Aravind's reading updates - 2013!

[Aravind]

For journaling the reading updates of 2013.

[Ahtims]

which is your first book?

[Aravind]

The first one for 2013 was The Postmaster. This is a short story collection written while he was still in his youth. The only 2 stories of Tagore's that I can recollect having read before is The postmaster and Kabuliwallah. It also had some of his letters he wrote. Tagore's stories are apt for children as well. I felt his narrative is very simplistic and straightforward. Even his poetry as well, I felt it doesn't go too metaphorical. :).


5/5

[Aravind]

The Stranger. This was the second book. Sherin had recommended this to me. It is a dispassionate first person narrative of a person who is an outsider to the society and even himself. He goes to a comedy movie with his girl friend a day after his mother's funeral. Does that sound odd? To us, who are bound by the social conduct, it might appear as misplaced. But that is what he is. The whole story is narrated by that person.
In the afterward, the author tries correlate the protagonist of this story with Christ. But here I didn't feel like he was deliberately acting out that way. Currently I am reading a book on brain and it talks of several abnormal conditions where people are totally devoid of any empathy (autism, asperger syndrome etc). I felt this person is perhaps an aspie.
A very insightful point the story puts through is how someone who doesn't fit into the shoes of the society may be treated with hostility.


4/5

[Anbu]

Cool.. Looks like you are having a good start to the new year with the books.. :)

[Ahtims]

stranger is in my to-read list

[Aravind]

The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human. Dr Vilayanur Ramachandran is a popular neurologist whose studies on various neural abnormalities have shed light on possible cure and also explanations to several little known aspects of brain.
In this book he explains how human nature developed in humans, through his study on mirror neurons. Also have several interesting writings on Autism, synesthesia etc. Not only that, he also dwells into things like self awareness, language, syntax etc, and tries to explain how they all come into use.
The book is written in a very humourous way, and non-medical people as well can understand it..



4/5

[Aravind]

V for Vendetta. "Behind this mask there is more than just flesh and blood. Beneath this mask there is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof."

Don't have anything much to say about this book. Its just awesome. Story is by Alan Moore and graphics by David Lloyd.


5/5

[Aravind]

റവന്യുസ്റ്റാമ്പ്‌ Revenue Stamp. This is the autobiography of famous Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam. I haven't so far read any of her works, Besides, from what I have read and heard, her life story is perhaps the best place to start. Incidentally I came across this Malayalam version and picked it up. What is outstanding is her broad mindedness, and a lively outlook towards life, love, friendship and literature. She recollects the kind of attitude she had to face from many other contemporary writers. Perhaps a woman writing openly of her feeling terrified them. . Her recollection of those love affairs and friendships that fueled her creativity, nonetheless were very inspiring. One would wish how beautiful it would be to be in company of people who could only speak in the language of art and literature.



4/5

[Rags]

Aravind wrote: "V for Vendetta. "Behind this mask there is more than just flesh and blood. Beneath this mask there is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof."

Don't have anything much to say about this book. Its ju..."

I had watched the movie its was just awesome :)

[Aravind]

I liked this purely because of its introspective narrative. I felt genuineness in the concerns, fears and this whole narration of his life singled around the political violence. Loved each character in this book and the way narrator presented them. A self-styled Intellectual and mentor, his Hermione Granger kind of cousin whom he adore, a towering grandmotherly granny and many other family members makes this a very domestic story of families placed in Kolkata and London. The narratives shift spaces and time erratically, it was consistently narrated as a memoir of this wide eyed boy who isn’t able to emotionally catch up with the families disintegrating and tragedies that they are all trying to come in terms with. The book heavily relies on the narrative, and may otherwise seem tad insignificant


3.5/5

[Aravind]

This is the fictionalized account of real story of two young men who, of disappointment in not finding money they expected to steal, brutally murders everyone of a family. But when their story is told, it turns the whole thing awkwardly revolting. Capote's masterpiece shows what fragile and strained society we live in, which is reluctant to accept the responsibilities of the monsters it creates every now and then. At the end, although trial and execution is over, something still lingers on, there is no joy that justice has been made. It leaves behind lot of disappointment at how people could have otherwise be normal, tumble senselessly into the abyss of crime.


5/5

[Ahtims]

Aravind wrote: "This is the fictionalized account of real story of two young men who, of disappointment in not finding money they expected to steal, brutally murders everyone of a family. But when their story is t..."

this has been in my to read list for a long time now. Will try to read it ASAP