Finally an update on what books I have read since I last updated and what book I am reading currently. Well as I have mentioned in my last books-i-am-reading post I have completed Tuesdays with Morrie next. Its a book which captures Mitch Albom's discussions with his teacher Morrie on various topics concerning life, which happens on Tuesday. Morrie was his college professor and is about to die. Mitch has lost touch with him after college and comes to meet him after hearing about his illness. Like Five people you meet in heaven this book too has certain statements that I liked very much and I have mentioned them in another post on Tuesdays with Morrie.
Needless to say another must read.
Next I read The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga. I am amazed with the liberty these authors take. He so freely used phrases like kissing God's ass and the way he openly called Muslims terrorist. May be this liberty is one criteria that helps them win the Booker. It started well but the ending was disappointing. The books traces the story of Balram who belongs to a small village in Bihar who despite being good student couldn't study because of his economical background but because of his trait of creating and reaping benefits out of any situation he becomes an entrepreneur. Although the book throws light about India, its villages, its disparity in working classes i.e. how a landowner's son inherently becomes the next landlord and a halwai(sweet maker)'s son can only become halwai etc , its corrupted politician and work structure but I don't agree the way it ended , the way Balram easily got away with the crime he committed and started his new prosperous life without caring for the consequences.
Anyways a nice read.
The next came "For one more day" by Mitch Albom. Like with other Mitch Albom books I have read ,from this too I liked certain statements which I have mentioned in another post on that book.
For one more day is a story of an ex baseball player who tries to commit suicide after he fails completely in his life and when even his daughter whom he loved so much doesn't want him around and don't even call him for her wedding. So when he goes to his native place to kill himself there he find his Mom who has already died and this book captures that one day he spends with his mother and when he goes through all the things that has happened in his life. Like all his book this is also must read from my side and its more touching because it captures a son-mother and son-father relation. Have written more about it in the other post I mentioned.
After that I read a sci-fiction novel by Satyajit Ray titled "Adventures of Professor Shonku" translated in English. Its a so -so book as the adventures it talked of were interesting and at times mysterious but the level of suspense and thrill was quite less. Also the main character's power was the scientific discoveries that he had made which were quite in the line of sci-fi like time machine, tablets which could make you immune against any poison or disease etc but like the famous Bomkesh Bakshi who always knew everything this guy also seemed less acceptable.
Then I picked up Bourne Identity by Robert Lundlum. Although I din't wanted to because I always pictured Bourne as Matt Damon whom I don't like. But nevertheless I did and as I have not seen any of the movies from the Bourne series this book was sheer pleasure to read. Its a really gripping book full of twists and mysteries and actions and although I could guess one of the main plot of the book beforehand but still it was worth reading. This book is the first of the trilogy and talks of a person Sam Bourne who has lost his memory and could not remember what his true identity is . So its a story of his struggle to find not only the answers to the questions but to also uncover the various questions that will lead him to his real identity.
I am looking forward to read the other two parts soon too.
Then I picked "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse. A spiritual and philosophical book on life. Its a fictional story about a Brahmin Siddhartha who lived at the times of Buddha and talks about his journey to find salvation. How he leaves his home at an young age to become an ascetic and then he leaves the sages with whom he was living as he found that all their learnings and practices is not helping him in conquering his self. Then how even after meeting Buddha, the Illustrious One, and listening to his teaching he still doesn't get satisfied and moves further on his journey and then he gets attracted to a courtesan and for her he starts working with a merchant to earn money and how slowly he gets indulged in the mortal life forgetting everything and then one day he realizes his mistake and he leaves everything and decides to die owing to the sins he has committed and then while he is about to take a plunge in the river he experiences a change and realized all his mistakes and decides to become a ferryman as he found that river teached him what he couldn't learn from anywhere else. And then story continues to his meeting the courtesan again who has also bored him a son and how she dies leaving him their son and how his son becomes rebellious as he is not used to a life of poverty and how Siddhartha tries to win him with love despite him being so spoilt and then the boy runs away to town and Siddhartha's longing for him and how he overcomes that and then attains salvation.
