- By J.K.Rowling
When I was introduced to Harry Potter series, I was twenty three. I have never heard of the name Harry Potter before that. And being an avid reader, I tell you, most of my friends were surprised that I have not read Harry Potter by then. So, I took their word and read a couple of chapters of Harry Potter and Philosopher's stone in Crossword and was hooked. I picked the entire series that day and completed the series in three days and nights. I tell you, I could not believe that I lived in a non-Harry Potter world until then. And since then, I have read Harry Potter enough number of times that it should be recorded as a crime, honestly! But when it is Harry Potter, written as J.K.Rowling has done, it is a crime to NOT have read it, oh, at least a million times!! So, now you know, I am crazy about this series.
J.K.Rowling created a magical world that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. She created adventures that are thrilling and characters that are easy to connect with. As thoroughly enjoyable as the stories are, the relationships and the values portrayed throughout the stories, kept me hooked to them. These books have made such phenomenal character study for me.
Harry Potter, for his experiences, should have been bitter with life, should have wanted to throw tantrums and scream at the unfairness of it all. Yet, he manages to be a grounded person with amazing strength of character and phenomenal amount of grit that should raise goosebumps for anyone. Parallel to him, his nemesis, Voldemort, with similar background grows to be cunning, solitary, dark, friendless wizard hell bent on destroying the world. Harry finds himself with friends who are loyal, courageous and generous, while Voldemort is surrounded by people who are afraid of him, whom he mistreats as servants rather than confidantes.
The books all lead to the grand showdown between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Voldemort is a supremely powerful wizard, who crossed the realms of dark magic and considers himself unbeatable. Harry Potter is still studying in the school of witchcraft and wizardry. He is a novice in magic. The fight between these two should have been completely one-sided, yet Harry's ability to still love despite everything life has shown him, gives him the one strength that Voldemort did not have. His determination to stand up for the greater good despite all the odds, his perseverance when the ride gets bumpy, his trust in his friends and his kindness to all magical creatures alike make him a cut above Voldemort. And hence, the showdown was a phenomenal ride for me.
Aside from such thrilling tale of two wizards, these stories also teach a lot of values:
- life can be difficult, but with loyal friends, it could turn out to be a fascinating adventure
- that sometimes, evil may have the upper hand, but in the end, good will always triumph
- that no matter how small you are and how naive you are, persistence and hard work will pay dividends in the end
- that no amount of love is enough and to keep loving despite all odds is a tribute one can give to one's life
Every time, I am compelled to read the series as a whole. I could never stop myself with just reading a single book of the series and every time I choke up by the ending. I am overwhelmed with the emotions that gush up by the time I am done with the series. Every time, they rage wildly inside me from the beginning, turning into a mini tornado as the series progresses. Love, hate, anger, despair, surprise, heart break, joy and triumph - all ride in one huge rainbow until the very end and burst out like sparkles at the very end.
There are a lot of characters in the novels and most of them are quite dear to me. Hermione Granger, the little miss-know-it-all and Ronald Weasley - with his surprising courage and loyalty, Harry's two best friends through his adventures, who stand with him until the very end, form an integral part of this series. The relation between these three is fabulously portrayed and is quite entertaining to the readers. Weasley twins are hilarious pranksters who liven up the sometimes dull moment. Albus Dumbledore is another favorite character of mine, who is a genius with prodigal skill and the master behind the triumph of good in the end. Dobby, the house elf! Ah, I was in tears when he died. Severus Snape - I share a love hate relationship with this character, but to borrow Harry's words- he is one of the bravest character of the series. Sirius Black -this is one character I absolutely want a bit more of!! It just wasn't enough. Harry should by all means have had more time with him. But that is just a testimony to J.K.Rowling's penmanship in creating characters that are so enjoyable and loving.
I urge everyone to read the phenomenon called Harry Potter and enjoy the ride into the realms of magic. It is beautiful and brilliant.
Showing posts with label Brilliant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brilliant. Show all posts
Friday, May 15, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Leaving Time
- By Jodi Picoult
This was a random pick which was on my to-read list for sometime now. I usually shun away from Jodi Picoult novels as they are not my usual cup of tea. Having said that, reading Leaving time has been a fabulous experience, albeit an emotional one.
Alice is a scientist, researching elephant herds and studying their empathy responses, primarily grief, in an elephant sanctuary, along with her husband Thomas. Thomas owns the sanctuary and has three employees - Gideon, Grace and Nevvie. One night, Nevvie is found dead, trampled by an Elephant and Alice is severely injured. Alice is rushed to the hospital, from which she disappears on the same night. Thomas is institutionalized in a traumatic turn of events, leaving Jenna, a three year old, in the care of her grand mother.
Ten years later, a thirteen year old Jenna is obsessed about finding the truth of her mother's disappearance. In the quest for truth, Jenna methodically searches the missing person's list and unclaimed Jane Doe's on the internet every night. When the searches have been futile, in a desperate attempt, she seeks out a psychic, Serenity, who once specialized in missing persons. Serenity, though was not very keen on finding the truth, on the happen chance of finding Alice's wallet in the elephant sanctuary, close to the site of where Alice was found, she signs up for finding the truth about Alice. Jenna, however, does not want to leave the chance of finding her mother purely to a psychic, who needs visions to find answers. So she hunts down the investigative officer, Virgil, who was working the case on the night of her mother's disappearance and is thrilled to see that he is now a private detective. She approaches him to enlist his services in finding Alice.
The rest of the story, told from varying perspectives of Alice, Jenna, Serenity, Virgil, interlaced with life in an Elephant sanctuary, is an emotional ride in search for answers. In a captivating tale of intrigue, Jodi Picoult leaves no stone unturned to engage the reader. The Elephants in this novel are as much a part of the story, as every other character in the novel and reading about them has been a fascinating, though elaborate experience. And the ending? I did NOT see that one coming. I had to go back and re-read it, to make sure I read it right. And just on the off-chance that I misread it again, I read it, AGAIN and sure, I still did not see that ending in my wildest imaginations. While this is a well executed story, it saddened me.
