I
listened to the following audio version of this book:
https://librivox.org/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle-2/
The
stories are great, beautifully written, each about one hour long; but the icing
on the cake is the way it is read by Mark F. Smith: he has made it a delightful
experience to listen to these masterful detective stories.
It is
a truly fantastic book. A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel published in 1960.
Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Alabama, is the hero of the story, who pleads the
case of a black man, when the society around him is still mired deep in its
racist roots. The story, seen through the eyes of young children (which itself
is a novel approach), has depth; the narration is lively; the depiction is so
realistic it is difficult to believe it's a novel. Nothing appears connived or
made up. I loved it. Also, being a parent, I felt that this book should be a
must-read for every parent. The way Atticus brings up his kids and interacts
with them is in itself a big takeaway.
You
need to have some background of the civil war between the northern states
(called the Union) and the southern states (call the confederates) of America,
which was caused primarily by differences on the issue of slavery.
Recommended
for Age-group: 13 and above
A
mystery novel written in 1859, this is a 600-page book that holds the reader's
attention from start to finish with undiminished interest and curiosity. The language of the book, for from being archaic, is extremely rich,
but quite lucid and captivating. Whether they reflect the prevalent
Victorian mannerisms are not, the verbal and written exchanges between the
various characters are charming. Every place, every person, every emotion, and
every situation is described in great and insightful detail, but never in a
tedious, artificial manner. The author demonstrates a tremendous command of
written English.
To me,
besides the main story, the book gives a great insight into the urban life of
pre-electric-bulb, pre-automobile, and pre-most-modern-comforts 1860 London and
England. It is funny that the characters in the book refer to their times as
"modern". It is especially astonishing that people in this era
planned their activity down to the minute and were actually able to stick with
their plans, even in the absence of telephones, cars, and airplanes.
This
book is an especially must-read for the aspiring writer of English fiction.
The
author claims this to be a history book, and to that end, it does appear to be
a very well-researched book. But the author takes a step further and puts in
his comments, emotion, and interpretation throughout the book. And that makes
the book even more charming.
The
book is not a biography of Bahadur Shah Zafar as its title might imply. It is actually a narrative
of the sepoy mutiny that erupted during 1857 and the
events related to the mutiny before and after. The book focuses only on the
Delhi theater of that famous conflict, with a deeper
coverage of Bahadur Shah and his life during this
time.
The
author has relied a lot upon diaries and correspondence written by people
during these tumultuous times. He appears to have given a balanced coverage of
both the British and Indian sides.
The
emotions that this book evokes strongly are depression and sadness - for the
terrible cruelty, insensitivity, and bigotry of man. It is no relief to realize
that these faults of the human race persist even today with no hope of
remission in sight.
The book
shows how fragmented India was during 1857 (just 90 years before independence)
in a myriad ways with not even a hint of a national identity, as compared to
the India of today. Of course, it (the integration) is still work in progress.
This
book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the history of man.
It is a fantastic story - a "modern day missionary" type
of story in which an American climber, after failing to climb K2, dedicates his
life to building schools in the remotest villages of Pakistan, and later of
Afghanistan. It is amazing how people get propelled into impossible looking
missions. I suppose as a mountain climber Greg was predisposed to take up such
challenges.
Reading this book is also a test to find out how
"secular" one is.
I couldn't help thinking once or twice: why the hell didn't this
guy cross the border and also help my Indian brethren in
Age-group: 14 and above
The master storyteller has the ability to shock his readers by his
directness. This is a thin novella about an old man's love affair with a young
girl.
Following are a few snippets from the book:
That night I discovered the improbable pleasure of contemplating a
woman's body without the urgencies of desire or the obstacles of modesty.
I became aware that the invincible power that has moved the world
is unrequited, not happy, love.
I had finally discovered love at the age of 90 ... The house rose
from its ashes and sailed on my love of Delgadina ...
Thanks to her I confronted my inner self for the first time ... I discovered
... that I appear generous to conceal my meanness ... that I am punctual only
to hide how little I care about other people's time. I learned, in short, that
love is not a condition of the spirit but a sign of the zodiac.
Without Delgadina, I proved that it was
not only possible but that I myself, an old man without anyone, was dying of
love ... I did not bathe or shave or ... because love taught me too late that
you groom yourself for someone ... Damiana thought I
was sick when she found me naked in the hammock at ten in the morning. I looked
at her with eyes clouded by desire and invited her to a naked roll in the hay.
She, with some scorn, said: "Have you thought about what you'll do if I
say yes?"
Review by: Abhay B.
Joshi (abjoshi@yahoo.com)
Last updated: 5 December 2019