Category Archives: Classic

A Well Spun 1001 Nights | Lifesaver Stories

20 Saturday May 2017

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Book Title: Tales from the Thousand and One Nights

Translator: N/A

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

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A Bird’s Eye View

About the Storyteller:

The storyteller of this book is a woman with a set agenda of saving her life. Each story is well woven to provide the right kind of interest to know its conclusion and additional day of living.

Story in a Nutshell:

The stories are set in a combination of betrayal, adventure, blood and gory details. They are well spun with an interesting closure which makes sure that interest is sustained for another night. The Minister’s daughter marries the Shah to prevent untimely death of young women in the country. The Shah feeling cheated out by his betraying wife decides to get married to a young bride and have her executed on the next day.

Scheherazade is the minister’s daughter who decides to keep the Shah from killing further young women due to a unfair conclusion that all women are unfaithful. The tales to pass the night becomes so interesting that the Shah is willing to allow Scheherazade to live another night. She spins tales in such a way that she gets extra nights to live. Until eventually, the Shah understands his folly in assume all women to be unfaithful and conniving personalities.

My Likes and Dislikes

The part that I really liked was the times when the Genie used to appear. Of course the initial stories were really very dark. But later on there are changes in the stories becoming a little light-hearted. I could inference the fact that the Shah’s view on women changes with each consecutive stories. This speaks for the storytelling capacity of Scheherazade. She spins the tale is such a way that it confirms the belief system of the Shah. With each turn in the listener’s mood the stories also change.

One thing that I disliked about the stories were the presence of really dark details. The fact that the characters and setting where in and around the Middle East. The settings were not as clear as the characters motives for me. But within the limits of the storyteller’s intelligence in expanding the settings to outside world was achieved by resorting to limited setting description.

My Opinion

This book would be an excellent read for grown up readers who are fascinated by well spun creative stories. The more edited and abridged version of the story is acceptable for young readers. The stories are well told to the specific listener’s need. The magic of Arabian night settings are exceptional given the limitation in the exposure of the storyteller to the outside world

Ravana’s Point of View | Will Retain His Ten-Heads!

12 Friday May 2017

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Book Title: Asura – Tale Of The Vanquished

Author: Anand Neelakantan

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

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A Bird’s Eye View

About the Storyteller:

Anand Neelakantan is an Indian writer born on 5th December, 1973. He has written three fictional books on the great Indian epics “Ramayana” and “Mahabharatha.” He is from Kerala and much of his writing is influenced by the culture of the state. In this book, he has intellectualized Ravana within the parameters of being the villain of the plot; but makes him a thoughtful villain. This book was his debut novel published in May 2014 and it became an instant bestseller within a week.

Story in a Nutshell:

This is Ravana’s version of the Ramayana. Seen from his point of view in which he just doesn’t try to justify anything and is honest in his villainy. The novel is a back story of Ravana and how he became the very fearsome opponent of the warrior Rama. The aftermath of war and the victor’s cold blooded actions over the vanquished party becomes quite a fertile ground which was explored by the author.

My Likes and Dislikes

The narration is very compelling and plays around with the internal monologue of a thinking Ravana and other thinking sub-ordinate characters. This version of Ravana is quiet interesting when he places those existential questions that are relevant even today; he seems progressive. Ravana’s point is why deny the pleasures of the world so that which is been abstained on the material world become a possession earned in the celestial world. Logically for him that point is totally pointless.

The one thing that I liked about the book was the author’s intention not to paint Ravana as a completely evil person, but as someone with human factors. This Ravana is someone who we can relate to and find similarity in. The post war descriptions were gruesome and created disturbing images in my mind.

The one thing that I disliked about the novel was the fact that it dragged on like a four years television series. I am not sure if I was looking for a closure for this story. Ravana’s vanquished state doesn’t mean a happy ending; but it left behind an afterthought of what was the point of war and strife. Anand Neelakantan’s Ravana is much more intellectual person than the general understanding that he was someone who was an illicit abductor of Sita.

My Opinion

I enjoyed reading the book deep into the night and trying to understand logic that Ravana used for justifying his journey of choices. The point is that the choices by Ravana were made based on the fact that he felt them right. I liked the fact that, all the characters had an internal dialogue going within them that keeps justifying their actions. I would say it is a good one time read if long books are your preferences.

My First Romance That Became a Habit

30 Sunday Apr 2017

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Book Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

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A Bird’s Eye View

Author Bio:

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England. This Georgian era writer dared to be different in an period which believed that a woman’s only aim in life to be married well in life. Her stories became popular among the present day readers. The fact that Jane tried to express her thoughts with clarity and with much sensitivity gives her books a feeling of familiarity.

Story in a Nutshell:

The story is a simple process of match fixing based on factor called love. The couples whose lives have been set forward for discussion are unique and have their own character faults. Jane plays into each social, emotional and intellectual element to bring out a wonderful romance that was well thought-out plot progress.

My Likes and Dislikes

I really liked this novel a lot because it was so close to Indian social setting that is still seen in the present day. I was taken in by the wonderful sense of similarity that I found in the 18th Century England and the present day 21st Century India. But our arranged marriage have been extolled for the patience shown by the couple. It seemed like novel were speaking of arranging love to fit a well settled marriage proposal for a young lady.

I didn’t have much to dislike in this book because I feel more helpless at the stifling factor of marriage. The entire female fraternity did nothing but just get ready for the next ball and talk about trinkets of suitability of match. At one point I couldn’t take it anymore.

The saving grace is that the story is beautifully flows into each section when the main characters undergo change of heart. That kept me reverted to the story so much that I was quiet agreeable to the subject.

My Opinion

This book is an excellent tea-break read-up. If you don’t much thought for arranged or love marriage, then I feel this book might be difficult to consume; but if you wish to experience the yester eras then this is a best book to try out. In my case I am still stuck in the cloud with the thoughts of finding a marriage that really didn’t have any friction in it. I am rather curious as to how Elizabeth and Darcy would have lived. Since this feel good book ends with Elizabeth finding a match that was made of love and financial sound too.