November 16th - New titles added today to increase your choice.
Click on this link below for some suggestions of great books to read to improve your mind, your vocabulary, your writing style and your development as an independent learner as described in the IB LEARNER PROFILE.
Click BELOW HERE to see book list
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K6Y-l6bHxSu3DsbI23ZFXimA3xAfiALdUS9DgTyOk3s/pub
Grade X1 Students in IB1 English Literature classes are encouraged to read, read, read and share their experiences here. I want to empower students to join our online book club and post short reviews or comments here on the books they are reading or have read.
Click on this link below for some suggestions of great books to read to improve your mind, your vocabulary, your writing style and your development as an independent learner as described in the IB LEARNER PROFILE.
Click BELOW HERE to see book list
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K6Y-l6bHxSu3DsbI23ZFXimA3xAfiALdUS9DgTyOk3s/pub
Grade X1 Students in IB1 English Literature classes are encouraged to read, read, read and share their experiences here. I want to empower students to join our online book club and post short reviews or comments here on the books they are reading or have read.
I read the book "Lord of the Flies" a few years ago and it is one of my all time favourites. Although the book is gory, the style of writing and depth of descriptiveness is such that you can't help but fall in love with the book. What's interesting is how the savage nature of the boys on the island is actually just a reflection of the real war going on in the macrocosm. Even at the end of the book when they're "rescued", they boys actually get onto a British naval ship, ironically heading straight into war. Another plus point of the book is that it's relatively short, so it's a quick and easy read while being extremely engaging as well.
ReplyDeleteThe Outsider is a book that I’ve always been able to relate to at some level for some reason. Mersault, the main character of the book, is a young man who is so mentally detached from the world as we know it, that even his mother’s death barely moves him as it would others. This indifference is also shown in his relationships with his girlfriend Marie, and his neighbours and friends. For this offence, as seen by his peers, and many others as the book unfolds, Mersault is tried in court. This is symbolic of how the world is constantly trying him- he is constantly being judged for who he is- for being an outsider. He is simply not a part of the “real” world because he cannot conform to behavior that is generally accepted- and neither does he feel the need to be anything but himself. It is ironic how bemused he is by the behavior of the world around him, while the world is in fact, bewildered by him. The world views this strange, detached independence as a monstrosity, and he is depicted as immoral and a mutation. He cannot understand this verdict because there is no difference between morality and immorality for him. He cannot view the world in black and white, and he doesn’t feel the need to label everything as right or wrong. At the end of the book, Mersault arrives at the conclusion that the world is as indifferent as he is, and existence in itself, is pointless. I loved how Mersault could so convincingly make it easy to understand and agree with his point of view. Also, the characters in the book are meant to appear as despicable- yet they seem admirable simply because they behave exactly as they want to.
ReplyDeleteThank you Naomi and Radhika and also to those students who have emailed me - but I like to see students commenting here and taking ownership of this virtual place and extending learning beyond the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading “The Outsider” by Albert Camus, and I thought it was great for many reasons. First of all, Mersault, the protagonist, is a very unconventional character: disengaged and aloof, blatantly honest, emotionally numb (in that he was barely moved by his mother’s death), with a twisted moral conscience. It is this peculiarity of his character that deems him an “outsider” – he does not abide by the rules or conventions of society.
ReplyDeleteMersault is a keen observer, pointing out minute details and clinically stating everything that is going on around him; I particularly liked these descriptions, although they seemed disjointed, the writing style was new and refreshing. One example of how Camus’ illustrations are lucid is his description of a severe headache due to the scorching heat: “All I could feel were the cymbals the sun was clashing against my forehead”. This metaphor, among many others, really appealed to me.
A major part of the story revolves around him committing a heinous crime, his trial in court, and his experience in jail. Although he shows no signs of remorse, I feel like he gains the readers’ sympathies, despite the fact that he is the criminal. He is so helpless and hopeless, as seen when he is being tried at court, that one cannot help but feel bad for him - especially because he feels alienated, as if he doesn’t have a chance to voice his opinion about the decision that concerns himself. Questions about capital punishment also arise in the book – Mersault’s take on it was interesting: that even the condemned should get a chance, but with capital punishment, there is no element of chance, it is definitive.
I really liked this book overall, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, easy, and even short (only 117 pages!), read.
Thanks Amaya, really glad you like it and it truly is a gem, like "Waiting for Godot" nothing seems to happen in the book until the shooting and even that event is not 'explained', the reader has to try and make sense of it.
ReplyDeleteCatcher in the Rye, by JD salinger is unarguably my favorite book. I must've read it cover to cover at least a dozen times with a pencil perpetually glued to my hand as I continue to find intriguing moments and phrases. This book explicitly deals with the consequences of being an adolescent transitioning into adulthood. An indecisive, frustrating, and rebellious phase that i can personally relate to. A time where observing becomes your strongest suit and your incessant thoughts become your best friend. Holden Caulfield, a 17 year old boy who lacks interest in virtually everything, has been kicked to the curb by 6 schools. The story begins with him "getting the axe" at Pencey Prep (an affluent boarding school) and stretches across the span of a few days as he saunters around New York aimlessly with no vision of what comes next.
ReplyDeleteHolden Caulfield, right from the start of this book, is embellished as a lethargic, cynical, and deeply disturbed character. In my opinion the cause for his callous behavior and perpetual disinterest stems from the loss of his brother Allie, his parents' dearth of affection and the general idea of not fitting in or alienation. I was particularly amused by his unwavering curiosity over "where do the ducks in central park" disappear to. It gives us insight into his ceaseless thoughts and reflects his vague ideas pertaining to the future.
The book ends with the simple yet powerful idea " Don't ever tell anybody anything. because if you do, you start missing everybody" and that line is what impacted me the most because of how neglected that thought is yet how true it remains. I would advocate this book to everyone , setting aside any personal bias, because I truly believe it is cleverly written and extremely relevant to all those who are just beginning to experiment with the ideas of adulthood.
Thanks Manasvi - this is a good example of a strong personal response to a text. Well done - Mr C
ReplyDeleteAlthough we had to read them mandatorily for English class, I loved 1984 and The Great Gatsby. Both often have a reputation for being boring, for different reasons. Some find 1984 dull and depressing, and some find the middle of Gatsby vague and stagnant.
ReplyDeleteI, however, truly enjoyed the way in which both created a new world in my imagination, while still being realistic and relevant.
1984 is fascinating because it's based on the reality of the Soviet Union, yet it seems so distant and impossible. Winston Smith is relatable in his wonderment, his desire to explore culture, history, beautiful objects and magical places. I sympathise with him attempting to break away from the surreal, oppressive world in which anything and everything is controlled, rationed, manipulated, expressed through propaganda, observed and recorded.
What also makes 1984 worthwhile is the innumerable references to it in today's culture and media. Not only does it help to understand them, but I find myself perpetually making connections between our lives and the book. Although on a much smaller scale, we seem to all to often be subjected to similar regulations, governmental secrecy, falsities, oppression and a desire for something better than what we live with. Orwell’s book Animal Farm is not unlike 1984 in that it, although in a somewhat more pleasant environment, forms a hypothetical situation representative and critical of our current state of affairs. I can safely say that you won’t regret reading 1984 (or any of Orwell’s books) and that it will have a profound effect on you.
The Great Gatsby is an absolutely fantastic book. If I hadn’t studied it in class I perhaps would not have realised the intricacy of its story, the impeccable language and descriptions and the way every minute detail is woven together. But I recommend it to anyone, because I really enjoyed reading it on my own, before dissecting it in school.
As with 1984, The Great Gatsby paints a picture of a world that is not like ours today, but was all the same very real. For anyone who has been fascinated by the 20s, this book is perfect. Some characters are based on real people, and Fitzgerald gives the reader a true and vivid image of what life was like in America at the time.
That being said, the book has a curious quality to it. It is simultaneously so lifelike and engrossing, yet the whole world and story seem very distant and dream-like, almost as if a haze covers each scene. I think this is partially a result of the detached and observant narrator, Nick, and also symbolic of the way people lived. The parties were lavish, wild, bright and bold (the descriptions are anything but mild- the music, the people and the atmosphere seem to spring off the page). However the rich were oblivious to the suffering of the poor, the poor lived a deluded, ever-hopeful life of hard work. And everyone, no matter what their status, lived following the American Dream.
The Great Gatsby is, on the surface, a very simplistic story, and overall very calm. But the emotions, the deceptions, the passion and the perception are all immensely powerful. I had no trouble getting through the book, and I was just as happy to read it again and again in class.
I also really liked reading Manasvi, Amaya, Radhika and Naomi’s posts. They were all for books that I have frequently heard of, but that I hadn’t really considered reading- presumably because I didn’t know enough about them. I’m definitely going to be reading them as future book club choices.
Thanks Mira. Your comment and the general tone and quality of discussion, writing and feedback from our students indicates a great foundation of learning in our group. I have expanded the original list to include more choices for students. I plan to open the page in class and invite a brief sharing of ideas on the books there on Monday. I am very encouraged by the quality of critical thinking in our new Grade X1 classes. Best wishes to you and all our students and their families and friends for the festival of Diwalli.
ReplyDeleteI spent the last few days reading “The Outsider” by Albert Camus, and I really enjoyed the novel. The fact that Mersault, refuses to lie, pretend or feign any emotion in the course of his life, even if it culminates in his death is what I found most compulsive in the novel. Albert Camus himself, summed up The Outsider in one sentence which is rather paradoxical: “ In our society any many man who doesn't cry at his mother’s funeral is liable to be condemned to death”. He simply means that the hero of the book is condemned because he doesn't play “the game”. I think Camus, through his novel, is attempting to convey that in our society, just like in Mersault’s, one is expected to portray and show emotion and despair at one’s mother’s death or any other unpleasant event in one’s life. Therefore I believe, that the mere fact that Mersualt doesn't react to his mother’s death and seems apathetic towards it, is what makes readers perceive him as a reject or an “outsider”. I found this book particularly interesting and different from any book I’ve ever read before. In other novels and even in everyday life, one tries to make their life simpler by lying or by answering an “expected answer”, even if it isn’t true. However, Mersault doesn't want to make life simpler and he refuses to lie. He always says what he is, he never hides his true feeling even if they may be unacceptable, and this is what threatens the society and frames him as a reject. Therefore, this book is unlike any other I have ever read, and I would suggest it to anyone looking from something fresh and unusual to read. The “reject” in this book doesn't become the “reject” because he is abominated by others,, but because he is an honest man. By the end of this novel I also realized, that we’re all like the people surrounding Mersualt in the novel, we lie, we pretend, we exaggerate and say more than what’s true, consciously or subconsciously, and this chicanery is what makes us acceptable in the society we live in.
ReplyDeleteThanks Devanshi, very interesting, excellent response - Mr C
DeleteI would strongly recommend The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.I studied it last year, and similarly like Mira ,loved it too.
ReplyDeleteThis book transports the reader to America during the 1920s and gives the reader a glimpse of the jazz age:the way people dressed,the opulence, the lavish parties,the cars(Ford and Coupe) and the time of prohibition on alcohol.The reader also gets an insight on the concept of 'old' and 'new money'.Fitzgerald potrays the American dream in a very magical way,the way it promises glitter and glory to everyone thats sets foot in America.Nick is a reliable narrator as he is an excellent observer and kept me engaged throughout the novel.However after reading the book,the reader realises the bitter truth:the rich keep getting richer and continue to lead a rosy life while the poor struggle in order to attain the 'American Dream'.
I loved the style of writing and the great attention to detail.When read from in between the lines the story orchestrates together,making this classic a must read and a masterpiece in the history of English Literature.
I love your review Anandita. I enjoyed the book in college but it does not always work so well in class. It depends on the class and the 'reading culture' of the students too. Fitzgerald's style includes long descriptive passages which require a certain maturity and even patience from some readers. I think it will be very interesting in class to open this page and discuss what kinds of books appeal to different types of readers. My thanks to you and all the students posting here.
ReplyDeleteCatcher in the Rye, 1984 and Wuthering Heights have been listed as recommendations for the book club, and lucky for me, they've all been favourites that i could read cover to cover again and again.
ReplyDeleteCatcher in the Rye is a book most teenagers, and specially me, would identify with. It deals with themes of youth, lies, innocence, the transitional phase into adulhthood, sexual identity, family and friendship - themes all of us deal with in our life. Holden is perceived as a detached, sensitive, emotionally intelligent but also emotionally unstable boy. Most affected by his brother's death just when Holden was at the tender age of ten, he narrates the book in a cynical and jaded voice. He's a type of character that uses his cynicism to try and protect himself from the pain experienced in the adult world, a common trait seen in so many of us rebels today. While many feel that Holden displays a great amount of phoniness and superficiality in the book, i cant help but feel sorry for him. He's dealt great amount of negligence from literally every character we come across in the book, even the prostitute that heard from his for the very first time. It's not that easy balancing childhood and adulthood, and Holden was right at the center of both; not a child anymore but not an adult yet. I clearly reveled in the book, and since it's a short read, I'd recommend it to each and every one of you!
1984 on the other hand can get a bit heavy, while being a sort of warning about the dangers of a Totalitarian Government. 1984 displays an extreme version of a modern-day totalitarian system of rule in which the government has absolute power in every single criteria of the citizen's life, and where a single disloyal thought against the government jeopardizes the citizen. By weakening the people's memories and flooding their minds with Party Propaganda, the government can instill in them their own version of "truth." However, the protagonist of the novel, Winston, is the hope of the book. A rebel with clandestine revolutionary dreams and illegal feelings of love for a woman named Julia, Winston tries to push the party to its limits. While julia's rebellion is selfish and majorly for her own motives, Winston is pensive and desperate to know why the Party exercises such absolute power. The novel's end is what I liked most, for it isn't like most stories that end with sweet smiles and happily ever afters. It ended in Winston's downfall, where he is psychologically tortured and finally transformed into a loyal subject of the Party. This book is extremely vital in today's world for it reflects the ongoing war in ourselves and in the world around us, it shows us what our future could be or could not be like, and warns us about the need for a powerfully strong but honest government.
And saving the best for the last is Wuthering Heights, a book full of suspense, drama, relations of love and betrayal, jealousy and loyalty - this book could easily make it to the top of my list of must reads! Lockwood recently comes to live in Thrushcross Grange, where the housekeeper Nelly narrates to him the story of the Landlord, Heathcliff, and the passionate love between him and Catherine. This love is what drives the book, all major problems stem from this affair, and even though Nelly condemns their love as insanity, I identify the two lovebirds as romantic heroes whose love transcends social norms and customs. The second half of the book deals with another love story, this time between Catherine and Hareton. All though the latter affair ends peacefully, it doesn't compel the reader, or at least didn't compel me, as much as Heathcliff and Catherine did, for their love is rooted in their childhood, and although highly destructive in nature, their love would never change. Set in the moors of a Victorian English Countryside, this novel is a thought-provoking and captivating book that i highly recommend for everyone to read! :)
Wonderful response to these texts, well done Adiva!
DeleteOne book that really intrigues me is ‘ Wide Sargasso Sea’ by Jean Rhys. It is the prequel to ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre is said to be one of the greatest works of English fiction. Jane's independence, fortitude, and intelligence render her one of literature's strongest female characters, and the passionate love between Jane and Rochester is a romance for the ages.
Wide Sargasso Sea is a must-read for all Jane Eyre fans as we are given a fascinating insight into the infamous 'Madwoman in the Attic' in a way that makes us sympathize with her, which is very different to her rather frightening depiction in Bronte's novel. It also portrays the shallow, cold character of the much-admired Mr. Rochester. It is interesting, as a modern reader to see how women were oppressed by men in the 19th century and indeed this novel is a brilliant example of sexual inequality, particularly as Antoinette is given the name 'Bertha' by her husband, a symbol of how women lost their own identities within marriages and became their husbands' property.
Jane Eyre has been one of my favourite books ever since I was a child. However, when I read ‘Wide Sargasso Sea,’ my perspective on it changed completely. Both these books are a must read for all.
Thanks for these insights on the work of Charlotte Bronte, Akshiti. Many feminist critics consider "Jane Eyre" important not just from a feminist perspective but also because of the other power constructs in relations to colonial aspects of the plot.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night -Time by Mark Haddon. Along with being an easy read and having many interesting diagrams, maps, math problems etc. , Mark Haddon’s this International Bestseller is unlike other books in many ways.
ReplyDeleteThis book revolves around Christopher, a 15-year-old boy suffering from Asperger’s syndrome. He is very good at math and science, and has a remarkable memory, which allows him to easily recite facts he knows in great detail. Remembering these things make him feel safe, while he thinks in a very logical way. Although he finds it hard to express himself at times, and ‘emotions’ tend to ‘confuse’ him. His liking towards Sherlock Holmes murder mysteries inspire him to become a detective to solve a crime: Who killed his neighbor’s dog named Wellington, and in the process he unveils many dark and bitter secrets kept from him, throwing his life into disarray.
This book has elements of humor while being heartbreaking at the same time, which shows how skillfully Haddon has written this novel. Christopher’s father was my favorite character, as he was so composed and patient at all times and showered his son with unconditional love even when Christopher was being very difficult to deal with. Christopher’s innocence and vulnerability is what touched me. The way he feels alienated from society like sometimes he just wants to be ‘left alone’, and the way he is not accepted by society is what makes the reader feel sympathetic towards him. Although this book is very easy to read, it requires a certain degree of patience and maturity from readers, since there are a few emotional roller coasters in the novel.
Thank you Anandita, I must put this book on my own list now!
DeletePersepolis by Marjane Satrapi is probably my favorite book of all time. Though it is a graphic novel, I would still rank it higher than most books that I’ve read. What I loved most is how simply and truly Marjane Satrapi could narrate her story, and with such relatively few words.
ReplyDeleteMarjane’s story is a deeply troubled and curious one. Born and raised in an especially turbulent Iran, she comes from an extremely liberal family where she’s exposed to the life of adults at a very young age. We are shown her insights into Iranian politics, and adult life in general from the point of view of an extremely intelligent, rebellious and observant child. I loved how her story is depicted faithfully, keeping her inner “child” in consideration, at the same time conveying the horrific truths and inner workings of the politics of Iran.
In a country whose politics are constantly changing, she manages to stick true to her beliefs- and uphold them in a particularly indignant and adamant manner. The aspects and points raised in this book are ones of identity, individuality and fundamentally, the story of an Iranian girl growing up into a woman. Living in a world where change is a literal constant, life is temporary and beliefs even more, she cannot help but feel alienated by her country. After she moves to Austria at the age of fourteen, she feels this isolation not because it has deserted her- but because she feels as though she deserted it. She faces a lot of discrimination in Austria. At first, she hides from her culture and her country, and behaves as though she is French. She is ashamed of how her country’s instability and the stereotypes it generates. Later on, she is ashamed of being ashamed. She finally accepts who she is and her country with open arms. It is interesting to see how she grows up from an intensely rebellious and precocious child into a woman who, still equally rebellious, as an adult, has learnt to control her short temper and her rebelliousness- but to an extent. She is unique, not only because she is an extremely liberal and (as opposed to her Iranian peers) different, but also because she manages to look at her country and the baggage that comes along with it through an objective looking glass.