In her own words: "The moral of this story is that no matter how much we try, no matter how much we want it … some stories just don’t have a happy ending."
In case you are picking this up, do read it on a weekend, with a day to spare, to get over the emotional gut-wrenching this novel seems to unload. And if you happen to be the sort of reader who gets into the heads of characters, like me, do keep some tissues handy!! Don't say I did not warn you!!
Happy reading, fella readers!
This was a random pick which was on my to-read list for sometime now. I usually shun away from Jodi Picoult novels as they are not my usual cup of tea. Having said that, reading Leaving time has been a fabulous experience, albeit an emotional one.
Alice is a scientist, researching elephant herds and studying their empathy responses, primarily grief, in an elephant sanctuary, along with her husband Thomas. Thomas owns the sanctuary and has three employees - Gideon, Grace and Nevvie. One night, Nevvie is found dead, trampled by an Elephant and Alice is severely injured. Alice is rushed to the hospital, from which she disappears on the same night. Thomas is institutionalized in a traumatic turn of events, leaving Jenna, a three year old, in the care of her grand mother.
Ten years later, a thirteen year old Jenna is obsessed about finding the truth of her mother's disappearance. In the quest for truth, Jenna methodically searches the missing person's list and unclaimed Jane Doe's on the internet every night. When the searches have been futile, in a desperate attempt, she seeks out a psychic, Serenity, who once specialized in missing persons. Serenity, though was not very keen on finding the truth, on the happen chance of finding Alice's wallet in the elephant sanctuary, close to the site of where Alice was found, she signs up for finding the truth about Alice. Jenna, however, does not want to leave the chance of finding her mother purely to a psychic, who needs visions to find answers. So she hunts down the investigative officer, Virgil, who was working the case on the night of her mother's disappearance and is thrilled to see that he is now a private detective. She approaches him to enlist his services in finding Alice.
The rest of the story, told from varying perspectives of Alice, Jenna, Serenity, Virgil, interlaced with life in an Elephant sanctuary, is an emotional ride in search for answers. In a captivating tale of intrigue, Jodi Picoult leaves no stone unturned to engage the reader. The Elephants in this novel are as much a part of the story, as every other character in the novel and reading about them has been a fascinating, though elaborate experience. And the ending? I did NOT see that one coming. I had to go back and re-read it, to make sure I read it right. And just on the off-chance that I misread it again, I read it, AGAIN and sure, I still did not see that ending in my wildest imaginations. While this is a well executed story, it saddened me.
In her own words: "The moral of this story is that no matter how much we try, no matter how much we want it … some stories just don’t have a happy ending."
In case you are picking this up, do read it on a weekend, with a day to spare, to get over the emotional gut-wrenching this novel seems to unload. And if you happen to be the sort of reader who gets into the heads of characters, like me, do keep some tissues handy!! Don't say I did not warn you!!
Happy reading, fella readers!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Bad Luck and Trouble
- by Lee Child
Jack Reacher is an ex-military US army major, hitch hiking his way through the United States of America, to whichever place he thinks up next. With toothbrush, passport and a recently acquired ATM debit card, Reacher has minimal luggage and is always on the go. No permanent address, no phone, no email, he is as close to being untraceable on the planet as one can get. So, when tracked down by his past unit member, Frances Neagley, with a distress code that few in the world could understand, he immediately responds.
Back in his military days, Reacher was the head of a special investigative unit in the military, the Special Investigators. He hand picked eight members, who were the best the army could offer, and together they worked as a team to bring the bad guys down.So, when someone from this unit calls for help, it sure as hell is not for finding lost keys!
When he meets Frances Neagley in LA, she shows him an autopsy report of Calvin Franz, who was part of their unit. He was tortured and thrown out of the helicopter when alive, left as coyote food. His death has been brutal and vicious. She wants him to put the old unit back together to avenge Calvin Franz's death.
"You do not mess with the special investigators", was their tagline. But, now, someone did and in a gruesome way. And someone has to pay!
Reunited with survivors of his old unit, Reacher sets about hunting down the perpetrators. Trusting one another as they once did, not so long ago, they retrace the steps of Calvin Franz, only to find that they are facing something much bigger than avenging their own. What will they do?
Lee Child has done a phenomenal job of showcasing Jack Reacher, with a flare unmatched in crime thrillers, as yet. He weaves a web of suspense that leaves you breathless. He kicks up the adrenaline a notch, with every turning page. And he ties up the tale with a fascinating ending that leaves you in awe. He does not disappoint with this one. It is written with precision and dexterity well known to all his fans.
For me, personally, Jack Reacher is an enigma. For a while now, Reacher is shown as a drifter with his set of morales and a simple rule: You mess with me, you get what you get! He retaliates with precision and with a menace unmatched and unparalleled. And he delivers, every time.
However this novel is different to others, in that it is emotional or as close to emotional as Reacher could get. Military was an integral part of his life for a very long time. And the camaraderie he had with his Special Investigative team is more than that of his family loyalty. They believed in a code and they had each others back. And when someone messes with one of them, they would be dead men walking, as simple as that.
"You don’t throw my friends out of helicopters and live to tell the tale." - Jack Reacher.
That guy, I tell you, he tingles my spine and warms my heart. This is one book, you do not want to miss.
Happy Reading, fella readers!!
Jack Reacher is an ex-military US army major, hitch hiking his way through the United States of America, to whichever place he thinks up next. With toothbrush, passport and a recently acquired ATM debit card, Reacher has minimal luggage and is always on the go. No permanent address, no phone, no email, he is as close to being untraceable on the planet as one can get. So, when tracked down by his past unit member, Frances Neagley, with a distress code that few in the world could understand, he immediately responds.
