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 :)

                      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)

          
                  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society(TGLPPPS) is as distinct and entertaining as its name suggests. I was initially wary of picking it up  since the plot is set against World War II and I felt that it could have an unsettling effect on me if gory incidents were mentioned. However this book proved me all wrong ...the novelty of this book lies in the fact that World War incidents are interwoven with tales of camaraderie,love and books :)
                 TGLPPPS is an impromptu society that gets formed when a bunch of Guernsey residents are spotted on the road past curfew time by the Germans. The addition of potato peel pie to the name has an interesting background to it - in the absence of flour and other ingredients needed for the pie during war time,potato peel was used as a substitute. This was served during the literary meetings and hence appended to the society's name.
                 This book is written in an epistolary manner and through each letter you will see the characters come  to life. The beauty of this book lies in the fact that the content of a letter would help you paint vivid images of the person writing it. Juliet Ashton the protagonist of this book is a character whom you will completely fall in love with as you read on. She is 30 something, single, a confused writer wondering about the plot of her next story. A few letters from Guernsey sets her mind ticking and soon she lands there to meet friends whom she was only met through letters.
                 Throughout the book there are references to works of Charles Lamb , Bronte sisters , Jane Austen , Oscar Wilde and what not. It is a treat for any literary loving person as they discuss Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice.
                 Juliet Ashton would often mention that though she had not met the people in Guernsey she felt she was a part of them. I got the same feeling about all of them . I could imagine living in Guernsey with Isola and Dawnsey and Kit and Eben. (the characters in the book)As I was reading the book , I felt closer to some of the characters , fell in love with some , adored a few ...felt like I was living next door with them. This is one of the very few books in recent times that has made me feel this way. A truly heart warming read.
               TGLPPPS is a must read for any one who loves a dash of literature thrown in with World War details. It is a book that is a complete page turner as you would want to get closer to the characters.It is a book that would make you feel like a part of you was in it. An awesome read and one of the best books I ve read in a while.
P.S. This is my first entry for Orbis Terrarum 2010