Heavy Book Review

The Alchemist

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 23:56:00 +0530

The Alchemist is an unforgettable novel for me...not because it touched my heart and changed my life but because it did not meet my high expectations. When I came across the different reviews that poured into my little territory of knowledge, I thought probably like 60
million other readers I would love the book too; perhaps it would be a life changing as well as an eye-opening book. This feeling strengthened when I read the epilogue but alas half way through the book I totally lost interest!
I would say that the plot is a very mediocre one. Fantasy and real life was blended in a way that disappointed me. When I was reading the book I kept flipping the pages over to check how much more was left and how long it would take to finish. A good book's identity lies in the fact that you are willing to finish the book as quickly as possible, but at the same time you wish that the book lasts forever. For me the second part was missing; the moment I finished I gave out a sigh of relief and tucked the book in a secluded spot.
The plot revolves around an Andalusian shepherd whose dream takes him to a journey. He encounters enchanting characters who influence and change his life and the alchemist is one among them. Fate and faith play with the events that take place in is story. It is a pure work of fiction.The highlighted message of this book is : follow your dreams no matter how tough they seem. In my view the plot was too long to keep me glued to it.
When we talk about the language, the original book was written in Spanish and later translated into English. However, the English version is very simple and subtle.
They call this book a modern classic though my views differ. So, my dear readers give yourselves a chance to make your own unique view too.

Short stories(Vol.2)- Isaac Asimmov

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 18:15:00 +0530

I initially had myself blindfolded: Science fiction meant Jules Verne but now one more author has been added to my favourite list and that is Isaac Asimov. The stories are mind boggling and don't just play with your scientific temperament and compel you to think but also make you emotional to some extent.
Stories like 'The Ugly little boy' may also bring tears into the eyes of the sentimental folks. Some stories are really long and might seem boring to some but each one has a wonderful, powerful, thoughtful and unique storyline (couldn't find anymore descriptive 'fuls":P). Isaac Asimov has managed to put forth stories that were way beyond his time and our time too. However they seem very convincing i.e. it might take pace in the future......it is purely my belief.
The author's vivid visualizations make us revisit the old and very debated topic: man vs. machines and technology. This collection of short fiction is definitely the best science fiction I've come across to date.
The fiction,'Strikebreaker 'also brings in topics that are very relevant today, like the caste system in India and racism etc. My personal favorite is 'What If'. The reason behind this is I myself had the tendency to think about what might have happened if that would be like this, however that sort of thought process has stopped occurring to me since I read this story. I am looking forward to read more of the author's books.

So, my dear blog readers do you need any more persuation from me to go ahead and read this book?
OK, here you go: the language is easy to interpret and you'll get used to the writing stye and might even start enjoying it once you're totally engrossed in it. The stories are bound to be loved by most science fiction lovers out there.
READ IT!!!

Jane Eyre

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 23:39:00 +0530

Though it would be an abrupt start I would first like to familiarize you all with how I found the motivation to read such an old classic novel. It was when I was studying my History textbook before my exams that I first saw past a small excerpt from this novel. It read- " People think you a good woman, but you are bad.....You are deceitful! I will never call you aunt as long as I live." This was given out by a furious, ten year old Jane. I don't know what was so special about the excerpt that I immediately made up my mind to read this autobiography by Charlotte Bronte.
I started my journey through Jane Eyre's life. If I were asked to describe her life in one word, it would certainly be- 'depressing'. Jane Eyre's childhood is gloomy with cruel and insensitive characters like her aunt and cousins all around her. However there is a tint of positivity in it too when Jane is finally sent to school and she meets new people and makes new friends who are loyal to her and love her dearly. Soon Jane grows into a young but not very beautiful girl. She is very decent, knowledgeable and sketches wonderfully. Soon she decides to live her life to the fullest and thus resigns from her school as a teacher and takes up a job as a governess. This is followed by thrilling encounters, experiences, incidents, a long romance with no happy ending yet. All this takes up about 70% of the really long book. The next 30% is where this orphan discovers her relatives and gathers more experience. I will not write how the book ends but would like to inform that it has a partially happy ending with a pinch of sadness lingering on. To be frank, the book was a totally new experience for me as I never read such a kind earlier.
However , it is too prolonged, boring and depressing for today's teenagers to appreciate.

