Friday, July 29, 2005
Not for Muggles!
Name: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2005
Rating: 4 / 5
Note: I've avoided giving away important plot spoilers so that anybody can read this review. Still, I cannot avoid giving away some minor spoilers on the content of the book, so if you havent read the book and want the complete experience, don't read further!
JKR churns out yet another long novel, as HBP crosses the 600-page mark. In this regard and a lot of others, the book is just what the fans ordered! No longer does JKR try to explain any circumstance or place or spell already mentioned in one of the previous books. Another significant change in that she does not neatly tie up all loose ends at the end of the novel. There's a lot to look forward to in the final book!
Mostly, HBP is another rollicking Hogwarts adventure, with Harry and his friends continuing to learn new spells, playing quidditch, and growing up in general. Harry seems to have settled down from his touchy attitude in Order of the Phoenix, but JKR persists in including a lot of sinister elements and violence in the book. Thankfully, the Mahabharath-type wand-pointing and spell-exchanging is toned down but the teenage crushes, relationships and "snogging" are all annoyingly increased. One can understand JKR wanting to portray the process of growing up as inseparable from such things, but she could definitely have handled it better.
One more let-down is the fact that the identity of the Half-Blood Prince is not important, and not even central to the theme of the book. Further, it becomes guessable midway through the book, even though it is fully revealed only at the end. Still, the idea of Harry learning things from the Half-Blood Prince is well done, even though one wonders how Harry manages to learn difficult, including non-verbal or "silent" spells, so quickly, when he takes weeks to learn most spells in school!
Nevertheless, the good things about the book outweigh the bad. A really good insight is given into the psyche of Lord Voldemort, with glimpses into his childhood. One understands how he becomes the cruel, power-hungry wizard that we know him as. The key to his immortality is also uncovered, and Harry finds out exactly how difficult and daunting the task of killing him actually is.
JKR has also given some thought to the character of Draco Malfoy, who is more than just an obnoxious school bully in this book. It appears that Draco will play a vital role in the final book. Another thing to look forward to is the identity of Harry's mysterious benefactor, known only by the initials RAB. Anyone who has read the last three books can make an educated guess as to his identity, but knowing Rowling, one can never tell for sure!
Perhaps the best thing about the book is the ending. It is absolutely stunning and unexpected. Even after reading the book fully, I am not completely sure whether the whole thing is real or a ploy orchestrated by the Order. Either way I will give JKR full credit. If it actually happens, I congratulate her on her boldness, and am extremely curious to know how Harry handles things from now on. If it is just a ploy, then full marks to her on conceptualizing such a devious plot!
Overall I would deem the book not as brilliant in plot as Prisoner of Azkaban or having the sheer adventure value of Goblet of Fire, but definitely a must-read for anyone who has read the previous books. Oh well... its not as if I needed to say the latter in words anyway!!
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2005
Rating: 4 / 5
Note: I've avoided giving away important plot spoilers so that anybody can read this review. Still, I cannot avoid giving away some minor spoilers on the content of the book, so if you havent read the book and want the complete experience, don't read further!
JKR churns out yet another long novel, as HBP crosses the 600-page mark. In this regard and a lot of others, the book is just what the fans ordered! No longer does JKR try to explain any circumstance or place or spell already mentioned in one of the previous books. Another significant change in that she does not neatly tie up all loose ends at the end of the novel. There's a lot to look forward to in the final book!
Mostly, HBP is another rollicking Hogwarts adventure, with Harry and his friends continuing to learn new spells, playing quidditch, and growing up in general. Harry seems to have settled down from his touchy attitude in Order of the Phoenix, but JKR persists in including a lot of sinister elements and violence in the book. Thankfully, the Mahabharath-type wand-pointing and spell-exchanging is toned down but the teenage crushes, relationships and "snogging" are all annoyingly increased. One can understand JKR wanting to portray the process of growing up as inseparable from such things, but she could definitely have handled it better.
One more let-down is the fact that the identity of the Half-Blood Prince is not important, and not even central to the theme of the book. Further, it becomes guessable midway through the book, even though it is fully revealed only at the end. Still, the idea of Harry learning things from the Half-Blood Prince is well done, even though one wonders how Harry manages to learn difficult, including non-verbal or "silent" spells, so quickly, when he takes weeks to learn most spells in school!
