theskystalker-blog

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3 DISAPPOINTING READS

Been reading a lot of books this holiday weekend. I started all these three books with very high expectations and ended up with varying degrees of disappointment. The most disappointing was the Revenant (all that oscar buzz) which was as underwhelming as it was uninteresting. I would've like "To Rise again.." better if it was devoid of all those tedious religious references. Monsters of Templeton was not disappointing per se, but it failed to fulfill the expectations I weighed upon it. Here goes the reviews:

REVENANT

A very disappointing read. High expectations are to blame.

Of course I wanted to read the book before the movie came out. Fuelled by the Oscar buzz and the awesome trailer, I immediately began reading this book ignoring all others I was reading at the time. What started off to be a promising read, slowly transformed into a boring, trivial reporting. He is hungry, he camps somewhere, he finds food , he eats , an obstacle arises, there's a huge fight , he wins , he flees and the cycle repeats itself. Don't even get me started on the most deceiving climax.

I wonder what they found in this book to transform it into an epic movie of this magnitude. If this was not based upon the real life of Hugh Glass , nobody would've given a damn.

TO RISE AGAIN AT A DECENT HOUR

If you hated that god awful freak of a book Finkler's Question (which still gives me nightmares), please don't get any closer than 50 yards to this book.

Though there were many points when I really wanted to put this down, the only way I kept reading was by skipping all those religious bullshit. It did have some good content. The religious dwellings were serious frustrations.

I don't understand why a book about identity theft (which I assumed would deal more with technology) should so profoundly deal with religious issues which is not even sensible.

MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON

Brilliant cover image .

Lauren Groff is known to have unbelievable talents in writing and this book is yet another proof. Beautiful prose and interesting narration apart , the complicated family structures explored in the narrative didn't intrigue me enough to meticulously keep track of who's who. It felt very obscure and the last time I felt this was when I was reading the luminaries.

Chemistry between the mother and daughter was splendid and beautifully written. It would be the lasting impression that this book would leave on you . That chemistry is the thing Monsters of Templeton would be remembered for.

[theskystalker-blog]

FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM

I urge any one reading this review to try to buy this book because the entire proceeds from the sales of this book goes directly to Comic Relief which helps underprivileged children all over the world realize their dreams of education. So whatever you pay directly makes an impact on the lives of poorest children and better their lives , irrespective of the magnitude. In return you get an AMAZING book ! Now on to the review .. J K Rowling has THE BEST sense of humor and creativity, ever ! The handwritten notes all over the book sent me into uncontrollable laughing fits. I really loved those drawings too. Wish all the beasts had their individual drawings :( Only Rowling could create a world so awesome, sophisticated and realistic that merely reading a catalogue of imaginary animals would turn out to be such an enjoyable affair. Conjuring up the names, structures , habits and idiosyncrasies of 100 odd animals must have been a spectacular task. But it all seems so effortless. I now have more than 20 favorite beasts. (especially the dark ones :D ) This book stands a testament to the power of our favorite imaginary universe, the love we have for all those characters and above all - Rowling's unbelievable powers. This book made me wanna read Harry Potter all over again ! Though I have more than 100-something books to read immediately :D Maybe, I will ! J K Rowling continues to be my single most favorite English author and one of the best human beings alive. Nobody would have taken the effort to write 3 whole books and donate all the proceeds to charity. This defines her. P.S: Even if you don't know much about Harry Potter, you can understand 80% of this book. I wish this came as a complete, illustrated , colorful version :D Waiting for the movie, now !

[theskystalker-blog]

An Almost Complete List of Sujatha's Works

If you are a Sujatha fan and wanted to read all his works, you were probably frustrated and angered that there is no proper documentation of all the works/bibliography of such a legendary writer. All the online sources that promise listing out ALL his works don't come close to listing even half of his works.

Your search for the complete list of Sujatha's works ends here.

As an angered Sujatha fan frustrated by the lack of a proper Bibliography of Sujatha's works, I started working on this list six months ago. I visited more than a 100 websites, 10 libraries, a few bookshops and talked to a few publishing sources to extract the information that I have presented below. It was an enormous task that consumed many of my weekends and holidays. But once I completed this list, I was completely satisfied by the outcome.

This list may not contain 100% of his works. Given that his writing career spanned from 1953 to 2008, its near impossible in 2015 for a youngster to collect ALL his works. But I'm sure I have captured at least 98% of his works here. If you know of any of his works that was missed here, please feel free to comment the name and type of the book in the comments section or mail me at pechiy.m@gmail.com.

Before I begin, I dedicate this list to my bestie Ghurucharan Ram without whom this would not have become possible. A fellow Sujatha-devotee, only his enthusiasm matches mine when it comes to Sujatha :D

The classification between Novels and Novellas might be considered tricky because there are relatively short novels and longer novellas. I have classified the works into novels and novellas solely based on the number of pages. I had set a specific number of pages as a limit that divided novels and novellas.

FICTION NOVELS

1. Aaah 2. Pirivom Sandhippom 1 3. Pirivom Sandhippom 2 4. Kolayudhir Kaalam 5. En Iniya Endhira 6. Meendum Jeeno 7. Srirangathu Dhevadhaigal 8. Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo 9. Nylon Kairu 10. Nillungal Raajaave 11. Kanavu Thozhirchaalai 12. Ratham Ore Niram 13. Pesum Bommaigal 14. Anithaavin Kadhalgal 15. Vasanth Vasanth 16. Computer Graamam 17. Nirvaana Nagaram 18. Vikram 19. Odaadhey 20. 24 Rubaai Theevu 21. Eppodhum Pen 22. Idhan Peyarum Kolai 23. Irandaavadhu Kaadhal Kadhai 24. Kolai Arangam 25. Edhaiyum Oru Murai 26. Anitha Ilam Manaivi 27. Yavanika 28. Niramatra Vaanavil 29. Sorgatheevu 30. Theendum Inbam 31. Aadhalinaal Kaadhal Seiveer 32. Pookutti 33. Irul varum Neram 34. Kaandhaloor Vasanthakumaaran Kadhai 35. Oru Naduppagal Maranam 36. Priya 37. Vasantha Kaala Kutrangal 38. Pen Iyandhiram 39. Nila Nizhal 40. Aayirathil Iruvar 41. Aryabhatta 42. Padhavikkaga 43. Ullam Thurandhavan 44. Marubadiyum Ganesh 45. Vannathu Poochi vettai 46. Commissioner ku kadidham 47. Vidivadharkul Vaa 48. Thanga Mudichu 49. Ore Oru Dhrogam 50. Aindhaavadhu Adhiyaayam 51. Sivandha Kaigal 52. Endraavadhu Oru Naal 53. Thisai Kanden Vaan Kanden 54. 10 Second Mutham 55. Thedaadhe 56. Roja 57. J K 58. Veniyin Kaadhalan 59. Vaaimaye Sila Samayam Vellum 60. Kaagidha Sangiligal 61. Unnai Kanda Neramellam 62. Vaanam Ennum veedhiyile 63. Chinnakuyili 64. Moondru Kutrangal

