The World Book Fair at New Delhi is about to begin, and INDIAreads will be there.

Do visit the INDIAreads stalls – we can’t wait to have you paw our brand new merchandise even as you struggle to manage a cheap sandwich with one hand, and a screaming brat with the other.

It’s always a pleasure to hear you gossip about the authors in hushed tones (“Amartya Sen – isn’t he the guy that invented Amul..?”), and it really makes our day when you ask us 50 painfully mundane questions and end up buying nothing. We live for those moments!

The theme at this year’s fair shall be ‘Indian Cinema’.

Cinema and Literature – Really…?

As long as the cinematic medium has existed, the movie industry has looked to literature for both inspiration and content.

But when turning a literary masterpiece into a movie, do the two mediums share enough commonalities so as to enable a smooth transition…?

The filmwallahs would answer ‘yes’. From ‘About A Boy’ to ‘Wuthering Heights’, the conversion of popular books to big screen pictures has been a recurring theme in film, particularly in recent years with the success of huge franchises like Harry Potter and the Twilight saga.

While much discussion centers around adaptations that aren’t seen as having lived up to the literature on which they are based, there are many adaptations that actually enhance an existing story; or completely supersede it.

Example: Fight Club – a brilliant movie, stemming from an okay novel.

Or Clueless, which takes a novel from 1815 and makes it relevant to the modern day by setting the story of Jane Austen’s Emma in the context of a Beverly Hills high school.

But all faffing aside – the tendency to make film adaptations of books stems largely from the desire for a guaranteed audience, and is not quite the ‘natural progression’ for a book as advocated by some filmmakers.

Flipside? Stories are abridged, scenes are added, movie-only fans (newbies, resented by the hard core lit enthusiasts) are born, and those who followed the series from its inception are often left feeling a little disappointed at the end product.

The greatest difference between movies and novels is that cinemagoers share a much more social, passive experience than bookworms – who enjoy an active, solitary read. This means that while those reading the book have their own visions of characters and events, film audiences are forced to share a single vision of what these aspects of the story look like.

This alienates the book fan further – what was once a personal experience for him/her, is now universal; with the perceptions and prejudices of producers, directors, actors and audiences – all influencing the final product.

All is not lost, though.

In Part II, we shall take a look at some of the more successful experiments to have managed the leap from literature to cinema.

Leddies.

The Velenntyne Day is here, and louve is in the air.

(sniff) Can you smell it?

Annyway.

Let’s celebrate romance by taking a look at some of the more romantic literary characters to have tumbled out of ‘romance novels‘ (and similar works of propaganda that were almost certainly metaphors for the authors’ own failed love lives);

1. Edward Rochester of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre – (Alternately cold, imperious, and withholding; he proposes to Jane without disclosing the much-married madwoman imprisoned in his attic)

2. Richard Sharpe of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series – (“He’ll fall in love with anything in a petticoat”, according to Patrick Harper – Richard’s loyal friend)

3. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice – (In 2010, a protein sex pheromone in male mouse urine, that is sexually attractive to female mice, was named Darcin in honour of the character)

4. Heathcliff of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights – (A man prone to domestic violence, kidnapping, murder and digging up dead lovers – a fact perhaps unknown to Gordon Brown when he compared himself to “an older Heathcliff, a wiser Heathcliff” in 2008.)

5. Rupert Campbell Black of Jilly Cooper’s The Rutshire Chronicles – (Cooper has acknowledged that Rupert’s character is based upon Andrew Parker Bowles, the ex-husband of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Incidentally, she left him for Prince Charles – a man with a face for radio)

That’s just the beginning of my list. I could go on and on, but let me not kill all that love in one go. So more later….Till then

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

How would one explain the Kindle to Charlie Dickens…?

No wait; that’s a separate blogpost. Let’s get to know Charlie a little better first.

