, taking us to the deserts of Utah in the American West years earlier. We learn about a group of Mormon settlers who rescue a man named John Ferrier and his adopted daughter, Lucy, from starvation. In return, Ferrier joins their community, but as Lucy grows up, she falls in love with a man named Jefferson Hope, a non-Mormon. The community leaders pressure Lucy to marry one of their own, and when Ferrier and Lucy try to escape with Hope’s help, they’re hunted down. Ferrier is killed, and Lucy is forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, leading to her death from heartbreak. Hope vows revenge on the men responsible—Drebber and Stangerson—who were part of the group that destroyed his life.

Back in London, Holmes tracks down Jefferson Hope, who’s now a cab driver. Hope confesses to the murders, explaining that he followed Drebber and Stangerson for years, waiting for his chance. He killed Drebber with poison, giving him a choice between two pills—one safe, one deadly—and stabbed Stangerson when he tried to fight back. Hope doesn’t regret his actions, but he’s dying of a heart condition and knows his time is up. Holmes’ investigation proves his brilliance, solving a case that seemed impossible and showing why he’s the best detective in London.

Pairing This Book with Other Doyle Classics

If you enjoy A Study in Scarlet, you might want to explore other Sherlock Holmes stories like The Hound of the Baskervilles, a chilling tale of a cursed family, or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of short stories packed with mysteries. Each story offers a new case to solve, with settings ranging from eerie moors to bustling London streets. Doyle’s vast collection of Holmes tales means there’s always another adventure waiting for you to dive into.

A Personal Connection to the Story

I’ve always loved Sherlock Holmes, and A Study in Scarlet was the first book I read in the series. I was hooked from the moment Watson met Holmes, and seeing how Holmes solved the case left me amazed. The flashback to the American West was such a surprise—it felt like two stories in one! Reading this book made me appreciate Doyle’s genius, and I can’t wait to read more of Holmes’ adventures.

Exploring Agatha Christie’s "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe": A Hercule Poirot Mystery Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Tue, 28 May 2019 17:55:00 +0000

Agatha Christie is a name that echoes through the world of mystery and detective stories, earning her the title of the best-selling novelist of all time. With an impressive collection of 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, she has left a lasting mark on literature. Her two most famous characters, the clever Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the sharp-minded village spinster Miss Marple, have won the hearts of readers for generations. These characters have not only lived on through books but have also been brought to life on television shows and in movies, captivating audiences worldwide. Among her many famous works, titles like Murder on the Orient Express stand out for their brilliant plots and unexpected twists. If you love a good mystery where the criminal isn’t obvious, Christie’s stories, including One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, are a perfect pick.

Christie’s life wasn’t without its own mysteries. In 1926, she faced a personal scandal that made headlines. Her husband, Archie Christie, told her he was in love with another woman and wanted a divorce. Soon after, Agatha disappeared for 10 days, leaving everyone worried and confused. She was eventually found staying at a hotel, registered under the name of her husband’s lover. This strange event caused a stir—some people thought it might have been a publicity stunt, while others believed she was trying to frame her husband in a conspiracy. When she was found, there was relief, but the 10 days of her disappearance remain unexplained to this day. This real-life mystery only adds to the intrigue surrounding Christie, making her stories even more fascinating to explore.

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One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is a classic Hercule Poirot mystery that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Like many of Christie’s works, the story is filled with clever twists and turns, making it nearly impossible to spot the criminal right away. If you’re new to Poirot’s world, you’ll be amazed by his brilliance as he unravels the case with confidence. If you’re already a fan, you’ll find yourself eagerly waiting for his final explanation of how he solved the mystery. The book doesn’t involve too many characters, which makes it easier to follow, but the plot is still complex enough to keep you hooked. This review will give you a glimpse into the story, but I’ll be careful not to spoil the big reveals. Whether you choose to read the book or watch the TV adaptation, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is a delightful journey into the mind of a master detective.

Why Agatha Christie’s Mysteries Stand Out

Agatha Christie’s books are loved for a reason—they’re smart, engaging, and full of surprises. Her ability to craft plots with unexpected twists has made her a favorite among mystery lovers. In One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, you’ll see this talent in action. The story pulls you in with a seemingly simple crime, but as the layers unfold, you realize nothing is as it seems. Christie’s characters, like Hercule Poirot, are a big part of what makes her books so special. Poirot, with his egg-shaped head and big ego, might seem quirky at first, but his sharp mind and attention to detail make him a genius at solving crimes. Miss Marple, on the other hand, uses her knowledge of human nature to crack cases in her quiet village. Both characters have their own charm, and their stories have been adapted into countless TV shows and films, keeping their legacy alive.

Christie’s writing style is another reason her books are so popular. She uses simple language that’s easy to follow, but her plots are anything but simple. She has a way of planting clues that seem unimportant at first, only to reveal their significance later in a way that leaves you stunned. This is especially true in One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, where the mystery unfolds gradually, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to her work, Christie’s mysteries offer a perfect mix of suspense, cleverness, and satisfaction when the truth finally comes to light.

The Setting and Background of the Book

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe was first published in 1940, during a time when the world was dealing with the early years of World War II. The book reflects some of the tensions of that era, with themes of espionage and patriotism woven into the plot. It was also released under two other titles, The Patriotic Murders and An Overdose of Death, which hint at the story’s connection to larger political themes. Despite the historical context, the mystery itself is timeless, focusing on human motives like greed, fear, and deception. The setting—a dentist’s office in London—might seem ordinary, but Christie turns it into the perfect stage for a complex crime.

For readers who enjoy historical mysteries, this book offers a glimpse into life in the 1940s, from the way people dressed to the social attitudes of the time. Yet, the story’s focus on universal human emotions makes it relatable even today. The TV adaptation, part of the Agatha Christie’s Poirot series starring David Suchet, brings the story to life with period costumes and settings, making it a great option for those who prefer watching over reading.

Spoilers Below: Proceed Only If You Don’t Mind Knowing About the Story

Here’s where the story of One, Two, Buckle My Shoe begins to unfold. If you’d rather discover the plot for yourself, you might want to stop here and pick up the book or watch the TV version. But if you’re curious about the mystery and don’t mind a few details, let’s dive in.

The story starts with Hercule Poirot visiting his dentist, Henry Morley, for a routine check-up. On his way out, he meets a former actress named Mabelle Sainsbury Seale, who drops a buckle from her shoe. Poirot, ever the gentleman, helps her with it, and they part ways. Later that day, Poirot gets a shocking call from his friend, Inspector Japp, who tells him that the dentist, Henry Morley, has been found dead—shot in his office. Poirot isn’t a suspect, as there were other patients after him, but the case quickly grabs his attention.

As the investigation begins, we learn about the other people who were at the dentist’s office that day. There’s Alistair Blunt, a well-known banker with a lot of influence, and a man named Amberiotis, a Greek spy who later turns up dead from an overdose of anesthetic. At first, it seems like the dentist might have made a medical mistake, accidentally killing Amberiotis with too much anesthetic, and then shot himself out of guilt. But Poirot isn’t convinced—it’s too neat, and he suspects there’s more to the story.

The plot thickens when the dentist’s secretary reveals she was called away from the office by a telegram, which turns out to be fake. Then, Mabelle Sainsbury Seale goes missing, only to be found dead in the apartment of a woman named Mrs. Albert Chapman—who is also nowhere to be found. With each new clue, the mystery grows more tangled. Who killed the dentist? Why did Amberiotis die? And what happened to Mabelle? Poirot sets out to uncover the truth, using his sharp mind and keen observation skills to piece together the puzzle.

The story introduces a few suspects, including a man who seems like the obvious culprit. But with Poirot on the case, you know things won’t be that simple. As he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets about the characters—some involving espionage, others tied to personal grudges. The book keeps you guessing, with twists that make you question what you thought you knew. By the end, Poirot reveals the guilty party in his classic style, explaining how he figured it out in a way that’s both surprising and satisfying. The final reveal is one of those moments where you might say, “I didn’t see that coming!”—a hallmark of Christie’s best mysteries.

Why You Should Read "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"

This book is a great choice for anyone who loves a good detective story. If you’re new to Hercule Poirot, it’s a perfect introduction to his character and methods. You’ll be amazed at how he notices tiny details—like the buckle of a shoe—that turn out to be key to solving the case. If you’re already a fan, you’ll enjoy seeing Poirot in action once again, unraveling a mystery that’s as clever as it is entertaining. The story isn’t overly complicated with too many characters, making it easy to follow, but it still has enough depth to keep you engaged.

The TV adaptation is also worth watching. David Suchet’s portrayal of Poirot is widely praised, and the episode stays true to the book while adding visual charm. Whether you read the book or watch the show, you’re in for a treat with this mystery. It’s a reminder of why Agatha Christie remains a legend in the world of detective fiction—her stories are timeless, her characters are unforgettable, and her plots are always a delightful challenge.

Pairing This Book with Other Christie Classics

If you enjoy One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, you might want to check out other Hercule Poirot mysteries like The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Death on the Nile, both of which are full of Christie’s signature twists. For a taste of Miss Marple, try The Body in the Library or A Murder Is Announced. Each book offers a new puzzle to solve, with settings ranging from quiet English villages to exotic locations like the Nile River. Christie’s vast collection means there’s always another mystery waiting for you to explore.

A Personal Connection to the Story

I’ve always loved Agatha Christie’s books, and One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is one of my favorites. Reading about Poirot’s clever detective work feels like a fun challenge—I’m always trying to guess the culprit before he reveals it, but Christie always manages to surprise me. The idea of a mystery starting in something as ordinary as a dentist’s office is so clever, and it reminds me how Christie can turn any setting into a stage for suspense. This book made me appreciate Poirot’s brilliance even more, and I can’t wait to read more of his adventures.

Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Review from 1940

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:24:00 +0000

Agatha Christie, often called the great dame of detective fiction, is a name that resonates with mystery lovers around the world. She’s famous for writing gripping murder mysteries with plots that keep you guessing until the very last page. Over her long career, which spanned several decades, Christie wrote a large number of detective novels that became incredibly popular. In fact, she’s the third best-selling author of all time, only behind The Bible and the works of William Shakespeare—an amazing achievement for any writer. Her stories have been turned into plays, audio readings, multiple TV series, and even movies, bringing her clever mysteries to life in new ways. If you’re a fan of detective stories or just looking for a thrilling read, Christie’s books, including Sad Cypress, are a fantastic choice.

Christie’s own life had its share of mystery, adding an extra layer of intrigue to her legacy. In 1926, her first husband, Archie Christie, told her he had fallen in love with another woman and wanted to marry his lover. During this emotional turmoil, Agatha suddenly vanished, sparking a nationwide frenzy in England. For 10 days, no one could find her, and the search made headlines everywhere. She was finally discovered at a hotel, where she had checked in under the name of her husband’s lover. When she was found, there was relief among her family and fans, but some people criticized her, saying she might have been trying to set up her husband or pulling a marketing stunt to boost her fame. Christie never fully explained those 10 days, leaving it as a mystery that still fascinates people today.

Sad Cypress, published in 1940, is one of Christie’s classic Hercule Poirot mysteries, featuring her beloved Belgian detective known for his sharp mind and quirky personality. This book stands out for its spectacular twist at the end, with almost no clues given throughout the story to hint at the final reveal. It’s the kind of twist that leaves you stunned, and revealing anything about it would spoil the fun, so I’ll avoid that here. Instead, I’ll share a bit about the plot and what makes this book so special, especially for Agatha Christie fans or anyone new to her work. Whether you’ve read Christie before or this is your first time, Sad Cypress is a gripping read that showcases her talent for crafting clever mysteries.

Why Agatha Christie’s Mysteries Are So Loved

Agatha Christie’s books have a timeless appeal because of her ability to create complex plots that keep readers on their toes. Her stories often revolve around a murder, and the journey to find the killer is filled with twists and turns that aren’t easy to predict. She had a knack for hiding clues in plain sight, making you feel like you should have figured it out, but leaving you surprised when the truth comes out. This is especially true in Sad Cypress, where the ending catches you off guard in the best way.

Christie’s characters also play a big role in her popularity. Hercule Poirot, the star of Sad Cypress, is a small, meticulous detective with an egg-shaped head and a big ego. He’s known for his “little gray cells”—his way of saying he uses his brain to solve crimes by noticing tiny details others miss. Another famous character of hers, Miss Marple, is an elderly woman who solves mysteries in her quiet village by understanding human nature. Both Poirot and Miss Marple have their own fan bases, and their stories have been adapted into TV shows and movies, keeping Christie’s legacy alive for new generations.

Her books aren’t just about solving crimes—they often reflect the time they were written in. Sad Cypress, for example, came out in 1940, during the early years of World War II. While the story doesn’t focus on the war, you can feel the tension of the era in the background, with characters dealing with uncertainty and change. This historical touch adds depth to the mystery, making it more than just a puzzle to solve. Plus, Christie’s writing is simple and easy to follow, even though her plots are anything but straightforward, making her books accessible to readers of all ages.

What Makes Sad Cypress Unique

Sad Cypress is a standout in Christie’s collection because it blends her usual mystery style with a courtroom drama, something she didn’t often include in her Poirot books. While some of her stories show coroner investigations, this one takes you into the courtroom, where the tension of a trial adds an extra layer of suspense. The book also explores themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal, making the characters’ emotions as gripping as the mystery itself. For Agatha Christie fans, this book is a must-read because it shows Poirot at his best, unraveling a case that seems impossible to solve. If you’ve never read Christie before, Sad Cypress is a great place to start—it’s not too long, the characters are easy to follow, and the twist at the end will leave you eager to read more of her work.

The TV adaptation of Sad Cypress, part of the Agatha Christie’s Poirot series starring David Suchet, is also worth watching. Suchet’s portrayal of Poirot is widely loved, and the episode captures the book’s mood perfectly, with beautiful 1940s costumes and settings. Whether you choose to read the book or watch the show, you’re in for a treat with this mystery. It’s a perfect example of why Christie remains a legend in detective fiction—her stories are clever, her characters are memorable, and her plots are always a delightful challenge.

Spoilers Below: Proceed Only If You Don’t Mind Knowing About the Story

Here’s where the story of Sad Cypress starts to unfold. If you’d rather discover the plot for yourself, you might want to stop here and pick up the book or watch the TV version. But if you’re okay with learning a bit about the story, let’s dive in.

The book begins with a classic setup: a couple in love, Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Welman, who are engaged to be married. They’re not very rich, but they have the support of Elinor’s wealthy aunt, Laura Welman, who looks on lovingly at the couple and is happy with their decision to wed. Aunt Laura is like a kind guardian, and everyone expects Elinor to inherit her fortune someday. But things take a turn when Roddy meets another girl, Mary Gerrard, an orphan who lives with Aunt Laura. Mary is young and beautiful, and soon Roddy falls for her, breaking off his engagement with Elinor. To make matters worse, the couple is warned that Mary might be trying to win over Aunt Laura’s affections—and her money.

As tensions rise, Aunt Laura’s health starts to decline. Before she passes away, she asks that some money be settled on Mary to ensure her future. But when Aunt Laura dies, her fortune goes entirely to Elinor, leaving Roddy with nothing. The story takes a darker turn when Elinor, while clearing out her aunt’s house after the funeral, becomes entangled in a tragedy. Mary Gerrard suddenly dies of morphine poisoning, and Elinor, who had the means and a possible motive—jealousy over Roddy and the inheritance—becomes the most obvious suspect. She’s arrested and put on trial for Mary’s murder, facing a grim future if convicted.

This is where Hercule Poirot steps in. He’s hired to investigate the case and find out what really happened. The rest of the book follows Poirot’s sleuthing as he digs into the lives of everyone involved, looking for clues to uncover the truth. Was Elinor driven by jealousy to commit murder, or is there more to the story? Poirot interviews witnesses, examines the evidence, and pieces together the puzzle in his classic style. The courtroom scenes add a layer of drama, as Elinor’s fate hangs in the balance while Poirot works to find the real killer. Most of Poirot’s books don’t show court proceedings, but in Sad Cypress, the trial takes center stage, making the stakes feel even higher.

As Poirot investigates, he uncovers secrets about the characters—hidden motives, past promises, and unexpected connections that shed new light on the case. The book keeps you guessing, with twists that make you question what you thought you knew. By the end, Poirot reveals the truth in a way that’s both surprising and satisfying, proving once again why he’s one of the best detectives in fiction. The final twist is so cleverly hidden that you’ll likely be amazed at how Christie pulled it off without giving you any hints along the way.

Themes and Emotions in Sad Cypress

Beyond the mystery, Sad Cypress explores deeper themes that make the story even more compelling. The book delves into the pain of lost love, as Elinor struggles with Roddy’s betrayal and her own heartbreak. There’s also the theme of jealousy—not just romantic, but financial, as the inheritance creates tension between the characters. Christie uses these emotions to make the characters feel real, so you care about what happens to them, even as you try to figure out who the killer is. The title, Sad Cypress, comes from a line in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, hinting at themes of mourning and loss, which echo throughout the story as the characters deal with death and grief.

The setting also adds to the mood. The story takes place in an English country house, a common backdrop for Christie’s mysteries, but one that feels cozy yet eerie as the plot unfolds. The historical context of 1940, with the shadow of war looming, gives the story a sense of uncertainty, mirroring the uncertainty of the characters’ lives. It’s these little touches that make Sad Cypress more than just a whodunit—it’s a story about people, their choices, and the consequences that follow.

Why You Should Read Sad Cypress

For Agatha Christie fans, Sad Cypress is a book you won’t want to miss. It’s a perfect showcase of Poirot’s detective skills, with a twist that’ll leave you in awe of Christie’s storytelling. If you’ve never read Christie before, this is a great book to start with—it’s not too long or complicated, but it still has all the elements that make her mysteries so addictive. The courtroom drama adds a fresh twist to the usual Poirot formula, and the emotional depth of the characters makes the story even more engaging.

If you prefer watching mysteries, the TV adaptation starring David Suchet is a wonderful way to experience the story. Suchet brings Poirot to life with charm and precision, and the episode captures the book’s atmosphere beautifully. Whether you read the book or watch the show, Sad Cypress is a reminder of why Agatha Christie remains a legend in detective fiction—her ability to surprise, entertain, and touch your heart is unmatched.

Pairing This Book with Other Christie Classics

If you enjoy Sad Cypress, you might want to explore other Hercule Poirot mysteries like Death on the Nile or The ABC Murders, both of which are packed with Christie’s signature twists. For a taste of Miss Marple, try The Murder at the Vicarage or A Pocket Full of Rye. Each book offers a new puzzle to solve, with settings ranging from exotic boats to quiet villages. Christie’s vast collection means there’s always another mystery waiting for you to dive into.

A Personal Connection to the Story

I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie, and Sad Cypress quickly became one of my favorites. The mix of mystery and emotion drew me in, and I loved seeing Poirot work his magic in the courtroom. The twist at the end left me stunned—I didn’t see it coming at all! Reading this book made me appreciate Christie’s genius even more, and I can’t wait to explore more of her stories.

