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Back with Adiga's The White Tiger...

THE WHITE TIGER
Author: Aravind Adiga

Out of the ten I know who have read Adiga, nine people disliked The white tiger. The reason is too obvious. I wonder if we refuse to acknowledge the bitter truth. I ask why don't we like it as it is with the pinch of salt (maybe a heap!).

It is easy of the surface but if you read it just for this fact, you miss out on what lies beneath Adiga's words, the unconquerable truth, truth we all know of yet would take a writer like Adiga to write. Of course, many of us belong to the same section of Ashok and Pinky, who have fun on the part of their illiterate drivers. Does that pinch us hard?

I, personally, loved the humor with which Adiga has presented the truth. Though the end turns too good for Balram, the book does question the morality of every Indian. A lot of readers of Adiga would come up with the point that such poverty doesn't exist in most parts of India, which is true of course, for most of the states which are backward, yet not touched by industrialization have enough,maybe that is why Adiga revolves the story around Delhi and a Naxal hit place...

Indeed, I am one of the few who think Adiga deserved the Booker. Of course, don't read it if you want peaceful sleep at nights.

Thus, I'm onto reading his second book-Between the Assassinations!

The hour of the Goddess –Memories of Women, Food, and Ritual in Bengal

The hour of the Goddess –Memories of Women, Food, and Ritual in Bengal
By Chitrita Banerji
Seagull Books
Rs 475

Food, women and rituals-three features that are interweaved in an Indian’s life, the author remarkably presents a book which relates to the three and does it effectively. Not being a cook books fan, it was a surprise when the book did turn out more or less reflective of the ‘Bong’ culture, highlighting history, food facts and titillating your sensations with mere description of aromas or food.
Another interesting fact is that the author revolves around her own life starting from her childhood when she used to sit with her grandma to her stay in Bangladesh where she lived with her Muslim husband but the story of her life never overlaps the story of food, culture and religion in Bengal.

Her language reflects of a Bengali background as she uses ‘Sutti’ making reference to ‘Sati’, ‘proshad’ instead of ‘prashad’ and ‘karolas’ instead of ‘karela’. A good socio-cultural research is found throughout the book and can be accredited for her stance of why Bengalis not only love sweets but have an equally addictive taste for the sour food items like neem and karola. Moving on to the East and West Bengal divide, marriage into a Muslim family and her mothers widowhood, Chitrita flows with her thoughts giving the reader a socio-economic-cultural aspect of lives of the Bengali women.

The book intrinsically weaves black and grey pictures which are a treat to eyes.

3 stars out of 5!

You are Here--- guess that is nowhere!

You Are Here by Meenakshi Reddy Mahadevan
Penguin
Rs 199.

We all at times give in to reading the ‘hyped’ books and I guess that was the case with me as well when I picked up this book--- “You are here” by Meenakshi Reddy. Another reason was for I’d heard like most of us that she was a blogger too…

The novel is about Arshi, working in a PR agency, in her 20’s with a broken family, a fiery boss, a room-mate Topsy who is as confused as Arshi. The narrative all through reflects the psychology of today’s youth and makes use of the language which is so damn acceptable. A slice from a girl’s life that revolves around her ex boyfriend, her friend, her room mate, her new boy friend. On the basis of character and plot, there is no real development, you already seem to know the story coz maybe one or two of your friends have gone through the same grilling. Humor, slangs and pangs are pretty well used by the author. A chick lit genre which may satisfy a few, it doesn’t fit in for me.

There is nothing that makes her stand out as an author which is a little disappointing for I do think that she does know the nerve of the teens and metros.
Not really worth a recommendation!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte...a classic!

I finished Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte a few days ago. And eh, I loved it!

Well, if I begin like this-you know what to expect! Still, going ahead-the writer has no doubts fascinated me with her simple yet effective language and techniques. I am all ready to get another book by the same author.

Jane Eyre- a character so simply drawn-the book traces the life of this girl called Jane and as I finished it, I was definitely spellbound. There is nothing exaggerated all through, be her candid nature as a small girl or her musings upon love at 18. The simplicity of the story is unparalleled, at times indeed the tale is predictable but the character of Jane may never allow you to be 100% sure.

I must say that book makes you believe in love and goodness of heart. Thus, for the lovelorns-don't give it a try for it may once again reinstate the very 'hope'. As I was googling on Jane Eyre-I came to know there is a movie as well. Hoping to lay my hands on it soon!

(Note- Many of us are trying our hands at short stories-many are authors, so if you feel a knick for a short story, check this competition. I might be trying my hands too :P. And NO, I ain't associated with them. )

The zen of blogging!

Wanting to digress from the common themes of the books that I've been reading, I downloaded an ebook called "the zen of blogging" by Hunter Nutall, who is a blogger himself! I expected it to be a long read but it took me just 20 minutes to finish it. It isn't a typical ebook about blogging but it digs on the various aspects of blogging.

What is interesting is the authors take during the finishing chapter of the book. However, I found the beginning a bit too exaggerated but it founds a base during the closing chapters. A few common lines that voice in each and every chapter can be a li'l irritating to people like me but counting the fact that it takes just 20 minutes to finish I give it a five on ten!

Ayn Rand-The fountainhead...

I stand at the end of no tradition. I may stand at the beginning of one

It is amusing how the right book strikes you just at the right time.

It was in the blue moods of mine that I finally picked up Ayn Rand's 'Fountainhead'. Till now, I have heard a lot of praises about the book but I'd never actually thought that such a masterpiece may exist. The characters of Roark and Dominique are as strong as of Gail and others.

I am not reviewing it, it doesn't need any reviews. It is one of the masterpieces. A must have!

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