Back in his military days, Reacher was the head of a special investigative unit in the military, the Special Investigators. He hand picked eight members, who were the best the army could offer, and together they worked as a team to bring the bad guys down.So, when someone from this unit calls for help, it sure as hell is not for finding lost keys!
When he meets Frances Neagley in LA, she shows him an autopsy report of Calvin Franz, who was part of their unit. He was tortured and thrown out of the helicopter when alive, left as coyote food. His death has been brutal and vicious. She wants him to put the old unit back together to avenge Calvin Franz's death.
"You do not mess with the special investigators", was their tagline. But, now, someone did and in a gruesome way. And someone has to pay!
Reunited with survivors of his old unit, Reacher sets about hunting down the perpetrators. Trusting one another as they once did, not so long ago, they retrace the steps of Calvin Franz, only to find that they are facing something much bigger than avenging their own. What will they do?
Lee Child has done a phenomenal job of showcasing Jack Reacher, with a flare unmatched in crime thrillers, as yet. He weaves a web of suspense that leaves you breathless. He kicks up the adrenaline a notch, with every turning page. And he ties up the tale with a fascinating ending that leaves you in awe. He does not disappoint with this one. It is written with precision and dexterity well known to all his fans.
For me, personally, Jack Reacher is an enigma. For a while now, Reacher is shown as a drifter with his set of morales and a simple rule: You mess with me, you get what you get! He retaliates with precision and with a menace unmatched and unparalleled. And he delivers, every time.
However this novel is different to others, in that it is emotional or as close to emotional as Reacher could get. Military was an integral part of his life for a very long time. And the camaraderie he had with his Special Investigative team is more than that of his family loyalty. They believed in a code and they had each others back. And when someone messes with one of them, they would be dead men walking, as simple as that.
"You don’t throw my friends out of helicopters and live to tell the tale." - Jack Reacher.
That guy, I tell you, he tingles my spine and warms my heart. This is one book, you do not want to miss.
Happy Reading, fella readers!!
Sunday, March 15, 2015
My Sister's Grave
- By Robert Dugoni
Oh Boy!! It was a fast paced, adrenaline pumping, emotional ride to closure. I could hardly take my eyes off the page.
Sarah Crosswhite disappears on a storm ridden night, while driving home. In the subsequent investigation, Edmund House, a convicted rapist , is tried and arrested for Sarah's murder, though her body was never found. The evidence was flimsy and the trial was a mere formality. The town moved on, however, her sister Tracy and her family, did not get the closure they sought.
Twenty years later, a dog digs up a bone that is identified to be that of Sarah Crosswhite. At that time, Tracy is with the Seattle Police department, as a detective, still trying to find the answers as to what happened to her sister on that fateful night. The evidence found in her sister's grave conflicts with the evidence twenty years ago. Tracy, convinced of a cover up, intends to seek justice. She reaches out to her childhood friend Dan O'Leary, who is now practicing law in Cedar Grove to help release an innocent from jail and to reopen the investigation of her sister's murder.
The rest of the story, moving between past and present, unveils the truth, bit by bit, as to what happened to Sarah. In her quest for truth, Tracy steps on a lot of shoes, but, she perseveres to the end, to find the answers. But, can she handle what she finds? Should she have left the dead for the dead, instead of seeking answers that should have been left buried, along with her sister?
Robert Dugoni does a fabulous job of keeping the suspense until the very end and misleading quite convincingly. I loved the characters in the novel. Just when I thought, this is the one who did it, I am faced with another side of the character, that had me rethinking! The characters had different shades, each contrasting and humane.
For a crime thriller, this still managed to evoke all the emotional triggers of love, affection, loyalty, friendship and courage, which was a pleasant surprise. The novel was well written, precise and logical. And the final twist?? I sure did not see it coming, I can tell you that much!
Not the sort to pick up if you are in a hurry to be somewhere. And certainly not for a bedtime read, you won't get any!!
For all fellow readers, who love a good crime thriller, this is a MUST read!!
Oh Boy!! It was a fast paced, adrenaline pumping, emotional ride to closure. I could hardly take my eyes off the page.
Sarah Crosswhite disappears on a storm ridden night, while driving home. In the subsequent investigation, Edmund House, a convicted rapist , is tried and arrested for Sarah's murder, though her body was never found. The evidence was flimsy and the trial was a mere formality. The town moved on, however, her sister Tracy and her family, did not get the closure they sought.
Twenty years later, a dog digs up a bone that is identified to be that of Sarah Crosswhite. At that time, Tracy is with the Seattle Police department, as a detective, still trying to find the answers as to what happened to her sister on that fateful night. The evidence found in her sister's grave conflicts with the evidence twenty years ago. Tracy, convinced of a cover up, intends to seek justice. She reaches out to her childhood friend Dan O'Leary, who is now practicing law in Cedar Grove to help release an innocent from jail and to reopen the investigation of her sister's murder.
The rest of the story, moving between past and present, unveils the truth, bit by bit, as to what happened to Sarah. In her quest for truth, Tracy steps on a lot of shoes, but, she perseveres to the end, to find the answers. But, can she handle what she finds? Should she have left the dead for the dead, instead of seeking answers that should have been left buried, along with her sister?
Robert Dugoni does a fabulous job of keeping the suspense until the very end and misleading quite convincingly. I loved the characters in the novel. Just when I thought, this is the one who did it, I am faced with another side of the character, that had me rethinking! The characters had different shades, each contrasting and humane.
For a crime thriller, this still managed to evoke all the emotional triggers of love, affection, loyalty, friendship and courage, which was a pleasant surprise. The novel was well written, precise and logical. And the final twist?? I sure did not see it coming, I can tell you that much!
