false 17 279 276 true 5702979 read 0 true 536587 currently-reading 3 true 536586 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64299118 to: The Naked Face (Paperback) by Sidney Sheldon
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51961054 to: Alice in Wonderland (Hardcover) by Lewis Carroll
I have been hearing the terms “Rabbit Hole”, “looking Glass”, “Humpty Dumpty” etc for many years but somehow did not read this book. When I heard that Tim Burton’s adapting this into a movie I decided that I could not put it aside any longer. Now I am glad that I did not read it when I was a kid because I couldn’t have appreciated this at that time.
Before reading this one, by listening to people I formed an opinion that it would be similar to “Wizard of Oz” a simple story which would be a treat for people who like to imagine. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I found the book “curiouser and curiouser”. It’s hard to write about a book that doesn’t have any traditional structure and yet is full of logic and non-sense at the same time. The non-sense in the book might put off many people. But if any one else like me too realized the penultimate truth that the non-sense is the only sensible thing in this world, then they are going to love it. After all as Ayn Rand had put it "To demand 'sense' is the hallmark of nonsense. Nature does not make sense. Nothing makes sense". so if anyone agrees with that, they will love this one and moreover book says we are all mad in here and I am not sure what the author meant by ” here” but whoever is living “in here” may also like it.
Coming to the plot, it is completely unimportant which makes it a very interesting read. Now coming to characters in this book there is the irritating-sweet and intelligently-naive Alice, a mad hatter, a murderous queen(yeah in a so called children’s book), a mock turtle, a pig-baby, grinning-vanishing-Cheshire cat and many others. I mean where else in the sensible World can we find better characters than these. One irritating thing which I initially found in the book is- the author sometimes uses poetry and rhymes. And I am one of those guys who are unable to appreciate poetry. I thought of skipping them, but they were a laugh-riot and I found myself reading them again and again. This I believed would never happen in my lifetime.


I am happy that Burton is adapting it, because I believe he alone can capture the quirkiness of the book, but I am not sure how I would feel seeing Mr. Carroll’s logical non-sense on the screen because I prefer reading this one again and again rather than watching. I just could not wait till I lay my hands on the book’s sequel.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51962628 to: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, Book 1) by L. Frank Baum
As soon as I finished the book, I realized that I could not find any metaphors about real life or hidden political/social commentaries which I expect to find from each and every classic Children’s book. And then I started asking myself- “Why is this considered as a Classic, if it did not preach anything? Maybe I missed something”. I couldn’t find an answer to that question but I realized that I liked it because of its simplicity. Maybe that’s the simple reason why it is considered as a classic. I heard that the movie adaptation of the book (which released nearly 40 years after the book is released) is highly acclaimed. That probably is the reason why it remained in public consciousness for such a long time. Anyway, though I couldn’t understand why it is so popular, I can confidently say two things. One- it is a thoroughly enjoyable children’s book. Two- The Wizard of Oz is wonderful. (no Pun intended). ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14346756 to: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Paperback) by Arthur C. Clarke
I read this book some 4 years ago. At that time I got attracted by the title. (Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres). At that time I haven’t heard about the film and I didn’t even hear the name Kubrick. When I read this book, I found it a bit vague and I felt that I didn’t completely comprehend it and soon forgot about it. Some six months ago I saw the film and I loved it immediately. It’s so abstract that even after reading the book and watching the movie thrice; I am still scratching my head because every time I see this one, I am coming up with a new interpretation. So in order to understand the film, I started a bit of research and found that everyone who had seen this had a different opinion on it. And to make matters more complicated this is what Stanley Kubrick had to say about the movie “You're free to speculate as you wish about the philosophical and allegorical meaning of the film — and such speculation is one indication that it has succeeded in gripping the audience at a deep level — but I don't want to spell out a verbal road map for 2001 that every viewer will feel obligated to pursue or else fear he's missed the point”.

I don’t see any point in comparing any book with its movie version because, whatever I read/see first, I am going to like it and hate the other one, unless the other one is dumb. But 2001 is an exception. Generally movies are faithful/unfaithful adaptations of books, but this one is not so. Arthur Clarke was going to write a screenplay for Kubrick, but instead they both decided to make a movie and to write a book simultaneously taking feedback from one another. So, in a way they are inseparable and that’s why I am talking about the movie.

I liked the movie for several reasons, but the reason I loved it is because it is abstract and encourages us to come up with our own interpretations just like a Andrei Tarkovsky movie. But the problem with the book is that even though it helped me to understand the movie, I felt deceived because Mr. Clarke explained most of the things beforehand, which I liked to understand on my own. Well it’s like knowing the cheat codes before playing the game. What I like to do is first I would like to play the game and if I can’t complete it, then and only then I would go for the cheat codes. So, I might have appreciated the book more, if I had read it after watching the movie.
But the film is so absurdly amazing that, the game has many different versions, even if one has cheat codes for one version, they aren’t applicable for other versions but it’s quite hard to open and play these versions.

In my view the film had elevated the story to greater level, but without the movie, i think this book is just another intelligent dry sci-fi but with lots of metaphors in it.

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44814143 to: The Witch of Portobello (Hardcover) by Paulo Coelho
It’s not that I’m not spiritual, but to be honest I don’t find Paul Coelho’s works enchanting. I only read his books because they are full of teachings of many great thinkers about life, religion, Spirituality, love etc presented in a simple way and I must say that I love using his words (well.. not exactly his but those of great thinkers) in conversations to appear as a pseudo-intellectual. Other than that I really don’t care much about his books even though they are quick reads. Coming to this book, even though it has witches, pagans, Mother Goddess, characters criticizing Catholic Church etc etc, lack of characterization and plot made it boring. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44398085 to: Eleven Minutes: A Novel (P.S.) by Paulo Coelho
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44396983 to: Unaccustomed Earth (Hardcover) by Jhumpa Lahiri
I really liked “Interpreter of Maladies” when I read it for the first time and then after reading “Namesake” I thought that I had enough of the author’s simple and repetitive themes and style. But I was mistaken. I really liked “Unaccustomed Earth”. Though all the characters depicted in it are recycled from the author’s previous works, what’s really amazing about her is that she can still create characters which I/we care. I was always filled with a sense of loss and nostalgia when reading her works. And again after reading this book, I am not sure whether I got tired of her style. So I am waiting for her next book to find out exactly that. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39854020 to: The White Tiger (Hardcover) by Aravind Adiga
Well the stories of murderers and psychopaths are generally like cakes to most of us(and i am no exception). I either love such protagonists or hate them whole-heartedly. Coming to Balaram, the situation is different. I had never felt anything for him even after reading 300 pages. I didn’t even hate him and I was completely indifferent towards him mainly because I felt that his character is artificial and inconsistent.
Every time I read a cynical work or a satire I feel that I have become a bit more intelligent. But coming to White Tiger, the situation is again different. I don’t think I have become intelligent by reading the book’s take on corruption and class inequalities in India.
Though I didn’t like the book much, the one thing I really liked about it is the author’s keen observations and it is the only thing which kept me going. In my view I don’t think his social commentary on Contemporary India comes as surprising to any Indian. Maybe Westerners may find it interesting reading about the so called “real India” or “The Other Side of India”.

P.s:- Why is it that the authors who overplay the negatives of India are so popular? Maybe because they write books about India for foreign senses and maybe it’s because they are doing a social service by bringing the “real unknown India” into limelight. Then why is Satyajit Ray accused of “exporting poverty” by the Indians for his lively and real Indian works

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39566155 to: The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Hardcover) by J.K. Rowling
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39421953 to: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Paperback) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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