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And then there were none (published in 1939) - Written by Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 09:33:00 +0000

Agatha Christie is known as the grand dame of detective fiction, being known as the author who is literally the highest selling author in recent times, only beaten by The Bible and the works of William Shakespeare. She has created 2 of the most famous detectives in modern fiction, in the form of the more popular Belgian egg-headed Hercule Poirot as well as the elderly village bound Miss Marple. However, there are some detective works of Agatha Christie that do not feature either of these 2 characters, and her bestselling book, "And then there were none" does not feature either of these 2 detectives, and is not really a detective book either, more like a crime novel in which the reader could try to figure out what is happening and who is doing the murders. In a sign of how different the age in which the book was written was, the book was initially published as "Ten Little Niggers" after the name of a minstrel song (the song also serves as a key part of the overall story plot); it is impossible that any book could have such a name now.

The plot of the book has been made into several television episodes and into movies in several languages and there is this sort of morbid appeal that the plot has; with people being punished for those crimes that have gone undetected; that somebody has decided to judge them.
For this book, one can describe the plot to some degree without providing any spoilers, given the number of characters in the book. Eight people get an invitation for a small island off the coast of England, off Devon. For some, it is the offer of an holiday, for others, it is the offer of a holiday. These people are an assorted group, comprising young people, old people, males, females, professional people in the shape of a Doctor, a former police inspector, a retired judge, etc. In addition to these eight, there are the butler and his wife who is also the housekeeper. Strangely, the couple who had invited them to the islands are not present, but the butler mentions that they have detailed instructions about what to do.
In each guests room is a framed copy of a nursery rhyme (later called by different names, but originally called as "Ten Little Niggers"), and on the dining room table, there are 10 figurines. These figurines also play a macabre role as they keep a count of the deaths on the island. And deaths there are plenty, since the visitors on the islands have been invited to die, with the judgment of the unknown killer being that all of them have killed somebody in their past and not been convicted of that, so the unknown killer will remedy that problem and dispatch them, as a just punishment for their past crimes.
It is also a horrible waiting, as you find people dead, dying based on what the nursery rhyme says is the manner of death, and with the figurines on the dining table getting smashed as people are dying. People are getting killed, there is only the group on the island, so one of the people right next to you is the killer - are you really safe any minute or if you turn your back or go to sleep, will the person next to you kill you ? This kind of feeling is traumatic, and this is what makes the murder mystery so gripping, and this is why this is a book worth reading.

Murder Is Easy (1939) - Written by Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 17:25:00 +0000

Agatha Christie is known as one of the most eminent writers of the 20th century, not in terms of classics, but in terms of what is called detective fiction. And when you find that the sales of books that an author has written are only beaten by those of The Bible and Shakespeare, then the rating of the author should go up another notch. When the author has created two endearing characters, those of Hercule Poirot (the egoistical egg-headed Belgian detective who is also very successful at solving crimes) and that of the elderly village spinster Miss Marple, you do know that the books would be interesting to read.
However, what do you do when you get a book that does not feature either of these 2 characters. Agatha Christie had written books that involve other characters other than these 2 main detectives, but not too many and they are not really as famous as the ones involving Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. The one exception could be this book - Murder is Easy. The book takes the main character to be Luke Fitzwilliam, returning after his job overseas in the police. Now, if Hercule Poirot was cerebral, Luke is nowhere in the same league. Be far from it for him to sit in an armchair and wait for the plot to come to him, for the little grey cells to work.

Instead, he gets stuck in the murder mystery by sheer luck, when he meets a lady on a train who tells him that she is going to Scotland Yard to tell them about a series of murders in her village and who the next victim will be. Poppycock indeed, except that Luke reads the next day that the lady has died and then next, the person she had named who would be the next victim. This intrigues Luke who tries to find a contact in the village so that he can stay there, and he promptly is declared to be the cousin of a local lady.
Talking to villagers, talking to the family members of the victims (although the circumstances of the deaths were such that local villages believed that these were accidents rather than murders - somebody who confused paint with cough syrup, an infected cut, falling from the roof and so on - all of these are accidents that could happen to anyone).
After arriving there, there is one more murder. Because of what has been happening, they suspect a series of people, but when they finally find the murderer, is too late ? Will there be one more murder ? This is a book that is worth the suspense, but if you are looking for a cerebral splash like Sherlock Holmes or Poirot, it is not there. However, the reviews at the time that the book was published were overall positive. In my opinion, a different Agatha Christie book, but still a good novel.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938) - Starring Hercule Poirot - written by Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:57:00 +0000

Agatha Christie is known as one of the most prolific writers of detective novels, and certainly the top selling author. She write during the early years of the 20th century and wrote for several decades, creating 2 of the most famous detectives (the more famous egoist Hercule Poirot and the village elderly spinster Miss Marple). These 2 detectives, in their individual stories delved into human nature unerringly, pointing out the evil being done by people, and finally pinpointed the people behind the murders (in most of these cases, these were murders although there might be several other crimes mixed in with them).
Agatha Christie had somewhat of a colorful life herself, atleast in parts. Her first marriage fell apart when her husband fell in love with another lady and told Agatha that he wanted a divorce; this in turn caused the mysterious lost days of her life when she disappeared for 10 days until she was finally found in a hotel room, under the assumed name of her husband's lover. Her second marriage was far more successful, involving some travel as well, lasting through her life.
Hercule Poirot is probably the more well known of the 2 detectives (she created some minor other characters as well, but they did not become so famous as these two). For comical effect, she also would add sequences when he would get affronted if somebody did not recognize him, or in the later novels, where the person thought that he would be so old that he would have died by now.

Hercule's Poirot Christmas was later published in the US under the name of 'Murder for Christmas', and a much later edition was sold as 'A holiday for murder'. Without getting into spoilers, the book is an interesting one where the enter detecting work is done in a house, with the murder having taken place in a closed room with the impossibility of anybody getting into the room.
Simeon Lee is very old, and very rich, and also very autocratic. He surprises his family by hosting a grand family get-together at Christmas where he even invites his long separated son, Harry, whom the others in the family really don't like - but hey, if the old man wants it done, then it will be done and he does not brook any opposition. He also invites his grand-daughter, she of Spanish descent, who has lost her parents and who knows that her grandfather is a very rich man. And yet another guest, Stephen Farr, the son of Simeon's former partner in the mines. And then the family hears him talking to his lawyer on the phone about how he wants to update his will.
And on Chrismas Eve at night, after dinner, there is an almighty commotion from the old man's room, with the upturning of furniture as well as a horrible scream. The door is locked from the inside, and when they break open the door, they find the room to be in a mess, as well as the murdered body of Simeon with large amounts of spilled blood. The police Superintendent was also there, having come earlier in the evening to meet Simeon and he takes charge of the house and the proceedings, him having apparently been called by Simeon because of some diamonds missing from the locker.
Any further details will take away from the mystery, just one line, not everybody is whom they claim to be, and Poirot has to unmask people as well as prevent further murders. A detective novel worth reading.

Death on the Nile (1937) - Starring Hercule Poirot - written by Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 13:37:00 +0000

Agatha Christie is known as probably the most famous detective novelist, atleast in terms of the overall number of books she has sold. Her books are outsold only by the Bible and by the works of William Shakespeare, which is saying a lot. Although it is also true that she has written a large number of detective novels spanning a time of multiple decades. Some are truly exceptional, with just a few that may be considered below her standard.
She is most famous for creating 2 famous detectives - the egg headed Hercule Poirot, who is also seen as egoistical and very much in awe of his own abilities, and the quiet elderly spinster Miss Marple who seems to have an incredible grasp of human nature and the evil that resides in many people (and an stubborn ability not to take anyone's words at face value).
Agatha Christie also had a real life mystery in her own life, at the time when her first husband wanted a divorce from her for marrying his mistress. She disappeared for a period of 10 days despite an extensive hunt, with outrage from a public that by now was an avid reader of her books. She was found in a hotel under the name of her husband's mistress and seemingly suffering from amnesia. After she was found, the public opinion turned negative, with the belief that either she was looking to frame her husband, or this was sort of publicity stunt.
However, she had a lot of writing left in her and went onto write some of her most famous works, including the novel 'And then there were none' as well as 'Murder on the Orient Express'.

Death on the Nile was a novel featuring the detective Hercule Poirot, in one her typical trademark fashions. I will try and not reveal too much of the story so that if you have not read it, there is some suspense involved. There are some twists and turns, else why would you like the book once you have finished reading it; what I can promise is that most of you would not have anticipated the twist in the novel. A couple of the characters in the book, besides Hercule Poirot have made their appearance in other books.
The people depicted in the book depict mostly typical upper class British citizens, as well as some Americans. As was there in that time, the locals (the Egyptians in this case) really don't have any power or authority, and are overseen by the visiting Englishmen. However, do keep in mind that this was a book written from that time period, and the power and authority equations from that time have been depicted in the book.
The book is a story all about a vengeful women and how she tries to get her revenge. Jacqueline de Bellefort was poor but had a delightful and loving fiancee Simon Doyle, for whom she was trying to get a job. She has a very rich friend Linnet Doyle, who agrees to help her by giving a job to Simon. Fast forward some time, and there is a massive betrayal by both, since Simon breaks his engagement and gets married to Linnet.
What does a vengeful women do ? Well, try and make their life hell. So when they try and escape from her on a steamer river cruise in Egypt, they find that their plans were of no use since Jacqueline was also on the ship and proceeded to mock and taunt her, giving them no respite. Linnet asks for help from Poirot, but he declines, although he does try and caution Jacqueline about the path she is taking. There is an usual an odd assorted set of characters on the steamer, some of whom have their own small stories in the book.
Linnet suffers an attempt on her life during a shore excursion, and then on the steamer, she finally meets her end, being found in the morning, having been shot to death. Poirot now takes up the matter, trying to figure out what really happened and who killed her. The novel does make an interesting reading.

