Tag: friendship

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The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Rating: 4 Stars

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is a curveball that comes and hits out of nowhere! I was not ready for the impact of this story at all. This book is considered a classic, and it is rare to find a bad review for this book. All the reviews that I have ever read of Donna Tartt’s books have cemented her as a critic’s darling in my eyes. This to me, means that her books are difficult to read and full of verbose philosophy. The Secret History is exactly that, and so much more.

The book starts off with a vibe similar to that of Dead Poet’s Society. You are tricked into thinking that this is a story about a teacher’s influence on his students. It’s not. Maybe there’s some shade of Lord of The Flies here. No, not really. As I read on (with much difficulty in the beginning), I thought maybe later books like We Were Liars were based on this book. Again, there’s no similarity except in the most superficial sense. It is useless to compare it to any book. It is original and shocking in its coldness and lack of feeling. This is Dark Academia at its best.

From the beginning, the characters cause conflict within the reader. They are odd, unemotional, and leave you feeling cold. None of these people elicit any sympathy in the the heart of the reader; not even the murder victim whose murder is the central theme of the book.

Richard Papen is nineteen years old when he comes to Hampden College in Vermont. He is from a small town in California, and all he wants in life is to get away from his roots. He becomes obsessed with a teacher and his exclusive group of students studying ancient Greek, and wants to join the class by any means.

However, once inside the clique, he realizes that these four boys and one girl are not as golden as he thought. Instead of becoming disillusioned, Richard becomes even more enamored of his new friends. Finally, he starts to feel like he belongs. Still, he cannot shake the feeling that his new friends are hiding something from him.

The truth, when it hits him, is wild and gruesome. Yet, Richard is by no means repelled or disgusted by it all. He is ready to do whatever is needed to get rid of all irritants and threats to his friends. What follows is something bound to end in disaster.

For a debut novel, this has to be one of the greatest that I have read. No wonder this book inspired a whole new genre of Dark Academia. Donna Tartt draws such a vivid picture of Vermont in fall and winter, that you cannot help but give a real shudder. The cold feels real, the darkness feels menacing, and at times, you can even smell the cigarette smoke! The mood is oppressive and heavy on the heart. There are no comic reprieves, just more coldness and cruelty.

It is no mean feat to write a book where you feel no sympathy for any of the characters, yet are unable to stop reading. You feel the need to read what happens next because something like this can never end well. And it doesn’t, but not in the way you expect it to. The climax is sudden and unexpected; it comes out of nowhere. But once you read it, you realize that it makes a twisted sort of sense. However, there were a couple of things that I was uncomfortable with. The hint of racism and Islamophobia was one. The other was the fact that Henry emerges as a hero when he was anything but!

It is definitely not easy to read The Secret History. It requires concentration and attention; and a little bit of heartlessness. But if you’re capable of all this, the book will not disappoint. I love the way Donna Tartt writes, and have become a fan. Still, I don’t think I will recommend this book to everyone. Certainly not for the sensitive and easily offended audience.

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Review: The Family Tree

Rating: 4.5 Stars

First and foremost, I want to thank Sairish Hussain for writing The Family Tree. It was so refreshing to read about people that I could relate to; people like me, my friends, and my family. There have been very few books about people of Pakistani origin that portray them as normal, everyday humans, with average families and average lives, without the specter of religion haunting the whole story, sometimes even overshadowing it!

The story spans a period of some 24 years, from 1993 to 2017, and is the tale of a family living in Yorkshire. The mother dies in childbirth and leaves behind a new-born girl and a ten year old boy. This situation is bewildering and upsetting for the poor father. He fights his way through depression and brings up his children to the best of his ability. There is nothing stereotypical about this man, or any other man in this book. These characters are all as real as any living person.

Amjad is a British-born man. His parents migrated to Britain from Pakistan before his birth. He works at a warehouse and lives in a modest house, but dreams of giving his children a better life. Dreaming the same dream with him is Harun, Amjad’s best friend. Amjad’s son Saahil and Harun’s son Ehsan are also inseparable and do everything together. When his wife Neelam dies while giving birth to their daughter Zarah, it shatters Amjad. He is determined to do his best by his children and give them everything that he is capable of providing.

With Harun and his wife’s support, and with Saahil helping him along, Amjad manages to give his kids a loving home, not remarrying despite his Ammi’s constant nagging. Things start looking up when Zahra turns ten, and Saahil and Ehsan are all set to graduate from engineering university. And then everything changes in just one night. The lives of all these people change after an act of senseless violence, and Amjad finds himself left alone to raise Zahra with only the aid of his ageing Ammi.

