Time Stops At Shamli And Other Stories by Ruskin Bond : Book Review

“All the same, I thought, I’d better not be too careless. It’s not for nothing that a crow’s IQ is way above that of all other birds. And it’s higher than a dog’s, I bet.”

The rains are back!! But this time, besides having hot chai and pakoras, let’s do something different. This rainy season, take some time out for yourself, sit out in your balcony while it’s raining, and read. With Time Stops at Shamli, gift yourself the subtle art of observation, the art of deriving happiness from the simplest of things and you’ll certainly start finding the ‘joy of small things’.

Welcome to Shamli, for time indeed stops here!!

Meet lost loves, lost teachers, or even lost uncles. Have a look at the world from a range of colours, discover ‘true beauty’, have some haunts, or view the world from the perspective of a crow!!

All brought to you in Bond’s inimitable style, his endearing observations, and musings.

Prepare yourself for a final goodbye, make new friends, discover the power of true love, take a look at a tree that saved lives, meet tigers, for there are loads of them around, and stand enthralled as trains emerge from the magical tunnel.

Besides the title story, there are twenty others, each covering a different facet of life. Discover lovable characters and be drawn to them for the stories are so gripping that you won’t be able to put the book down without finishing one. Bond’s style in all its simplicity, sensibility, and clarity is a pleasure to read.

His beautiful expressions capture the true essence of  India. Be ready to be entranced in the world that Bond paints right in front of our eyes with his illustrative words.

Rains bring with them, the best of the natural world. Coming back, this rainy season, let’s pause from our busy lives and notice the natural world all around springing and dancing around us, the twittering calls of nature, the melody of the rain pittering and pattering, and most of all, the rejuvenating aroma of the wet earth!!

Happy Reading!!

 

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: Book Review

“Tell you what. After I’m dead, you talk. And I’ll listen”

‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ is the most beautiful book I have ever read. The memoir beautifully captures the love and teachings involved in the relationship between a student and his mentor. It’s a treasure trove of loving counsel to which you can return again and again.

All of us have, at some point or the other, had a great teacher, with whom we connected, whose classes we absolutely loved, who had given us immensely important life lessons, and with whom, we had promised ourselves, we would never lose touch. Mitch too had his mentor, Morrie Schwartz, his sociology professor, whom he loved and who had taught him a lot of things. But like so many of us, Mitch too lost touch with his favourite professor. 16 years later, he gets back to his professor, but sadly now, Morrie has been diagnosed with ALS, a rare neurological terminal disease. So now, 16 years after, in the last days of Morrie’s life, the classes start again the subject being- “Meaning of Life”. 16 years back, Mitch had Morrie’s lectures on Tuesdays, and now too, they start meeting every Tuesday. Beautiful, isn’t it??

There are a lot of lessons to be learnt from ‘Tuesdays With Morrie’. It’s like having a chat with your mentor, your guru. We have Morrie talking with Mitch making him understand the true meaning of life, love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and, finally death. We learn to live as if it is the last day, to enjoy every bit, to not run after things, rather love and enjoy what we have and most importantly, give love and attention to the people who really matter.

The most beautiful thing brought out in the book is the relationship between Morrie and his student Mitch. A professor who really loved his students, the way Morrie answers every question without Mitch even asking them, the way Morrie has a response ready for anything Mitch says, the way Morrie is determined that his student should never stray in his life, shows what a master teacher he was. Morrie’s optimism at his impending death, his graceful acceptance of his disease and of his death, are surprising, for, practically they are so difficult to accomplish. Morrie was a true teacher, he didn’t only preach, he was a living example of all his lessons.

The book isn’t very long but it is one to be cherished, to be enjoyed. Some of their conversations will make you smile, some might even bring tears to your eyes. It is indeed a befitting ode to a student- teacher relationship.

Once you finish reading this blog, be sure to do one thing. Share this with your mentor, tell them they are your “Morrie”. Thank them and most essentially, express your love and gratitude to them. Let this be a never ending saga of love, one between students and their teachers. Don’t wait, for life is too short my friends! Make sure your loved ones know you love them!! Go!!

The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie: Book Review

"He pointed a dramatic forefinger.Everyone's head turned."

‘The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd’…sounds like a typical mystery read, doesn’t it? Well, well, if I say it is something quite out of bound the imagination of an ordinary mind, I hope I’m not giving any spoilers in there!!