Not the sort to pick up if you are in a hurry to be somewhere. And certainly not for a bedtime read, you won't get any!!
For all fellow readers, who love a good crime thriller, this is a MUST read!!
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Sleep Tight
- By Rachel Abbott
People do all sorts of daft things for no reason that anybody else can understand...
I LOVED it. I absolutely loved it. Rachel Abbott has done a phenomenal job of evolving the characters and the story, in a way that is captivating, enticing and ruddy brilliant. I have to say it, just one more time: I freaking loved it!!!
Ah, Olivia, my heart goes out to you! What an ill fated life did you live? Her boyfriend leaves her and their two month old child, Jasmine, without so much as a word. A few weeks later, her parents are dead. And a few months later, she seems to be living a perfect life, married to a doting husband. A few years into marriage, she has two kids and lives in a semblance of luxury. Except, one day, Robert disappears with the kids, or so Olivia believes. However, he returns. A few years later, she disappears, along with the kids. There seems to be nothing amiss in the house, no chaos suggesting something out of ordinary and yet, something was missing. There were absolutely no photos of the kids or of Olivia in the house. Everything else looks the same. Except, for a LOT of blood that was cleaned, behind the locked doors of Robert's study. The cops investigating the disappearance seem to find a bread crumb trail, yet picking the crumbs left more questions than answers.
This is a dark tale of love, friendship and passion told at a mind-numbing pace and just when I thought its over, there was another curve ball thrown! Boy, I could not put this down and I could not get the characters out of my head.
What happened to Olivia and her kids? Why is the door to Robert's study locked? Whose blood was it in his study? Did he kill Olivia and the kids and buried them somewhere? Or was he a victim of some heinous crime? What happened to all the photos in the house? As the investigation progresses, unraveling the mystery, who is good and who is bad, who is the victim and who is the culprit? Every link is tied in the end, but that end was a fabulous journey, through the minds of the characters. Tom Douglas, the smart and determined chief investigator along with Becky, his partner, who is equally determined, together peel off the layers to a gripping finale that will surely keep you at the edge of your seat.
I dare you to put it down!! Have fun, fellow readers!!
People do all sorts of daft things for no reason that anybody else can understand...
I LOVED it. I absolutely loved it. Rachel Abbott has done a phenomenal job of evolving the characters and the story, in a way that is captivating, enticing and ruddy brilliant. I have to say it, just one more time: I freaking loved it!!!
Ah, Olivia, my heart goes out to you! What an ill fated life did you live? Her boyfriend leaves her and their two month old child, Jasmine, without so much as a word. A few weeks later, her parents are dead. And a few months later, she seems to be living a perfect life, married to a doting husband. A few years into marriage, she has two kids and lives in a semblance of luxury. Except, one day, Robert disappears with the kids, or so Olivia believes. However, he returns. A few years later, she disappears, along with the kids. There seems to be nothing amiss in the house, no chaos suggesting something out of ordinary and yet, something was missing. There were absolutely no photos of the kids or of Olivia in the house. Everything else looks the same. Except, for a LOT of blood that was cleaned, behind the locked doors of Robert's study. The cops investigating the disappearance seem to find a bread crumb trail, yet picking the crumbs left more questions than answers.
This is a dark tale of love, friendship and passion told at a mind-numbing pace and just when I thought its over, there was another curve ball thrown! Boy, I could not put this down and I could not get the characters out of my head.
What happened to Olivia and her kids? Why is the door to Robert's study locked? Whose blood was it in his study? Did he kill Olivia and the kids and buried them somewhere? Or was he a victim of some heinous crime? What happened to all the photos in the house? As the investigation progresses, unraveling the mystery, who is good and who is bad, who is the victim and who is the culprit? Every link is tied in the end, but that end was a fabulous journey, through the minds of the characters. Tom Douglas, the smart and determined chief investigator along with Becky, his partner, who is equally determined, together peel off the layers to a gripping finale that will surely keep you at the edge of your seat.
I dare you to put it down!! Have fun, fellow readers!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Outlander (Sassenach)
- By Diana Gabaldon
Outlander - punched me in the gut, shattered my heart, splintered my spleen, yet it managed to push me to the finish line, overwhelmed with emotions ranging from love to hate. But, at the end of it all, I loved it. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the author's narration. It is a historical romantic page turner, even for non-romantics and that is saying something.
Frank Randall, Jamie Fraser, Claire Randall (Claire Beauchamp), Jonathan Randall, to name a few- are all such intricate characters, who left me staggered, helpless, distraught and passionately in love with most of them. If you read the book, you will know why I could love only few, while I desperately want to strangle a few. And I am quite sure, I am not the only one, wrung with those feelings, having arrived a little late to the Outlander party!
Diana Gabaldon captured my interest and kept me hooked through an entertaining saga of history and politics, war and violence, passion and masochism, bravery and morality, interlaced with a trickle of time travel. She tells a compelling story with sympathetic protagonists, mainly characterizing a strong female lead who is fortunate to find love in the present time as well as in the past, when she finds herself thrown back by two hundred years and has the presence of mind to handle herself in a war driven Scottish highlands of 1700s.
The story begins with the portrayal of a loving marital relationship between Frank and Claire Randall, exploring Inverness on their second honeymoon post second world war, in 1945. Claire, a retired war time nurse who takes up Botany explores Inverness for specimens of plants and flowers, while Frank, an Oxford history professor explores his genealogy when he finds a scrap of paper indicating that his ancestor had something or other in this region back in the eighteenth or seventeenth century.