The three main characters are also the narrators of the story. There is a background of cultural and religious identities clashing with the politics of the times. The characters are so well fleshed out that it is easy to picture them all as if they were right in front of you.

While there are many instances where I might have shed a tear or two, this book is not heavy on the heart; you never feel hopeless. Every character is determined in their own way, trying to navigate life like everyone does in the real world. They have their strengths and weaknesses; their highs and lows; yet they remain hopeful. This sense of hope is why The Family Tree stands apart from other similar books.

All through the book we encounter things like racism, religious identity, inter racial friendships, sexism, and other relevant issues. Yet, not once do these issues take over the narrative and draw you away from the real story. It is like all these things are a part of life, not anyone’s whole life. And this is what makes this book amazing in my eyes.

Amjad is representative of all those fathers who live their lives for their children. His love for his family shines in his character above everything else. My heart ached so much for this man who has to raise 2 kids on his own, and yet does the best that he can to give them a better future. There are so many fathers like him in this world, who are willing to sacrifice everything for their children, and who work tirelessly towards this end.

Saahil is one of those young men whose dreams are cut short by tragic circumstances. He is forced to grow up much before his time. His actions and their consequences are so real and believable that you can’t help but feel sad for this boy. He thinks and reacts like a normal teenager and while his actions are questionable, he thankfully doesn’t succumb to the too-common fate of becoming radicalized!

Then there is Zahra.

…everyone is too busy telling us who we are. It’s time we spoke for ourselves.

My favourite character by far has to be Zahra. She is intelligent, smart, beautiful, and knows what she wants. Her identity does not confuse her, nor is she apologetic about her heritage. Zahra is a British Muslim with Pakistani roots, and the world has to accept her for who she is. It was sheer pleasure to encounter such a strong female character who doesn’t have to resort to props like a shalwar kameez or a hijab to make her a Muslim, nor does she need validation from the males around her to make her a good Pakistani girl. These are the kind of girls that I want to read about.

I would also like to add that I really love the cover of The Family Tree. It is beautiful, and so in sync with the book. Neelam’s shawl plays a major role in the story. It is the thread that binds this family together. If there is one thing that can represent this family, it is this piece of cloth. It truly does connect all three people in this family.

The Family Tree is one book that I would recommend everyone to read, whether you are a South Asian or not. I promise you will not regret it!

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Friendship Trope In Real Life

This is an ode to the friendship of all those people who have stuck by me through thick and thin, uplifted me and supported me, and sometimes even fed me to the wolves! Ladies and gentlemen, these people are commonly known as my friends. While I love all of them unconditionally, I have to admit that there are a few who embody the saying that who needs enemies when you have friends like these!

I have always been somewhat cold about friendships. I have left people behind and moved on. Even as it shames me when I think about it, I don’t think I have any lasting regrets except one. So, for a person like me, to realize that I still have friends from school who I count as my biggest supports, is quite a revelation. When I say school friends, I’m talking about 30 odd years of friendship here. That in itself is an achievement. To be able to stay together for this long even if we talk once or twice a year, is something that makes me feel warm inside. These are my Harry Potter friends. They have seen me through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and will probably be there to send me into insanity when I’m old and wrinkled!

People say that you form the strongest bonds with your school friends. While it is true, I have also found everlasting friendship in my university. These people, they refuse to leave me alone, and drag me into every crazy conversation that they’re having. Over the last 20 years, it is they who have made efforts to keep me in the loop, me being the one to do occasional disappearing acts. These are my Lord Of The Rings friends. Always ready to make grand plans and taking me on useless adventures. They make me roll my eyes and take the most pleasure in yanking their chains.

I worked in a corporate sector for just one year, and managed to make a couple of lifelong friends. My Travelling Cat Chronicles friends. I don’t see them for years, don’t talk to them for months. They live in completely different parts of the world now. Yet, I know that any time I need help, I can just call upon them and they will be there.  I know this because I have done it, and they have proven me right.

As I entered my thirties, I knew that I would never make new best friends again. It was too late, I was too set in my ways and a little bit anti-social, if I am honest.

Little did I know that just around the corner waited 5 women who would turn my life upside down. On the surface it made sense that we got together: our husbands worked in the same office, our kids went to the same school, and we lived in approximately the same vicinity. Yet, out of the many women who came under this category, the 6 of us found our way to each other. And it isn’t our husbands or kids that still keep us connected even when we are thousands of miles apart now. This is the kind of friendship that is very hard to find in the world. I present to you, my Big Little Lies friends. They are loud, irreverent, funny and will probably commit murder one of these days!