Set entirely in King’s Abbot, a small ordinary village, the novel begins with the death of Ackroyd’s lover, and a few chapters later, Ackroyd is dead too but, the same village has been chosen by none other than our dear Hercule Poirot as his retirement place. With the case brought to him, Poirot gives retirement a pass and goes on the mystery’s scent.

Narrated by Dr.Sheppard, a friend of Ackroyd, the novel is beautifully planned, with the author even taking us through the “Who’s who in King’s Abbot”. A thing brought out differently in the book, is the relationship shared between Dr.Sheppard and his sister Caroline. Christie has beautifully managed to keep the focus on the murder yet give some time to the cute brother-sister duo.

Hercule Poirot, with his rather egg-shaped head, twinkling eyes, and wagging finger, with his moustaches and orderly style, is the star as always. From his esteemed opinion of himself, to him being “Papa Poirot” for someone who needs a bit of help confessing, the hot chocolate-loving detective is rather too cute to be one.

Laura Thompson’s introduction and concluding note provide many peppy facts about the book.

Christie’s style with its satire, its comic elements, and the beauty with which she uses figurative language to paint each character, and in turn, each scene, is something to be savoured.

‘And Then There Were None’, ‘The Murder on the Orient Express’ and now ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ (in order of the World’s Favourite Christies), Agatha Christie always manages to keep her readers hooked right from the start till the end. The solutions provided are always equally unexpected and enthralling. Not for once does Christie lose her charm!

As you reach to the story’s end, the ingenious revelation will leave you with no reaction except a baffled “Whaat!!”

 

Mr. Oliver's Diary by Ruskin Bond : Book Review

 

“Pure vindictiveness on the part of the headmaster, putting me in charge of the school party for the entire journey from Kalka to Simla. A day of sheer misery for me.”

Enough of serious reading! Let’s travel to the good old schooldays, carefree, full of giggles and fun, and of course, mischiefs through the diary of Mr. Oliver, a teacher in a junior boys' school in Shimla.

Starting from the beginning of the school term, the book captures the entire session and Mr. Oliver always has something interesting to report in his diary. With a pet parrot in his house, frogs on the loose, a phantom tiger on the prowl, or a somnambulator(sleep-walker) in the school, the days pass on, full of excitement and fun.

Written in a diary entry form, the book beautifully brings out the humane side of our dear teachers. Its blend of serious, irritated, sarcastic, and ruminative tones makes the diary an extremely hilarious read. Its quirky illustrations enliven the text even further.

Its immensely relatable characters are sure to remind you of some of your own classmates and teachers and will surely bring a smile to your face.

A short book, it can be easily read whenever you want to brighten up your mood, for, what’s better than reminiscing about the old carefree days when it was so easy to double up with laughter on the slightest pretext.

An endearing read, Mr. Oliver’s Diary will certainly revive some of your own old-school nostalgia.

Happy Reading!!

The Forest of Enchantments: Book Review

 

“I set my jaw defiantly. I didn’t know how I’d stand up against the enormous might of the asura king. But I knew this much; I was going to resist him with everything I had.”

Chitra Banerjee’s ‘The Forest of Enchantments’ completely succeeds in being the perfect ‘Sitayana’. Why, even Ramayana’s name has a patriarchal touch to it!! Didn’t the story belong as much to Sita as it did to Ram? But surely, they failed to see that!!

Divakaruni beautifully brings out Sita’s story in its truest form as we come to know, in Sita’s own voice, her story- her upbringing, her love for Ram, her trials, the story of her abduction, her fears, her fury and excruciating pain at being rejected by her beloved for no fault of her own, just because of what gossip-mongers had to say!!

We are shown that Sita was strong in her own way. Being strong does not necessarily mean acting masculine or being aggressive or even obstinate. Sita redefined strength. She believed in drawing on to her own inner strength, empowering herself to face and ace every situation, no matter what!!

In “the Forest of Enchantments”, although the focus remains on Sita, we are taken through other women’s lives as well: Sunaina, Urmila, Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, Ahalya, Mandodari , Sarama and Surpanakha, the way they all embodied strength, each in her own different way.

Love forms one of the integral themes of the Sitayana, as we discover the different forms of love, its different facets, the actions it forces people into, the courage that comes from love, and most importantly, the light it brings to life, cutting through the darkest gloom.

Sita has always been somewhat portrayed to be a meek, docile, unrevolting woman. But what if all her actions actually sprang from a courage. The courage to accept, the courage to be strong in the hardest of situations, the courage to let go, the courage to love even after your lover has hurt you the most, the courage to sacrifice all that you hold dearest and most importantly, the courage to forgive.

