Book Review: The Hermit's Story

The Hermit's story: By Rick Bass

Rick Bass (born March 7, 1958) is an American writer and an environmental activist.

“The Hermit's story: stories” is a collection of short stories by Rick Bass. The stories includes in “The Hermit's story: stories” are The Hermit's story, Swans, The prisoners, the fireman, The cave, Presidents day, Real town, Eating, The distance and The deer. These short stories actually appeared in several magazines and "Mariner Books" compiled it as on book.

Every story in this book is remarkable in its own way. Conflict in most stories is survival, but the main theme deals with "nature", that is, Nature- the surrounding and the nature of one self. That is; the twofold of Nature and are mostly melancholy tales.

From the title story “The Hermit's story”, we can understand that he is a writer of great landscapes. he starts the story by ushering the reader to a magical fantasy world. He starts the story by a great magical description:

"AN ICE STORM, following seven days of snow; the vast fields and drifts of snow turning to sheets of glazed ice that shine and shimmer blue in the moonlight, as if the color is being fabricated not by the bending and absorption of light but by some chemical reaction within the glossy ice; as if the source of all blueness lies somewhere up here in the north - the core of it beneath one of those frozen fields; as if the blue is a thing that emerges, in some parts of the world, from the soil itself, after the sun goes down."

The description of every aspect in the story is so elaborated, that there is a description about, beneath the frozen ice in the title story, which is so huge and lavish. The mystery of walking beneath a frozen dry lake, it evokes strong magical mysterious images of the place author created.  It also suggests that the world is much more magical and mysterious than it is usually believed to be.  Why the title is so.? (The Hermit's story). And I think, that A Hermit is someone who lives in seclusion from the society, the character Ann does this in a different way, (she is an animal trainer and lives away from the society), that maybe the reason for giving the name“The Hermit's story” to it.

Author also has given a clear outline of the animal within us, which could be seen in the second story "Swans"."swans" not only deals with nature but also with love too, where he speaks about love, which I found is very true, it enchants the reader, I really enjoyedit.

"I know the best way for a man to love a woman, or woman to love a man, is not to bring gifts, but to simply understand that other person : to understand as much (and with as much passion and concern) as is possible."

Though most are rich with melancholy, they also give a glimpse into lives and places that we have'nt seen. This could be seen from his certain lines in “Presidents day”

"Maybe when I get home it will be different, he thought, Maybe she will have decided she loves me again, or that even if she doesn't, she will work toward getting to that place again. Maybe."

"The Cave" is a stunning story of a man and woman lost in abandoned mine. It blends eroticism, exploitation and death. the language and imagery is crisp and clean. Same as, is the case with "Distance" too, and it once again deals with realism of nature.

"If I could beseech favor from an opportune heaven, it would be to live to see the sight of these trees I have planted fully mature, their leaves brilliant in autumn, bare and elegant in winter, lush emeralds in spring, and deep-shaped during the shimmering roar of summer."

And he also says that cutting down trees are "nothing less than murder".

It is more the poetic and rhythmic description and the portrayal of each and every aspect of the story attracted me. The characters and the well-developed stories land with a lot of punch. If I were to give marks separately for the story and the portrayal or the narrative style, I would give 3.0 (out of 5) for the stories and 4.0 (out of 5) for the poetic description and the portrayal or the narrative style.

If you enjoy stories with the natural world as a main character, you will love this.

- A.M ARUN KUMAR

Book Review: The Immortals of Meluha

THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA

   The Immortals of Meluha is the first book in Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy which is 439 pages long,divided into 26 chapters with a glossary of the Sanskrit/Hindi terminology. What makes this book, and the following two, a good read is the simplicity of language and an easy and racy narrative style. The plot hardly ever slows down enough for the reader to lose interest as one event leads to another.

   The story is set in a country not yet named India and at a time when the mountainous abode of Shiva was not known by the name of Tibet. In The Immortals of Meluha Amish presents Lord Shiva as a human God who was not born a God but was thrust into the role of one and fulfilled his destiny by making all the right choices and doing his duty towards mankind. So when people read the novel, they will feel as if God is someone who is one among us.

   Amish reintroduces us to some very basic tenets of human nature when he speaks of the prominent features of the Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi societies (the clan of the sun and the moon) and their differences. Mulling over this concept, I realized that in our real world, we can actually classify people into Suryavanshis and Chandravanshis too, based on their characteristics and personalities. Asuras or demons and Suryavanshis represent the male characteristics, while the Devas or gods and Chandravanshis represent the female features. Amish cleverly portrays how the Suryavanshis want the Mahadev to help them annihilate the Chandravanshis while the Chandravanshis are expecting Him to join their side against the Suryavanshis. The truth instead is that the Mahadev has to look beyond the petty bickering of the two clans and instead tackle a larger evil among them – all that threatens the very existence of humanity.

