Indian Readers discussion
READING PROGRESS 2017
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Naveen reads, writes, draws and blabbers
Mod
For art and unrelated writing, guess we have to make another folder. Shall get to it later today.
Shalini wrote: "Good luck. This folder is mostly for books read and related reminiscences. For art and unrelated writing, guess we have to make another folder. Shall get to it later today."
Thanks Shalini. Thought so. Will keep this relevant to reading and books.
Lovesfrost wrote: "happy reading!:)"Thanks :)
So starting with one of my recent reads - American GodsI feel this is a book that has to be experienced and would mean different things to different readers. Hence a traditional review wont do it any justice. I can only describe the book in the context of how it made feel. So here's the review:
What do you believe?
This is a book that teaches you to believe.
Believe in stories.
Believe in your Gods and others' Gods too.
Believe that they are real and also that they are not.
Believe that it does not matter either way.
Believe in the human heart.
Believe in the power of perception and the power of our thoughts.
Believe in the power of companionship and empathy, sacrifice and love.
Believe in words and symbols, deals and pacts.
Believe in reality and fiction and that they are both the same thing maybe.
Believe in land and culture, ideas and metaphors.
Believe in ourselves.
And more importantly believe in each other.
Mod
Shalini wrote: "Just read Norse Mythology, this one surely in my radar."Norse mythology is on my TBR. Looking forward to it.
I feel like norse mythology in general has slowly entered our collective psyche in a big way recently. My first brush with it started with Marvel comics and then House of Leaves sort of deepened my curiosity. Now with the whole of Marvel movies becoming a full blown thing, American Gods (which has its fair share of Norse mythology) getting its own TV show and Gaiman writing a full blown book about Norse mythology, suddenly I see it all around me :D
American Gods - Exploration.I think the book is all about Shadow learning how to live. Not just live but be alive. Through out the book, Shadow goes from being someone to whom life does things to being someone who actively does things and impacts the world he is in. He goes from being a passive participant in his own life to being the driver of it. In this way he has become alive.
The theme of being alive, being dead and being both is also constantly explored through out. Laura dies and lives and dies. Shadow dies and comes back both literally and metaphorically. Even Wednesday and Low key essentially play with this theme of rebirth and reincarnation.
That's an interesting perspective! I hope you like the book, i failed at my first attempt but second time around, it was a different thing altogether
Happy reading
I finished it recently Jaya. And I liked it :)I am looking forward to reading a lot more Neil Gaiman in the future.
American Gods - Power of thought. Another major theme that runs through out the book is about the power of thought and the power of belief.
Here, Gods exist as thoughtforms. They are basically belief personified. The book is set in a world where people's beliefs breed things into existence and also makes them powerful over time.
This concept of thoughts and convictions affecting reality is something I usually do not subscribe to in self help books but here Neil Gaiman doesn't just use it as a way to justify the Gods and their presence in America but also explores the other side to it. The bleaker side.
What happens when someone brings someone into existence by their belief but then stops believing in it soon after? It is analogous to an abandoned child. Only here, the abandoned children and powerful and dangerous. Much like the misguided youth of any country which fails to accommodate them into society and provide them with the proper resources.
The book makes you question how responsible are we for our beliefs? Should we be held accountable for our beliefs like we often are held responsible for our children?
Currently reading On the Road.The narration is almost stream of consciousness and fortunately very entertaining stream of consciousness. I have heard a great many things about the character of Dean Moriarty on the interwebs and also the introduction by Ann Carter seems to portray the character as the most recognizable element of the book.
Given all this, it is surprising that so far there is very less of actual Dean page time. Maybe Dean will return soon and will then take over the book with his Hunter S Thomspson esque hijinks.
Dark tower trailer is out. I have recently finished the Gunslinger and the Drawing of the three but unfortunately haven't finished the rest of the series yet. The trailer looks like it draws heavily from the first book (The Gunslinger) but differs quite a bit.The thing that bugged me the most is the scene in which Jake is trying to convince Roland to save the tower. What?
Roland in the books is obsessed with reaching the tower and saving it. He doesn't need Jake to tell him that. In fact Jake and everyone else in general in the books think that Roland has gone too far with his obsession of the tower and his quest to save it. Roland is a tower junkie. That is his most defining aspect. Someone else trying to drive him to save the tower is just NO!
Matthew Mcconaughey does look like a compelling Man in the black. The books so far have been sort of a deep and personal character study and I hope the movie carries the same depth and doesn't just focus on the action and the other flashy stuff in the series.
Just finished The hero with a thousand faces by Joseph Campbell
Mixed feelings. Will put up a review later in the night.
Naveen wrote: "[on the road cover image]"Your copy?
Mod
Sharadha wrote: "Naveen wrote: "[on the road cover image]"Your copy?"