Charles Dickens: The name conjures up visions of plum pudding and Christmas punch, quaint coaching inns and cosy firesides, but also of orphaned and starving children, misers, murderers, and abusive schoolmasters. Dickens was 19th century London personified – he survived its mean streets as a child and, despite being largely self-educated, possessed the genius (that trademark leftie trait) to eventually become the greatest writer of his age.

Charlie was born on February 7, 1812, the son of a clerk at the Navy Pay Office. His father, John Dickens, continually living beyond his means, was imprisoned at the Marshalsea(a prison on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark) in 1824 for failing to pay his debts.

A 12-year-old Charles was subsequently removed from school and sent to work at a boot-blacking factory – earning six shillings a week to help support the family. This experience cast a shadow over the clever, sensitive boy, and became a defining episode in Charlie’s life. (He would later lament, “How I could have been so easily cast away at such an age.”)

This childhood poverty and feelings of abandonment, although unknown to his readers until after his death, would be a heavy influence on Dickens‘ later views on social reform; and not least on the world he would create through his fiction.

Not surprisingly, Dickens’ characters are some of the most memorable in fiction.

Often these characters were based on people that he knew: Wilkins Micawber and William Dorrit (his father), Mrs. Nickleby (his mother). In a few instances Dickens based the character too closely on the original and got into trouble, as in the case of Harold Skimpole in Bleak House, based on Leigh Hunt, and Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield, based on his wife’s dwarf chiropodist.

Their names, too, are funkier than most. Characters such as Sweedlepipe, Honeythunder, Bumble, Pumblechook, and M’Choakumchild are recognizable as Dickensian even by those unfamiliar with the stories.

Charlie’s friend and biographer, John Forster, said that Dickens made “characters real existences, not by describing them but by letting them describe themselves.”  Characters such as Scrooge (miserly) and Pecksniff (hypocritically affecting benevolence) became defining terms in everyday vernacular.

Charlie would go on to write 15 major novels and countless short stories and articles before his death on June 9, 1870.

He wished to be buried, without fanfare, in a small cemetery in Rochester, but the Nation would not allow it. He was laid to rest in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey, the flowers from thousands of mourners overflowing the open grave.

Incidentally, among the more beautiful bouquets were many simple clusters of wildflowers, wrapped in rags.

More about him later, though; must get back to my very empowering ‘Five Point Someone’.

In the meantime, please feel free to buy/rent, and academically fondle thereafter, the following Dickensian Classics at INDIAreads;

1. A Christmas Carol: You know the tale, you’ve seen the movies, but if you haven’t read the book you’re missing half the story. Dickens‘ little tale of human redemption has a million versions out there; make sure you get the original at INDIAreads.

2. David Copperfield: Charlie’s eighth novel was a thinly disguised autobiography, with many of the story lines mirroring Dickens‘ own life. ”Dickens never stood so high in reputation as at the completion of Copperfield.” – John Forster, Dickens‘ friend and first biographer.

3. Great Expectations: Strongly autobiographical again; though not as openly as in David Copperfield. Charlie actually reread Copperfield before beginning Great Expectations – to avoid unintentional repetition. Called Dickens‘ darkest work by some, it was very well received by Victorian readers and remains one of his most popular works today. Many consider it his greatest use of plot, characterization, and style – and a masterpiece of literary work.

People!

2012 is about to be quite a year; doomsday predictions notwithstanding.

With a star studded line-up of authors and titles to choose from, rest assured the literary roller-coaster at INDIAreads is not about to stop anytime soon.

Check out these gems that may be pre-ordered at INDIAreads shortly;

1. I’ve Got Your Number – Sophie Kinsella (Feb 2012): When Poppy loses her engagement ring and her mobile all in the same disastrous evening, it seems making use of a phone she finds by chance, abandoned in a hotel bin, is the obvious solution.

But inevitably her life becomes entangled with the real owner of the phone, a high-flying businessman called Sam who becomes increasingly irritated when Poppy can’t resist meddling in his affairs…

2. The Oath of The Vayuputras – Amish Tripathi (Oct 2012): Book Three in the hugely popular Shiva Trilogy – after ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ and ‘The Secret of The Nagas’ – keeps the feeding frenzy going.