Introduced to the miniature stone henge set in the form of a circle of stones, by a local botanist, Claire is fascinated with the beautiful yet eerie testimonial. As a novice botanist set on exploring the local specimens, she finds herself at the stone henge on Beltane (an ancient Celtic festival). On touching the stone, she hears a vivid screaming that has her stumbling back and falling down, literally through time, into a war driven Scottish highlands of 1743, two hundred years from her now! Ofcourse, she had no idea the instant she opened her eyes that she was in another time, where she wasn't even born! And in that fraction of a second, on that fateful Beltane day, her life changed, from being in a loving relationship with her husband to being thrown back in time and in the day's course of events, finds herself, assaulted, threatened, kidnapped and jostled. From being in the comforts of the nineteenth century, to being thrown back to seventeenth amidst the Jacobite uprising and clan wars, with nothing but her wits and mind, Claire has an uphill task of finding her way back to her time and her husband.
Diana Gabaldon authoritatively portrays the historical time of Jacobite Rising, weaving an intrinsic web with laborious detail, sparingly brushed with humor and liberally laced with passion and pain, bursting with violence and staying appallingly true to the living conditions of 1743.
Scotland has always been a place of romance for me. Rich in its history and folklore, Scottish heroes have always harbored a romantic notion in my heart. When I read the book, with absolutely no back drop, I did not see the time travel element coming! It starts off rather slowly, but once Claire finds herself in 1743 Scotland, the story progresses rather rapidly. The author managed to capture my attention with the story that made me turn the pages faster than I thought possible, because of the sheer insanity of the story line, of a modern time female, living in a male dominated society, finding herself in situations that are rather mind numbing to me, personally. (WHAT?!?.)
For a wartime nurse, gunshots and mortal wounds are an everyday thing. But, it certainly is something to witness the crime and punishment of the then era. And it certainly is another, to cut and stitch people up without pain killers or disinfectants! I swear, I had goosebumps when I read few passages. But, running underneath it all, is the love she finds in Jamie, an outlawed convict. Torn between infidelity and passion, between reason and reality, she sure had a tough time in the seventeenth century!! Poor Claire!!
Jamie has fast become one of my favorite fictional characters of all the time, with his humility, his presence of mind and untamed passion! Oh Jamie, how my heart aches for you!!! Why, O Why could you just not be a knight in shining armor, with a valiant heart and blue eyes? Why did you have to be a convict running from law? Gah!! His character is one of my favorite in the novel, from being a laird of Lallybroch who had to run away from home and family treading on danger with every step he takes, to finding his soul mate in Claire (his Sassenach (Outlander) as he fondly calls her), he sure is a character portrayed to touch everyone's heart, especially a female's!
Though time travel was what kicks the novel to a jump start, it does not reoccur in this novel, the first in the series of eight novels. Each novel is lengthy, rich in detail and authentic in depiction of the period time. It certainly is not for the faint hearted! But for every zealous reader, who loves a story set in periodic times, for the romantics and non-romantics alike, this is an unadulterated pleasure to read. And for those who have no patience to read the novel, the series is being telecasted as a show on Starz and so far, the TV series stays true to the novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical tale and I hope you do too!!
Outlander - punched me in the gut, shattered my heart, splintered my spleen, yet it managed to push me to the finish line, overwhelmed with emotions ranging from love to hate. But, at the end of it all, I loved it. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the author's narration. It is a historical romantic page turner, even for non-romantics and that is saying something.
Frank Randall, Jamie Fraser, Claire Randall (Claire Beauchamp), Jonathan Randall, to name a few- are all such intricate characters, who left me staggered, helpless, distraught and passionately in love with most of them. If you read the book, you will know why I could love only few, while I desperately want to strangle a few. And I am quite sure, I am not the only one, wrung with those feelings, having arrived a little late to the Outlander party!
Diana Gabaldon captured my interest and kept me hooked through an entertaining saga of history and politics, war and violence, passion and masochism, bravery and morality, interlaced with a trickle of time travel. She tells a compelling story with sympathetic protagonists, mainly characterizing a strong female lead who is fortunate to find love in the present time as well as in the past, when she finds herself thrown back by two hundred years and has the presence of mind to handle herself in a war driven Scottish highlands of 1700s.
The story begins with the portrayal of a loving marital relationship between Frank and Claire Randall, exploring Inverness on their second honeymoon post second world war, in 1945. Claire, a retired war time nurse who takes up Botany explores Inverness for specimens of plants and flowers, while Frank, an Oxford history professor explores his genealogy when he finds a scrap of paper indicating that his ancestor had something or other in this region back in the eighteenth or seventeenth century.
Introduced to the miniature stone henge set in the form of a circle of stones, by a local botanist, Claire is fascinated with the beautiful yet eerie testimonial. As a novice botanist set on exploring the local specimens, she finds herself at the stone henge on Beltane (an ancient Celtic festival). On touching the stone, she hears a vivid screaming that has her stumbling back and falling down, literally through time, into a war driven Scottish highlands of 1743, two hundred years from her now! Ofcourse, she had no idea the instant she opened her eyes that she was in another time, where she wasn't even born! And in that fraction of a second, on that fateful Beltane day, her life changed, from being in a loving relationship with her husband to being thrown back in time and in the day's course of events, finds herself, assaulted, threatened, kidnapped and jostled. From being in the comforts of the nineteenth century, to being thrown back to seventeenth amidst the Jacobite uprising and clan wars, with nothing but her wits and mind, Claire has an uphill task of finding her way back to her time and her husband.
Diana Gabaldon authoritatively portrays the historical time of Jacobite Rising, weaving an intrinsic web with laborious detail, sparingly brushed with humor and liberally laced with passion and pain, bursting with violence and staying appallingly true to the living conditions of 1743.