Mashi and other stories

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 20:48:00 +0530

Rabindranath Tagore writes breathtakingly beautiful stories and this e-book contained similar short stories translated from Bengali to English. It is a fact that the stories that display the vibrant colours of human psychology and play with the threads of human relations, penetrate my mind and sink deep within. And , though translated versions, these stories successfully accomplished this. Stories like Mashi, The Elder sister, The postmaster, The supreme night unfailingly touch the hearts and other stories like The Auspicious vision, The Skeleton leave a subtle memory of humour in the reader's heart. The art of leaving the great pieces of work unfinished so that the readers may draw their own conclusions is a speciality of Tagore. The River stairs is one such masterpiece where the ghat is personified. Though the stories seem to conclude , it the reader who finally interprets the conclusions through their diverse imaginations. The writing style is very easy and are so vivid that you see the story and characters live before you (I even started dreaming about the stories and the characters). A must read for everyone. You'll find the free e-book in the link that follows:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34757

Hope you'll enjoy this set as much as I did.

Cafe Latte

noreply@blogger.com (Free Speech India) — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 18:35:00 +0530

Reading this book was fun. The author, Amit Shankar has written 18 amazing short stories that take you away from all your thoughts into amazing fictional worlds. The language used in this book is powerful yet simple. Almost all of the short stories would present before a reader a feeling of lingering gloominess; the reason for this being that they are mostly contained with unfulfilled ambitions and melancholy feelings. However, this will be one of the few books that will lure you, and prevent you from ceasing the action of turning the pages.

Each short story has a unique essence of literature and composition of its own that can be carefully developed into full-fledged novels. No single genre has been unnecessarily duplicated (as it is frequently happening in new books nowadays!) and everything is independently beautiful. You might even experience the need to take a break before moving on to the next chapter to come out from the story line of the previous one!

The only setback is that this book contains text that readers may find to be 'highly inappropriate' and 'indecent'.

IF YOU ARE UNDER 15, OR DO NOT WISH TO BE OFFENDED, DON'T READ THIS BOOK. IT MAY CONTAIN CONTENT THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCE.Reading the review is okay!

Selected stories by Anton Chekhov

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 19:48:00 +0530

Anton Chekhov was a Russian writer popular for his works that depict the country side landscape of Russia, dotted with trees and hills and mirror the minute details in real life, human psychology, human tendencies and emotions. This vivid book is a collection of short stories that fabricate common, everyday topics such as a lottery ticket, a bet, an album and many others in a way that the reader is engrossed in the book. Human psychology is portrayed very well in the stories- ' Excellent people', 'Bet', 'The lady with the lapdog', 'Love' etc. This volume contains the illustrations of blunt truth which the readers are aware of but are still compelled to get fascinated at the turning out of events. The reader is left with many imaginations as the stories do not conclude but leave a wide scope of conclusions. I loved the book though the language is the classic literary style which often bores today's generation. The arrangement of stories is done in a way that they have a certain flow- one making way for the next. It is a book which will surely give its readers some quality time.

Dollar Bahu

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Wed, 6 Aug 2014 20:38:00 +0530

Up with another Sudha Murty book! Not as impressive as Mahashwetha but still carries a very strong social message. The flow of language is remarkable and you'll be bound to finish it in one go as you start reading it.
The story revolves around a family with Gouramma as the mother in law of Vinuta a simple Indian girl, and of-course the 'Dollar Bahu' who is Chandru's wife. Gouramma brings in constant comparisons between the two ignoring and overlooking the 'Dollar Bahu's' true nature( which is very bad). Vinuta's simplicity and submissive nature is forgotten by her and the influence of the dollar descends upon her. Gouramma visits her NRI son and daughter in law in Nashville. There she comes across a spectrum of people's lives and their troubles. America no longer intrigue her but she longs for the Indian life. As time passes the true shades of the 'Dollar Bahu' are revealed and living with her becomes a bane for Gouramma. Gouramma now repents and recollects the goodness of Vinuta whom she had hurted and insulted so much.
Gouramma returns to India but a surprise awaits her. Will Vinuta accept her mother in law? Will Gouramma's behaviour change towards her?
The subtle ties of different human relations is highlighted along with the increasing money mindedness and materialistic nature of people.
The Dollar has no value when compared to love and respect. The last sentence of the book leaves a deep impact on the readers.