3. Emerging India: Economics, Politics And Reforms  – Bimal Jalan (Jan 2012): A collection of essays written over 20 years, this is an essential read for anyone seriously interested in the history and future of India’s development as a nation.

4. Didi: A Political Biography – Monobina Gupta (Jan 2012): Gupta brings her experience as a journalist and commentator on the politics in West Bengal to paint a fascinating portrait of the woman who defeated the longest-serving communist government in the world; and is fast emerging as one of the most important political figures in India today.

5. When Loss is Gain – Pavan K Varma (Jan 2012): Action-packed yet contemplative, Pavan K. Varma’s first novel is a powerful story of love and loss, despair and hope, chance and destiny, and the true meaning of joy and sorrow in every human life.

6. Rahul – Jatin Gandhi & Veenu Sandhu (Jan 2012): .Who is Rahul Gandhi—the real man—beneath the hype and the hatchet jobs? What are the ideas and influences that propel him? Who are his advisers? And how will he tackle his new responsibilities as his mother, Sonia Gandhi, makes way for him? Two young journalists, Jatin Gandhi and Veenu Sandhu, trace the evolution of the Rahul brand and explore the fascinating relationship between modernity and dynasty in this incisive political biography.

7. Neglected Poems – Gulzar (Jan 2012): Neglected only in name, these poems represent Gulzar at his creative and imaginative best, as he meditates on nature, delves into human psychology, explores great cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and New York , and confronts the most telling moments of everyday life.

8. Micro – Michael Crichton (Jan 2012): An instant classic in the vein of Jurassic Park, this boundary-pushing novel has all the hallmarks of Michael Crichton s greatest adventures with its combination of pulse-pounding thrills, cutting-edge technology, and extraordinary research.

Three men are found dead in a locked second-floor office in Honolulu. There is no sign of struggle, though their bodies are covered in ultra-fine, razor sharp cuts. With no evidence, the police dismiss it as a bizarre suicide pact. But the murder weapon is still in the room, almost invisible to the human eye…

9. Smart Trust – Stephen M. R. Covey (Foreword by Indra Nooyi) (Jan 2012): Find out why trusted people are more likely to get hired or promoted, get the best projects and bigger budgets, and are last to be laid off. This book will forever shift your perspective as it reveals and validates once and for all the transformational power of trust. Reading Smart Trust will help you thrive in an increasingly unpredictable marketplace.

10. The Innocent – David Baldacci (Apr 2012): Freelance hitman Will Robie gets a job from the US government. Even as he expertly nails his target – a suspected enemy of the country – he sees something at the scene of crime which he suspects will have deadly consequences …

Does he need to change sides to save lives, including his own…?

11. Untitled Memoir – Salman Rushdie (Sep 2012): The memoir will cover Rushdie’s childhood, his family life – he has been married four times – and his time in exile.

12. The Limpopo Academy of Private Investigation – Alexander McCall Smith (Apr 2012): The new installment in the perpetually delightful and bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

Precious Ramotswe is back and, as usual, her plate is full.  She’s called in to tackle a mysterious disciplinary problem at her adopted daughter’s school. Her infinitely trustworthy assistant, Grace Makutsi, is having trouble adjusting to wedded bliss; a problem to test even the formidable talents of Mma Ramotswe. And the estimable Clovis Andersen, author of The Principles of Private Investigation – the No. 1 Ladies’ prized manual – has arrived, right there, in Botswana, on a case of his own. Bush tea, anyone?

13. Home – Toni Morrison (May 2012): The latest novel from Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.

An angry and self-loathing veteran of the Korean War, Frank Money finds himself back in racist America after enduring trauma on the front lines that left him with more than just physical scars. His home–and himself–may no longer be as he remembers it, but Frank is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from; a place he’s hated all his life. As Frank revisits childhood memories and the war, that leave him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding himself–and his home.

