GETTING HIGH WITH NOVELS FROM BOOKWORM CAFE

I’ve been obsessed with with novels these days and yesterday i was able to count a stunning 15 books that i’ve finished off, only some of them noteworthy through the past one month. Our library is big, i mean BIGG… and you would meet the great-grand-son of my grand-son to finish off a section alone. Aisles of noteworthy crap and everytime i go there, i can hear intellectual authors screaming out from the racks. The entire structure is huge, and u can stare at it for a good two minutes before you take your eyes off. And then there are the new sports complex and basketball court… DARN!!… i’m off track. I’ve started off with something related to novels.. didn’t i?..

so.. Why am i so engrossed in reading stuff?.. ah well… lets put it in my words.. it’s darn unique way of expressing something – perhaps the author’s quest for some answer, perhaps an idea he/she would like to convey, perhaps a critique on the society or on humanity, perhaps to narrate a real history of real people. The list, is endless as is the scope of a novel or even the sparse lines of a short story. That really makes sense.. doesn’t it?.

But then, Hitler is a real mind screwer long after he’s dead for god sake. I’ve read his Mein Kampf (thats ‘My-Freakin-story’ in german) long ago when i were a teeny weeny lingo enthusiast churning and masticating every other novel that came my way. And i came over a hard copy of it recently. I mean it.. the guy is a genius. I was a schmuck to read carefully all the views.. remember reading his concepts of an ideal square jawed race with right amouts of conviction and ideals that must be destined to rule the world.

And then there are ‘Rage of Angels’ and ‘The dooms day conspiracy‘ that i’ve borrowed from arvind.

KITE RUNNER:BOOKWORM CAFE REVIEWS

‘Everybody has a choice, standing in front of the two roads that lay ahead realization dawned that I was no exception…………’ . Neo’s famed words ring true for the protagonist of Khalid Hosseini’s path breaking novel- ‘The Kite Runner’
Set against the backdrop of the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, this book deals about a choice that the protagonist makes which makes happiness a mirage in his life.
The story travels through Afghanistan’s bullet ridden history and provides a profound insight into its transition from monarchy to ‘democracy’ under Daoud Khan to slavery under the Northern Alliance. The last few pages paint the gory details of the Taliban rule where every murmur was answered by Kalashnikov.
Silhouetted in this scenery comes the heart-wrenching tale of Amir- the protagonist and his servant’s son Hassan. The two share a unique bonding that bordered on friendship but could never break the class barrier. “I was a Pashtun and he a Hazara, nothing could ever change that.
The story takes a tearful turn when Amir, after having won a kite running competition with the unflinching support of Hassan chooses not to stand up for his friend and instead watches him being treated to the most inhuman tortures.
The incident shackles the entire flow of the narrative which then leafs through Afghanistan’s political turmoil – which is reflected in Amir’s thoughts. This unique connections makes one draw parallels with Shakespeare whose plays were dotted with such comparisons.
The ending is a brilliant and poignant moment which provides a fitting finale to a tale that touches readers of all ages.
The novel stands out for the vivid and detailed character sketches of all the characters irrespective of its importance to the central plot. ‘The Kite Runner’ is an astounding portrayal of the Afghan way of life and manages to etch a crystal clear image of the intricacies of their lives. However one aspect of this novel that sets it apart from all  is its touching narrative which could perhaps bring Bin Laden to tears.
A must read for all bookworms this book manages to breach all age barriers. Perhaps the following lines from the book itself speak volumes about it -  “His son’s body had been torn into pieces by the land mine but a smile beamed on the proud father’s face……….. Land mine, there could not be a more Afghan way of dying”

Inheritance of loss:Kiran desai

No will is required to become the heir of loss…the loss which had been the tradition, refusing to change, to give way to happiness, and one learns to live with it, to be happy, accepting it as not a loss, but something that is forever, inherently…a necessity.
Sai, the teenage orphan, who never experienced the luxury of parental love, has to drop out of parental love, has to drop out of boarding school to move to her grandfather, Jemubhai Patel’s house. The story unfolds in the beautiful reaches of Kalimpong, revolving around their lives, together with the house cook and his son, Biju. Her grandfather doesn’t make Sai’s life any better through his cold blooded heart. He was a father whom her mother never had. He had vacated her mother of the love that her parents had for Sai.
The adventure of love begins for Sai, when Gyan, a Nepali, takes up the responsibility of becoming her home tutor. Their love blossoms until there rises an insurgency in the hills and the agitated Gorkhas restore to violence to win the privileges that have been denied to them. Gyan has to make a choice, which will decide Sai’s future.
Sai, still hopeful for a happy future, awaits Gyan. Jemubhai is losing the continuous fight against the memories of his past life. Biju is away abroad, struggling in the other world, heart still with his father in India. They are different people belonging to different worlds. But loss and hope tie the together in a weak but intact thread.
Kiran Desai brings to us a masterpiece, funny at times when she delves into the hearts of the innocent post independence India; passionate in her idea of love prevailing in the most unusual situations, and hopeful that one day they will have a choice, the life’s wand in their hands.