So it's time to look back at the month and crown the winner! Initially I thought I'll read all love stories, February being all about Valentine's and all. But guess I have a bit of A.D.D sticking to the topic 'coz I ended up reading pretty much anything I can hold of.. as usual! Oh well!
Anyways, let get back to the point. Starting at the bottom of the list is...
See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson - 1.5 / 5
This book reminded me why I keep off chick lit as a general rule. If well written ones are like your favorite candy, this one was the equivalent of stale popcorn. The book was painfully predictable and characters were so terribly cliched it almost seemed like Gibson was making fun of the genre. The only plus point was the marginally steamy encounters between the main characters. The sex scenes seem to be the only place where Gibson seemed to have bothered to expend a little of her imagination. And that's all there was to the book, so pretty much a waste of time!
Second Thoughts by Niklas Asker - 2 / 5
This month has a lot of graphic novels. And this was the first of the lot. And sadly, the worst of the lot too. The story line is intriguing but the artwork left me kinda cold. Not that Asker's work isn't good but it seemed to be missing a subliminal quality which tends to bring the images to life. They remained strictly two dimensional. I also felt it was missing attention to details within the images. It was missing a master's touch. But then again I don't know if I'm judging it too harshly given that this is Niklas Asker's debut work. I came off with the feeling this could have been so much more because the story line was definitely something offbeat. I can't decide if I should recommend this one or not, but I would be intrigued to see what next he comes up with after a little maturing because the potential is definitely there.
Good-Bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson
- ? / 5
I had started Habibi by Craig Thompson (looooong back) and I had loved the artwork. And I have been hearing rave reviews about Blankets ( in fact there's a scene in Asker's Second thoughts which shows the cover of Blankets; and that is how I ended up with this book simply because I could not get hold of Blankets). But this one is an enigma for me. I don't know how I feel about it and honestly for me, that's quite a new sensation. There were parts of it which were touching and parts which I thought was complete drivel. End of the book, I came off feeling like I either completely missed the point or that there was no point what so ever. It is such a funny mixture of poetic and grotesque. Somehow I have a sneaky feeling that this is one of those books which need a couple of re-readings to unravel it's beauty. So why don't you try and let me know how you feel about it :)
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott - 3.5 /5
I had marked it the moment I read this book was one of the inspirations behind Interstellar movie. Both, the director Christopher Nolan and Kip Thorne, the theoretical physicist who was the principle scientific consultant for the movie, referred to the book and as someone who finds such concepts utterly fascinating it sounded like a book I could not miss. And had I read it a decade ago, it would have been a book which would have blown my mind. Not because the book is anything less than absolutely brilliant but because the basic concept would have been so spectacularly new. The basic premise of the story was shared by my mathematics teacher while explaining quadratic equations ( and their co-relation to geometry, and from there to real life.. not explaining how 'coz that would be a spoiler!). Now I can't help but wonder if he had read the book. So while reading the book, the concept itself was not new but that doesn't change the fact that it is wonderful read.
Apart from the concept of the higher dimensions, what fascinated me was the clarity with which he renders the flatland society. The parallels (pun unintended..mostly ) between flatland society and the 3-D human world is rather uncanny. In this day of 'outward-political-correctness-and-inward-regressive-thinking', to read something which blatantly puts forward the hypocrisy without any apologies is refreshing because it forces you to rethink where you really stand.
March: Book One (March #1) by John Robert Lewis, Andrew Aydin , Nate Powell (Artist) - 4 / 5
This graphic novel is the first of the trilogy which illustrates the life of John Robert Lewis, an American politician and civil rights leader. Most of the narratives that we hear about the black civil right moment is mainly focused on Martin Luther King Jr. This novel gives a perspective from the lesser known yet equally inspiring personality of John Lewis. It starts out rather slow with John's childhood but builds up momentum as he matures into an adult with strong convictions. This is more of a build up for the second of the series but it's still an interesting read on it's own. Nate Powell's artwork is just so gorgeously emotive, the perfect compliment for Lewis's inspiring story.
