Thursday, June 20, 2019

No presents please:Mumbai stories - Book reviewed


No Presents Please: Mumbai StoriesNo Presents Please: Mumbai Stories by Jayant Kaikini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wonderful insights in to the common man's life in Mumbai. In these stories he goes behind the masks of anonymity of the people who throng the city to realise their dreams. It helps the reader to understand the travails the common man has to undergo, the ignominy that he has to suffer, often at the hands of the high and mighty, in order to maintain his self esteem.

Kaikini also shows how Mumbai helps all those who are sincere in their efforts to succeed in life.

Would have loved it much more if the translation and editing was better. The translation is like Google translation and hence the subtle nuances of the original are lost. This book of short stories seems written essentially for the Kannada speaking people, to give them an insight into the lives of migrants to the big bad city of Mumbai. Am sure the original must have been a pleasure to read but unfortunately I do not read Kannada though am aware of the sensibilities of the Kannada speaking people.

It does bring on a smile and evokes sympathy at times for the characters specially if you are a Mumbaikar like me. 😊

A good read nevertheless.


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Saturday, June 15, 2019

Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami reviewed


Kafka on the ShoreKafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just returned last night from a fabulous journey through relationships, lives, timeless love and concepts, all woven beautifully into a surreal tale, giving flight to the readers’ imagination, by Haruki Murakami in his book ‘Kafka on the shore’.
It is awe inspiring fiction at a different level. Had never read him before and had only heard what a great writer he is. Now am part of his fan club! I only hope the next book I read written by him does not disappoint.

In Kafka on the shore, he deals with filial and sibling love, self realisation and delves into time and space dimensions to make it surreal.

He also touches briefly on the horrors of war and the justifications of draft evaders.

I like the way he has shown how literates and illiterates cope with life situations using the knowledge gained from books and or life experiences.

I will leave you with a few quotes that I loved from the book.

“…most of the books have the smell of an earlier time leaking out from between their pages – a special odour of the knowledge and emotions that for ages have been calmly resting between the covers.”

“As if it was lying in wait for me, silence wraps itself around me tightly once I’m alone.”

Here I would like to commend Philip Gabriel who has translated the novel into English from Japanese without losing out on the delicate nuances of the original.

“Unsure of where they’re heading, my words are sucked into the void.”

“…asking questions is embarrassing for a moment, but not asking’s embarrassing for a lifetime.”
“Having an object that symbolises freedom might make a person happier than actually getting the freedom it represents.”

“How you live determines how you die”

The pace of the narrative varies but never to an extent that you would want to stop reading. It is a thriller but at a different level and even the ending or climax is gentle, no screaming, just pure thrill.

Read the book to know what I mean. 🌝


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