tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45118449364707176132023-11-15T06:32:19.046-08:00My Best Friend Is A BookGauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-88861345991267131222012-04-12T14:37:00.001-07:002012-04-12T14:38:27.275-07:00The Hungry Tide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Book Title</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – The Hungry Tide<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Amitav Ghosh<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genre</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Year Published</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - 2004<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My rating</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> –7/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Piyali Roy, an American with an Indian origin, arrives in Sundarbans, formed by the Bay of Bengal and located on the easternmost coast of India. She is a maritime scientist and her search for a rare species of dolphin brings her to the vengeful yet beautiful waters surrounding the Sundarbans. Her first encounter to the destination happens in a train enroute in the form of Kanai Dutt, a linguistic expert and businessman running a translation agency. Kanai Dutt is also on his way to the Sundarbans, visiting his Aunt and to claim a journal left behind by his deceased Uncle. And later, as she embarks on her mission with an unwanted government aid on a boat, she bumps into Fokir, an illiterate fisherman who not only becomes her savior in the treacherous sea but also her guide to the dolphin-rich enclave. Together, they begin a journey in the backwaters, all three from different worlds and each with their own agenda. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">What happens when three people from completely different backgrounds get together on a boat and set off in search of something that takes them to precarious waters and on lands that faces the wrath of nature every single day? Many things happen. Love, attraction, danger, joy, understanding and survival. And then we ask, were they really so different in the first place? Is language the only medium of communication? Is being educated from books and getting a degree sufficient criteria for discrimination and is that the only way of being knowledgeable? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Answers to these questions come to us one after the other as we turn the pages. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">But, first I have to absolutely acknowledge and appreciate the Author’s command and control over those English words. Having read Chetan Bhagat, I tend to take Indian Authors lightly (very presumptuous of me and I apologize for that) but just 5 pages into “The Hungry Tide” and I was forced to Google for more on the Author. And as I read into his credentials, his words ceased to surprise me anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amitav Ghosh’s research into the land and water he writes about is another thing that is superlative about the book. 'The Hungry Tide' is as much about the Sundarban archipelago and the fragility of life on them; changing everyday with the tides, as it is about the people who dwell there. The Author creates a lush green world full of trees, tigers, deities and dolphins, right in front of your eyes and all with his words. Like my friend Sejal Shah, who recommended this book in the first place mentioned “I felt like I have visited Sundarbans”. Environment also plays a significant role in the story as we witness a mortal combat with the superior power of nature, to protect his beloved.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Book seamlessly alternates between past and present, nature and humans, water and land; never losing grip. While the story appears to be principally about Piyali, Kannai and Fokir, there are many other characters and incidents that weave in and out giving this novel the necessary muscle and background to become a compelling read. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A historical event moves along in the novel as the Author gives an account of the siege of Morichjhapi which took place in 1979, aimed at driving away the refugee settlers through the eyes and words of Nirmal. Its deep impact on him and his wish to confide in Kannai sets the pace for bringing about the characters of the story together, at one place. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Women in 'The Hungry Tide' have been portrayed as strong, ambitious and survivors irrespective of the time, education and place. Nilima, Kusum, Moyna and the protagonist Piyali, all possess a common trait – each of them knows what she wants and is not willing to give it up without a fight. They are also all women who bring about a change, in their own ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">And in my opinion, that automatically makes their respective counterparts weaker. Maybe it wasn’t the author’s intention, but the way I see it, Nirmal only talks about a revolution for most of his life; Nilima actually brings about one by her social service. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kusum, having faced such deep personal tragedies, still chooses who to love. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Moyna pursues her ambition to be a nurse and provide for a better life to their son Tutul, despite Fokir’s impudence. Fokir, with all his knowledge of the sea and the perils that surround its land, stubbornly refuses to see why his wife wants a different future for their son. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Piyali possesses all three, courage, persuasiveness and patience required to go looking for nature’s rare specimens. Kannai on the other hand thinks highly of himself and is quick to judge people based on their appearance and social relevance. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">You could say the strength of these women and the author’s vast vocabulary are the book’s highlights. Other than that, 'The Hungry Tide' is not an unusual story. Laced around love, jealousy, fear and ambition; its ingredients are ordinary, but the metaphors, extraordinary and that’s what makes it interesting enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Significant Specifics<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">This book won the “Hutch Crossword Book Award” for fiction. The Author has been awarded the “<b>Padma Shri</b>” in 2007 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal<b> Society of Literature</b> in 2009. <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-24752121452980571202012-03-12T17:58:00.003-07:002012-03-12T18:07:18.969-07:00Conversations with God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">Review by Shazneen Gazdar Pathak<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">Conversations with God (CwG Series)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">By Neale Donald Walsh</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">There are nine books in the Conversations with God series and each of these books is transcript of dialogue between 2 beings, Walsch and God.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">The first 3 books are often called as CwG trilogy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">BOOK1 ( 1995 )</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">During the low period in his life Neale Donald decided to write a letter to God asking why his life was such a disorder. He was venting his frustrations and was not expecting any response. But to his surprise his hand started writing the answers down, the thoughts which were not his but God's.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">The book, brings about multifaceted paradoxes which make sense, logic which is insightful and truth which is beyond belief, surprising amazing whatever you want to call it<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">The basic laws which the book states are:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">ü You can do and have whatever you can imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">ü You attract what you fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">ü God describes himself without any needs, but only desires.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">BOOK 2 ( 1997 )</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">In this book, Neale deals into more specifics and social implications of awareness of God in oneself and their lives. It mentions certain issues of the previous volume, which the author (Neale Walsch) is unclear and has not understood.