NOVELLAS

1. Marina 2. Gayathri 3. Apsara 4. Meendum Oru Kutram 5. Paadhi Raajyam 6. Vibareedha Kotpaadu 7. Nil Gavani Thaaku 8. Ilamayil Kol 9. Megathai Thurathinavan 10. Moondru Naal Sorgam 11. Virumbi Sonna Poigal 12. Sylvia 13. Merke Oru Kutram 14. Guruprasaadhin Kadaisi Dhinam 15. Virupamilla Thiruppangal 16. Vairangal 17. Malai Maaligai 18. Jannal Malar 19. Meendum Oru Kutram 2 20. Melum Oru kutram 21. Thapithaal Thappillai 22. 14 Naatkal 23. 6961 24. Maaya 25. Austin Illam 26. Jodhi 27. Vizhundha Natchathiram 28. Kai 29. Oriravil Oru Rayilil 30. Man Magan 31. Kalaindha Poigal 32. Vidhi 33. Manaivi Kidaithaal 34. Oru Sikkal Illadha Kaadhal Kadhai 35. Honolulu 36. Oru vibathin Anatomy 37. Paalam 38. Vilimbu 39. Ippadi Oru Maarudhal

PLAYS

1. Kadavul Vandhirundhaar 2. Oonjal 3. Bharathi Irundha Veedu 4. Anbulla Appa 5. Singamaiyangaar Peran 6. Dr. Narendhranin Vinodha Vazhakku 7. Adimaigal 8. Nylon Raadhaagal 9. Oru Prayaanam Oru kolai 10. Mudhal Naadagam 11. Prayaanam 12. Mandhiravaadhi 13. Vazhakku 14. Sekar 15. Krishna Krishna 16. Vandhavan 17. Maarudhal 18. Vaasal 19. Kadhai Kelu Penne 20. Idaiyan Magal 21. Sarala 22. Petti 23. Marumanam 24. Aagaayam 25. Muyal

NON - FICTION

1. En Edharku Eppadi 1 2. En Edharku Eppadi 2 3. Katradhum Petradhum 1,2,3,4 4. Kanayaazhiyin Kadaisi Pakkangal 5. Thalamai Seyalagam 6. 60 America naatkal 7. Sujatha Badhilgal 1,2,3 8. Sujathoughts 9. Kadavul Irukkiraara 10. Kadavul 11. Sila vidhyaasangal 12. Kadavulgalin Pallathaakku 13. Innum Sila Sindhanaigal 14. Thamizh andrum Indrum 15. Genome 16. Oriru Ennangal 17. Uyirin Ragasiyam 18. Paarvai 360 19. Thoranathu Maavilaigal 20. Vivaadhangal Vimarsanangal 21. Adutha Nootraandu 22. Karpanaikkum Appaal 23. Nano Technology 24. Oru Vignaana Paarvaiyilirundhu 25. Appa Anbulla Appa 26. Ezhuthum Vaazhkaiyum 27. Chinna Chinna Katturaigal 28. Vaaram Oru Paasuram 29. Nootraandin irudhiyil Sila Sindhanaigal 30. 1000 kanippori vaarthaigal 31. Kaneer Illamal 32. Nijam Needhi 33. Sujathaavi Kelungal 34. Kanipporiyin Kadhai 35, Seidhi sollum Seyarkai kolgal 36. Ki Pi 2000ku appaal 37. Veetukul Varum Ulagam 38. Silicon Sillu puratchi

HOW - TO MANUALS

1. Thiraikkadhai ezhudhuvadhu eppadi - Book & Manual 2. Sirukadhai Ezhudhuvadhu eppadi

ELIYA ARIMUGAM

1. Puranaanooru 2. Silappadhigaaram 3. Haikoo 4. Thirukkural 5. Aazhwaargal 6. 401 Kaadhal Kavidhaigal - Kurundhogai 7. Brahma Sutra

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

1. Therndhedutha Sirukadhaigal 1,2,3 by Uyirmmai 2. Marma kadhaigal 3. Nagaram 4. Vignyaana sirukadhaigal 5. Miss Thamizh Thaaye Namaskaaram 6. Computere Oru Kadhai Sollu 7. Karuppu Gudhirai 8. Olai Pattasu 9. Aatakaaran Sirukadhaigal 10. Madhyamar Kadhaigal 11. Thoondil Kadhaigal 12. Meendum Thoondil Kadhaigal 13. Vaanathil Oru Mouna thaaragai 14. Sri Rangathu Kadhaigal 15. Anumadhi 16. Pudhiya Needhi kadhaigal 17. Nijathai thedi 18. Siru Sirukadhaigal 19. Maadhar Thammai

OTHER PROMINENT COLLECTIONS

1. Sujathavin Kurunovelgal 1,2,3,4,5 by Uyirmmai 2. Sujatha Sirukadhaigal 3. Sujathaavin Naadagangal - Muzhu Thoguppu by Uyirmmai

MISCELLANEOUS (Unclassified)

1. 21aam vilimbu 2. Innum Oru Pen 3. Erakkuraiya Sorgam 4. Neerkumizhigal 5. Pugaar 6. Rayil Punnagai 7. Maarudhal varum 8. Podhu Marathu Pudhu Mugangal 9. Andru Un Arugil 10. Kaanikkai 11. Hostel dhinangal

The list of contents of all the collections including Therndedutha Sirukadhaigal, Sujathavin Kurunovelgal and Sujathavin Naadagangal will be posted soon.