These are just a few of the friends that I am grateful for. Over the years, I have gone through regular phases of being too social or completely anti-social. I have made friends, lost touch with them, moved on, reconnected, lost touch again and so on, so forth. Some of them have stuck by me despite my shortcomings, making time for me whenever I have needed them to. I came to appreciate these amazing people when I was going through a personal tragedy a couple of years ago. They showed up, ready to support me even when I had been absent from their lives for the longest of times. 

I am thankful for all these thoughtful people today; my friends, my tribe, my family by choice.

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Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa is not the type of book that I read generally. I don’t know why I bought it, but I’m so glad I did, and that I made myself read it. The story of Nana and Satoru captures the beauty of Japan, and reaffirms your belief in selfless love, be it family, friends or man and animal.

Nana is a stray cat found and adopted by Satoru, and after five years living together, they’re now on a journey across Japan. Nana has no idea why they’re on this trip, or what is going on in Satoru’s mind, but he is content to be with his beloved human and travel the world with him.

As Nana and Satoru visit three of Satoru’s oldest friends, we gradually see the picture of Satoru’s life, and how it has been shaped by the people he has met along the way. In the midst of all this, we are also shown a picture of how beautiful and diverse Japan is. From big cities like Tokyo, to amazing places like Mount Fuji and Hokkaido, we see a Japan that is impossible to forget. As is the story of Nana and Satoru.

Even though you think you’re ready to read about what will eventually happen, it is still nearly impossible to stop your tears from flowing. I had thought this was a book for cat lovers, not people like me who have never owned a pet. Turns out, it is a story for everyone who has ever loved anyone. It is a story of love, friendship, companionship, family, and above all thankfulness.

A beautiful, beautiful book for everyone.

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Review: Daisy Jones & The Six

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid may be a fictional account of a 70’s rock band, but the stories, the songs and the music sound so real that you can’t help but think about getting your hands on that awesome album that doesn’t really exist!

The book follows the rise of Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne and his band, The Six; and how it all came to an abrupt end after a sold out show at Chicago Stadium. No one knows why it all ended the way it did when everything seemed to be going so well for the band. Now, after more than 30 years, someone is making an effort to find out what actually happened.

The book is written as an oral history, recounted by several people. However, instead of going the usual route of everyone telling their stories one by one, this book gives a voice to everyone in one go. It feels like you have a number of people in your head talking about the same thing, yet looking at it from different perspectives.

I thought Jenkins Reid was a good writer when I had read her “Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” This book confirms my belief. The way she writes about her female protagonists, it’s impossible not to feel their pain. You may not agree with their life choices, or what they stand for, but you can understand their misery.

Throughout the book, what I wanted to do the most was to hear all these great songs being talked about. You know a writer is a winner when she pushes herself to write all the lyrics for all the songs mentioned in her book! I certainly hope someone can get a real life Daisy Jones and a real life Billy Dunne to sing these songs some day!

A powerful book with a great soundtrack to accompany it!

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Review: The Hiding Place (The Taking of Annie Thorne)

Rating: 3 Stars

Ever since I read The Chalk Man last year, I had been waiting for C. J. Tudor’s next. I love thrillers that combine suspense with just the right kind of creepiness. The Chalk Man reminded me of Stephen King, but with less horror and more suspense. The Hiding Place (or The Taking of Annie Thorne) didn’t quite manage to live up to my expectations.

I realize that it is quite unfair to compare two books, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Even with that in mind, The Hiding Place turned out to be quite average as far as thrillers go.

There is no doubt that C. J. Tudor is a master storyteller. Her words have the power to transport you into the setting of the story, and actually feel the characters. The problem occurs when the characters are not strong enough to arouse any feelings inside the reader. The worst thing for a character to do is to inspire indifference. This book, while written well, fails to deliver in the give-a-damn department.

Joe Thorne never thought he’d be back in Arnhill. He thought he had left it all far behind; the toxic friendships, the incident at the abandoned mine, the suicide, and most of all, the disappearance of his sister. But he finds himself not only going back, but also lying his way into a teaching position at his former school. He has his own reasons for returning, and trying to stay low-key, one of which is a strange e-mail that he has received.