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">In the book God wants to address certain issues concerning our world and hence there are very few questions asked by the author.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">BOOK 3 (1998)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">This is the last and final volume of the Conversation with God and in this God good speaks about the universal as well as personal issues. It’s again written in the question answer form, but the material is useful for the mankind.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">Interestingly God mentions our civilization to be one of the least developed ones, and it’s on the evolution stage. According to the book we are still on the awareness level, which is a bit difficult to accept.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">Neale has presented the revelations by God, in a way as if God is giving us the solutions of our problems and as if the author is a mere medium / messenger through which answers come.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">The other spiritual books which deal with the aspects of life and it might appeal to our intellect but are not useful in daily life, the CwG books are different. It deals with the small issues in the day to day life which we are not able to resolve and manage, which ultimately accumulates making the life miserable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">The books definitely would bring in a change in the living and might give insight which might help improve the quality of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">All the books are strongly recommended for everyone, believers and non-believers, men and women, young and old, as it offers a new understanding to the age old question<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">Who am I and what is the purpose of my life?</span></i></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">About the Reviewer</span></b><br />
<div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">Shazneen, a busy homemaker these days, absolutely treasures the time spent with her wonderful husband and 6 year old son. Yoga, green tea and quality time with family are top priority on any given day and she feels blessed to have been able to achieve what she did in her professional and family life. Reading and writing are hobbies she likes to pursue in her spare time. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">Her writings on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;"><a href="http://reflectionandperception.blogspot.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://reflectionandperception.blogspot.com/</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>capture the enthusiasm to</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">self</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Batang, serif;">challenge and rediscover hidden traits.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"></u1:p><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"></span><br />
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</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-86779761434315006622012-03-06T00:07:00.007-08:002012-03-06T08:47:23.535-08:00Unaccustomed Earth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Book Title</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Unaccustomed Earth<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Jhumpa Lahiri<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genre</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Short Stories<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Year Published</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - 2008<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My rating</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> –8/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Divided into 2 parts, the first part of the book has 5 short stories and the second part is a novella in itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">PART ONE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Unaccustomed Earth<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Book starts with its title story. This story involving 3 generations revolves around a father’s visit to his daughter’s home and his bonding with the grandson during that time. Ruma has given up her successful legal career to stay at home with her son Akash and has another baby on the way. Married to an American, she has recently moved to Seattle with her family. A recent widower, this is her father’s first visit all by himself. Ruma has a lot of apprehensions about her father’s visit because of the lack of communication over the years. Nevertheless she does feel responsible for his care now that he is alone, a sentiment she can’t expect her husband to understand. But her father has no plans to move in with her. He is in fact enjoying his new found freedom and companion. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">During her father’s brief stay, both parent and daughter are able to reach a certain level of comfort which was absent before. In his own way, Ruma’s father puts himself to use in the house and gives her the much needed break. The most amazing transformation was the bonding of her son Akash with his grandfather. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Towards the end, both Ruma and her father accept in silent understanding that bit by bit they have both embraced the new culture and forgone some of their own, like how one treads on new grass slowly and then gets comfortable with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hell- Heaven <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Loneliness is the start to many unhappy feelings that follow. This story talks about intense feelings of jealousy in love and the acute sense of betrayal when people change. The words we read are those of Usha, a little girl who is with her traditional Bengali mother, Aparna when befriended by Pranab, a graduate student at MIT Boston who is homesick and on the verge of going back to India. Aparna, feeling lonely herself, being so far away from home, opens the door to her home to Pranab and welcomes him. Over time, she develops a kind of unique attraction and love for Pranab (kaku) as she waits for him, dresses up for him and cooks up his favorite meals, even though he calls her Boudi (elder brother’s wife). Her husband’s silent and detached attitude only adds to her growing affection for Pranab. Pranab falls for an American woman named Deborah and brings her to Aparna’s home stirring a deep envy inside her. He eventually marries Deborah and inches away from Aparna and her family little by little. Aparna always blames Deborah for the distance and Pranab’s absence from their life and predicts that the marriage won’t last forever and that one fine day Deborah would leave Pranab. She is proven correct but only partly so and the divorce does happen after 23 years of marriage between Pranab and Deborah. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aparna and Usha’s relationship flows parallel in the story as it documents the changes that develop in the mother daughter equation and how it gets better with age and acceptance. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A choice of Accommodations<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amit works as a managing Director of a medical journal and is married to Megan, who is now in her last year residency and on her way to become a doctor. Together they have two daughters. The story unravels in the form of their weekend trip to attend the wedding of Pam Borden, Amit’s friend from college and someone he had a huge crush on during that time. Amit and Megan decide to skip the accommodations provided by the bride’s family for the guests and splurge on a fancy inn hoping to spend some quality time without the kids and bring back the magic in their otherwise busy married life. But things don’t turn out as planned. Amit finds himself talking about how his marriage has “disappeared” after the birth of their second child at the wedding party and Megan can’t help feeling insecure about what Amit might have felt for Pam at one point of time. Their stay at the inn never materializes into the kind of getaway they had hoped for but was that a good thing after all?