Jungle Book

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 21:01:00 +0530

Jungle Book- the first name that strikes my head is the wolf kid- Mowngli. Set in the Indian jungles and the Indian village scenario the first few stories in this book by Rudyard Kipling revolve around Mowngli's world. Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther, Akela the wolf and Sherkhan the cruel tiger also play lead roles enhancing the book's impact (these names are the Hindi names of the animals). Next comes a seal's tale and his fight for providing his fellow seals with a home that is pest-free (human free)! 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' is a feel good story about a young pet mongoose and his bravery. 'Her majesty's servants' is the only story in the book which I did not like and which bored me. It included the boring conversations of animals in an Indian cantonment area. Each and every story is accompanied by one or more lovely poems which the reader wouldn't enjoy without the context of the story whom it follows. 'Toomai of the elephants' is a tale that allows you to peer into the world of Indian elephants and their secret dance. Altogether the book provided an enjoyable experience.

Letters from a father to his daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Wed, 2 Jul 2014 19:43:00 +0530

A book of history packed into a set of letters, written in the easiest possible way and conveying a lot through just a few words. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru is the author of these letters which not only carry history and data but also many moral values and view points written in connection with the content. These letters were originally written in order to make little Indu (Indira Gandhi at the age of ten) understand the nature's book, develop love towards nature, know the history of mankind and the logics behind vast subjects like religion. Thus the language is extremely simple . The book I read had lovely illustrations too! I enjoyed the book. Even though there was no story indeed, the author managed to draw one from the depths of past itself. The letters end abruptly and I badly wish that they would go on for a little longer. As soon as I read the first chapter's( rather letter's name) I was glued to the book. Read this book as it will not only enhance your knowledge but will also heighten your mindset.

Man eaters of Kumaon

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 17:45:00 +0530

Man eating tigers and leopards entertain us throughout the time span of reading this book. Jim Corbett's unique British style of writing accompanied by the heart thumping stories of man eaters from the Kumaon region of India fill your mind with hallucinations of tigers. The 10 wonderful stories narrated by one of the most renowned hunters of the world, Jim Corbett leave you wondering about the scenes set in the slopes of the Himalayas.The tales are gripping as they force you to continue reading until the chapter halts. Along with the stories the narrator also informs the readers about the different tactics used while stalking a tiger or leopard. I would like to comment that hunting down a blood thirsty man-eater under such circumstances where the tiger itself poses a threat by stalking you needs great courage. I would say that Jim Corbett's luck and skill helped him from becoming a hearty meal.
Read this book to experience a classic and vivid style of writing.

From the earth to the moon and Around the moon

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Wed, 4 Jun 2014 00:08:00 +0530

Perhaps this was the thickest book I ever read. It combined two novels written by Jules Verne: 'From the earth to the moon' and 'Around the moon'.
What was striking about this set was the very idea on which the story is built up. It is astounding for a person to have imagined of the very idea of human travelling into space a century before it was actually made possible. Though some of the descriptions and facts were vague, the author managed to cover them up with his grip on classic language and talent to draw away the reader's focus from the weak spots. If I were to recommend you, I would say, go for the abridged version, it'll prove to be a little less boring and prolonged. Though I love the story, the second novel managed to bore me so well that I almost quit reading it for a while. Never mind, the first novel had some fine writing involved. Also, the pages accompany black and white illustrations which will let your imagination run wild. The characters were some of the characters whose characteristics have sunk deep in my mind. I just adore president Barbicane's personality, Michael Arden seems to be a little too whimsical, however, Nicholl manages to impress the readers quite well though initially he appears to be the villain. Could you imagine a manned projectile bombarded from a monstrous columbiad actually reach the moon? Well, will the residents of the projectile really survive? Will they be in a condition to share heir respective experiences in space? Find out more ( read the book). Well, a gentle warning for the book worms who'd like to taste the unabridged version--- the book I read was 424 paged!