As soon as he sets foot in his hometown, Joe encounters hostility from old friends as well as new acquaintances. He is not surprised, nor is he deterred from his objective. For he knows what actually happened at the old mine the night that his beloved sister went missing. He was devastated by her disappearance, and thought that there couldn’t be anything worse than that. But he was wrong, because there was something worse that could happen, and it did. His sister came back.

The plot and characters are somewhat reminiscent of Stephen King’s It, which remains to date, the scariest book that I have ever read. But other than the most superficial similarity, The Hiding Place fails to scare and creep out. Even the most horrific scenes felt one-dimensional and just not scary enough. It was like watching a movie where the actors fail to deliver the required emotions and expressions.

It is an average thriller that while interesting will most probably fail to impress the hardcore horror/ thriller fans. However, C. J. Tudor is one writer who I will never hesitate to read, so I’m looking forward to her future endeavors. Hopefully, I will find my next favourite book then.

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Review: Where The Crawdads Sing

Rating: 4.25 Stars

I had been hearing so many good things about this book, that I was sure it was going to disappoint me. For one, the story seemed like something I could never get excited about, being set in the U.S of fifties and sixties, and for another, everyone kept harping on about how emotional it is. Fortunately, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens lived up to all the hype surrounding it.

I cannot call this story of Kya Clark, popularly known as the Marsh Girl, a roller coaster of emotions because there were only high emotions all through the book. Catherine “Kya” Clark is barely 7 when she sees her mother walk away from home, never to return. The youngest of 5 siblings, she is left alone when all her much older siblings also leave their abusive father. What follows is a tale of heartache, hardship, the resilience of human spirit in face of adversity, and the need for love and belonging in a person’s life.

Kya’s family lives in a marsh, on the outskirts of Barkley Cove, a very small town on the coast. They are known as the town trash, just one step up from the “coloreds” in North Carolina of the 1950s. When her family disappears, hardly anyone in the town is bothered. It is with the help of a black couple and an old friend of her brother, that Kya manages to survive on her own, all alone, surrounded by hundred of acres of marsh land.

While we learn of Kya’s past, there is an alternate story about the suspected murder of Barkley Cove’s golden boy, Chase Andrews. His influential parents, and many others in the town, believe that the Marsh Girl is responsible for the murder. Now Kya has to face a murder trial in a town already prejudiced against her, with the possibility of being given the death penalty.

As I read the book, I was struck by the fact that real and true love doesn’t mean making things easy for the other person. Real love is when you work towards making that person independent and able to stand on their own feet. Reading about a little girl left all alone to fend for herself was not easy. To imagine her going through life without anyone to cuddle her or take care of her, just broke my heart. At the same time, her will to survive, and her determination to win despite all the odds against her, made me cheer her on.

The book is also full of lessons on the wildlife found on the North Carolina coastal areas. All types of birds and insects make an appearance and it was hard not to stop reading and look up the creature being talked about. There are zoology lessons along with some stirring poetry that makes this book a unique experience for the reader. Many reviews talk about the murder mystery in the book. However, I was so invested in Kya and what was happening to her that I couldn’t care less about the mystery of who killed Chase, or whether it was a murder or an accident after all.

A sweet, poignant book about a girl’s journey through life, this book is recommended for those who like drama, emotions, romance and love, as well as those who like reading about wild life.

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Review: The Graveyard Book

Rating: 5 Stars

The Graveyard Book follows the adventures of “Bod” Nobody Owens, as he tries to lead a normal life, like all boys his age. Except, Bod lives in a graveyard, with his ghost parents, mad teachers, and a guardian who is neither alive nor dead. Bod is happy with his life; he is free to roam around the graveyard, discovering new things every day, playing with friends who never grow old, and having a good time in general.

This contentment with life doesn’t stop Bod from wanting to venture outside the gates of the graveyard and experience the real world. But he is not allowed to do that. The outside world is where the man Jack lives. The man Jack, who killed Bod’s real family, and who is searching for Bod to finish his task once and for all.

It seems to me that every book that I read by Neil Gaiman is better than the last, though Neverwhere has been a favourite since I first read it. The Graveyard Book seems to have taken over that place in my heart.

As always, the main character is so likable that you want to go on adventures with him and help him find his way in the world. All the other characters, from Bod’s adoptive parents, to Miss Lupescu, to Liza Hempstock (yes, there’s a Hempstock in every Gaiman book!) to all the other residents of the graveyard, are so well written that you cannot help but be amused by their antics. It is, however, Bod’s guardian, Silas, who stands out like a typical strong, silent hero from romantic movies. There is nothing romantic about Silas, except that he agreed to be the guardian of a small boy who had nowhere to go. Yet, his love for Bod is evident in everything he says and does. He is perhaps my favourite character from this awesome book.