Also, a list of more than 250 short stories written by Sujatha will be published this month.

Comments are welcome ! :)

[theskystalker-blog]

Sujatha - The Rockstar of Writers

(This is my version of Sujatha for Dummies. Some of the information here is borrowed from various sources - online and offline)

If you are a Tamilian and you are ignorant of Sujatha's works - my sincerest condolences.

For starters, he is THE most versatile writer who ever lived. (Language irrelevant)

His life falsified the famous saying "Jack of all trades - King of none". He was the King of all trades and genres. Writing is only a part of his life. He was also a leading scientist (which was his day job), the inventor of electronic voting machines, a self-taught musician, a film producer, screenplay/dialogue writer, a talented painter and a voracious reader who must have read more than 5,000 books in his lifetime. He was the Leonardo Da Vinci of Tamil Nadu known mainly for his unparalleled writing skills.

His writing talent knew no boundaries and he rocked all forms of writing - essays, novels, short stories, plays, novellas, poems, short essays, haikoos, scientific prose, screenplays and explanations for 2000 year old Sangam verses.

To give a snapshot of his versatility, look at this sample of his works. And I'm not lying/exaggerating when I say that these books are the best of their genres:

Aaah - Psychological Thriller Kolayudhir kaalam - A mix of horror and murder mystery Nirvana Nagaram - The quintessential whoddunit Pirivom Sandhippom - Love Puranaanooru, Silappadhigaaram and Kurundhogai : Oru Eliya Arimugam - Explaining the 2000 year old verses of Sangam literature Uyirin Ragasiyam - A collection of Biological essays Aayiram Kanippori vaarthaigal, Veetukul varum ulagam, Kanipporiyin Kadhai - Books on Computers Pesum Bommaigal - A Biological Thriller Thalamai Seyalagam - An amazing work explaining the complete workings of human brain in the simplest of terms Padhavikkaga - A clairvoyant political thriller Kadavul Irukkirara - Explaining the origin of universe and quantum physics in layman's terms Kaandhaloor Vasanthakumaaran Kadhai - Historical fiction taking place in the 12th century which has THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE EVER. En iniya Endhira, Meendum Jeeno, etc - Science fiction Aazhwaargal oru Eliya Arimugam, Vaaram Oru paasuram, etc. - Divine literature Thiraikkadhai Ezhudhuvadhu Eppadi - A Manual on screenplay writing

As I had mentioned earlier, this is only a snapshot of the range of his works. The entire range of his works is breathtaking which I have published here.

Here goes his life history :

S. Rangarajan was born in Triplicane (Chennai) on May 3,1935. His dad Srinivas was an engineer. His mom Kannamma was from a rich family.

"Seventy years ago, my mom gave birth to me when she went into delivery without any medical help one fine day after she had completed all her domestic chores" - Rangarajan aka Sujatha

He had a 3 year old younger sister named Viji who passed away when he was 12. He was very affected by the death of his little sister which he later described as life changing. Though he was born in Chennai, he was raised in Sri Rangam by his grandmother - Kodhai because his dad was constantly being transferred due to the nature of his job. He completed his schooling in "The Highschool" in Sri Rangam. Being a studious guy, he completed his BSC Physics at St. Joseph's college in Trichy. Though he had previously contributed to a hand written newspaper with his friend Vaali, his interest for writing was fuelled only in college - by his English and Tamil professors. Sujatha and Abdul Kalam (the former President of India) were batchmates in St Joseph's. Their friendship continued in MIT (Chennai) where Sujatha was fascinated by Infinite Mathematics and Abdul Kalam was fascinated by Aeronautics. Both had won prizes in college by writing scientific short stories in Tamil.

His first short story was published in a magazine called Sivaji in 1953. He remembers purchasing many copies of the magazine himself.

While he was playing cricket in Sri Rangam after completing his college, his dad encouraged him to take up a job. So he sat for the I.E.S (Really, Really, Really tough) exams and obtained an All India Rank 2. He worked briefly in All India Radio. Later, he took up a job as Air Traffic Controller in Chennai Airport. After two years, he got promoted as a Class One technical officer and got relocated to Delhi. Rangarajan married a shy Vellore girl Sujatha when he was 27. His intererst in writing began to intensify during the frequent travels he had to undertake for his job. He helped his friend edit a crime story which was later published in Kumudham (Tamil Magazine). This boosted his confidence and he sent some of his short stories to Kumudham. At kumudham, they requested him to write under a different name because they already had another writer named Rangarajan. So, he took his wife's name as the pen name and started churning out stories that revolutionized the dull scenario in Tamil literature.

After 14 years in Delhi, he took up a job in R&D at BHEL, Bangalore in 1970. He lived in Bangalore for the next 30 years. He raised to become the General Manager and Chief of the R & D wing of BHEL. This is when he contributed to building and implementing the Electronic Voting Machines. During the same period, his fame grew exponentially. At any point of time, he was simultaneously writing five books and six series. "If he wrote, even his laundry bills would be bestsellers" was a running joke.

When it came to writing, he broke all barriers and did not set any boundaries for himself. He wrote in commercial magazines, literary magazines, he wrote for TV shows, he wrote for movies. Every single novel, novella, short story, essay and poem he wrote carried his trademark brilliance. He wrote dialogues for K Balachandher's famous movie Ninaithaale Inikkum. Almost everyone who tried to recapture the magic of his writing in silver screen failed.

After retiring from BHEL in 1993 he relocated to Alwarpet(Chennai). The dialogues he wrote for Maniratnam's Roja revolutionized the film world. He continued to write dialogues for the best directors including Shankar, Mani ratnam, Rajeev menon, etc. During his 40 years of writing, he has produced more than 100 novels, 200 short stories, 15 plays and countless scientific and general essays. Each one of them brilliant.

He always said "Writing was never my career, it was my hobby".

From his childhood, there were no boundaries for his creative impulse. He taught himself many musical instruments including Guitar, Flute, Harmonica, etc. He was a very good painter, too. He was an editor of the online magazine Ambalam.com. He was the only writer who chatted with his fans online every Saturday in his blog. He was also co owner of a film production company Media Dreams. He was always within the reach of his fans via his mail id writersujatha@hotmail.com (which was hacked later and made him furious).