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Only Goodness<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The fourth story on the index beautifully words down how parents refuse to see the vices of their children and when things go beyond repair, they succumb meekly and accept defeat without a fight. Rahul and Sudha are children from an American Bengali family. Rahul takes his first drink in high school when he visits Sudha at college. What was supposed to be an occasional fun thing to do turns into a habit and by the time Rahul is dismissed from college, he is an alcoholic living off his parent’s support in their house. Sudha finds herself taking charge every time Rahul lands up in trouble including going to the police station when he gets arrested for drunken driving while her parents turn a blind eye and blame the American way of life for the disappointment their son has become for them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">As time passes, Sudha settles down in London with her British Husband and by then Rahul who creates a huge scene at her wedding, is estranged with the family and lives with his American girlfriend. </span><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">One day, Rahul gets in touch with Sudha and expresses his desire for reconciliation. He looks like he has seriously given up on his drinking and they spend some wonderful days together during Rahul’s visit to London at their home. Things take an ugly turn when he offers to babysit his infant nephew while Sudha and her husband go out for a movie and come back to find the baby in their bathtub and Rahul passed out in bed. The story makes a very strong statement as it concludes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nobody’s business.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The content of this story is really short regardless of the number of pages it spreads over. It is the story of a young girl called Sang (Sangeeta) who is foolishly and madly in love. Her family is looking for an eligible alliance and she makes fun of all the suitors who call her, blindly unaware of the utterly wrong choice she has made for herself. Her roommate Paul, who finds her extremely attractive, tries to open her eyes but cannot save her from the heartbreak that completely shatters her. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">PART TWO<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hema and Kaushik <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first section of this novella is through Hema’s eyes. She is a small girl when Rahul’s family leaves Boston and returns to India for good. A couple of years later, they return and stay with her family for a while. Hema silently observes the peculiarities of Rahul and his family and the stories her parents’ always told about Rahul’s parents which no longer match up. She is also the unwilling recipient of the information and the only one in her family to know about the real reason behind their arrival back to America.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The second section is a continuation of the story from Rahul’s point of view. An adult now, he is shocked to be informed about his father’s second marriage to a girl closer to his own age. He also learns that he has two step sisters and initially he does try to be nice to them. But staying in the same house where his mother made home stirs his emotions and brings out a strong reaction. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The final section is the story of Rahul and Hema together, how they meet in Rome, the connection between them and the final destiny of their love. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">With her third book, Jhumpa Lahiri goes back to the short stories. And just like her debut collection, she doesn’t disappoint. The stories in “Unaccustomed Earth” are poignant, sensitive and insightful to the world of immigrants and how some of them adapt and some don’t. The stories talk about different sensibilities, second generation immigrants and the American citizens they raise and the inevitable clash of lifestyle and beliefs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jhumpa Lahiri starts with an elevating story (Unaccustomed Earth) and gradually slips into melancholy as she plunges deeper to uncover the innermost sentiments of people who left their motherland years back never got over it and their children who ultimately grew up confused and rebellious. But there is a beauty in sadness and this book is a perfect example. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a “sad” sad piece of writing where tears don’t stop while reading. It is the kind of sadness that comes from loneliness and the emotions of not belonging experienced by some of the characters that linger after you finish. <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Many reviewers while acclaiming the stories accuse the Author of two things: one, she writes in a simple language (in a very “non-author” type language) and two, she always writes about migrants and cultural differences lived through by them. And to both the points of criticism I say “So what?” Her writing maybe simple but it touches your heart. Her words maybe nothing fancy but you can relate to them. And finally her stories maybe about Indians who migrated to the Unites States and their struggle with such a major transition in life but that doesn’t make for a limited readership. Anybody who ever tried to fit into a particular place or culture or tried to belong anywhere can relate to this book. Anybody who questioned their own upbringing because their children developed a completely different set of values influenced by the surroundings can understand and enjoy this book. The relationships and their intricacies she explores in her stores are universal. I do agree that there is an underlying sadness in all stories, even the ones with happy endings; maybe it has something to do with never really “fitting in” completely. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She obviously takes inspiration from her Bengali heritage and goes back to her roots in her writings. Her culture it seems touches her life significantly even thousands of miles away and that shows. She writes about what she knows and that too very well.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Significant Specifics<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Unaccustomed Earth had the distinguished honor of topping the New York Times Book Review list of “100 Best Books of 2008”. For the same year, it won the <i>Frank O’ Connor International Short Story Award</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-7167677806331958372012-02-29T22:25:00.008-08:002012-02-29T23:16:32.642-08:00The Old Man and The Sea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h1><br />
</h1><div class="MsoNormal">Year published – 1952</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Genre – Novel/Novella</span></div>My Rating – 10/10<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Review by Dhvani Joshi</b></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"> This canonical work of Ernest Hemingway that barely runs into a 100 pages is at the pivot of modern American literature. Generally referred to as a 'novella', this work of Hemingway is that oeuvre d'art that won him the Pulitzer Prize as well as the Nobel prize. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-IN"> A tale of tryst with destiny, this short read is written in simple language that is colloquial yet direct. In spite of the simplicity of the prose, one can dive straight into the deepest recesses of the protagonist's mind. Widely recognized as a parable of struggle between man and nature put simply, this novel is a story of an old man, a young boy and a giant fish.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;"> Set in the Gulf Stream, it is a story that moves steadily with a simple plot. An old fisherman has gone 84 days without having caught a single fish. The young boy who has been his apprentice loves and respects him but dare not go with him anymore for the fear of his father. On the 85th day the old man sets out into 'la mar' (the sea). He hooks a giant marlin onto his fishing line that tows his boat further into the sea. After having gone 2 days and 2 nights after the fish, the old man is reluctant to let it go. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;"> The famished old man puts up a courageous fight against the power of the giant fish (man against nature) and manages to haul him. The mutilated dead marlin that he catches is then hunted by the prowling sharks and all that remains of the marlin is it's skeleton.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;">The old man is still not defeated. Hemingway's best lines, " A man can be destroyed, but not defeated" at this point convey immensely what it really means to be alive. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;"> The character of the old man is etched quite interestingly. He is a man of great mental endurance, yet at times, seems to give in to fate. He loves the fish but realises that still he must kill the fish or the fish will kill him. This is a story of grief and the beauty. What you choose to see determines your end, whether you choose to see the grief or the beauty of life that the grief brings with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;">A must read.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt;">About the Reviewer</span></b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dhvani Joshi is a doctoral student who loves being in the classroom whether teaching or being taught! When she is not studying or teaching, she is in her kitchen experimenting! Dhvani blogs about her cooking adventures at </span><a href="http://crumpledchillies.blogspot.com/" style="font-size: 12pt;">Crumpled Chillies</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Dhvani will forever be inspired by a beautiful thing called marriage that happened to her. She is a dancer and a crazy child at heart!</span></div></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-2060769794130659672012-02-26T23:40:00.002-08:002012-02-27T09:54:49.994-08:00The Alchemist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8420946216210723" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book - The Alchemist</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author - Paulo Coelho</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre - Allegorical/Psychological Drama</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Year Published - 1988</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Rating - 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Review by Priya Sreeram</span><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8420946216210723" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho</span></b></div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8420946216210723" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paulo Coelho's books have always held a mystical allure transporting me in to a magical realm. Calling out to the gypsy in me, his books cast a spell. Be it </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Veronika decides to die, The witch of Portobello or Brida</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Coelho breathes life in to his characters; makes sure that the story stays with you for a long time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Alchemist</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> raises a few notches than the other books by instilling positivism; making people believe in self. For he says that's the only way to realize one's destiny and true calling !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><img height="300" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ChM8y6wqUglz5DsKQmRLrNfAx5LS3_HOfAEojKAY3d-iafSCCvmKAPayByPN6gtbH1pIaF-nIOAX2y8UjcMcGQ1eQl3ZqheDdnEBw8CNa-8y1NhEu-g" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Story :-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story is about an Andalusian Shepherd boy named Santiago setting out to find what his dream is all about. His recurrent dreams of a hidden treasure near Pyramids in Egypt forces him to sell his flock and explore the path that would enable him to not only find the treasure but also leads to self-realization.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What sets him on the journey is the encounter with a wise old man, who calls himself Melchizedek, the King of Salem. It is this man,who imparts many a valuable lessons and advices him to stay grounded with the soul purpose of realizing his destiny.Spurred on by the old man's words, the boy leaves his home and crosses the colourful Tangiers market en route to Egypt. On the way he experiences a whole lot of memorable moments, meets interesting people and gathers wisdom that further propels him in to finding his true-self. He begins to understand the signs of omens, listens; interprets his heart's messages and follows unflinchingly towards his goal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b><br />
<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And in the desert, Santiago meets his soul-mate, the love of his life who further motivates him to follow his dreams.And finally he meets the Alchemist who empowers him to realise his destiny. The boy discovers the truth behind the treasure as well as his personal legend, he understands that the true treasure is not the destination itself but the journey made, the wisdom,experiences & the knowledge gained !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b><br />
<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book strikes a chord with us because Coelho reiterates that it is the simplest things in life which gives us profound lessons on life as well as immense happiness.The review would be incomplete without mentioning a few quotes that buoys us up and resonates even after finishing the book :-</span></b><br />
<ul><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If a person really truly wants something, all the forces on universe would conspire in making sure that he gets it.</span></b></li>
</ul><ul><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you play your cards for the first time, you are almost sure to win, because there is a force that wants you to realise your destiny; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.</span></b></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's not what enters man's mouth that is evil, it's what comes out of the mouth that is</span></b></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve - the fear of failure !</span></b></li>
</ul><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Final Word :- The book is so beautifully written and reveals so many insights; it's an experience that is best read, re-read & savoured. It comes as no surprise that the book has been translated in to so many languages. Go ahead and revel in this magical journey !</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About the Reviewer</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Priya Sreeram </span><span style="background-color: #f1fcfb; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is a SAHM for her 2 dumplings and is blessed to have a loving,wonderful and supportive spouse who is her back-bone.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A passionate foodie, she chronicles her hearth & heart adventures in the food blog </span><a href="http://eq-myblog.blogspot.in/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BON APPETIT</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> . Also a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> v</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">oracious reader & travel enthusiast, her travel footprints and musings find voice in her blog </span><a href="http://iwrite-myblog.blogspot.in/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Straight from my Heart !!</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> . </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b> </div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-32935210076665689352012-02-13T00:05:00.000-08:002012-02-13T00:18:54.680-08:00Revolution 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">BOOK – REVOLUTION 2020</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">AUTHOR – CHETAN BHAGAT</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">GENRE- LIGHT FICTION</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">YEAR PUBLISHED – 2011</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">MY RATING – *****/10</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";">Review by Shazneen Gazdar Pathak</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">The Story</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">The tagline (Love. Corruption. Ambition.) , Refers to the key themes of the book. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Revolution 2020 is the story of three childhood friends: Gopal, Raghav, and Aarti. The story is set in the holy-city of Varanasi.