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Sat, 24 May 2014 19:24:00 +0530

I think I couldn't help myself from sharing this video on this blog. It is sure to persuade most of you out there to read the book.
Now, let me share my experience. As I have already written in my last post that I have already become an Agatha Christie fan. A fact is that, just a day after I finished "The secret Adversary" I started this book. I was in the 'Secret Adversary mood' (this refers to the story and atmosphere in a book which persists while reading and even after reading) when I started "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" which resulted in me not able to appreciate the first few pages. However the truth is that, the book was so interesting and transfixing that soon I entered the 'Mysterious Affair at Styles mood'! Sounds silly right? Fine, lets not be whimsical anymore! Since the video has introduced all of you with most of the characters of the book and the plot of the story to some extent, I'll skip that part.
The chapters advance in the most fascinating way I would say. Suppressing your curiosity would be almost impossible. While you ponder over the suspects the narrator is suspicious of, it'll turn out to be the most surprising and unexpected conclusion that detective Poirot will draw. The way the book is written , I would not have believed it to be a made up story if I had read it in a newspaper article or something similar. This time my challenge is- 'Suppress your curiosity and try to finish the book in a time span of 15-20 days, finishing just a little portion (say a chapter) in one read.' Let me be frank- I completed the book in one and a half days.
You will find the e-book version for free here-
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/863

Download the book with images as there are some images which will make the story more lively and realistic.
Go ahead read it and don't forget the challenge.

The Secret Adversary

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Thu, 22 May 2014 17:14:00 +0530

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1155

Well, this is the site I found this thrilling book for free! Though this was my first Agatha Christie book I've managed to become a fan of her writing especially the way she portrays her characters. While reading most of my books I play a very simple game that is to put myself in the place of one of the characters and imagine as if all that's happening involves me. This time it was Tuppence. To be frank, writers play a trick while writing that compels the reader to play the role of the character the writer chooses, who in other words is the hero of the story itself. I fell into the trap....but that makes me happy. The preface starts off abruptly but is the main incident around which the story is woven. The wonderful blend of mystery, romance, drama, thrill, action and of course not to forget wit and intelligence take you deep into the tale which is not a narrative one. I don't think I want to reveal any of the story; this may subside your curiosity when you start your ride through this amazing story. In short I loved it and hope you'll love it too.
A deadly challenge to all mystery readers- Spot the adversary with your instincts just like I did (obviously before completing the story!).......All the best!

Beauty and the Beast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 6 May 2014 11:38:00 +0530

Beauty,the main character of this book is a kind and gentle soul-beautiful not only to look at,but pure of heart and possessing great courage.Her father,once a rich merchant,loses his fortune at sea and the family comes upon hard times.And then one day,the merchant hears one of his ships had been saved!the entire family rejoices as he sets out to claim his lost fortune,promising to bring back gifts for all his children.All the children asked for different gifts which were highly rich.But all beauty asks for is a rose.

A strange twist of fate leads the merchant to an enchanted castle,where his every need is taken care of and great riches are at his disposal.But there is not a soul to be seen!Who is the owner of the castle?Where are the servants?The merchant finds out as he plucks a rose for Beauty.A frightening beast stands before him!And he says only Beauty can now save her father.What will happen now?

Read this enchanting fairy tale about a most unlikely love,about how beauty of the heart conquers all that is bad and evil.
My Experience:This is a very sweet and lovely book.This book is written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. But it was translated by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. This book is available in the form of a movie.But reading a book is completely different from watching a movie.Books helps us to understand the complete story compared to a movie.
I was completely involved while reading this enchanting fairy tale.Well, this is an abridged book,but i wanted to see the difference by reading this book rather than watching the movie.There is part in this book where everyone will be completely involved while reading.I want all of you to read this mysterious,adventurous and suspicious book.

