I wonder if it often happens to people, when they develop an inexplicable aversion towards the things they like doing the most. Whether it is because these activities stop providing us with that pleasure over the years or because over this long while.. we are not the people anymore what we used to be. I certainly don't know..
When I look back at the time when I used to read almost anything I could get my hands on, I wonder why don't I derive such joy out of reading anymore. But every once in a long while, when I stumble upon a book which I'm actually able to finish.. I wonder if it's me who's reading the book.. or is it the book which is making me read it.
Memoirs of a Geisha.. is more than just a fascinating narrative of the life of a Geisha, as the critics claim. It certainly isn't about a life which was unusual. It's also not about unusual characters. The strength and also the essence of the book is the fact.. that behind the intriguing grandeur and subtle darkness of the subject.. lie simple people led by simple emotions in rather unusual circumstances.
The major reason which makes the book gripping however, remains to be author's entrance into a territory rather unknown & fascinating just because of its outlandish & foreign appeal. For the people who love traveling & exploring new places & new culture, the book is indeed a visual treat in some ways.
The transformation of little Chiyo chan to Nitta Sayuri covers most of the book.. while the events later on are wrapped up rather fast, especially the ending which rather looks hurried & extremely tasteless. A little girl from a little fishing village who was sold off by her father to a life of loneliness & misery.. after fighting the ordeals of pain, separation, uncertainty and suppression goes onto become a prominent Geisha.. led by a mysterious encounter with a stranger. That display of kindness actually charted her whole life and all the major events in the book. . However, the magnitude of the passion which that event ignited is rather indigestible at many occasions. But you have to give such leeway to fiction, I guess.
All the characters have this mysterious intriguing nature about them. You often wish you could know more about them & wonder about their points of view. But, the character of Mameha as Sayuri's mentor & Nobu as her suitor were the most touching. Mameha with her grace & Nobu with his crude gentleness & affection never fail to make an impression. And there's something about Pumpkin which grows onto you.
The narrative is simple & sans too much unnecessary clutter. Even when it's in the form of memoirs.. it lacks the mundaneness and innate self gratification surrounding an autobiography. It's just like somebody talking to you about the major events of his/her life. And here the author takes the cake.. and the accolades.
Triggered by the appetite for reading which was since long dormant.. I'm reading the Divine secrets of the Ya-ya sisterhood now. And I'm not liking it one bit. And I again wonder.. whether it's a good reader that makes a good book or a good book brings out a good reader in us.
Well, I'll never know.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Friday, February 01, 2008
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Zen & The art of motorcycle maintenance-Robert perseig
One look at the name of the book & you feel this book isn't for you.
Introduction..arouses curiosity & you decide to move further.
A hundred pages & you start wondering why are you reading it??
And this is where you get so frustrated & confused,you either leave the book or start skimming through pages both of which shouldn't be done..for,patience is what this book requires more than intellect..
It's told that 121 publishers turned down the book before it got published & it is not difficult to understand why! For,it's not like the conventional bestsellers which is its biggest weakness as well as its biggest strength.It doesn't sink into your head with the first read...in best words,you could say it's very demanding.It demands your full attention,active involvement with the narrator & his perspective and hence your integrated efforts towards thinking & comprehending.
ZMM is about the narrator's amazing yet credible journey on a motorcycle with his 11 year old son & the things he discovers during the experience in the form of nature's beauty,complexity of people & their ideologies,his attempts to discover his own self & save his relationship with himself & his son.
The narration is in the form of short chapters or monodialogues which he calls "Chautauquas" following the same pattern throughout the book-- something about the journey,something about the philosophy & something about technology in the backdrop of maintaining a motorcycle.
And during this journey he has given dimensions to understanding as classical & romantic and further divided classical understanding into the mind & the matter,subject & object.Thus while combining his own beliefs with oriental philosophy & ancient Greek philosophy & Zen,the author takes us into a long discussion about "Quality" while presenting the world as a trinity of mind,matter & Quality.
Distant concepts come up like nihilism, crystallisation, rationality,Zen, dualism,rhetonic,Dialectic et al. And sadly,most of the times author takes it for granted that all these concepts are known to ordinary readers like me.But since they are not,it adds to the confusion & a sense of distance. Such things make philosophy appear like a dish which looks delectable but is difficult to digest..It's very important that you are actually able to understand the gist or essence of the underlying concept otherwise what's the use bragging on about these concepts which to be honest have not much significance to the common man..when he can't make any sense out of them..What's the use looking for a truth which can't be felt,understood & implemented? Anyways..