Scotland has always been a place of romance for me. Rich in its history and folklore, Scottish heroes have always harbored a romantic notion in my heart. When I read the book, with absolutely no back drop, I did not see the time travel element coming! It starts off rather slowly, but once Claire finds herself in 1743 Scotland, the story progresses rather rapidly. The author managed to capture my attention with the story that made me turn the pages faster than I thought possible, because of the sheer insanity of the story line, of a modern time female, living in a male dominated society, finding herself in situations that are rather mind numbing to me, personally. (WHAT?!?.)
For a wartime nurse, gunshots and mortal wounds are an everyday thing. But, it certainly is something to witness the crime and punishment of the then era. And it certainly is another, to cut and stitch people up without pain killers or disinfectants! I swear, I had goosebumps when I read few passages. But, running underneath it all, is the love she finds in Jamie, an outlawed convict. Torn between infidelity and passion, between reason and reality, she sure had a tough time in the seventeenth century!! Poor Claire!!
Jamie has fast become one of my favorite fictional characters of all the time, with his humility, his presence of mind and untamed passion! Oh Jamie, how my heart aches for you!!! Why, O Why could you just not be a knight in shining armor, with a valiant heart and blue eyes? Why did you have to be a convict running from law? Gah!! His character is one of my favorite in the novel, from being a laird of Lallybroch who had to run away from home and family treading on danger with every step he takes, to finding his soul mate in Claire (his Sassenach (Outlander) as he fondly calls her), he sure is a character portrayed to touch everyone's heart, especially a female's!
Though time travel was what kicks the novel to a jump start, it does not reoccur in this novel, the first in the series of eight novels. Each novel is lengthy, rich in detail and authentic in depiction of the period time. It certainly is not for the faint hearted! But for every zealous reader, who loves a story set in periodic times, for the romantics and non-romantics alike, this is an unadulterated pleasure to read. And for those who have no patience to read the novel, the series is being telecasted as a show on Starz and so far, the TV series stays true to the novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical tale and I hope you do too!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
A fraction of the whole
- By Steve Toltz
Hilarious, insightful, philosophical, perspective, the novel left me with a mixture of feelings. I could not keep the book down, but more importantly, I could not stop thinking. The background process ticked off the moment the lives of the Dean family unfolded and did not stop till I read the last word. This is a sort of book, one can pick and read any page and stop to think – and perhaps continue that line of thought for eternity. The characters of the dean family are vividly portrayed for their differences, but, what stood out mostly is the narration of the tale from different view points, giving more or less the shared animosity towards the collective living of the society. To think that this is the first novel by the author, it is unbelievable!!! It had about 700 pages and it is filled with wit, humor and a challenge to everyone who opens it – the challenge to put this down unfinished!
The initial narration starts with Jasper Dean, the son, who speaks about his father Martin Dean and about the others involved in shaping Martin to be the person he is. The story takes place in Australia for majority of the part, but, if one thinks we could get a taste of what is Australia like, hell no. The book is solely about the perceptions of Martin Dean and how his thoughts or ideas shaped his future and there by his notions and there by influencing his son’s future. The father who tried to teach his son about the values in life, giving contradictory advices most of the time, fails in his life and becomes the father his son loves to hate. Never once forming the bond, with his eccentricities (I have to call them eccentricity, if only because of my limited vocabulary), Martin Dean drives his son from mingling in the society to a person who is abrasive and filled with condescension against the very society.
The story begins with Jasper writing this from a jail, albeit for not having anything better to do. That is a strange, but, then, as the novel progresses, it does not seem to be a surprise any more. I laid my hands on this one – wondering what is this intriguing title – “A fraction of the whole” and wondered, what exactly is in it? I opened it and this is how it starts:
“You never hear of a sportsman losing his sense of smell in a tragic accident and for good reason; in order for the universe to teach excruciating lessons that are unable to apply in later life, the sportsman must lose his legs, the philosopher his mind, the painter his eyes, the musician his ears, the chef his tongue.” And that did it. I picked it up. Most of the time, though, I was laughing out loud because of the way it is written, but then, there is nothing to laugh about, when you feel sympathetic most of the time to the characters. The sublime style captivated me, and it took me sometime to get out of the characters mind.
The novel drifts to the life of Martin Dean, Jasper’s father, from Martin’s perspective and that too in vivid detail. It left me feeling sorry for Martin most of the time, as he was driven mostly from one hopeless branch to another. From the condescending eyes of his father, to awaiting death due to childhood sickness, to being in coma, to being ridiculed, to being idolized by his little brother, to being the cause of shattering the dreams of his little brother because of the unforeseen turn of events, to being poisoned by a crazed mother, to finding a semblance of love in his father’s eyes when everything is lost and finally, seeing his entire family dead, again – due to his lack of foresight, to an undying love with Caroline Potts and finally to his journey to Paris where he eventually becomes the father of Jasper Dean. It might sound too simple, but it is not. It is much more complex, because Martin questions every notion along the way. His thoughts sounded so far fetched, it left me rolling most of the time. C’mon, he actually suggests that, the little criminal gang that his brother is part of, requires a mentor who could train them and guide them in the right direction and that is how they need to learn the tricks of the trade they chose to live in – from the person IN the trade. And that just left me flummoxed for a few minutes, before I took a deep breath and pursued him more! And more it was, when he actually runs around the Sydney to get the handbook for criminals (titled: Handbook for Crime) published!!! And the titles in that book are something like this: Manslaughter:Oops!, (loved this), Crimes Of passion: hot headed murder.
Terry, his little brother, was like a kid possessed, with his passion about sports and more importantly, he was a kid for whom nothing was impossible. He was loved by the Australia, until the coerced fight left him in no shape to play further, which led him into the world of crime, though as a pay off to the bullies of the school, for leaving his brother alone. It takes us into the mind of Terry as well, though it is said from Martin’s perspective. On an impulse, Martin gets too creative for his own good when he decides to put up a suggestion box in the town. Little did he foresee the repercussions that would be unleashed, to self and towards his family!