Nevertheless, the good things about the book outweigh the bad. A really good insight is given into the psyche of Lord Voldemort, with glimpses into his childhood. One understands how he becomes the cruel, power-hungry wizard that we know him as. The key to his immortality is also uncovered, and Harry finds out exactly how difficult and daunting the task of killing him actually is.
JKR has also given some thought to the character of Draco Malfoy, who is more than just an obnoxious school bully in this book. It appears that Draco will play a vital role in the final book. Another thing to look forward to is the identity of Harry's mysterious benefactor, known only by the initials RAB. Anyone who has read the last three books can make an educated guess as to his identity, but knowing Rowling, one can never tell for sure!
Perhaps the best thing about the book is the ending. It is absolutely stunning and unexpected. Even after reading the book fully, I am not completely sure whether the whole thing is real or a ploy orchestrated by the Order. Either way I will give JKR full credit. If it actually happens, I congratulate her on her boldness, and am extremely curious to know how Harry handles things from now on. If it is just a ploy, then full marks to her on conceptualizing such a devious plot!
Overall I would deem the book not as brilliant in plot as Prisoner of Azkaban or having the sheer adventure value of Goblet of Fire, but definitely a must-read for anyone who has read the previous books. Oh well... its not as if I needed to say the latter in words anyway!!
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The book that made him the King of horror
Name: CarrieAuthor: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Published: 1974
I picked up this short novel (about 250 pages) expecting not to be stirred one bit. It's about a misunderstood high school girl, Carrie White, born with telekinetic powers and a victim of abuse from a mentally imbalanced mother. An unfortunate turn of events turns the usually shy and tormented Carrie wild, and leads her to a violent rampage seeking revenge during the night of her school prom.
Bah, I thought. Innumerable books and movies I'd already experienced were based loosely on the same theme, although I did note that this early work from King might have in fact been their inspiration. In any case, I didn't expect to be surprised.
King didn't let this feeling last 10 pages through the novel. Following his usual style of writing, King turns a simple theme into an experience filled with horror and disgust. Using words to create vivid disturbing images in the reader's mind, he manages to impress. It's a novel which disturbs you enough to want to put the book down, yet at the same time you are drawn to move on.
(momma stop don't i can't breathe o my throat o momma i'm sorry i looked momma o my tongue blood in my mouth)...
Momma coming back, coming for her, Momma holding Daddy Ralph's long butcher knife
(cut it out i have to cut out the evil the nastiness sins of the flesh o i know about that the eyes cut out your eyes)
King concentrates on developing the characters of Carrie White and her mother Margaret White, not bothering too much with anyone else in the story. This does allow him to give the reader a good glimpse into the mind of the tormented school girl yearning acceptance and later revenge. Ficticious news clippings are sprinkled inbetween, unravelling the story rather interestingly.
Not an excellent book, but it is guaranteed to make your stomach curl. And that's what impresses me the most about Stephen King. I'd give this a 3/5.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
To kill a mockingbird
Title: To kill a mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Published: 1960
What do you expect from a classic? That it inspires you. That its characters stay with you long after the details of the story have faded away. That it touches you in a way nothing else ever will. That it makes you wish the story could have gone on for ever, the characters becoming a part of your life. "To kill a mockingbird" does all of this, but it also makes you laugh!
The story is set in the "South" of America, after the Yankees have won and set the Negroes free. It is narrated in the words of an eight year old, Jean-Louise "Scout" Finch. Through her we are introduced to her elder brother "Jem" with whom she shares a bond that is only possible in childhood, her father Atticus, a lawyer, whom she finds "satisfactory", Calpurina, their negro cook who manages a lot more than the kitchen, Dill, the boy who comes every summer to live with one of the neighbours and of course Boo Radley. The boy next door who has done something terrible a long time ago and has not stepped outside his house ever since.
As Scout describes everyday incidents in her life, her school, the neighbours, the characters in the story begin to take shape. Atticus emerges as the "hero" of the book - a man of principles. Jem is a boy growing into a man. Scout herself is very much a child, convinced that there is no problem that a good beating will not solve.
