Lolita: Book Review

I chanced up on 'Lolita' in the local library and was intrigued by the review blurb at the back of the book which read " Nabakov writes prose the only way it should be written: ecstatically!" and in that instant I knew I had to read it.

From pop cultural references I had already gathered that Lolita is a tale about an older man's obsession with a young girl. This is the premise of the book but there is so much more to it than the moral aspect of it. The prose for one is a literary treasure. I was completely engulfed by the powerful writing and fell in love with the characters. The viciousness, desperation, helplessness, innocence and love won me over and it was hard to put the book down.

There is not much happening by way of story yet I found myself turning the next page with curiosity and interest. The book does not wish to bring morality into question and is simply told from the perspective of one character. Humbert Humbert the narrator of the book feels so real, honest despite his crimes. There is no denying or making excuses-only narration. Lolita is also equally complex-an adolescent who is promiscuous, manipulative and victimized.

We know at the beginning of the book that a murder has been committed and also who committed it but the identity of the victim is revealed only in the end. Each episode and character is brought to life by the magical writing. So influenced was I by the book that I was ready to reread the book as soon as I finished it. I have never felt this way about any other book. Nabokov has instantly moved into my five favorite authors list. I intend to read as much of his works as possible.

Bombay Time: Thrity Umrigar

I had heard about Thrity Umrigar in a discussion about Indian writers during one of my hikes. Naturally, when I saw a book by this author at the book sale, I picked it up.

Bombay Time is a story based on the lives of a group of middle class Parsis in Wadia Baug, Bombay. During the wedding reception of one of the members' son, everyone gathers and the story unfolds in the form of memories and reflections about the past, their youth and the various incidents that lead to their present circumstances in life. It has several interesting characters like the once ambitious Rusi Bilimoria, Dosamai-the gossip, 'Killer Breath' Tehmi, unhappy Coomi, successful Jimmy Kanga and many others.

I was floored by the strong and powerful writing. Every emotion is portrayed with ease and effectively so. I was impressed particularly by the unique quirks of each character and their interesting back stories. My favorite of all the different stories was Soli Contractor's simultaneous falling in love with Mariam and classical music.

The only gripe I have with this novel is that it has way too much sadness for one book to handle. There is death and frustration in every character's life. A little bit of happiness and fun would have helped to ease out the negativity. That being said, I'm very keen to read other books by Thrity. 

Memories Of My Melancholy Whores-Book Review

Yet another brilliant book by the Novel prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I finished this novella in two hours straight.

The protagonist of this novella is a 90 year old journalist who decides to celebrate his ninetieth birthday with a virgin prostitute. The book showcases what happens when he falls in love with the girl. It is no ordinary love-a surreal, dream like love expressed in the darkness of the night in a small dingy room rented out for the night with the object of his affection sleeping peacefully. Novels are read, poetry recited, paintings exhibited, gifts showered-all while the girl sleeps and he relishes those precious hours at night.

It is the magic of his writing that brings the entire novel alive. The old man's hopes, desperation, desire, jealousy and passionate love are all portrayed beautifully. I don't have much more to say except that this is yet another literary gem that lingers in the heart long after you've finished reading it. 

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency-Review

This book was recommended by my doctor during my latest India trip.  'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' is a popular series written by Alexander McCall Smith. Based in Botswana, it is a story of a detective agency started by the protagonist Mme Precious Ramotswe.

Mme Ramotwe is a wise woman, proud to be an Africa and loves her country for all its natural beauty, history and traditions. She often comments on how things have changed compared to life during her childhood. Her remarks in the most simple words reflect profound truths and observations about life, living and love which touched my heart and made me wonder what magic the writer has weaved without using any flowery language!

The novel is a collection of the different cases Mme encounters and solves using her sharp mind and common sense. The cases vary from the common place to the sinister-missing husbands, abducted children, cheating doctors, fraud employees etc. It gives the readers an insight into life in Africa, the traditions, social structure, modernization and lifestyle in Botswana.