14. Bring Up the Bodies – Hilary Mantel (May 2012): In this sequel to the Man Booker-winning Wolf Hall, Mantel explores one of the most mystifying and frightening episodes in English history: the destruction of Anne Boleyn. From history’s darkroom, this novel offers a speaking picture to the modern world; a vision of Tudor England so recognizable it defies archaism. It is the work of one of our greatest writers at the peak of her powers.

15. Betrayal – Danielle Steel (Mar 2012): A renowned film director confronts an act of unimaginable treachery—and the first devastating blow will not be the last.

In this riveting novel, Danielle Steel reveals the dark side of fame and fortune. At the same time, she brilliantly captures a woman’s will to navigate a minefield of hurt and loss—towards a new beginning.

16. Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, And Hope In A Mumbai Undercity – Katherine Boo (Feb 2012): In this brilliantly written, fast-paced book by the Pulitzer winner, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human; thanks in no small part to three years of uncompromising reporting.

With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects human beings to one another in an era of tumultuous change, ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’ carries the reader headlong into one of the twenty-first century’s hidden worlds, and into the lives of people impossible to forget.

In an article in Reader’s Digest (February 2001) titled ‘Beyond 2001’, Sir Arthur C Clarke outlined a series of predictions for the next 100 years. And asked to be checked for accuracy on 31^st December, 2100; tongue firmly in cheek.

Retrospect is always enlightening. So while some of these predictions may seem far-fetched (even laughable) in 2011, not all of them, incidentally, are entirely inaccurate.

As we approach Clarke’s birthday on December 16, let us take a peek at what (Clarke believes) may lie in store for us…

2001 Cassini space probe (launched 1997) begins exploration of Saturn’s moons and rings. Galileo probe (launched 1989) continues surveying Jupiter and its moons. Life beneath the ice-covered oceans of one moon, Europa, appears likely.

2002 The first commercial device producing clean, safe power by low-temperature nuclear reactions goes on the market, heralding the end of the Fossil Fuel Age.

2003 The motor industry is given five years to replace all fuel-burning engines with the new energy device. The same year, NASA’s robot Mars Surveyor is launched.

2004 First (publicly admitted) human clone.

2005 First sample sent back to Earth by Mars Surveyor.

2006 Last coal mine closed.

2008 A city is devastated by the accidental detonation of an atomic bomb in its country’s own armoury. After a brief debate in the United Nations, all nuclear weapons are destroyed.

2009 The first quantum generators (tapping space energy) are developed. Available in portable and household units, from a few kilowatts upwards, they can produce electricity indefinitely. Central power stations close down: the age of pylons ends.

Electronic monitoring virtually phases out professional criminals.

2011 Largest living animal filmed: a 76-metre octopus in the Mariana Trench. Even larger creatures are discovered when the first robot probes drill through the ice of Europa.

2012 Aerospace-planes enter commercial service.

2013 Prince Harry becomes the first member of the British royal family to fly in space.

2014 Construction of the Hilton Orbiter Hotel begins by converting the giant shuttle tanks previously allowed to fall back to Earth.

2015 An inevitable by-product of the quantum generator is complete control of matter at the atomic level. Within a few years, lead and copper cost twice as much as gold as they become immensely more useful.

2016 Existing currencies are abolished. The “mega-watt-hour” becomes the universal unit of exchange.

2017 December 16, on his hundredth birthday, Sir Arthur C. Clarke is one of the first guests in the Hilton Orbiter.

2019 A major meteor impact occurs on the north polar ice cap. The resulting tsunamis cause considerable damage along the coasts of Greeland and Canada. The long-discussed “Project Spaceguard,” to identify and deflect potentially dangerous comets or asteroids, is finally activated.

2020 Artificial Intelligence reaches human level. Now, there are two ‘intelligent’ species on Earth.

2021 The first humans land on Mars.

2023 Dinosaur facsimiles are cloned from computer-generated DNA.

2024 Infrared signals are detected coming from the centre of the Galaxy, obviously the product of a technologically advanced civilisation. All attempts to decipher them fail.