Then the novel comes back to the perspective of Jasper, who was taught by his father, about life, in general. These are quite interesting to me, particularly because, the little anecdotes felt like they were written exclusively for this book!!! From the confusing advices to little gestures of warmth to almost ridiculous idea of paying a visit to an empty box in a cemetery, just because the kid has a right to mourn his mother in an appropriate setting, (LOL) this book is a joy ride with a subtle sympathy aligned to ALL the characters. Despising his father becomes very easy in the end, but, what can one say, blood is thicker than water and hence the bonds of the family last stronger through the tough times and hence Jasper could not desert his father for long, when his “make every one in Australia a millionaire” scheme turns out to be a fraud, making the almost overnight most-loving man in Australia to “the hated” man in Australia? And that too, because the outrageous almost successful scheme was backstabbed by his most-trusted friend Eddie, who turns out to be a farce that would be revealed later?
Each character in the novel turns out to be so different from what they initially came out as! Amouk, another significant character in the novel, who perceives the ideas of Martin Dean quite seriously, if only to save him from his depressed haste to meet his end! Man, that was one superb set of events, the persuasion of the richest man in Australia to heed his ear to Martin to help realize one of his crazed ideas! I thought that the author was fond of love triangles, if there is a semblance of love portrayed in the novel, if not for just hormones and opportunities, to put it palpably!
It is hilariously philosophic, outlandishly assertive – having everything – crime, love, hate, passion, friendship, kinship, affection, plots, twists, ironic tales. This is a sort of novel that one cannot put down, but that which does not leave the conscience for sometime to come!
Hilarious, insightful, philosophical, perspective, the novel left me with a mixture of feelings. I could not keep the book down, but more importantly, I could not stop thinking. The background process ticked off the moment the lives of the Dean family unfolded and did not stop till I read the last word. This is a sort of book, one can pick and read any page and stop to think – and perhaps continue that line of thought for eternity. The characters of the dean family are vividly portrayed for their differences, but, what stood out mostly is the narration of the tale from different view points, giving more or less the shared animosity towards the collective living of the society. To think that this is the first novel by the author, it is unbelievable!!! It had about 700 pages and it is filled with wit, humor and a challenge to everyone who opens it – the challenge to put this down unfinished!
The initial narration starts with Jasper Dean, the son, who speaks about his father Martin Dean and about the others involved in shaping Martin to be the person he is. The story takes place in Australia for majority of the part, but, if one thinks we could get a taste of what is Australia like, hell no. The book is solely about the perceptions of Martin Dean and how his thoughts or ideas shaped his future and there by his notions and there by influencing his son’s future. The father who tried to teach his son about the values in life, giving contradictory advices most of the time, fails in his life and becomes the father his son loves to hate. Never once forming the bond, with his eccentricities (I have to call them eccentricity, if only because of my limited vocabulary), Martin Dean drives his son from mingling in the society to a person who is abrasive and filled with condescension against the very society.
The story begins with Jasper writing this from a jail, albeit for not having anything better to do. That is a strange, but, then, as the novel progresses, it does not seem to be a surprise any more. I laid my hands on this one – wondering what is this intriguing title – “A fraction of the whole” and wondered, what exactly is in it? I opened it and this is how it starts:
“You never hear of a sportsman losing his sense of smell in a tragic accident and for good reason; in order for the universe to teach excruciating lessons that are unable to apply in later life, the sportsman must lose his legs, the philosopher his mind, the painter his eyes, the musician his ears, the chef his tongue.” And that did it. I picked it up. Most of the time, though, I was laughing out loud because of the way it is written, but then, there is nothing to laugh about, when you feel sympathetic most of the time to the characters. The sublime style captivated me, and it took me sometime to get out of the characters mind.
The novel drifts to the life of Martin Dean, Jasper’s father, from Martin’s perspective and that too in vivid detail. It left me feeling sorry for Martin most of the time, as he was driven mostly from one hopeless branch to another. From the condescending eyes of his father, to awaiting death due to childhood sickness, to being in coma, to being ridiculed, to being idolized by his little brother, to being the cause of shattering the dreams of his little brother because of the unforeseen turn of events, to being poisoned by a crazed mother, to finding a semblance of love in his father’s eyes when everything is lost and finally, seeing his entire family dead, again – due to his lack of foresight, to an undying love with Caroline Potts and finally to his journey to Paris where he eventually becomes the father of Jasper Dean. It might sound too simple, but it is not. It is much more complex, because Martin questions every notion along the way. His thoughts sounded so far fetched, it left me rolling most of the time. C’mon, he actually suggests that, the little criminal gang that his brother is part of, requires a mentor who could train them and guide them in the right direction and that is how they need to learn the tricks of the trade they chose to live in – from the person IN the trade. And that just left me flummoxed for a few minutes, before I took a deep breath and pursued him more! And more it was, when he actually runs around the Sydney to get the handbook for criminals (titled: Handbook for Crime) published!!! And the titles in that book are something like this: Manslaughter:Oops!, (loved this), Crimes Of passion: hot headed murder.
Terry, his little brother, was like a kid possessed, with his passion about sports and more importantly, he was a kid for whom nothing was impossible. He was loved by the Australia, until the coerced fight left him in no shape to play further, which led him into the world of crime, though as a pay off to the bullies of the school, for leaving his brother alone. It takes us into the mind of Terry as well, though it is said from Martin’s perspective. On an impulse, Martin gets too creative for his own good when he decides to put up a suggestion box in the town. Little did he foresee the repercussions that would be unleashed, to self and towards his family!