I will say a nice read and gives a nice perspective about life , its questions, its answers etc.
Currently I have picked up "The Reluctant Fundamentalist " by Mohsin Hamed. Its a discussion between a Pakistani and an American in Lahore cafe and throws a light on the disparities between the American West and Islamic East. Seems to be a kind of book I want to read about Islam and modern situations in Pakistan. This book was nominated for a large number of awards including the Man Booker.
Will update in my next post how it was.
Anyways a nice read.
The next came "For one more day" by Mitch Albom. Like with other Mitch Albom books I have read ,from this too I liked certain statements which I have mentioned in another post on that book.
For one more day is a story of an ex baseball player who tries to commit suicide after he fails completely in his life and when even his daughter whom he loved so much doesn't want him around and don't even call him for her wedding. So when he goes to his native place to kill himself there he find his Mom who has already died and this book captures that one day he spends with his mother and when he goes through all the things that has happened in his life. Like all his book this is also must read from my side and its more touching because it captures a son-mother and son-father relation. Have written more about it in the other post I mentioned.
After that I read a sci-fiction novel by Satyajit Ray titled "Adventures of Professor Shonku" translated in English. Its a so -so book as the adventures it talked of were interesting and at times mysterious but the level of suspense and thrill was quite less. Also the main character's power was the scientific discoveries that he had made which were quite in the line of sci-fi like time machine, tablets which could make you immune against any poison or disease etc but like the famous Bomkesh Bakshi who always knew everything this guy also seemed less acceptable.
Then I picked up Bourne Identity by Robert Lundlum. Although I din't wanted to because I always pictured Bourne as Matt Damon whom I don't like. But nevertheless I did and as I have not seen any of the movies from the Bourne series this book was sheer pleasure to read. Its a really gripping book full of twists and mysteries and actions and although I could guess one of the main plot of the book beforehand but still it was worth reading. This book is the first of the trilogy and talks of a person Sam Bourne who has lost his memory and could not remember what his true identity is . So its a story of his struggle to find not only the answers to the questions but to also uncover the various questions that will lead him to his real identity.
I am looking forward to read the other two parts soon too.
Then I picked "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse. A spiritual and philosophical book on life. Its a fictional story about a Brahmin Siddhartha who lived at the times of Buddha and talks about his journey to find salvation. How he leaves his home at an young age to become an ascetic and then he leaves the sages with whom he was living as he found that all their learnings and practices is not helping him in conquering his self. Then how even after meeting Buddha, the Illustrious One, and listening to his teaching he still doesn't get satisfied and moves further on his journey and then he gets attracted to a courtesan and for her he starts working with a merchant to earn money and how slowly he gets indulged in the mortal life forgetting everything and then one day he realizes his mistake and he leaves everything and decides to die owing to the sins he has committed and then while he is about to take a plunge in the river he experiences a change and realized all his mistakes and decides to become a ferryman as he found that river teached him what he couldn't learn from anywhere else. And then story continues to his meeting the courtesan again who has also bored him a son and how she dies leaving him their son and how his son becomes rebellious as he is not used to a life of poverty and how Siddhartha tries to win him with love despite him being so spoilt and then the boy runs away to town and Siddhartha's longing for him and how he overcomes that and then attains salvation.
I will say a nice read and gives a nice perspective about life , its questions, its answers etc.
Currently I have picked up "The Reluctant Fundamentalist " by Mohsin Hamed. Its a discussion between a Pakistani and an American in Lahore cafe and throws a light on the disparities between the American West and Islamic East. Seems to be a kind of book I want to read about Islam and modern situations in Pakistan. This book was nominated for a large number of awards including the Man Booker.
Will update in my next post how it was.
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