Even after returning to Iran as an adult, she still feels the need to identify herself. She marries, but soon divorces her husband. I guess that she finally realizes that she doesn’t need anything to define her, not a country, not a culture, not a husband, not friends. She realizes that it doesn’t matter where you come from, or who you are. Even though politically, Iran has changed, it has left behind scores of blemishes. It cannot please her- her childhood memories of the Iran that once existed are only memories- everything has changed. She realizes that she cannot exist in Iran as a free woman who does what she will.
The end is particularly heart wrenching she leaves Iran for the final time. Her beloved Grandmother forbids her to return to Iran- as she says- “ You are a free woman. The Iran of today is not for you.”
The story is one that I would not have expected to relate to- since we live a moderately sheltered existence- yet it has a certain charm and appeal that draws you to the book at once. Though it is a wonderful book, it has a lot to do with politics and history. People who do not enjoy these subjects or cannot identify with a graphic novel might not like it. However, I would still recommend it to anyone- it is still extremely powerful writing, keeping in mind that the majority of the book contains beautiful illustrations.
Thank you Radhika, I enjoyed the books (Part 1 and Part2) and I enjoyed your review.
DeleteI spent the last few days reading Copenhagen which is a play written by Michael Frayn. The play is a narration by the spirits of the three characters of the play. The spirits of these three characters come together to recite to us the happenings of how firstly, the atom bomb came to be made and secondly, on why Heisenberg came to Copenhagen risking so much across the war zone, that was Germany. This captivating play is a perfect balance between history and physics. It starts with the intriguing question that still ponders in the minds of most historians-‘what happened between Heisenberg and Bohr during that meeting in Copenhagen in 1941?’
ReplyDeleteHeisenberg and Bohr had a close relationship. Bohr treated Heisenberg with the affection of his own son. But during word war 2 they were caught on opposing sides. In the midst of this dangerous situation Heisenberg came to meet Bohr in Copenhagen. The only thing we know about this meeting is that it lead to the end of their relationship. The most important part of this meeting is that Heisenberg and Bohr now knew how to create an atomic bomb. Everyone thinks that’s why Heisenberg came to Copenhagen but actually he came to warn as well as find out if America was trying to create an atomic bomb.
Though the main dialogue is between Heisenberg and Bohr, the two physicists the play is moved forward by Niels Bohr’s wife, Margrethe. She is the saviour of the readers that do not understand the physics terms used in the play. The author makes the characters explain everything in laymen terms for her, which in turn helps the readers get a better understanding of the play.
The main question that lingers just like the spirits that narrate this story to us is what happened between Heisenberg and Niels during this meeting that lead to the end of such a deep and meaningful friendship?
Thank you Simran, I am glad you enjoyed the play and reviewed it here. It's a good example too of literature connected to the issues we discuss in Theory of Knowledge. As you say, it also links History and Physics. Thank you for an interesting review.
ReplyDeleteThe Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is one of the most engaging books I have read. It explores brotherhood and the concept of loyalty to family while pushing the reader to contemplate the relevance of economic divides. Unlike a lot of books based on teens, this one has no unnecessary love interest. Instead, it focuses on ties of loyalty and questions the extent to which we would go to protect those who are our family.
ReplyDeleteThe protagonist, Ponyboy, is possibly the most relateable character I have read, having the fast-fading innocence of a young teen which makes him almost instantly likable. His relationship with his brothers (and his "family") are at the heart of the book, staying with you long after the last page is turned.
The idea of "turf" in an urban setting seems absurd but becomes a turning point of the book when someone is killed in a struggle. Naturally, the two "warring" factions protect their own forcing the reader to weigh the consequences of this continued rivalry. Ponyboy provides an almost balanced view, considering his ties to one faction. His struggle with identity and eventual questioning of rules in society leave the reader with questions to ponder over, until finally, Ponyboy comes to a conclusion with wisdom beyond his years.
The Outsiders is a fast-paced book and definitely one that I would recommend to everyone. It is remarkable and unusual for a writer to portray such complex ideas through simple and young eyes with such success. Perhaps this success is even more remarkable considering that the writer was in high-school while writing this book.
Thank you Akanksha, this novel is popular among teenagers and reveals the pressures of class difference and opportunity in small town America. Although published many decades ago, it's appeal is timeless and universal.
DeleteKalidasa is a major poet and dramatist of classical Sanskrit literature, and his story Abhijñānaśākuntalam, in his book ‘The Loom Of Time’, is a captivating and eternal story of a curse put on a young beauty, Shakuntala by a sage – whom she didn’t pay any heed to due to being lost in the thoughts of her love – that stated the person whom she was thinking about, King Dushyant, will forget her. This story really interested me as it dealt with issues that are prevailing even today such as the hollowness and emptiness that Shakuntala felt when Dushyant forgot about her, how she was lost due to not having a man in her life etc. as these factors are evident even today, especially in the Indian Society. However, I like to critique the story of Shakuntala from a feminist point of view as there are many aspects in this story that portray women to be extremely submissive. First and foremost, the fact that Shakuntala’s life was over when Dushyant forgot her and how she wanted ‘mother earth to swallow her’ due to it depicts women to be extremely dependent on men. Secondly, the continuous theme of women’s stature and reputation in society depending on their marriage with a man also demeans women and shows the orthodox ideas. Lastly, the fact that when Dushyant recollected everything and Shakuntala readily accepted him also irked me as it further reconfirmed the belief of women’s dependency on men. However, Abhijñānaśākuntalam’s themes of love, awe, guilt and regret and the style of writing contribute in making this story timeless and an absolute classic.
ReplyDeleteJ.D. Salinger's 1951 novel, Catcher in the Rye, is by far one of my all time favourites. This book has been open to a lot of controversy. However, I believe Holden Caulfield, the protagonist is one of the most evocative characters of American literature, which makes this an extremely compelling and intriguing book to read.
ReplyDeleteMost people identify Holden as a 'cynical adolescent', but he defines a role for himself in his social world, as a 'Catcher in the Rye', a protector of the weak and innocent. The novel is filled with brutal reality and wry observations that Holden makes of his students and teachers. Holden has dual-impulses- towards and away from the people around him. He wants to detach himself from a society filled with deceit and corruption, however he is very much a part of his society. There is a strong and resolute rebellion perpetually growing inside Holden that he can't seem to tame. Thus, he reacts in the only way he knows possible- profligacy. Holden is blessed with material splendors, but instead of being grateful, he wastes his endowments whilst being trapped and victimized within his world.
What strikes me the most is the way Salinger so sympathetically portrays Holden. To me, he is anything but deranged. I am taken so deep into Holden's mind that I understand his motivations and thinking. Holden's veracious comments amplify the statement made by him- “People never notice anything.”
Being a teenager it is easy to identify with the themes in the book and the essence of teenage rebellion that Salinger so lucidly explains. Lost, confused and segregated from the world around him- the emotions Holden expresses is something we all go through between our teenage and adult life. I strongly recommend this book for it has something different to offer for everyone and taps some of the barest human emotions.
‘Shantaram’, written by Gregory David Roberts, is a book I really enjoyed reading and one that tickled my senses. It is a book that encapsulates love, violence, greed, all intertwined in an amazing story-line. Shantaram has the most captivating narration with such vivid imagery and a depiction of Bombay, different from that of ours, but one that heightens the city’s charisma. There is a lot of danger in reading this book by those who are unaware of the dark realities of Bombay, but despite this portrayal, the emotion that this book holds makes my love for Bombay grow.
ReplyDeleteGregory David Roberts an armed robber and heroine addict escaped from an Australian prison to India where he was named ‘Linbaba' by Prabaker, his friendly guide, who then became his sidekick. He acquires a home in a slum, where he establishes a free health clinic and eventually joins the mafia. When in Bombay Roberts finds time to learn Hindi and Marathi. He finds love in the language, in a beautiful Swiss girl and the small quirks of Bombay that may seem insignificant to us locals. He was overworked in an Indian jail, and even went from acting in Bollywood to fighting with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan.
Amazingly, Roberts wrote Shantaram three times, after prison guards thrashed the first two versions. This makes the book an absolute tribute to his will power. I definitely recommend reading Shantaram as it is an amazing piece of work that even the citizens of Bombay would find intriguing.
The white tiger by Aravind Adiga, is one the most fascinating books I've ever read. The novel in narrated by Balram Halwai, in his letters to the Premier of China. It tells the tale of a village boy who catches a break. He becomes a driver for the son of a land baron. One rainy day in Delhi, he kills his employer and escapes with a bag containing a lots of money. He uses the capital to finance his Bangalore taxi business. The book exposes not only a triumphant economy but a nation rife with corruption and poverty to the highest degree. The book serves as a critique of Indian society and the large inequalities that persist. As Indians we can relate to this book in it's descriptions of the struggles braved by the lower classes, as its something we see everyday.
ReplyDeleteIs Morality an innate feature of Personality ?
ReplyDeleteThe Lord of the Flies is an allegory for society at large. It encompasses a concrete story, which is a gory series of events that happens between a group of British schoolboys stranded in the Pacific; and a abstract story which is fueled by Freud's theory of Id, Ego and Superego.
During an imaginary war, a plane is shot down in the pacific but a group of British schoolboys survive this ordeal. Stranded on an island Ralph is declared the chief. Ralph can be thought of as the Ego ( Freud's theory ); he is the balancing force of the island that looks at the different paths that could be taken and recourse for their actions, so he can determine the correct path. It was his decision that the fire was essential if they wanted to be rescued whereas Jack believed only in hunting and killing. Jack is the Id proven by his constant desire of destruction and violence. The Lord of the Flies is the beast that is within everyone. It is the voice or influence inside your head that tells you to hurt someone or just to do wrong. "I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are what they are" (143).
Through this story we see a group of average schoolboys turn into a group of savages when they are given the 'gift' of freedom. We are shown true human nature and our extinct for survival. No matter how evolved we may think we are there is no force greater than our will for survival.
I chose this book as i had read it a couple of years ago but never fully understood it. On the surface it just seemed to be a story about schoolboys trapped on an island but running parallel to this story is this brilliant abstract piece of art that makes us wonder about and fear the true nature of human beings and their potential for savagery on the slightest bit a predicament. Freud's theory has helped me understand this story, just like metamorphosis this book can be interpreted in many ways but i see it as a social commentary.
The Palace of Illusions written by Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni is one of my favorite mythological novels. Despite being told that it was an interpretation of the Indain epic, the "Mahabharata" , i was unprepared for the magical way the author has woven an oft told tale into this mesmerizing novel. It revolves around princess Panchaali (Draupadi) who is willful, spirited, vengeful and impulsive while also being romantic, intelligent and courageous. Submitting to the dictat of her mother in law, Kunti, that she "be shared equally among all her sons", Panchali lives a polyandrous married life, unimaginable even in our times of feminism and gender equality. I was particularly pleased by the way Devakaruni has imbued her female characters with strength, guile and self appreciation. Panchaali manages to entrance her five husbands, hold her own against her disdainful mother in law and instigate one of the most devastating battles in Indian mythology. Inspite of being a male dominated epic, this novel revolves around Panchaali, a married woman, secretly attracted to a dangerous enemy, Karna, as well as devotedly attached to Krishna. While we revere Krishna as an avtar of lord Vishnu, the author has imaginatively revealed to the readers his human side. In this novel he is seen as a loyal friend, companion and councelor.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the epic is set thousands of years ago, Devakaruni has portrayed the characters, relationships and the tragedy of war in a manner that makes it relevant even today.
After reading Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, I was left almost speechless, moved completely by the beauty in the novel. However, I must admit, my heart continues to ache at the injustice forced upon the defenseless in the book. To Kill A Mockingbird centers around Scout Jean Louise Finch, the lessons taught to her by her father, Atticus and how she internalizes each of them through her experiences in the book. Her father, who stands up in the face of adversity, is the lawyer assigned to defend a poor black man accused of rape. The whole town had already decided who was guilty, the book being set in Allabama from 1933 to 1935, a time when racism was as its peak. Scout, along with her brother learns how people are so filled with hatred for those slightly different from them as they begin being bullied at school due to their father, referred to as a “nigger-lover” by many. It is when Scout observes the witnesses and evidence at court, that she realizes that the black man, Tom Robinson is not guilty. She learns the importance of resilience and how true bravery means never giving up. The book also has great metaphorical value. For instance, when Atticus hands his children a gun to shoot birds, he says “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. This teaches Scout not to take advantage of the harmless such as Tom Robinson, who was being attacked for the sole reason of not having the power to defend himself. When the jury rules against Tom, Scout is completely disillusioned about the world. Having known that Tom was innocent, she lost completely faith in justice and fairness. However despite all the evil in the world, she sees value in the end. Scout and her brother, like the other children, had feared a man named Arthur Radley for years. However he was only misunderstood. Scout begins to realize this as she sees kindness in him. When he asks her to walk him to her porch, he admits that he was scared. She stands at the porch, imagining her entire life being watched through Arthur’s eyes. It is then when she learns how to empathize and also how one can be so wrong to judge someone solely on appearance or what others say.
ReplyDeleteI read the book, “Lord of the Flies” and absolutely loved it, even though I’m not a huge fan of reading. It was a page-turner. It wasn’t a regular adventure book about a group of boys, it had a greater meaning to it.
ReplyDeleteThe book was set in a war period. The book starts of with a plane crashes, leaving a bunch of schoolboys stranded on an island. Some of the young boys are shockingly ecstatic about this, for them it’s a long vacation away from any figure of authority telling them what to do. Soon they notice the need for a leader and elect one. Ralph, the protagonist of this book is elected, mainly due to his popularity. Ironically, Ralph’s befriend, Jack is the antagonist in this story. This hate begins due to their hunger for power. At the end of the story, this idealistic world of the kids crumbles to become this island of terror.
After reading the Lord of the Flies, one notices that it isn't just a book about boys becoming independent, there is way more to it. The book is about the loss of innocence and how even the purest of souls, children, can turn power hungry.
William Golding brilliantly describes their gradual transformation from organized, responsible children to barbaric and bloody monsters. However the opposite occurs for our protagonist, Ralph. At first he is portrayed as arrogant and irresponsible, he takes advantsge of the fact that he has a whole island to himself. However as the book proceeds and the plot moves further, Ralph matures. He isn’t interested in the power or how “cool” he is anymore. Piggy, his sidekick played a major role in the shaping of his maturing character.
Piggy, was my favorite character in this book. He was the misfit from the beginning. Piggy was a stereotypical outsider, one that was made fun of from every aspect. He was a plump child and wore glasses; these two attributes were his golden tickets to ridicule. His death in this book shows us the ultimate death of innocence. It brought me to tears. Piggy was crushed to death with a boulder thrown on him by a young boy of his own age. This is the pinnacle of cruelty. Even though Piggy played such an important role in this story, no one knew his true name. This shows us how society stamps you with a stereotype and start viewing you as only that and nothing more. Piggy in this novel was a character that didn’t turn into a rowdy monster, he was the one with the brains, and he was the only one with innocence and unselfish motives.
This book, was a fun short read. At times it was filled with gore and darkness, sadly it shows us the true characteristics of humanity.
I just finished reading 'Enduring Love' by Ian McEwan . After watching a short movie clip in class my curiosity was heightened and I was anxious to read the book to find out how the story climaxed and concluded .One would think the entire novel revolves around the ballooning accident . Even the cover of the book is deceptive . But that is so typical of McEwan's writing style . He leads your thought process down one path but as the book unravels and the plot unfolds you realise through the twists and the intricacies that the complete opposite holds true.
ReplyDeleteEnduring Love is a postmodern novel. The main character Joe Rose , is a science journalist who is in a marriage of love with with Clarissa Rose , an english professor of the poet Keats . The book starts with the couple's peaceful picnic being interrupted by a hot air balloon accident . Joe and a few other men try saving a ten year old boy trapped inside the balloon . The events lead to the death of one John Logan . Joe and Clarissa are deeply affected by this senseless incident . Another man Jed Parry, also present at the accident site , is convinced Joe and him are in love after they share a 'look'.
According to me the dominating theme in the book is love . There are two contrasting loves - Joe and Clarissa's and Parry's love for Joe . Through the juxtaposition of these two loves the book leaves it to the reader to decide which one out of these is actually the 'enduring love'.
This book is like a puzzle , as you begin to put the pieces together it all begins to make sense . It kept me enthralled and unable to keep the book down . I would strongly recommend others to read it too .
The Great Gatsby is one of those novels that have become for me an obsession, a fascination, an enigma. Every time I read the novel, I discover a different facet and perspective, be it the nuances in style, the symbolism or merely the characterization. The narrative is a first person point of view that has been the subject of the literati. Nick is the voice that takes the reader into the world of Gatsby, Daisy and Tom. He brings to fore the decadence of a society that is embroiled in materialism and greed. Nick is a narrator whose voice will be relevant universally, timelessly. Whether he is reliable or not does not take away the truth that greed, lust and power are integral part of human nature. As a reader I very often have questioned Nicks role in the novel, in my understanding of it as a story, in my relating to it all around me. As a work of literature, the Great Gatsby intrigues me for its style of writing that helps the reader to easily relate to it. Despite the fact that this narrative is almost 90 year old, I feel as if it will continue to have the same impact it had on me on other people as well. I have read this book at least 5 times now and I wouldn't mind reading it infinite times because that is how much it intrigues me.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone posting here. Just great to read these. May I just suggest that if you are using a nickname to post that you add your real name at the end of the comment, so we can all praise you when we see you in school :)
ReplyDeleteThis is Zara Arsiwalla. Sorry for the inconvenience
DeleteGreat review Zara, no problem at all. I am very keen that every student have a voice here and that we share out thoughts on different books.
DeleteI read the book Equus by Peter Shaffer over the weekend and it really intrigued me. Peter Shaffer wrote this book after he heard about a crime from his friend while driving through a bleak countryside and felt the need to interpret the event in a personal way and create a mental world in which the deed could become more comphrehensible. The book is about a teenage boy Alan who commits a crime and is sentenced to psychiatric treatment. Dr. Dysart reveals the reasons behind the crime by questioning Alan at sessions. It is revealed that Alan suffered from sexual fascination for horses that can also be described as religious or pathological. Alan grows especially close to a horse “Nugget” or Equus at his new job and pictures them both as king killing their enemies. Later when Alan is seen with Jill Alan blinds the horses as they see through his “soul”. Peter Shaffer has used psychology in a beautiful way to deduce the event. This book is one of my favourites as it gives me an insight on the world and their biases to categorize people from normal and abnormal and psychology.
ReplyDeleteThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the night time, is one of my favourite books so far. I've read it cover to cover innumerable times and have found something different every single time. The protagonist's autism has profound effects on his narration. I find this relation between literature and psychology an extremely intriguing link. The narration and tone are viral components, the style being very factual. The integration of any emotion is done by the reader based on the syntax, semantics and language. The collaboration of the author and the reader required in order to fully comprehend this novel simply adds the the beauty of the book. The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime is a story revolving around a boy, aged 15, suffering from autism. The entire book is solely from his perspective and therefore he acts as a filter between the reader and the characters. Every character, every scene and every situation in the book ultimately goes through this filter before it reaches us. Christopher’s narration is extremely descriptive, however, barely ever opinionated. The first person narrative is the most fascinating aspect of the novel.It is monotonous. It is a continuous string of words which don't enunciate moods, passion or emotions. Yet it is so powerful in its twisted dreariness.The absence of expression in the narration simply heightens the importance of the expression in the other features like the tone, structure and even vocabulary. The protagonist is thus far my absolute favourite character among all the books i've come across. He is empathic and caring, hidden behind a facade which the world has imposed on him. He is simple ad yet very complex. He lives life very cautiously and yet can be very impulsive. Which is what I love about him. He doesn’t believe in any sort of superstition and yet believes in luck as proved with his theory about cars. When asked to explain himself, 'he simply states that he likes things to be in a nice order' He doesn't know how to be anyone else but himself, which i respect him for immensely. With his straight-faced humour, factual descriptions and bold attitude, Christopher creates an enthralling novel with exceptional narration and amusing, unintentional humour. The book is a true joy and often acts as my comfort food (for thought).
ReplyDeleteGreat to see so many excellent reviews here - well done students!
ReplyDeleteI was relatively young when I first read Lord of the Flies. Perhaps that's why I simply thought it was a horrific misadventure had by bloodthirsty schoolboys. But since I decided to reread the novel before posting this comment, I realised it can be interpreted in various other ways when one looks under the surface.
ReplyDeleteThe tale revolves around two groups of English boys, stranded on an island during wartime. At first, they are ecstatic at their freedom from the grown ups and are eager to enjoy themselves. But when it dawns upon the, that help isn't coming immediately, they decide to structure themselves into a society with rules and limits. They even elect a leader, the charismatic but pragmatic Ralph. His rival in a tight power struggle, Jack is the self-proclaimed leader of the hunters. As Ralph and his team try to set up shelter and build signal fires, Jack's hunters go on barbaric hunting sprees, slaughtering pigs while neglecting other responsibilities. As time goes on, most of the boys succumb to their primal, predatorial instinct and join Jack at the headquarters of his tribe, Castle Rock. Throughout the story, there is the ever-present threat of a beast. This beast is simply a dead parachutist that is hidden by a sheet and misconstrued as a beast.
Jack and his team of hunters kill a sow in the forest and as a symbol of their victory, they leave its head impaled on a spear in the jungle as an offering to the beast. Simon, a small boy who appreciates nature, discovers this decaying head which is now surrounded by flies, making it seem alive. The 'lord of the flies' seems to speak to him, declaring that no one will ever escape from its grasp, their ruthless primitive side, that lay in everyone. When Simon runs back to tell his tale, the others are in the midst of a feast and think that he is the beast. This leads to the brutal murder of Simon, marking one of the goriest parts of the novel. Eventually, even Ralph gives in to his savage instincts and joins the hunters.
Rereading the book once again made me draw parallels between the story and how society too could regress to the point of no return. The interpretation of the Freudian principles of Id, ego and superego being represented by Ralph, Jack and Piggy respectively is highly plausible as well. I also found it rather interesting and telling of women's position in society at the time, that all the characters in the story were male, as though they were the only 'important' ones. The novel is also obviously written by a male author, English William Golding, who lets his patriotism come through by his mentions of "English do everything best."
I'm really glad I read this book a second time, so that I could experience a completely different perspective. I would highly recommend this book to anyone at all, reader or not, as it is an easy to read, exciting page-turner with no complicated language and a gripping plotline.
Excellent review Kamya and the mark of a mature critical thinker to realise that it's good to revisit a text and be open to new insights. Perhaps the real beast is the beast within us, what Hannah Arrnedt famously described as the 'banality of evil'. If anyone looks it up please post the context of the quotation on this thread.
DeleteThe phrase the 'banality of evil' was coined by philosopher Hannah Arendt in her book, 'Eichmann in Jerusalem', after witnessing the trial of high-ranking Nazi, Adolf Eichmann who seemed to be the most mundane of individuals, whose evil acts were driven by the requirements of the state and orders from above. Her thesis is that the great evils in history generally, and the Holocaust in particular, were not executed by fanatics or sociopaths, but by ordinary people who accepted the premises of their state and therefore participated in the same, with the view that their actions were normal.
DeleteWell done Kamya, thank you for the follow up research a great example of independent learning! It's great to have students like you in HL English Literature in my class and in our BD school and community. Some of these ideas will come up again when we move on to "The Reader" and our works in translation soon.
DeleteI spent the last weekend reading the book Enduring Love by British novelist and short story writer Ian McEwan. Joe Rose a middle aged science journalist is the protagonist. He intends to spend an afternoon of leisure with his girlfriend Clarissa Mellon after their recent research trip. The couple is about to open a bottle of wine when they hear a cry for help. The cry leads to a turn of events as Joe runs after a hot air balloon to help the helpless ten year old boy in the basket and his aged grand-father who was running after the balloon to bring it to a standstill.
ReplyDeleteA number of other people join this rescue mission and help the old man to bring his grandson to safety. As the incident unfolds an unfortunate incident occurs as a courageous, selfless human, husband, father and doctor Johan Logan dies. His death haunts the lives of many characters in the book.
An exchange of glances in between Joe and Jed (another saviour) tenses up the situations in between Joe and Clarissa. Jed suffers from de Clerambault’s syndrome , a disorder that causes the sufferer to believe that someone else is in love with him or her. The mere exchange of a glance for a fraction of a second makes Jed believe that he is in love with Joe, the love drives him to the brink of murder and madness.
Joe makes attempts to make Mrs. Logan understand how her late husband acted spontaneously for the protection of a young child’s life. However Mrs. Logan is apathetic to the situation and accuses of her husband to be in an affair with another lady.
Another unfortunate incident occurs, at the resturaunt where Joe and Clarissa are having lunch. A hitman aimed to kill Joe hits another man with his bullet. The man has a close shave as the bullet hits his shoulder. As Joe rushes to his aid the hitman escapes. Joe also approaches a detective, however he finds Joe’s information about the incident factually incorrect. Joe leaves dissatisfied, knowing that Jed is still out there and looking for him. Like the detective, however, Clarissa becomes skeptical that Jed is stalking Joe and that Joe is in any danger. This, plus the stress Joe suffers at Jed's hands, strains their relationship.
For his own safety Joe manages to buy a gun. On his return he finds Jed in his apartment with Clarissa, Jed confesses to stalking Joe and asks for forgiveness.
This gives Joe a comprehensive picture of the situation. To clear Mrs. Logan’s accusation on her husband of having an affair. Joe and Clarissa invite the Logans and James Reid and Bonny Deedes ( the two lovers in Mr. Logan’s car). They tell Mrs. Logan that they were on a picnic however their car broke down and Johan was merely offering them a lift. They also didn’t come to the rescue due to the fear of being caught.
The novel ends on a happy note as Joe and the Johan’s children are in the river as Joe explains the about the miniscule particles found in it.
The book is really well written and is relatively short and I would really recommend someone to read it.
I enjoyed your review Ruchir, thank you for sharing with us here. Perhaps for your next review, you might also include a personal reaction to the novel, with some specific examples and quotes of what you liked about the style of writing, the language and how it made you think about life and its 'ups and downs'. A strong authentic personal voice is very important to help one progress beyond basic summary of the plot.
DeleteIt's great that you followed up on my invitation to students to read beyond the curriculum. Well done Ruchir.
DEATH AND THE MAIDEN.
ReplyDeleteDeath and The Maiden is a powerful play written by Ariel Dorfman which explored the difficulties a country faces when it changes from a dictatorship to a democracy and also the various brutalities people, but more importantly women, faced during the dictatorship.
This play consists of only three characters: Paulina Salas the protagonist, Gerado Escobar a forty five year old lawyer and Paulina's husband and Roberto Miranda a fifty year old doctor. The basic outline of the play is as follows: Gerado Escobar is returning home after a meeting with the President who has selected the lawyer to head a commission that will investigates the crimes of the old regime that have ended in death when his car has a flat and his spare tire too is deflated. A good Samaritan stops and gives him a lift back home. He introduces himself as Doctor Roberto Miranda and is intrigued when he learns that the person he is helping out is a lawyer by the name of Gerado Escobar as he feels that this name is familiar. After dropping the lawyer home he returns late at night with the excuse of returning Gerado's spare tyre and strikes a conversation with the lawyer who he realised was the head of the newly appointed investigation commission. Upon hearing the conversation between the man and her husband Paulina is startled as she thinks she recognises the voice and mannerisms of the man…..it belonged to the man who oversaw torturing and who participated in raping her as she lay blindfolded in a military detention centre many years before.
The title of the play is taken from Franz Schubert's classic composition 'Death and The Maiden'. The character Paulina in the play loved Schubert whom she considered and especially loved this composition but later resented it as it was the very composition the Doctor Miranda used to play while raping her. We can see what kind of deep impact those days in the detention centre had on her as she mentioned how she would fall sick every time she heard 'Death and The Maiden' whether it was at a party or at dinner with important people and she just had to get away from there. We can also see the kind of impact the doctor had on her. She considered the other torturers as animals and expected them to do what they did…but she felt that the doctor was the worst and most sadistic of them all as he used to play soothing music, quote Nietzsche and tap about science. She recognises him immediately as even though she was blind folded she remembers his voice, later his smell and most importantly his trademark quotes: "just a teensey-weensey bit" and "the real real truth". When she holds him captive we can see the desperate thirst of revenge in her. When she holds the doctor captive she reveals to her husband her desire to get him raped and to do all sorts of horrible things to him. But later she confesses that all she wanted from him was a confession in writing about all the horrible things he had done to her and all the other women in the detention centre. Also while she holds him captive she quotes to him all the things she was told when she was in the detention centre. For example when he tried to get out of the bonds on his legs she stops him and wispers into his years probably the same thing she was told when she tried to get free of her bonds: "Hey, don't like our hospitality? You're not going to have such a good time outside………."
Finally we see the clever ruse Paulina plays to expose Doctor Miranda. Knowing her husband was going to help the doctor she tells him the story of the entire incident on his request but slips in minor mistakes (for example she calls one of the military officer's Bud when his name is Stud…this the doctor corrects) and thus exposes the Doctor to her husband.
I really enjoyed the book ‘Like for Chocolate’, skillfully written by Laura Esquivel. This book is a combination of Mexican recipes, romance, home remedies and is beautifully constructed in monthly installments. This book is ideal for those who appreciate the art of cooking and whose heart holds a special place for food.
ReplyDeleteThe story is set on a family ranch in Northern Mexico, during the Mexican revolution. The book narrates the story of Tita , who is the suppressed and youngest daughter of Mama Elena, the head of the family ranch. Mama Elena refuses to permit Tita to marry her lover Pedro, under the strict family tradition that states: the youngest daughter shall take care of her mother throughout her lifetime. Things get complicated when Pedro decides to marry her sister , with the motive of being close to Tita. This creates a bedlam of utter chaos, leaving all the characters especially the two lovers: Pedro and Tita in disarray.
This book was a short, easy read along with being a page-turner. The recipes of delicious foods integrated in the text gave a breath of fresh air to the novel, and appealed to me. In addition, the chapters being in the form of month’s gives the reader a distinct sense of the passage of time, this helps in realizing how the characters in the book evolve as individuals and the changes in dynamics of the relationships between them. The novel revolves around family, true love, and delicious food, giving the reader warmth and a unique sense of belonging. Esquivel with the aid of literary tools like gustatory and olfactory imagery in her writing depicts the emotions that could not be put in words by the protagonist: heartbreak, passion, lust, pure love and jealousy. This amplifies the eloquence of the book. Moreover, after reading this piece of literature we look at Mexican culture, tradition, and its dogma from a completely different perspective. Also we get a glimpse of the horrors that took place during the revolution in ancient Mexico. Laura creatively gives this book a touch of magic realism, which manages to powerfully capture the heart and soul of the reader.
Hi Anandita - I enjoyed your review on "LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE". Well done. Reading literature in translation promotes internationalmindedness and other aspects of the IB LEARNER PROFILE. Great review.
DeleteThe Catcher in The Rye by J.D.Salinger is one of my favorite novels by far. I had read it once a couple of years ago, and I read it again recently. However, my perspectives have changed since the last time I read it. This is of the many things I like about books….no matter how many times you read it, you’ll, more often than not, read it in a different light, with a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteOriginally, I thought of him as a teenager with some serious problems and as someone who made some pretty bad decisions in life. However, the second time I read it, I could actually relate to him. Holden Caulfield, like me presently, had reached the point in life when society expects a person to become an adult. Almost immediately after Holden is introduced to the reader, his conflict with who he wants to be and who society wants him to be is made evident. Facing pressures from hi parents, his teachers and his school as well as life is something that doesn’t go down very well with Holden; this explains why he had been expelled from so many schools, even though he seems to be extremely bright, especially in English. His teachers see this potential in him and push him, have high expectations from him and are often let down and disappointed by him.
Holden doesn’t want to face the harsh reality that he has to enter adulthood. This is evident when he visits a museum close to his old school where he spent many a happy hour in his childhood. He says, “you ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone”, where in my opinion he’s referring to his innocence. It’s notable that he, ironically, wants to preserve his innocence in something as fragile as a glass case.
Holden not only wants to preserve his own innocence by not growing up, but also the innocence of the rest of the world. He tells his sister Phoebe that he wants to be the catcher in the rye. He told her that he pictures thousands of little kids running around in a field of rye while he waits at the edge of a cliff, so he can catch them before they run and fall off. ‘To Holden the edge of the cliff is the thin line between innocence and adulthood, which is exactly the line he borders on in life. Holden has to grab children before they fall of the cliff and their innocence dies. Being the catcher in the rye comforts Holden because he will be guarding his own innocence at the same time, by always being able to stay on innocence’s side- where everything would always be the same. Routine is innocent and offers comfort in a time where everything and everybody is changing. When growing up people depend on routine, whether it’s taking same route to school everyday, or the order they get ready in the morning.’ {Source: teenink.com}
I was convinced that Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth would be an extremely dry book, but as I read on, I was immediately drawn to the beautiful and poignant descriptions of life during the First World War. I’d definitely recommend this book to everyone- though it might seem daunting, the thought provoking concepts and the lyrical writing would be a shame to miss out on.
ReplyDeleteBorn and raised in a conservative family in the provincial town of Buxton, Vera describes her life as a girl blossoming into a woman in a post-Victorian society. Women were expected to attend “finishing school” and be genteel, polished women who would successfully snag husbands and become an “entirely ornamental young lady” (18).
However, even as a young girl, Vera would openly express her desire to attend girls’ colleges. Her ambitions and desires were brushed away as mere youthful fancy that desired no further concern. Yet, when Vera went off to preparatory school, she would write in the school newspapers about gender equality and feminism. Ironically, the first foundations of her decidedly feminist future were formed at a school where women were tailor-made to be “men’s decorative and contented inferiors.” (23) Her brother Edward, with whom she shared a delightfully close bond, had already gone up to Oxford, and so she felt lonely at home. She’d vent into her journals about the unfairness of her father’s decision to completely disregard her wish to join Edward at Oxford, while his decision to attend university was not one made out of choice, but simply because he was not expected to do anything else. It was then that her complacence in her comfortable Buxton life changed into an itch that she could not scratch- her yearning for Oxford heightened to such a level that she would corrode away at her parents’ conventional mindsets. Finally, with the help of a family friend, she studied for several months and was accepted into Oxford.
Her acceptance intersected with that of her introduction to Roland Leighton, a friend of Edward’s- her future fiancé and the love of her life. This innocuous aspect of the book gives it a wonderfully mellow touch; amidst her accounts of the events of the war, her interactions and deep, philosophical conversations with him are a much-needed breather. At the heart of it, one realizes the simplest story of this multi-story book is that of youthful love. With the horrors of impending conscription, and the bulk of the story being that of the war, one forgets that at one point, Vera was simply a young woman in love with a young man, both too shy to even hold hands in a secluded train compartment. This innocence is symbolic of the universal simplicity of life that was quickly ravaged by the harsher realities of the war. Her life at Oxford, as both her brother and Roland get called to the front, changes as well- what with the nation in an uproar, Vera soon realized that her restless heart could not tolerate Greek grammar while her loved ones lived on the precipice of life and death every minute. Joining the nursing department at a Devonshire Hospital, Vera tried to get as close to the grim and repulsive face of war as possible. Even Roland, who was not duty bound to join the front, did so, simply because, as he stated, he would not stand idle while the world ravaged itself.
Another aspect I enjoyed is the inclusion of the correspondence between Roland and Vera- the both of them being exceptional poets and writers, describe war situations with striking maturity. In one letter, Roland writes about how upon moving to a new trench, he sees an improvised graveyard with a sign that read- “Here lie two gallant German officers.” A similar sight was seen at a German trench- “Here lie five brave English soldiers.” The humanity of life and the senselessness of war are so beautifully contrasted that one wonders at how entire nations were convinced to tear their own kind apart.
While I have not finished the book yet, I do know that both Roland and Edward are killed in action. Her later years circulate around the consequences of these deaths.
I finished Sebastian Faulks’ A Week in December with a ‘wow’ feeling, something that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I felt that, just as we say certain classics epitomise their time, this book would one day be known as the book of our decade. I later found out that I was not alone in that opinion, and that several reviewers said the same.
ReplyDeleteThe plot of the book is interesting, but not striking. Faulks builds up suspense, but he just as easily breaks it down. It also broke the notion I had that I need books with a good plot to grip me, because this book had me enraptured. Once I learned to not take too much pain over trying to understand the deeply economic parts, I allowed myself to get lost in the characters - the real magic of the book.
The blurb says that the book follows the lives of seven characters, but I would not have known that there were seven main characters if it had not been explicitly mentioned. Even if they are mentioned for a mere few lines, Faulks somehow makes each personality real, like your own neighbour popping up or a stranger you meet while small-talking at a party. Faulks manages to get into the minds of such diverse, everyday people: their thoughts are his and are therefore yours. At times I felt more a part of the current world through them than I do through reality. I think this is because the way Faulks writes conjures up in me a sensation of reading through Google Earth. Faulks has an overview of London and the nearby countries involved, and from section to section he pans out and zooms down, down, into a country, a city, a neighbourhood, a road, a house, a room, a person, a mind, and lets you explore and live entirely from their perspective. An instant later he zooms out again, dizzies you with descriptions of the speed of activity in the world, and chooses the next location.