Like every Sagaaptham that comes to an end, he unfortunately passed away on February 27,2008 at Appollo hospital in Chennai as a result of heart failure. He was cremated at Besant Nagar Crematorium on 29th February, 2008.

"When i was little, my ambition was to grow up to be a book. Not a writer. People can be killed like ants. Writers are not hard to kill either. But not books. However systematically you try to destroy them, there is always a chance that a copy will survive and continue to enjoy shelf-life in some corner of an out of the way library somewhere." - Amos Oz

The Sujatha-shaped hole which was left in the world of tamil literature would continue to haunt us.

[theskystalker-blog]

Between the World and Me : A Review

Indisputably a milestone in literature and the history of America for presenting the collective voice of half its population on the shameful truths of racism.

I was reminded of this joke the moment I started reading the book : "If a black man was the hero of 50 Shades of Grey, it would have become an episode of Crime Patrol".

"Between the World and Me" is a very long letter from a father to his son highlighting the history of racism, racial injustices and the bias of public consciousness against the people of colour in America. It is an extremely personal and emotional subject that makes the readers realize the profound pain that the dad is experiencing and the unimaginable extents of fear deep rooted in the black community for being themselves.

I did not know that this book was a work of non-fiction until I realized that the photos in the book were actually that of the author's family. At the very least, the book is riveting & solid as a rock. At the best, it leaves a permanent trace on you and shocks you to your very core. I am still unable to stomach that the truths presented in the book actually is happening in THIS century.

But at certain points, one cannot avoid the feeling that the author is looking too much into trivial issues and differentiating the subjects based on race - when it could be true for any case. Occassionally, it gets repetitive and depressing. But that does not subvert the literary/cultural merit of the book/truths presented in the book.

If we remove the layer of racism on most of the problems presented in the book (except when being black is the only problem), then they could extend themselves and accommodate an increasing number of people from other races. For example.. the problems of poverty.

I could not understand why the author had to mention "body" so many times while addressing the self. I can understand that they were living in a constant threat/fear of being arrested. But I couldn't grasp the reason for over emphasis on "the body".

I would never be able to forget that last chapter when he talks to the mother of a victim. A life full of dreams spoiled by an unnecessary, monstrous act of racism. It's unacceptable.

Some of my favorite lines:

I sensed the schools were hiding something, drugging us with false morality so that we would not see, so that we did not ask: Why- for us and only us - is the other side of free will and free spirits an assault upon our bodies? This is not a hyperbolic concern.

I was a curious boy, but the schools were not concerned with curiosity. They were concerned with compliance.

I grew up in a house drawn between love and fear. There was no room for softness. But this girl with the long dreads revealed something else - that love could be soft and understanding: that soft or hard, love was an act of heroism.

I was made for library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people's interests. The library was open, unending, free. Slowly, I was discovering myself.

[theskystalker-blog]

My reading year 2015

    2015 was a year like no other. The first year that I properly documented the books I read. The year I joined Goodreads and read more than 100 books in 6 months. :P The year I discovered so many brilliant authors and started reading all the works of the authors I loved. The year I spent almost my entire salaries on buying the books I wanted to. Bookers helped me a great deal in finding brilliant books and authors. Looking back at my reading year gives me a great deal of pleasure. Its always amazing to recount the boooks you read.

So, here goes:

English:

The first books I read in 2015

The Princess : Life behind the veils in Saudi Arabia - A Series of 3 books by Jean Sasson Deeply affecting and opened my eyes to how women are treated worse than animals in the horror that is Middle East.

The Series I finished

Millenium Trilogy - Can Never Forget. One of THE BEST Cormoran Strike - All 3 books till date All the Dan Brown Novels

The Best Non-fiction books I read

A R Rahman The Musical Storm - As an ARR devotee, I couldn't have asked for a better book to know the man I worship. Emergency - A Personal History : Every Indian must read it.

The Most Depressing Read of the Year

The Last Man in the Tower by Arvind Adiga. - Never read this book after you've had a break up /some sad incident in your life. Seriously.

The Worst books I read in 2015 (Book so bad, I stopped after a few chapters)

Wolf Hall Finkler's Question Kill List The Lost Symbol The Year of the Runaways (I kindly request you to read my review of these books before venturing out to read them. I promise that it would save you a great deal of time, money(perhaps) and happiness)

The Happiest reads of the Year

Secret Garden - Loved it. Almost became a child at heart To Kill a Mockingbird - For the sense of humor

The Classiest reads of the Year

Line of Beauty - Its just Magical. All the Light we Cannot see - Its magical, too :P

Creepiest Read of the Year

Call of Cthulhu - Space ghosts. Whoa. Terrifying.

The Laziest, Half-cooked Book of the Year

Year of the Runaways - How and why Booker shortlisted this: God only knows !

The Most Misogynistic Read of the Year

The Sphinx - Good for killing time, though.

The Best Book Cover of the Year

Chimes - Anna Smail

The Most Haunting Read of the Year

The Book of Night Women - Its about slaves in Jamaca during the 18/19th century. Once again reminds us that real incidents surpass fictional stories in inflicting horrors on humans

The Freshest Reads of the Year

Reluctant Fundamentalist - For the polite tone which I had never read before The Sisters' Brothers - Man, I love Canadian authors. A very enjoyable read on the gold digging days

The Best of Booker reads

God of Small Things - A class apart. Yearning for Arundati Roy's second novel, if that's ever gonna come.

The Best Thriller of the Year

The Girl on the Train - Try to peel your eyes off the book.

The Best Book of the Year (Contemporary)

A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara - Read this. Now.

Runner Up: Fates & Furies - Lauren Groff

The Best Book of the Year (Non-Contemporary)

Rehearsal - Eleanor Catton - Earth Shatteringly Good

Honorable Mentions: Lives of Others Animal Farm Steve Jobs Midnight's Children Digital Fortress

TAMIL:

Best Books: All the Sujatha Books I read. (Sujatha was pretty much the only tamil author I read in 2015. Planning to diversify in 2016). Especially Aah, Kolayudhir Kaalam, En iniya Endhira, Nirvana Nagaram, Computer Graamam and 20 more books.

