Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Pages :  560

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 3.94/5

Review: I hate hype. Such a damper. Before you conclude that this blog has and probably will bash more books than praise , please hear me out. 

No surprise that this book has been around for a while and has managed to be the most voted in the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2012. Majority of the people who I know have read this loved the creep factor. Unfortunately it failed to scare me.

Don't get me wrong , I love a good psychological thriller , especially if it's Hitchcock-esque. I got excited. Inquisitive me went through this book without reading a single review or comment terrified of spoiler contents. I guess now I can say it wouldn't have made a difference. I found it way too predictable. I sat there clutching this book hoping a brain-exploding thriller with a reasons so complex and deep rooted that it would horrify me. ( Well , to some extent it did )

Part One of the book was slow. Stagnant if I should say but I know that's only to build momentum in the pages to come. So I knew I had to keep going. May be it's due to the fact that me and several other Goodreads reviewers have read ample thrillers, mysteries , Stephen King , Mary Higgins Clark , *Insert favourite mystery author here* , that the clues left in Part One itself were way too stark to ignore.

Part Two gets to the point and really picks up pace. This part I have to say kept me going. I was dying to get to the end and to some extent I can say it wasn't all that disappointing. It did have some favourable twists and turns.

What really bothered and disturbed me aside from the rather crass language  and profanity , was the misogynistic tone in the book. I get it. That was probably required in the story but the feminist in me couldn't ignore the chorus of 'Women are crazy!' statuses and comments that erupted on social media soon after the movie trailer was released. This book is one case. One example. It does not apply to each and every woman out there.

The only way I can see this book is as a dark comedy not really a thriller despite the unexpected end that does mimic a Hitchcock style screenplay but on the whole this book left a bad after-taste. It baffled me. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it either. I did enjoy the mind games. That's about it. Nothing more nothing less. I do certainly agree with a lot of Goodread reviewers that this book was long. Unnecessarily long for the kind of plot this is. It drags more than actually tell whats happening next or what the changes in the scenario are.

Would I recommend this book to everyone? May be just to see what they thought once they were done with it. 

Final Rating : 3/5

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Book Review : Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Pages :  296

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 4.02/5

Review: This is my first time reading Murakami. May be I hadn't done my research well but  from the way people talked about Norwegian Wood  and Kafka on Shore I expected something thunderous. Not that this wasn't. 

Everyone loves a good coming-of-age story but not every novel leaves a lasting impression. Perks of Being a Wallflower ( both film and movie ) were successful in my eyes, Norwegian Wood may not be as heartwarming as that.

There's no real plot as such. Just the story of university student , Toru Watanabe  and his dilemmas regarding love , life , depression , sexuality and death. The Goodreads synopsis claims Toru to be preternatural. I would say Toru isn't common , nor is he in anyway special. He's more impulsive in his actions , mainly done to fill in voids that incidents in life has left him with in such an early age.  The way he reacts and deals with situations I would classify as normal. The hopelessness and helplessness of the labyrinth is identifiable. 

Strangely I found myself caring more about the supporting characters than Toru himself. Midori and Hatsumi being my favourite. Most people have pointed out the annoyance of all the characters being self-engaged and constantly talking about their past. A refreshing change from the usual ' I don't know where we stand'  talks. Not all relationships have or need to have a name . Some great relationships become dormant and fade over time and good people end up getting hurt. 

I can't really help describe this book without mentioning the feelings and moods it invoked in me. At first it did start slow like all contemporary novels and then the whirlwind of emotions hits you and then you feel the stagnation of being in a trough. Toru , to me  was like snowfall, quiet but irregular.  Noako was the dampness that followed, Midori was wind on a pleasant day , Reiko was hot green tea.  The book reminded me of sunset, twilight after it had rained all afternoon. It makes you feel warm inside yet gloomy at the same time. It breaks your heart yet makes you feel alive. I guess that is the real reason why just like everyone else I too am a fan.

Now If I haven't contradicted myself enough , I will go ahead and contradict myself more. This book is not for everyone. Despite it selling millions of copies worldwide and rivaling J.K Rowling's new books themselves , I would still feel there is a niche audience that would really love this book. There are several stages in the book that have lead to puzzlement and impending loneliness.  The dark cloud that looms overhead will not go away from a long time and  a gust of wind will not avert it either. Also , I feel I have to mention this , a lot of adult content will be found in this book. In fact , sex , and by that I don't mean passionate love making but sex is a huge partake in the story.