This is not exactly a work of fiction.so,there's not much scope of characterisation taking the case of Phaedrus as the exception,which is ironically the "heart" of the book.Narrator's treatment has been very objective towards him which is actually understandable.His intensity is intriguing & it's very difficult to see him as a "ghost" or "evil" form.You feel connected to him on his chase of truth & his failure.
There's something really surprising about the language...except the concepts I mentioned earlier,there are hardly any difficult words..You wouldn't be actually using your dictionary much.Pattern is similar as told.. EVEN THEN,it's difficult to understand,for inspite of all this,language isn't lucid..it's rather very much obscure.
Infact narrator himself says it at one point:
" That..That now..That ties it all together.It feels relieving when that happens.It's so hard sometimes to conjure all this up,a strange sort of exhaustion follows."
At the end,this surely is not a book for beginners & even from the voracious readers it demands a lot of effort.
But in any case,there 'is' something you'll learn from the book,what that something is depends completely on you. For philosophy,be it in any form..has different meaning for different individuals..
So,If you are looking for a book that provides you with literary challenge..grab it..but if you are looking for something that will keep you occupied over a weekend..please,stay away!!I won't say it can change the way you think about yourself & life(As the cover projects) but nevertheless,it indeed is one powerful book.Must read for those who dig non-fiction.
Introduction..arouses curiosity & you decide to move further.
A hundred pages & you start wondering why are you reading it??
And this is where you get so frustrated & confused,you either leave the book or start skimming through pages both of which shouldn't be done..for,patience is what this book requires more than intellect..
It's told that 121 publishers turned down the book before it got published & it is not difficult to understand why! For,it's not like the conventional bestsellers which is its biggest weakness as well as its biggest strength.It doesn't sink into your head with the first read...in best words,you could say it's very demanding.It demands your full attention,active involvement with the narrator & his perspective and hence your integrated efforts towards thinking & comprehending.
ZMM is about the narrator's amazing yet credible journey on a motorcycle with his 11 year old son & the things he discovers during the experience in the form of nature's beauty,complexity of people & their ideologies,his attempts to discover his own self & save his relationship with himself & his son.
The narration is in the form of short chapters or monodialogues which he calls "Chautauquas" following the same pattern throughout the book-- something about the journey,something about the philosophy & something about technology in the backdrop of maintaining a motorcycle.
And during this journey he has given dimensions to understanding as classical & romantic and further divided classical understanding into the mind & the matter,subject & object.Thus while combining his own beliefs with oriental philosophy & ancient Greek philosophy & Zen,the author takes us into a long discussion about "Quality" while presenting the world as a trinity of mind,matter & Quality.
Distant concepts come up like nihilism, crystallisation, rationality,Zen, dualism,rhetonic,Dialectic et al. And sadly,most of the times author takes it for granted that all these concepts are known to ordinary readers like me.But since they are not,it adds to the confusion & a sense of distance. Such things make philosophy appear like a dish which looks delectable but is difficult to digest..It's very important that you are actually able to understand the gist or essence of the underlying concept otherwise what's the use bragging on about these concepts which to be honest have not much significance to the common man..when he can't make any sense out of them..What's the use looking for a truth which can't be felt,understood & implemented? Anyways..
This is not exactly a work of fiction.so,there's not much scope of characterisation taking the case of Phaedrus as the exception,which is ironically the "heart" of the book.Narrator's treatment has been very objective towards him which is actually understandable.His intensity is intriguing & it's very difficult to see him as a "ghost" or "evil" form.You feel connected to him on his chase of truth & his failure.
There's something really surprising about the language...except the concepts I mentioned earlier,there are hardly any difficult words..You wouldn't be actually using your dictionary much.Pattern is similar as told.. EVEN THEN,it's difficult to understand,for inspite of all this,language isn't lucid..it's rather very much obscure.
Infact narrator himself says it at one point:
" That..That now..That ties it all together.It feels relieving when that happens.It's so hard sometimes to conjure all this up,a strange sort of exhaustion follows."
At the end,this surely is not a book for beginners & even from the voracious readers it demands a lot of effort.
But in any case,there 'is' something you'll learn from the book,what that something is depends completely on you. For philosophy,be it in any form..has different meaning for different individuals..