The novel paints a vivid picture of Mme's personal life starting from her father's experiences as a mine worker in South Africa, her childhood filled with nurture and care by her father's cousin, the unhappy wedding and the setting up and operation of the detective agency. This helps the readers to feel more connected to Mme Ramotswe as opposed to focusing on one single crime until its resolution-the usual style of most detective novels.

My most favorite line in the book is: He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to cat, pumpkins, chicken, the smell of sweet cattle breath, the white sky across the endless, endless bush, and the giraffe that cried, giving its tears for women to daub on their baskets; O Botswana, my country, my place.

I have bought a couple more books in the series and I'm very excited to enjoy the adventures of Mme Ramotswe.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

After reading the poetic and literary beauty 'One hundred years of solitude,' I was looking for a quick read and so I picked 'The girl who played with fire'-the second novel in The Millennium series by Steig Larsson. I had read 'The girl with the dragon tattoo' a couple of months ago and was completely enamored by it.
 

The first book took me by complete surprise. The plot was intriguing and the characters unique. Especially Lisbeth Salander-the protagonist was so different from any of the novels I have read so far. The saga of the Vangar family was filled with drama and mystery. I liked the fact that it was a very fast paced novel with several twists and turns. It was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery novel.
 

Obviously, my expectations were quite high from the second novel. It is a great book but somehow lacks the same grip as the first one. On its own it is brilliant but in comparison to the first one and as a sequel, I was a little disappointed. The adventures of Lisbeth Salander and Michael Blomkvist continue and several characters from the first novel play important roles in this one. I finished the book in two days straight. That has to say something about how much the book can involve you but at the end of it something feels incomplete. Maybe I shouldn't have had such high expectations and I could have enjoyed the book a little better.
 

I am yet to read the last of the trilogy 'The girl who kicked the hornet's nest.' The unusual personality of Lisbeth is the biggest highlight of this series. Her background, talents and experiences are what make the books so popular and interesting.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

After falling in love with 'Love in the time of Cholera' and 'Chronicles of a death foretold', I got my hands on yet another Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel-One hundred years of solitude. I was prepared to have my mind blown away by the Nobel prize winning author. And I was not disappointed.

The novel is a saga of the rise and fall of a fictitious town Macondo through the story of several generations of the crazy Buendia family. There are so many characters and each one of them has a strong distinctive personality yet they all share a common fate because they are of Buendia blood. Much as I tried, I could not pick a favorite as each one of them is so real with their strength and flaws yet equally unreal with their own bizarre and almost supernatural traits.

Best known for its magic realism genre, this novel does not care or pass a judgement about moral or immoral. The characters simply behave according to their inherent nature. There are so many sub plots, themes and motifs in the character yet without overwhelming or confusing, it intrigues and evokes strong emotions in the reader's mind. The novel is an absolute treat for anyone who enjoys literature.The plot is linear with occasional flashbacks, language poetic and the plot fascinating. What I loved the most was the way the writer connects characters from the past with current events depicting the shared fate of the Buendias through generations. The hopes, dreams, fears, mistakes and quirkiness even though different have an underlying common point and that unites the entire novel through six generations.

After completing the novel, I feel an emptiness inside me which I think will be filled only by starting yet another of the master's novel.

Deception Point

I just finished reading Deception Point by Dan Brown and I knew I had to write a review for it. I've read Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Digital Fortress' before and was very impressed by his super fast narrative and action packed story. Deception Point did not disappoint me at all.

Similar to his other book, this novel is also unfolds in twenty four hours. The protagonist is Rachel Sexton, a National Reconnaissance Office employee who is sent by the President to authenticate the NASA's recent discovery. With the help of two other civilian scientists, she uncovers the fraud that is being staged as the scientific discovery of the century. Do they manage to escape from there and expose the fraud in time forms the rest of the story.

