Revenge

Book Name : Revenge
Author : Stephen Fry

What is it about : A re-telling of the story The Count Of Monte Cristo. Set in modern day Britain where our blue-eye boy, Ned became the victim of childhood jealousy and subsequently by a fluke of bad luck, a further victim of corrupted government officials. Locked in a lunatic clinic on an island somewhere in Scandinavia, suffering un-bearable pain and torture, he met his saviour in the form of Babe, himself also a victim of the British government and there he plotted his comeback and revenge. By good fortunes, Ned transformed himself into Simon Cotter, a Bill Gates type of figure in the Hi-Tech world and relished in his role as "the avenging angel, the instrument of God".

Some thoughts after having read the book : I felt that the Author stumbled a bit at the start with depicting Ned madly in love with Portia and writing awkward letters to each other, declaring their un-dying love as teenagers would. But after may be ten pages, the Author got into his strides and stormed ahead and then there was no return - a roaring good read indeed which laid ahead. The readers would feel the pain and injustice dished out to Ned who happened to have done nothing wrong except being the secure, happy-go-lucky kinda good-looking guy with wit, brains and cricket batsman skills in ample quantity - nothing but just bad luck and sheer jealousy from the low and nasty people of this world. Look out for the ingenious ways in which Ned exacted his revenge.

Would I recommend this book to you : Definitely a major nod of praise from me for the book's barn-storming style; of course it helped tremendously that I had watched Stephen Fry on TV dramas, comedies, movie (lately in the role as Mycroft Holmes in the Sherlock Holmes series) and even adverts before in the U.K. and could relate to this author telling this story in his unique style of tone and pace. You could practically read this book anywhere, but do try not to finish it in one go !

Hannibal Rising

Book Name : Hannibal Rising
Author : Thomas Harris

What is it about : Set in the time of World War II in Europe, the story charted the childhood and upbringing of Hannibal Lecter (you know, that scary guy played by Anthony Hopkins) and how he was traumatised by the cannibalism of his captors. Our young Hannibal turned out to be an outstanding medical student with a talent for detailed drawing of human organs and had the ability to find novel ways of killing off his enemies. The book also described how a mysterious Japanese woman, his Aunt, made an impact on his early life.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The problem was that I didn't see "Hannibal Rising", just a troubled kid knocking bad guys out in cruel and ingenious ways. It was difficult for me to extrapolate and imagine this young dude would become THE Hannibal (think Anthony Hopkins wearing that menacing overall, waiting for and greeting Jodie Forster's visit to his prison cell in The Silence Of The Lambs). This book's make-up of the boy Hannibal felt hollow, with just a tiny glimpse of that chilling Monster inside and the actions and dialogues lacked psychological impact and depth. Also, the ease with which young Hannibal criss-crossed urban and rural Paris, seemingly knowing all the back lanes and short cuts felt implausible. Moreover, the slayings of the long-ago enemies were much James Bond-like - ducking bullets, him against the world, that sort of thing. The Japanese Aunt was a major distraction whose story thread, presence and contribution led to nowhere and did not add substance to our understanding of Hannibal The Monster and how he metamorphosed to become his sinister self.

Would I recommend this book to you : Good for a week's past-time and a quick thrill and kill; otherwise, the book fell short of the high standards set in the Author's excellent previous books of the same series and certainly never matched the chilling tale that was, The Silence Of The Lambs.

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Book Name : Breakfast At Tiffany's
Author : Truman Capote

What is it about : A twenty-something New York high society girl with a bit of a past partied her days away with models, rich friends and the elite - almost always a martini in hand. Her colorful and eventful life took a turn when she was visited by the past, in the form of her fifty-something ranch owner Texan husband; she faced more woes and uncertainty when her association with a crime boss surfaced on the FBI's radar.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The plausible tale was written with seemingly effortless pen strokes - this short story read like as if it was hot-off-the-typewriter at a flick of the author's fingers. I found the book to be an outstanding example of a novella - concise, precise, cut-to-the-chase conversations, brimming with charming characters and an intriguing plot. The readers would be enchanted by Ms Golightly in one of the parties she played host, would feel sympathy for her past and dilemma, would agonise over her naivety, would run away from her tantrums; and the readers would feel a sense of loss and nostalgia in her eventual absence (she ran away to Brazil from her predicament). All in all, you would feel for the girl.

Would I recommend this book to you : You could : 1. Use the book as a case study of how a novella should be written; 2. You could also study how the book was translated and transformed into the well-known film and won acclaims for Hepburn and Peppard; and of course, 3. You could read it (like myself) to enjoy the high drama, the entertaining dialogues and the peoples in Ms Golightly's life - a shy bar owner, an accidental friend and neighbour, a devoted and forlorn husband and more; or you could do all 1 to 3 and admire Capote's talents and the reasons behind his fame and what made him such a hit in his days. Highly recommended.