Next ,I'm going to give the movie a chance and watch the characters come to life :)

Final Rating : 4/5

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Crimson Venom

Artist : Sung Jin Kim

She walks down the street all by herself , lost in thought . The sun gleams overhead . She barely notices it and keeps walking . Everyone around her looks at her. It was hard not. She wasn't meant to be lost in the crowd. She always shone, she was born to standout.
She doesn't know this. She doesn't know how her presence itself meant she wasn't ordinary. Beauty lies in modesty. She never thought of herself as pretty yet everyone called her beautiful.
Faces pass her everyday. Some take a fleeting glimpse at her. Some would try to hold her gaze and look into to her soul. Well , they tried. She would let them, let them look into her face , into her hazel eyes. They couldn't resist touching her face. They would reach out for her , touch her skin tenderly, with gentle fingertips they'd caress her cheeks , her chin , her neck , down her back then stop at her waist. They pull her close and steal kisses from her lips.
They can't stop . They want more , hungrily trying to devour her like crumbling a rose in their fists. She can't give in. It feels unnatural, plastic. But they can't stop now. They don't realize that they're getting poisoned. Poisoned by crimson lips, one that makes you crave it more. This venom cannot be purged out of their skin even if they wanted to. Oh but it tastes so sweet , you can't stop yourself from drinking it.
She pushes them away , cuts off supply. Still in their light-headed haze they reach out for her. They want her. They don't know she's not anyone's to keep. She belongs to no one but herself.
She looks up at them with her hazel eyes. , presses a finger to their lips.
They melt.
She walks away. Back into the crowd.

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Book Review : The Mistress of Spice by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Pages :  338

Read on : Physical book

Goodreads Rating : 3.47/5

Review:  I'm very secure with my weirdness as strange as it may sound. But sometimes I can't help wonder what influences ratings on Goodreads. Books that seem to have a good 4 stars often don't go down well enough for me. I seriously detest hype. May be what I seek from a story-line is different from reading casually for leisure.

First , let me be clear. Living in Oman I don't have access to the best bookstores or libraries. I sorely miss Blossoms in Bangalore, Flora Fountain in Bombay and Flipkart ( My wishlist is ridiculously exorbitant tehehehe).

So I make it a point to buy hard copies of Classics and books by Indian authors ( Patriotism!) , fantasy/dystopian YA all go in the kindle. 

On with the review! This is my first time reading Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and I know it won't be the last. I had watched the movie years ago. Of course , Aishwarya Rai was her stunning self, All in all the film was very lukewarm however the concept seemed to stay with me. A little late in attaining this read but It did not disappoint. 

The plot is as the name suggests. An old woman , Tilo , running a small spices store in Oakland , knows the strength of each and every spice and secretly helps her customers get rid of their woes solely by infusing these spices in their cooking. Of course it doesn't stop there. Since Tilo is a 'Mistress' she lives a very restricted life. She isn't allowed to leave her store come what may , she mustn't use them for her personal need , she must not give in to beauty and most importantly she cannot be unfaithful to the spices. Translation : she must not , cannot fall in love. No points for guessing what happens next!

Majority of reviewers on Goodreads have rated this book with 2 to 3 stars , 4 being rare. Most of these reviewers, especially the ones belonging to the west have stated that this book gives them a peek at the Indian culture.  However , being Indian myself , more appropriately the book gives more insight on the traditional cooking than widely the culture itself.  Each individual spice has been justified in its culinary and metaphoric usage making this quite a fragrant read. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni does a fantastic job of getting down every detail of the spices that will tantalize your sense. Every page effervescent with their invigorating smell. 

As controller of the spices , Tilo's life is turbulent and initially plagued by issues faced by common rural India - the burden of an unwanted girl-child  and her skin tone being 'dark as mud'.

Personally I feel that in order to convey the aromatic magic of the spices , Divakaruni's poetic, metaphoric style of writing is justifiable. Most reviewers and readers have placed this is a down point stating it as overwhelming, unnecessary and even redundant. I do have to agree with one point though. The end of the story which was a very abrupt halt. You would expect Tilo to suffer some serious consequences for her heart-over-spices choices instead she was left with a very favorable and manageable situation. A bit too perfect for my liking. 

Overall , If you are someone who appreciates literature , enjoys descriptive writing and loves to be engulfed in magical realism, This book is a fantastic read. I can see the desire behind turning this book into a film , although that did happen , The Mistress of Spices is still more a literary adventure than a bewitching adaptation.

Final Rating : 4/5

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Blue

Artist : Audrey DeFord

I see you in blue.

With all your hair cut off, 

I see you in blue.

On a dark star-less night,

Waiting for something you haven't called for,

Seeking for something you haven't summoned for,

Looking for something that has no idea you are waiting for,

On a windless night.

I see you in blue.

A Persian blue that washes you out,

Highlights the whirlpools of your eyes,

On a moonless night,

I see you in blue.

Time is slipping by, 

The eerie silence of the night,

You don't cease to bide your time,

And I still see you in blue.

Searching

He looks at the analog clock on his phone , pacing his steps around. Guess she's running late. From a corner she appears, blonde hair flopping on her shoulders. He smiles halfheartedly.  Tries his best to make it seem genuine knowing very well that he'd fail miserably. A flashback over comes him. He was fine all this while. Or so he thought. Somewhere inside a part of him wanted it to be that girl with red hair.

