I felt kind of deceived by the elaborate maze of a novel, strewn with half-stories, which in the end led nowhere. But then I thought, that it's not abI felt kind of deceived by the elaborate maze of a novel, strewn with half-stories, which in the end led nowhere. But then I thought, that it's not about the story, it’s about the telling of the story, and that telling is interesting even if somewhat bizarre, and in which not-knowing is the key, “I expect readers to read in my books something I didn’t know, but I can expect it only from those who expect to read something they didn’t know�
It’s also a novel about being a reader, and how being one transforms you from being simply a man or woman. The writing is brilliant, and WW deserves much credit for that. In the book, where the author analyses the Reader are remarkably perceptive, especially the Other Reader, whom he has analysed with even greater perspicacity.
But, while one half of my mind was being fascinated by the deft prose, the other half kept thinking “Now what is this guy up to?!� I felt somewhat like “The productive writer� who “feels as if he is on the verge of grasping the decisive point, but then it eludes him and he is left with a sensation of uneasiness.� I wasn't uneasy but I was mystified and not a little annoyed at these mind games that seemed to be in progress.
I guess this book and I still have some unfinished business. ...more
My favourite sleuths are Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and recently Cormoran Strike. Does that explain why I didn't take to AdamsberMy favourite sleuths are Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and recently Cormoran Strike. Does that explain why I didn't take to Adamsberg much? ...more
This book needs to be read and discussed not for its writing style (which is not the best I’d say) but for the subject matter it tackles. There is so This book needs to be read and discussed not for its writing style (which is not the best I’d say) but for the subject matter it tackles. There is so much discussion these days especially in the online communities about protection of wildlife, prevention of cruelty against animals, ecological imbalances and other related topics. These are critical issues facing humanity today and we need to open our eyes to what is happening around us, what we are doing to our environment and to our fellow creatures, both human and non human, who inhabit the planet along with us.
Fowler’s book is important because she gives an important message. The fact is we think of animals as different from human and maybe this human arrogance of thinking ourselves superior and indifference towards species we consider different from us, is what lies behind the disaster we have wrought on them. What if we start looking at the similarities that we share with the non-human species? Will that make us kinder and more protective towards them? It will certainly make us more empathetic and empathy is probably what we need in the first place.
"“The world runs,� Lowell said, “on the fuel of this endless, fathomless misery. People know it, but they don’t mind what they don’t see. Make them look and they mind, but you’re the one they hate, because you’re the one that made them look.� They, my brother said, whenever he talked about humans. Never us. Never we."...more
I like fantasy books and I like Young Adult books, whatever that term means. So I picked this one with great expectations, but was a tad disappointed.I like fantasy books and I like Young Adult books, whatever that term means. So I picked this one with great expectations, but was a tad disappointed. It reads like it's a video game turned into a story, or maybe that's the intention, because well it is about a Game. Anyway, I didn't find what all the hype was about, so probably I wasn't the right audience for the book....more
It’s a delightful and smart exploration of what it takes to be space traveller. In this meticulously researched book Mary Roach is less concerned withIt’s a delightful and smart exploration of what it takes to be space traveller. In this meticulously researched book Mary Roach is less concerned with technology of space travel but rather, how technology is used to make the human form, which has evolved to live in gravity, atmosphere, food and water, survive in absence of any of this. The narrative of this struggle ranges from the sublime to the absurd. Or, in the words of Roach, “Space doesn't just encompass the sublime and the ridiculous. It erases the line between.�
The book strikes a perfect balance between earnest and funny. It gives a new perspective on what it means to be human and how much can a human body take or give up when it comes to survival. Tongue firmly in cheek....more
"And when you look long into an abyss the abyss also looks into you."
This is what happened with me while I was reading 'The Death of Ivan Ilych'. This"And when you look long into an abyss the abyss also looks into you."
This is what happened with me while I was reading 'The Death of Ivan Ilych'. This work of Tolstoy is a stark and completely unsentimental observation on death. It takes such a long deep look into death and dying that the terror of incipient death becomes your own. There is no averting the gaze from the blackness. Death is meaningless and it conquers life, always. Through his masterly narrative, Tolstoy takes us on a final journey, where every one of us becomes Ivan Ilych. Terrifying, Yes. Brilliant, yes....more
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