   The Immortals of Meluha reimagines Lord Shiva, one of the Holy Trinity of Hindu Gods, as a mortal champion destined for greatness, a change which is quite staggering in its implications since Lord Shiva is a part of the core Hinduism beliefs and a major of the religion’s mythology is built around him and his actions and his favours towards gods, mortals and demons alike. This change necessitates a rewrite of almost all of Lord Shiva’s own mythology and the people who interacted with him. To put it in a Western Christian context, imagine that God is not a God but a unique individual within a pre-existing Christian society and that he redefined the entire society and culture when He came into His own after facing numerous adventures and trials which tested His faith to its very limits.

Considering the novel entirely on its own merits, I’ll have to say that it is a truly wonderful debut. It has characters that I loved reading. The pacing is quite on the straight and narrow. The level of exploration of the internal mythology is superb. The novel seeks to turn some gender, societal and cultural norms on their head and present a modern Indian epic that can appeal to people who believe and support gender equality, while at the same time presenting these norms in their proper context.

   There is a level of pure excitement and energy in the way that Amish Tripathi directs the entire mystery and purpose of the “Neelkanth”. He intermixes the mythic clans of the Suryavanshis and Chandravanshis, descendants of the Sun and Moon respectively, into this mystery, represented by the people of the Kingdoms of Meluha and Swadweep. He also goes on to put the Nagas, a species of humanoidal snakes, as the antagonists, and so sets the stage for an epic conflict that has some interesting and far-reaching consequences for everyone involved. That Shiva, the Neelkanth, is the catalyst for these changes is another highlight of the novel, and it is an element that I feel Amish Tripathi captured really well. The author has taken core concepts of Hindu mythology, done his own unique spin on them, and then told a compelling and involved epic that feels true to the epic fantasy/mythological fantasy genre. His characters, such as Shiva himself and his intended romantic interest Princess Sati of Meluha, live and breathe as characters of worth and purpose, characters who have a potential that the author makes sure to take advantage of throughout the novel. Sati is definitely a standout character in several aspects, more so for the fact that she is rarely, if ever, a damsel in distress. She is a daughter of warriors and her beliefs and attitudes are true to that legacy. She stands alongside Shiva as an equal rather than someone used to move along his story

   Amish Tripathi uses a lot of modern jargon in the novel. It breaks the suspension of disbelief and breaks the setting. I am willing to give the author some benefit of the doubt since Indian terms and concepts do not translate well into English, but the author simply went overboard in this respect. This really could have been handled a lot better. The author describes many situations and often the characters mouth dialogues and terms as if they were living in the modern era instead of four millennia ago as per the tale settings. This was a point, which has been criticized by many readers as well as many critics and is a thoroughly valid one. This is the one major flaw of an otherwise very good debut. Many might feel that the story seems very formulaic by epic fantasy standards in spite of the Indian settings and that might something to keep in mind while reading this debut. The characters appear a bit two-dimensional and are also a bit predictable however since this is the first volume, I think we can wait to see how the individual and overall characters arc pan out in the remaining volumes.

   The story was based on Meluha—the probable ancient name for the Indus Valley Civilisation, according to modern historians. Tripathi also included the Indian Royal lineage of the Sun and the Moon Dynasties, calling them Suryavanshis and Chandravanshis. For the mythological parts in the novel, Tripathi relied on the stories and fables that he had heard in his childhood from his family. Tripathi's grandfather was a pundit and his parents are avid readers of Indian mythology, hence he found it easy to trust what he had heard from his parents and grandparents, and relied on them for the stories in the novel.

   This book will transport you to a different world, a world of perfection and chaos. Where life can be chosen and destroyed, immortality is blessed upon the citizen who leads a rather principled lifestyle without any form of rebellion. It is mythical journey of infinite possibilities. Though, the work is fiction. The author vivid imagination takes you to that journey steep in mystery . There is a clear description of places and events that will make you feel like you are reading an ancient history, that could have taken place thousands of years. It will engrossed you with the author’s riveting way of writing. This book captures how a warrior in search of his destiny , came to a land where he is worship as a God. He must make the decisions to fight against what is perceived as evil, only to find out the enemy is not really what he has always thought to be. He is made to question his own better judgement. An in this search to fight against evil, he has to sacrifice and lose out many things that has always been dear to him.

   The Immortals of Meluha is a ground-breaking novel that has set a new bar for Indian-themed fantasy, and thus it is of immense value in that respect alone. It shows that what Western mainstream fantasy has been doing for decades, Indian fantasy can do as well. I look on at it as an important milestone that has already put Indian fantasy on the world-map.