So,If you are looking for a book that provides you with literary challenge..grab it..but if you are looking for something that will keep you occupied over a weekend..please,stay away!!I won't say it can change the way you think about yourself & life(As the cover projects) but nevertheless,it indeed is one powerful book.Must read for those who dig non-fiction.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
KANE & ABEL by Jeffrey Archer
Kane & Abel is a remarkable tale of two extraordinary men,one born as an orphan struggling to take his first breath on the unfriendly soil of a forest while the other brought into world safely in hands of a highly ambitious father to inherit his millions and..his sharp business acumen.
Born on the same day but in different parts of the world,leading lives so completely disparate that only fate could bring them both together or..Jeffrey Archer's typewriter(or maybe MS word :) )
While one conformed effortlessly into his father's shoes to extend the legacy he was left with delivering every bit of what was expected of him while the other was gathering pieces of his shattered dreams,bearing the loss of everyone he loved & bending the leering jaws of death to build his grand empire..
Their lives intertwined by destiny(& Mr. Archer's genius) to save,to hate & finally,to destroy each other in the backdrop of an all consuming World War II & Great Depression of America,giving us a story that'll be remembered for years to come..
Very well written & engaging,the best thing about the book is undoubtedly its story & then its language.The language isn't very articulate but nevertheless exudes intelligence.Unlike John Grisham,Archer doesn't engage you with unnecessary & tedious(read useless) details,often leaving things for the readers to comprehend making it even more interesting!
Here's one excerpt:
"He turned to go home & saw an old man standing a few yards away in a black coat,with a hat pulled way down on his head,& a scarf around his neck.Not a night for old men,thought William,as he walked towards him.And then he saw the silver band on his wrist,just below his sleeve.In a flash,it all came back to him,fitting into place for the 1st time.First the Plaza,then Boston,then Germany & now fifth Avenue.The man turned & started to walk towards him.He must have been standing there for a long time because his face was red from the wind.He stared at William out of those unmistakable blue eyes.They were now only a few yards apart.As they passed,William raised his hat to the old man.He returned the compliment,and they continued on their separate ways without a word."
One thing I didn't like about the book is Archer has been very partial to the character of Abel :/& kane's end wasn't justified at all! :(
I wonder if it's sequel 'The prodigal Daughter' too will concentrate more on Abel's daughter,sidelining Kane's son. :/
Someone once told me he had read all of Archer's by the time he was 20.Well..this might be my first but I'll surely read them all,while I'm 20.. ;)
Born on the same day but in different parts of the world,leading lives so completely disparate that only fate could bring them both together or..Jeffrey Archer's typewriter(or maybe MS word :) )
While one conformed effortlessly into his father's shoes to extend the legacy he was left with delivering every bit of what was expected of him while the other was gathering pieces of his shattered dreams,bearing the loss of everyone he loved & bending the leering jaws of death to build his grand empire..
Their lives intertwined by destiny(& Mr. Archer's genius) to save,to hate & finally,to destroy each other in the backdrop of an all consuming World War II & Great Depression of America,giving us a story that'll be remembered for years to come..
Very well written & engaging,the best thing about the book is undoubtedly its story & then its language.The language isn't very articulate but nevertheless exudes intelligence.Unlike John Grisham,Archer doesn't engage you with unnecessary & tedious(read useless) details,often leaving things for the readers to comprehend making it even more interesting!
Here's one excerpt:
"He turned to go home & saw an old man standing a few yards away in a black coat,with a hat pulled way down on his head,& a scarf around his neck.Not a night for old men,thought William,as he walked towards him.And then he saw the silver band on his wrist,just below his sleeve.In a flash,it all came back to him,fitting into place for the 1st time.First the Plaza,then Boston,then Germany & now fifth Avenue.The man turned & started to walk towards him.He must have been standing there for a long time because his face was red from the wind.He stared at William out of those unmistakable blue eyes.They were now only a few yards apart.As they passed,William raised his hat to the old man.He returned the compliment,and they continued on their separate ways without a word."
One thing I didn't like about the book is Archer has been very partial to the character of Abel :/& kane's end wasn't justified at all! :(
I wonder if it's sequel 'The prodigal Daughter' too will concentrate more on Abel's daughter,sidelining Kane's son. :/
Someone once told me he had read all of Archer's by the time he was 20.Well..this might be my first but I'll surely read them all,while I'm 20.. ;)
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
"I knew from the first few pages of Gladwell's Blink exactly what I thought: I'm gonna be up all night reading this..A smart,breezy celebration of intuition..kept me hooked to the final page."