Nuclear accident: Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 16:20:00 +0000

Nuclear weapons are immensely powerful, with the potential damage from an explosion being of much higher levels than all previous such weapons. The explosions of a nuclear weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan that caused the end of the second world war showed the immense power of nuclear weapons, and those were on the smaller scale. Modern nuclear weapons, especially the hydrogen bombs, are of a scale that is much more powerful than the ones that were used in Japan. And the number of these weapons (stored in missile systems) are in the thousands, spread all over the country. Most people staying near to these missile silos are totally unaware of how close they live to such destructive power; although these warheads are supposed to be designed that they will not explode unless a specific series of processes are carried out, and hence the risk of detonating accidentally is ruled out.
This book showcases that while even a powerful explosion next to the warhead did not explode it, there is always some amount of uncertainty when dealing with such a weapon. Even the fact that the missile has a large amount of very dangerous fuel adds to the complication in dealing with such matters.

The Titan missiles were a significant part of the US strategic missile fleet and were mated to a 9 megaton warhead, the most powerful warhead in the US stockpile of nuclear weapons. These were sited in silos across many parts of the country and were loaded with a fuel that was more stable than previous (although stability is always a relative measure - these propellants were far more dangerous and unstable than the petrol or gasoline we use in our normal vehicles). One of these silos was near Damascus in rural Arkansas, close to Little Rock. A missile is essentially a metal pipe that contains a lot of high explosive power propellant with a much more explosive warhead on top.
Imagine a regular maintenance of the missile, and a socket drops from the personnel who are doing the maintenance. They watch in horror while the socket plummets down into the silo, finally hitting the body of the missile and cause the fuel to start gushing out from the hole. From then on, it becomes like a real life high speed film, with disaster starting everyone in the area, conflicting scenes of responsibility, local authorities knowing that some disaster is unfolding but not having control of the area (that control was with the military), and finally sending in volunteers to control the situation, followed immediately by such a huge explosion that the warhead was thrown some distance away (and recovered).
The incident has been covered in books and in documentaries, and when you see the documentary, the theory that a warhead is totally safer even under these circumstances seems like theory, not something that you really want to see being under test.

Israel and the Bomb - By Avner Cohen (1999) - The fascinating story about the Israeli bomb

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 18:48:00 +0000

Israel is a very small country in the Middle East, a country that was formed soon after the Holocaust saw millions of Jews in Europe to be murdered in hideous ways, using the official state machinery of Nazi Germany. It caused a huge upheaval in the politics of the Middle East, with large migrations of Jews from all over Europe to the Middle East with a demand for a country of their own, where they would not be subjected to extermination. However, safety of the new nation was not easy, with it being invaded by its neighbors as soon as it was formed, and struggled to defeat them. There was nothing easier for a neighboring dictator (or democratically elected leader) to become popular than to promise the defeat of Israel and force the population to the ocean (and with the size of Israel and its width), this was no empty threat.

As a result, the safety for the Israeli nation was in having a military that was far superior to the combined might of its neighbors (or in terms of tactics, such as destroying the standing Egyptian Air Force in a quick attack in a war); and a weapon that promised a much superior capability was the atomic weapon (and Israel has not flinched from attacking those who also sought to develop nuclear weapons, such as its attacks on nuclear reactors in Syria and earlier, in Iraq). However, for developing a nuclear weapon, you need a strategy, you need technology and you need nuclear material. This book seeks to explain all of those, including the development of the Israeli nuclear effort and its attempts to hoodwink the French and US Governments over a period of time.

For Israel, the nuclear weapon remains an enigma; the Government has never admitted having one; anybody in Israel who seeks to expose any details finds the full might of the Israeli state descending on him; and because of its internal politics, the US Government and political class have not had any discussion on this topic for decades now. Neighboring countries also do not try to talk about it, since that would admit to their people that they cannot seek to defeat the Israelis and that their own leaders are impotent in developing a counter nuclear weapon. However, the Israeli nuclear weapon has come close to being used twice, in the 1967 and the 1973 (the position in the 1973 war more dire, and Golda Meir, the Israeli PM, had apparently felt that the war position was very adverse and had considered the option of using 13 nuclear weapons unless Israel became safe again).

The book provides a history of the 2 decades that led to the development of nuclear weapons in Israel, the period of the 1950's and 60's. It was David Ben-Gurion, the warrior leader of Israel, who authorized and started the process of this development; collaborating with France and the United States for getting the technology and the material, but without them really believing that Israel was upto this (or in the case of the US, by the end, tacitly admitting the program - to the extent that it was supposed to be stolen material from a US nuclear reactor that was used for many of the weapons developed by Israel).

Some of this was at a time when the US administration (especially under President Kennedy) was against nuclear proliferation besides those who had already had the weapons and hence was trying to figure out what Israel was doing. But other administrations in the United States struggled with how hard to push, till the Nixon administration finally gave it up, with the understanding that Israel would not test the bomb, and the US would not ask about the bomb.

The book is worthy reading, and is not a boring thesis, but more like a novel, making for interesting reading for a wider audience.

The Price of Politics - Would the US fall over the fiscal cliff ?

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:11:00 +0000

In the current atmosphere of the 2016 presidential elections, the tension between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party is extremely high, there is almost no sign of any civility between these 2 opposing parties. Politics is a total gridlock, the public impression of Congress is at an all time low and people want some kind of change.
The hostilities between the 2 parties is something that has been there for many years (nay, decades). However, there has been cooperation between the parties, there has been compromise. Previous Presidents have worked with Congress controlled by the opposition parties and managed to get new laws and bills passed. However, the 2010 rise of the Tea Party movement and the election of a set of new representatives in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate is pushing a move towards fiscally responsible principles. Overall, the Republican Party has been seen to be more fiscally conservative, with the concept of keeping 'giveaways' in check, and there has been a large section of the population who believe that if they can keep their finances in check, why can't the federal Government, a Government which they believe has gone out of control.

And who is to be blamed for fiscal irresponsibility ? Why, the current President, Barack Obama under whose policies the overall debt of the US has ballooned, where there is no control of the finances of the Government and the Government itself seeks to expand rather than trying to keep control of itself. On the other side, the Democrats and the President believe that the 2008-2009 financial disaster was something that could put the US into a deep recession which would be very painful, and there was a need to try to rise out of this morass, if this required suspending some of the measures of trying to put a hard check on rising finances. So there was Government support for major financial entities whose collapse could hurt sentiment and the economy, and all of this money had to increase the debt.
By the time of the entry of the Tea Party representatives, there was a push to not let this wasteful increase of finances keep on going on, somebody needs to push to prevent any further increase of the debt. As a result, by mid 2011, there was a hard line that was being reached. The US had reached a limit about how much the debt of the US could be, and Congress needed to increase the debt ceiling. And this was just one of the battles that were being fought between the 2 opposing parties. There was almost no compromise between the opposing parties, since there was a clash of ideologies. What hung in the balance was the fiscal condition of the US, and indeed the world, since if the debt ceiling was not raised, there was the danger of a worldwide loss of confidence in the US economy and the Government. The other main battle was about the healthcare law called Obamacare, and it was tagged in almost every bill that was making its way through Congress. The dispute showcased a high amount of rigidity at the highest political level, and reading this makes for horrific reading - how can the people elected to work for the betterment of the US and its citizenry be so unwilling to work with each other to resolve crisis ? Get an insight into the people involved in all these discussions through this book.

History - A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the Struggle That Shaped the Middle East (Published in 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 18:32:00 +0000

The current state of the Middle East seems like a total mess. From the time of the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, it would seem that everything is going topsy-turvy. However, the region has been in a state of turmoil for decades (maybe even a century) - can one forget the turmoil between the Jews and the Arabs during the 1930's and 1940's, which increased with the end of the Second World War and the push towards getting a Jewish homeland. On the other side, the Ottoman Empire was ending, and leading to a push by the various communities for power through the area. Ibn Saud was battling to conquer the land of Arabia and setup Saudi Arabia. There were powers to be everywhere; and the ever present Shia-Sunni conflict would rear up its ugly head.
However, if you were to look at the current political structure of the Middle East, there is the emphasis on one particular event which seems to be the grand-daddy of all the chaos that is currently there, the precursor to the various nations that have been setup (so, for example, if you look at Syria, it is an amalgamation of many different tribes and communities and the scope for chaos, ruthlessly put down all these years, has risen so fast that the future of the country seems totally at risk with other similar examples) - this was an arrangement between the colonial powers of a century ago, France and Great Britain. This was the Sykes - Picot agreement (named after the good gentlemen who negotiated the agreement from both sides), and the agreement delineated the spheres of control for both countries once the Ottoman Empire was defeated at the end of the First World War (link to Wiki site for the agreement).