-          PRIYANKA TOMY

Book Review: Pedagogy of the Oppressed

BOOK - PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED

AUTHOR - PAULO FREIRE

 PUBLISHED BY THE CONTINUUM PUBLISHING COMPANY 1970

 Pedagogy of the oppressed by Paulo freire is a book about Ideas.It was a great read,freire’s ideas are essentially Marxist but they are also humanist and even democratic,in the sense of believing that all people equal. I find this book interesting, basically it pictures about oppressor,oppressed,oppression,banking concept of education,problem posing education,dialogics and conquest, divide, rule, manipulationand cultural invasion.I like the way he pictured oppressed, frerie’s conviction that every human being,no matter how ignorant or submerged in the ‘culture of silence’, he or she is capable of looking critically at the world in a dialogical encounters with others.Ignorance is the direct product of economic, social, political domination.To humanize exploited class,peasantry have to humanize themselves at first ‘concern for humanization leads at once tot the recognition of dehumanization’.freire beautifully states that oppressed can free themselves through struggle to regain their humanity,they must not seek to become oppressors of the oppressors but rather restorers of the humanity of both.I like this concept that’s oppressor do not have power to liberate either oppressed or themselves ‘power of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong enough to free both’. This idea about oppressed evoked my consciousness. I agree with his view that oppressed has the better understanding of the oppressive society and oppressors. He advocates that critical consciousness of the oppressed will enable them to liberate themselves from dominating class and their ideologies. Another important aspects I find in this book are ‘fear of freedom’ and ‘relationship between oppressor and oppressed’. During the process of liberation oppressed do not become new man or woman, they want to identify themselves with oppressors,unconsciously fear inside them lead them to desire the role of oppressors ‘shadows of their former oppressor is still cast over them’. Oppressed unconsciously internalise the image of the oppressor so obviously they become like their oppressors. Freire advocates freedom is acquired by conquest he says ‘quest for human completion’. Followingchapter freire discusses about the purpose of education as in problem posing education, I dislike his comments about teachers, he attacks teachers regarding their authority over students. Teachers acquires knowledge through hard work, I don’t see any crime in reflecting their ideas,thoughts to their students. Freire compares teachers with the oppressors. I dislike his view about teachers but then I like his comments about education he says ‘education becomes an act of depositing, the students as the depositories and teachers as depositors’.It’s clear that problem is with educational system and not with teachers. This ideology prevailed over years teachers had to adapt with that kind of system. There is no point in blaming teachers in the first place. Purpose of the education is to make critical consciousness that can be achieved through interaction or dialogues. Every student have their unique ideas, these ideas could be brought out only through communication. This would enable both teachers and the students to explore the world of ideological myths and beliefs in the society. He says that education as the practice of freedom ‘only dialogue is capable of generating critical thinking without dialogue there is no communication and without communication there can be no true education’.Consciousness enables individuals to perceive world within limit-situations but then critical consciousness enables individuals to perceive world without limit-situations. It just transcends limitations and evokes individuals to struggle and hope for liberation. Through critical consciousness men and women discover that they are creators of culture, respond to changes occurring in the structures of society. In the last chapter he goes on to elaborate about the oppressors, theoppressed, and the revolutionaries in depth. Freire defines the state of oppressor ‘in order to dominate, the dominator has no choice but the deny true praxis to the people, deny the right to say their own words and think their own thoughts’. Dominators can sustain their power through projecting their ideologies, myths. ‘As the oppressor, subordinates and dominates the majority, it must divide it and keep it divided in order to maintain power’. In order to overcome these hurdles and to project human society oppressed should allow oppressors to fuse with them. Freire believes that it is necessary to obtain communion in order to achieve transformation. I like his idea about oppressors that’s oppressors should gel with oppressed basically when oppressors fuse they should not mimic, manipulate and divide oppressed through their ideologies and myths because they are striving to create human society, humancompletion. All they need is cooperation, unity and organisation. Unity and organisation can enable them to change their weakness into a transforming force in which they can recreate the world and make it more human. Oppressed and oppressors are both interlaced, oppressorscan’t liberate by themselves without liberating oppressed. Revolution is human liberation. Idea I liked regarding revolution is that the oppressors should fight along with oppressed and not for oppressed. Oppressors should not be separated from oppressed. What is more interesting in this influential book is that it would evoke the critical consciousness of the readers because it circles around nature of cultural invasion he says ‘cultural conquest leads to the cultural inauthenticity of those who are invaded; they begin to respond to the values. The standards and the goals of the invaders’.Oppressed always follows culture of oppressors in order to identify themselves with the oppressors. Basic idea that friere projects is that unity can bring oppressed and oppressors together. This book contains philosophical language. I would rate this book eight out of ten. I would recommend this to college students. His ideas are essentiallyMarxist, I don’t find any contradictions with any aspects of Marxism.

- C.L.SAMPAUL

Book Review: Revolution 2020

                                           REVOLUTION 2020 - CHETAN BHAGAT

Chetan Bhagat the most famous Indian author also a novelist,columnist,script writer and motivational speaker. Chetan published his first novel “Five Point Someone” in 2004 and this novel took him to the peaks of fame and popularity. Chetan contribution to the field of entertainment is noticeable.He never confined his literary talents to just writing novels.He won the Society Young Achiever’s Award in 2000 and the Publishers Recognition Award in 2005.