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Gopal comes from a poor family the son of a debt-ridden, suffering retired teacher, whose land is under litigation and who has a mysterious ailment for which he needs an operation. Raghav is from an almost well to do family exceptionally intelligent and is expected to crack the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) examinations, where as Aarti comes from a kind of bureaucratic and political family. Pretty daughter of a well-off District Magistrate and she has a grandfather who was once a Chief Minister of the state.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Three of them have their own ambitions in life. Gopal wants to be a rich man, Raghav wants to change the world and Aarti wants to become an air hostess.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Aarti is Gopal's closest friend, and Gopal loves her since the day he decided to steal a slab of the chocolate cake she had brought for lunch. The friendship that started in the fifth standard through the incident gradually took its own course over the Ganga over innumerable boat rides and unspoken ballads of love, one sided of course.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">As the story progresses, Raghav crack JEE<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>join IIT-BHU,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Gopal is unable to get through,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is forced to move to Kota to prepare and reappear for those exams. As Gopal being away for a long time , gives opportunity to Raghav and Aarti to be together and seal their relationship, There at Kota he receives the biggest shock of his life when he learns that Aarti has now become Raghav's girlfriend and thus he fails again in the AIEEE. His father cannot bear this and dies, leaving behind debts, which he had taken for the education of his son.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Gopal makes a deal with MLA Shukla to create an engineering college on his disputed land. With the blessings, the clout, muscle, and the money of the MLA, Gopal embarks on a road that leads to the building of GangaTech — a private engineering college He became director of the new college and learns about the corrupt system and starts living with it. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Raghav, who graduates as an engineer from BHU, takes up a job as a reporter for a newspaper, he<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">who has all that life can offer him along with academic success and even the girl of his and Gopal’s dreams, strives to make a difference in the society instead of finding work as an engineer after having passed out with excellent grades, a degree millions of students only dream of attaining in the country. He dreams of bringing in a revolution that will change the country by the year 2020 and is prepared to face any hardships to make sure this dream comes true</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">He starts publishing all the wrong doings of Shukla which causes harm to Gopal's college. Illegal rezoning of land controversy causes some demolition to Ganga- Tech College. Shukla gets Raghav sacked but Raghav starts his own paper called Revolution 2020. He publishes stuff about the wrong doing of the MLA and proves that Shukla is a corrupt man. Shukla is forced to resign.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Aarti, all this time had been lonely as Raghav had no time for her when she realizes that she will be always second to his revolution, decides that she after all did actually love the corrupt engineering college director who is also her best friend. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">The story is all about who wins – the girl and in life; the boy who has everything after having sold all he believed in or the boy who has limited means but stands up for what he knows is right.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">(I have been a spoiled sport by telling the entire story but, purposefully have not revealed the end!!!!!)</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">The Review:</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><em><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">Revolution 2020</span></em><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;"> <em>sets out to do something else.</em> The<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><em>book throws the dice by asking the question, ‘Are You Ready for the Revolution’, on its back cover.</em></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><em><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">By doing so, it takes a high moral ground and you begin to imagine this could be the book version of movies like “YUVA “or “RANG DE BASANTI “</span></em><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><strong><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif; font-weight: normal;">I</span></strong><em><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">’m afraid the book is none of that.</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;"> </span></i></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">As a reader, I felt the story is boring, it is a typical stuff which each one of knows and I believe has seen many a times in our Bollywood movies or even T.V Serials. </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";">Chetan Bhagat has successfully been able to portray the love triangle in his book.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">Following the tradition of the latest Bollywood movies, you can find few swearing words which start with letters <em><b>b</b></em><b> </b>and <em><b>a</b></em> and <em><b>f.</b></em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The grammar yet again is nothing that can be applauded about. It has its loopholes. Yet it is the grammar that would probably be understood by the masses. It has slangs and a jargon that the Indian youth use today. And something that sells. The language of the book is best suited for people who have just been introduced to the world of reading but will probably choke a refined reader. It is a breezy read that will leave no impression in the minds of the reader.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">It is dramatic in a garish way, idealistic without the backing of reason and sadly self </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">indulgent</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">The details of Ghats of Ganges makes the atmosphere live. At 4.00 am a ride on a loan boat thrills and it could have been romantic if "the one you love had loved you back”. This story is character centric rather than based on a plot.</span><span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Batang","serif";"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Batang, serif;">To sum it up the author has come up with a complete package of relationships like love, jealousy, turning of relations from boy-girl to man-women, system loopholes of corruption and power misuse and Education system.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">If it nails one thing, it is the systemic corruption in the education system but pity that the pointless love story gets in the way of what could have been a great read.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";">About the Reviewer</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";">Shazneen, a busy homemaker these days, absolutely treasures the time spent with her wonderful husband and 6 year old son. Yoga, green tea and quality time with family are top priority on any given day and she feels blessed to have been able to achieve what she did in her professional and family life. Reading and writing are hobbies she likes to pursue in her spare time. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";">Her writings on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;"><a href="http://reflectionandperception.blogspot.com/">http://reflectionandperception.blogspot.com/</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>capture the enthusiasm to</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;">self</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif";">challenge and rediscover hidden traits.