'Hi,' blonde hair says. ' Hey how are you ? ' He says.

They begin walking. He feels no urge to hold her hand like he had done with Her. They sit. They talk. He doesn't comprehend a thing this one says.  This one flips her hair and rolls her eyes a lot. It doesn't faze him. This one looks straight at him with her green eyes whenever she talks as if she was trying to put a spell on him to control him. Green , not warm chestnut brown like Hers.

This one doesn't talk about her literary adventures with child-like excitement. This one doesn't talk about her love for dark romanticism. This one doesn't look at him with brave innocence. This one wasn't weird. Well , that's a good thing right? Then why was he looking for it ?

They get up and start walking towards his car. This one is tall , not 5 ft 4 inches and petite like Her. 

They drive to his house , walk into his bedroom. He tries to make minimum effort to tidy his room for his new guest. This one kicks her shoes off and climbs into his bed suggestively.  He follows suit. There are no candles lit like he had done for Her. No neatly made bedspreads like he had for Her. No tenderness with this one like he had done for Her.

She takes her clothes off revealing smooth flawless skin. No mole on the right side of her neck and between her breasts like Hers. No tattooed verses on the left side of her ribs like Her. No severe scars slicing the back of her arm , hips , elbow  and shoulder. Like Her.

With mechanical movements he gives into lust . Intimacy was only with Her. They climax , finish up, she turns and falls into deep slumber. He doesn't even try to put an arm under her pillow like he had done with Her. He doesn't moves her hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear like he had done with Her. He doesn't hold this one through the night like he had done with Her. 

He can't sleep. He doesn't even try to fight it. The sun rises , she wakes up and puts on her clothes 'That was fun,' she says ' Should do this again.'  ' Yeah' he murmurs.

She leaves. He closes his eyes and succumbs to his memories.

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Book Review : Every Day by David Levithan

Pages :  322

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 4/5

Review :  Oh. My. God. This book was so unexpectedly beautiful that even now writing about it makes my heart heavy. Of course I picked it up for the unique story line. Little did I expect it to have such a lasting impression on me.

A is a person who wakes up in a new body everyday from the time he was born. We aren't told A's gender or age or any details of him that may define him as an individual. He has no friends , no idea where his family is and confides in no one about his condition. Until one day he wakes up in 17 year old Justin's body and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon and falls in love with her immediately.

There are plenty of YA fantasy and dystopian authors with the most compelling and mind boggling plot line but not many have been this poignant. 

This book is real. The situations that arise in this book are all relatable. A struggles in professing his love for Rhiannon and most of the time though Rhiannon eventually accepts it , the everyday changes in A makes it really difficult for her to be in a  consistent relationship. There are days when A becomes a woman , on those days he ( assuming ) notices that Rhiannon keeps a slight distance from him. There are days when A  may be an older guy , a disabled person , an obese teenager , a metal head , a maid , an alcoholic, a drug addict. He's lost count of all the people he has been , all the areas he has been in. But somehow , although not always he manages to make an effort and tries to be with Rhiannon and every time she sees him she needs to process who exactly he is ever so frequently. As a protagonist, A doesnt whine or constantly complaining about his condition , he has a very clear strategy to which he strictly adheres to and truly tries to  take the day as it comes.

The helplessness of the situation is heartbreaking but true. Just like in our day-to-day life ,we may have come across people who we really wish had stayed but it just didn't happen.This book primarily and on the whole questions the choices we make , who we are and what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. Time being an essential component in the novel also makes you realize the value of being just ordinary , of being just okay.

Seeing that most love stories , great love stories included, have either ended in cliched triumph or in death , this is one story where it has been abandoned due to situation, which genuinely and realistically tells you that love cannot conquer it all. So don't be surprised by the slightly philosophical shades in the book. 

Since the main topic is about not being able to have a fixed body of their own , the relationship between A and Rhiannon is very tender. There aren't a whole lot of times when Rhiannon has been physically attracted to him and A is hesitant in being intimate with her because he feels using someone else's body would be morally wrong. 

Rumor has it that David Levithan is set to publish a sequel to this book in 2015. Although the urge to know what will happen next and what other avenues A might explore in order to control his condition and be with Rhiannon  , I see this book as an excellent stand-alone. Yes , most readers might be annoyed by the fact that not a lot has been justified and all  arisen questions may have been left unanswered but that's the beauty of it! 

I personally feel that this book would be excellent for a book club discussion. The opinions and views that each one would have would be extremely diverse with a tinge of one's own philosophical essence. Some would want to nit pick on every detail and explore the driving force behind A's actions and some would want to try to work within the situation. A likely chance that an array of opinions would highlight  every possible angle in the story. Either way this book is a must read for all. Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

Final Rating : 5/5

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