The novel “Revolution 2020” portrays the life of three childhood friends Gopal, Aarti and Raghav and all the difficulties that they had been gone through.The plot set against the backdrop of small town called Varanasi. Gopal the protagonist of the novel is very much ambitious about earning money although he is from a poor family.He wants to become rich but he struggles a lot to earn money. Gopal falls in love with Aarti. Gopal is so very poor in studies and can’t able to clear his degree and thus he has been forced to leave Varanasi have to go for the Kota to another city.Meanwhile Aarti falls in love with Raghav. This made Gopal to feel jealous towards Raghav and he also wants to show Aarti that he is better than Raghav.Gopal somehow wants to earn money and so he planned to build a new Engineering college in Varanasi called “Gangatech college” with the help of the MLA Shukla. On the other hand Raghav completed his engineering and joins the largest selling newspaper “Dainik” as an Intern. Raghav starts to bringout the wrongdoings of MLA Shukla and exposes him in public.And suddenly things had taken a different turn when Aarti starts to develop a soft corner for Gopal. The theme of love and friendship is noticeable.At last Gopal sacrifices his love and Aarti happens to marry Raghav.

Revolution 2020 is the fifth novel of Chetan deals with the themes of LOVE,AMBITION,CORRUPTION. Chetan has been invited to Gangatech College in order to deliver a speech.There he happens to meet Gopal. Gopal invited Chetan for a drink. Gopal has been admitted to hospital because of the overdose of alcohol and this is where Gopal shares his own past unhappy lifestory with Chetan and that the real lifestory of Gopal had been published as a book called Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat.

It’s a good novel which deals with the educational system.The novel deals with varieties of themes like politics,ambition,friendship,love,family,corruption etc.I enjoyed reading this novel it is quiet interesting and also arouses the curiosity of the readers.I liked this novel.

- Helen

Book Review: The Kite Runner

THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini

The kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, published in 2003 by Riverhead  books. He worked as a medical Internist at Kaiser Hospital in mountain view,  California for several years before publishing the kite  Runner. In  1999, he learned through a news report that The Talibhan had banned kite flying in Afghanistan, a restriction he found particularly cruel. The news struck a personal cord for him as he had grown up with this sport while  living in Afghanistan. He was motivated to write a 25 page short story but it was rejected and then with the help of his editor he finally wrote the Kite Runner which was on  the top of  Newyork's best sellers for  two years.

 He is  truly a gifted teller of stories. He has beautifully portrayed the afghan culture in and the political and economical tribulations faced by the society.  the network Hassan's voice whispered in my head: "For you,a thousand times over".

The novel  "The  Kite Runner " is set in    Afghanistan, Kabul during the 1970's. It all starts with a kite fighting tournament. Amir and Hassan are sure to  be  the  victors, when something tragic happens to  Hassan and from that day on their life would never be the same again.

Meanwhile the Russians invade Afghanistan and  blow off  the flame from the burning candle. situations force Amir's family to flee to America.Everything's changed in Afghanistan under the Thaliban roof. Afghanistan is now in ruins,just dust and rubble everywhere.

But there is something he's been  longing for his whole life:redemption, and  there is  still a way to  be good again. Will he go for  it?

The theme of  this fiction is about the pain in guilt and the freedom in redemption.

This  novel is remarkable. It is  like a  condensed history of Afghanistan, mixed with unude generosity, honesty and compassion. The  idea of friendship shared between the two  major characters Amir and Hassan is beautifully portrayed.

It is a passionate story of  betrayal and redemption and a searing spectacle of hard won salvation.
It is  a  rich piece of  Afghan culture.

- Fragrance

Book Review: Scion of Ikshvaku

SCION OF IKSHVAKU

    Scion of Ikshvaku the first book of the Ramachandra series by Amish Tripathi attempts to tell the story of Ramayana through modern eyes. The main features of this book are its conversational language, strong women characters and debates on moral issues.

    The book is based on Ram, the legendary Indian king regarded as the incarnation of Vishnu. The story begins with King Dasharath of Ayodhya being defeated in a war by Lankan trader Raavan, and the birth of his son Ram. It follows through Ram’s childhood and tutelage along with the politics surrounding his ascension to the throne and ultimately his fourteen year old exile accompanied by wife Sita and brother Lakshman.

    Amish defends Ram and all his actions in the book. He says that : "I would like to look at him holistically and completely. Practically all Indians love and respect him for what is known as 'Rama Rajya', but I wonder how many people would have actually thought through what 'Rama Rajya' is. That is the thing I want to write about and how he built that society... Through Lord Ram, we might learn that it is cool to follow rules. And that is something I think modern Indians might need to learn."