The painter of Signs

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 22:09:00 +0530

R.K. Narayan brings the most unique pair of lovers through this book.
To be frank, I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Guide. I think I did not belong to the right age required for this book. Maturity in thought is needed to appreciate such a book. The story revolves around Raman, a painter of signs and Daisy, a young lady determined to improve the plight of the Indian population through strict family planning. What is striking about the novel is the modern human psychology and state of relationships. Garnished with the hustle and bustle of a life in Malgudi, the story is written in a simple language. My reading experience was not a very good one as I haven't grown the mentality of liking such a plot.
The bittersweet story has a very slow pace and was not very engrossing to me. I plan to read this book once again in the future to make a clearer view about my true experience. What I would like to suggest the viewers of this blog is that go through the book and make your own views and opinions regarding it. Maybe your opinions would contrast mine. However this book is not for children.

Lost Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Free Speech India) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:00:00 +0530

The subtitle of this book written by Caroline Paul goes: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology.

As the name suggests, it can be easily understood by many that this non-fictitious story is about a cat that is lost. The author gets badly hurt in an accident, and hears the doctors saying that she has broken her Tibia and Fibula. She then enthusiastically responds in her morphine haze that they are her cats, making the doctors think of her as hallucinating. Her two cats are introduced to the reader through this, namely Tibby and Fibby.

This image shows how interesting the book is. Black lines are interesting parts, yellow spaces boring.

Next follow rather humorous descriptions of her 13-year old cats, which she prefers to address as 'kittens'. The unthinkable follows, when Tibby gets lost. She drowns in a sea of despair, prays to Allah, Buddha, whom she does not believe in, and even makes a failed attempt of finding the lost cat through the help of a psychic.

Read the book to find out if she will even find her cat? I found the book a little boring. The free introduction might kindle interest in the reader to buy the book, but I found the middle section more like a scientific paper. Many forms of wonderful technology are used to track Tibby.

Secret Seven Win Through

noreply@blogger.com (Free Speech India) — Sat, 5 Apr 2014 14:31:00 +0530

The original book

Another review of a book by Enid Blyton, the seventh in the series, and the most interesting of the three I have read. The language used is somewhat informal, but has a great sense of meaning in it.

The story sets out during the season of Easter, with seven members and a dog belonging a secret society (as I have mentioned earlier here) who are very eager to solve problems that create problems to the pubic. They lose their meeting place and start looking for a new one, eventually finding many locations including an old hut, a boat house, a caravan and a cave. They decide to vote, and choose the secret cave as their meeting place, but are unaware of the actual history of that place.

They find the cave very 'secret' and inconspicuous, and enjoy the sand-covered, cold floor. They bring in their things and enjoy a few 'hidden' days. But after some time, their books and food start disappearing. They set traps near the entrance to catch the unknown intruder, but still continue to find their things stolen surprisingly without any disturbance to their trap.They then find an evidence! A book left by the intruder, which was recognized to be a diary of a person named Albert Tanner.

The Walking Seven

They start searching the countryside for any clues. Will they find the suspect? Or will they vacate the cave in despair? Or is it a combination of the above two? Read the book to enjoy this wonderful story.

Other Enid Blyton book reviews:
Go Ahead Secret Seven
The Famous Five (Part 4)
The Adventure of Mr Pink Whistle

Pygmalion(abridged)

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Fri, 4 Apr 2014 21:08:00 +0530

I love to read the unabridged versions of classics but I happened to read this abridged version of 'Pygmalion' originally written by George Bernard Shaw. This book is framed in such a way that it drives young readers to develop an interest for reading classics. It includes huge black and white illustrations in almost every other page. There was a saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" which was later modified into "Don't judge a book by it's movie". I have seen the movie adapted from this book, a very old Audrey Hepburn movie- 'My Fair Lady'. Whenever I encounter such an incident, inevitably I give more preference to the the book because it interests me more. However, this time the situation was reversed. The movie gave me a wider and better representation of the emotions and thought processes. Coming back to the book, I am surely eager to read the unabridged version to taste the true essence of the writing. I think this book is meant for children as the human psychology shown here is much simpler to the one shown in the movie. The story revolves around a very ill mannered and uncultured flower seller who meets a professor who specializes in voice training only to be destined to become a person whose outward side looks polished but deep within remains the same. Enjoy reading starters!