Worst Book: Anithavin Kaadhalgal - Only for the ending

The Most Revolutionary Book Zero Degrees - Charu Nivedita

Best Non-fiction Ki Mu Ki Pi - Madhan

Out of the 100 odd books that I read during 2015, these were the books I still remembered for their merit. I'm pretty sure 2016 is gonna be an amazing reading year. Especially for Tamil. Next year's book awards would be grander than this list.

P.S:

Individual reviews of all these books could be found here in my blog. You can find those reviews by simply searching the title of those books in the search bar you find when you click the button at the top of this page.

Comments Welcome :)

[theskystalker-blog]

So You've Been Publicly Shamed - Review

Lesson Learned : Never, ever, ever post anything in any social medium unless you're 200% sure that the post won't haunt you forever.

Though I don't usually read non-fiction (unless it is some biography of someone great or it has a really catchy concept), I chose to read this book because I actually remembered some of the social media shamings detailed in the book. Most of us in some way have participated in these shamings by at least liking/sharing those posts. So I wanted to know the psychology behind this social media shaming and how the lives of those victims are affected.

The first thing this book made me realise was how we are all just a single stupid tweet/post away from total damnation. It is seriously terrifying. In almost every case the victims have lost their jobs and couldn't find a new job for many,many years.

The book presents profound details about the psychology of shaming, how people have been shamed before social media existed and the effects shaming have on the lives of the victims.

How Google made money from all these social media shamings was shocking, at the least.

Though the book did present some solid background on the shamings, it could have been a little more interesting. I know, a book about shaming is supposed to be depressing. But the author could have made it less grim. It also gets boring and repetitive at parts.

Worth a read if you are into psychology or intrigued about social media shamings. Otherwise, don't torture yourself.

Here are some great observations from the book :

I suppose that when shamings are delivered like remotely administered drone strikes nobody needs to think about how ferocious our collective power might be.Nobody in a shaming feels accountable during the process because "a snowflake never feels responsible for the avalanche"

We are defining the boundaries of normality by tearing apart the people outside it.

A victim about shamers : "An apology is supposed to be a communion - a coming together. For someone to make an apology, someone has to be listening. They listen and speak and there's an exchange. That's why we have a thing about accepting apologies. There's a power exchange that happens. But they don't want an apology. What they want is my destruction."

A life had been ruined. What was it for: just some social media drama? I think our natural disposition as humans is to plod along until we get old and stop. But with social media, we've created a stage for constant artificial drama. Every day a new person emerges as a magnificent hero or a sickening villain. It's all very sweeping, and not the way we actually are as people. What rush was overpowering us at times like this? What were we getting out of it?

[theskystalker-blog]

Redefining Horror : David Mitchell's "Slade House"

UN-BELIEVABLE. If Christopher Nolan decided to adapt a horror book for his movie, he would have no better option than the Slade House. I've always considered David Mitchell the Christopher Nolan of writers and once again he's proved me right.

It felt like blasphemy when my favorite author's book was out and I hadn't read it for 2 months !

I've never read a horror book before in my life because I've always considered horror to be no true literature and I decided to start my experiments with Horror with this book. And I'm pretty sure this has spoiled me for other horror books forever. Unless David Mitchell writes a sequel.

This is none of your run-of-the-mill horror stories with cheesy ghosts , annoying heroines and sloppy stories. The book starts on a simple tone and continues to do so until the penultimate chapter. I was wondering why David Mitchell would write such a NORMAL book. And that's when the thunder strikes. You could probably ask for a refund on your book if you're not mind-blown. I'll leave it at that .

Get ready ! Knock on that iron door

[theskystalker-blog]

Immortality with Terms & Conditions : The Indisputably Intriguing "The People in the Trees"

If you love nature, you can start reading the book right away. I know you're gonna love it. Thank me once you're done.

Hanya yanigahara sure has claimed a permanent place in the ever-growing list of my favorite authors. After being haunted, depressed and broken by A Little Life, I did not dare read the other book that I knew she wrote. One fine morning I came across an interview of Hanya about this book (which I've given below) and it immediately pushed me to readThe People in the Trees. Though the fictional storyline was fascinating, what intrigued me most was the real incidents that the book was based upon.

This is what Hanya wrote about the book and I had this in my mind the whole time I was reading the book. Especially the last paragraph :

The main character of The People in the Trees is based on a real man named Carleton Gajdusek, who spent much of the 1950s in Papua New Guinea, working with a tribe called the South Foré, who were beset with a mysterious and fatal neurodegenerative disease they called “kuru" or the shaking.

While the outlines of Gajdusek's story remain intact in my book, I can safely say that the specifics—from the character’s voice to the island and people he encounters to the disease he discovers—are wholly invented.

As fantastic as this accomplishment was, however, Gajdusek's personal life was perhaps more so. At some point, he began adopting children from Papua New Guinea, and eventually ended up with around 50. In the late 1990s, he was accused by several of his own sons of sexual abuse, and he served a short spell in prison before moving to Norway, where he lived the rest of his years.

It's difficult to overstate Gajdusek’s importance to a certain segment of the medical research community. Certainly he was a figure of fascination to my father, who was for many years a research doctor, including at the National Institutes of Health, where Gajdusek had his labs.

It wasn't just his intelligence, as wild and inventive and inimitable as it was: It was the grand figure he cut, his unabashed eccentricity, his very largeness of personality and imagination. His was a truly idiosyncratic mind—wide-ranging and curious and unfettered—in a very closed world. And so I always knew, probably by the time I was in college, that I would write about him, and that he was too good a character to not fictionalize. Therefore, I was very careful to limit my exposure to him: I never read his diaries, which are available at NIH. I never read Richard Rhodes's Deadly Feasts, which addresses Gajdusek's work in Papua New Guinea. (I did read D.T. Max's fascinating The Family That Couldn't Sleep, which does concern some of Gajdusek's work.) And so, while the outlines of Gajdusek's story remain intact in my book, I can safely say that the specifics—from the character’s voice to the island and people he encounters to the disease he discovers—are wholly invented.