In depth research in the technology used by the government agency as well as about meteorite, fossils and glaciers has been done by the author. There is never a dull moment in the book and enough twists and turns in the story to keep the reader engaged. The writing is simple and peppered with witty dialogues. The novel has a healthy dose of politics, science, technology, action and emotions.


On the whole it is a very entertaining novel that keeps the reader guessing and interested throughout.

Love in the time of cholera

I picked up this book from the book sale as the title was quite intriguing. And it has been a while since I read a love story.

'Love in the time of cholera,' the English translation of a Spanish novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is an enchanting love story spanning an entire lifetime. Fermina Daza, the female protagonist, is the love interest of the intensely romantic Florentino Ariza. She marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino who  represents everything that Florentino is not-rich, powerful, respected and logical.  The story follows the adolescent love affair between Fermina and Florentino and the latter's rejection at the hands of the former. Unlike any other jilted lover, Florentino doesn't go into depression. Instead he decides to wait until Dr. Urbino dies to repeat his vow of everlasting love to Fermina. He takes to having several lovers during this time to help him get over his pain. And when the opportunity arrives after half a century, he does exactly what he had intended. 

I'm floored by the author's complete command over the language and the ease with which he paints beautiful pictures with words. The reader actually gets to experience life in the Caribbean complete with the landscape, superstitious beliefs, troubling times during the war both civil and against cholera along with the way of life of the Caribbean. This book evokes a strong desire in my heart to learn Spanish to relish the original version of the book. 

The characters are so well sketched out that they seem real. Each character has their unique quirks-Fermina has her haughtiness, Florentino his poetry and optimism and Dr Urbino has his passion to be a role model in the society. One can completely relate and sympathise with each one without being biased. 

The novel portrays different kinds of love with varying intensity-each having its own place in life. For example the puerile love between teenagers, the mature love between a husband and wife of many years and the love based on friendship and understanding in the later years. It reinforces my belief that life is nothing without love. 

I did watch the movie based on the novel and it was quite disappointing. It failed to capture the essence of this great novel and just focussed on running through the story. It simply did not convey any of the feelings or emotions. Although I did like one song which is quite haunting.

God of small things: Book Review

I had picked up 'God of small things' by Arundhati Roy from a book sale at a local library. I vaguely remembered my friend recommending it to me a while ago and that it was a Booker prize winner. So I thought of giving it a read. And now that I've finished with it, I am so happy that I did. It's one of the most awesome books I've read in quite some time now.

It follows the story of a Syrian christian family in Kerala, while giving us a glimpse of the world through the eyes of children, the caste system and its influence on the actions of people, of love, innocence and hatred.

The plot is strikingly similar to the classic 'To kill a mockingbird' but that doesn't make the book any less worthy of praise. What I like about the book is not so much the story but the narrative. The author has a way of painting pictures through words and they come to life to absorb you into the story. The ability to convey emotions in very simple yet highly effective words is the writer's strength. After reading through the first few chapters, you get a good idea of the story. The beauty is that this doesn't deter the book from being a page-turner.

The details into which the writer goes to establish the characters is simply brilliant. The book throws light on life in Kerala and the caste politics in a very raw and straightforward manner. Love and betrayal are recurring themes in the story. Be it Estha's betray at the hands of the 'Orangedrink Lemondrink' man or Velutha's betray by Estha, each character has their trust destroyed at some point. All these incidents are interconnected and cause the story to progress.

My favorite part of the book is the depiction of the world through the innocent eyes of Estha and Rahel. It portrays how children view the world and how words spoken by adults assume a life of their own. Reading words backwards, blowing spit bubbles or planning to run away from home-all the typical childish behavior is beautifully described and brings the children closer to the reader's heart.

On the whole, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a descriptive and emotional novel. Those looking for a quick read without bothering about literary quality of the book may find this disappointing. Justifying its title, the book indeed is about the God of small things and is important and enjoyable for these very small things.