Through A Week in December I got into the life of a newly radical islamic young man, a woman who is London Underground train driver, a nervous barrister, an unimaginably antisocial hedge fund manager executing almost single-handedly the global stock market crash, a weed-addicted oblivious teenage boy, a lonely housewife, an Indian immigrant pickle maker, a Polish football player starting out in England, a schizophrenic… there are so many characters and they all seem like main characters. The power of this book is the way it simultaneously portrays life on a very self-centred, personal level and life on a global level. It tracks people who are so common yet seem so elusive in real-life or belong to environments that we are unlikely to ever penetrate.
Thanks for this Mira, this review is so enthusiastic and so well-written that I am going to have a go at reading this novel during the vacation. Mr Gardner likes this writer very much and he has recommended several of his books to me.
DeleteMidnight's Children by Salaman Rushdie
ReplyDeleteMidnight’s Children had me at its blurb. Or rather, its lack of one. The book, if we may personify it so, had an overwhelming sense of self; ‘Booker of Bookers’ it proclaimed with an arrogance that came from its many accolades and acclaims. I was determined to dislike the book, putting its fame down to hype due to belief in a mystical and exotic India, which, naturally, I was ready to dispel.
Saleem, with his long, gargantuan nose makes for the raconteur we all wish we could be; humorous, attentive to detail and warm. His urgency and passion with which he tells the tale is gripping but also sets of a sixth sense of foreboding. What is going to happen now? is the repetitive thought. As a result, his ambling style can be frustrating to readers who want a linear, fast-paced story. And yet, there is a strange sort of beauty to the almost-lost stories of the Saleem’s family.
Stories of his doctor grandfather, fanatical grandmother, diligent mother, djinn-plagued father, adventurous-turned-orthodox sister and various other odd companions factor into shaping the Saleem recounting the tale. His connection to Free India, whose birthday he shares, as well as his connection to the other children of midnight is explored, bringing up the paradox of cause, consequence and responsibility. Indian politics, as seen by a boy not a second elder than India itself, features regularly in the book but with an entirely different perspective, with the more sinister repercussions of Independence, power and fate dominating Saleem’s life. Saleem’s story (and his family’s) lacks no element; everything from forbidden love to childhood innocence to vengeance to the price of dark secrets is explored in the novel. It is as complete as a novel could get and still, in a sense, waiting to be completed by the reader’s imagination.
I not only failed in finding fault with the portrayal of India, which was done with a surprisingly low amount of exaggeration, but could not really find much fault with the book. The writing style was oh-so-poetic and its lessons, invaluable. Little anecdotes here and there about a life truly reflected upon and somehow, just somehow, a bittersweet end.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. For those looking to read literature with drama rivalling the best of tragedies and comedies, this book is perfect
Challenging the entrenched norms of society, A scintillating forbidden love story of an incestuous pedophile, Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is a novel unparalleled. A whirlwind summer romance as an adolescent had Humbert Humbert ecstatic until his lover, Annabel Leigh, suddenly passed away. Over the years, as he grew up, his love for "young" Annabel remained unchanged eventually causing him to seek solace of her love in other younger “nymphets” as he referred to them. When chance thrust Humbert at Charlotte Haze’s doorstep he was overwhelmed. Little Dolores haze, charlottes daughter, was a reflection of Annabel. The way her knees arched, her luscious lips paired with a honeydew skin, Lolita became his fantasy. He couldn’t look away. 40-year-old Humbert and 13 year old Lolita. A story of the most unconventional obsession. This book about a blatantly denounced fixation renders the reader absolutely shocked. Left aghast not just by the theme but by their own temporary acceptance of this criticized phenomenon brought about through Nabokov’s exceptional literary style. This is a book where the characters try to outrun a tangled past and indulge into a search for a future that ceases to exist. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who is looking for something different and absolutely fascinating. I cannot stress how beautiful this novel was.
ReplyDeleteDuring this semester I read “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” written by Mark Haddon. This book is written from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy named Christopher Francis Boone. Christopher has Asperger's syndrome, however this is never specified or mentioned in the novel.
ReplyDeleteChristopher way of thinking and seeing the world around him is completely different from ours, he sees everything, remembers everything, but doesn’t understand what is more important than the other. For example, on the day he is informed that his mother had passed away he remembered small unnecessary details someone would otherwise ignore, he records his Scrabble score, and notes that supper was spaghetti with tomato sauce. He paid more attention to these irrelevant details than to the death of his mother. Emotions confused him, he didn’t know what to feel and when.
Christopher is different, he knows "all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,507". He lives with his father in Swindon. He thinks he would make a good astronaut but has never been further than the end of the road on his own. Everything changes for him when he discovers the "murder" of his neighbor’s dog.
That’s when he turns into an amateur detective. This fit his character perfectly, it was almost natural of him to pick up on small details and connect them to one another. Through his actions the readers may notice a similarity between Christopher and Sherlock Holmes, this similarity arises from Christopher’s admiration of the famous detective. While trying to uncover the killer of his neighbor’s dog, he discovers the lies and complications behind his parents’ lives.
The language used by Haddon puts the reader in the shoes of Christopher. It’s vital not to let the simple vocabulary overshadow the complex thoughts He uses basic diction to call attention to an autistic mindset. For Christopher to digest something, there must be science behind logic. Thus one must un-train ones mind of the conventional way of reading to fully understand and appreciate this novel.
In addition, the timetables, diagrams, maps, even math problems included demonstrates the rich mannerism of an autistic brain and exceeds the regular mundane style of novel writing.
The comedy in this book comes out with various activities that Christopher performs with consider odd; his irrational noting of mundane facts, the way he deals with the police and his classmates.
As a theatre arts student, I watched the play during my trip to London, and personally preferred the play to the novel. The novel compared to the book acted as scaffolding. We never get to see what anyone looks like, not even Christopher, our only clues to the thoughts and feelings of other characters are the few words of theirs which Christopher records. On stage, we are no longer stuck in Christopher's head we get to see the other characters and experience their feelings directly instead of through the thoughts of Christopher. The stage was excellently set up, it was a small cube but technology managed to transform a cube into various different scenes. A simple wall acted as so many different things, stairs, a projection of his thoughts, and a chalkboard for math problems.
The Outsider by Albert Camus is a brilliant book that entices the reader till the end. The book deals with how the protagonist, Meursault, is put on trial because he killed a man. This trial soon diverges to a totally different path as his emotion is questioned. Meursault is not your-run-of-the-mill character. He is detached from this society that he is a part of and is a man of few words. His mother’s death didn’t affect him as much any reader would have expected it to. On the day of his mother’s vigil he is seen having no tears in his eyes but drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. Now this put up red flags for all those in jury and was used against him in his trial against the killing of the Arab man. Even though Meursault was criticized for this behaviour didn’t concede to the expectations of this society that dictated what behaviour was acceptable.
ReplyDeleteMeursault is an enigmatic character that gives out little to no personal information. Even when Marie proposes to get married he replies with a simple ‘I don’t mind’ and ‘we could do it if she wanted to.’ He doesn’t even profess his love for her. Even though all of this makes Meursault come off as an emotionless man I think with him, there’s more to see under the surface. Even though he randomly killed the Arab. The fact that he kept going towards him though he knew he shouldn’t makes me question whether it actually was random. I think Meursault held all his emotions inside of him and that day he just burst. His emotions took over and all his pent up anger was taken out on that man. He shot him once, paused and fired four more times. I think he paused because he realized what he did but then fired again because he thought he was already dead.
Meursault doesn’t even express any feelings when he is arrested or even during his trial. He begins to open up when he is given a death sentence. This lack of being able to express his emotions for everyone else is what makes him ‘The Outsider.’
The Bluest Eye- Toni Morrrison
ReplyDeleteI read the novel, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison with a complete sense of awe and fascination. Never before has a book seemed to lyrical yet so charged with pain that it kept me captivated from beginning to end. A lament for the racial abuse, insecurities and hardships faced by black people in American societies, I cannot stress how moved and touched I was by the novel.
The question central to the story is the question of beauty. “What is beauty?” Toni Morrison, using powerful speech, overrun by honesty, tries to deconstruct our concept of beauty. We learn, through the experiences of young Pecola that beauty is simply a social construct, designed by the rich and “beautiful” to antagonize, humiliate and dehumanize the so called “ugly”. The brainwashing engine of society results in the blacks thinking of themselves as lesser, and thus surrendering to the insults of the whites. They are then seen to wear their ugliness as a cloak, and wish relentlessly for whiter skin, thinner lips and softer hair.
What I found particularly intriguing, was that unlike a number of books dealing with racism, the characters in The Bluest Eye aren’t only subject to direct humiliation. Morrison exposes the raw extremity of self-contempt and it’s disastrous effects. The novel serves to highlight the deleterious internalization of stereotypes held by society, of the blacks being indisputably an inferior race. The mortification of an entire race is thus, in the novel, funnelled into the most powerless, delicate member of society- a little girl. In doing so, Morrison succeeds in inculcating in readers a complete sense of shock and shame. Morrison utilises different characters as narrators in order to help us sympathise with them all, one by one. We realise that the torture and torment Pecola is put through cannot wholly be blamed on the perpetrators, as they’ve lived an equally rough life; the overall “blame” rests with society.
Unlike any book I’ve ever read, I would recommend The Bluest Eye to any reader who was willing to be exposed to the horrors of society. Although dark and painful at times, Toni Morrison’s lyrical style of writing eases one through the horrors, and leaves one amazed and awestruck by the end.
ReplyDeleteI read the book, “Lord of the Flies” and enjoyed it thoroughly. “Lord of the flies” embraces a concrete story which consists of the lives of a few young British school boys stranded on an island in the Pacific. The setting of the book is a stranded island with no civilization. Much like the foreboding patch of the jungle the book is ominous, however irresistible. With myriads of gory images and a fantastic story line the “Lord of the flies” is a beauty.
The book is set during an imaginary war; this adds plenty of meaning to the book. The first scene of the book is a plane crash. The ominous theme and gory imagery starts at the very beginning. The young boys are stranded on an island, and their amateur mentality is brought out here as most of them are ecstatic to be without their parents, rather than the thought that their lives are at stake. Soon they notice the need for a leader and elect one. Ralph, the protagonist of this book is elected, mainly due to his popularity. Ironically, Ralph’s befriend, Jack is the antagonist in this story. This hate begins due to their hunger for power. Themes of hunger and power are incessant in the novel. As a reader it makes me wonder how the world is like this. Hate, power and greed are dominant feelings in mankind. Even boys ranging from the years of 6-12 feel these emotions at great level.
The “Lord of the flies” highlights our barbaric and cruel society. With the boys taking their friends lives through gory and tragic deaths and not feeling sympathetic at all, we as readers can relate this to current world issues. We can link this to several places on planet earth that are in states of civil war and political unrest due to greed and power. As we read through the book, we realize that the most innocent of souls can be destroyed simply through power and greed. The character of ‘Piggy’ who was the only innocent soul as crushed to death by a boulder. This tells us a lot abut humanity. In the world today it is hard to get by without being cruel, this is the negative aspect of society.
Eventually the boys are rescued by a British Naval Ship which is on it’s way to war. This is ironic as the boat which rescued them is on it’s way to war.
The “Lord of the flies” shows us the true characteristics of society, it is a short read yet a thriller.
A Passage to India by E. M Forster is a masterpiece. It explores the survival of friendships in times of hardship. It explores and attempts to break barriers between genders, religions, and races. It encompasses the theme “of fission and fusion; of separateness and of desired union”, and is abounding in contradictions and juxtapositions. The separations and gaps, or “rifts” and “gulfs”, as they are called in the book, exist between the English and the Indians, the Hindus and the Muslims, and men and women. These mar the oneness and unity that India is supposed to stand for.
ReplyDeleteDr. Aziz, a Muslim doctor, the protagonist of the book, maintains relationships with the English, Hindus, and women, thus bridging these great rifts. However, one can see that these relationships suffer and falter under various pressures, especially after the doctor is accused of having sexually assaulted an English woman. Dr. Aziz gets intertwined in a labyrinth of conflicts after this event – his fate unknown, his morals at question, and his reputation at stake.
The book explores possibilities of bridging the gap between the diverging sects, and makes the reader wonder whether or not these differences are irreconcilable. One of the main questions that the reader encounters is – is it possible for Indians to be friends with the English? The book offers various, intriguing perspectives on this debatable topic. These rifts are relevant to us all in some way; our society is still plagued with these rifts to different degrees.
A gripping story, with political undertones, one will find oneself sympathizing with the supposed perpetrator of the crime, as well as with the helpless victim. Forster skillfully maintains an unbiased position, but succeeds in evoking sympathy for each of the sides in different situations. The book critiques the Indians’ servile and obsequious nature, but also criticizes the English’s condescending and supercilious attitude. The book tells the tale of an India that is in the clutches of imperialism, and reveals the conflicts that the characters go through, in the country where friendships are hard to sustain, and where one’s own identity is at question.
The book is divided into 3 parts – Mosque, Cave, and Temple, also in accordance with the seasons in India. “Mosque” is a time of amity and calmness, and is a time of cool weather. “Cave” is when things get heated up due to the incident involving Dr. Aziz, and this is reflected by the hot weather in the book. Lastly, “Temple” involves an attempt of reconciliation, and a cooling down of the atmosphere, synonymous with the rainy weather that symbolically attempts to wash away all the tensions. The book has great stylistic achievements, with profound imagery and a lot of symbolism. The many great similes, metaphors, and other literary techniques, contribute to the lucid and eloquent nature of the book. Although some parts of the book tend to get abstract and philosophical, the book is an easy and captivating read.
Palace of the End by Judith Thompson
ReplyDelete“Palace of the End” is a great book written by Judith Thompson. Although it was a challenging book to read, it blew me away with the revelations that are made. The book is a docudrama play that comprises three monologues.
These monologues are real-life stories of people in Iraq before and after the war. The ‘2003 Invasion of Iraq’ changed Iraq in a significant way. It had several consequences not only on the country as whole but also on the people. The first monologue is titled, “My Pyramids”. The speaker is Lynndie England and it refers to the Abu Ghraib pyramids. The monologue reveals the thoughts of England who was dishonorably discharged in relation to prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib. The monologue reveals the torture that was prevalent during those horrific years. It contains several nauseating and execrable details. This gives us a clear idea of the state of suffering in Iraq. The second monologue is titled “Harrowdown Hill” is inspired by the events that encompassed the life of British microbiologist, Dr. David Kelly. He exposed the false justifications for the war and his body was found at “Harrowdown Hill” a few weeks after his confessions about the war to a journalist. The third monologue is that of an Iraqi mother, Nehrjas Al Saffarh. It is titled "Instruments of Yearning". Saffarh was detained by Saddam Hussein’s secret police when she was pregnant in 1963. She survived this but lost her life in the 1991 Persian Gulf War to a USA bombing. This is a gripping account, which tells us about the suffering in Iraq even before the invasion. It reveals the plight of women in Iraq and is deeply saddening.
Despite the short length of the book, Thompson has managed to cover small yet significant details. Furthermore, some of the details mentioned are execrable. However, they reveal the truth about the situation in Iraq at the time. Hence Thompson has conveyed her message without suppressing any details and giving a clear picture.
The book opened my eyes to multifarious things that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. It made me empathize with the victims of the war. I strongly recommend this book.
The Motorcycle Diaires by Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
ReplyDeleteThe Motorcycle Diaries is an enjoyable book and a brisk read. It is about the Argentine doctor and revolutionary, a year away from graduating, Ernesto Guevara, more known by his nickname of “Che,” as he traveled around South America with his slightly older friend Alberto Granado, using a motorcycle. The travel was done between 1951-52, leaving Argentina, crossing the Andes to the other side in Chile, heading up to Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Along the way, Che experienced several facets of life in South America that later on shaped his revolutionary outlook in life.
The book begins with the difficulties faced and the hurdles during travel but then as we go deeper into the diary we encounter social commentaries. It is interesting to note that the Chilean elections were about to take place during their travel in 1952 one of the candidates being Salvador Allende. Ernesto and his friend not only visited different places but made sure to help society and lend a hand at the hospitals to better conditions on their way.
Ernesto and Albert meant to learn on their trip, but also they helped others. They were not afraid of those who were shunned by society because they themselves were also deemed vagrants. In Chile they lived with a communist couple and grew a strong bond with them. The communist party was outlawed in some of the countries; those who were members were harassed. Like the communists, Ernesto and Alberto were not well liked due to their parasitic behavior. They did not have much money and they hoped for handouts from those they encountered.
Che’s main concerns throughout the book are “where the next bed is to be found or who might be around to share it”. Ernesto wants to see all of South America become one large body of people. They also learn that the young countries have no history to hold them together: here he points out the United States. Throughout the diary Che drops scattered comments on the awfulness of the United States. Ernesto's ideas then are dangerous. He believes that countries should be united in order to make their roots more pronounced as a whole. This would also solve many medical problems, from his point of view. Those who do not have enough money to keep themselves alive cannot support all the suffering people. He believes that hospitals would improve under the communist system. Ernesto believes that “the division of America into unstable and illusory nations is a complete fiction”.
Throughout the travelogue the reader witnesses the changes that take place in Che as he discovers Latin America, this extraordinary change gets to his heart which makes him a precursor of the new history of America. Throughout the book the reader fixes together the ideas that shape Ernesto's future.
Like Water For Chocolate
ReplyDeleteThe reason I first began reading Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is merely because of its title which has “chocolate” in it. However, once I started reading, I realized how much it really has to offer. Like Water For Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel is indubitably a nonpareil novel set in a ranch in Mexico. Being an enthusiast of all kinds of food, putting the book down became an effort. Esquivel narrates this story, tracing the events in the life of Tita, while weaving the intricate delicacies of the Mexican kitchen in her descriptions. The novel is divided into 12 chapters, each one as a “monthly installment”. The narrative is based on Tita, a young Mexican girl, who is precluded from marrying or falling in love by her despotic mother and her Mexican traditions. She is expected to devote her life to nursing her mother. As the reader incessantly discovers more and more of the Mexican culture and tradition, Tita’s story concomitantly unravels.
Tita’s inamorato Pedro marries her sister, Rosaura, as marriage with Tita is forbidden and he yearns to be closer to Tita. After this, Pedro and his wife have a baby, Tita’s second sister flees from her house and her life gradually yet ceaselessly deteriorates. Despite all the cataclysms Tita is impelled to face, she is never bereft of her personal weapon- her cooking skills. Laura Esquivel idiosyncratically delineates Tita’s despair, hope and rare jubilation using Mexican rituals, recipes and dishes. An example of this is when Tita is forced to bake a cake for her sister’s wedding with Pedro. While making the cake, she is despondent and her emotions pour into the cake in the form of tears. At the wedding, everyone who tries the cake bursts into tears.