Gajdusek's story is a novelist's dream. Not only are the circumstances of his discovery, and of his fall, vivid and fascinating, but he makes us ask how much we are willing to forgive, and how much we're willing to tolerate in the name of science, in the name of progress: In other words, is a great man still a great man if he does terrible things?

So, how was it?

A wonderfully written novel that is so real that you cannot probably believe that it is mere fiction. The description of the islands, people and the events are so vivid and etched in your heart that it is really difficult to believe that it did not really happen. The book being based on real life events is only making it harder to believe that the world we lived as long we read the book was purely a product of her imagination. Hard-hitting, haunting and makes you test the boundaries of your forgiveness.

What I loved

The moment you start reading, the novel starts to grow with splendid descriptions, different people and the protagonist's vivid introspections in shifting landscapes. It has bewitched you and there is no way you can concentrate on any of your other chores. As Perina travels through Hawaii to the mysterious unexplored islands, you are going along with him. You can smell the leaves he smell, you can feel the taste of those worms in your buds, you can feel the irritation he feels. You become him. The discovery of the turtle, further experimentations, his travel back to America, his life with his numerous children and the final two chapters. You're finally back to the real world some time after you finished that wretched final page.

The greed of humans and the after effects of the western camping on the island - Nailed it.

I'm no animal lover. In fact, I'm quite the opposite. But after reading this, I sure as hell want one Opa-ivu-eke turtle as my pet. I seriously loved every para they were in. (Except when they were being cruelly eaten by one guy or another) Another solid testament for how shockingly convincing the book might be.

The intertwining of the stories of Perina and the guys who discovered DNA. Genius.

Of course, the enchanting description of the islands, nature, the people and THE TURTLE.

The notes at the end of every chapter. Really helpful. It was shocking to find the concept of stone babies. (A stone baby is a condition in which the fetus dies in utero, being too large to be reabsorbed by the body -the death usually occurs in the first trimester - , instead calcifies to spare its host from infection. A woman can live perfectly normal for decades, even for her entire life, while carrying a stone baby; indeed, she can even bear other children. The phenomen is extremely uncommon, a particularly ghoulish medical curiosity, and these days all but unheard of in the civilized world)

The hard-hittingness of the story.

What I hated (Not really HATED, but ..... )

Hanya's books have surprisingly close-to-zero female characters. A Little Life had only one female character who was more like a junior artiste in the main picture. People in the Trees also has ONE woman character whom the hero hates. ( I do, too :P) Next time Hanya, Please write at least a few girls that we can enjoy reading.

I hated how Hanya was cruelly building up the story, cranking up all the parameters and not revealing the things that we are dying to know until the very final page, very final paragraph. Really made me restless and frustrated. (I know that's how good books are supposed to be. But, this really killed me)

Was I able to forgive Perina?

There is no absolute right or wrong when all the social limits of acceptance are walled by predefined human standards. Nobody should be damned because their actions do not fall within the utterly stupid brackets of society's acceptance. (Unless people are hurt) I am gonna stop myself from explaining further about how these so called societal norms affect a vast section of people and provide safe shelters for acts of abuse - Marriage for an example.

Here are two excerpts from the book that best describe my stand :

I know it is not a very popular thing to say, but i have always belived, even before this occassion, that certain ethnic groups are predisposed to certain types of behavior, or more accurately, naturally endowed with certain characteristcs. As for me, I did not feel it was my position to pass judgement on the ritual. I had certainly found it a surprise, even a shock, but I cannot deny that it made me rethink certain assumptions I'd always had about childhood, and sex in general, and how there was no single correct attitude to either. This may sound very naive, but I suppose I had thought until the point that there were a few absolutes in the world - that certain behaviors or acts, like murder, were inherently wrong, and others inherently correct. But my time at Ivu'ivu taught me that all ethics or morals are culturally relative. And Esme's reaction taught me that while cultural relativism is an easy concept to process intellectually, it is not, for many, an easy one to remember.

It reminds us that love, at least the sort of pure love that so few of us will admit to feeling, is a complicated, dark, violent thing, an agreement not to be entered into lightly. One can disagree with Norton's opinions on the matter and still think him a whole, and a good, human being. At least this is what I hope, though it is ultimately for the reader to decide for himself; I have already made my decision, long ago.

[theskystalker-blog]

Out of the World : "Cloud Atlas"

Adventurous, Ambitious, Extremely rewarding, Surreal , Satisfying and One of its kind . A Masterpiece.

I had some reservations before starting “Cloud Atlas” because I had read the Bone Clocks and did not like it very much. I was convinced that David Mitchell had some fetish for sextets and so he deliberately wrote six stories in every book even if some of those did not contribute much to the storyline. Then I began reading Cloud Atlas because many people regarded it as a masterpiece and it promised to be an ambitious read. Thus began my adventure in the clouds. Six great stories spanning from 1840s to the post-apocalyptic period. Each story begins, the plot is amazingly set, the characters are deeply sculpted in your memory and you are really enjoying it when David Mitchell cruelly relocates his book to a completely different world. The vicious cycle continues for all the 6 stories. Once all the 6 stories are begun, he completes them all in the reverse order. (If you just cannot contain your curiosity, you can start the first chapter and jump to the 12th chapter where the first one is completed. Again to 2nd chapter and jump to 11th. Till you reach the 6th one. This might make perfect sense. But the reading experience would be less satisfying.) Each story takes place in a parallel world and there is zero resemblance except for a tiny similarity binding all the prime characters together. Even the language used is authentic, exquisite and tailored to the story’s environment. At the end you feel like you have read 6 separate books. Of all the stories, my favorite is “Sloosha’s crossin’ and everythin’ after” because the language was so strange, awesome and resplendent. The underlying themes were well brought out. Philosophical ponderings were pristine and enlightening. The book is so damn engaging and almost every story has an amazing chase when it is absolutely impossible to put the book down. The attention to details is startling. The amount of research he must have done : the Maoris, Morioris, music in the 20th century, Belgium, France, Korea, nuclear science. The list is endless. The picture he has painted of dystopia is ghastly. David Mitchell must have had a critic who really bothered him. In Cloud atlas, the author kills a critic who gave his book a bad review. In Bone Clocks, the writer took a very bitter revenge on the critic who undermined his work. I wonder who it is :P You would learn a lot of words by reading this book. I came across at least 200 hundred words that I did not know existed. Cloud Atlas succeeded in executing its ambitions perfectly. An experience like no other. One of the best books ever written in this century. Don’t miss it for the world. Waiting to watch the movie.

