Book Review: Catcher in the Rye

'The Catcher in the Rye' is a novel by 'J D Salinger' which has become more popular with adolescent readers across the world. The story is about 'Holden', who is expelled from a private school as a result of which alienates from the rest of the society.

Book Review: The Fountain Head

“Man’s ego is the fountain head of human progress.” 

I know you believe it but If you have got any problem with the above sentence, here is the novel to convince you. Great characters, very powerful and inspiring words, mind blowing details, great expression and very relevant themes. Was very impressed with the way it started. Felt like Roark is the man the world needs.

As the story progressed, got more insight about Roark and Peter Keating. Roark became a bit predictive but was never boring. It was Peter Keating's character that impressed me very much. The way he doubted his eligibility, status as a famous architect and the way he got destabilized in the presence of Roark was very impressive. I had come across many Roarks and Keatings during my IIT days; Keatings who assumed the best positions in the world’s best firms and Roark's who were struggling their part in their 'hopeful' world. It was very good to read similar characters in print.

It was Dominique who was extremely mysterious. Her character in general and behavior in particular with Roark is awesome. Roark's character which seemed pretty straight forward took a sudden interesting turn with her entry in to his life. However, in the end, Dominique ended up as a hate figure for all the feminists in view of her extreme sub-ordinance to Roark and psychological domination of Roark. Toohey's role grew in importance as the novel proceeded and together with Dominique does amazing things that surely has got many dramatic consequences which entertains the reader immensely.

The climax where Roark addresses the court, I feel is one of the best written passages ever written. Below is one passage from the book which I liked very much.

"How did you know what's been killing me? Slowly, for years, driving me to hate people when i don't want to hate...Have you felt it, too? Have you seen how your best friends love everything about you- except the things that count? And your most important is nothing to them, nothing, not even a sound they can recognize. You mean, you want to hear? You want to know what I do and why I do it, you want to know what I think? It's not boring to you? It's important?"

The review may be summarized as given below.

Pro’s:

1. Characters that stay with you for the rest of our life.

2. Excellent narration and gripping plot.

3. Inspiring and at times philosophical which makes the reader introspect.

Cons:

1. Focus was mainly to highlight the hero Roark that other characters were made to pay homage Roark.

Book Review: India's Struggle for Independence

There were many movies I had watched and a few books I had read which dealt with independence struggle and revolutions in various countries that were very inspirational and motivational. But unfortunately I couldn’t find one, though there are many books available in the market that gives an account of India’s Struggle for Independence. Most of the academic books also gave a dull narration of the most inspiring story thus leaving the potential of the great struggle story yet to be unleashed.

Socrates to Sartre: A Philosophic Quest by T Z Lavine - A Review

Philosophy is undoubtedly a deadening subject to venture into unless there is a right source to guide you. Here is one such good guide especially beneficial for people interested in getting introduced to Philosophy.

Glimpses of World History- A Review

Glimpses of World History, a book written by Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of India)when he was in jail,to his daughter, IndiraPriyadarshini in the form of letters,is a panoramic sweep of the history of humankind. There are many books available in the market with the same theme. What then is so special about this book? What makes every reader of this book develop a special bond with it?

Tower of Babel and the implications...

“As I told you before, I started to paint to kill my boredom. I painted pretty normal pictures initially. One day, I happened to see the painting of the Tower of Babel. I soon learnt about the legend behind the painting. It was really wonderful and I was spell bound by just looking at it. I couldn’t sleep that day. It really impressed me very much and I couldn’t get it out of my mind for weeks after that day.“

“What’s so special about it?” I asked her with curiosity.

The Angel Ambassador..

I was sitting in the classroom on the bench beside the window. It was a cloudy morning. The sun hadn’t woken up and must have become lazy due to the cool breeze that flowed across it. The clouds which were quite certain that the sun wouldn’t come soon were moving slowly towards me. They seemed like an ambassador sent from heaven carrying a beautiful message to me that would greatly delight me. The cloud motion was slow, sluggish and dull but was very romantic.

The shape of the clouds was random but when looked at carefully, one could make out an angel out of the randomness. She was an angel ambassador. The cloud cover was not consistent all over and wherever it wasn’t there it appeared as a void; something like a hole on a leaf or a mole on a cheek. There were 2 big round eyes that were formed due to the non-existence of the clouds there and a long thin nose which almost touched her lips. Her neck was thin and the breasts spread. The waist was slim but there was no navel. It then expanded in to a big frock. The color of the frock was not clear. The blue and white fought with each other, one overshadowing the other and it looked as if she wore white frock sometimes and light blue at other times. She had no legs and it appeared as if she was hauled by the air and was moving towards me to tell me something special. The clouds were spreading more at her lips and it looked as if she was smiling as she approached me. The transition was very slow and I could visualize her smile right from the time it started. She also seemed greatly delighted to come to me.

A passage from the novel THE LITTLE HEARTS authored by me...

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RIGHT HO JEEVES by PG Wodehouse- A Review

Look for the best possible way English Language words are put in to humor, there is very high chance that PG Woodhouse is your destination. With characters like Bertie, Jeeves, Gussie Fink Nottle, Angela, Aunt Dahlia; not to mention other tiny characters which are as diverse and strange as possible, ”Right, Ho Jeeves” no doubt has the ability to become the best comedy you have ever read.

Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky - Review

Crime and Punishment first of the Dostoyevsky Novels I have read. What an experience it was reading the great novel. Flow of Art is all I can say right from the page1.   

It essentially, is the tale of a person ‘Raskolnikov”, an impoverished ex student who comes to an understanding that some people are naturally capable of breaking the conventional societal boundaries in the pursuit of a higher purpose during their time to grow big and then be idolized by his future generations.

Dexter - TV Series, Review and Analysis

Dexter is about a blood spatter pattern analyst working for the fictional Miami Police Department who also leads life as a serial killer. This serial killer has a definite code with which he struggles, questions and complies through out the series which occasionally interferes with his personal (he has got one that excludes everyone else in the universe), married and official life. Though the aesthetic effects you get differ with every season (which will be detailed below), it surely is one of the best TV series, I have seen.

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami - Review and Interpretation

A Wild Sheep Chase, (probably) a thriller blended in mythology or history? Don’t know for sure. Same question after reading Murakami again. What is it about..?? Struggle to understand LIFE better or helplessness with the ambitiously interwoven WORLD where you have got no control on your own life or the need for every individual to chase his own mysterious SHEEP or a metaphor and an allegory of human race extremely busy with its wild chase, leaving everything behind without any fruitful result or as I had pointed our earlier; is it merely the musings of an author who doesn't seem to belong to this world anymore? I couldn't make out what it really is.