      Tripathi’s idea behind the series is to make the reader realize what a ideal society is. Through dialogues and repartees between Ram and Bharat he aims to do that. Amish also highlights on the negative impression of Ram, and the term ‘Maryada Purush’ associated with the king. Amish says that: “People erroneously translate the term ‘Maryada Purush’  as 'the perfect man' when it actually means 'the perfect follower of rules'. It is true of a lot of people who were brilliant for society, but not for their personal lives. If we can look at  Gautam Buhdha and Mahatma Gandhi in their entirety, why not Lord Ram?

    Ikshvaku was the founder of the Suryavanshi dynasty to which Ram belonged and the book deals with how Ram tried to establish his “Ram  Rajya” in the middle of a corrupt Indian society. "Maryada Purush"

    With modern re-telling of the epic, set in 3,400 BC, the women characters have also been given a voice - and an agency. Sita is a strong character who stands her ground, even if it is to fight the Lankans, which might seem questionable to Vishwamitra. Though the book retells the story of Ramayana as practically as possible, the mystic element entwined in Hindu mythology generally has been kept intact. The saintly Ram, the devilish Ravana, the morally upright Sita, the rebellious Bharat and others are shown as real people with real lives in this book . Also the use of colloquial language would make the reading effortless and interesting,

   The narration is very good, dialogues crisp and to the point and suspense is built up almost from the very beginning in the motives of some of the characters which will definitely be pivotal in the events of the next two books. Amish has taken the revered Hindu epic Ramayana's characters, the rough setting and has formed his own narrative. Since we all know the story of Ramayana unlike the Shiva trilogy, there might be a bit of a hesitation to pick up this book. However the really big surprise element here is the amount of philosophical dialogue between Rama and various other characters with a tinge of a hint at the author pointing to the current state of affairs in our country and Amish has deftly handled those dialogues. It makes the reading all the more interesting . 

     Amish builds upon the Rama epic in a very un-Ramayana like manner. The differences are apparent right in the first page, where he lists the major characters. Some of these are surprising, some shocking, and some, even amusing. Amish’s Ram is very much a human hero. Ram is neither born through divine means, nor portrayed as the apple of everyone’s eye. In fact, the first and greatest point of difference between the traditional Ramayana and The Scion of Ikshvaku is the depiction of Ram as an unloved prince. His father, king Dasaratha, considers Ram’s birth inauspicious and blames him for all his misfortunes. So the fabulously powerful and wealthy king of Ayodhya is shown to be a defeated old man ruling over a crumbling kingdom. The very foundations of the epic are laid differently in this story. Further, Manthara has been depicted as the wealthiest businesswoman of Ayodhya instead of the poor handmaiden we know her to be. She even has a noble daughter who is a rakhi-sister  of the four Ayodhan princes. We all know Sita is a strong character, but Amish pushes the envelope by appointing her the prime minister of Mithila. The development of the usually ignored character of Shatrughnan is very interesting . The poor youngest prince of Ayodhya has little or no role to play in most versions of The Ramayana. Here Bharat gets a makeover as something of a ladies’ man, a foil to the stoic Ram. Ravana loses nine of his heads in Amish’s version and gets a horned helmet instead.

Tripathi wrote the story both from a critical point of view about Ram as well as a devotee of him, adding that "part of our traditions is also to learn from the stories of our gods”.

Critics mostly appreciated Tripathi’s work. Urmi Chanda-Vaz writes in scroll.in: "He has an almost magical ability of retaining the essence of familiar mythological tales while spinning wildly deviant plots...While not a great fan of his literary style, I cannot help but admire Amish for the way he manages to create completely new stories from old ones...for anyone who is familiar with the author's previous works, the book meets all expectations... Amish's easy-to-read prose and page-turning style is designed to be accessible and enjoyable. From the looks of it, he is poised to set another best-selling record”.

    Scion of Ikshvaku  identifies several contemporary ills of the society and debates on the possible solutions that can be offered. The readers need not believe in Ram himself or follow a particular religion in order to enjoy this book, for more than the characters it’s the contemplation of issues that is more important. The concepts of marriage, of masculine and feminine form of administration, and of structural politics have been studied at length here. The positives and negatives are laid out, and it’s not hard to draw out parallels of these with the laws imposed on us presently. The narrative is fast-paced. While the characters’actions and the way they’re presented may vary from what we’ve known so far, their decisions and their ideologies definitely align with the plot. The characters have been beautifully developed. Raavan’s arrogance, Dashrath’s crushed ego and Ram’s childhood agony are well described.

