Have you ever read a book that was recommended by so many and ended up wondering why you did not like it? Because that was m...moreReview from Read that also
Have you ever read a book that was recommended by so many and ended up wondering why you did not like it? Because that was my precise feeling after I read The missing rose.
The book depends heavily on coincidences, but is neither able to explain them away, like an ordinary mystery work, nor give them a mystic charm or aura like Coelho's works.The book depends heavily on coincidences, but is neither able to explain them away, like an ordinary mystery work, nor give them a mystic charm or aura like Coelho's works(less)
I loved the whole concept of the book. The author has put in painstaking efforts to explain away the supernatural elemeants...moreReview from Read that also
I loved the whole concept of the book. The author has put in painstaking efforts to explain away the supernatural elemeants of legends and folklore and has skill fully navigated the thin line between believable history and fantasy. This along with the no frills narration makes this book a thrill to read. You need to have a certain degree of intimacy with Indian mythology to completely appreciate the efforts of the author, but it is not needed to enjoy the book And in passing, i just loved it's cover..(less)
Review from Read that also This book is a thriller to the core. The narration is fast and attention holding.I sort of found difficult to put down the b...moreReview from Read that also This book is a thriller to the core. The narration is fast and attention holding.I sort of found difficult to put down the book for so much was happening and I just needed to know what came next. The surprises, the twists and turns in the plot were neatly packed. I constantly found myself predicting with confidence, what is going to happen next, only to be pleasantly surprised that there was an equally believable alternative. Speaking of believableness, I guess the author is pretty familiar with the police procedures and lingo and stuff. This adds a shade of reality to the whole drama and its enaction. (less)
I would recommend this for a light read for laughs IF and ONLY IF, you are not an easily offended person who allows a fair a...moreReview from Read that also
I would recommend this for a light read for laughs IF and ONLY IF, you are not an easily offended person who allows a fair amount of latitude for political correctness in the name of comedy. If you are one of the tribe, hop aboard and enjoy the book.It is fun. Else my advice would be to stay away from it.(less)
Brisk opening and crisp and fast narration does justice to the genre. Mystery is build reasonably well. At times, there are...moreReview from Read that also
Brisk opening and crisp and fast narration does justice to the genre. Mystery is build reasonably well. At times, there are periods where nothing happens, but they also add to the feeling of linearly building up of tension. Sometimes, the bout of action which comes after long periods of idleness makes you wish that the story moved a bit faster. Well, it don’t and I have a sneaky suspicion that this deliberate brick by brick approach is a major reason behind the charm of the book. The author has build up a confusing haze in the beginning and clears it up painstakingly as we move through the book, pausing at intervals to throw a new thread or two at the reader(less)
Reality is not a strong point of this book. But who cares? This is a read where you sit back, relax and breeze past the page...moreReview from Read that also
Reality is not a strong point of this book. But who cares? This is a read where you sit back, relax and breeze past the pages. You just have to know what next before putting it down. The surprise elements are nicely strewn along the way and they develop wonderfully, without hindering the flow of the read. Swain’s mystery of the by invite only club Devil’s door is left at the peak before the narrative jumps to Bradley Johnson.And the privileged ones. An effective technique in building tension. And lo, there comes Tamara, her mom’s client, shot dead in an alley. The pace and flow of narration makes this an interesting read. There is excitement and the book manages to hold on to the tempo well. I was suspicious if the author would be able to pull of the multiple plot lines into a satisfactory ending. Well, my doubts were completely unfounded. Ending was fit to the pace and tone of the rest of the book, with just enough set aside for a sequel. (less)
There were a couple of things I loved. Like a curious raw feeling invoked in the narrative. The story of Spencer was strangely real. Whi...moreRead that also
There were a couple of things I loved. Like a curious raw feeling invoked in the narrative. The story of Spencer was strangely real. Which only made it more sad. There was little dramatization. You could feel his attempts to fix his life. Which never works out. You could feel his mixed emotions about this father and in general adults of his world. His cynicism and mistrust are also real enough.And his transformation is scary enough.I liked the young guy so much that at times I felt like shaking Spencer to his senses.(less)
The biggest thing I loved about this book was the sheer love and courage of the characters. For some, it is always there. Ot...moreReview from Read that also
The biggest thing I loved about this book was the sheer love and courage of the characters. For some, it is always there. Others surprise you with the hidden reserves.