Yes :)
Shalini wrote: "A beautiful copy by the looks of it. This one too yet to be read by me, and would love to know how you liked it."Liking it so far. The characters are very real but also fantastic and strange. The narration is authentic and revelatory in its own way. Will let you know how it goes.
Review of The Hero with a Thousand faces.
I ended this book with a lot of mixed feelings.
The Hero with a thousand faces explores the different storytelling tropes and the structure of mythology and folklore across different times and cultures all over the world - an exercise in dissecting the concept that is comparative mythology.
Now, this book teaches you a lot about how a good story is built, what elements go into it and what constitutes a story that appeals to all of human kind on a deep psychological and instinctive level. It attempts to provide a template with which a universally resonating story can be created. As an writer, I felt that this is a huge lesson in storytelling.
The problem for me lies in the fact that the author tries to shoehorn all of the stories and mythologies into this template. The book sees all of the stories as more or less an variation of this template and in the process makes some far fetched connections and bizarre interpretations. It sees a theme and some psychological construct tied to to all sections of stories even when there might be none. It appropriates a certain level of intent and spiritual layer to the writers who wrote these stories and interprets them in a forcibly narrow view.
The absolute certainty with which Joseph Campbell seems to think that a certain story (told in ancient times with vastly different context and lifestyle to our current understanding ) means certain things is a turn off for me.
Other than that, the book is certainly insightful, sometimes a little obscure and difficult to read but overall a book you can try if you are interested in the method of storytelling or comparative mythology.
Mod
beautiful copy and pic!
Manju wrote: "Naveen wrote: ""beautiful copy and pic!"
Thanks Manju :)
Also coming to The Hero With a Thousand Faces, don't we now eagerly consume and celebrate stories that go against the traditional Hero's journey? Don't we all now like fiction that subverts these tropes or reinterprets them in different ways like Game of thrones, House of Cards or Gone Girl and the like?Isn't de-construction and subversion of the traditional hero's journey, the new normal? Isn't popular fiction now deliberately different from what was considered popular earlier?
What do readers now like? Stories that stick to traditional formula and characters that have traditional arcs or would you prefer books that defy these things - that do not have satisfactory endings .. that do not have predictable arcs and are sometimes deeply upsetting .. that do not provide proper closure and proper rewards for characters actions etc?
On page 172 of On the RoadLike everyone else in the book except Sal Paradise, I am right now a little irritated and overwhelmed by Dean Moriarty but at the same time also deeply fascinated by him. Is he just an entertaining con man or is he in his own twisted way a philosophical saint?
Started reading I, RobotAlways thought any Asimov's book would be like one of those boring classics. Fortunately proven wrong.
Finished the first story and liking it so far.
Review of On the RoadOn the road is a book that doesn't lend itself easily to descriptions.
Is this is a travelogue? Is this a book about Sal Paradise and his friends? Is this a character study of Dean Moriarty? Is this a book about America?
Its all of them and also none of them. This book is the answer to what if drifters, crazy people, criminals and dysfunctional vagabonds were also pretty articulate writers. The narrator is Sal Paradise, a writer who is always looking for or else is caught up in a road trip across America. He chronicles his life and the antics of his colorful friends and their absurd lives. Particularly most of the book is focused on Dean Moriarty, the friend who often introduces the necessary craziness to it all.
The appeal of the book lies in the way it makes you see your life in a completely different light. All the important things are trivialized and vice versa. Things we consider necessary such as safety, security, a steady job, respect, money or stable relationships are all brushed past in a constant search for 'kicks' by the group. Similarly the things we think are trivial like a mundane ride down the road, a round of drinks among friends are transformed into things of profound and enormous spiritual and philosophical importance. The book makes you live in the present and appreciate each moment with a sort of strange dream like devotion to life.
Sal and Dean are brilliant contradictions in the sense that they are constantly looking for external stimulation and kicks but their perception of these is heavily internalized and cerebral. Partying wildly for spirituality and philosophical search for truth is the book's primary exploration.
A word of warning. The content of the book and Sal's thoughts are vastly colored by the times (1940-50) in which the book is set. There are gracious amounts of misogyny and racism on display. They do not disrespect them ( any more than they disrespect the white males. The books is irreverent throughout) but women and people of other races are seen as exotic 'things' that Sal and his group need to explore for kicks. There is no concrete effort to see them as people - only as tourist attractions and thrills.
In conclusion, this book is a good read if you are trying to understand the point of view of people who defy social and cultural norms and travel from place to place and live moment to moment. It can act as a fresh reminder that sometimes we can see things differently and focus only on things that make us truly happy and alive.
Mod
Shalini wrote: "A good sum up. Planning to read it some time or the other,.. but not too soon."Ok. Will be waiting for your review :)
Finished IRobot. Review will be up soon.
IRobot review :I was wrong.
I thought Asimov's books were old classics that would bore me to tears and any interesting themes they deal with might already be done to death over time by other books and media.
