Whoosh
7 years ago
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
It is truly coincidental that the day I picked up this book to read was the same day that Erich Segal was declared deal. I have always liked his books and my personal favourite was 'Doctors'. I was so drawn by the characters in that book that i started drawing analogies of the those characters to my classmates.
The book 'Man , Woman and Child' is a story which we would have come across in numerous Bollywood movies. It is basically about infidelity in marriage and it goes a step further when an illegitimate kid born of the affair.
The Beckwiths are a perfect family until Sheila Beckwith gets to know about her husband's affair in France. To complicate matters , he has a child out of wedlock and the mom of the child is dead. The rest of the story is about how the wife and children come to terms with this delicate situation.
The story briefly touches upon the lives of the various characters but none of them leave a lasting impression on you. It is a simple read with a shallow story and a kind of predictable ending. It definitely does not live up to the author's renowned books like 'Doctors' and 'The Class'.
Monday, January 18, 2010
I am winding up the Orbis Terrarum challenge of 2009 with this final book by an author from Guyana. Though technically is is already 2010 and past my deadline to post the review , I say 'Better late than never'
This book is an autobiography of Braithwaite where he narrates the various testing times he had to go through to find a place in the hearts of his students. Edward is a coloured person who takes up a job as a teacher in a school in London. He is faced with copious amounts of racial discrimination and is subject to ill treatment.
The crux of the story is about how he brings about a change in a batch of unruly students who are disrespectful, crude and unkempt. He rectifies their behaviour , enforces them to address each other with courtesy and even makes them dress up more tidily. The story is about how students behave when you treat them like young adults and explain things to them without being dogmatic and dominating .
The book is a very simple read and the story is very heart warming. It kind of makes you look back on school life and reminisce on a few teacher(s) who made a difference to your life. Pick it up if you are looking for a light book with a touch of sensitivity .
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