A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde - 4 / 5
Has this man written anything which is not polished to perfection? As usual, Wilde shows his genius and you have four fables of extraordinary simplicity and grace. The birthday of Infanta is one of the most lovely and tragic reads I have read in a long time. As a rule, I'm not fascinated by tragedy. But this one made me cry. Not the blubbering sort. But the one where I ached so badly 'coz I badly wanted to hug the little guy and tell him, it's all lies. And the last short story which moved me as much was when I read O.Henry's Last Leaf in school. The other stories have the innocence of fairy tales and yet something adult and dark underneath. I was rather surprised by the strong Christian theme in them. Somehow seemed at odds with all I know of Wilde's personality. But it doesn't disrupt the storytelling in anyway. Should definitely pick it up for Infanta's birthday.
The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne - 4.2 / 5
I have not read the official version of Jane Austen's biography, but I did love Byrne's approach to her life, ie to take her letters and her writings in perspective of the day to day environment Ms.Austen found her self in. Bryne also explores the books that she read, plays she appreciated and the people who influenced her to create a deeper understanding of the English novelist. It was much longer than expected (I started this book in Jan but finished it only in Feb) but that dint diminish the enthusiasm you feel through out the book. With the new information in hand I think I should re-read some of her lesser appreciated novels (by me) like Emma and Mansfield Park. I'm sure the context that is provided by Byrne would help in clarifying the kind of characters that Austen created who seemed rather unnatural to me before. Overall, if you are an Austen fan, then this is one book you'll immensely enjoy!
As we go towards the end of the list, my dilemma starts.. which is the book that truly stood out for me? A perfectly rendered classic or a wonderfully etched out story of a modern day hero? I'm almost tempted to declare a draw yet I feel that would be unfair for some reason. So, after digging a little deeper and splitting a lot of hair, here's the runner up:
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope - 4.4 / 5
I have been wanting to read Trollope for a while now. I kept finding a lot of references in other works yet I had not the least bit of familiarity with his work. Plus it helped that I had just started Downton Abbey and this looked like the perfect read to compliment the series ( and it is! ). As soppy as the name sounds, the book is anything but. Trollope narrates a love story, but not one made of grand passions and extravagant gestures. Instead he presents to us a practical and very down to earth love story with all it's confusions and messiness. But he does it with a sense of humor and a certain amount of compassion for the human follies and fickleness. And his style of narration is so very engaging; like you are listening to some good gossip, one that is not mean spirited yet has a hint of secrecy which makes it so much fun to know (even the title hints of it, doesn't it? ).
And there is so much of depth for each of the characters that he has created, especially the women. And I like the fact that he has not given his women any of the stereotypical extremes of virtue or vileness. They are neither all good nor all bad, though they might have their preferences to which side they lean. As a feminist there are times I feel I should probably be offended about his portrayal of the female characters, instead I feel that he has done a fantastic job of capturing the female thought process. Occasionally I feel a bit put off by the side narrations which deviate from the main story line because I'm impatient to know what's happening with the main story line. It makes the book rather lengthy and the deviations themselves are a small book by themselves. But it does provide a nice contrast of characters to which you can judge the protagonists with.
I can't exactly pin point why I enjoyed the book so much, but I did and I can't wait for my next Trollope!
And finally, the BOOK OF THE MONTH...
March: Book Two by John Robert Lewis, Andrew Aydin , Nate Powell (Artist)
This is second of the trilogy illustrating the life of John Lewis.
The beauty of this book lies in it's powerful storytelling and evocative images. While the story never glosses over the violence that the movement had to face, Nate Powell translates them into incredibly powerful imagery with minimal symbols that stays long after you close the book. Each person in this book brought alive with so much honesty and passion. It's amazing how much depth creations of ink and paper can have.
The book moves between the present ( i.e January 2009) and 1960s. This simultaneously reminds us the huge struggle and sacrifice that it took for a black man to be the president of United States and the distance that is yet to be covered for that equality to be truly equal. Another beautiful thing I found in the book, was that at no point was 'white' people shown as the enemy. The story clearly points out it is hatred without understanding and blind prejudice is the villain. Given the intolerance that we find growing insidiously everyday, this book is still ever so relevant. The story, the personalities, and the art all comes together wonderfully making this a must read!
So that's all for now. Till next time.. Happy reading y'all! :)
Phil!