All the rest of the celebrated highlights of the book, I was not that impressed? Healing power of books? Death as the narrator? Everything sort of fades into background as the story progresses. The courage of the book thief, her mama, papa, the jew, the mayor's wife..... it is that which holds this book together and moves it forward.. War is constant. Still life goes on. All all that we care for in life is still there. Love. Family. Fun. Against the constant fear of tomorrow.(less)
The book would have been quite a good read for me if I had not set my bars so high. But then, it is not entirely my fault. I...moreReview from Read that also
The book would have been quite a good read for me if I had not set my bars so high. But then, it is not entirely my fault. I was smitten by Countess Helga Burbeck , the bossy aristocratically lady. As the blurb of the book says, to her, the war was nothing more than an inconvenience on her shopping trips to Berlin. Her first introduction to the horrors of the war was skilfully portrayed. She starts smuggling children off to Paris. Everyone knows about it. She makes little attempt to do it in dark.
But the book does precious little in developing the characters. Especially the gold mine called Helga Burbeck. And relations. Between countess and her ward and partner in crime Jacob, a Jewish boy. Between Obersturmführer Meyer, the SS officer and her. Instead book proceeds like it was a commentary of her life. Only events were important. Not emotions.
This treatment gives an odd movie like quality to the book. Fast paced and to the point. This is not the way I like my books. But that does not mean that I did not enjoy the action packed sequences towards the end. And the little bit of drama that is inserted as an anti climax.(less)
Melissa, the protagonist, is a typical working wonder-women, juggling a hundred balls in air. She has all the all too freque...moreReview from Read that also
Melissa, the protagonist, is a typical working wonder-women, juggling a hundred balls in air. She has all the all too frequent problems, image issues, relationship troubles...I don't know if I liked her or not. Sometimes, she is so real that you can all too well see her. Sometimes, she is bland and lifeless. None of the other characters are given much time or script. I was always interested in the world of broadcasting. Always wondered what goes behind the shows. It was this premise of the book that first captured my attention.And sure enough the book provided some interesting glimpses to the backroom of a news studio.(less)
The clinical presentation with little fuss is reminiscent of the works of celebrated Asimov.There is hardly any lecturing. P...moreReview from Read that also
The clinical presentation with little fuss is reminiscent of the works of celebrated Asimov.There is hardly any lecturing. People have accepted the advancements is technology as a routine. Reader is mercifully spared of essays about their merit and the nostalgia most of the time. This treatment gives a touch of reality to the narration. The central role played by dreams infuses a fair amount of personality to the characters. After all, what is more personal than your dreams. I have to congratulate the author on his efficient building of tension. He plays his cards close to his chest.
This brings me to something I did not quite like in the book. Too many mysteries. Mysteries building upon mysteries. I was skeptic about how the author was going to tie all the threads together. Well, he has managed to tie most of them, but I am left with the feeling that too much time and effort was spend on setting the stage and the actual play was rushed. (less)
In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom. I took this book to read with a fair amount...moreReview from Read that also
In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom. I took this book to read with a fair amount of trepidation. Having loads of Muslim friends, I had found many of the books about Islam hopelessly prejudiced. But you have to hand it over to Qanta, the author of this memoir for keeping an open mind. It was the obvious lack of prejudice in the apparent view point of the author and the effort she took in reaching out to people and understanding their view points that made the book pretty different
I loved the sneak peaks to life of different individuals especially ladies. It was fascinating to watch people building up their life around all sort of restrictions. I also enjoyed the picturesqueness with which the emotional turmoil of the author is portrayed. On the flip side, while I agree Hajj is an important experience for a devout Muslim, I found her description too lengthy and dragging. Also, I find her disappearing at times, simply being a spectator and offering little on what she thought or felt. And I found a distinct lack of connection between the chapters(less)
I enjoyed the twists and turns the author introduced in the complex relationship between the lead characters with little pr...moreReview from Read that also
I enjoyed the twists and turns the author introduced in the complex relationship between the lead characters with little pretensions and easy and effortless language.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was it's strong cast. For one, almost every name introduced in the book has managed to convey their personality. This is not a small feet considering the book has a reasonably big list. And all the main characters were developed beautifully. I also enjoyed the care given to simple moments in the plot that were not exactly connected with the story, like the relationship between Rachael, the girl who got the heart, with her mother or the conversations between her and her doctor(less)
A Little Bit of Déjà Vu is a book that made me feel exactly that. A Little Bit of Déjà Vu!!!! The plot was vaguely familiar. The st...moreFrom Read that also
A Little Bit of Déjà Vu is a book that made me feel exactly that. A Little Bit of Déjà Vu!!!! The plot was vaguely familiar. The story developed along the same beaten paths. Even the surprises were not surprising. The language in the book is cool and clear. The narration is engaging. But the shallow and slim character list did not do any favor to the already weak plot. If only there was a little more of realism and depth, with the author's amazing grip over narration, the story would have rocked. but sadly it was not so. :((less)
I somehow did not like this book. While I appreciate his tenacity and courage and fighting spirit, he came across as a completely self centered person...moreI somehow did not like this book. While I appreciate his tenacity and courage and fighting spirit, he came across as a completely self centered person to me. (less)
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