Travel With Books!

  “ Of love and other demons ”, written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (GGM) , is a fictional story, based constructed around a real event, when a skeleton of an adolescent female with long hair, is discovered from the crypts of a Convent (in Santa Clara). GGM, relates this incident with a legend told to him by his grandmother, about a 12-yr old girl, a miracle worker, believed to have contracted rabies, with her copper long hair continuing to grow post her death! It is a concise plot, a classic work of magical realism, where reality (the excavated skeleton) blends with imagination (the legend) 😊   GGM, has astutely, used this blend to unravel layers of love, passion, half-knowledge, ignorance, superstition and much more!!   The story revolves around the 12 yrs-old daughter of a noble family of Latin America, who was bitten by a rabid dog in the market.   Sierva Maria, the protagonist adolescent, is raised by her father, Don Ygnacio de Alfaro y Duenas, and her Indian mot...

  My views about the story 😊 -   It is, a story of gothic fiction, a story of avarice for eternal beauty and eternal youth, a story of how outside-influence, good or bad, can swerve the direction of an innocent-naive-life, a story of jealousy in love, a story of debauchery , narcissism & hedonism, a story of fight between appearance and reality, a story which edifies- to be accountable for your own choices, keeping all distractions at bay! a story of a yellow book, & aestheticism, It is a story of a lovely, withering portrait, which finally re-gains the lost charm, after exterminating, the rapacity & evil! 😊     Superficial Plot Synopsis 😊 -   A Painter, Basil, confides in his friend, Henry, about his, Obsession, for his muse, Dorian. Dorian, a quintessence of youthful beauty upon seeing his portrait, falls into narcissism. Miraculously, his wish of eternal youth is granted, instead of Dorian, his portra...

It took me longest to put across and structure my views for this Classic. Weighing light as a physical copy, but out-weighing any other thematically, this book delineates complex-sensitive issues of religion, passion, respectability and coming-of-age, without rendering itself into a rebellion or a mundane tone for a wee! It subtly highlights – Experience is the most valuable teacher ! As we witness the prime character of Lucy, growing into a female with grit and determination, from a docile young woman, all through her multifold experiences!   E.M. Forster’s novel, A Room with a view, in written as an omniscient narration, with Lucy Honeychurch (a young woman living in a restrained culture) as the prime-focused character. She is the edifice for the coming-of-age theme, and her journey from adolescence into adulthood is beautifully portrayed. In this process of growing-up, she not only affects her own life, but of the people she stumbles into. Lucy has a challenge to find stren...

  Let us zealously, prance through this amorous love-story, to relish the Shakespearean era!   😊   Plot Summary, as per what all I could gather, post the endearing read, pardon and correct me for any of my follies and errors-   The long-standing brawl between the Capulets and Montagues, the banquet- The Capulets throw a feast, in which Montagues aren’t invited, due to the long-standing feud between the two families. The hero of the play, Romeo Montague, pining over Rosaline, dares to masquerade and gate-crash, the banquet, just to catch a glimpse of his searing-love. But destiny has other plans, Romeo loses his heart to the heiress of the Capulet family, Juliet! Meanwhile in the banquet, Tybalt, nephew to the Lady Capulet, having recognised Romeo, willing to enter a brawl, is dissuaded by Lady Capulet, in order to maintain the decorum of the ball. Juliet has also discovered his identity in the feast, and has been swooned and swept by his charm. Both a...

  Yayyy!!Finally I could read a classic-crime-mystery novel in a single-sitting!!!   I have never-ever reviewed crime thrillers, will try to do justice for the benefit of the readers and myself (in preserving notes) :P Q.   For someone like me, who is mercurial, and not into crime or murder mysteries, why would I pick one? A.    Trying to add a bit of excitement and transforming a languid lazy day into a gleeful one! Additionally, to test the waters, and check if a volatile being like me can stay riveted throughout without oscillating. And yes, this book kept me engaged, though I took a couple of coffee breaks. Moreover, the novel isn’t ginormous at all! Q.   Does this bewildering case of the fiendish hound, case of supernaturalism vs pragmatism, tug out my heart strings?  A.    It did heighten the spirits, but maybe the outgrown rationalism wasn’t sated. The naïve, innocent, and the guileless would admire it to the core, but livi...

Quick plot synopsis- Set against the backdrop of the famous French Revolution, it is a tale of the cities of London and Paris. Mr. Jarvis Lorry (confidential clerk at Tellson's Bank) is travelling to meet Lucie Manette (a ward of Tellson's Bank), to inform her that she isn’t an orphan. They travel together to meet her father in Paris, Doctor Manette (a Parisan doctor), her father, is released from Bastille  after 18 years. Currently he is housed in the Defarges' wine-shop, has lost his memory, but starts to regain it upon meeting his daughter and is transported back to London. Post 5 years of this episode, Charles Darnay (French emigrant to England) is accused of a charge of providing English secrets to the French. Another remarkably similar-looking Sydney Carton (a London lawyer), helps in Darnay’s acquittal. Lucie Manette has three suitors- Darnay, Carton, and Stryver (another London lawyer with colossal ego), but she ends up marrying Charles Darnay! On the wedding day, D...

  " One summer night, I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke." It is a book with short chapters but the novel isn’t short (lengthwise and contentwise!). It’s a story about love, an organic love-story, a constructive love story! Don’t we meetup few people and feel as if we have known them for ages?   Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana, two distinctive Mexican-American teenager boys of the 80s, are like the two souls separated for ages, and met here in this book. Though the setting of the 80s have been mentioned, but I personally felt timelessness and nothing explicit related to the 80s. On the threshold of adulthood, the two teenagers are in search of knowing themselves and deciphering the anomalies of the world. Most of the books I recently read are about abusive parents, indifferent parents, but the “happy family” trope, offered a welcome relief! Both Ari and Dante’s families are loving yet flawed, and offers parental support. ...