Like Water For Chocolate is also a perfect archetype of magical realism- the combining of magic and normal everyday life in literature. Tita, is the ideal instrument for magic, with her affection for Pedro. Their love is one that transcends even their separation, when Mama Elena, Tita’s mother callously sends Pedro and Rosaura to a different town, where their baby breathes his last for paucity of Tita's cooking.
Esquivel also allows the readers to explore the feminist properties of Like Water For Chocolate, which are discernable in the portrayal of Tita's struggle to be independent. She fabricates a cast of characters who are predominantly female and a world where men are physically present only seldom. However, the incarceration of women to the domestic domain endures. What I personally found most interesting is the fact that Esquivel does not offer her readers a story with a utopian sisterhood against the male gender, but instead an insight into the way women are restricted by the society’s morals and principles perpetuated by other women.
Like Water For Chocolate is also a novel pervaded with sexuality. However, Esquivel manages to convey this sexual energy with such panache that even your conservative grandmother would not get affronted. This exemplarily written novel left me craving Mexican food and with a desire to acquire all Tita’s recipes never mentioned in the book and that died with her. It’s a novel that makes you feel empty when you're finished with it as you realize you’re not really a part of the characters’ lives and you will never encounter them again. This may sound like an aggrandizement of the book, but it’s an honest judgment of a novel I’d unquestionably read over and over again.
Twelve Years A Slave
ReplyDeleteSolomon Northup
Twelve Years A Slave is one of the most inspirational books I have read . I was interested in it after hearing about the movie but decided to read the book before watching it
It is the memoir of Solomon Northup , a free black man sold into slavery in mid-nineteeth-century America . At the young age of thirty –three he is kidnapped in Washington D.C. and kept in an underground slave pen . He is held captive for the next twelve years in Louisiana, where he works as a driver , carpenter and cotton picker . At one point he even attemps to hang himself as he cannot handle the harsh conditions. During the time he is held captive he gets lashings and has a brief encounter with death when he gets small pox . He tries to hang himself once but to no avail .
Reading about his harrowing life as a slave struck a chord in my heart and I actually felt a tiny bit of pain for him . To read how he was beaten , made to beat others , how he had nothing to call his own apart from a blanket , to be called a “nigger” , filled me with sadness. He was reduced to nothing less than someone’s common property , no less than a common animal . In reality , he was just human , like any of us he breathed the same air , drank the same water , ate the same food . Unfortunately he was treated like an alien . And to know this was a true story makes it so much more overwhelming .
The only sad part about the book is that there isn’t more of it . Once in your hand you don’t want to put it down . The book ends ambiguously and it leaves the reader pondering about how Northup utilizes and feels about his free time after having none for twelve years . His wife and three young children are also left in the dark when he is kidnapped and knowing how they felt about his disappearance would have put all the pieces of the puzzle in place .
After reading the book I look forward to watching the movie .
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel, which can possibly appeal to every teenager in some way or the other. As I read more about the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, thoughts I have had and emotions I have felt as a teenager, would flash in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe most intriguing part of the book was the realism in the fictional character, Holden Caulfield. He is evidently not a balanced or optimistic person. However, only a few teenagers often are. As the story progresses, the reluctance with which Holden deals with growing up becomes evident and is something I can relate to all too well.
Holden came across to me, as somewhat of a spectator in his own life. I believe that Holden never truly wished to indulge in conversations and was happier to merely observe and form him judgments on people. In his mind, he justifies his lack of interaction with people by claiming that the world of adults is filled with ‘phoniness’.
I believe that JD Salinger created Holden's disturbed character to give adults an insight into the way teenagers feel and perhaps, help teenagers understand that depression, hostility, curiosity and loneliness are all emotions that come with being that age and are not feelings which render oneself a bad person.
‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho
ReplyDelete"When you really want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." These words by Paulo Coelho from ‘The Alchemist’ truly epitomize the novel as a whole.
The Alchemist is a tale about Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, who, while sleeping under a sycamore tree, has a recurring dream. Santiago dreams of a child who tells him that he will find a hidden treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. He seeks guidance from a Gypsy woman and is told that the dreams are prophetic and that he must follow their directions. Santiago is uncertain at first but eventually decides to give up his life as a shepherd and go find his treasure. As we read through the novel, we go on a journey with Santiago, who travels from his hometown in Spain to the pyramids in Egypt, to later find that Santiago is not after a treasure but is in fact in search of his ‘personal legend’, his dream. Santiago encounters many problems on his travels. He has several encounters with interesting people and learns a lot along the way. This helps shape the novels plot and purpose. The experiences that come with these encounters are life lessons not only for Santiago but for the reader as well. As the story develops Santiago learns to listen to and trust the soul of the world.
Santiago’s encounter with an Englishman leads him to the Alchemist, who then chooses to guide Santiago through the deserts to reach his treasure. The book also has a fair balance of love, intertwined within the main plot, when Santiago meets Fatima. In the book true love is defined as the love that gets in the way of the ‘Personal Legend’, thus making the ‘personal legend’ the pivotal principle of a happy and fulfilled life.
The Alchemist is a book that is sure to put a smile on your face. Its language is simplistic yet poetic. The Alchemist teaches us to recognize and pursue our own personal legends; to talk to our surroundings and listen to our inner voice; and to look into our hearts and form a spiritual connection with the universe. This book has taught me to dream without fear. I definitely recommend reading it to anyone who is looking for a simple yet pleasing read.
The Palace of Illusions- Tanisha Avarsekar
ReplyDeleteThe Palace of Illusions is a rich interpretation of an ancient tale. It is a narration of the Mahabharata from Draupadi’s point of view, which is unique since epics are generally narrated by men to valorize the actions of their own gender.
Chitra Divakurani is one of those skilled authors, who can ensure the reader won’t keep down the book even when they know the final outcome. She has the capacity of combining the vast historic and mythic canvas with a miniaturist’s eye for detail.
Divakaruni’s Draupadi is passionate, headstrong and defiant. She is truly woman in a man’s world, who makes experiences such as growing up with an indifferent father, being married to five brothers, working as a maid when you’re actually a princess, and watching your sons be burnt to death, seem almost relatable.
Divakaruni makes aspects of the Mahabharata which seemed far-fetched, such as Kunti forcing Draupadi to marry her five sons, and Draupadi’s complicated relationship with Lord Krishna, seem understandable and almost human, by making Kunti seem like a dominating, jealous mother-in-law and Krishna like a best-friend with divine abilities. She also takes the liberty of making the Mahabharata more entertaining by adding twists, such as Draupadi’s secret attraction to Karna, which may have been fictitious, but makes the story more scandalous, since he was her husband’s most dangerous enemy.
Panchaali (Draupadi) has her home, husbands, freedom and honor gambled away her husband Yudhistir, who like the hero of a Greek tragedy has many extraordinary virtues, which are all nullified by one tragic flaw, which in this case is his love for gambling.
Draupadi in modern culture is known as “kritya” which means one who brings doom and is considered inauspicious. However, after reading the book one not only completely understands her desire for vengeance from the Kauravas, but also empathizes with it.
The Alchemist: Paolo Coelho
ReplyDeleteThe Alchemist by Paolo Coelho is a simple yet eloquent parable, which celebrates the richness of human spirit. It is a timeless fantasy, which validates the aspirations and dreams of youth. Santiago, the protagonist, travels from Spain to morocco seeking worldly success. Eventually he reaches Egypt where a fateful encounter with an alchemist ultimately helps him acquire spiritual enlightenment and a self-understanding. The alchemy in the book is essentially the metamorphosing of youthful idealism into mature wisdom. This book is one a person can relate to at any age and at any point in their lives. It’s the careful amalgamation of an exotic setting with conventional ideas which re-assert old truths. The psychological intensity of a fairytale is what emphasizes the dramatic tension and strong sense of fantasy, which forms the very basis of the novel.
Santiago’s quest for treasure is representative of each of our determination to achieve our goals. His own Personal Legend becomes his holy grail and his relentless persistence to reach it is what forms the crux of the novel. Fulfilling ones aspirations is imperative, yet it is clearly established in the novel that the zenith of ones dream is of little importance when compared to the journey of reaching that very pinnacle. This is portrayed in the novel when Santiago learns that his treasure had been where he started his journey all along; thus the hidden treasure mentioned in his prophetic dream in the beginning of the book, refers to the journey rather than the literal outcome. It was the travelling and searching which enriched his spirit. He found wisdom, love and friendship. His will and determination ignited the fire which then burned within him brightly and constantly urged him to move forward.
Santiago is a portrayal of the dreamers and seekers, who reside in all of us. The alchemist represents the inspiration, which we all carry with us as we partake on the journey to our dreams. Him turning any metal into gold is a symbol of our inspiration driving our goals and turning them into reality from fantasy.
The Alchemist encourages a strong belief in your dreams and in your conscience. Both are abstract forms of the most honest part of yourself and ignoring either will only lead to a perilous and lonely existence, the emptiness of which will be far more daunting than the fear or pain of either failing you.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
ReplyDeletePersepolis is a unique and indispensable for it’s not like any other novel that one reads. It’s an amalgamation of comic book art and witty story telling, producing what we call a graphic novel. But its not the black and white pictures that captured me, but rather the story that won over my heart. Persepolis is a memoir of a young girl living in Iran during and after its revolution, and how she triumphs over great difficulties like it was nothing but a piece of cake.
The fact that the girl is nothing different from any other girl in the way she thought and lived made me understand the story at a deeper level, for I too went through the same stages of life, and hence I had a far deeper connection with the book. The book displays the contradictions of public and private life, of a family that highly follows the modern train of thought in a country determined not to let go off their traditional mindset. The girl, Satrapi, describes her life from age eight to fourteen, starting with a school photo in which she shows a series of girls in their veils (who later whip themselves on the playground as per what the leaders believe should be done) to the moment her parents leave her at the airport, sending her to the safety and academic rigor of a school in Austria. I became aware of the horrors of that revolution – borders closed for years, strict religious laws, no music, not enough food for everyone, not enough fuel, not even the allowance of wearing a denim jacket! How Satarapi dealt with such rigorous laws, that too in the grip of war with missile attacks every now and then and family/friends disappearing each day, is hard to imagine! In fact, I look upto her for living such a hard life with a beaming positive attitude.
The book is written in great detail from a child’s point of view, hence making these devastating world events more relatable and real. It pulls back the veil on a culture that utterly preoccupies us, but about which we know little. Its complicated personal portrait makes it impossible to think of Iran as the monolithic fundamentalist terror state of our fears.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would urge everyone to give it a try! No matter whether you enjoy reading or not, this book would enrapture almost anybody.
There are some books you can just read again and again and still react in the exact same manner as the first time you’ve read it; one such book, that is both brilliant and unarguably my favorite is John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. This fantastic novel is about two souls suffering from acute cases of cancer and still managing to enjoy the simple and beautiful things in life like falling in love.
ReplyDeleteThe story unravels in a liner form and commences with the protagonists – Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters – meeting in a support group and immediately connecting. After their first encounter itself they bond and develop strong feelings for each other. Augustus suffers from a rare case of bone cancer – which has recently been cleared – and Hazel has lung cancer. Augustus is kind gestures and perfect words not only wins Hazels but also every girl’s heart. However, this love story isn’t a typical one – it isn’t sugar coated and it doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s the raw truth. Their ‘little infinity’ ends with Augustus’s disease relapsing causing him to slowly and painfully die. Thereafter, shattered and dismayed Hazel’s emotions are brought to life by Green’s words.
‘The Fault in Our Stars’ by John Green is a touching and engrossing novel written for not only teenagers but also every age group. Enduring cancer and overcoming its various hurdles and side effects are gently dealt with in this book thus making it heart warming and touching. Although Augustus and Hazel, both, have cancer, the way John Green describes their love captivates the readers making them believe in the idea of true love. This novel is a roller coaster of emotions; there is pain, joy, happiness, sorrow, romance – everything. The build up of characters, their emotions, their experiences enhance this book further. However, the best part of this book is the way it written – right from its dialogues to all the descriptions. This book has the power to not only move the readers but to fill their eyes with tears. ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ by John Green is a book that I can read repeatedly and still not get tired of it and hence it is, without a doubt, my favorite novel.
Albert Camus' The Outsider opens with the famous lines ' Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.' thereby, revealing the entire essence of the book in its first two sentences. In The Outsider's afterward, Albert Camus summed up the novel by saying 'In our society any man who doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death.' Our protagonist, Meursault, is seen smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee at his mother's funeral instead of shedding a tear or feeling a tinge of dolefulness. This 'lack of emotion' condemned Meursault into being 'An outsider', a stranger to society, a misfit, yet I wouldn't say a rebel.
ReplyDeleteMeursault doesn't play the game. He doesn't master the art of trickery or lying, at which we tend to be so adept. He is a 'man of few words', but he is in actuality, a man of truth. And he agrees to die for the truth. As a reader, I related this aspect to Jesus Christ and only at the end of the novel realised that this was Camus' intention all along, for the closing lines of the novel ''So that it might be finished, so that I might feel less alone, I could only hope that there would be many, many spectators on the day of my execution and that they would greet me with cries of hatred" was analogous to Jesus' last words in the bible ''It is finished.''
In the novel, Meurasult is put onto trial for having committed a random act of violence in Algiers. I find it intriguing that at the end of the trial, he isn’t being accused so much for his act of brutality as for his lack of emotion. I believe, Meursault was different because he didn’t try to make his life simpler by saying words he didn’t believe and by feeling emotions and passions he didn’t truly feel. Society wasn’t baffled. Society didn’t understand him and thus, society was threatened. Society has become so ignorant that we fail to recognize words of truth and condemn a man when he doesn’t lie to show some form of remorse. By now, society has been sucked into a whirlpool of lies and regimented rules and we believe, Meursault’s everyday epicureanism is supposedly not in the ‘spirit of society.’ Meursault enjoys the beauty of the world. He is a man in love with the sun, the sea and the sand.
The Alchemist
ReplyDelete-Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is an inspiring and unique book that I read a few years ago. I have not been able to stop myself since, every page holds a different kind of profound lesson on overcoming life's obstacles and pursuing dreams.
"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to get it."
It is the story of a young shepherd who has left his home in Andalusia with hopes of travelling for the rest of his life. He knows his sheep and learns everything he thinks is worth knowing from them, until he has a prophetic dream about a child leading him to treasure in the Egyptian Pyramids. While on his journey he meets the King of Salem who challenges his beliefs and knowledge- from him he learns the importance of reading omens and the voyage leading to dreams. The treasure is nothing but himself, he is the creator of his own destiny- his journey through hardships and love contribute to the search for his Personal Legend.
Coelho's writing has a kind of rhythm that makes you want to dive into the fantastical fables and never leave. This book is not simply a novel, it is a self help book that helps one boost morale and self esteem even at the low points in life.
Palace of the End
ReplyDeleteThree intimate stories make up Judith Thompson’s, Palace of the End. They are powerful comments on the atrocities by man. The three monologues, “My Pyramids,” “Harrowdown Hill,” and “Instruments of Yearning” revolve around the events during, before and after the Iraq war. It takes the perspective of three characters, each with a monologue. The characters include Lyndie England, an American Army soldier, British arms inspector David Kelly and Nehrjas Al Saffarh, a Iraqi Communist and mother.
The play begins with “My Pyramids,” and features Lyndie England. Victim of abuse since childhood she never fits in anywhere. However she finds her niche in Abu Ghraib prison where her willingness to abuse the prisoners and attracts comradeship. England enjoys torturing the prisoners and comes up with Abu Ghraib’s infamous human pyramids. She displays a strong sense of patriotism though its misguided. However it ended in court martial. She was just a pawn and her bosses and the media make her the scapegoat for everything that went wrong. The media labels her as, “inbred pure white trash.” The book makes you pose questions to which there are no easy answers. How do we participate in our own oppression?
David Kelly on the other hand took responsibility for his deeds. He was a British arms expert who committed suicide in 2003, after being identified as the leak for a BBC report. The report stated that the British doctored assessments regarding Saddam Hussein’s arms program.
The reader sees him in the final moments before his suicide on the tranquil Harrowdown Hill. He was burdened by his lies that made even mundane tasks difficult, “I burned myself on the stove, I cut myself chopping onions.” Tormented by his inability to protect his Iraqi friend and sickened by the government’s lies, he leaks government information.
Nehrjas Al Saffarh delivers the final and most heart-rending story of the three. It is set in the time when Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist. Nehrjas Al Saffarh’s husband was a powerful communist leader who went into hiding. The family lived in fear go the Baath secret police, “Jihaz Haneen,” also called the Instruments of Yearning in English. To locate his whereabouts the family were captured and tortured. At the time Nehrajas was pregnant and had two children. Nehrjas recounts her heart-wrenching encounter with horrific detail that brought me to tears. It is hard to believe that anyone could survive something like that.
Judith Thompson has written a masterpiece that is a must read for everyone, as the play questions your humanity. How do you participate it the torture or bullying of those around you? How do these characters teach us about whom we are? What would we do in similar situations?
To Kill A Mockingbird
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird I was speechless. It is one of the best pieces of literature I have ever read.
Set in the fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depressions the book critically hits on the themes of racial injustice, class, gender, compassion and loss of innocence.
The book revolves primarily around Scout Finch, Jem Finch her brother and Atticus Finch their widowed father. Atticus the protagonist is a lawyer by profession and compassionately teaches his children ethics and morals of life.
Tables turn for the family when Atticus is appointed as an attorney to a black man, Tom Robinson who is accused of rape of a white girl, Mayella Ewell.
The racism prevailing in the society makes life for the family. The two children are insulted and called names, for instance “Nigger-lovers” not only by the children of the town even their own cousin Francis. This shows how furious people were as a result of this case.
I really liked Atticus Finch’s character in the book, a loving father who loves to rule by example and not by the sword. One of my favorite incidents in the book is when Atticus punishes Jem for cutting the heads of the camellias in the old Mrs. Dubose, as she had insulted the two children. To pay for his mistakes Jem has to read her a book every night for the next month. When she dies Atticus explains that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict and she had been able to overcome her addiction in the last few days before her death. He asks his children not to hate her instead gain inspiration from her courage.
There is a clear loss of innocence in the book, even though there is overwhelming evidence proving Tom’s innocence. However the all white jury rules him guilty. Scout and Jem who had been attending the trials with great enthusiasm are dismayed to see their father loose. Scout always believed that Tom would be free however the surprising verdict shows her the real world how cruel life and people can be. Even though Atticus looses the case Bob Ewell spits at him, to portray his frustration and anger.