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<u1:p></u1:p></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-70783284040669995922012-02-06T01:56:00.000-08:002012-02-06T02:04:01.392-08:00Loving Frank<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Book Title</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> – Loving Frank</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Nancy Horan<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genre</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Biographical Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Year Published</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - 2007<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My rating</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – 6/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Spoiler Alert! <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some parts of the review may give away the ending of the novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the year 1903, <b>Mamah</b> <b>Borthwick</b> and <b>Edwin Cheney</b> hire an Architect <b>Frank Llyod Wright </b>to build their house. By the time the house is ready, Mamah and Frank are having an affair. They separate for a while when Mamah becomes pregnant with her husband’s second child, but soon find themselves back in each other’s lives. Mamah takes a determined and an irreversible step of leaving her children and husband to follow Frank in Europe. While she does manage to get a divorce from Edwin few years down the line, Frank’s wife <b>Catherine</b> doesn’t oblige. Together, Frank and Mamah build a house “Taleisin” in Wisconsin, a home they occupy in great delight for a short period of time before fate intervenes. Loving Frank is a fictionalized account of their clandestine and subsequently notorious public affair; from the time they first met till the end of their stay together, spanning nearly 11 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The book had the feeler of “Anna Karenina”, the Leo Tolstoy classic and honestly that’s what made me pick it up. Both speak of adultery and both conclude in tragedy, but that’s where the similarity ends, for Mamah is no Anna.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">As is obvious from its opening line, it is Mamah’s internal conflict about the various roles she plays in life and her choices that make for majority of the pages of Loving Frank. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is always difficult to make a story out of facts. To write about a historic figure needs a lot of research and weaving a story around it even more. Frank llyods Wright is a famous name and somewhere at the footnote lays the name of Mamah Borthwick, someone he had an extra marital affair with. The Author picked up that name in the small print and came out with most interesting account of their years together. Apart from the attraction between them, their influence on each other is strongly noted in the novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A lot is at stake when they decide to follow their hearts. And once Mamah leaves home there is no looking back. Colorado, Europe and finally Wisconsin, she travels with a lot of internal baggage but never gives in. Her actions are of course debatable since a mother who virtually abandons her children may not gather a reader’s sympathy, let’s just say she did what she thought was right for her individual self. She chose to remain faithful to her own self first and then to her children, husband and worldly commitments. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mamah’s admiration for the revolutionary feminist writer <b>Ellen key</b> and the feeling of subsequent let down is an important part of the book. Mamah travels a long way in life before she learns that to preach and to practice are two different things. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nancy Horan takes us into an artist’s mind through this novel as well. Eccentric, Egoistic, cocky, brilliant and a visionary; Frank Wright is all of these and more. The human mind may have evolved but probably not as much because even today the quirks of an artist remain the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Frank is also extravagant, imaginative and capable of deceit, but Mamah seems to be able to overlook all of that and still love him. She inspires him and he supports her in her career pursuits, barring a few occasions. It is this understanding and connection between the two of them that holds the book together. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">But without a doubt, the book belongs to Mamah Borthwick, the woman, who in history is worth just a mention in writings about the famous Architecht Frank Wright. In “Loving Frank”, Nancy Horan rearranges the pieces of history and knits a story that indicates Mamah was much more to Frank than just that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is refreshing to read about a feminist in existence, a woman with a mind of her own, way back in early 1900s. The author does a very good job of bringing out Mamah’s anguish, confusion, guilt, loneliness and ambition throughout the book. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mamah was a feminist and an intellectual; a combination not many approved of in a woman in those days. And yet, after a passage of hundred years and a great deal of liberalization, the conflict of a woman doesn’t seem to feel any different and it is in that </span>portrayal<span style="font-size: small;"> where Nancy Horan scores the most. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Significant Specifics<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Loving Frank is the debut novel of Nancy Horan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Author was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for best historical fiction in April, 2009 for her published works in the previous two years.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-74206518625944365922012-01-24T17:45:00.000-08:002012-01-24T17:45:21.497-08:00Bringing up kids without tearing them down<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bringing up kids without tearing them down</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Leman, Kevin.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Review by Monika Singhi Celly<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The author offers practical advice on raising children in a way that won't hurt their self esteem, starting with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>``A-B-C's'' of self-worth (acceptance, belonging, confidence).<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Backed by real life examples, this book is a step by step guide to inculcate discipline, family values & love in children. Almost all the examples sounds familiar<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>because we see them everywhere around. Each example is concluded with a solution which seems practical. The book also sounds real because the author shares his own experience as a father. Dr Levin has strongly advocated ’Reality Discipline' where the nature of action will determine the teaching tools to be used.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The last two sections of each chapter `Words To Remember'' and ``Actions To Try'' are good for future reference. The final section of the book is written in a question-and-answer format, based according to the child's age.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Overall, a good book for parents.<br />
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<!--[endif]--></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">About the Reviewer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Monika Singhi Celly is a counselor and teacher by occupation. Also a mother to an extremely engaging 3 year old who loves to chatter non-stop, Monika tries her best to put aside professional abilities when at home! An avid reader and a passionate cook, she propagates healthy cooking and eating habits through her blog <a href="http://vegetariansurprises.blogspot.com/">Vegetarian Surprises</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-44231974531747629252012-01-16T17:02:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:58:19.358-08:002 States - The story of my marriage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Book Title</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – 2 States, The Story of my marriage<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Chetan Bhagat<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genre</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Fiction, Romance, Drama<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Year Published</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - 2009<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My rating</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – 4/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Krish</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and <b>Ananya</b> meet as students in one of the most reputed MBA colleges of India and fall in love. Krish wants to be a writer someday and Ananya is an ambitious girl with a rebellious temperament. Love, they say has no boundaries but geography is what comes across as the biggest obstacle in the couple’s union.