I was grossly wrong.
IRobot manages to not only stay captivating but also fresh over all these years. It goes beyond the usual themes and tropes that popular robot fiction deals with. The standard questions of what makes us human and what separates humans from robots etc are all trivial when compared with the questions that IRobot asks and sometimes tries to answer.
Through a series of stories, Asimov establishes the laws of robotics and builds his world, while deftly maneuvering through different times and locations.
Over the course of reading this book, I have realized that the book at its core is a collection of detective stories like Sherlock Holmes. Except for the first story, rest of them read like the classic seemingly unsolvable cases that have to be solved with limited resources but abundant deduction and logic. This is Sherlock Holmes in SPACE. With ROBOTS.
In the process of slowly unraveling the cases, Asimov gives us a glimpse into the laws of robotics, the psychology behind it and the kind of unique problems that might arise because of this and also the kind of benefits this provides.
A must read for fans of sci-fi, detective fiction or just plain good stories.
Mod
Shalini wrote: "Another one in my TBR, but no idea when I will tackle all the books that I want to read."Same here. My ever growing list of TBR is not showing any signs of slowing down. If only my reading speed could catch up :D
Reading Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the MarketsInteresting stuff. Taleb sure hates the MBAs though. Hey we are not so bad!
Finished Fooled by Randomness. Review will up be soon.
Review of Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the MarketsThis is a book that makes you feel hopeful and resigned at the same time.
In a world which sees causality and patterns everywhere, Nassim tries to switch the world view to one that is dominated by randomness. The whole of the book is an attempt to make the reader realize that more or less, the world runs on luck and random chance.
Nassim's tone is irreverent throughout. Some readers might see a problem with his superiority laden remarks and lack of humility at times. Nassim often ridicules those who are very certain about their own theories and ideas but in the process comes off as someone who has the same vices and problems.
This is not the book you might want to read if you want solutions to the problem of randomness and uncertainty. The author himself agrees that he offers no solutions but only aims to educate that there is a problem. Though we are all fooled by randomness, the book is maybe a handy guide to at least realize that sometimes we are being fooled. It offers a different way to see the world and interpret the things we see. It also makes you feel, whatever way you interpret it, you are more likely to be wrong than right. In that sense the book makes you hopeful of not being easily fooled by randomness but also makes you resigned in the face truly unpredictable nature of the world.
Read this if you are looking for something which is intellectually stimulating, moderately entertaining and filled with some big ideas that might fundamentally change the way you think about how the world works.
Mod
"
One of my favorites.
Shalini wrote: "Naveen wrote: "Next up on the reading list"
One of my favorites."
Enjoying it so far. My first Murakami. His style is so unique and different.
Kafka and his backpack. Finger sketching on instagram stories
300 pages into Kafka on the shore. Nothing makes sense but strangely it doesn't feel out of place. This is my first Murakami and I have to say I have never read anything like this before. Despite everything being surreal, the prose flows smoothly and the book manages to be an absolute page turner so far.
Mod
Shalini wrote: "Murakami is one of my favorite authors. Nothing really makes sense ...but the language and flow is soothing, despite being unconventional at places."It definitely is soothing. Also somehow I feel spaced out for sometime after I read this book. Everything in the world feels fake and dreamlike. Maybe its because the prose is so surreal.
Mod
Manju wrote: "kafka on shore is in my tbr. will look out for your review."Most likely will finish it today. The review will be up soon :)
Finished Kafka on the shore. Review will be up soon.
Kafka on the shore : reviewA character in the book says
there's a little room where we store those memories. A room like the stacks in this library. And to understand the workings of our own heart we have to keep on making new reference cards. We have to dust things off every once in awhile, let in fresh air,
And that is what I think this book is. A way to dust off our own libraries of the mind. A way to let our private libraries of hearts breath once again. A way to understand ourselves.
The book doesn't make sense and I frankly don't want to make sense of it. I don't think that's the point of the book. The point of the book is to bask in the barrage of feelings that come along with it and look inwards. This book is the closest I got to dreaming while awake. And like dreams, the book is not made to make sense but to evoke something in you.
This is my first Murakami and these are also my fastest 615 pages. I clearly have a difficult time articulating why I am so drawn to a book that has no conventional structure or narration, a book that is surreal and often downright contradictory.
Murakami with his strange narrative style makes the book fantastically hallucinatory yet deeply personal at the same time. This definitely is not going to be my last Murakami, that's for sure.
Mod
Manju wrote: "lovely review. :) i guess it snatched perfect 5."Well .. 4 stars. Because it did not impact or change my world view or how I perceive things.
Its a wonderful surreal journey inwards though.
Indian Readers
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A one stop place where I intend to record all my reading updates, reviews, sketches, daily write ups, articles etc. Let me know if I am supposed to create separate threads for art and other articles.