2025 Neurological research finally leads to an understanding of all the senses, and direct input becomes possible, bypassing ears, eyes, skin, etc. The result is the metal “Braincap.” Anyone wearing this close-fitting helmet can enter a whole universe of experience; real or imaginary.

The Braincap is a boon to doctors, who may now experience their patients’ symptoms (suitably attenuated). It also revolutionises the legal profession, as deliberate lying becomes impossible.

2040 The “Universal Replicator,” based on nanotechnology, is perfected; any object, however complex, may be created – given the necessary raw materials. Diamonds and gourmet meals alike may literally be manufactured from dirt.

Resultantly, agriculture and industry are phased out, taking conventional notions of ‘work’ with them. There is an explosion in spheres of art, entertainment and education. Hunter-gatherer societies are deliberately recreated, and huge swathes of the planet are allowed to revert to their natural state.

2045 The completely self-sustainable mobile home (envisaged almost a century ago by Buckminster Fuller) is perfected. Any additional carbon needed for food synthesis is obtained by extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

2050 Bored in this era, millions decide to use cryonic suspension to emigrate into the future in search of adventure.

2057 On October 4, the centenary of Sputnik 1, the dawn of the space age is celebrated by humans on Earth, the Moon, Mars, Europa, Ganymede and Titan, and in orbit around Venus, Neptune and Pluto.

2061 Halley’s Comet returns. First landing on the comet by humans, and the sensational discovery of both dormant and active life forms; vindicating Wickramasinghe and Hoyle’s century-old hypothesis that life exists through space.

2090 Burning of fossil fuels is resumed to replace carbon dioxide ‘mined’ from the air, and to try to postpone the next Ice Age by promoting global warming.

2095 The development of “Space Drive” – a propulsion system harnessing the structure of space-time itself – makes the rocket obsolete and permits velocities close to that of light. Human explorers set off to nearby star systems.

2100 History begins…

You may Buy OR Rent the following books by Sir Arthur C Clarke, EXCLUSIVELY at INDIAreads;

2001 – A Space Odyssey : Change the way you look at the stars. And at yourself.

“ Dazzling. Wrenching. Eerie. A true mind bender.”  -  TIME

2010 – Odyssey Two : Cosmic in sweep. Filled with the romance of Space. Eloquent in its depiction of Man’s place in the Universe.

“A daring romp through the solar system and a worthy successor to 2001.”  -  Carl Sagan

2061 – Odyssey Three : For Scientists and Metaphysicists alike.

“[Clarke] remains a master at describing the wonders of the material universe in sentences that combine a respect for scientific accuracy with an often startling lyricism.”  -  The New York Times

3001 – The Final Odyssey : Scientifically accurate. Yet startlingly lyrical.

“[Clarke] is . . . the poet laureate of the Space Age.”   -  Los Angeles Times

Cameron Dokey’s Wild Orchid is the retelling of the Ballad of Mulan, the story of a young Chinese girl who disguises herself as a boy and goes to battle to save her aged father from conscription. The original ballad is believed to have first been sung in the fourth century.  In Wild Orchid Dokey successfully fleshes out the original ballad and adds romance to Mulan’s story. This book is part of the Once upon a time series brought out by Simon and Schuster. The series itself is a very interesting idea wherein old fairy tales and fables from across the world are retold with a new spin. These books provide you with a rare opportunity to look at tales from your childhood from a new perspective.

But back to Wild Orchid. The novel is named after the main protagonist.  Mu-lan in Chinese means Wild Orchid, or so the author tells us. The daughter of China’s greatest general, Mulan does not meet her father till a little before her 14th birthday.  Her mother died giving birth to her and this broke her father’s heart. So while he was busy fighting the Huns for China, young Mulan grew up into China’s most unconventional girl. Yes, she could sew and embroider like all dutiful girls (though she hated the later),  but she could also climb trees, read, write, ride a horse, shoot with a bow and arrow and fence with a sword. In other words, she could do what most Chinese lads could – and in most cases much better than them – thanks to her childhood friend Li Po.  Mulan’s carefree life changes when her father returns home after a battle injury. Soon China is under attack from the Huns again and every Chinese family has to send a man to fight. To save her father, 14 year old Mulan steals his battle horse and rides into the war where she meets the youngest Chinese prince. Together they endeavor to save China.