Tigers for Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:26:00 +0530

When I was buying it I never expected it to turn out what it did! This book went way beyond my assumption. Initially, I thought it would be a fat volume that would include comedy, which it did include, and was meant for book worms. The fact turned out to be that, the book was meant to turn normal children into book worms. What I mean by this strange sentence of mine is that this book with seven chapters is meant to be read by children and get them interested into reading. More than 3\4th of this copy includes coloured illustrations by Sunaina Coelho. Ruskin Bond's imaginations know no bounds when he is wrinting for children. He brings in seven intriguing strories narrated by Jim Corbett's Khansama(cook), Mehmoud, who describes his experiences and encounters with animals of all sorts while preparing the tasty lamb chops for young Ruskin. I loved the fact that the sub-title on the cover page is 'Tall Tales by Jim Corbett's Khansama', not short tales.
Tussling with a cobra to hairy demons under the pillow, being carried away by a muggermuch(crocodile) to hunting down a cheetah, being blown by a wild boar to tackling a hungry man eating tiger; the stories urge it's readers to give a thought to the possibility of events.
The very thought of the aromas of delicious food floating by Mehmoud's kitchen with his voice humming an enchanting tale bring both, water to my mouth and anxiety in my mind. So, join me to this world of Carpet sahib's (Mehmoud's way of referring to Jim Corbett) company and Runskin's transfixing imaginations. I'm sure that this book can turn anybody into a little child.

Wise and Otherwise

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 12:45:00 +0530

An intriguing set of fifty one real life encounters that leave the reader pondering on the contrasting shades of India. Sudha Murty brings out the best from her life experiences with her vivid writing that captivate the readers. Human nature and psychology is showcased through these twinkling tales where there are illustrations of honesty, humility, wisdom, greed, wretchedness, sorrow, cruelty and what not. The stories highlight human nature at it's best and worst. What interests me best in this book is the impact it creates through the simplicity of language. The stories reflect irony and are caramelized by subtle humour. Just like her other book, 'The day I stopped Drinking Milk', this book too manages to touch the deepest corners of one's heart. The author has dedicated this work of art to "the shirtless people of India" who have taught her so much about her country.
Strong variations in the societal effects on humans are showcased wonderfully. This universal book will surely leave a change in the outlooks of it's readers.

Mahashweta

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 20:20:00 +0530

I think I fell in love with a certain "parijata" flowers even without actually knowing which flowers they referred to after reading this novel. Well now I've Googled it and come to know :) . That is the speciality of this book and I would rate it as the best book I've ever read until now.
Such is Sudha Murty's enchanting style of writing which has left me awe-inspired and spellbound. The best part is that I could not contain my curiosity to know the whole story and was complled to finish the book within one day and that too the day before my Mathematics examination!
The story starts off just like a fairy tale where there is a dream marriage of the main character, Anupama, who belongs to a poor background, to a rich and handsome Anand (whom we'll later discover is not at all rich at heart and commitment). Everything is perfect and then, just a little white spot discovered on Anupama's foot bombards Anupama's life entirely. Having leukoderma is considered to be a bad omen in India and also leaves the victims totally ostracized.
Forced to return to her paternal house without any sign of concern or sympathy from her wealthy in-laws, Anupama tolerates all sorts of taunts from her stepmother and also bears with the social stigma of a married woman living with her parents just in the hope of some support from her beloved. She makes up her mind, committing suicide at the point would be the best potion available to her when she comes to know that her husband is remarrying. But she is driven by courage and determination to face life as it comes, moves to Bombay to her childhood friend, Sumithra's place. Discover how Anupama weaves her painful life into one where she is independent, successful and supported by the storng walls of friendship and love.
I feel the title of the book is apt in the true sense- 'Mahashweta', the absolute white. I don't remember how many times the contents of the pages made me cry. I could not manage to keep my cheeks dry. After Rabindranath Tagore, I think Sudha Murty is the only person who managed to portray the human psychology and emotions so well.
"Mahashweta is an inspiring story of courage and resilience in a world marred by illusions and betrayals. The poignant tale offers hope and solace to the victims of the prejudices that govern society even today." This is given at the back of the book and I really feel that something existing deep within me has changed since I've read this book. The success of the book is defined when one reads the postscript which is a real life story where a girl's life and marriage is saved due to this eye-opener book read by the fiance.
Go ahead, wait for nothing to propel you and experience this heart rending story.

