The theme and story of this book might be something novel and unique for the modern readers who have You don't have to be a Sufi to admire this book
The theme and story of this book might be something novel and unique for the modern readers who have never had a chance to dwell in the rich heritage of Persian / Urdu literature. Tasaw'wuff (the study of sufi'ism / spiritualism) is a major genre there and Rumi has played the most pivotal role in initiation / popularity of the study. One of the most debated / mysterious topic in the history of sufi'ism is the relationship between Rumi and his spiritual inspiration Shams . There are several stories regarding the culmination of that relationship and none of these stories has ever reached undisputed acceptability in the spiritual and literary circles.
The version presented by Elif Shafak in this beautiful book is, without a doubt, the most commonly quoted one and that is precisely where Shafak has scored her major points. Bringing this majestic tale to the mainstream literature in such a simplified manner is a masterstroke, as the topic itself is immensely complex to decipher for a normal reader. Shafak brings out the essence of the Rumi-Shams relationship in the most beautiful and understandable manner.
While the part of the book that deals with the 13th century story is enough to make the book a modern classic, however, the modern day tale of Ella-Aziz relationship running parallel, in my humble opinion, is the weak link and downplays the magnificence of the older tale. Its not that the story of 21st century is not narrated effectively; its a decent story in it's self but the correlation created with the older tale misses the trick. Whereas Shams' forty rules advocate the freedom of soul, the interpretation in Ella's life sounds more of a physical escapade from inconvenient circumstances. (view spoiler)[ Ella's choice to abandon her existing life DOES NOT reflect what the forty rules of love advocated. (hide spoiler)]
Anyhow, this flaw might be just a case of perception, which many other readers wouldn't find difficult to accept. Otherwise, as far as the literary credentials of the book are concerned, it is definitely a breath of fresh air w.r.t. the spiritual message it brings to perspective. The book, very honestly, tries to revive the dimensions of love which modern life has, more or less, buried under the weight of its more glossy facades!
Doesn't matter if you believe in the philosophy of this book or not... you are bound to fall in love with its delicate narrative and literary finesse!...more
Violence, Brutality, Slavery, Betrayal and every negative word that you can think of forms the core of this advent A Beautiful tale about Ugly Things
Violence, Brutality, Slavery, Betrayal and every negative word that you can think of forms the core of this adventurous story that spans over couple of thousands of years. Normally I despise all such things in a story as they give me negative vibes and if there is one thing I hate in this world, that is negativity. But kudos to Wilbur Smith for narrating the tale most effectively. Its not a small book; the edition I read was a handsome 600+ pager. It did drag in portions but overall it was a satisfying experience.
The story is split in two parts; the first is based in the current ages where a team of Archaeologists go out on an ambitious adventure to discover a lost city and end up finding much more than they bargained for. The second part narrates a 2000 year old story of the city itself. The most interesting thing is the similarity between principal characters of both ages. With a strong undercurrent of reincarnation, the physical and behavioral similarities between these characters (though annoying at times) form the basic theme of the book.
I personally liked the first part much more than the second, as whatsoever mysteries were there to be unfolded were done in the first part. The second just explained the background of those mysteries and that is where the books falls short of being a 5 star affair. The triumph of first part is based on so many unexpected discoveries and the evil undercurrent of the lost city which keep a reader engrossed with their gradual but vicious revelations. In my personal opinion, the second part is much more stretched than it should've been as we already had a fair idea about what happened 2000 years ago through the discoveries made in the first part. The painfully long descriptions of hunting endeavors, barbaric stints and mythical rituals became a bit too repetitive for my liking. This as a result left a very little space for detailed description of the final battle which, in my opinion should've been the most thoroughly described part of the book.
Having said that, the metaphysical consistency of the theme throughout both parts makes up for the minor shortfall mentioned above. The characters in both parts are very much in sync with the theme of the book; their ruthless determination and super-human-like antics provides a stamp of authenticity to whatsoever happens around them.
The atmospheric uniqueness and the unorthodox narrative gives an individual identity to this book which served as a welcome change from stereotypical mystery novels that we read these days.