This book provides a good reference for the events of that time. There was a huge amount of politics in that area ongoing, and during the course of the First World War, Britain and France had decided that in the event of winning the war, the Ottoman Empire would be distributed among the victorious parties in terms of mandates and regions of influence. At the same time, there was a Turkish upheaval that was against the Ottoman Empire and who wanted their own set of power and authority at the end of the war, there was the demand for a homeland for the Zionists, there were other influential figures whose support was needed by Britain and France, and yet they also felt like a kind of parental authority for the region, that they had the best interests for everybody in the region. If you go through the book and see the flow of history, you would start to see some of the background for the problems that have occurred now, especially the way that the nation states have been setup in that region. Even the 2 colonial powers who had made the agreement, were constantly jealous of the authority of the other, and especially when territory was won in the war, there was a lot of reluctance to honor previous agreements. A great deal of the background between the animosity between the Jews and Arabs in Palestine, and even the fight between the Jewish underground militias and the British authority in Palestine (modern day Israel) could be traced to a slow boil that started in the first and second decade of the 20th century.

WW2 - True Story of Wing Commander Tommy Yeo-Thomas - Published in 1997

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sun, 22 May 2016 19:07:00 +0000

There are actually 2 books written on the heroics of this awesome man. During the Second World War, Nazi Germany was on the warpath. By 1940, it had already run over the Low countries of Holland and Belgium, and also taken control of France, making it an occupied land. Bereft of supporters, Britain was alone in the fight against the Nazis. Russia was still in a no-war pact with Germany, the US was determined to stay out of this European war, and it seemed that Germany was preparing to attack Britain so as to ensure that the whole of Europe was under the grip of the Nazis.
At that time, it was pretty clear to Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, controlling a Government under siege, that there needed to be some sort of offensive against the Germans. Obviously, after the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) was walloped and had to be rescued from Dunkirk (having left all their heavy weaponry behind), there was no way that Britain could attack directly (in fact, there was little chance of even getting a beach head on continental Europe). But there were resistance movements starting to happen in the occupied countries, with the traditional enmity between France and Germans leading to the start of a vigorous resistance movement (however, the Gestapo was powerful and very determined to crush any means of resistance) - the call by Charles De Gaulle was a powerful one to oppose the Nazis.

Winston Churchill had also given the command to setup an organization that would work behind the scenes to keep the Nazis busy with sabotage, resistance and damage. The objective of the setting up of the Special Operations Executive was to 'set Europe ablaze'. The objective of the Wing Commander was to obstruct Nazi operations in France, and he soon realized that the French resistance was just not receiving enough support and sought a meeting with Churchill where he explained the need for more support for the resistance (they were the ones who could really play a role against the Nazis in occupied France). He made multiple trips to France but was captured finally by the Gestapo after being betrayed, and in turn, was tortured so that he could betray others. He refused and was tortured again and again, and still tried to escape multiple times, wherever he was kept in confinement and was finally able to make his freedom just before the end of the war in Europe. He was given multiple medals for bravery and valor; and the role he and fellow SOE agents played in Europe had a key role in finally ending the war and defeat for the Nazis.

The currents of space (Written by Isaac Asimov) - Published in 1952

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 19:08:00 +0000

Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer, somebody who write fiction and non-fiction in vast numbers, starting with writing science fiction stories that magazines would scoop up (although sometimes if one magazine rejected it, another would take it). He has even written science textbooks, and during a period in his career, was so interested in writing non-fiction books that he practically stopped writing his science fiction. Over his long career, he is most famous for 2 specific series of science fiction books, these being the books about robots (in fact, there is this logical set of laws called The three laws of robotics that he introduced in his books), and the Foundation series (about a massive galactic empire of the future, and how it starts to fail because it is too big and full of inertia, and needs to be replaced by The Foundation).
The Currents of Space is one of his early novels, having been published in 1952, before the first spaceship went into orbit and before a lot of research into space had really been conducted. Although it is to be said, Asimov's novels are not so much about science fiction as they are about describing societal behavior of human societies of the future, their problems, their evolution, and so on. If you read these books and love them, you will love all the Asimov books, even the ones which are not his best (such as The Currents of Space),

Part of the future as per Asimov is where mankind has gone through several rounds of settlement in planets outside the solar system, with society either using robots or totally staying away from robots. Now, millions of world have been settled, and the Galactic Empire, based at Trantor as the center, is slowly forming, absorbing worlds in order to grow. There are planets which are independent, although there are political games happening between Trantor and these planets. One of these planets is Sark, which rules another planet called Florina. The reason to keep Florina subjugated is that for some reason, a wonderful fiber called 'kyrt', grows here, and here only. All attempts to grow it elsewhere to the level found on Florina have failed. Continued capture of Florina ensures that Sark has the market for 'kyrt' and earns massively. Sark has setup a captive bureaucracy on Florina and rules with an iron hand (this entire set is based on the concept of Southern slave-owners having slaves to work on their cotton fields).
The novel starts with a person trying to communicate a major discovery, but is captured and a psychic probe is applied, which ensures that the person will reveal their secret, but also loses a large portion of mental capacity and becomes like a child. That is Rik, who is found on Florina and is struggling to get mental capacity back. A girl in Florina takes care of him, even though she works in a mill and has quotas to meet, helped by a local Florinan official, who seemingly works for Sark. The story spins further and further, with Sark trying to determine exactly what is happening, agents for Trantor trying to put their own finger here, and the ever growing memory of Rik and his realization that something serious is about to happen to Florina.
Read this novel; it's not very long but is decently interesting.

World War 2 Book - The Day of Battle (Authored by Rick Atkinson)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:12:00 +0000

For most people, their knowledge of the Second World War in terms of action are some battle scenes - Pearl Harbor, the African theatre, Battle for Stalingrad, Dunkirk, and the Normandy landings. One of the largest theaters of action during the 1943-44 phase (besides the Russian offensive on the Eastern front) was the action in Sicily and Italy. If you were to ask people besides historians about what happened in Italy during the Second World War, most people can only talk about Mussolini, but not too many more details. The Italian campaign was a significant campaign, involving men from many different countries (British, British commonwealth and territories, the Poles, and the American army). For the American army, it was significant. Their introduction into the African battle theater was not very positive, since the German army out-fought them. In the European theater, called the Fortress Germany because the Nazis controlled most of the continent, attacking the Italian theater would bring in the Nazi war machine to defend Sicily and Italy.

Another massive advantage that this entire theater brought to the American army was the blooding that it did to the army. It exposed it to war where it defeated the German war machine at many fronts, forced the development of tactics. At the same time, it also exposed them to the problems of war, with fierce German resistance preventing the movement at many fronts. The landings of Anzio provides lessons to armies even now.
The advantage of this book is about the research that has gone into providing the details of the various battles and confrontations that happened during this stage. The defeat and push back of the German armies from Sicily and evacuation from the entire island was a series of skirmishes and battles, with the German armies not being a pushover, fighting hard and also being intelligent thinkers. During the entire campaign, the German army essentially took over the Italian war campaign from the Axis side, with the Italian army not being too much in the picture.
During these battles, not everything was positive. There were failures from the various army leaders and generals, some of these were removed from their command positions during the course of these battles, and the person who developed a great reputation during these battles was also forced to relinquish his command and go into exile (this being General Patton, who slapped 2 soldiers for what he believed was cowardice and had to face severe problems when these slaps became public knowledge).
The book provides a lot of details of the entire campaign, something that a student of the war effort, or one who wants to read about this entire campaign. A must read book.

Political commentary: A history of the US Republican Party

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 16:34:00 +0000

In the charged political atmosphere of the United States as of today, there is a clear divergence between the 2 political parties - the Democratic and the Republican Party. Supporters of either party criticize the prevalent policies and trends of each party - the Democratic party is seen as a liberal party which is more supportive of minorities and more supportive of give-aways to the poor; the Republican party is seen as more conservative, more trying to attempt financial balancing, representing the white old section of the country which somehow feels that the country is moving away from the principles that have been in vogue for the past century. Supporters of either party feel that the other party is being irrational and not representing the best for the future of the country.
However, it would surprise a lot of people if they heard about history, about how the party have changed their spots over the years. How would people feel if they realized that the Republican Party was the party to which Lincoln belonged, and how the Democratic party was the one representing the south and on the losing end of the Civil War. It was the Democratic Party that was called the party of traitors, trying to break the union and fighting to support slavery. It is this history of the Republican Party that is sought to be explained in this book, first released in 2003, and then re-published in 2014.

The book covers the entire history of the Republican Party, its more than 150 years history and covers the response of the Party to the election of Barack Obama, and the weak candidates that the party set against him. One caveat is that the book is written by a person (Lewis L. Gould) who identified himself to have liberal leanings and hence is a supporter of the Democratic Party. So, the book seeks to be objective and tries to present the history of the party, covering the various twists of the evolution of the party into its current form.
One major chapter in this transformation was the period of the 1950's-1960's, or even more specifically the 1960's when the Civil Rights movement was at its peak, and where the Democratic Presidents brought in the various acts to ensure the total removal of segregation, a step which the party also realized that meant that the Democratic Party had lost the support of the south for a generation, a gap that was quickly taken up by the Republican Party. At a time of rapid change in society, the Republican Party was able to take on the mantle of appealing to people who sought stability and the values that they had seen in their young times, and who valued conservatism. The book is certainly worth reading, for a supporter and even for those who don't understand why the Republican Party is what it is.

The Stars, Like Dust (Published in 1951) - Authored by Isaac Asimov - Not regarded as one of his better novels

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 19:41:00 +0000

This novel is different from the other novels of Asimov; for one, there is a lot more action (if you read the Foundation or even the Robot novels, there is a lot more play of society, of thought, of classes, of intrigue, but not so much action). However, at the same time, it is not really a very strong novel; if you read it, you might think some lesser writer had written it as compared to the author who wrote the original Foundation novel at approximately the same time.
Isaac Asimov was an incredibly prolific author. Over the years, he has written a massive number of book, but he is not only a science fiction write. For many years in between, he was also involved in writing a large number of non-fiction books, and this period saw him write very few science fiction, being more involved in writing these books. However, he is more known for his science fiction writing, and more specifically for the Foundation Series as well as the Laws of Robotics that were present through his books. Even though we do not have the kind of robots that he introduced in his books, the same ethical debates about the capabilities of robots that we produce is based on the discussion of the 3 Laws of Robotics.