In my opinion Harper Lee has made an attempt to connect the book to her childhood also. Lee also grew up in a southern town of Alabama. Through Scout Finch she has tried to portray her childhood, through Dill( a friend of Jem and Scout who visited them) she has reflected her childhood friend Truman Captoe.
Another ironic aspect of the book is the character of Boo Radley. Talking about him send a shiver down the spine of the children. However Boo is really kind hearted and secretly hides gifts and trinkets for the children. It is only when Scout walks Boo back home, as a token of appreciation of saving Jem. Scouts perspective on Boo changes and realizes that he wasn’t as bad as she thought and is amazed to realize that Boo was the person responsible for the gifts they received. As she walk with him she probably learns one of the most important aspect, not judge people on their appearance or what others have to say.
In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald elucidates upon various topics, ranging from extramarital affairs, racism, The American Dream to God.
ReplyDeleteNick Carraway, a Yale graduate, narrates the story from his first person point of view. I feel that makes him an unreliable narrator as he views all the characters and events from only his perspective and regards himself as both highly moral and tolerant. Fitzgerald strategically places Nick in a position wherein he is the center of the action, having introduced the other protagonists Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan to each other.
Fitzgerald reflects upon the cultural and economic scenario in urban American society of the time, symbolized in the novel by East Egg and West Egg of Long Island. East Egg is home to conservatives, aristocrats and “old money”, whereas West Egg is home to the flashy nouveau riche like Jay Gatsby. Nick, though a West Egg inhabitant, has diplomatically retained his connections with individuals from East Egg, such as his Yale classmate Tom Buchanan.
Tom Buchanan, though unabashed about his illicit relationship with a working class woman Myrtle Wilson, nevertheless displays elements of racism, depicted by his engrossment with the novel “The Rise of the Colored Empires” by Goddard. This is ironic as it is a black man who notifies Tom about the ‘grotesque’ murder of his mistress, Myrtle.
Fitzgerald has given Jay Gatsby, the protagonist a somewhat eerie and mysterious presence in the novel. It is even rumored that he may be the German Chancellor’s nephew. As the novel develops, we learn that he initially inherited his wealth from a gentleman named Dan Cody. Gatsby then invested his inherited money in illicit businesses such as bootlegging and became known for his extravagant weekly parties in his lavish gothic mansion.
This raises questions about the misnomer in labeling Jay Gatsby as ‘Great,’ because he accumulated his wealth through nefarious acts and his famous weekly parties were hosted only to attract the attention of one individual, Daisy Buchanan. The ‘green light’ in Daisy’s dock was a signal beckoning him, similar to the green light at a traffic signal, which gives one the indication to move forward. Ironically however, it only contributed towards his untimely death.
Adultery, a consistent theme in the novel, portrays its ugly side even in the highest social classes. As the tension between the characters escalates, a confrontation results in the dazed Daisy having to choose between Gatsby and Tom, in a suite in the Plaza Hotel.
The American dream dictates that all individuals can lead happy and successful lives if they work hard and pursue their goals, thereby attaining internal and external satisfaction. Though the American dream seemed to have become a reality for Gatsby, I feel that his untimely death proved it to be a hollow victory.
Although I initially read only an excerpt of ‘Waiting for Godot’ three years ago, I was so intrigued by it that I decided to read it in its entirety last week. Upon first glance, the play seems somewhat purposeless, due to its lack of a legitimate plot-line and character development. But therein lies its true poignancy, making it one of the most analysed plays throughout history. Its elemental structure and simplicity leave it completely open to individual interpretation.
ReplyDeleteThis two-act play begins with two men, Vladimir and Estragon, meeting each other under a tree near a country road in a nonspecific location. They are both waiting for Godot, although it is unclear as to why. As they wait, two other men arrive: Pozzo, and his lackey, Lucky. Pozzo then spends some time with Vladimir and Estragon. The men are entertained by Lucky’s ridiculous dancing and equally ridiculous ‘thinking’. Pozzo then continues on to the market where he is to sell Lucky, all the while dragging him along on a leash as though he were a dog. A small boy then timidly approaches Vladimir, claiming to have a message from ‘Mr. Godot’. He conveys that Godot is unable to come that day, but will surely come the next day. As the first act reaches its conclusion, Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave, to return the next day. But as the curtain drops, both characters remain fixed at the scene. The second act opens with both characters once again present at the venue where they wait for Godot. However, Estragon doesn’t recall making Vladimir’s acquaintance the previous day. As the scene progresses, Pozzo and Lucky return; but neither of them seem to recall the happenings of the day before either. Furthermore, this time, Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Even Godot’s messenger boy insists that he has not delivered his message before. This act too, concludes with Vladimir and Estragon’s decision to leave but again, the curtain falls with both of them still present.
The play ends with unsatisfying ambiguity, leaving the reader with several unanswered questions. But none of these questions can be provided with the ‘real’ answer, not from the playwright at least. The repetitive nature of the play can be further illustrated by Estragon’s multiple requests to leave throughout, with the more patient, responsible Vladimir reminding him each time that he must remain to wait for Godot. His existence, and even the true significance behind the Godot character is indeterminate. The most popular theory is that he is representative of God, as evidenced by the ‘God’ in his name. His character is similar to that of the bishop in Gabriel García Márquez’ ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’. Both are seemingly religious figureheads with no great interest in those who follow them. Yet, in both books, they are mentioned throughout the story, regardless of their relative irrelevance to it. Ritual is an important theme in this play, elucidated by the repetition of events. This can be seen as representative of cyclical, routine life or perhaps the unending ‘circle of life’. The title of the play also amplifies the existential crisis pivotal to the story. Vladimir and Estragon may be waiting for Godot, but why? This leads us to question what objective we are supposed to accomplish, if any? Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ remains a nuanced representation of the futility and helplessness of human existence even today.
‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D Salinger is a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The book is all about the teenage life of Holden Caulfield. Holden comes across as a pessimistic, grumpy boy all throughout the novel but this does not affect the novel and it’s quality whatsoever. J.D Salinger keeps readers interested in the life of this boy who seems to be constantly complaining, by adding humour to almost every part of the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe colloquial and slang language used by Salinger in the entire book helps teenagers like me relate to and enjoy the book more. The way Holden Caulfield talks throughout the novel makes it seem as if a real 17 year old is narrating the story rather than an accomplished author. Holden’s grumpy tales are complemented extremely well with humourous encounters taking up a large part of his memoirs. Whether, it was his encounter with a prostitute, getting thrown out of school repeatedly, playing cheap-thrill pranks on random people or deciding to leave his own home; every tale Holden shares with readers involve a hint of comedy in them. That’s just one of the many factors that make the book entertaining.
Holden seems to be massively judgmental of everything and everyone he sees in his day-to-day life. The repetitive use of the word “phony” to describe his feelings for others is just one of the many negative and amusing remarks he makes throughout. It seems to readers that Holden will never grow up. His immaturity in everything he seems to do adds to the comedy of the novel. Growing up seems to be the last thing on Holden’s mind however his independent and self-absorbed nature gives readers the sense that he is more than capable of leading an adult life.
It is quite amazing how J.D Salinger has managed to make a book basically comprising of the judgments and complaints of a grumpy teenager so entertaining and readable. The balanced mix of humour and Holden’s harsh remarks throughout the novel make it excellent reading material for readers of all ages as everyone goes through the roller coaster of being a teenager. The fact that I could relate to the novel so well was just one of the countless reasons that made me love reading the book.
Enduring Love
ReplyDeleteIn Enduring Love, Ian McEwan portrays the two inevitable aspects of life-love and suffering; two emotions that often become the driving force behind most actions people take. The title itself makes us question the very significance of love. McEwan’s intense and fast paced novel is a piece of post-modern literature, which explores both the good as well as the dark side of human nature.
Ian McEwan uses the opening events to bring five strangers together, in a moment of intense emotion and vulernibiity when faced with a situation that is uncontrollable and threatening. As the reader witnesses the man made balloon being controlled by the changing wind the strife between man and nature is obvious. Nature wins and man sacrifices. Joe and Jed meet under these circumstances and the reader is drawn into a relationship that is both intriguing and fascinating; where one man is a scientist, rationalist and atheist, the other is a blind believer, impulsive and obsessive.
As the novel progresses, McEwan brings out the extraordinariness of the human spirit, the ability to endure and hope and at the same time he portrays the tendency toward paranoia and hysteria. The reader is compelled to accept that just like physical fitness, mental health too is equally instrumental in the way one lives one’s life. Joe’s paranoia and Jed’s obsessiveness are both equally fatal conditions that make the two men behave the way they do. Their behavior however, has consequences that impact those around them and draw them in the whirlpool of emotional upheavals.
“Enduring Love” is a gripping novel that haunts the very conscience and leaves the reader in an introspective frame of mind.
'The Kite Runner' - Khaled Hoseinni
ReplyDeleteThe Kite Runner is one of my favourite books that perfectly embodies a tale of family and friendship with a background of the hardships and desire to escape the Taliban taken over Afghanistan. I found this story really gripping as it took me on an emotional roller coaster.
The Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson.
ReplyDeleteI haven't finished the book. In fact, I've just reached the 6th chapter.
I really like the book. It makes you think. And it tells you about things you wouldn't even imagine and about things that you know about but you find out where they came from. The beginning of the book was really cool because it talks about how the universe started and the different theories about it. The one about the Big Bang talk about how it started from nothing and then you have to try and imagine nothing. But you can't. Because it's nothing. It's not black or white.. it's just nothing. So you can't imagine it. It's completely baffling and I love the idea. Bill Bryson is also very funny. I like the way he writes. He explains things so even though I don't know too much about the world, I can still understand everything. I really hope that I manage to finish the book. It's a slow book to read because you have to stop and think about things.
This is a footnote that cracked me up.
"*In 1781 Herschel became the first person in the modern era to discover a planet. He wanted to call it George, after the British monarch, but was over-ruled. Instead it became Uranus."
From the list of books, I really like The Book Thief and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time [they're the only one's I've read].
My autobiography- Sir Alex Ferguson
ReplyDeleteMy autobiography by Sir Alex is one of the best books I've ever read. It deals with his career as the manager of Manchester united for 26 and a half years. It deals with the various problems he faced in the day to say running of the club. It also deals with some controversial issues which took place with some players of the club. For example he explains the whole David Beckham incident where sir Alex by mistake kicked a boot at Beckham's face. The book also deals with his personal life and upbringing and how he used to work in a pub in Glasgow when he was young. It also reveals to us the strong relationship that he had with his family and his wife who supported him throughout his career
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
ReplyDeletePersepolis is a brilliant book. It is not a traditional novel as it is a graphic novel. It is like an autobiography by Marjane Satrapi that perfectly depicts the situation of Iran during its war with Iraq. It shows the situation of the war from a different point of view than ours. It also gives us insight into Iranian culture. It is a must read.
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
ReplyDeletePersepolis is one of the best books I have ever read. It is not like a normal novel as it is a graphic novel. It is like an autobiography written by Marjane Satrape, which gives insight into the Iran-Iraq war as well as Iranian culture. It is witty and yet touching at the same time. It is must read.
Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
ReplyDeleteThrough this book Gladwell explores the success stories of many of today's billionaires and intellects making us contemplate whether it was innate talent while led them to their destination or just pure luck. A revelatory book, giving a fresh perspective on success making the geniuses look a little bit less remarkable and us a little more.
The Immortals of Meluha- Amish
ReplyDeleteThe Immortals of Meluha is one of the best books I have read in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a fictional story, concerned with Indian mythology specifically dealing with the origin of Lord Shiva. There are several deities related to Lord Shiva present in the story. The story mainly deals with how Shiva actually became The Mahadeva i.e. The Great God.
The author Amish narrates a tale telling us about a different origin of Shiva and he portrays him as not being a God from birth but originally being a tribal chief living in the Himalayas. His life changes forever when the Titular Immortals of Meluha come to take him to Devagiri. They give him the legendary Somras, which is said to make one immortal. This drink makes his neck turn blue hence making him the Neelkanth a name by which he is known even today.
The story, which follows, is enthralling and full of many adventures, which includes several characters from the Bhagwad Gita and Indian Mythology.
The actual story may be considered controversial and certain parts of the story may even offend orthodox Hindus and this may a negative aspect of the book. Besides this fact, it is a very enjoyable book and once you start reading you won't be able to put it down till you finish it. The book however ends at a cliffhanger, which leaves you slightly impatient and wanting to grab the second book of the trilogy immediately.
I have read the other two books of the trilogy as well - ‘Secret of the Nagas’ and ‘Oath of the Vayuputras’ and I recommend them to any lover of mythology.
Never have I read a book as intricate and magical as 'Train to Pakistan' by one of India's finest writers.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately,Khuswant Singh passed away recently and with him he took away his ability to paint pictures wit words. But he left behind this classic of modern fiction.
The book was published in 1956 but still holds a lot of relevance in society till this day. It talks about love,life,administration,history,murder and obviuously the partition of '47.Probably the thing that loved most about the book was how even the gory details were romanticized and presented beautifully,and I personally believe that is an art in itself.
Overall it is an unapologetic,beautiful and engaging piece of writing.
"I am Malala" is an inspiring piece of art by Malala Yousafzai. She fought for her right to education against the Taliban when they ruled over the Swat Valley. She was the young thirteen year old girl who was shot in the head at point blanc range in the Swat VAlley in Afghanistan. She was born in the Pashtan tribe . When a girl is born in the tribe, she is hidden behind a curtain which signifies that their role in life is to cook food and give birth to children . When a boy is born in the tribe rifles are fired to celeberate the birth of a boy child. Malala's father named his beutiful daughter after Malalai of Maiwand who was the greatest heroine of Afghanistan. When Malala was born her father looked in to her magical eyes and said that he knew his child was different. When Malal was sixteen she was the youngest nominee of the Nobel Peace Prize. I feel she was a risk taker and was principled. Even after being shot by the Taliban she did not give up fighting for her right to an education.
ReplyDeleteTHE BOOK THIEF
ReplyDelete‘The Book Thief’ is my favourite book and this is why I’m going to write about it for my first book review in the Book Club. It was written by an Australian writer named Markus Zusak in 2005. It got excellent reviews the year it was published. I absolutely loved reading this book because it’s the kind of book that can change your entire perspective of life. The plot is based in 1939, Nazi Germany when ‘The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.’
The protagonist is a nine year old girl, Liesel Meminger, who is adopted by the Hubermann’s when her mother can no longer care for her. On the way to her new home, her brother dies of the cold and there comes the first of many deaths in this story . After arriving, she soon befriends her neighbour, Rudy Steiner, who becomes her best friend in the year to come, and dies along with Liesel’s foster parents due to bombing. Her foster parents also house a Jew in their basement since they owe his family and she forms a very special bond of friendship with this Jew, Max, who teaches her how to read fluently. Shortly after this, Max decides to trouble the family no more, and he goes off. At the end of the war, when Hitler is dead, Max finds Liesel again and this is the happiest part of the story for the connection between the friends is unimaginably strong.
The story is basically about how she grows up in the German environment and how she develops an obsession with reading which drives her to borrow as well as steal books from the Mayor’s house. Words and letters hold an incredible amount of weightage in this book. It is through words that Death is so attracted to this girl and it is through words that Liesel is able to calm down the entire town during the bombs.
The narrator of the story, Death, is very interested in Liesel. He’s in awe of her courage, her mental strength and the fact that she is a survivor. He narrates the story in a heart breaking, nerve wrenching, and astounding way during which he associates the emotion of the surrounding and the aura of people with different colours. He taps various themes, namely Dehumanisation, Survival, Words, Thievery and Death. This book as said by the Washington Post is ‘Absorbing and searing’ and as commented upon by USA Today, ‘This book deserves a place on the shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank….Poised to become a classic.’
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
ReplyDeleteWritten by one of my all time favorite authors, 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini is certainly a book that I'd say has had an impact on my life. Set in Afghanistan from the early 1960s to the early 2000s, Hosseini takes us on a journey through the life of two young women who lived through Talibani tyranny and Afghani misogyny.
Mariam,the illegitimate daughter of an affluent Afghan man is one of the two narrators of the story. Jalil, Mariam's 'father' keeps her and her mother far from his home at the outskirts of the town of Herat. Jalil meets his daughter Mariam only once a week leaving the poor girl longing to be a greater part of her father's life with his three wives. Mariam camps outside her father's mansion in the city before she is sent back home only to see her mother have committed suicide. Jalil gets Mariam married to Rasheed, a man who's about 20 odd years older than her and who began to physically and verbally abuse his young bride soon after marriage. After a series of miscarriages, Rasheed realizes that Mariam can't bear him any children which makes him turn more violent against his wife.
The second narrative of the book is in a young girl Laila's perspective. Unconventionally, Laila's best friend was a boy named Tariq, the two made love before Tariq's family fled to Pakistan to escape the Taliban ridden Afghanistan. Laila had lost her brother's in the Afghanis' fight against the Taliban and her mother's affection towards her also died with the son's of the house.
Impregnated by Tariq, Laila accepts Rasheed's proposal for marriage against all Mariam's fights to avoid the same,to hide her 'sin', soon after the birth of her daughter though Rasheed realizes that the child she bore isn't his and begins to ill treat her.One night when Rasheed is about to beat Mariam, Laila intervenes thereby initiating a tender friendship between her and Mariam. The two soon plan to escape with the little baby girl away from Rasheed with the money Laila had been stealing from him but are caught on the way by the Talibanis and sent back home to an infuriated Rasheed who is ultimately killed by Mariam after Laila gives birth to his son and Tariq returns from Pakistan.
Laila marries Tariq and tells him about how she bore his daughter. Along with her two kids and new husband, Laila moves to Pakistan hoping that Mariam would accompany her. Mariam doesn't want that Laila should be caught along with herself for Rasheed's murder and decides to stay back, ultimately being executed for being guilty of murder.
The quilt of relations and emotions weaved by Hosseini ever so intricately have tugged at a strand of my heart with beauty unimaginable. A Thousand Splendid Suns in my opinion is a book that every young adult must read!
A Thousand Splendid Suns: Khaled Hosseini
ReplyDeleteThis book is set in Afghanistan between the 1960s to the 2000s. I found this book interesting because it throws light on the realities and beliefs of the Islam culture. The way women are treated in Afghanistan is shocking. Rasheed, the husband of the protagonist of the story Miriam, is a symbol of a typical Afghani man. Mariam is forced to marry Rasheed at a very young age. Initially, Rasheed is somewhat sympathetic to her but after she goes through multiple miscarriages, Mariam's marriage becomes like a prison: "Mariam was afraid. She lived in fear of his shifting moods, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies and sometimes not."
Rasheed’s neighbor Laila came from a liberal family where her father believed in education and allowed her to have a boyfriend, Tariq. However, while her family is fleeing from Kabul, a rocket hits her house. Her parents are killed and she is wounded. Mariam nurses her back to health and she finds out she is pregnant with Tariq’s child. However, Tariq’s family has already fled. Rasheed tricks Laila into marrying her by hiring a man to tell her that Tariq is dead. Laila then bears Rasheed’s children.