This is one of the statements made in 5 page acclaim for Malcolm Gladwell's Blink..So,can this book keep you up all night? No,it can't..But as far as hooking you to the last page is concerned..It sure scores high!
Gladwell entered the best seller arena with The Tipping Point & it seems he's all set to stay there with blink..for long!Blink talks extensively about how brain works in the Blink moments,your first impressions,instincts,snap judgements et al. and how they can be startingly correct & just as startingly--Wrong!
As the author himself says the first task of Blink is to convince you of a simple fact: Decisions made very quickly at the spur of the moment can be as good as decisions made cautiously & with deliberate research.It in a way tries to probe into the age old issue of how powerful is your unconscious.But instead of rattling endlessly just about how influential one's unconscious is (which most of the psychology books tend to do..), this book also talks about its fallacies.How at times,your instincts deceive you into making wrong decisions,how your powers of rapid cognition tend to go awry for a very specific & consistent set of reasons & how your snap judgements can be educate,controlled -- Influenced!
Best thing about Blink is that it doesn't deal with hardcore & sadly, boring scientific terminologies..Not for once does it talk about Oh-My-God-How-Do-I-Pronounce-It type chemicals & hormones.Rather,it uses a series of interesting anecdotes & compelling stories from completely different walks of life to make his point.
One thing you can't deny is that this one is a very exhaustively researched book.Also,most of the events described in this book happened in the recent times,so it was easy to relate to them.Though,Gladwell has been a journalist,still all the incidences described give impressions more of a storyteller than a journalist.His dissection of the events make a very interesting reading.
But what beats everything else is his ability to find similarities between completely disparate fields of study & not only that,he startles you with the revelations that are completely going to bowl you over,for most of the times they give some really powerful insights into marketing,advertising,business strategies,political tactics,relationships,defence & what not!
And come to think of it,some of them are very ordinary pieces of information which we would generally skim over & he turns them into delightful & gripping case studies!
Like we have one Pepsi's challenge where Coke lost onto Pepsi due to blind sip tests, the phenomenal victory of a team led by a retired millitary commander against one equipped with high powered satellites & sensors & supercomputers.How adrenaline rush led autism & unconscious led bias led to one unfortunate & infamous death,how an estremely talented singer's career went into jeopardy inspite being acclaimed by experts due to fallacies of surveys,how a chair once written off as chair of death later went onto change the norms of ergonomics.How during speed dating people end up choosing partners exactly opposite to what they wanted.How a product's packaging dominates over its content.How salesmen decide bargains based on prejudicesregarding gender,race & looks and so many things that will leave you gaping for more.
The message is simple -- Every moment - every blink - is composed of a series of discrete moving parts & ever one of those parts offer an opportunity for intervention,for reform & for correction.
Only problem with the book..too much repetition..& tends to get really confusing at places..Certainly not something you can digest in one go..But,a good book..As one Library Journal says.."For once a best seller will be more than worthy.."
This is one of the statements made in 5 page acclaim for Malcolm Gladwell's Blink..So,can this book keep you up all night? No,it can't..But as far as hooking you to the last page is concerned..It sure scores high!
Gladwell entered the best seller arena with The Tipping Point & it seems he's all set to stay there with blink..for long!Blink talks extensively about how brain works in the Blink moments,your first impressions,instincts,snap judgements et al. and how they can be startingly correct & just as startingly--Wrong!
As the author himself says the first task of Blink is to convince you of a simple fact: Decisions made very quickly at the spur of the moment can be as good as decisions made cautiously & with deliberate research.It in a way tries to probe into the age old issue of how powerful is your unconscious.But instead of rattling endlessly just about how influential one's unconscious is (which most of the psychology books tend to do..), this book also talks about its fallacies.How at times,your instincts deceive you into making wrong decisions,how your powers of rapid cognition tend to go awry for a very specific & consistent set of reasons & how your snap judgements can be educate,controlled -- Influenced!
Best thing about Blink is that it doesn't deal with hardcore & sadly, boring scientific terminologies..Not for once does it talk about Oh-My-God-How-Do-I-Pronounce-It type chemicals & hormones.Rather,it uses a series of interesting anecdotes & compelling stories from completely different walks of life to make his point.
