The Old Man and The Sea

Year published – 1952

Genre – Novel/Novella

My Rating – 10/10


Review by Dhvani Joshi

            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.

            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.

            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.

            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.

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.

            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.

A must read.


About the Reviewer

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 Crumpled Chillies. 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!

The Alchemist

Book - The Alchemist
Author - Paulo Coelho
Genre - Allegorical/Psychological Drama
Year Published - 1988
My Rating - 9/10

Review by Priya Sreeram

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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 Veronika decides to die, The witch of Portobello or Brida, Coelho breathes life in to his characters; makes sure that the story stays with you for a long time.

The Alchemist 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 !


Story :-

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.

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.

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 !

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 :-

• If a person really truly wants something, all the forces on universe would conspire in making sure that he gets it.

• 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.
• It's not what enters man's mouth that is evil, it's what comes out of the mouth that is
• There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve - the fear of failure !

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 !

About the Reviewer

Priya Sreeram is a SAHM for her 2 dumplings and is blessed to have a loving,wonderful and supportive spouse who is her back-bone. A passionate foodie, she chronicles her hearth & heart adventures in the food blog BON APPETIT . Also a  voracious reader & travel enthusiast, her travel footprints and musings find voice in her blog Straight from my Heart !! .   

Revolution 2020

BOOK – REVOLUTION 2020

AUTHOR – CHETAN BHAGAT

GENRE- LIGHT FICTION

YEAR PUBLISHED – 2011

MY RATING – *****/10

Review by Shazneen Gazdar Pathak

The Story

The tagline  (Love. Corruption. Ambition.) , Refers to the key themes of the book. 

Revolution 2020 is the story of three childhood friends: Gopal, Raghav, and Aarti. The story is set in the holy-city of Varanasi.

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.

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.

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.

As the story progresses, Raghav crack JEE and join IIT-BHU, Gopal is unable to get through, 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.

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. 

Raghav, who graduates as an engineer from BHU, takes up a job as a reporter for a newspaper, he 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

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.

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. 

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.

(I have been a spoiled sport by telling the entire story but, purposefully have not revealed the end!!!!!)

The Review:

Revolution 2020 sets out to do something else. The book throws the dice by asking the question, ‘Are You Ready for the Revolution’, on its back cover.

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 “

I’m afraid the book is none of that. 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. Chetan Bhagat has successfully been able to portray the love triangle in his book.

Following the tradition of the latest Bollywood movies, you can find few swearing words which start with letters b and a and f. 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.

It is dramatic in a garish way, idealistic without the backing of reason and sadly self indulgent.

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. 

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.

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.

About the Reviewer

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. 

Her writings on http://reflectionandperception.blogspot.com/ capture the enthusiasm to self challenge and rediscover hidden traits.

Loving Frank

Book Title – Loving Frank

Author – Nancy Horan

Genre – Biographical Fiction

Year Published - 2007

My rating – 6/10

Spoiler Alert!

Some parts of the review may give away the ending of the novel.

The Story

In the year 1903, Mamah  Borthwick and Edwin Cheney  hire an Architect Frank Llyod Wright 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 Catherine 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.

The Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mamah’s admiration for the revolutionary feminist writer Ellen key 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 portrayal where Nancy Horan scores the most. 

Significant Specifics

Loving Frank is the debut novel of Nancy Horan.

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.

Bringing up kids without tearing them down

Bringing up kids without tearing them down 
Leman, Kevin. 

Review by Monika Singhi Celly

The author offers practical advice on raising children in a way that won't hurt their self esteem, starting with ``A-B-C's'' of self-worth (acceptance, belonging, confidence). 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 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.

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. Overall, a good book for parents.

About the Reviewer

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 Vegetarian Surprises.

2 States - The story of my marriage

Book Title – 2 States, The Story of my marriage

Author – Chetan Bhagat

Genre – Fiction, Romance, Drama

Year Published - 2009

My rating – 4/10

The Story

Krish and Ananya 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.

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.

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.

The Review

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 reading 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.

Let us begin with some good things about this book.

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.

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 Bala are also funny in places.

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.

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 not cook, which in my opinion is a trait possessed by a strong personality taken into context of an Indian society.

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.

Now the not so good part:

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.

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!

From the main characters, Krish lacks the personality that Ananya is so full of. Maybe it’s true, opposites attract.

Krish’s maternal side of the family is too much to take. I wish the author had given them fewer pages.

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.

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.

My recommendation would be a NO assuming the reader could be anybody and from any part of the world.

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.

Significant Specifics

Most of this book is a true account of the Author’s own romance and marriage.

I'LL Walk Alone

Book Title – I’ ll Walk Alone

Author – Mary Higgins Clark

Genre – Fiction, Suspense

Year Published - 2011

My rating – 4/10

The Story

Alexandra “Zan” 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, Mathew’s whereabouts still dominate Zan’s life. Ted Carpenter, 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^th 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 Bartley Longe, her ex-employer and a bitter rival who seems to be capable of stooping to any level to take his revenge. But Father Aiden O’ Brien 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, Alvirah Meehan 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.

The Review

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.

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.

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.

Significant Specifics

I’ll Walk Alone has been written by the Author at the age of 84.