   Instead of the commonly accepted belief that Ram was Vishnu's avatar, this story has challenged Ram to become Vishnu's avatar. There is no God like powers in him but he justifies his character by his moral code of conduct and respect for the law. Scion of Ikshvaku is definitely a page turner. The creative brilliance of Tripathi shines bright throughout the book. The story is told entirely on third person objective and most of the inner struggle faced by the greatest character Ram remains untold. But on an overall basis the creative genius of Amish is at play. The books clearly creates a parallel with Ramayana and many interpretations of known beliefs are intriguing. All in all this is a light read and interesting book. The fast paced narration will keep you occupied for hours. The twisting and the interesting characters set a strong stage for the remaining books. The book is a pure enjoyment and will leave you refreshed and wanting.

- Haripriya Sreekumar

Book Review: The Big Four

THE BIG FOUR – AGATHA CHRISTIE.

BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR:     

     Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as “THE QUEEN OF CRIME”. She is a novelist, short story writer, playwright and a poet. Most of her novels were based on the murder mystery, thriller, crime fiction, detective and romance. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. She is the author of 80 crime novels, 19 plays and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

          “AGATHA CHRISTIE WAS THE GREATEST EXPONENT OF THE CLASSICAL DETECTIVE STORY. HER UNQUI LITERARY TALENTS HAVE CROSSED EVERY BOUNDARY OF AGE, RACE, CLASS, GEOGRAPHY AND EDUCATION. WHILE SHE REFINED THE TEMPLATE FOR A FICTIONAL FORM THE READING OF HER BOOKS BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL PASTIME”.

TOO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS MADE ME TO CHOOSE HER NOVEL:

     First crime novel which I read was “THE UNEXPECTED GUEST - AGATHA CHRISTIE”. Too many twists and turns which created interest and made me crazy to read all other nooks of her. At first without any idea about the author I selected one of her book “the unexpected guest”. But it is from that novel I got to know the power, twists, which always keeps the reader in curiousity and eagerness about the murderer. I was much inspired by her writings and also her use of language in the way in which the plot has been carried away  from one segment to the other, this gave me a spark in my mind to read all the other novels of her. At the very beginning of the novel, when the murder is committed it gives a shrill thought in our mind and eager to know what is next? Though author’s detective story is not an real incident but an imaginative concept  but it drags the readers to read all her other novels too. And so I have choosen to read her another book “THE BIG FOUR”.

THE BIG FOUR – AGATHE CHRISTIE:

     This book is clearly and logically structured. The whole story revolves around the number 4.  The uninvited guest coated from head to foot in dust his face was thin and emaciated, who stands in front of Poirots bedroom.  What was he about  to tell?  Was he a friend?  Was he a stranger?  Who was he?    he suffered from any shock?  Why was he repeating the phrase “14 FARRAWAY STREET”?  Why he was scribbling 4 in the paper each one bigger than the last?  or Is there any connection betweenthe figure 4?

     Poirot and Hasting left  the stranger in the care of the servant and set off to catch a train to Southampton during the journey,Poirot suspects his South Amercianmission was an excuse toget him out the way. So he aborts this trip and returns to London. When he returns to his room , there was another shock waiting for him.  When he entered he saw the stranger is already dead. Agatha Christie is an expert in giving shock to the readers every know and then.  At this point so many questions arises in the mind of the readers.  Who was the strangers?  What was the purpose for him to enter the bedroom of Poirot?  Hoe did he enter when all the doors and windows were closed?  At who is the murderer?

    A Doctor with an unknown person arrives to Poirot’s apartment.  The unknown person reveals the truth that he is from LUNATIC ASYLUM in search of his inmate.  He recognizes the dead stranger as Meyerling who had disappeared five years ago.  The stranger was poisoned with hydrogen cyanide .  It is important to note the hands of the clock was turned to 4’o clock. Here again Agasthe gives emphasise on the number 4 .  The truth again here is been revealed that no one got escaped from asylum.  But Japp soon rushes and recognizes that the dead man was a prominent in secret service.  Once again the confussion arises in the mind of the readers.  If he is from secret service ,who has the guts to murder him?  Who is the unknown person who came with the doctor?  How did he meet the doctor?  Why were the people murdered who investigated about big 4 and Li Chang Yen?  Why were they murdered by poisoning, stabbing, electrocution,cholera and burnt to death? 

    By reading only the  first two chapters in this book we can see that it has  the power to raise so many questions in the minds of the readers. 

                             “THE MORE THE TWIST SHE INDULGES

                              THE MORE THE CURIOUSITY INCREASES’

      This is the power of the author.  It surpassed my expectations dramatically.  There’s suspects clues and a last minutes reveal with a typical explanation.  In almost all her novel I can find her playing with many twists.  When I think the novel is going to end , at that point Agatha Christie suddenly gives rebirth to the novel.   The unique technic that she uses in her novel is that, at the end of the play the unexpected or the unsuspected person will be the murderer. I think the book has all  the essential ingredients , so that it can be so-called as a crime novel.It has the power to affect the minds of the readers. 