One of the problems of his different stages of writing these books was that he would try to stitch the same thread and history in the books he had. However, stitching this book into his future chronology was always going to be difficult. For those familiar with the Foundation, this book was about a time period before the establishment of the Galactic empire founded on Trantor, and Earth is known (which it is not known any more during the Galactic empire).
Actually, the plot of the novel can make the head spin a bit. It is about conspiracies, and quests to escape the tyranny of a particular set of people, called, wait for it, the Tyranni (because they come from the planet Tyrann). They control a set of 50 planets, located near the Horsehead Nebula, and one way to ensure that these plants remain in their control is by limiting the amount of knowledge of science and space travel in this area.
The hero of the novel is Biron Farrill, who is studying at University, and whose father, a powerful leader, called the Lord Rancher of Widemos, was executed by the Tyranni, and how his own life would be in danger, and in fact, there apparently is an attempt on his life. He is advised to travel to one of the captured planet called Rhodia, and after that, his life is a series of dueling and escaping from the Tyranni and their agents. A lot of their quest is for a rebellion world, where there is the seeds of a rebellion against the Tyranni and which they must find, while they are being chased so that the rebellious world can be found and the rebellion stopped. And so on, but the end of the novel is disappointing.

Down and Out in Paris and London (Published in 1933) - Authored by George Orwell

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Mon, 18 May 2015 18:35:00 +0000

Published in 1933, Down and Out in Paris and London is author George Orwell’s first full length work. A 2 part memoir on the after effects of financial crisis the world over, especially after the Wall Street crash of 1929, this book is very different from most in its genre. The reason being that Orwell did not spout about the hardships of poverty and financial difficulties from the sidelines; but was very much living the nightmare - first in Paris, as a teacher, and then in London, where he recorded his travels.
The first half of the book deals with Orwell’s experiences in Paris, especially when he finds that he has only 450 francs on him. After putting a down payment of 200 francs as rent, he tells himself that he will somehow manage on 250 francs till he finds a better job than his present work situation, which offered him only 36 francs a week for teaching students. However, disaster strikes in the life of Orwell, in the form of a robbery. His remaining measly 250 francs get stolen from his room, leaving him with 40 odd francs which he had on himself. To make matters worse his students quit, leaving him 36 francs a week short. He explains vividly how it felt to be poor and on the brink of starvation every day.
Orwell describes for the readers how there was an abundance of food everywhere, staring at him through windows, making him dream and plot of grabbing a hot loaf and running, maybe even putting some in his mouth before anyone could catch up to him. Poverty and hunger are almost always accompanied by idleness.

Orwell finally turned to a Russian friend by the name of Boris, for help. However Boris was in a far worse state than Orwell, surviving on 2 francs a day and sleeping on the floor. But, the two get together and start looking for jobs. They find some luck when they are both given jobs as “Plongeurs”, at Hotel X. Their job is basically to wash the dishes and help serve the patrons. Orwell describes with revolting clarity how the richer the patrons were, the more unhygienic and dirty their food would be. While everything looks clean on the outside, the kitchens and other areas which were not open to guests, remained filthy and pest ridden.
They barely scraped by on the money from Hotel X. Soon after, both Orwell and Boris went to work for a Russian hotel, which was even worse. From there, Orwell managed to score a job in London. However, he arrived in London only to find that his to be employer has changed his mind. Once again homeless and jobless, Orwell now provides detailed descriptions of what it means to be jobless in London.
London, where a jobless wanderer cannot even sit on the pavement to rest his heels for fear of being arrested, turned out to be much worse during unemployment and financial distress than Paris. Forced to wander the streets, Orwell provides a very constructive view of the homeless people in London, known as “Tramps”. He believes they should be given small plots of land to farm and grow their own food. He does not think them to be lazy but those who are stuck in unforgiving circumstances.
While all the events that occurred in the book are stated to be true at some point or the other, Orwell has definitely taken some creative liberty in the arrangement of the events. Though entirely factual, the sequence of events and their narration for a more dramatic effect does make the book part fiction. But, overall the book is an authentic read on poverty and hunger during the world’s financial crisis, especially since it is not a third persons point of view but written by someone who was surrounded by these challenges himself.
Except for a bit of racial slurring, particularly where he describes people, the book is a must read. But then again, Orwell has compiled his memoirs at a time when racial slurring was not looked down upon with the same hatred as it is today. A must read for anyone who wishes to understand what a majority of the world’s population went through after the Wall Street crash of 1929.

Burmese Days (Published in 1934) - A book by George Orwell

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sat, 16 May 2015 19:55:00 +0000

A fictional novel based on the Imperial rule of Burma in the 1920’s, Burmese Days is yet another fine piece of work by author George Orwell. Having lived in Burma from 1922 to 1927, Orwell has created a fictional story based on his adventures, exploits and experiences of Burma under the British rule. This book took particularly long to get published. First on account of the many years it took Orwell to write it, and then on account of the fact that publishers, including Orwell’s usual publisher, shied away from publishing something which could be termed as libel. Eventually the book was published not in London or any part of Europe, but rather in the U.S in 1934.
The book was termed as inaccurate on many accounts especially by the Burmese people, who felt that Orwell’s account let their people down. Orwell had replied to this general outrage and feeling, by saying that it may have been harsh ad unfair, but most of it is him reporting things through the means of fictional characters, just the way he saw it.
The story begins with 3 central characters, a local corrupt Burmese magistrate by the name of U Po Kyin, who has been scheming for a place in the prestigious British club. However he knows that as long as Dr. Veraswami, a man of great reputation, stood in his way, he did not stand a chance. To make mattes more difficult, Dr. Veraswami is shown to be good friends with a pukka sahib, John Flory. And as long as the good doctor remains friends with this European man, U Po Kyin cannot be a member of the club.

He schemes to malign the name of the doctor, and even attempts to send a letter to John Flory subtly threatening him. He spreads rumors about how the doctor holds strong “anti-British” feelings and is disloyal to the British rulers. Meanwhile, John Flory’s story unfolds. He feels lost and alienated because of the many years he has spent in Burma. He feels the British are not there to be good administrators but to plunder and seek out their own vested interests. When he voices his concerns to Dr. Veraswami, the doctor is concerned and tries to steer him away from these negative thoughts.
Flory has also kept a Burmese mistress. However, his preconceived racial notions make him feel that it would be best to have a British wife. His dreams seem to be coming true when Elizabeth Lackersteen, the orphaned niece of a local timber firm manager arrives. He rescues her from a supposed attack of a water buffalo and the two of them instantaneously get along. They bond over the next few days and even go out shooting together, where he shoots a leopard and promises to give her the skin as a gift.
However, Flory does not know all that much about Elizabeth and how she secretly hates the foreign country and all its locals. She chooses to hide these facts from Flory when he is about to propose. However, the proposal gets cut short when Elizabeth’s aunt learns that a certain military police lieutenant by the name of Verall arrives. Her aunt feels that Verall would prove to be a better match for Elizabeth and throws a deliberate wrench in the “love” of Elizabeth and Flory by telling Elizabeth of Flory’s Burmese mistress.
Flory tries everything to get her back but to no avail. In the meantime some incidents spark up a riot in the small town. The anti-British riot is only gotten under control because of the work done by Dr. Veraswami and Flory. As a result Dr. Veraswami is given a seat in the prestigious club. Verall leaves unexpectedly and without informing anyone, leaving Elizabeth heartbroken. Seeing this as an opportunity, Flory swoops in and proposes to Elizabeth. She is thrilled and agrees to marry him.
However, U Po Kyin who had been seeking an opportunity to destroy Dr. Veraswami finds his chance at the wedding of Elizabeth and Flory. He sends Flory’s old mistress to create a scene at the wedding, which results in Elizabeth storming away and telling Flory she wants nothing to do with him. Heartbroken and miserable, Flory kills himself and his dog. Soon after, Dr. Veraswami is also released from his post in the British club, which he relinquishes to Kyin. But before Kyin plans on how he will atone for his sins now that he has been given this position of power, he dies of apoplexy. An interesting read which has a strong basis in reality. Many of the characters described in the book are said to be true. Orwell uses his experiences in Burma in the 1920’s, to create a story about the colonial life in a way which is as realistic and unsparing in its view of people, cultures and races. The book is a fine example of social metaphysics, which explains that what other people think will contribute and create reality.

Twelve Days of Terror: Shark Attacks in 1916 - Terror on the beach and in a creek

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Thu, 14 May 2015 19:20:00 +0000

Shark attacks are one of the most scary horrors that people think of when they think of going into the water. The prospect of a perfect and unfeeling predator swimming silently to a person in the water, and biting large chunks of flesh, causing a death by horrific blood loss is bound to scare even the most courageous of people. The rattling off statistics that the number of deaths caused by shark attacks is mostly in the single digits worldwide and hence very unlikely to happen does not reduce the scare. Even now, the prospect of a shark in the waters can bring all the swimmers out of the water; although studies which show that sharks and people swimming side by side in the waters off Sydney show that sharks just don't attack people; there are some reasons why an attack would have happened.
But why this fear of sharks ? Why this unsettling feeling when there is even some news of a shark in the water ? A lot of people based it on a very popular movie called 'Jaws' (released in 1975, and based on a novel by Peter Benchley, published in 1974), which showed a small beach town terrorized by a great white shark and how people died in these attacks. The prospect of such a common pastime, going to the beach and swimming in the water, suddenly becoming so dangerous, stayed in the minds of people and caused the movie to become a major event (and a marked negative influence for the health of the many species of sharks). But the novel was not just fiction. It was based on attacks that took place in 1916, during the First World War, in the waters off New Jersey, where a great white shark not only killed people in the water off the coast, but even came inland in a creek and killed more people (for a total of 4 dead and one badly injured). These incidents have all been forgotten, if not for this book, whose author Richard Fernicola did extensive research on these attacks and describes these events in terrifying details.