One thing you can't deny is that this one is a very exhaustively researched book.Also,most of the events described in this book happened in the recent times,so it was easy to relate to them.Though,Gladwell has been a journalist,still all the incidences described give impressions more of a storyteller than a journalist.His dissection of the events make a very interesting reading.
But what beats everything else is his ability to find similarities between completely disparate fields of study & not only that,he startles you with the revelations that are completely going to bowl you over,for most of the times they give some really powerful insights into marketing,advertising,business strategies,political tactics,relationships,defence & what not!
And come to think of it,some of them are very ordinary pieces of information which we would generally skim over & he turns them into delightful & gripping case studies!
Like we have one Pepsi's challenge where Coke lost onto Pepsi due to blind sip tests, the phenomenal victory of a team led by a retired millitary commander against one equipped with high powered satellites & sensors & supercomputers.How adrenaline rush led autism & unconscious led bias led to one unfortunate & infamous death,how an estremely talented singer's career went into jeopardy inspite being acclaimed by experts due to fallacies of surveys,how a chair once written off as chair of death later went onto change the norms of ergonomics.How during speed dating people end up choosing partners exactly opposite to what they wanted.How a product's packaging dominates over its content.How salesmen decide bargains based on prejudicesregarding gender,race & looks and so many things that will leave you gaping for more.
The message is simple -- Every moment - every blink - is composed of a series of discrete moving parts & ever one of those parts offer an opportunity for intervention,for reform & for correction.
Only problem with the book..too much repetition..& tends to get really confusing at places..Certainly not something you can digest in one go..But,a good book..As one Library Journal says.."For once a best seller will be more than worthy.."
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Doctors by Erich Segal
Erich segal's Doctors..Liked it a lot..n ws a better read than love story..
I mean i just dont know why I didnt like love story much in the first place..ther's a book by danielle steel "Fine things" I happened to read that before love story..mayb that's y..:
I kno that Fine things n others many in the league are inspired frm love story only..n original is original..but as i said..I cant help it!
As for Doctors..It ws very moving..wud hv been better if shortened a bit..The climax went too overboard n filmy..n lukd like n attempt to connect the characters of the book..the "platonic" frdship between the protagonists laura castellano n Barney livingston ws really remarkable..
But most of all i liked th character Bennet landsmann..but he ws put to n abrupt n fast end..while he ws the most promising characters of them all..I wish I cud hv more of him in the book..
I like the starting n ending lines of segal..they r quite well written..enuff to create interest..but the matter inside is not always too good..I mean,though its all very moving..emotional..but still very filmy..There r places where u expect miracles for ur favourite characters..n they dnt happen..n there r places where thz miracles happen out of the blue n sudden..
What i din like..How stories of sum of the characters were left just like that..I mean partiality towards laura n barney wsnt justified..But all in all....I luvd reading it..parts abt barney were cool...n bennet..n okay laura too at times..n the frdship they all shared...I even liked seth lazrus..n i wantd 2 read more about lance mortimer...
A gud book..
I mean i just dont know why I didnt like love story much in the first place..ther's a book by danielle steel "Fine things" I happened to read that before love story..mayb that's y..:
I kno that Fine things n others many in the league are inspired frm love story only..n original is original..but as i said..I cant help it!
As for Doctors..It ws very moving..wud hv been better if shortened a bit..The climax went too overboard n filmy..n lukd like n attempt to connect the characters of the book..the "platonic" frdship between the protagonists laura castellano n Barney livingston ws really remarkable..
But most of all i liked th character Bennet landsmann..but he ws put to n abrupt n fast end..while he ws the most promising characters of them all..I wish I cud hv more of him in the book..
I like the starting n ending lines of segal..they r quite well written..enuff to create interest..but the matter inside is not always too good..I mean,though its all very moving..emotional..but still very filmy..There r places where u expect miracles for ur favourite characters..n they dnt happen..n there r places where thz miracles happen out of the blue n sudden..
What i din like..How stories of sum of the characters were left just like that..I mean partiality towards laura n barney wsnt justified..But all in all....I luvd reading it..parts abt barney were cool...n bennet..n okay laura too at times..n the frdship they all shared...I even liked seth lazrus..n i wantd 2 read more about lance mortimer...
A gud book..
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