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Krish is from Delhi, India’s capital situated in the northern part of the country and Ananya is from Tamilnadu, a state in the south of India. Not only are the two states poles apart, each at one corner on the map but the people couldn’t be more different. From clothes to cuisine; appearance to mannerism; religion to culture, everything about them is a contrast. Parents of both Krish and Ananya are not happy with this self sought alliance and in a place like India where majority of the marriages are still “arranged” it can mean trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is this journey between the two states that takes the story forward. How krish manages to make a place for himself in Ananya’s household and how Ananya argues her way to acceptance at a North Indian wedding is what this drama is all about. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chetan Bhagat writes movies. When I pick up a book written by him (and I have read most of them by now), there is this distinct feeling of <i>reading</i> a hindi masala movie instead of a novel. So is that supposed to be good or bad? That depends on whether you like masala movies or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Let us begin with some good things about this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">As always, the author starts on an interesting note. He captures your attention and prompts you to read on. The pace of the story is fast enough. A boy and a girl from 2 different states in India, as different as chalk and cheese, fall in love and want to get married. The story shifts base from Ahmedabad (a neutral ground) and then alternates between Delhi and Chennai as Krish and Ananya try all the tricks in the books to turn the objections of their parents into affirmation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Humor is definitely the strong point of this book. Chetan Bhagat’s writing style is witty and it comes across even at critical junctures in the story making them memorable. Ananya’s sizzling responses to Krish’s sly comments are amusing. Krish’s dealings with his boss <b>Bala </b>are also funny in places.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The author shows a progression of relationship from love, sex and living in together as naturally as everything else without sensationalizing it. Maybe there is a point to prove. Maybe the intention of the author is to tell us that the new age generation in India doesn’t treat those as taboo. If that really is the case, it’s a wonderful change. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The character portrayal of Ananya is very impressive. I am not surprised considering that the book is based on the Author’s own romance and subsequent marriage to his batch mate. Ananya is smart, independent and can stand up for herself and her loved ones. She can also <b>not</b> cook, which in my opinion is a trait possessed by a strong personality taken into context of an Indian society. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chetan Bhagat’s books always have a lot of things going on in them and 2 States is no different. Here, Krish comes from a dysfunctional family and deals with it as any normal person can be expected to. The author paints a very honest picture of how things work in such households, especially with women. They make up excuses for what needs to be exposed and they stay on even in the most hopeless of marriages resigned to fate. For women like Krish’s mother, it pays to be knowingly oblivious as the alternate is even more scary; social stigma. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now the not so good part:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is hard for a non-Indian to relate to this book. It is not a universal love story that anybody anywhere in this world can read and enjoy. No, you have to know India, its people, its geographical and caste divide to actually appreciate the humor and drama in this novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have said this before and I will say it again. Chetan Bhagat doesn’t write books, he writes movies. It is like one cliché followed by another and the book doesn’t end till he has tried them all. The parts where krish tries to make his place in the Swaminathan househould to the big fat Punjabi wedding episode, it all looks translated from a Hindi movie. Chetan Bhagat is a very popular author and his books have been made into movies because they are already movie ready! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">From the main characters, Krish lacks the personality that Ananya is so full of. Maybe it’s true, opposites attract. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Krish’s maternal side of the family is too much to take. I wish the author had given them fewer pages. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The hunky dory scene with the father as the story concludes is a total sham. One minute Krish can’t stand the sight of his glass hurling, loser of a husband, father and a couple of pages down the father is forgiven, all his misdeeds forgotten, because of that one trip to Chennai. I guess anything can happen in books. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I will sum it up like this. If you are a teenager and looking to read an Indian love story you may like this book as a light breezy read, getting too much like a hindi movie at times, yet enjoyable. BUT if you are looking for a good read with no background whatsoever in the ways of the world in those two states of India, this isn’t the book for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My recommendation would be a NO assuming the reader could be anybody and from any part of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chetan Bhagat has a very good flow with the way he writes his stories. I do not doubt his writing skills; in fact I quite like the sharp humor exhibited in his books. I am just waiting for him to go beyond the clichés to actually appreciate his writings. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Significant Specifics <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most of this book is a true account of the Author’s own romance and marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-87535484653250568912012-01-13T23:55:00.001-08:002012-01-14T00:01:53.192-08:00I'LL Walk Alone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Book Title</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – I’ ll Walk Alone<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Mary Higgins Clark<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genre</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Fiction, Suspense<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Year Published</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My rating</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – 4/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alexandra “Zan”</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is a gifted interior designer who is very passionate about her work and finding her missing son. Kidnapped from the Central Park in broad daylight when he was 3 years old, <b>Mathew</b>’s whereabouts still dominate Zan’s life. <b>Ted Carpenter, </b>her ex-husband and Mathew’s father does not make it any easier, constantly accusing her of being careless although Mathew was with a baby sitter who fell asleep when he was taken away from his stroller. A budding entrepreneur, she is about to land on a project which might be her key to the much deserved success and recognition but tragedy revisits Zan on what could have been Mathew’s 5<sup>th</sup> Birthday. Zan is shocked to discover that her finances have been operated without her knowledge and her identity stolen. She is accused of kidnapping her own son with evidence impossible to overlook. She suspects <b>Bartley Longe</b>, her ex-employer and a bitter rival who seems to be capable of stooping to any level to take his revenge. But <b>Father Aiden O’ Brien</b> has every reason to believe it was Zan who paid him a in the confession room about a crime yet to be committed. With every passing day the mystery deepens as Zan holds on to her faith of finding Mathew alive. An amateur detective and a lottery winner, <b>Alvirah Meehan</b> and her husband are Zan’s support system and want to help prove her innocence. As the plot unravels, crimes of abduction, impersonation and even a possible murder come to light and not only is Zan’s identity but even sanity is at stake. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I always pick up a Mary Higgins Clark book when in mood for suspense. She does a good job of holding my attention till the very end and in that respect, this book is a success. I couldn’t guess “Who done it”,the cause of which maybe either my poor detective skills or the author’s superior writing skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Keeping up with the modern day environment, we are presented with a crime thriller dealing with identity theft at the helm of affairs. There is the rest of the stuff too but a preview of the book said it was about identity theft. And that is where it disappointed me a little bit. The whole identity theft scenario has been put up and concluded in such a simplistic way, it is almost amateurish. As you read through the pages, the Clark touch is there in other crimes like kidnapping that take place in the novel and they make for a gripping read but not the identity theft part. To me it wasn’t so effective; it didn’t scare the hell out of me thinking how terrible it can be if my account was hacked. But with the missing child part and the devastation it creates in a parent’s life, Higgins hit right on mark. It is every parent’s nightmare; losing a child and we empathize with Zan, so again central character portrayal – full marks. The reason I rate this book lower than 5 out of 10 is because of the final few pages and I don’t mean the suspense part. The suspense is good but very hastily disclosed at the very end. The way the story builds up one would expect a lot more explanation than what actually is provided to summarize the book. The author has thrown in lot of things in the concluding pages as a result of which clarity and motive of the crime look like they have been compromised. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’ ll Walk Alone is a book I would pick of because of its Author and her previous works. It hasn’t been a boring read, I finished it at one go, but it wasn’t the biting nail or edge of the seat suspense either. An average read if you are not too picky about endings.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Significant Specifics <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’ll Walk Alone has been written by the Author at the age of <b>84.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511844936470717613.post-5727353920743450522012-01-10T01:51:00.000-08:002012-01-13T15:03:07.996-08:00The Help<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Book Title</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – The Help<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – Kathryn Stockett<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Genre</b> - Fiction, Drama</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My rating</span></b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> – 9/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Racial discrimination then prevalent forms the basis of this interesting novel set in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. <b>Skeeter Phelan</b> finishes college and comes back to her hometown nurturing dreams of becoming a writer. Her mother on the other hand dreams for her to be settled in marital bliss. She does land up a writing job but not the kind she envisioned. Her writing assignments for a housekeeping column bring her to <b>Aibileen</b>, a maid at the home of Elizabeth Leefolt, one of Skeeter’s best friends. Aibileen takes care of Mae Mobley, Elizabeth’s toddler along with performing other housekeeping duties. This encounter leads to revelation of sorts. A faint hope of recognition by a popular publisher and the search for answers about <b>Constantine</b>, the woman who raised her, brings Skeeter to Aibileen’s doorstep and from thereon begins their writing journey. Which brings us to the other important characters of the story – there is this fiery <b>Minny</b>, who does not hesitate to give a piece of her mind and something else to her white employer and there is also <b>Ms. Hilly Holbrook</b>, the employer in question, Skeeter’s friend and the head of the Junior League. As the voyage of alphabets continues and the stories unfold, Skeeter comes face to face with the harsh and unpleasant particulars of subsistence led by the African-Americans in the society and starts questioning the role of her own people in it. A short lived romance with <b>Stuart Whitworth</b> that ends on a disastrous note finds a place somewhere in between the months when the three women keep coming together for a common purpose. At the onset, fear, hesitation, suspicion and anger, all the emotions put together dissuade the colored maids from opening up to Skeeter but in the end it is those very sentiments that give them the required strength. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Review <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">“How does it feel to raise a white person’s child when your own child is at home being looked after by someone else?” This Question asked by Skeeter to Aibileen more or less sets the mood for this novel. But if you went on to read thinking the story would provide insight only in the world of the colored help like Aibileen and Minny, you wouldn’t be more wrong. The book is as much about Skeeter, the writer, as it is about the subjects. If Aibileen who loves Mae Mobley enough to teach her the lessons of life can be regarded as a misfit because hidden inside her is a terrific writer; than Skeeter, the awkward gawky girl who was never asked out on prom night and who dreams of being a writer more than a wife is clearly the oddball amongst her married socialite friends. Taking the racial divide as the core of the story, the book focuses on the plight of the colored domestic helpers working for white employers, in their own words. Some of them do have positive experiences to share but most of them echo hurt, shame and feelings of indignation on being treated as untouchables. The irony is not lost on anyone that the employers trust them with their most prized possessions – their babies and doubt them on everything else. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I can think of many attributes that make this a good book to read, the author’s clarity on what she wants to write about being one of them. The depiction of Aibileen’s pain on losing her 24 year old son occupies a few paragraphs and still says a lot about the person she is; Minny’s sense of humor and Skeeter’s perseverance, all build together to an interesting read.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The book also brings out the contrast in human nature. Elizabeth is not a very affectionate mom but she still wants more kids, Hilly organizes fundraisers to benefit poor children somewhere in the third world countries but doesn’t have a dime to spare for the loan requested by her maid for her boys’ college education. Minny’s “I don’t take any nonsense” attitude at work is a far cry from the bruises suffered at home. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The treatment dished out to Celia Foote and her blind eye to the most apparent insults tells us the human craving to fit into a particular society is nothing new. We all want to be accepted, colored or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In spite of such a bearing subject, the book is full of light moments; never does it get to a point where you feel like putting it down to get some air. The help tells us a story of the unfair in the society, but it also talks about hope. It gives us a glimpse of the almost inhuman treatment given out to the helpers and on the same page reveals the unabashed love and tender feelings shared by the children and their caretakers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is hard not to think about this book, about Aibileen and Skeeter, long after you are finished with it. That should say it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Significant Specifics <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Batang, serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is the Author’s debut novel. It took 5 years to complete, was rejected by 60 publishers and by now has roughly sold about 5 million copies. A movie based on this novel released in the year 2011 and turned out to be a huge box office success.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Gauri Trivedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110630462290189765noreply@blogger.com2