I think this book is inspiring because of the character of Mariam. She is the illegitimate daughter of a rich businessman Jalil, and his housekeeper Nana. Even after her rough childhood where her mother commits suicide and her father doesn’t want her, after suffering through a horrible marriage, she still sacrifices her life to allow Laila to have a happy life with her lover Tariq and her children. Her courage is striking and eventually she revolts against all the injustices she is made to suffer when she kills Rasheed and then turns herself in to the police. Nobody deserves to be treated in such a downgrading manner and I think she is completely justified in her actions.
There is clearly a significant amount of gender discrimination present in Afghanistan. I find it fascinating to read about the way women are expected to lead their lives. After the Civil War when the Taliban came to power in 1996, they created a system of gender apartheid, according to which women were not allowed to go out unless they were accompanied by a male relative. Women were denied an education and employment. They could not leave the house without a Burkha, which covered their bodies entirely, leaving only a gap through which to see. Women's health care was also put into jeopardy during the Taliban's reign, as women were not allowed to see male doctors, yet, the majority of female doctors were prohibited from going to work. The Taliban encouraged girls under the age of 16 to get married. They appointed an aggressive religious police force, which would beat women who violated the Taliban code that regulated the behavior of women. Some of the violations, which warranted a beating, included a woman exposing her ankles, laughing too loud or wearing shoes that made noise when walking.
It is intriguing but at the same time, heart-wrenching to read such a miserable story. I think this book is wonderfully written and definitely one of my all-time favorites.
‘Waiting for Godot’ is perhaps one of the most unusual plays I have read in a long time. The fact that nothing happens in the play, ironically, makes it more engaging. Beckett seems to subscribe to the semi-pessimistic philosophy that life consists of repetition and habit, and applies it to the play. According to Vladimir, “Habit is a great deadener” and it numbs the monotony of the passage of time. On many levels I could relate to this as I always find a need to do something to mark time. This can be seen in the play where Vladimir actually suggests to Estragon “to try (his) boots on” as it would “pass the time…it’d be an occupation”. What’s interesting is how Beckett uses characterization to explore the purpose of life and through the imposition of structure and routine, tries to give life direction. Another aspect of the book I find gripping is the way Vladimir and Estragon merely sit around, ‘Waiting for Godot’, and do nothing about it apart from try to to figure out ways to waste time. Together with the two characters, the stage directions also add to the intrigue of the play, as they keep the tension alive and make the reader feel like something is eventually going to happen. Beckett’s play brings out the paradoxes of life; humor and despair, life and death, everything and nothing. The play is a must read for all those who question the purpose of life – in that it is one that would appeal to readers universally and remain timeless in its own way.
ReplyDeleteNot a Penny More, Not a Penny Less-Jeffrey Archer
ReplyDeleteFor my first post here, i'd review the book Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less- Jeffrey Archers first novel,published in 1976.
The plot of this book is particularly unique which is why I enjoyed reading it so much.
Harvey Metcalfe is a 'con', a person who cheats others to earn money. He isnt like every other con and carries out his actions in a very subtle and eccentric manner. He opens a company "Prospecta Oil" and chooses this line to trick people as in the oil industry certain evidences of striking oil arent exposed to the public and a company's word is taken. He tricks a Harvard graduate David Kesler into piloting all actions of the company in pure innocence and brings in four people to invest in Prospecta Oil who claim that thy have struck oil. The four people being Stephen Bradley, David's friend and a professor at Oxford who invests taking David's word, a Dr. Robin Oakley a physician, Jeane-Pierre Lamanns a gallery owner and Lord James Brigley a count.The four invested a good chunk of money in Prospecta Oil, only to realize they were tricked . They decided to get their money back. All the four came up with their individual plans using their skills and area of expertise. James who initially did not come up so easily with the plan, ultimately surprised the other three with his plan. The four with their neatly laid plans went ahead in pursuit of their goal of defeating Metcalfe and getting their money back. The manner in which they do so is well depicted in the novel and they decided to turn the tables on Harvey. Combining their individual abilities and expertise, they each come up a scheme to relieve Harvey of the exact amount he robbed them of.
The book was related to Archer's life, where he was almost in a state of bankrupcy,and it was a page-turner.
The Catcher In The Rye: J.D Salinger
ReplyDelete‘The Catcher In The Rye’ written by J.D Salinger is a novel that I think a lot of teenagers can relate to. Though this book was written in 1951, the themes of the novel are still very relevant. The book starts with the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, a seventeen-year old, retelling the events that took place over a three day long period from last December. Addressing the readers directly, Holden begins to narrate his story from when he left Prency Prep, a prestigious boarding school, that is filled with ‘crooks’ as Holden likes to call them. We are told that Holden has been given ‘the axe’ as a result of ‘flunking 4 out of his 5 subjects’ and would not be returning back to the school after the Christmas vacations. The novel then goes on to describe Holden’s journey in New York.
From the beginning of the novel, Holden is portrayed as lazy, rebellious, cynical, detached and as someone who is not really bothered about his future. Holden is deeply affected by his brother, Allie’s, death. This incident in particular makes him emotionally unstable. He starts using alienation as a way to protect himself. Holden struggles with identity issues and loneliness. One of the major themes of the novel is the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Holden fears adulthood and is overwhelmed by complexity. He wants everything to be easily understandable and eternally fixed. Holden invents a fantasy that adulthood is a world of superficiality and hypocrisy (“phoniness”), while childhood is a world of innocence, curiosity, and honesty. Nothing reveals his image of these two worlds better than his fantasy about the catcher in the rye: he imagines childhood as an idyllic field of rye in which children romp and play; adulthood, for the children of this world, is equivalent to death—a fatal fall over the edge of a cliff. Holden wants to ‘catch’ the children playing in the rye, and protect them from falling over. Protect them from entering into the world of adults. Help them retain their innocence. As a result of his thinking, he too is unwilling to let go of his childhood and face adulthood.
The most appealing aspect of the novel for me is how easy it is to relate to Holden. As adolescents, most of us are confused and stressed. We feel pressurised, when it comes to thinking about our future. We go through ‘phases’. We rebel. We like to hold on to our childhood. Personally the idea of growing up scares me. In this manner teenagers can somewhat relate to Holden. Sometimes we all just want to escape, just like Holden took off for New York.
Salinger makes use of colloquialism and slang phrases.This makes the characters seem more realistic. The narrative style of the novel makes the readers feel as though Holden is voicing out his train of thoughts, and is telling us his story in his own words. This makes the novel more convincing. We feel as though a real 17 year old is narrating the novel. The novel has moments of depression along with the harsh reality of life being revealed. But this is contrasted with Holden’s sarcastic sense of humour.
All in all I enjoyed reading this book. The protagonist was intriguing, and the novel captured my attention from beginning to end.
The book I chose for the Book Club is "The White Tiger".
ReplyDeleteArvind Adiga’s “The White Tiger” is a narrative where a roguish criminal, Balram Halwai, triumphantly portrays the cruelty of his country’s class difference, in hindsight. The story is mainly about how Balram is driver (or servant) to the spineless, indecisive son, Ashok, of an influential man and how the things he had to put up with and the thoughts he internalizes leads him to kill his employer. The entire book is in the form of a letter to a visiting Chinese Premier, written over 7 nights.
The book is foreground to an India where poverty, inequality and misuse of power are rampant. According to me the most interesting concept in the book is how Adiga refers to Balram’s village, and therefore by extension most undeveloped parts of India, as “the Darkness”, which is opposed by the “the Light”. This would suggest two things, first, the “dark” being a symbol of hopelessness and oppression, but more importantly, the darkness refers to how the poorer populations of India are blind. Blind to the vicious cycle they are trapped within and, more importantly, blind to the two-faced symbols of hope, our politicians, who liberally give out hope and promises only to accentuate their power. Another very important concept in the book is the “Rooster Coop”, where chickens are slaughtered to be used as meat. Adiga compares, once again, the poor populations of India to these mindless chickens, but this time Adiga adds another dimension by stating that, at the core of these people, they actually have the will to be slaughtered and to be caged. This dogmatic picture of India takes the previous image of “the Darkness” to another level, where over the generations, we have forgotten to question the oppression and become accepting and almost welcoming of this inequality.
The book ends with Balram, who now calls himself Ashok (his old master), running away with Ashok’s money and starting his own taxi business. It also paints a picture of a powerful Balram who has connections with the Police and has learned the tricks of the trade. According to me after reading the book, in hindsight, the most powerful part of the book is when Balram says, “If anyone knows the truth about Bangalore, its me”. This leads us to believe that Adiga wants to send the message that success, or a place in “the Light”, in these unequal, unjust parts of the world aren’t fair or deserved but merely achieved.
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is a diary written by Anne Frank during the Second World War. She wrote this diary from 14 June, 1942 to 1 August, 1944. Anne Frank belongs to a Jewish family. Till the Second World War she enjoyed her life like any other girl. But, when Germany invaded Holland Otto Frank, Anne’s father, moved his family into hiding. The happenings in hiding for 25 months are described by Anne in this diary. Especially her emotions and her moods are well preserved in words. She talks emotionally and eloquently about her parents, sister and her co-dwellers and herself. When she died in a concentration camp in Germany, Anne Frank was only fifteen.
ReplyDeleteThrough her diary, she tells us the atrocities of war times; how people suffer, how lives would be tormented and how families would be shattered. The descriptions and emotions are so vivid and enchanting you can envisage her life with your own eyes. In August 1944 their hiding place was discovered by the Gestapo, German Secret Police. All the eight members in the hiding were sent to concentration camps in Germany where all, except Otto Frank, died in the hands of Nazis. Anne Frank died in 1945.
When Otto Frank came back to the hiding place after war, he found Anne Frank’s diary and letters. He circulated the diary in memory of his family. Eleanor Roosevelt says about this book: “These are the thoughts and expressions of a young girl living under extraordinary conditions, and for this reason her diary tells us much about ourselves and about our own children.”
While reading this book, I had to continually stop myself from crying as the book or rather a teenagers diary is painfully honest about the changes that take place in her life. Where until yesterday she belonged to a good normal community living a relatively normal life for Jews back then and the next moment she’s leaving behind her home and living in complete hiding.
Basically the hard hitting image the book creates for me is that where until a certain day a normal girl was just living her life and enjoying her youth, the very next moment she and her entire family are trying to do everything they can to simply vanish. This is the reason that this book is very hard to read. Emotions are abundant throughout. We watch as Anne transitions through the book. And when the diary abruptly ends, we are left speechless and with a mind full of questions. It is this ending that reminds us that this is no fictional novel with a well written plot or a thought through ending. But the story of someone’s life that ends too early and in a rather unjust way.
Streetcar Named Desire Review
ReplyDeleteAryaman Banerjee
Tennessee William’s Streetcar Named Desire focuses on the multitude of aspects that determine how we perceive each other and ourselves. Specifically, Williams deals with people basing their perceptions in reality, and while others in fantasy. This is where the protagonist of the play, Blanche Dubois plays an integral role. After having lost her family home Belle Reve (translating to beautiful life in French), Blanche is forced to move into her sister, Stella’s 2 bedroom apartment, to live alongside her brother in law Stanley Kowalski. Blanche has lost her husband in the past, and is a widow, which causes her quite visible distress. Stanley and Blanche never got along well, and Blanche sees herself as above the people she lives with and their lifestyle. In contrast to Blanche, we see Stanley playing a very important role in formation of the play. Stanley, a working class man, is deeply rooted in the meaning of the word “reality” as he experiences this everyday, this is one of the factors that fuels the feud between him and Blanche. Blanche also finds a love interest in one of Stanley’s more polished friends, during a poker game. Stanley relays information regarding Blanche’s stay in a hotel known for prostitutes to Stella, which Blanche finally admits to. Throughout the story, conflicts between Stanley and Blanche continue rising, which eventually culminates in him raping her, while Stella is in labour. This leads to Blanche becoming completely mentally distorted and being admitted to a mental care facility. Stella refuses to believe Blanche when told about her rape, and Stanley and Stella continue living their life.
Williams tries to portray the relationship between internal conflict, and external conflict through aspects like the set of the play. Through the set Williams sets up a construct, wherein, she depicts that the interior, which is our fantasies and our safe places, are very permeable to the exterior, the real world. Through this play, we see a definite triumph of reality over fantasy, where, eventually one character is swung so far from understanding and perceiving reality that she loses her mental state. Another way we know that Williams is trying to show the effect that the external environment has on the characters is the way he play isn’t confined to the happenings of the set, but is majorly influenced by the people and events occurring outside of their home. However, at the end we see Blanche with a deluded sense of happiness because she has found her place away from the happenings of the world. This portrays to the readers that fantasy plays an important role in ones life, as while it might not fructify into something physical, it provides us with the same sense of satisfaction, while misguided and deluded, that physically present events do.
Another very important aspect of Blanche is her sexuality. Blanche seems to believe that by being intimate with younger men she will go back to the time before her husband’s death, and her downfall in society. This is where the motif of the car “Desire” comes in. She is first seen to be driving a car called “Desire”, followed by “Cemetries”. This is an important motif to show the trajectory of her mental status. She has fallen from a person filled with ambition, love and appreciation to a person living in the shadows of her husband’s death.
THE LORD OF THE FLIES
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to write the book review on the novel ‘The Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding. The novel was written in the post-World War Two era. It was published in the year 1954. During this time, most writing was influenced by pessimism and the search for answers on why things happened the way they did and why people behaved the way they did. So, like ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Samuel Beckett, ‘The Lord of the Flies’ is a reflection on the human condition. The novel is allegoric, in that the society that the boys’ form, is representative of the human society with its prevalent hierarchies. Their relationships are symbols of the relationships that different classes of people within society have with each other.
Golding, through his novel highlights the themes of ‘abuse of power,’ ‘the inclination towards violence’ and ‘change of behaviour from civilised to savage.’ The characters of Jack and Ralph are in a constant headlock in order to establish supremacy over each other. Ralph, the protagonist, institutes his authority with the use of the conch shell which is the symbol of power and order within that island society. He represents the good qualities of civilization and leadership. As opposed to this, Jack, the antagonist, is the leader of the hunters. He desires to gain absolute power. In order to do this he resorts to violence and manipulation. By the end of the novel, he learns to use the boys’ fear of the beast to control their behaviour—a reminder of how religion and superstition can be manipulated as instruments of power. [1(http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/flies/ (accessed May 11, 2015)]
In the beginning of the novel, the boys maintain civilised and cordial behaviour. But towards the end, it is apparent that this unconstrained freedom has resulted in blood-thirsty individuals in a race for power. The same boys who were afraid and remorseful of killing the pig, began to enjoy it. This complete loss of innocence and susceptibility to the greed for power is symbolic of every single dictator in the history of the world and most prominently Hitler.
‘The Lord of the Flies,’ in the novel, is the pig’s head that Jack transfixes onto the spears. He uses this as a means to frighten the other boys. This head is symbolic of the Devil who tells Jack that every human being succumbs eventually to the evil that lies within himself/herself. This is a symbol of the tendency of human’s to forget their morals and submit to the lust of power and violence.
This dystopian novel is a complex attempt to make sense of the human condition. It is Golding’s conclusion from what would happen if innocent young individuals were put into situations where they were unrestrained and the competition for power was a prerequisite for survival.
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
ReplyDeleteThe Prophet begins with a man named Almustafa living on an island called Orphalese. Locals consider him a sage, but he is from elsewhere, and has waited years for the right ship to harbor Orphalese take him home. From a hill above the town, he sees his ship coming into the harbor, and realizes his sadness at leaving the people he has come to know. The elders of the city ask him not to leave. He is asked to tell of his philosophy of life before he goes, to speak his truth to the crowds gathered. What he has to say forms the basis of the book. The book is said to be collection of Prose - Poetry.
As the Prophet, the Lebanese author provides spiritual wisdom on a range of subjects, including Giving, Eating and Drinking, Clothes, Buying and Selling, Crime and Punishment, Laws, Teaching, Time, Pleasure, Religion, Death, Beauty and Friendship. Corresponding to each chapter are evocative drawings by Gibran himself.
Of whatever I gathered as Gibran's philosophy through the text, my beliefs seemed to resonate with his words. However, after reading a bit about the book on the internet, I realized that not many people find solace in his words as I did.
Concluding with my favorite words from the book, "You give but little when you give of your possessions.It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
I would suggest this book as a must read to anyone who is keen on devouring brilliant spiritual philosophy.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
ReplyDeleteThe book I choose to review is called Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. The last public execution to take place in Iceland was in 1829. According to The Guardian, there being no prisons in Iceland, the condemned woman had been held for the winter before her execution at a farm where she'd lived as a young girl, guarded by the farmer's wife and daughters. Burial Rites tells us the story of that winter and of the last public execution in Iceland.
The novel is set in the rural scenic landscape of northern Iceland. Agnes’s looming death builds from the very start of the book "They said I must die. They said that I stole the breath from the men, and now they must steal mine.” With a year to live, Agnes is sent to live at the farm of Margrét and Jón and their two daughters. As the novel unfolds, the intricate details of her life leading up to the murder of Natan are revisited through memories and discussions with her priest counsel. Agnes is made to live with a host family that clearly does not want her there. They are horrified at the thought of having a convicted murdered staying with them and avoid all contact with her.
Only Toti, the young assistant priest who is chosen to be her spiritual guardian, tries to understand her. The inexperienced Reverend Tóti is like a medium for Agnes’s monologues, their interactions more resembling conversations than religious guidance. As the story unfolds, Agnes story begins to emerge. Everything turns out to be different from what was assumed.The novel is a compelling one that questions the truths we claim to know and the various ways we can interpret what we are told. How can a woman hope when her life relies on stories told by others.
I have selected the book, Johny Got His Gun, by Daltun Trumbo, for my book review. This novel, published in the year 1938, is based on the horrors of the First World War. The plot of this novel discusses how a soldier, Joe Bonham, who fought during the Great War, wakes up in the hospital realising he has lost his legs, arms, and a large part of his face.
ReplyDeleteUpon awakening, Joe attempts to commit suicide by suffocating himself, however he soon realises that he could spread the horrors of the war to the oblivious public of his home America. Through the help of Morse code, Joe requests the military officers to put him in a glass box and present him around the country, as a way of spreading the harsh reality of war. However, this desire of his is not granted. As he spends the rest of his life in this condition, he begins to think about his family, friends, and later reflects upon the myths and realities of war.
This book played a major role on my perception of the First World War when I first read it. As I was studying about the war, “Johny Got His Gun” provided me with a different perception of the harsh realities of the war that was not possible to find in
textbooks. This is mainly due to the fact that Trumbo, the author, has made use of a great amount of emotion whiles depicting the thoughts of Bonham.