Then the novel comes back to the perspective of Jasper, who was taught by his father, about life, in general. These are quite interesting to me, particularly because, the little anecdotes felt like they were written exclusively for this book!!! From the confusing advices to little gestures of warmth to almost ridiculous idea of paying a visit to an empty box in a cemetery, just because the kid has a right to mourn his mother in an appropriate setting, (LOL) this book is a joy ride with a subtle sympathy aligned to ALL the characters. Despising his father becomes very easy in the end, but, what can one say, blood is thicker than water and hence the bonds of the family last stronger through the tough times and hence Jasper could not desert his father for long, when his “make every one in Australia a millionaire” scheme turns out to be a fraud, making the almost overnight most-loving man in Australia to “the hated” man in Australia? And that too, because the outrageous almost successful scheme was backstabbed by his most-trusted friend Eddie, who turns out to be a farce that would be revealed later?
Each character in the novel turns out to be so different from what they initially came out as! Amouk, another significant character in the novel, who perceives the ideas of Martin Dean quite seriously, if only to save him from his depressed haste to meet his end! Man, that was one superb set of events, the persuasion of the richest man in Australia to heed his ear to Martin to help realize one of his crazed ideas! I thought that the author was fond of love triangles, if there is a semblance of love portrayed in the novel, if not for just hormones and opportunities, to put it palpably!
It is hilariously philosophic, outlandishly assertive – having everything – crime, love, hate, passion, friendship, kinship, affection, plots, twists, ironic tales. This is a sort of novel that one cannot put down, but that which does not leave the conscience for sometime to come!
Monday, January 20, 2014
The devotion of suspect X
- By Keigo Higashino
What caught me to this book was the title – “Suspect X”. Suspect X, was it referring to a specific suspect or a random suspect from a bunch of suspects? Then I thought about the word ‘devotion’ in the title and decided it should perhaps be talking about a single specific suspect, from a random bunch of suspects. Devotion could mean only one thing, in such a title. Honestly, despite the obviousness of the title, the narration unraveled a plot that unfolded at a decent pace and kept me turning the pages at full speed. Before I opened the book, after reading the back drop of it, I let my imagination unfold and I can honestly say that I was not very far off with my guesses. However, what kept me hooked to it was the beauty of the tale and the logical flow of the story.
Ishigami is a Math teacher. He lives and breathes Math. Considered one of the most brilliant Mathematician, there are few who can unravel his genius at problem solving. He walks to this daily deli were his neighbor Yasuko works, to pick his every day lunch. Despite being neighbors, they hardly exchange a word. Yasuko and Misato stay in a small apartment, next door to Ishigami, when one day, Yasuko’s abusive ex-husband Togashi visits. The conversation between Yasuko, Misato and Togashi escalates to a fight, with Togahshi ending up dead. While Yasuko and Misato try to fall over each other, over who has to surrender to the cops, Ishigami knocks on Yasuko’s door, asking about the commotion. His rare genius of a mind understands the situation in one quick glance and offers them his help.
When the cops identify a corpse to be Togashi, they come calling onto Yasuko’s door step. And coached by the brilliant Ishigami, they follow a script to tell a tale that Kusanagi, the detective cop, cannot find a fault with. Despite all that, Kusanagi has a nagging feeling that something was off. He talks to his consultant physicist and college mate, the brilliant Yukawa, who incidentally went to college with Ishigami. Though there are no obvious loopholes in the tales of the suspects Yasuko and Misato, when Yukawa talks to his friend Ishigami, he suspects something else.
From there on, starts the dance in the shadows of two genius minds who out challenge each other. While the what and who is obvious in the story, the comeuppance for the crime goes till the wire and the conclusion, trust me, will either make you scream, “Bloody Hell” or “WTH?”
But, if you enjoy the brilliant detection, this book is definitely worth the time.
What caught me to this book was the title – “Suspect X”. Suspect X, was it referring to a specific suspect or a random suspect from a bunch of suspects? Then I thought about the word ‘devotion’ in the title and decided it should perhaps be talking about a single specific suspect, from a random bunch of suspects. Devotion could mean only one thing, in such a title. Honestly, despite the obviousness of the title, the narration unraveled a plot that unfolded at a decent pace and kept me turning the pages at full speed. Before I opened the book, after reading the back drop of it, I let my imagination unfold and I can honestly say that I was not very far off with my guesses. However, what kept me hooked to it was the beauty of the tale and the logical flow of the story.
Ishigami is a Math teacher. He lives and breathes Math. Considered one of the most brilliant Mathematician, there are few who can unravel his genius at problem solving. He walks to this daily deli were his neighbor Yasuko works, to pick his every day lunch. Despite being neighbors, they hardly exchange a word. Yasuko and Misato stay in a small apartment, next door to Ishigami, when one day, Yasuko’s abusive ex-husband Togashi visits. The conversation between Yasuko, Misato and Togashi escalates to a fight, with Togahshi ending up dead. While Yasuko and Misato try to fall over each other, over who has to surrender to the cops, Ishigami knocks on Yasuko’s door, asking about the commotion. His rare genius of a mind understands the situation in one quick glance and offers them his help.
When the cops identify a corpse to be Togashi, they come calling onto Yasuko’s door step. And coached by the brilliant Ishigami, they follow a script to tell a tale that Kusanagi, the detective cop, cannot find a fault with. Despite all that, Kusanagi has a nagging feeling that something was off. He talks to his consultant physicist and college mate, the brilliant Yukawa, who incidentally went to college with Ishigami. Though there are no obvious loopholes in the tales of the suspects Yasuko and Misato, when Yukawa talks to his friend Ishigami, he suspects something else.
From there on, starts the dance in the shadows of two genius minds who out challenge each other. While the what and who is obvious in the story, the comeuppance for the crime goes till the wire and the conclusion, trust me, will either make you scream, “Bloody Hell” or “WTH?”
But, if you enjoy the brilliant detection, this book is definitely worth the time.
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