1984: Book Review

Author: George Orwell

Book Blurb:

The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell’s prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of “negative utopia” -a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions -a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.

My Review:

This is an excellent book for the current political climate. Reading this would make you think as to what do overt patriotism, nationalism is ok and how much is over the board. It also makes you question the power of the press in inciting opinions from the masses. All in all, George Orwell is the genius who saw what was going to happen, and it is becoming a reality to an extent.

The writing is brilliant and poignant, just like his Animal Farm. Here he coins these iconic lines:

This is a truly profound book, it makes you question your beliefs. The characterization is quite brilliant. In the book, everything that a citizen does is controlled by the ruling government. There is also a concept of “Thought Police”, and I really could see the parallels of such organisations today. There are many fringe groups that feel they have a right to police what the other people can or cannot do, eat, watch or read as some or other “sentiments” or “feelings” get hurt. We, as a society, are going away from progress, unity, acceptance, peace and are actually going towards this world. We have actually reached the “ignorance is strength” part, now we are just aiming for the other two, and honestly, the time is not far for us to achieve this as well.

So, we see Winston Smith whose job is to rewrite the history according to the whims and the fancies of the Government that believe that in order to maintain peace in the country, it is better to let people believe we are at war with other countries.

If you enjoy political satires, this is definitely the book for you. I rate this book a perfect 4 out of 4 stars.

BUY THIS BOOK

 

 

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Book Blurb:

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into ten languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

My Review:

I had heard a lot about this book before I picked it up, this was why I was reluctant to start reading it. It usually happens that the expectations rise so much that the book fails to live up to it. But I am thankful that I finally got to reading this, as it was every bit as wonderful as the hype said it would be.

I felt that the best part of this book was the narration. Since it was narrated from the point of view of a young girl, the apparent racism and classism became all the more clear. The impact of the book increased manifold. I especially loved the varied characterization, it felt so real. My favourite character was that of Atticus Fitch. I believe I have never read about a single father who is like him. The way he treats his kids and the way he teaches them the rights from wrongs, both via words and actions was a delight to read.

The book deals with complex themes, from racism to how to talk to your kids, and the way the plot has been laid, you find such simplicity in the way all these topics have been dealt with. It is no wonder that this is indeed a classic!

I rate this book a perfect 4 out of 4.

Buy this book

 

 

Northern Spring: At the Crossroad : Book One (At the Crossroads 1):Book Review

Author: Celeste Young

Publisher: BlueRose Publishers

Book Blurb:

Northern Spring is a life-journey of the Artist-cum-lawyer Evangeline aka Eva Mccarthy, who has located to an estate in Pennsylvania after a failed marriage. Her journey from being a manager of a car-wash to partner in a law firm is as realistic as could be. Her attempts to refuse the attraction she felt towards Mike or Michael Diller her boss at the law firm put her at a different crossroad in life yet again.The immediate families of both Michael as well as Eva are keen to see them settled. Will Eva find her match in Mike or is it just another tryst with fate? Every choice she makes leaves an imprint on her life, but can love be chosen or it just is to be felt? Go on this new-age romantic rendezvous with Eva McCarthy and Michael Diller with Northern Spring- At the Crossroad Book 1.

My Review:

The first time I saw this book, it was on facebook. The cover was so alluring that I wanted to have my hands around it. This is definitely one of those books that people would pick up when it is on shelves.

‘Northern Spring’ is

a story revolving around Eva Mccarthy and the people close to her. Initially, the story takes a while to pick up, but around 18% in, the story picks up in such a way that you have to keep reading it until the last page, and then you wish the second half was out already!

The characterizations are 3-dimensional. Initially, since many characters were introduced at once, it took a while to get used to them. The female characters are just perfecto. Each is different from the other and each has their own aspirations, likes and dislikes. It has been a while to have read such a collection of women. The way they embrace their imperfections was a delight to read.

Coming to the storyline, the author has taken care of tying even the minute details. The story starts when we meet Eva, who is broke as she trusted her ex-husband with all the finances and decides to take up a job. What happens next? Can she overcome her past and accept what the future has in store?

The pace and the writing style is quite mature, yet simple. It is fresh and makes up for an interesting read.

Overall rating:

Cover: 5/5

Story: 4.5/5

Characters: 5/5

Overal: 4.75/5

BUY THIS BOOK

Subtle Sexism: Getting over loved ones

A few days ago I lost my dog. Scooby was my everything, he was my life, he was me and the pain is physical. My heart is actually hurting, literally. Each breath comes as a surprise..I am surprised that I am still breathing, still functioning.

No one around me understood my connection with him when he was with me. I had fought with literally everyone around me in order to give him the best possible life. So, now I did not really expect anyone to really “get” me. I know for many he was “just a dog”, and would never understand me now. But what was shocking to me was the blatant sexism that was literally hurled on my face just hours and days after his going.

It had not even been 48 hours, and people asked me “Are you normal now?”, “Oh good your inlaws are coming, you will be busy cooking for them.”, “Don’t take too much trouble in cooking, just something simple would do.” and the worst “Good in a way, now you will have time to care for your family life”

The funny thing is…the husband who had met, known and loved scooby for less than 10 months got much more sympathy!  I am in no way undermining their bond…which was so pure and beautiful…I just thought that you know…people would at the very least not be so insensitive towards me. Even silence would have been better than…into the kitchen darlin..aint no body got shit to spare…chop chop!

Humans, I tell you….one thing is crystal clear…as long as a girl is in the kitchen or cleaning things…she is ok…she cannot even have a moment of genuine sympathy to mourn the loss of her very existence. A married girl truly has no real family.