The strength of Neil Gaiman is his ability to paint such vivid pictures with his words that it all materializes in front of your eyes. The Indigo Man, the Sleer, the ghouls, all come alive in the mind’s eye. The Lady on the Grey also makes a couple of appearances, and the Danse Macabre becomes almost real. As is evident, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

As soon as I finished, I gave it to my 11-year-old, and he loved it too. So, this is one book that everyone in the family can read if they like fantasy and dark humor.

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Review: Stardust

Rating: 4 Stars

Stardust by Neil Gaiman follows Tristran Thorn as he sets off on a quest to find a fallen star; and not just a random fallen star, but the one that his beloved Victoria Forester saw falling!

Tristran Thorn, born under strange circumstances, and brought up in the very boring and sleepy English town of Wall, has been in love with Victoria Forester ever since he can remember. Now seventeen, he wants to marry her and make all his dreams come true. Miss Forester, however, is not of the same mind. While out walking with Tristran one night, she sees a falling star, and since Tristran is making foolish promises at the time, she asks him to get her that particular star if he really wants to marry her.

And so it happens that Tristran sets out to locate this star and ventures to the other side of the wall that borders his town. Everyone knows that what lies on the other side is enchanted and magical, hence the need for the wall and the guards protecting the opening in the wall.

As an ardent Neil Gaiman fan, it is superfluous to say that I loved this book. I’m not a fan of fantasy, yet when Gaiman paints his worlds, I see them with my mind’s eye and start believing in these magical lands. Stardust is about another such place, where every character you meet, no matter how minor, is vivid and alive. Yet, Gaiman is not one for much detail. You will not see pages and pages of characteristics and appearances, which is why he appeals to me so much. I just need to know the basics, the rest I can imagine for myself, and I know that my imagination will be different from everyone else’s, and that will make my experience of the book unique to me!

There are many memorable characters in this book, my favourite being the seven sons of the Eighty-first Lord of Stormhold, and the Lilim. With unicorns, talking trees, talking animals, ships that travel on clouds, and the Fellowship of The Castle, this book is typical Neil Gaiman. I loved it, and no I don’t want to watch the movie. Sorry.

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Review: Our Kind Of Cruelty

Rating: 3 Stars

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall, is more the diary of a crazy, twisted individual, than an actual story. It is narrated by Mike Hayes while he is in prison awaiting a murder trial. His lawyer has asked him to pen down his story as seen from his perspective, and Mike is only too willing to do that.

From the first page of the book, we realize that we are dealing with an individual whose concept of reality is different from that of the rest of the world. He lives in a bubble of his own, where his most important relationship is with Verity, his girlfriend. Of course, Verity thinks that since she has broken up with him, she is free to fall in love with someone else and get married to him. She is mistaken.

What Verity’s fiancè doesn’t realize, is that it is all a game that Mike and Verity are playing with each other. Verity only wants to pay Mike back for cheating on her, and is only trying to make him repent, which he does.

The book is quite creepy, and I would probably have given it a higher rating, had I not felt it drag in the middle. The reason I continued reading was that I was looking forward to the twist, or maybe Verity’s take on things, or failing that, some other equally deranged outcome. Alas, I was disappointed.

The book is only a look into the mind of Mike Hayes, which is not a bad thing, except that it becomes quite boring to read the same thing for so long. The book could easily have been 50 pages shorter, and it would still be the same story. By the end, I was wishing really hard for some other unthinkable outcome, but it all ended as expected.

There was one thing that really made me think, and that rings true for court cases all over the world even in this day and age. People will only see what you want them to see, but whatever they see will be coloured by their own prejudices. It is, and always has been, very easy to convince juries about immorality, especially if it pertains to women. So, while they might look at a man with indulgence, a woman will get censure for the exact same thing. The book takes that thought, and runs away with it.

For me, the whole court case was clichéd. The woman will have a woman lawyer, who is a hardcore feminist, while the man will always go with the cunning lawyer, who will bend the truth to suit him and let his client get away with murder (literally!). Why can’t the male lawyer be just that, a good lawyer, who gets his client off on technicalities, rather than lies? And why can’t the female lawyer be the villian who will go to no end to discredit her opponent? It’s time to change the narrative, in my opinion.

Overall, the main idea of the book is quite creepy, and going into the mind of a deranged and obsessed man is quite fascinating. I would recommend this book for lovers of twisted tales.

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