  “EVERY MURDERER IS PROBABLY SOMEBODY’S OLD FRIEND”

             “TOO MUCH MERCY…OFTEN RESULTED IN FURTHER CRIMES WHICH WERE FATAL TO INNOCENT VICTIMS WHO NEED NOT HAVE VICTIMS IF JUSTICS HAD BEEN PUT FIRST AND MERCY SECOND”

-  Chitra

Book Review: The Da Vinci Code

A Review on Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’

“Everyone loves a conspiracy” and so do I. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is an astounding thriller in 450 pages, set in a time which is contemporaneous with its publication in 2003, by Anchor Books. Dan Brown is a gifted writer, and the author of numerous bestselling novels of which ‘The Da Vinci code’ has become one of the unsurpassed novels of all time as well as the subject of intellectual debate among readers and scholars. Brown’s novels feature the lead character Robert Langdon, a professor of Religious Symbology at Harvard University and it includes Christianity as motif which has generated controversies. Brown, to Catholics seems to be Devil’s advocate in this novel, wherein the concepts described goes against the Christian Doctrine and detaches the divinity associated with Jesus Christ by blending in facts and fiction making it blasphemous. Nevertheless ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is a page turner and each page contributes to the unravelling of the greatest conspiracy of the past 2000 years. Brown is a pure genius moulding the history and combining science with art, cryptology, and religion and paves way to a broader mind. Thereby it’s “hard to put the book down and impossible to forget.” It entertains and educates simultaneously.

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France is where the renowned curator Jacques Saunière is murdered by a mysterious albino monk and the story begins.  “He was trapped inside the Grand Gallery, and there existed only one person on earth to whom he could pass the torch. The desperate task before him, he knew would require every remaining second of his life.”  Saunière lies dead in a strange position bearing a resemblance to Da Vinci’s famous painting ‘The Vitruvian man’, lying completely naked besides certain codes written with his own blood and an additional note that says “P.S find Robert Langdon.” Langdon is thus suspected by the French Judicial Department.

As one says ‘curiousness kills’ is evident in the powerful beginning of Brown’s Novel. Readers are tortured with a plethora of questions, why did Saunière write Langdon’s name when he doesn’t know him? Why was he murdered? What does the code suggest? What is the secret Saunière is trying to pass on?  Endless questions pounds in our heads wanting to break free and a surge to find out, causes an adrenaline rush, making us ready to face fight, flight, and fear along with the leading characters Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveau, the granddaughter of Saunière, a French police officer and a cryptologist, as they solve the mysteries left behind by Saunière one by one which ultimately leads them to the mystery of the Holy Grail. Readers become imprisoned in this novel from the very beginning and the magnitude of curiosity aroused is immeasurable.

             The novel sprints from a third person narrative point of view, giving the reader a space to form insights rather than being manipulated by the narrator. As a first time reader of Dan Brown, I felt the novel was very descriptive with a convoluted plot and a language quite for the adults. A dictionary beside the reader could increase the comprehensibility of the words and the procedure of looking up words only adds to the joy of reading in this case. A strong structure with solid vocabulary and multiple uses of the French words and dialogues places the novel at a high standard level.  Within the novel there are specific terms such as the sangreal, Priory of Sion, Opus Dei which are new concepts and it surprises the reader to know that these are facts. The incidents take place in a linear time, in the real world, moreover the atmosphere created is very strenuous and employs a serious tone throughout the novel. Inspite of the complicated plot, the descriptive style of Brown makes us seep into the novel and transports us to France, London, Edinburgh and Scotland along with Langdon and Sophie, breaking our heads to crack the codes. The reading pace is kind of proportional to the rash search that the characters are involved in.

The clues left behind by Saunière leads Langdon and Sophie to various mysterious circumstances and the codes are related to the paintings of Da Vinci, and thus the title “The Da Vinci Code”. The book exposes the readers to a secret society called The Priory of Sion which has kept an age old secret, which if out can be dangerous. The book claims that a relationship existed between two unexpected Biblical characters. Due to which the novel has turned out to be highly controversial as it opposed the Christian Church’s disciplines.

As a Christian it struck me as a thunder while reading, but a profound observation proves that the author has not intended to be impious. Brown has just combined fact and fiction along with art and science to create an unbelievably seeming real story. A wavering Christian might rethink about his faith in his religion. Especially with lines such as “The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven. The Bible is the product of man, my dear. Not of God.” A man will no longer look at the last supper painting in the same way as before. Brown totally changes our perceptions and affects the reader to an extent, proving himself to be a persuasive and confident author ready to face any challenges.  Though a number of biblical scholars have written explicitly to discredit the novel, I believe that it is a must read especially for Christians, as it provides them an alternate view of their faith, and increases their accommodative capacity as human beings. If at all a person loses his faith reading this novel, I would rather say he never knew what strong faith is and is just a weakling with a lacunae of ignorance.