[theskystalker-blog]

Awesome to the point of obscenity : Fates & Furies

Before I begin showering superlatives to describe how awesome, unique, solid, classy, stylish, substantial, witty and amazing this book is – Lauren Groff definitely has some kind of hidden superpower to write something THIS good. I have not read her previous works unfortunately. But I’m planning to read all her works this year. One of the most strikingly unique writers I’ve ever come across. Someone described that Lauren Groff writes so good to the point of showing off. And it is perfectly right.

I always judge the books based on their storyline. And frankly, Fates and Furies had a boring one. I expected some run-of-the-mill love drama and tedious, sad narration after they break up. Boy, how wrong I was! Once again, the story is very simple tracing and chronicling the lives of two people which does not have any dramatic highs or lows. It is the trivial story of celebrated artists. The Fates part of the book takes part from Lotto’s perspective whereas the Furies part is entirely Mathilde’s show. Fates and Furies is not the best novel or my most favorite novel of the year (& the award goes to….. A Little Life). But it was the most seductive novel of the year. I cannot possibly explain how unique Fates & Furies is. It stretches beyond the limits of communicability. It can only be experienced. My Furies (mini spoilers) I did not really understand why Mathilde had to go through all those crap to put herself through college. A giant debt from her uncle would have been the perfect solution. (I’d start paying you the second I’m out of college) Similarly, I did not like the sudden transformation of a beautiful love story to a 50 shades-ish flash back. Given that Lotto is an established Man whore (it says so in the book itself :P) , I completely could not understand his obsession with her virginity. The fact that the foundation of their entire 40 year old relationship was based on her virginity was absolutely bullshit for me. And he commits suicide cos his wife was not virgin when they first consummate their relationship before 30 years? OH, COME ON! If Mathilde is not a gold digger, why does Antoinette resent her until death? True, they had a fight at the beginning. But that was only when she thought she was a gold digger, right? And why is Mathilde so insufferably “wifey”? It is said that she is a woman of great abilities and capable of magnificent manipulations. She playing the part of a 1950’s wife (despite her talents) is really ludicrous. Furies apart, you are missing a lot if you are giving this a miss. Definitely planning to read this one another time. P.S: Did anybody else have Robin Wright’s image in mind whenever you pictured Mathilde? So similar to Claire Underwood from House of Cards.

[theskystalker-blog]

Another Omnibus of Reviews

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The Call of Ctuhlhu

Powerful Imagination & a breathtaking narrative makes it an amazing read

The Laser dot on : Narcopolis

Beguiling. Dark. Sick. Brilliant at points. Graphic. Pragmatic. Shocking. Some might call it depressing.

The Laziest: Year of runaways

An amazing plot spoiled by the laziest writing ever . The writer had so much scope to execute a grand, poignant theme and he has so royally failed. It seems that he himself doesn't like his characters enough. Everything is so matter-of-factly written. One of the guys sells his kidney to travel to the UK for god's sake! Such a disappointing book. I wonder how it made to the Booker shortlist. There were brilliant books like The Chimes and Did you Ever have a family which did not make to the shortlist!

A brief visit to Mathew Reilly’s Temple

The best 800 pages to kill your weekend! Though it falls prey to many cliches, Temple never ceases to entertain you. The story about the incan priest was amazing. Matthew could have focused more on the mythic incan story in the 15th century than on the modern day war. Its riveting, nonetheless.

[theskystalker-blog]

Sujatha Reviews Omnibus

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Time just flies by in “Computer gramam”

Absolutely impossible to put down once you start reading it. Easily one of Sujatha's best works ever. I've said enough about his brilliance. Tamil readers are so lucky to have had such a genius. The book is so full of sarcasm and humor that you burst out laughing almost at every page. Twists are so perfect and the cliffhangers are placed marvellously. The final sentence of the book.. typical Sujatha's master-work. Refreshing to see a great heroine in Sujatha s novel. Its the perfect example for a mysterious,enjoyable, thrilling, humorous and an absolutely riveting novel. And if I'm getting a pet I'll b sure to name it Tottu. Can never forget that description about Tottu dhevar xD xD. Don't miss it. Don't!

Nirvana Nagaram

Another one of Sujatha's legendary mystery thrillers . You just can't put it down no matter how hard you try . It was so damn engaging I finished it in 3 hours . Climax was a bit let down for me . Otherwise, its just perfect . Sujatha's description of Chennai can only be described by "Wow!" . Add that to the Sherlock-ish wit of Vasanth-Ganesh. You get the recipe for a quintessential novel. No matter how many languages you read , how many award winning books you've completed, nothing beats reading a good old Tamil novel like Nirvana Nagaram :D #Vaazhga Thamizh . I wish someone like Sujatha could arrive in the Tamil literary scene now. No new author to follow in Tamil ! That would draw plenty of youngsters to reading .

Odaadhey

The perfect example of a racy book ! Once you've started reading it, you can't keep it down !

Vasanth VAsanth

A good read, indeed. The cover was so curious and the well was so mysterious. Not in par with other Sujatha novels. But it is worth a read!

Vidhi

English novelists must beg from Sujatha. I had only one problem with vidhi: Its too short: ( The reasoning of crime was bloody brilliant.

Sujatha’s Roja

The cop hero instantly became one of my favorite characters. Roja gives rise to so many questions. Can the rich and powerful get away with anything? It explores politics, communism, power play, reality of life in villages and the crimes against the poor and women that the powerful easily get away with. The climax was a slap in the face. I knew it was inevitable but I so badly wanted the justice without any consequences. Whatever you may have against it, it has it's heart in the right place. Again, impossible to put down.

Yavanika

An ultimately rare Chozha period bronze statue , Drug cartels , Bomb defusions, a crazy actress , a selfish millionaire and Ganesh-Vasanth. That's the recipe for a perfect page turner . Sujatha rocks.