Altogether, the book “Johny Got His Gun”, successfully brings out the emotional side of the First World War, and the problems that some of the soldiers had to deal with during this period. The novel also gets the reader involved by depicting Bonham as a sympathetic character.
"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini is one book that i have read recently. I really enjoyed the book, it is a page turner with complex characters and situations that makes the reader think hard about friendship, good and evil, betrayal, and redemption. It is intense and contains some graphic scenes. It also throws light on growing up in a country like Afghanistan, which most people arent acquainted to and has always interested me. It is the story of Amir, a Sunni Muslim, who struggles to find his place in the world because of the aftereffects and fallout from a series of traumatic childhood events. An adult Amir opens the novel in the present-day United States with a vague reference to one of these events, and then the novel flashes back to Amir's childhood in Afghanistan. In addition to typical childhood experiences, Amir struggles with forging a closer relationship with his father, Baba coupled to him determining the exact nature of his relationship with Hassan, his servant.
ReplyDeleteThe book really highlights the importance of relationships and the interdependance of us humans on each other and how we try to improve our relationships with each other through the small things in life, like the protagonist caught his father's attention by winning a kite flying competition. Via the boy, a spectrum of emotions are witnessed by the reader, again reflecting human nature.
To conclude,The Kite Runner is a novel about relationships — specifically the relationships between Amir and Hassan and Baba,annd how the complex relationships in our lives overlap and connect to develop us as people. It is a great book teenagers to read and I recommend it.
Book Review: Lysistrata by Aristophanes
ReplyDeleteWhile most ancient Greek texts like the Illiad depict women as provoking war through lust, Lysistrata focuses on women’s role in preventing war through lust. Aristophane’s play is an ancient greek comedy that provides “a solution” to the Peloponnesian war between the Athenians and the Spartans. Lysistrata, who’s name literally translates to “dissolving armies”, joins forces with the women of Sparta and her fellow Athenian women to prevent their husbands from going to war. This Athene like protagonist seeks to carry out her plan in two ways: by barricading the Acropolis and thus preventing them from obtaining funds to go to war, and second, perhaps metaphorically similar to the first, by abstaining from sexual intercourse. By the end of the play, Lysistrata succeeds in equally allocating the “resources” of Reconciliation- a naked young woman who furthers the men’s lust- and the Athenians and Spartans joined hands in song and dance.
The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth.
ReplyDeleteBooks, for starters, are for the fun of reading. Getting excited about books because the things in them that are cool, I think, is an important part of the whole reading experience. Which is why, to start with...
The whole book is written in verse! Even the dedication, the acknowledgement, the contents and the about-the-author!!
Now...
The book is a Californian novel about love and life. Vikram Seth talks about the different kinds of love and how we deal with them in our lives. He discusses things that are not usually talked about. His characters and their pets make you wonder about life. Do we need people to be exactly like us to love them? How many differences can we handle? What kind of differences can we handle? It talks about faith versus love and the things we do for those we love. It talks about our conscience and our jobs. Seth has also writing the entire novel in Iambic Tetrameter. This is different any other sonnets. He follows a very strict structure and pattern in the way of writing but what he talks about has no rules and it very contemporary. The style of writing also subtly hints things which seem to portray the personal views of the writer. For example, nature is always shown as beautiful and it described in the sonnets even though it made not be essential to the story. It seems as if Seth is a fan of nature. From bombs to feeding an iguana, it is a book that covers the quite a few of the important areas in just a few hundred pages and rhyming sentences.
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
ReplyDeleteThe book is set high up in the Northeastern Himalayas Kalimpong. The story revolves around Judge Jemubhai Patel, his granddaughter Sai and his nameless cook who live in a house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga. The novel shifts between the life of the cook’s son Biju in New York and the lives of the residents of Kalimpong. It is characterized by the themes of colonialism, racism, immigration, young love, regret, hope, the role of family and the myths of both India and America. The title of the novel represents a loss of identity that is passed down generations and inhabits all the major as well as minor characters. The characters are seemingly different but are all linked through their losses. The Judge appears to very cold-hearted and distant, even with his orphaned grandchild whom he considers a burden. He regrets Sai living with him because ever since her arrival, every small incident triggers his memory of his past, which he is trying hard to repress. The Judge is an anglophile and is embarrassed by his Indian heritage. This is only enhanced when he manages to go to Cambridge on a scholarship despite coming from a very poor family. In England, he feels highly ostracized and to fit in, he turns into a man who will “not be liked by anyone, English and Indians both.” Sai is lonely, as she has no company her age in the neighborhood. However, her situation seems to improve when she gets involved in an affair with her tutor Gyan, who is Nepalese and of a lower class than her. At that time, there was a lot of political turmoil as the Nepalese “were being treated like a minority in a place where they were the majority” and they wanted their own state in which to manage their affairs. Without realizing it, Gyan gets involved in the protests and begins to detest Sai and all that she stands for. The cook is a very poor man and seems to do everything only for his son Biju. Biju is living illegally in America and is changing jobs rapidly because of the poor working conditions. He wants nothing but to come back to India and feels a sense of not belonging in New York. His experiences as an illegal immigrant are paralleled by Jemubhai’s experiences in Cambridge as the ‘outsider’. All the major characters are dissatisfied with the way they have lived their lives up till this point and want to change it. They all feel a sense of loss. Biju and the Judge have lost their identity, Sai has lost her parents and her lover and the cook seems to have lost his dignity. The novel questions whether fulfillment can ever be felt as deeply as loss and as the story unravels, we realize that it cannot. The story is very sad but shows us the reality of the horrors of colonization and the effects it has on communities. It talks about the way dispirited people deal with their lives. This book is fictional, but seems very real and actually makes the reader feel empathy for the characters. Despite being very sad, it is definitely a must read.
The Inheritance of Loss
ReplyDeleteThe book is set high up in the Northeastern Himalayas Kalimpong. The story revolves around Judge Jemubhai Patel, his granddaughter Sai and his nameless cook who live in a house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga. The novel shifts between the life of the cook’s son Biju in New York and the lives of the residents of Kalimpong. It is characterized by the themes of colonialism, racism, immigration, young love, regret, hope, the role of family and the myths of both India and America. The title of the novel represents a loss of identity that is passed down generations and inhabits all the major as well as minor characters. The characters are seemingly different but are all linked through their losses. The Judge appears to very cold-hearted and distant, even with his orphaned grandchild whom he considers a burden. He regrets Sai living with him because ever since her arrival, every small incident triggers his memory of his past, which he is trying hard to repress. The Judge is an anglophile and is embarrassed by his Indian heritage. This is only enhanced when he manages to go to Cambridge on a scholarship despite coming from a very poor family. In England, he feels highly ostracized and to fit in, he turns into a man who will “not be liked by anyone, English and Indians both.” Sai is lonely, as she has no company her age in the neighborhood. However, her situation seems to improve when she gets involved in an affair with her tutor Gyan, who is Nepalese and of a lower class than her. At that time, there was a lot of political turmoil as the Nepalese “were being treated like a minority in a place where they were the majority” and they wanted their own state in which to manage their affairs. Without realizing it, Gyan gets involved in the protests and begins to detest Sai and all that she stands for. The cook is a very poor man and seems to do everything only for his son Biju. Biju is living illegally in America and is changing jobs rapidly because of the poor working conditions. He wants nothing but to come back to India and feels a sense of not belonging in New York. His experiences as an illegal immigrant are paralleled by Jemubhai’s experiences in Cambridge as the ‘outsider’. All the major characters are dissatisfied with the way they have lived their lives up till this point and want to change it. They all feel a sense of loss. Biju and the Judge have lost their identity, Sai has lost her parents and her lover and the cook seems to have lost his dignity. The novel questions whether fulfillment can ever be felt as deeply as loss and as the story unravels, we realize that it cannot. The story is very sad but shows us the reality of the horrors of colonization and the effects it has on communities. It talks about the way dispirited people deal with their lives. This book is fictional, but seems very real and actually makes the reader feel empathy for the characters. Despite being very sad, it is definitely a must read.
ENDURING LOVE – book review
ReplyDeleteJoe Rose is a science journalist, in a relationship with Clarissa who is coming back from the US that fateful day when the story of 'Enduring Love' begins. Their welcome countryside picnic goes awry when Joe becomes involved in a ballooning accident in which one of the rescuers is killed. But it's not a mere tragedy, it's not the accident that turns Joe's life upside down, it's the fact that Jed Parry, a fellow rescuer, seems to have developed an obsessive passion for Joe, a passion which only after a time Joe manages to identify as an instance of De Clerambault's Syndrome.
The bulk of the novel deals with Joe's experience of being stalked by Jed Parry, and the resulting fallout - the way it affects his relationship with Clarissa, makes him reconsider his work life, but also the way it affects his feelings and ideas about the nature of reality. The story is told from Joe's perspective and the reader tends to generally trust Joe's version of events to have some connection to reality.
I am currently studying this book for my extended essay. This book is like a thriller impossible to put down, and is one of the best books I have read to this day. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves this genre.
A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth is set in a newly post-independence and post-partition India. The novel was published in 1993. It revolves around the story of four upper-middle class families over a period of 18 months. As the title suggests, the central plot is based on Mrs. Rupa Mehra’s search for a ‘suitable boy’ for her daughter Lata. Lata is a nineteen-year-old university student, who refuses to be influenced by her dominating mother, however she realizes she is powerless against social norms. Her story revolves around the choice she is forced to make between her suitors, Kabir, Hareesh and Amit. The opening line of the novel “You too will marry a boy I choose”, gives the readers an insight on the custom of Indian marriages. We get an idea of what the novel will be about.
ReplyDeleteThe novel is a construct through which Seth brings out the political and social turmoil India was facing at that time. Through his novel Seth explores Indian culture and tradition. For instance through Kabir Durrani, one of Lata’s prospects, Seth portrays how marrying someone outside your own religion could be seen as an offence and is considered shameful in society. Lata was in love with Kabir, but marrying a Muslim was out of the question. She knew that her family would never accept it, for them it would be equivalent to social suicide. This portrays how the Indian values were so deeply etched in her mind, that she was certain her family would not accept this relationship. The author portrays how Hindu’s were intolerant towards the Muslims. Kabir represents how Muslim’s were perceived as. He is shown to be an outcaste, who has disrupted the balance of a perfectly constructed society.
Vikram Seth is a descriptive writer, who uses irony as a tool to mock the Indian customs and traditions. His novel brings out the theme of gender. A woman’s position in society was highly influenced by the class and religion she belonged to. Women of higher class were more respected, but all the women are portrayed in a stereotypical manner. Women are shown to be inferior to men. Also the conflict between the newer generation and older generation has been highlighted in the novel. The newer generation is much more open-minded than the older generations.
Ultimately in the novel, Lata chooses her husband, using the elimination process, to find the most suitable husband. The novel signifies how she is powerless and can’t resist her mother’s orders- who is the manifestation of society. The rejection of Kabir and Amit is the author’s way to convey that they are perceived as flaws in the Indian society that should be eradicated.
The book is very relatable and is still relevant to Indian society. The custom of arranged marriages and finding the most ‘suitable husband’ rather than falling in love is still prevalent in India. This made the book an interesting read for me.
‘Oleanna’ by David Mamet is an impactful two-character drama that explores the detriments of aggressive feministic political correctness and miscommunication. This play, written during the time of the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas controversy, had then a realistic political relevance. However, this relevance has diminished with time: ‘no one in a position of authority would seem so bewildered to find themselves facing disciplinary action for that today.’ (The Guardian)
ReplyDeleteIn spite of this, ‘Oleanna’ still hasn’t lost its literary relevance. Mamet explores theme of the ambiguity of language and its misinterpretation. However, the central theme of the play is the use of language to assert power. This power, at first, is asserted not only through John’s linguistic capability, but also through his academic vanity and his social and economic background. In the second half of the play, however, it is Carol who is at an advantage. She uses the words that John had used before, to accuse him of verbal rape and sexual misconduct. It is made apparent that language is used as a tool to establish power.
The reason why this play appeals to me is because of the unresolvable issues that it raises about rape, misinterpretation of language and power. The fact that Mamet remains objective, leaves the audience/readers to pick a side for themselves. Should you choose to side with John, because you know Carol’s allegations are false? Or, should you side with Carol? She comes from a disadvantaged background and she is only acting out of frustration. But, no matter which side you may end up picking, you will always be wrong. Such is the beauty of the creation of the construct by the playwright.
In conclusion, I would like to reinstate that it is difficult to argue with Mamet’s linguistic skill. However, the duality in the response to the question, “Who is at fault?” confuses the audience about the rationality of human conversation. What if all conversation was misinterpreted in such a way? To where would that lead human society? There is no certain answer to any of these questions and this is where the uniqueness of the text lies.
Oleanna is a two-character play by David Mamet, about the power struggle between a university professorand one of his female students, who accuses him of sexual exploitation and, by doing so, spoils his chances of being accorded tenure.
ReplyDeleteThe most prevalent theme of Oleanna is that of power. The play demonstrates how academia thrives on faculty control of students. This is shown in John's exaggerated use of scholarly words to present an image of knowledge and superiority over his students. John is condescending to Carol, even in the second act when she has leverage against him; he feels he can dissuade her by using his superior ability to reason. Later, when he has lost all superiority and is debased, he lashes out physically, like an unthinking animal, whereas she is calm and her last words are almost a recrimination against him.
In Oleanna Mamet uses language as a tool and a weapon, and leaves it up to the audience to assess how the protagonists use it. Such as, what did Carol mean when she said the last line of the play, “Yes, that’s right”. Did she know all along that John would ultimately resort to violence? Or in some way, was she relieved that she could finally get her grade changed?
THE GREAT GATSBY – BOOK REVIEW
ReplyDelete-UNAIZA RAJAN
‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald offers a peek into the American life of the 21st century. It is about the protagonist who is exceedingly rich, and throws magnificent parties every weekend which is attended by the whole townMoreover, it remains a clandestine from the very outset regarding his past, his power and wealth. At the same time, under the veneer of grand parties and wealth it reflects the hollowness of a life of leisure. Gatsby invariably tries to restore the past so that he could make his future pleasant, but unfortunately all his efforts turn out to be fruitless.
‘When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.’ This is the essence of the alchemist. The book is about a young shepherd boy Santiago who dreams of a treasure at the foot of the pyramids. He then goes to consult a gypsy woman who tells him that he actually should go to Egypt and seek the treasure. Melchizedek, who claimed to be the King of Salem echoed the gypsy woman’s advice and said that it was the boy’s ‘Personal Legend’ to go and find the treasure. The unlucky circumstances in Tangier force him to start working with a crystal merchant where he learns a lot.
ReplyDeleteDavid Mamet’s play Oleanna is a two-character dramatization of a power struggle between a teacher and his student. What should’ve been a simple discussion turns into a heated assault as Carol tries to convince John to increase her grade. She said she read the book, so why is she failing? John clearly has the power role in this part. Carol is at his mercy. He keeps trying to dismiss her because he has other things to worry about than one student failing. The dialogue is filled with interrupted speeches. As they constantly interrupt each other, it demonstrates the power struggle between them.
ReplyDeleteThere is reversal in the role of power in the second half of the play. Carol becomes more confident as she accuses him of sexual misconduct. She has the upper hand now and is using manipulation to get what she wants. John soon realizes that in fact, he is now powerless. He knows he cannot use his words anymore so he resorts to physical power and hurts her.
Language is key to understanding this play. John feels like he has the superior status as he uses fancy words while conversing with Carol in the first part. When there is a change in the role of power, Carol is seen using the same kind of words. There is a connection between power and superiority of language. Language is used as a weapon throughout the play. But when language wasn’t enough, was it okay for John to resort to physical violence?
Oleanna is one of the most controversial plays of the late 20th century in which a female student Carol accuses her male professor John of sexual harassment. It is said to have been based on the Senate hearings on the Thomas Clarence case of 1991. It is Mamet’s impassioned response to the hearings.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the play is based on a 19th century community in Pennsylvania called Oleanna after its founders Ole Bull and Anna. Ole Bull purchased 11,000 acres of land in Potter County as a settlement for Norwegian immigrants. However, this land was unsuitable for farming and the community failed shortly after its founding in the 1850s. This story became a 19th century folk song by Peter Seeger called Oleanna that described the escapist vision of utopia. Through this vision, Mamet has created a sexual battlefield where discourse between a man and woman can lead to jeopardy.
The play Oleanna puts the question of whether verbal abuse can be constructed as rape into perspective. Mamet effectively displays the ambiguity of language through miscommunications and fragmented dialogue. The broken statements do not represent the understanding between the characters, but infact the misunderstanding between them. Language is also used to construct the theme of power. The sanitized elegance of John’s vocabulary is contrasted with Carol’s lack of vocabulary. John dominates Carol intellectually and she misinterprets this as him dominating over her physically as well.
The powerful 2-character play explores the destructiveness of miscommunication and excessive political correctness. The play also explores the theme of the fickleness of power and how quickly it can change hands. At the beginning of the play, John clearly has more authority as he is the professor and the power of changing Carol’s grade is in his hands. She is at his mercy. However, towards the end of the play, it seems as though the power now lies with Carol because John has an offstage life that is at stake and dependent on her accusation of him sexually harassing her.
The genius of the play is that the interpretation is left to the audience. John and Carol win a few scattered points as they argue about whether certain physical gestures or suggestive dialogues in their first encounter in John’s office were threatening or meant nothing. It stimulates discussion as to whether Carol accused John out of spite, whether she was overreacting or whether John really was at fault. The characters are constructed as volatile. John is under pressure because he is in a rush but Carol is emotionally blocking him from leaving. Carol is frustrated, upset and in a state of urgency for her grade to be revised. John and Carol do not rationally try to resolve their conflict of miscommunication but infact worsen it due to their primal struggle for power. Since both characters are at the peak of their frustration, it is possible for any of them to be at fault. The ambiguity of who is right or wrong makes this play intriguing and entertaining to read.
Six Degrees of Separation is a play written by John Guare. It is based on a true story and is said to be a tragic comedy. It is also influenced by Catcher in the Rye. The plot of the play itself is interesting as there is some sort of wonder in who Paul Cézanne actually is. However, the way in which the play is written is also fascinating. The play starts with Flander and Louisa Kittredge running onto stage, talking to each other and then directly to us. While the play progresses, they seem to be within its scene but also talking to us directly. This can be a little confusing but adds to the play. The other interesting aspect of the play is Paul’s character. We never really know who he is since he is always pretending to be someone else. He is always putting on an act, using bits and pieces from different places to put together a personality for himself but we never know which part is really him. The only thing that seems to remain constant is that he is gulling people, taking some money from them and using it for sex. Louisa Kittredge’s monologue at the end of the play is also interesting as it seems to conclude and reestablish the idea that every individual is separated by only six other people on the planet. This idea or concept can be an interesting one to mull over.
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