In a nutshell, this book doesn't present any path-breaking or a genre-defining stuff, but whatsoever it does present is presented in a very captivating manner and I absolutely have no regrets for spending quite a few days in reading this....more
Ardent bookworms might agree that the best thing about reading books is the ever-looming possibility of a surprise that comes along with every next boArdent bookworms might agree that the best thing about reading books is the ever-looming possibility of a surprise that comes along with every next book you decide to read. That the surprise ends up being pleasant or not is another issue...but this inability to foresee the experience of reading a particular book is what keeps freaks like us looking forward to accept reading challenges and to proactively creating additional space in our shelves for the books that would grace them in near future.
for me Before the Fall by Noah Hawley was always supposed to be just another space-filler that I picked up for a quick finish before in get into a huge 1500 pager I had waiting in my shelf to be started. But am I glad of coming across this book or not!!! Such a pleasantly surprising experience of a book which was perceived to be yet another surviving-through-a-disaster-with-exaggerated-drama . But what I got in the end was a uniquely crafted tale about The Venomous Media and its ability to inflate a simple incident into a horrific conspiracy theory.
This is a book which unfolds layer-after-layer with such smooth transitioning that you don't even feel the panic you normally feel when a new mystery is about to be unveiled in a thriller. What you actually feel is acquaintanceship of so many brilliantly detailed characters which take you along their lives (pre and post the main event) and in the process take you down the dense waves of the ocean they crashed in ... and eventually guide you to the treasure of complete understanding and knowledge of what transpired on that ill-fated August night.
The beauty of Noah's writing lies in the subtlety of drama and his ability to downplay the emotions which could've crashed the ceiling down on the reader's head. As a result, you don't get buried under the heaviness of grief ... nor do you feel aloof about what happens in the lives of these characters. Instead, the author makes you understand the characters and their experiences in life..he paints each scene with such details that you cannot help but visualize the proceedings. As a result...you get totally convinced about what you read and what you come to know.
The only link which is comparatively weak, is the ending...but that too feels like this because the flow of narrative had started unveiling things quite early...It tell you the conclusion before it gets concluded and then it leaves you having optimistic visions about the survivors of the plane crash (but more importantly the survivors of the media madness)
To sum it up ... this was a beautiful little book ... which deserves to be applauded for its uniqueness of approach and its ability to satisfy your need of reading a quality book.
When a debutante writes about themes as delicate as "Healing power of the earth and relationships", it is most expected to end up as a "superfluous reWhen a debutante writes about themes as delicate as "Healing power of the earth and relationships", it is most expected to end up as a "superfluous recollection of acquired philosophy" or a "vehicle driven by the author to prove his intellect to the world". In case of "The Secret Wisdom of the Earth" though, Chrsitopher Scotton steers clear of both the pitfalls.
This book narrates a warm and touchy story about life and its "tricks & treats" in the most simplest of manners. This simplicity actually comes off as a pleasant surprise in an era where writing good stories has become synonymous to producing complex multi-layered wizardry with as many perspectives as the confines of pages can allow. But thankfully "Secret Wisdom.." doesn't follow the same route. It turns out to be a "Simple in narrative; deep in meaning" book which tells the story using one perspective only. This keeps things simple and brings the message across without creating any confusions.
The setting of Appalachian Mountains turns out to be the most effective canvas to present this story. The mountaintop removal ploy is used as the most befitting symbol of what mankind has been doing to itself; distancing itself from its roots; becoming deprived of natural wealth in pursuit of its material counterpart.
This is a story about one's roots and how important a part they play in forming up a personality; how a determined effort can save someone from falling into an abyss of depression and breakdown; how much is compromised when we compromise the fundamentals of life and relationships.
There is only one flip in the book. The last chapter seems abruptly rushed and wrapped up. After the beautifully detailed and smooth flow of the story till the penultimate chapter, I would've really preferred another 50 odd pages to reach the conclusion gradually. I felt uncomfortable to skip important progression (or digression) in the lives of the characters which I had come to love. Nevertheless, the overall beauty of the story is strong enough to cover up this hiccup in the narrative.
To conclude, this definitely is among one of the best debuts in recent times and I am really looking forward to read more by Scotton.
Anybody out there who doesn't know what "being driven crazy" feels like??? anybody who feels the desire to be slapped out of insanity??? anybody who cAnybody out there who doesn't know what "being driven crazy" feels like??? anybody who feels the desire to be slapped out of insanity??? anybody who can no longer differentiate between awkwardness and awesomeness???