Book: Twelve Days of Terror	Movie: 12 Days of Terror	Movie: Jaws

Doing research on these attacks was not easy. The attacks happened nearly a century back and recollection of these events was not easy. Further, the First World War was happening in that timeframe, which made research so much time later even more difficult, The book does not only describe the events which happened, but also provides a lot of information about sharks and why the attacks could have taken place. And how did the author get interested in this story ? He heard a conversation about these attacks, which caused him to get interested, and led to a lot of research and finally the emergence of this book.
The book also provides information about the nature of the attacks and describes the wounds caused on the dead and the survivor; something that most modern day attacks do not actually describe. What is most interesting is the research about why the attacks could have taken place, and if you see modern documentaries that research shark attacks, in a lot of cases, there are conclusions that it was some activity of man (or in some cases, natural causes) that in turn change the behavior of the shark and could cause these attacks.

Vintage stuff (Published in 1982) - Authored by Tom Sharpe - About a teenage boy

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 18:38:00 +0000

The confusions and shortfalls of public schooling, a headmaster with an unusual approach to learning and a dimwitted teenage boy who carries out each and every thing said to him, in the most literal manner- mix all this together with a journey through England and France and what you get is another explosive read from author Tom Sharpe. Vintage Stuff was published in 1982. One of Tom Sharpe’s last few novels before his death in 2013, the novel is in no way less than any of his prior books.
The story of Vintage Stuff is about a teenage boy by the name of Peregrine Roderick Clyde-Brown. He is not just naïve or dimwitted but also a sort of bumbling savage. While the same thing can be said of many other boys his age, what unfortunately makes him stand far apart from his fellow students is his proclivity towards following through on anything said to him. The most innocently said thing is always taken literally by our protagonist.
Obviously, no school wants anything to do with him, especially when he starts folding foliage when he is told to turn over a new leaf!! But after a lot of cajoling, coaxing and heavy amount of bribing his parents successfully manage to get him admission at Groxbourne. Where the faculty feels that Peregrine’s knack for taking the smallest order literally and not having a single individual thought, will make him a promising candidate for the British Army. At Groxbourne, Peregrine meets the unusual headmaster Gladstone, whose teaching methods include lashing among other things.

What follows is true to Tom Sharpe’s style of writing. Gladstone manages to take Peregrine on a mysterious journey which does start in England, but soon crosses borders into France, and lands up exploding with Peregrine storming a French castle. If that wasn’t enough Peregrine does manage some mischief, mayhem and above all a murder within the French castle.
Tom Sharpe out does himself with this novel, especially by displaying a wonderful command over the English language and allowing the readers to truly enjoy all its nuances and innuendos. A boy who takes every order and command, no matter how innocently said, literally. Together with a headmaster who is just a little beyond extreme, the duo manage to stir up enough trouble which results in car crashes, shootings and chaos.
Though the novel feels a bit dated, it is an enjoyable and entertaining read. As always, one can expect larger than life situations, unrealistic characters and a completely insane plot which creates a fast moving witty book full of twists and unexpected surprises. Do not expect it to make sense, but you can expect a delightful play on words, and typical wry British humor which is showcased beautifully through Peregrine’s actions.
Like all of Tom Sharpe’s other books, this one too, is a quick read which will leave you in splits from the word go. If you have read a Sharpe book before, then you know what you are in for; but if you haven’t, then buckle down for complete anarchy.

The Midden (Published in 1996) - Authored by Tom Sharpe - Story of Timothy Bright

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 19:25:00 +0000

Published in 1996, The Midden is written by author Tom Sharpe a year after Grantchester Grind. This standalone novel was published after almost 11 years, since Sharpe’s last release. Like most of his books, Sharpe has focused on victimizing the British upper class in this book as well. There isn’t much sense made in the book, but none the less it is guaranteed to amaze the reader, with all the random twists in the plot.
The story begins with Timothy Bright, a stock broker by profession. But unlike his name, Tim is rather dimwitted. Problems arise when Timothy realizes that his wealthy family has cut him off, making him not so rich. Poor Timothy cannot fathom why he has been cut off, or why his friends no longer speak with him. He dreams about make it large financially. But unfortunately for him, he does not possess any real acumen to follow through on his dream.
He starts by gambling hoping to make some money. But when it fails (badly), he takes to embezzling. While such large crimes go unnoticed, it is his lesser known acts of notoriety which land him in deep trouble. Dumb as he is, he gets involved with some heavy-breathing thugs. His tiny act of sniffing a strangely aromatic tobacco leads to him getting drugged. But that isn’t surprising for a Sharpe novel. What is bizarre is how drugged Timothy lands up naked in the bed of Chief Constable (CC), Sir Arnold Gonders, with the CC’s wife! Sir Arnold is shown to be a rotten piece of work.
As bent as they come, Chief Constable, Sir Arnold has gotten away with charges of perjury and bribery. After finding a naked Timothy Bright in bed with his wife, Sir Arnold is not afraid to tackle Timothy by framing him for various crimes. Most of the novel revolves around his attempts to dispose of Timothy while also having to deal with his crazy wife and her eccentric lesbian lover, Auntie Bea!!

Where he successfully manages to bring up false charges against Timothy, he meets his match in his old adversary, Miss Marjorie Midden of Middenhall, which was popularly known as “The Midden”. When he tries to frame Miss Midden in a police raid of Middenhall, things start to go very wrong. Once the raid is conducted on the crazy residents of Middenhall, by the police who for some reason are dressed as sheep, things begin to blow up, literally. What follows is death and cremation of a dozen police officials and residents, when the entire Middenhall gets burnt to the ground.
As always Tom Sharpe is blunt and crass, and not afraid to create a plot which is not only unrealistic but completely outrageous. With slapstick situations and scathing humor Sharpe has proven to his audience that 3 decades on, and he still hasn’t lost his touch. But while the story was enjoyable, one can argue that there isn’t much need for the vulgar, depraved scenes or the abusive language towards the finale, especially considering it does nothing to aid the plot or characters in any way.
But crude language aside, one has to hand it to Sharpe for creating and introducing characters who have no real attributes, other than to keep the reader guessing as to whether said character is going to get his due or outsmart his creator. The book stays slow and steady until the last 100 odd pages, which is when the shit hits the roof! Ardent Sharpe fans will enjoy the book in spite of the set manner in which it is written. But to someone who has just picked up Sharpe, this book might not be the best way to get acquainted with his writings or his characters.

The Gropes (Published in 2009) - Written by Tom Sharpe - Not as good as some of his others

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:33:00 +0000

His second to last book before his death, The Gropes is not one of Tom Sharpe’s best works. Published in 2009, this book is a long way from Sharpe’s easy style of writing where he could effortlessly mash together characters to create insane outcomes. Remembered more for his dangerous mix of women, sexual tension, foreigners, class tension and the powers that be, Sharpe has lost his edge in his later writings, especially this book.
Set in Grope Hall, Northumberland, the ancestral property of a matriarchal family of women who seem to be descendants of a seasick Viking and Ursula, a nun who was said to be so ugly, that rapists and plunderers steered clear of her!! This matriarchal family comprised of women who went out to find themselves husbands. They did so by kidnapping the men and bringing them back to their estate, from where the men couldn’t escape on account of the Spanish fighting bulls guarding the farmlands.
In Grope Hall, the men are bullied and sulk about all day, while the women are strong willed and oversexed! The book follows the crazy life of Vera and Belinda. Vera, who is devoted to romantic novels, lives with her ordinary husband, Horace. But, when Horace stabs their son for being his doppelganger, Vera decides to send her son, Esmond to her brother, Albert. From here on the book begins to spiral out of control.

While Horace manages to escape from the clutches of his wife with the help of a fake passport and tramp steamer headed for Latvia, Esmond is kidnapped and dragged back to Grope Hal by none other than Albert’s wife, Belinda. Bullying aside, it isn’t fun being the Vaseline loving Vera or the Jacuzzi polishing Belinda, who is constantly plotting her husband’s downfall. The only way to establish any semblance of peace or sanity in Grope Hall is if someone attempts to restore the balance between the male and females living there.
Since all the men in Grope Hall believe that silence, fortitude and whisky are their only means of resistance, the mighty task of adjusting the scales is left on the shoulders of poor Esmond, who realizes that all he may need to rectify the situation is steady nerves and good old chauvinism. Like all Sharpe novels, The Gropes also dishes out dark sordid humor through farcical events abundantly.
Unlike the Wilt series and Porterhouse Blue, this book requires many more one-liners to keep the pages turning and the readers interested. While the characters may be unpleasant and the scenes filled with slapstick comedy, the humor in The Gropes feels forced, and the characters somehow feel hollow. Where Sharpe’s characters would seem calm and dignified on the surface only to later reveal a full blown tornado of inner turmoil, which came out because of the circumstances they were forced to face; the characters from this novel lie flat on the pages with no inner conflicts.
With some ridiculously hilarious books under his belt, Sharpe delivered a book which is good, but not absurd to the nth degree. The story builds up only to fizzle out in the end. But like most of his books, it is a short read and keeps the reader focused on the details till the finish. Even though it doesn’t reach a certain “Sharpe” standard the book is an extreme farce with whimsical characters. Not his best work, but none the less the book is definitely a comic, chaotic and wildly amusing read.