Sylvia

Apparently, this could be considered as Sujatha's tribute to Sylvia plath . The title and the heroine's name are indirectly a metaphor to the late american writer . (He had mentioned many times that he had greatly enjoyed her writing). Its not often that u find smoking, drinking women as central characters in Tamil fiction . Again Sujatha is way ahead of time with Harley Davidson, partying at midnight and Google references . It should be noted that the book was written a decade ago . And of course the Ganesh Vasanth duo rock .

Megathai thurathinavan

Bank robbery ! The title and what it represents is brilliant. Unputdownable :P

Kolai arangam

Sujatha strikes back with a bone-chilling thriller. An intriguing case, Ganesh Vasanth, a pretty girl and a social issue . What more can you expect? Incorporating the Eezham issue was a brilliant move.

[theskystalker-blog]

The Legendary & Clairvoyant "Kanayaazhiyin Kadaisi Pakkangal"

I can never, ever, ever overstate the brilliance of our legend Sujatha. Some of the parts of Kanayaazhiyin.. were written 50 years ago and it's still damn relevant. He has written about Steve Jobs in the 1980s, he typed his Tamil works in Macintosh systems(that too in 80s).Some of His essays are a "Bitch, Please " to all those who brag about their fluency in English and feel embarrassed about reading vernacular books. For those who don't know, Kanayaazhi is a small scale Tamil literary magazine aimed at preserving the contemporary literature. This book, Kanayaazhiyin Kadaisi Pakkangal (Kanayaazhi's last pages) is the compilation of Sujatha's essays in Kanayaazhi from 1965 to 1998. It’s astonishing that almost everything that he had predicted about future has turned out right and you learn to stop being surprised by his powers. From Tholkappiyam to Puranaanooru to Haikoos, the writings about his literature interests are absolutely delightful to read. Nobody would dare take his stance that it's natural for a language to change over time and that it's Okay if the Tamil we use right now is not entirely pure. After reading Kanayaazhiyin... it may not be intriguing if you feel the need to start reading Puranaanooru. And do try it. He himself has written a book called: Puranaanooru oru eliya arimugam. Whats the most surprising about KKP is his appreciation of his contemporary writers and poets. He appreciates good literature when he reads one and there's no room for partiality about the poet or anything else. Cinema, Ancient Tamil , jokes, technology, science. Name anything and he has written about it. The sense of humor in all his writings is dazzling. His accurate observation about the cultural deterioration in Japan is totally fitting the current scenario in India. How I wish he could've still lived with us. His death was the single most magnificent loss to Tamil in the 21st century. How I wish this book had many more sequels. *sadly sighs*

[theskystalker-blog]

The Unfortunate reading of "The Sphinx"

I came across a book called Sphinx written by Robin Cook that had an excellent story line and all my favourite elements like Egyptian mummies. I downloaded an eBook which I thought was authored by Robin Cook but it turned out to be “The Sphinx”. During various parts of the book I was so disgusted and incredulous that Robin cook would write such a misogynistic story. Only when I googled the storyline of the book did I find it to be “The Sphinx”. Now that gave a different perspective. The book was undeniably an interesting read. Very misogynistic . But, the element of mystery was maintained well throughout. There are some scenes that might make the conservative folks throw up. To zip it up: A decent narrative with an indecent climax and a very indecent cover.

[theskystalker-blog]

The Millenium Trilogy

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Whoa. The Best Mystery Thriller of the decade. I have already watched the movie and I was sceptical when I began reading the book. But despite the fact that I knew all the twists and who the real villain is, I couldn't manage to put it down. "Riveting" would be an understatement. The idea of Salander itself is so intriguing. Damn well written. Somehow the author manages to keep her past a mystery till the very end. The exchange of mails between Mikael and Berger towards the end is so damn enjoyable. Can’t wait to read the sequels. Usually it is a known fact that the Scandinavian countries are the safest for women and very progressive in gender related issues. But the statistics of Sweden presented in the book is terrifying. Sweden is supposed to be the safest nation for women.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Engrossing. This is how fiction must be. With every page the list of characters I hated grew exponentially. But my love for the few likeable characters out weighed the sheer hate. Lisbeth has joined the likes of Dumbledore, Atticus Finch, Ormus Cama and Willem by entering into my league of favorite characters. Absolutely unique. The twist was an utter shock. But I was expecting more action towards the climax. That was disappointing. A wonderful read otherwise. The use of mathematical equations and concepts before every part was brilliant . I didn't understand the purpose at first .But when it finally settled in, it was brilliant .

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

Holy. Fucking. Shit . The book is so freaking awesome that all I can do is shake my head wondering how can a book be so awesome. It should not be called Millennium 3. Its more like Girl who played with fire - 2. They could've combined both the books and sold it as a single volume too . But then a 1400 paged book would've been unmanageable / not so riveting as a thriller. That aside, every thing about the book astonishes me. It's so riveting that I was unable to do anything else once the story started catching pace . The pages felt like they were on fire . I didn't give a damn about anything else . I just wanted to know how it'd end. The Court sequence was out of the world. More for the satisfaction it brings than the language. It was so fucking satisfying when The villain was nailed to the ground . (A figurative spoiler :P) It is everything a book must be . The stories about armies of women were fascinating. To back such a great piece of thriller with the issue of gender equality is a master stroke . Cons: Too many names (Scandinavian names are a mess) ! Over description & Repetition of facts I wish Stieg Larsson was alive to complete all 10 parts of millennium. I'm afraid that the next parts written by some different authors would spoil the characters that we treasure so much. ( Definitely won't read ...Spider's web) May he rest in peace . A book you'd never forget reading .

[theskystalker-blog]

"Reluctant Fundamentalist"

Being an Indian, reading a book narrated from a Pakistani perspective was really different. The book is so damn brilliant, honest, engaging and hard hitting . The polite tone of the narrator was very fresh and appealing . Sentences like "Nostalgia is their crack cocaine" stands vividly in my memory even after closing the book . The book was designed well and its always a pleasure to read a well spaced text . I had only one problem: It ended too soon ! If the part about India was removed, the concept would apply almost universally to all the Muslims irrespective of their nationality. A well deserved slap for the american hypocrisy.