On a personal note the novel has been a spectacular ride, with so many twists and turns, thrilling all along the way. Packed with action, the book is unique, informative and riveting which makes it a must read on my book list.

- Helen Ann Joseph

Book Review: Wide Sargasso Sea

Life is an uncertain journey, you never know what it's got in store. It can suddenly take us to a level that we would never imagine and suddenly bring us down, such is its uncertainty. Here is one beautiful novel written by Jean Rhys showing us what life is all about. Jean Rhys, was basically born in the Caribbean Islands but was a British. She was a Creole woman. Jean Rhys's prelude in the novel "Wide Sargasso Sea" quite wonderfully illustrates how accounts and understandings differ and creates a sense of the characters past being inescapable.

Wide Sargasso Sea, on the surface level, is the story of a creole, Antoinette Cosway, who grows up in the Caribbean, has a disastrous arranged marriage with an English man, and goes mad, imprisoned in an English country house. Jean Rhys uses the classic, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte as an imaginative starting point but changes the point of view from the first-person narrative of Jane to that of Bertha Mason(Antoinette Cosway). It can be read as the previously untold story of Bertha Mason.

The novel is a kind of a prequel to Jane Eyre, because it describes the life of Bertha Mason,the most marginalized character. The novel is divided into three parts. The first part is about the isolated childhood of Antoinette. She is neglected by her mother. She is verbally and physically abused by her only friend Tia, a native girl. The indifference shown by the native people towards her family during the time of poverty and struggle affects her. The trauma that she undergoes in her childhood due to her family and the environment in which she grew up, leads to her disastrous adulthood and tragic end.

The second part of the novel is set after the wedding. There is a sudden shift in the point of view from Antoinette to a nameless man who is later learned to be Mr. Rochester. He is found to be confused about the culture and life of the Caribbean. For him, everything in that island seems strange, including Antoinette and her behavior. The influence of the Caribbean culture on a woman of mixed ancestry disturbs him.References to terms such as ‘white nigger’, ‘white cockroach’, indicate the mixed and confused identity of Antoinette. Towards the end of this part, Antoinette loses her happiness, her husband’s love, her name, her money and her freedom. This loss is mainly due to her mixed identity and her gender.

In part three, the action of the novel shifts to England, into the world of Jane Eyre. Antoinette is imprisoned in an English country house where she is reduced to nothing. Mr. Rochester neither accepts her as his wife nor sets her free. He imprisons her to utilize the fortune he gained through her. Through this Rhys tries to highlight the reason behind the madness of the first Mrs. Rochester. She states that, it is the patriarchal society and the colonial system that has driven her to such tragic state.

Rhys, in one of her letters, calls Jane Eyre as “only one side-the English side”. Hence she attempts to write back to the patriarchal English societal views by bringing out the dark or the untold or the marginalized side of the classic, Jane Eyre. Rhys not only fills the gapsfound in the classic for better reading of Bronte’s work but changes one’s reading of a classic novel. She attempts a postcolonial rewriting of the novel by changing the protagonist and the setting, presenting the classic in a context larger than that of England in the nineteenth century.

 This makes the novel an object for several post-colonial, subaltern, inter-textualand feminist criticalreading. The central idea of the novel is to highlight the colonial and patriarchal impact on the life of the protagonist Antoinette Cosway (Bertha Mason) and to justify the novel as a voice of the voiceless.

Rhys’s respond to Bronte’s marginalized figure through the act of writing/inventing an ending that opens up and lets in the other. Bertha Mason’s death in Jane Eyre signifies closure, andrace ending of the Wide Sargasso Sea lets Bertha Mason live and so signifies an opening. By virtue of her marginality, Bertha Mason becomes the focus of discussion. Wide Sargasso Sea is a supplement that opens up the text for further questions, examinations, and interpretations.

The novel is an excellent attempt to bring out the subaltern characters found in the classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The portrayal of the character is quite stupendous and even the intricate details of the novel add to the aim of it. Each and every incident, character and the attitude found in this novel are deeper in meaning and understanding. They try to convey the agonies and sufferings of the unspoken characters who are the microcosm of the macrocosm.

Wide Sargasso Sea is about the history of cruelty and sufferings that lies behind in many western countries. Its gives voice to the downtrodden, neglected, silenced and unacknowledged stories and also explores different aspects of marginality like gender, class and race. Such is the beauty of this novel. The novel is a true inspiration. Jean Rhys coined the title of the novel "Wide Sargasso Sea" keeping in mind that there is always another side. Every single word in the noveltaps to our inner feelings and emotions and make us realize and understand the cruel practices that prevailed and still prevails in many parts of the world. I was almost moved to tears reading this novel, such is its depth. Idon’t really think if I should be rating this wonderful novel because these kind of novels don’t entertain us, they rather teach us what life is all about. Wide Sargasso Sea is not just a great novel, it is many wonderful books in one.

- Abhishek I. Singh