bookshelves: currently-reading
]]>
A first from John Grisham, a Collection of short stories. I have read a lot of Grishams and I kind of got the feeling that even he was bored while writing this one.
The last story sealed the deal. An emotional tale about an Aids afflicted man who returns to his hometown to die and the reactions of the residents to this uncomfortable situation.It makes you want to put your book down and go out there to do something about it.
]]>
"The Outliers"
]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>
Two books I just finished.
1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Click to read review
2.The Inscrutable Americans by Anurag Mathur
Click to read review
]]>
The usual stuff about the ordeals of a gauche, naive, teenaged virgin from India growing up the fun way in an American University. Gopal goes through a series of adventurous mishaps all while trying to lose his virginity in a country he cannot begin to understand, either the language or its people, and does his cramming in between because it’s just too easy to waste all his time on.
The hilarious encounters are thankfully not just restrained to the vernacular translation gaps. The entire thought process of such person, when exposed to the average human being (From any country!) will obviously seem outrageously funny.
The writer does a good job of communicating poor Gopal's plight and in the process gives his two bit on quite a few issues like the Vietnam War, religion, vegetarianism, drug addicts, racism etc., without being too judgmental.
A simple, light hearted good read.
]]>
The book lived up to its title 'Chronicle'. A man so distraught over his wife's abandonment, he won't accept any simple explanations, willing to prolong his agony while he finds out 'why' rather than boot up and get over it. He 'chronicles' every little event since the unfortunate incident (actually, since a little while before the incident) supposedly with the aim of getting anyone at all to provide insights into his life that is seemingly 'open book' but is quite the opposite.
The interesting characters he encounters seem just as miserable as he is and shed a lot about their lives quite willingly:misery loves company?
Anyway the mystery builds up to quite a predictable end, which is a relief considering the strange and weird going on's that could be interpreted in so many different ways and that is where, I think, Murakami's magic comes in. The thrill is as much or more in arriving at the destination rather than in the destination itself.
]]>
|
|
Sowmya wrote: "Yes its very engrossing..so many chores to do in between!! ugghghgh! " |
see all comments ]]>
by Haruki Murakami
Nitish wrote: "Is this one a collection of short stories? I haven't read any of his books, have heard a lot about Murakami, especially his "Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" and "Norwegian Wood", need to check out these as..."
Yes it is. I have those books but got so busy recently..cant wait to get to them. ]]>