Book Review of Pittho's World

Book: Pittho's World

Author: Murtaza Razvi

Price: Rs. 299

Publisher: Harper Collins

Often a reader attracts towards a book because of its captivating title and a decent cover page. But, today's readers also counts the descriptive page of the book. If the story sounds fascinating, it barely happens that the book doesn't find its space on the shelf. With Harper Collins, in association with Indiblogger, distributing books for the review, I had joined the bandwagon and was eager to read the 'tale of love and happiness' as mentioned at the back of this book.

But, to my utter disappointment, the Pittho's World didn't serve its audience with a delightful work. This piece of narration by a renowned journalist of Pakistan- Murtaza Razvi- is an unconvincing collections   of tales from the family of the protagonist. I found myself similar to his girlfriend who didn't seem much interested to the plots. In fact, it makes one believe that the author knew the response of its readers. It felt like the book has been written in rush and the author didn't pay heed to the plotting and the execution of the stories. The tone of the book is not engaging and it doesn't let you continue with the book.

The chronicles are not imaginative and exciting, and moreover they are just mere conversations that didn't help to craft an enchanting  story. A full chapter is devoted to the history of Karachi which seems unfit. Also, the title of the book is very misleading. I flipped many pages to get to the character of Pittho, and finally when I arrived to it; it didn't persuade me enough that why this character should be entitled with this honour. I didn't find anything commendable to recommend except the cover page. So, the whole credit for making this book look interesting goes to the cover designer, and the rest is disheartening. 




  

Book Review of English Bites!

Book: English Bites!

Author: Manish Gupta

Price: Rs. 250

Publisher: Penguin Books India

English is a funny language! So, Manish Gupta, the banker-turned-author, thought to make people learn & retain English vocabulary in a quirky way and not by rote.

When I came to know that the author is willing to give his book, through a dear friend Manjulika Pramod; I left a mail immediately in the inbox of the writer, and within two days the book was on my hand.

This lexical fiction has been told through anecdotes of his own life experiences where he has been in this journey to get the nuances of English since childhood days. Yes! You got it right. He is continuing his drive to bring out another book for the abecedarian (or even the proficient one) to get the best of the international language.

Any language is a vast place to learn, and it’s not feasible to retain every word. Here, this book comes to your rescue to get meanings, synonyms, contronyms, pronunciation, and origin of words through the methodology of etymology, mnemonic, and references to the websites and books which helped him achieve this command. He amazes you with the painstaking research of words he went through, and inspires you to do the same. 

I loved his poetic endeavors to make us retain the words in a beautiful way.              

One of them is here: A placid fellow with a complacent look

         tried hard to placate the implacable cook.  

The only thing which stings me is the railroad joke (page no. 108) he shared with his readers. It seems like an item song in a film like Madras Café. I wish it would have been omitted.

When I got this book with a gratitude note by the author, it made me little apprehensive about the book.  There it was written “Thanks very much” which is grammatically wrong. You may write ‘thanks’ or ‘thank you very much’ either of them, but the marriage isn’t on the cards. So, I decided to give full attention to every single word elaborated as a footnote by the author. Often, a slight misconstruction in a meaning brings out a different picture to the world.  But, later I didn’t find any other fault except one! The word ‘trivia’. Trivia means: things with little importance; small things/information having no significance. It’s meaning isn’t confined to just ‘small things’. In my opinion, minute details should be given heed while writing a self-help book, and shouldn’t be considered trivia which might otherwise bring disrepute.

But, that doesn’t undermine his book, because there is much more to learn. You are going to learn words without vowels like: cwm, lynx, cyst, etc., and words with maximum letters like: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.  To get the meanings of all bold letters you shall have to buy this book.  

My suggestion shouldn’t be taken as insinuation. I don’t claim to be the master of the language. I’m still learning; so if anyone of you wants to leave any feedback, I warmly welcome you.

NOT ONLY THE THiNGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED: Book Review

Author: Mridula Koshy

Publishing Company: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 352

Price: Rs. 499

With IndiBlogger’s “Pick a Book” offer and my inquisitiveness for the literary work made me order this literature fictionby Mridula Koshy.

This thick book of 350 pages has been told in 3 days (18-20 May 2004) at the United States & South India, and travels onto the past & the future. A melancholic tale of a woman- who relinquishes her four-year old son & her son- who struggles for a story that will allow him to live, this story leaves you with a grief-stricken silence that its main characters: Annakutty and Asa Gardner possess with time till the end.

