C'est la vie!!

                     'The Secret' is a book that I picked up from the Best Sellers rack in the book store. Having heard many reviews of this book including an exclusive show in Oprah Winfrey show dedicated to it, I was curious to read this much acclaimed book.
                      The book is based on a simple law termed 'The Law of Attraction' , the law that determines our destiny and draws things towards us. The primary concept of this book is that each individual is the author of his destiny and thinking positive powerful thoughts enables him to achieve his goal. At various points there are quotes from famous doctors, scientists , social workers ,etc discussing how they happened to transform their lives following 'The Secret'.
                      A lot of content of the book is based on the 'Ask , Believe, Receive' mantra. When you ask for something and whole heartedly believe that it will happen , you will reap the rewards. The first thought that came to my mind when I finished this book was that , a book published in the 20th century carries the same message present in the Indian vedas written eons ago . So great and priceless is our Indian Vedas and upanishads that 'The Secret' by merely picking gists of it has become a best seller.
                        Overall a good read and narrated in a very positive tone. Also the glossy pages with comforting text will make your reading interesting .  A nice read for anyone looking for some optimism and hope in life :)

                          History has never ceased to amaze me and personally it was one of my favourite subjects back in school . I would almost always dreamily move into war zones , battle fields and court scenes in my imagination . My reverie during history classes would transport me to the Maurya kingdom , the Mughal grandoise or our very own modest Chera , Chola Pandya dynasties.  However I always had an inclination towards the Mughal dynasty and like any one else Akbar's reign fascinated me .
                        The Twentieth wife by Indu Sundaresan is a historical fiction set in the backdrop of the Mughal Empite. The book's protagonist is Meherun-nisa popularly known to the world as Noor Jahan.The story revolves around the undying love and passion that both Nur jahan and Jehangir had for each other from their adolescent days. However it took them more than fifteen years to sanctify it into a wedding. It depicts Nur jahan to be a strong willed woman , well learned and as a woman who could run the show with an iron fist. She proved to be a filial daughter , a dutiful wife , a nurturing mother and a soulmate to the Emperor. Though history glorifies kings and their conquests , very little is spoken about the women behind them running the show. This book could be  an eye opener to people who thought that women were subdued characters in the yester years.
                             This book gives us good insights into the Mughal way of life. The Mughal harem in particular is described in great detail . The harem comprised of the Emperor's wives, slaves , eunuchs and his concubines all pining to spend time with him . The one who would bear a son (heir) would be considered lucky.
                           Primarily set in Lahore, Agra and Kabul this book is definitely an interesting read. It transports you to a  time of pomp , grandeur and valour. A time about which we have read from mere text books. A book worth reading for anyone who likes history ...else you can just read it as a wistful romantic novel

                      The much acclaimed book - 'The God of Small Things' won the booker prize in 1997 and ever since Indian women authors have shared a special respect in the literary circles. I wonder why I had postponed this book so long since books by Indian women  always captivate me - be it Chitra Banerji or Jhumpa Lahiri or the most recent Indu Sundaresan .
                        The story is based around the life of dizygotic twins Estha and Rahel and the town of Ayemenen in Kerala forms the backdrop for the tale. The book entirely has a Kerala touch to it right from the pleasantaries used to the communist activists rampant there to the way grandparents are addressed as Mamachi and Pappachi. The story is told from the view point of the 7 year old twins and what is gripping is that it is filld with flash backs and forwards that sometimes you will have to context switch your mind to tune it from past to present to future.
                         The book left me with mixed feelings. Arundhati's writing style is indeed mind blowing . Her knack of drawing humour even in the saddest of situations makes it a good read. However the book was a tad too sad for me. It kind of left me thinking that there are people whose life is filled with hopelessness . There is no situation in the book where the family (the twins and their mom) see any form of happiness. Abandoned by a drunk dad ,admonished by their aunt (Baby Kochamma),being blamed for the death of their cousin ,Sophie all left me thinking that there is no light at the end of the tunnel for these characters.
                     A good read as it gives you a lot of insights into the Kerala culture . Also worth reading for the innocence dripping in the book since the  incidents are narrated from a 7 year old's perspective. Overall a mixed bag of emotions with sadness ruling it .

                The book begins with one of literature's most popular opening lines 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again' and this immediately transports us to the microcosm that Manderley turns out to be.
                 Rebecca is one of the most reknowned  British novels and a BBC poll even awarded it the 'Britain's Best Read' title. This novel is a tale of love , murder suspense interwoven with a fairy tale-ish touch and the captivating Manderley estate serving as a background as the story unfurls.
               The nameless narrator is faced with an impromptu proposal from Maxim de Winter who is the master of Manderley. Being young and literally homeless the young , naive girl agrees to be his bride. Little does she realise what she has in store when she reaches Manderley. Rebecca , Max's ex wife died in a sailing accident about a year back. Soon the narrator realises that the entire household is haunted by the late Rebecca 's memory.  She finds it impossible to put herself in rebecca's shoes and take charge of the household. The rest of the story is about how  a mystery unfurls regarding Rebecca's death and how to de Winters tackle it.
                An important character in the novel is Mrs Danvers, the efficient house keeper. She was Rebecca's maid from her child hood and she loathed the new bride as she could not imagine anyone taking her beloved Rebecca's place. She is cold to the new bride and even urges her to commit suicide saying she is out of Max's league.
               Overall the book turned out to be an entertaining read. Gripping at some points and very vividly descriptive at other instances.The book has also been made into an Alfred Hitchcock movie which won two academy awards. This book will be my entry for OT 2010 (country - England since Daphne was an English born writer)
    
          

                      I was looking to read something different from my usual monotonous reading routine and what could be more interesting than a Sherlock Holmes novel!!! So I picked up 'A Study in Scarlet' which surprisingly is the first book written featuring Sherlock Holmes.
                      The book gives a background about Dr Watson's life and how he got acquainted with the famous Holmes. They move in together to the unforgettable 221B Baker Street (which now of course has become a house hold name) and Holmes never ceases to ammuse Watson with his observation skills.
                     The plot of the book then moves on to a murder mystery where the murderer does not kill for money but for revenge. Holmes deduces the traits of the suspect by sheer observation and analytical ability much to the surprise of Watson (the famous 'Elementary my dear Watson' dialogue however is missing in this book :)) . Holmes earns Watson's adulation in the very beginning and soon even Watson begins to involve himself in the sleuthing bit.
                       Any other details about the story would be a give away as it is a typical Sherlock book. A refreshing read and it brought back a lot of memories of school days where summer vacations were spent reading Sherlock Holmes' adventures.
P.S. This is also my entry for the OT 2010 ( Sir Arthur is Scottish hence I will post this under Scotland reviews)