Atticus is asked to defend a negro who is accused of raping a white girl and this changes their lives. For Atticus, it is a time when all his principles are put to test. For Jem and Dill, it is a shocking introduction to the real world. For Scout, it is an invitation to get into a fight with anyone who dares to speak against her father, even though she'd rather he not fight the case. The scene where scout talks to the mob in the jail is beyond adjectives!
Harper Lee manages to teach us so much using an 8 year old! Scout's innocence, Atticus's principles, Dill's anguish and Jem will remain with me for a long long time.
Author: Harper Lee
Published: 1960
What do you expect from a classic? That it inspires you. That its characters stay with you long after the details of the story have faded away. That it touches you in a way nothing else ever will. That it makes you wish the story could have gone on for ever, the characters becoming a part of your life. "To kill a mockingbird" does all of this, but it also makes you laugh!
The story is set in the "South" of America, after the Yankees have won and set the Negroes free. It is narrated in the words of an eight year old, Jean-Louise "Scout" Finch. Through her we are introduced to her elder brother "Jem" with whom she shares a bond that is only possible in childhood, her father Atticus, a lawyer, whom she finds "satisfactory", Calpurina, their negro cook who manages a lot more than the kitchen, Dill, the boy who comes every summer to live with one of the neighbours and of course Boo Radley. The boy next door who has done something terrible a long time ago and has not stepped outside his house ever since.
As Scout describes everyday incidents in her life, her school, the neighbours, the characters in the story begin to take shape. Atticus emerges as the "hero" of the book - a man of principles. Jem is a boy growing into a man. Scout herself is very much a child, convinced that there is no problem that a good beating will not solve.
Atticus is asked to defend a negro who is accused of raping a white girl and this changes their lives. For Atticus, it is a time when all his principles are put to test. For Jem and Dill, it is a shocking introduction to the real world. For Scout, it is an invitation to get into a fight with anyone who dares to speak against her father, even though she'd rather he not fight the case. The scene where scout talks to the mob in the jail is beyond adjectives!
Harper Lee manages to teach us so much using an 8 year old! Scout's innocence, Atticus's principles, Dill's anguish and Jem will remain with me for a long long time.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Naked Feet on Metal
Title: Five point someoneAuthor: Chetan Bhagat
Genre: Fiction
Year of Publication: 2005
I am surprised how a book that has more or less become a cult icon, has escaped the scrutiny of most of the blog members. It has been the best Indian seller for months now and is soon on its way to become a major film too. five point someone by Chetan Bhagat has probably been the cleanest and most gripping tale about IIT geeks. And it shatters a lot of myths about the hallowed schools of India too.
The story begins as a first person narration…the events as seen by Hari, the main protagonist of the story. It is all about 3 guys who make it to the IIT after 2 years of toiling and then just when they think that life is now a bed of roses, reality strikes. None of them ever manages to get more than a 5-point grade in anything, which is what explains the title. Soon, hell breaks lose and they realize they are trying to drink water from a fire hose. The pressure climbs and until a moment when it no longer hurts them. They try to do everything that one should not do at an IIT. Booze, drugs, sex (with the Head of Dept. daughter), you name it and they have done it all. The story culminates quite unpredictably and sometimes you feel happy that not all books end like a Jurassic Park, where the good guys always escape without a scratch.
However, the high point about this book is not its story but the language. A very direct and well-understood dialect. Of course, it is not Queen’s language and Rudyard Kipling would be turning in his grave at the usage of some of the terms. However, all is well as long as the point is conveyed. Makes a very easy read, often a 3-4 hrs read. The narration is very friendly and I believe he has done a good job in turning a first person narration to his advantage. And most importantly, the way of recording subtle moments in words. “Naked feet on metal can be enormously sexy”. The vivid image that a single sentence can conjure up is amazing. A lot more of such subtle, sweet, sometimes funny moments that have been so beautifully captured by Bhagat. Be it the ice cream parlour dates Hari has or the heart wrenching moments with Alok’s family, Bhagat sure knows how to weave a web of images in your mind.
A must read for every engineering student, a must read for all college goers, a must read for all IIT aspirants, a must read for all teachers, a must read for every parent and a must read for every person who has always felt that he messed up his college days and could have done better. Have I missed somebody?