Annakutty abandons her four-year old son born out-of-wedlock under coercion, and regrets her decision lifetime. She waits for her son on deathbed, and at the same time her son who dwells faraway at the U.S. lands in Delhi to explore the details in apropos of his past which would meet him his biological mother. Whether their patience releases them from their past or leaves them apart, you unfold your own.

Ah! This narration has, indeed, checked my patience that how far I could carry on with the melancholy. It’s been written in a certain way that after a time you might get jaded, but even then you keep it up for the disclosure of climax where every next situation garnered up a muddle against it.

This story doesn’t belong to only Annakuty & her son, but it’s also a story of Saramma, Mrs. Oster, and Marge.

I observed that a few of paragraphs might be done without which I felt just add-on the pages. Like the one where Tessibaby was travelling on plane, and some other paragraphs on: menstruation, smooching, breast, and sex. Though, they were add-ons, but I didn’t feel the book has anything to do with intimacy as commented by Jeet Thayil on the back of the cover page.

But yes, the book tells us that how people are so much obsessed with beauty, where black is always ugly.

Also, a few of grammatical errors, esp. punctuations, make you baffled with what the author is really conveying. And, if you aren’t acquainted with the South Indian language, it might take time to get that Annachechi was referred to Annnakutty.

Notwithstanding that, the story engages you till the end and leaves you perplexed. It believes that one should remember not only the things that have happened but also the things that are going to happen. It’s a story that holds optimism under the shadow of dark clouds. It deserves to be read, but you won’t read it again for its gloomy tale.

Shiva’s Fate in the Land of The Immortals of Meluha: Book Review

Author: Amish Tripathi

Publishing Company: Westland Ltd.

Pages: 397

Price: Rs. 195

With a sadhu in its cover page gesturing it as a mythological fiction (as I am not greatly inclined towards mythology & history), I didn’t give it a damn to reading this piece of narration, a debut by Amish (Tripathi) -who prefers to be called by his first name only as he doesn’t endorse caste system, which his first series of trilogy depicts where Lord Ram established the Maika system in the empire.  But, it’s instant hullabaloo in the market, and a recommendation with urge by the bookseller made me turn its pages. So, apparently certain anxiety groomed to read the magical thrill behind the scenes.  

It had failed to impress me first time, and I decided to lock it in the cupboard. But then, I went for a second chance to romance with the depiction of landscape & lifestyle of Gunas & Meluhans up to a few of pages, until I found a solace.

Shiva is a Tibetan immigrant whose tribe gets chosen by the Meluhans to spend a peaceful and rich lifestyle in a near perfect empire. This decision of migration might change the fate of Shiva for he would not be the chief but a regular guy. He accepts the offer as it should be better off rather to fight the Pakratis everyday for the survival.

With his entrance in the kingdom of Daksha, his destiny turns, to the depth of confusion, which he eventually accepts. And, its credit goes to the medicinal drink- Somras- which brought blue colour to the throat of Shiva, and thus, he was being declared Neelkanth- the god of Gods who had been eagerly awaited by the Meluhans to protect them from the evil spirits, Chandravanshis.  The sense of duty of Neelkanth towards the Meluhans was also driven by his love for Sati. Sati was a vikarma, where her bad fate had been carried off with an unfortunate event in the past. Amid the misery of where Shiva’s fate drives him, he found unveiled truth about the Chandravanshis. Later, with the guidance of Pandits he found serenity without discrimination.

In the last two pages, Pandit advises Shiva to go for his wife’s comforting embrace as they would discuss the conversation later, and here Amish leaves readers with the anxiety of ‘next what?’.

So, to unveil the truth behind the picture, you have to spend some bucks for the next two books in series.  ;)

I observed that the author had gone with the flow so much that he forgot to answer the queries of his protagonist (Shiva) – why did his tribe get chosen by the Meluhans.

I liked the way the author has portrayed the character of Daksha in respect to Shiva, unlike its depiction in the Hindu mythology; which brought my interest to read the other characters. I applaud his questioning of Lord Ram’s verdict for Sita.

Love of Shiva and Sati was very much Bollywood style which might be the raison d’être of its movie version- soon to be filmed. Albeit, it fascinated me first, but later it seemed exaggerated with their contest over the choice of baby.  

With some grammatical errors, I doubt if the editors have displayed their consummation with conviction.  

It’s a plain fiction with its characters’ names in resemblance with the characters of the Hindu mythology. Don’t misunderstand it with anything to do with mythology. It interested me later despite my mood swing, so yes, it’s readable. I have found it average one.

Tell me, how much it fascinated you.