I don't know about anyone else ... but after spending two completely sleepless nights to finish this book ... I certainly have reached mental crossroads ... i feel as if I have gained unfathomable wisdom ... and yet, at the same time I feel like a lunatic. This is what this book and its mind-bending story has done to me. If this book was a vehicle, it certainly would've earned a few tickets for its ludicrous speed and its venturing into unwarranted territories.
Even if I try to provide spoilers for this book, I can not think of anything which can spoil the fun of reading it for anyone. It moves at such a pace that you find yourself breathless by the time you reach the acknowledgments. The amazing thing is that all these mind-bending twists are continuously supplemented by heart-wrenching emotions.
Whereas, at the surface, its the Sci-fi awesomeness of the story which grasps your attention, but as you analyse the book deeper, you get amazed by its symbolical genius which actually sheds a very though-provoking light on the impact of choices that we make in our lives. Its entirely commendable how the writer keeps playing with the strings of reality while singing a song about imaginary worlds.
I want to write so much more about the book... but that definitely would make me spill out some crucial aspects of the story. All I can say is that the book teaches us that the choices we make in life always have long-lasting impacts... and my choice of reading this book and its impact on my mind is sure going to stay with me for a long time....more
What is a Whodunit thriller supposed to be like? It should be unpredictable; should make it almost impossible for you to put the book down; should nevWhat is a Whodunit thriller supposed to be like? It should be unpredictable; should make it almost impossible for you to put the book down; should never feel like getting dragged; should have well developed characters with unexpected behaviors and last but not the least it's culmination should sooth down all the ripples of anxiety out of the reader's mind.
"Velocity" by Dean Koontz checks all the boxes with grace and excitement at the same time. Without taking any help from sleazy sub-plots, this book keeps you glued to itself from the very first chapter to the last. The plot is very intelligently crafted and smoothly unveiled; the narrative is highly engaging and the highly interesting characters keep on creeping in and out of the shadows of suspicion.
For me, the thing which gives this book its real charm is its continuous ability to rise above the expectations of the reader. Just when you start getting an iota of doubt that the book is becoming predictable, just then it springs up a new surprise and re-establishes respect for itself.
The book never over-commits to itself. It keeps on treating its reader with a very balanced approach; it never tries to insult the intellect and it never leaves unsolved puzzles to confuse the reader as well. The surprises are not presented as shocks, rather they always come as a sudden but smooth bump immediately after the blind turn of a road.
In a nutshell, this book shaped up exactly like I want thrillers to be. This was my first experience with Koontz...and I definitely will be reading more of his books....more
How do you review a book which is so different from everything you have been reading all your life... how do you critically acclaim a book which mesmeHow do you review a book which is so different from everything you have been reading all your life... how do you critically acclaim a book which mesmerizes you with its maturity when throughout its course it keeps projecting a character which is years away from being mature.
Jonathan Safran Foer is hell-bent to break all the conventional mechanics of writing a novel, yet he never diverges from the basic ingredients of a good story; Intrigue, suspense and very very strong emotions.
Flipping through the pages (not too many though) ... a brain (which is used to appraise conventional story-telling) keeps on pointing out imperfections in the style of narrative. On the other hand, a heart continuously keeps on melting and marveling the perfection with which this book never lets its grip lose on the reader's deepest emotions.
While this argument between the brain and the heart keeps on growing ... one aspect which gets a common consent by both is the degree to which this book keeps you engaged. Not once does it let go of your attention. Its a roller coaster of contrasting emotions. Just when you are at brink of shedding tears, a sublime smile suddenly finds its way to your lips ... and just when you are preparing yourself to laugh out loud, you suddenly start feeling a lump in your throat.
For me, this flow of contrasting emotions became a force I fell in love with. I Love both the story lines (Oskar's and the one of his grand parents'). There definitely are times when you get a little annoyed by unnecessary stretch of something which didn't actually need so much elaboration. But this annoyance is always very short lived and is always replaced with an elated feeling of emotional satisfaction.
A very few books have summed up life as beautifully as this one does.
Highly recommended for those who read with their hearts reading along. ...more
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