Riotous Assembly (Published in 1971) - Authored by Tom Sharpe - Satirical look at South Africa during apartheid

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 21:12:00 +0000

Published in 1971, Riotous Assembly is a novel by Tom Sharpe. A novel which showcases the Apartheid era of South Africa in a satirical and humorous way, Riotous Assembly is about a murder committed by a white woman of her Zulu cook. The murder that has taken place in South Africa at the time of apartheid and the local police who enforce it, is Tom Sharpe’s way of speaking out against the atrocities that were committed at the time. His knowledge on the subject was vast as a result of his staying in South Africa from 1951 until1961.
Tom Sharpe had shifted to South Africa and had worked as a social worker and teacher. The apartheid era inspired him to write 2 novels, and a play, one of the novels being Riotous Assembly. Like every phase of his life, this one too, resulted in the publication of a serious issue in the form of satire and mockery. However, it did not go down well, and he was arrested for sedition, and later deported to London in 1961.
The novel opens in a fictitious town by the name of Piemburg in South Africa. The police chief, Kommandant van Heerden, has risen to his current rank, only because of family connections. His work and merit leave much to be desired. So when this baboon of a Police Chief, who also happens to be pro-apartheid, is told to go an investigate a murder, involving a certain eccentric British lady by the name of Miss Hazlestone, there is bound to be some blow up.

It turns out that Miss Hazlestone has murdered or rather blown to smithereens her Zulu cook with an elephant gun. But since the murder was that of a Zulu and the one committing the crime was a British “white” woman, van Heerden seems it only fair to brush the entire matter under the carpet. However, when Miss Hazlestone divulges the fact that she and her cook were lovers, van Heerden panics. In his endeavors to try and contain the matter, he creates so much confusion that it all blows out of proportion on a nuclear scale.
He attempts to try and control the matter and also stop this news from spreading, by placing the lady, Miss Hazlestone under house arrest, and calls reinforcement to guard her, while he goes to try and make matters “better”. His assistants are stupider than him. When he posts the bloodthirsty but completely senseless Konstable Els as a guard outside Miss Hazlestone’s home with an elephant gun, Els manages to somehow kill over 20 police officers in his over exuberance to guard the house and its secret.
Not sure what to do, Els plants a wallet found nearby at the scene of the crime and then flees. The wallet turns out to be that of Bishop of Barotseland, Miss Hazlestone’s brother. He is then arrested and interrogated in a not so legal way, after which a trial is held and he is sentenced to death by hanging at the ancient gallows for a crime he did not commit.
Not a political novel, and a bit predictable, but yet, as always an entertaining read by Tom Sharpe. The book from the word go, puts light on everything that Sharpe found wrong in Apartheid South Africa. He uses all that and comes up with a story which is hilarious and yet a slap in the face of all racism, savagery, stupidities, juridical perversions and misunderstandings that took place in South Africa.

Grantchester Grind (Published in 1995) - At a college - Authored by Tom Sharpe

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 20:21:00 +0000

Also known as A Porterhouse Chronicle, Grantchester Grind is a sequel of Porterhouse Blue. Released in 1995, the book is written by Tom Sharpe, who has yet again created a hilariously absurd story, which seems to start out simple and blows out of proportion. Born in 1928, and having completed his education at Pembroke College, Cambridge, Tom Sharpe has a good idea of the workings of such institutions and thus how to create a novel which has a ring of authenticity to it.
This book, like its prequel, is also based in a fictitious college, called Porterhouse, which is shown to be not only one of the best colleges in Cambridge, but also one of the most conservative ones. While the first novel, Porterhouse Blue was a standalone book, this novel has used references from the previous one.
The book opens with a simple plot and mostly the same characters as its predecessor, with a few new entries. Skullion, previously, the Head Porter at the College, is now Master, due to a chain of seriously ridiculous events, which have led to him murdering the previous Master, Sir Godber Evans, accidentally of course! However, Skullion too is frail after a stroke. Knowing he might not last very long, the others start to look for someone to replace him, when the time comes, from among the alumni.

Also, the college is in dire financial straits. The solutions to this problem gradually reveal themselves. First solution (laced with complications) comes in the form of Lady Mary, the widow of Sir Evans. She believes her husband was murdered. Though her beliefs and what the staff at Porterhouse wants to believe are two very different things. When she realizes no one is willing to take her seriously, or else is turning a blind eye to her convictions, she decides to plant an agent of hers in the form of a Fellow, by anonymously sending 6 million pounds to the Sir Godber Evans Memorial Fellowship. Her agent has one task only, to find out who killed her husband.
Even though the book is not a mystery novel, all the characters definitely behave that way, what with their vested interests and half-truths. Another financial messiah comes in the form of Edgar Hartang, the leading head of a big American media company, by the name of Transworld Television Productions. But Hartang, like Lady Mary, has some other plans up his sleeve. He wants to create a front for his money laundering business. And unfortunately for the Porterhouse College, they seem to be his most preferred option.
The team of Transworld Television Productions convinces the college to let them shoot a documentary there. And in their over-zealous excitement they damage a part of the chapel, and Porterhouse, demands they pay for the damages, subsequently upsetting Hartang’s money laundering plans. Eventually, an alcoholic by the name of Lord Jeremy Pimpole is appointed as the Master of Porterhouse.
Like Porterhouse Blue, this book too lives up to its reputation. It is funny, witty and full of misunderstandings, drunken admissions, and sexual ideas. In typical Tom Sharpe style, he creates a plot so simple and characters so ordinary, that when he takes them and twists them up, he creates a novel so absurd and out-there that as a reader, it might be easier to assume the events to be true!

Porterhouse Blue (Published in 1974) - Authored by Tom Sharpe

noreply@blogger.com (Ashish Agarwal) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:47:00 +0000

Published in 1974, Porterhouse Blue is one of Tom Sharpe’s finest works. Tom Sharpe of the Wilt Series fame wrote an even more satirical and farcical book than Wilt, namely Porterhouse Blue. This book was made into a TV series, which was adapted by Malcolm Bradbury. The sequel to the novel is Grantchester Grind. However, Porterhouse Blue is a novel with a standalone plot.
Porterhouse Blue is based on a fictional college called Porterhouse in Cambridge. The novel’s central characters include the Porterhouse Head Porter called Skullion, the only research graduate student named Lionel Zipser and the object of his affections, Mrs Biggs, who is his bedder, Sir Godber Evans- the master and his wife, Lady Mary.
The book opens with the death of the present master. In what may be 500 years, for the first time the college faces what they call Porterhouse Blue, which is a situation where the previous master fails to announce the name of his successor before his death. As a result Sir Godber has been named the master of Porterhouse. However, for a college that has been traditionalist to its very core, there are now rumors that the new master and his wife plan to introduce changes.
This is a source of major concern for Skullion and the Fellows. They plan to counter attack the proposals for contraceptive machines, women students and canteen. Meanwhile, the only research graduate student-Lionel voices his fixation on the buxom Mrs Biggs on the megaphone for the hard of hearing Chaplain. Consequently, the whole college hears about it. Mrs Biggs who did not hear this realizes something is fishy when Lionel starts acting awkward around her.
So as to divert his fixations from Mrs Biggs, Lionel is suggested to pick up foreign students. And in his attempts to remove a few condoms from the vending machine, he lands up removing 2 boxes full. What follows is completely bizarre. Afraid he has stolen them, he tries to get rid of them, the best approach according to him being, inflating them with gas and floating them up the chimney!

If the already bizarre situation was not astounding enough for the reader, here’s more! Some of the inflated condoms get stuck in the chimney and the rest float down into the quadrangle! So as to uphold the values of the school, Skullion (who finds the floating condoms!) spends the night bursting each and every one. The same night, Mrs Biggs makes advances on Lionel and lands up in bed with him. Only in the process she lights the gas fire in the chimney, which leads to the stuck inflated condoms catching fire, which leads to an explosion in which they both are killed!
If the reader could stop laughing on such an inexplicable situation, Tom Sharpe then takes the story towards even more astounding heights. The fire brigade are called to put out the fire, but Skullion who was busy bursting inflated condoms, refuses to open the gates for the fire brigade until all the condoms are burst! As a result, he loses his job. After getting fired, he visits the bank and finds out that he has actually been left a large sum of money in the form of shares, by the previous master.
After, some revengeful tactics, he goes to Sir Godber and pleads with him to let him have his job back. But when Sir Godber refuses the two get into a fight, and Sir Godber is fatally injured. Skullion flees from the scene. 2 academics that happen to be in the vicinity see Sir Godber and rush to his aid. Close to dying, Sir Godber whispers just one word - Skullion. And of all the things!!! The 2 academics agree that Sir Godber meant to name Skullion as his successor.
They go to Skullion to tell him the good news. But, guilty conscience, Skullion feels that they are on to him and are going to turn him in. As he is being told the news he suffers from a paralytic stroke. But even so he is named the new master, and his vast fortune is utilized in rebuilding the Tower which was destroyed in the explosion.
The novel if full of puns and wit, which do not seem superficial but rather integrated into the plot. In typical Tom Sharpe fashion, the book is one long string of hilarious situations which seem completely absurd. An extremely entertaining read, the book is a must for not only Sharpe loyalists but all who feel like having a good hearty laugh. It is to be taken lightly and as a brilliant piece of satire.