Wild Orchid is Mulan’s story and Dokey brings out her character beautifully. Her writing is simple and her characters real. Through her pen the reader experiences the heart ache of a child craving her father’s love, the confusion of a young girl when a stepmom is thrust upon her, the rebellion of a spirited lass determined to learn all that a boy could and the yearning of an individual to just be herself and follow her heart. The friendship between Mulan and Li Po is depicted beautifully. Dokey spends considerable time taking the reader through Mulan’s childhood. Thus she ensures that the reader understands every action and nuance of this fiercely loyal and brave girl. This is not a war story though one cannot be blamed for thinking thus initially. After all, the story begins by saying that it is the story of the girl who saved China. Yes, there is a war, one in which Mulan proves her mettle but the battle only takes up a few pages as does Mulan’s love story. In fact at times, the reader can’t help but feel that the author should have spent a little more time in developing the love story. Also at times, Mulan’s constant awareness of her being different gets annoying.

Does the Wild Orchid do justice to the original ballad? That is difficult to say. However it is highly recommended for those looking for a simple, light hearted and warm story.

Rent the Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey from INDIAreads Online Library cum Bookstore. Register Now! Plans start @ just Rs 150 per month. Free doorstep delivery & pick up!

Agatha Christie

(15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976)

Born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller in Devon, United Kindom, Agatha Christie needs no introduction. The youngest of three children, Agatha was initially home schooled by her mother and a series of governesses. She trained to be a singer and pianist but due to her shy nature she did not make a career of it. Duing World War 1 she worked as a nurse and then went on to work in a pharmacy; many attribute the use of poison in her novels to her experience with drugs and medicine. On Christmas Eve in 1914, Agatha married an aviator, Archibald Christie. They divorced in 1928.

Agatha started writing her first novel as a result of a challenge issued by her elder sister Madge. It was rejected by 6 publishers and took 5 years to be published.In 1920, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was  finally published and her use of poison in the mystery found mention in the Pharmaceutical Journal. Agatha met her second husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan in Baghdad in 1930. For the next 30 years she would often accompany him on digs and her experiences were reflected in her autobiographical, Come, Tell me how you Live.

Few people know that Agatha also wrote 6 romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott. Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers’ of America Grand Master Award. Her novels have sold the maximum number of copies after the Bible and her books have been translated into 103 languages.

Rent / Purchase popular Agatha Christie mystery novels like 4.50 from Paddington and Death on the Nile and many others from INDIAreads Online Library cum Bookstore. Register Now!

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

(15 September 1876 – 16 January 1938)

Born in Hoogly, West Bengal, Sarat Chandra spent the first half of his life in poverty. He lived with his uncle in Bhagalpur and the place had a profound influence on his work. It was in Bhagalpur that Sarat Chandra wrote the novel Devdas. After his parents death, poverty forced Sarat Chandra to leave his studies and in 1903 he left to work as a clerk in Rangoon. On the eve of his departure, he submitted a short story under his uncle’s name. The story won the first prize and was published. This encourages Sarat Chandra to keep writing and soon his popularity led to an improvement in his financial situation. Sarat often wrote about the evils that plagued society (though he never consciously adopted a reformist agenda)  and was a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. He died of liver cancer in 1938.

Buy rent popular Sarat Chandra Chatterjee novels in English and Hindi from INDIAreads Online Book rental Library cum Bookstore.

Popular titles include:

Devdas

Charitraheen

Parineeta

Srikanta

- reviewed by Ruth Zothanpuii

Written by Amy Tan in 1989 and later adapted into a movie, The Joy Luck Club is a wonderfully crafted novel filled with powerful characters from four different Chinese American immigrant families living in San Francisco, California.