The Madhubani art cover of the book beautifully traces Sita’s Maithili roots and its gold embossings add on further to its charm. Its flowing style and wonderfully coherent narration are a feather added to the cap.

Lastly the novel succeeds in portraying that, perhaps Sita’s final act was not just a result of her exhaustion with the world and its ways, rather, she intended to give one final lesson to all the women out there. It is ok to forgive, to let go, but there must be a line which even your most loved one must not dare to cross, the time when it is essential to show, “Enough! No more!”

 

 

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divkaruni:Book Review

 

“..Dhri’s tutor was of the opinion that virtuous women were sent directly into their next birth, where, if they were lucky, they reincarnated as men. But I thought that if lokas existed at all, good women would surely go to one where men were not allowed so that they could be finally free of male demands. However, I prudently kept this theory to myself.”

Mahabharata…isn’t it a story we all have enjoyed and we are quite sure we know?

But how far does our knowledge extend, when it comes to Panchaali, one of the protagonists?

About the Pandavas, our knowledge is quite vast, we know everything about their birth, childhood, and every single important moment of their life but when it comes to Panchaali, our knowledge comes to a full stop in a painfully shorter time. Why?

So, here we have Divakaruni presenting us with the same Mahabharata only now, we have Panchaali at the center of action.

We are taken from her fiery birth, to the pain she experienced at the initial rejection from her father, through her childhood, her fantasies, her view of her marriage with the five Pandava brothers, her relationship with the charming Krishna, her secret attraction for Karna, her expectations, her trials and tribulations in a world shaped by the desires and rules set by men.

Narrated entirely in first person, we have Panchaali herself, telling the epic. But this does not mean that she’s justifying herself, nor does it mean that the male characters are in shadows.

It’s just that Panchaali is brought out from the shadows.

Divakaruni entirely takes us by surprise as we find the numerous events we missed and helps us delve deeper into the intricate details as she beautifully unveils the different layers of such a strong woman as Panchaali.

Reading the book is just like holding an intimate conversation with Panchaali as we discover her questioning the innumerable male chauvinist rules of our society, detesting them, and protesting against them.

We discover Panchaali for who she was, a strong woman ready to challenge the world, to rebel against the boundaries society has prescribed for women, for Vyasa himself agreed,"I only tell people what they can stand………But you- I’ve always known you to be stronger than your husbands."

With its amazing dialogues, flowing style, and its precise narration, this book indeed, is a page-turner.

Its alluring cover, depicting the ‘Palace of Illusions’ Panchaali designed  herself (did you know that?), certainly adds to the charm.

I would strongly recommend reading the Palace of Illusions as it unravels a whole new perspective of the timeless tale we have always loved.

The Palace of Illusions, a book by a feminist, about a feminist, indeed deserves to be read by every feminist.

Happy Reading!!

Happiness Unlimited by B.K. Shivani: Book Review

 “…..rethink and reprogramme your mind to tune in to a happy frequency, pause and notice how life all around you improves in drastic ways.”-B.K.Shivani

Happiness unlimited….. isn’t it something we have all desired for all those years. And lo! Here it is presented in our hands in the form of a beautiful book by a wonderful soul.

Happiness unlimited is not about attaining happiness after an achievement. It is about happily working towards that achievement.

B.K.Shivani very lucidly and methodically explains how we miss out on happiness and the ways in which we can be happy, enjoying and actually living, each and every moment of our life. Along with her, is our favourite, Suresh Oberoi, always ready to ask all those questions which keep popping in our minds during the discussions.

This is a book to be read with a certain amount of peace. Do not read the book in one go. Go chapterwise, slowly, one chapter a day or two, for though the teachings are simple, they are not very easy. You have to work with yourself to reprogramme your thought process. At the end of each chapter there are some beautiful thoughts on which we can reflect on and some summarized points which contain the essence of the conversations in that chapter.

Take some time, sit with yourself, read the book, contemplate and try implementing the required changes and you’ll surely get Happiness Unlimited!!

B.K.Shivani’s talks open up a whole new perspective of the world leading to a deep realization that everything could be so different if only we remove our coloured glasses, coloured with our own point of view.

Inspiring, heartwarming and cheering, this book can be a beautiful start to a new year, a year in which we chose thoughts and feelings aligned with our true nature of peace, love and happiness, a year in which we have our state of mind on top, on the list of the perfections we seek.

Happy New Year :))

and

Happy Reading!!