Vendor of sweets

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 22:07:00 +0530

Up with the review of another R.K. Narayan book. The vendor of sweets is a novel that revolves around the emotions and attachments of a father towards his son. It reveals the unspoken and unexpressed love and affection of a father towards such a son who according to me only knows to use his father. The ideas of modern world and the traditional Indian ideology subtly blend together in this story and give the reader a story with some depth. Some amount of maturity is needed to analyze and understand the book thoroughly so the book is not suitable for children. I did not experience any sort of entertainment while I turned page after page but a certain amount of anxiety grew in me and it urged me to read on. The climax unveils itself as unexpectedly and suddenly as can be.
The biggest specialty of Narayan's writing is that he manages to add a new flavor to each and every novel, inspite of the simplicity and vividness which they carry. Though I did not enjoy the novel very much I would like to suggest hard core bookworms to go through it to experience a swish into the delicious pond of gripping events.

Under the Banyan tree & other stories

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 20:55:00 +0530

A lovely collection of short stories by R.K.Narayan interested me a lot this time. Surprisingly, no humour was found in this set of mind boggling stories by me but it surely gave me an entirely new experience- an experience of studying different personalities and characteristics of strange yet unique people. Playing with the emotions and personalities of people is the predominant ingredient found mostly in stories by Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore and it astonished me , when I found this flavour in stories by R.K.Narayan . Stories such as 'A breath of Lucifer', 'Chippy', 'Annamalai', 'Under the Banyan tree' and many others grabbed hold of my attention all through the book. A must to read as it not only entertains it's readers but, also allows the reader to analyse the personalities of different people.

Go Ahead Secret Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Free Speech India) — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 16:15:00 +0530

Another review after a long time. Written by Enid Blyton, published in 1953, this simple adventure story continues to mesmerize the readers. This wonderful book is the 5th of 15 full-length stories written containing the Secret Seven.

The series is about a secret society consisting of 7 members: Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, George, Pam and Collin. A dog named Scamper is always with them. The organisation's prime aim is to solve cases regarding absolutely anything interesting! In this book, the Secret Seven are assigned duties to follow, shadow and characterize people by Peter, the leader. Trying to do the same, some members fall in serious trouble. Series of interesting events go on, which I would not prefer to reveal.

A mysterious person is followed, and the Secret Seven understand that he is responsible for the disappearance of many different types of dogs in the locality. They discover a secret coal-hole in a filthy, small area, and decide to explore it. As they explore the interior of the coal-hole, they discover many dogs moaning in despair.

Read this book to discover what happens next. Will they present freedom to all the groaning dogs, or will they entirely lose their own freedom. The language used is a bit different from many other novels, but is definetly a lot better than the language in which Gulliver's Travels was written!

My Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Protiksha Ukil) — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 12:28:00 +0530

As I recollect the short real life incidents of this book the only word that gushes into my mind is- INSPIRATIONAL! This book is written by India's ex-president who is also called "The missile man of India". Each and every chapter of this book carries a message that gets imprinted into the pages of your mind. Lovely are the stories and the way the events are arranged. The language is very easy to understand and the main reason behind that is to radiate the values to every reader.
The main motto of writing this book is to enlighten the youth of India to transform their dreams into actions. This is my first A.P.J Abdul Kalam book and I look forward to read many more books of his. I sometimes feel that there is some change in my way of looking into things after I've read this book. What for are you all waiting? Go ahead and read the book to experience a lovely, motivational time.