‘The Joy Luck Club’ is a name that comes from the club formed in China by a woman, Suyuan Woo, to lift her friends’ spirits and distract them from the problems during the Japanese invasion. When Suyuan migrated to the US, she continued the club, hoping to bring luck to her family and friends and thereby finding joy in that hope. The club would play a game of Majhong and share stories about their lives and problems while enjoying a variety of foods.

The book is divided into four sections to create sixteen chapters.Each part of the book is preceded by a parable relating to the game of Mahjong. Each revolves around three mothers and four daughters. One mother, Suyuan Woo, the founder of the Club, dies before the novel opens and her story is told by her daughter.

A unique book, The Joy Luck Club talks about the relationship between the mothers and daughters; it contrasts the lives of four Chinese women in pre – 1949 China with the lives of their American-born daughters in California. It is heart wrenching to see the daughters trying to come to terms with the tragic stories of their Chinese mothers. Their gradual understanding of the differences in the cultures and of the events that shaped the lives and characters of their mothers has a magnetic pull, something that is almost mystical. I found their story – fascinating, almost magical.

The book is not just emotional but also full of depth. Without being pedantic, it reveals the clash of two cultures and societies and the story of those caught in between. It talks of the gravity that finally pulls the two together – the gift of a culture by the mothers to their daughters. Amy Tan has a unique way of bringing together the themes of women, history and human spirit, to provide an insight into another culture and another time. The characters are strong and very real.

I strongly recommend this book for everyone who looks for that little bit extra in a book. This is not just another work of fiction; it is a story filled with information, values, insights and emotions – one that appeals to both your head and your heart.

Rent, purchase The Joy Luck Club and other Amy Tan Books from INDIAreads Online Book rental Library cum Bookstore. Rental Plans start @ just Rs 150 per month. Register Now!!!

MARY SHELLEY

(30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851)

Daughter of the philosopher William Godwin and feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Shelley’s mother died soon after her birth and she had a traumatic childhood. At the age of 16, she met the romantic poet Percy Shelley and despite him being married, she eloped with him. After the suicide of Shelley’s first wife, in 1816 the couple married. They spent the summer with their friend Lord Byron in Geneva. The boating trips on the lake and the ghost stories that the friends exchanged at night, inspired Mary to write Frankenstein. In 1922, Shelley died in a boating accident in Italy and Mary returned to England. She died of a brain tumour at the age of 53.

Here’s a list of quotable quotes from Mary Shelley, known for her vegetarianism and her support o fthe social reform movement, especially of women’s rights.

“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”

“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.”

“The beginning is always today.”

“. . . the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”

“With how many things are we on the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries.”

“I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”

“Be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock. This ice is not made of such stuff as your hearts may be; it is mutable and cannot withstand you if you say that it shall not.”

Rent, purchase books by Mary Shelley and other popular Classics from INDIAreads Online Library cum Bookstore! Plans start @ just Rs 150 per month. Register now!!!

Nelson DeMille

Courtesy: www.nelsondemille.net

Born on August 23, 1943 in New York, Nelson Richard DeMille served in the United States Army and fought during the Vietnam War. He is a member of Mensa and also writes under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, and Brad Matthews. Some of his popular works include:

The Lion’s Game

The Charm School

The General’s Daughter

The Talbot Odyssey

Rent these best selling novels by Nelson DeMille for just Rs 150 per month from INDIAreads Online Library cum Bookstore. Register Now!

Edgar Lee Masters

(August 23, 1868 -March 5, 1950)

An American poet, dramatist and biographer, Edgar Lee Masters is best known for his Spoon River Anthology. In his lifetime he produced twelve plays, twenty-one books of poetry, six novels and six biographies. A lawyer by profession, Masters often fought for the poor. In the 1880s he published his first writing in the Chicago Daily News. He was married twice and also wrote under the pseudonym Dexter Wallace and Webster Ford.