Thursday, July 07, 2005
The Curse of the Mistwraith
Name: The Curse of the Mistwraith
Author: Janny Wurts
Series: The War of Light and Shadows (Book One)
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1993
Rating: 5 / 5
"It ought to be illegal for someone to have so much talent," says the blurb on the back cover. Yeah right, I sniggered. Especially since the series had a title as trite-sounding as "The War of Light and Shadows".
Twenty minutes and an equal number of pages later, I found myself hooked. I didn't let the book out of my sight until I finished all 800 pages of it. I've read too many fantasy series in this lifetime for my own good, but in my opinion this one beats them all hands down.
The story starts off in the midst of a war in which a nation of islands and sparse resources relies on acts of piracy on the richer mainland nation for their very survival. Divided by countless generations of strife, fate brings the princes of the rival kingdoms, half-brothers by blood, together as they are cast through a portal into a deserted world. Gifted with the ability to control the elements of Light and Darkness respectively, by virtue of their common blood on their Mother's side, they fight their way through the cursed planet and reach the portal to yet another world... only to find that they were expected there.
The world of Athera has its skies covered by an unnatural, sentient mist whose complete dominion was thwarted centuries ago by a Fellowship of Sorcerers who have acted as its guardians for several Millenia. Now, it finds itself on the brink of conflict as the relations between the people who live within the cities and those who live without, sour steadily and irreversibly. Its only hope lies in the prophecy of the return of the heirs of the royal families who were banished from their world during an age long past: the very princes Arithon s'Ffallen, Master of Shadows, and Lysaer S'Illessid, Lord of Light, newly returned from an exile they hadn't been aware of, to a world they never knew existed. Together, their powers can destroy the mist and bring light back into the lives of the millions on the planet after five centuries... but the Fellowship foresees that the mysterious wraiths of the mist will have their revenge, and curse the Princes into hatred and war for the rest of their magically prolonged lives: five more centuries of strife, into which every soul on the planet will be sucked in. The alternative: doom the planet into eternal darkness.
A brilliantly conceived series, Wurts plans to write it in the form of five trilogies, of which two are already written. This is the first book, and is good not merely because she creates fantastic worlds with its peoples and places described in vivid detail; not merely because the nature of the magic that pervades the series is utterly captivating; but because of her skill as a weaver of stories and characters, that is as great as her skill in conceptualizing fantasy. The plot is full of startling twists, cruel ironies, far-sighted planning and breathtaking deception. The characters are stripped to the bone in front of your eyes, their every facet outlined in such a way that you will find yourself living their ecstacies and anguish.
Suitable for people of all ages, this is one book; nay, one series; that no fantasy fan must miss.
Author: Janny Wurts
Series: The War of Light and Shadows (Book One)
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1993
Rating: 5 / 5
"It ought to be illegal for someone to have so much talent," says the blurb on the back cover. Yeah right, I sniggered. Especially since the series had a title as trite-sounding as "The War of Light and Shadows".
Twenty minutes and an equal number of pages later, I found myself hooked. I didn't let the book out of my sight until I finished all 800 pages of it. I've read too many fantasy series in this lifetime for my own good, but in my opinion this one beats them all hands down.
The story starts off in the midst of a war in which a nation of islands and sparse resources relies on acts of piracy on the richer mainland nation for their very survival. Divided by countless generations of strife, fate brings the princes of the rival kingdoms, half-brothers by blood, together as they are cast through a portal into a deserted world. Gifted with the ability to control the elements of Light and Darkness respectively, by virtue of their common blood on their Mother's side, they fight their way through the cursed planet and reach the portal to yet another world... only to find that they were expected there.
The world of Athera has its skies covered by an unnatural, sentient mist whose complete dominion was thwarted centuries ago by a Fellowship of Sorcerers who have acted as its guardians for several Millenia. Now, it finds itself on the brink of conflict as the relations between the people who live within the cities and those who live without, sour steadily and irreversibly. Its only hope lies in the prophecy of the return of the heirs of the royal families who were banished from their world during an age long past: the very princes Arithon s'Ffallen, Master of Shadows, and Lysaer S'Illessid, Lord of Light, newly returned from an exile they hadn't been aware of, to a world they never knew existed. Together, their powers can destroy the mist and bring light back into the lives of the millions on the planet after five centuries... but the Fellowship foresees that the mysterious wraiths of the mist will have their revenge, and curse the Princes into hatred and war for the rest of their magically prolonged lives: five more centuries of strife, into which every soul on the planet will be sucked in. The alternative: doom the planet into eternal darkness.
A brilliantly conceived series, Wurts plans to write it in the form of five trilogies, of which two are already written. This is the first book, and is good not merely because she creates fantastic worlds with its peoples and places described in vivid detail; not merely because the nature of the magic that pervades the series is utterly captivating; but because of her skill as a weaver of stories and characters, that is as great as her skill in conceptualizing fantasy. The plot is full of startling twists, cruel ironies, far-sighted planning and breathtaking deception. The characters are stripped to the bone in front of your eyes, their every facet outlined in such a way that you will find yourself living their ecstacies and anguish.
Suitable for people of all ages, this is one book; nay, one series; that no fantasy fan must miss.
'The Picture of Dorian Gray'
Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Author: Oscar Wilde
Genre: Classic
Year of Publication: 1890
Verdict: Excellent read
Caution: For the patient ones only
The novel is set in England in the nineteenth century and it's the story of a young gentleman (can we call him that at the end of the story...I doubt), who is greatly influenced by a man, Lord Henry, who hates the English Society and its hypocrisy. The main character, Dorian Gray nearly escapes being murdered because at the age of forty, he still looks like a twenty year old boy. His boyish charms and his beauty save his life. He is a beautiful boy who has a face that convinces everyone of his innocence and purity. But it is the same beauty that makes him arrogant and gives him a new meaning to his life, self-love. And deeply in love with the realization of how beautiful he is, he makes a wish. A wish that turns him into the most evil, wicked, sinful characters that England ever saw. Its a wish asking for his beauty to never die, of never having to bear the guilt of his sins and instead his portrait be the mirror of his soul. And curiosuly the wish is granted and as time passes by, the portrait which he keeps locked away, bears his sins and all his wrong-doings. It ages as time passes, the mouth gets horrifyingly twisted, lines of old age, of stress, of remorse and guilt appear on his face....
And Dorain continues his deeds that force many reputed men to lead a shameful life. He spoils the lives of many married, unmarried young women and men. They are all equally influenced by him and fall for his charms. And Lord Henry only continues to tell Dorian how its perfectly allright not to feel guilty!
* * * * * * * *
This is the only novel written by Oscar Wilde (he is more known for his short stories) and it's well known for being in a controversy for being capable of demoralizing the society. I would say it has the capacity to do that. It had to be revised and republished. The book is full of epigrams spoken through Lord Henry. He represents his theories in the most credible fashion telling you how its prefectly okay for you to be doing what your mother, life and society taught were wrong. It could almost convince you!
Its certainly not the fast moving thrilling adventurous story where you cant wait to turn the page. You will want to turn the page not to know what happens next in the story but to know what Lord Henry has to tell you about life and to know how Oscar Widle has woven the words into a sentence. To know what fact Henry is going to tell and how he is going to support it that will make you believe his theories. This novel can get out from you...pity, horror, shock, spite and inspiration to write.
Everything about something cannot be good. There are certain parts in the novel that are unnecessary and could bore one, especially because the book requires that one read every sentence to appreciate it. It becomes tedious reading about certain things that are irelevant to the storyline. And the constant philosophy at every corner in the book could tire you. Its a different thing that this philosophy is something that you and I would have never pondered on.
Pick up the book if you are the kind who has patience and time.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
I read, therefore I am!
You might worship your copy of The Godfather every morning, or perhaps stubbornly believe that Ayn Rand has changed your life. You may think Coelho has a poorer vocabulary than Coolio, or that Douglas Adams should have Hitched a Hike to some remote part of the Galaxy before writing any of his ghastly books.
No matter what you thought, reading a book certainly moved you in some way. And that's all that's needed to be a part of this blog.
Express your views. Help promote the beauty of reading. And get your 15 comments worth of fame!
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Happy reviewing!