Captains Courageous

Book Name : Captains Courageous
Author : Rudyard Kipling

What is it about : A heroic tale about a rich daddy's  boy in his mid-teens who fell overboard during a storm in the middle of the Atlantic and was later rescued by a group of fishermen. The boy transformed from his old dependent ways to become an old deck hand as he learnt the fishermen's trade during his ten months' voyage. Oh yes, happy ending at last, as the delayed news of his rescue reached his parents (who literally owned much of the US) and full generous gratitudes were dispatched to the fishermen crew.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Most of the book was written in a new language - Fishermen Speak and as a result I could hardly understand half the conversations although of course I did get the gist of the idea. Such mind-boggling examples :

"sure, crews an'gear made no differ to her driftin'. She'll etch loose in a flat ca'am."

"she'a as stiddy as a haouse an' as dry as a herrin."

"Ef she's spewed her oakum he'd better git to his pumps mighty quick."

Also, reality check during my reading pauses and I found it very difficult to imagine a well-looked-after boy of fifteen (think comfy slippers, hot coco before bedtime, mummy giving approving nods to his every thought and action), who just fell off a cruise liner and ended up working and living with a bunch of stinking fishermen, speaking the Fishermen Speak, eating salted herring every other meal, sleeping in soggy bunk beds and did not cry once or expressed any form of home-sickness - that would be one logic-defying incredibly tough boy !

Would I recommend this book to you : A difficult one to recommend (or not) because although the book was seemingly targeted for readers in the early to mid-teens, the reading was tough-going and I definitely would not say that the readers' English would improve by learning the Fishermen Speak (accounted for about three-quarters of the book). You could of course argue that by reading bad English, one would learn the proper English. Nonetheless, if you are looking to gain an insight into the unique style and prose of one of the Greats - check it out !

Guerrillas

Book Name : Guerrillas
Author : V.S.Naipaul

What is it about : A fictionalised account of a true story set in the heady days of "Black Power", "Civil Radicals" and "Liberation" - the story of a British girl in her late twenties in search of life's meaning and spiritual adventures, landed into a "commune" on a Caribbean island and mixed company with her radical boyfriend's circle and her fateful encounters with the island's activist leader. Her personal journey was set against the backdrop of an island in turmoil (poverty, near anarchy and feeble governance), in an ex-pat community broiled in uncertainty where they "rum-punched" the day away and the book detailed the emotional interplays between the British girl and a whole cast of ideological figure heads.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Quite a struggle at first to get stuck into the book and to make heads and tails about the settings and characters as the story line appeared veiled and fogged out - hallmarks of another Nobel Prize Winner, may be ? Good thing the Author wrote a Preface and I did a bit of research half way through the book of Gail Anne Benson and her association with Michael X and the story of her eventual horrendous murder. Straight away, the story was illuminated and I followed with clarity of where the Author was taking the readers. The build-up to the climax and anti-climax towards the end was absolutely riveting and a master stroke as the disillusioned Brit approached her fatal fall and the subsequent simultaneous denial and acknowledgment of her existence and disappearance.

Would I recommend this book to you : Full of un-fathomable dialogues and drawn out accounts of ex-pat lives on a Caribbean island - rum-punching, strolling on a beach, being served dinner and generally lying around on Mexican hammocks in Bermuda shorts ... Exciting, interesting the book was not but the last 50 pages saved the day - the pace quickened, the plot focused and the story zero-ed in on the tragic end. It was a bit like having watched the first 2 hours of a lousy West-End Play but the scenes, actors and directors in the Final Act came together Big-Time and you walked out of the theatre thankfully satisfied - phew, not a waste of time after all.

The Vault

Book Name : The Vault
Author : Peter Lovesey

What is it about : A good old "whodunit" with a twist of the Frankenstein legend thrown in as an entertaining distraction. With all the suspects and red herrings at large and so our no nonsense Detective Peter Diamond ran around the blocks in Bath (!) to find the person(s) with the smoking gun. So who killed the art dealer and whacked a policeman unconscious ? Could it be the gentle American professor whose wife had gone missing and later found to have checked-in to The Ritz in Paris ? Or did the art-craze city councillor have a few skeletons in his cupboard ? What about the drug addict nephew who inherited a fortune from his deceased uncle who just happened to be the last person known to be present at the scene of the crime ? Caught between his family life, career prospects and being led down a few blind alleys, could our inspector figure it out ? Read on and take a ride with him and his British wit.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Tantalising clues they might have been, but I was not particularly led astray by those colorful, dubious, ignorant characters in the line-up. Perhaps it was just the thought that surely it had to be one of the "usual suspects", otherwise the whole book would have been a farce - a common "problem" in a whodunit. Nevertheless, the chases around Bath and the British humour jogged some fond memories and nostalgia about good old England ...

Would I recommend this book to you : Pick up the book for its wit, pace, English-ness and get taken for a ride through the life in a day of our inspector - enjoy.

Brief Encounters With Che Guevara

Book Name : Brief Encounters With Che Guevara
Author : Ben Fountain

What is it about : A collection of eight short stories, mostly on the theme of displaced Americans abroad in edgy countries ... For a change I would be giving a brief description of each story below.

Near-Extinct Birds Of The Central Cordillera - An American bird specialist became a hostage of the local guerrilla group in the Columbian jungle and was accidentally freed during a trip by the New York Stock Exchange executives.

Reve Haitien - An American Aid worker tried to do some good by throwing chess games away to the local Haitiens and ended up smuggling famous paintings out of the country.

The Good Ones Are Already Taken - An American Marine returned home after a stint in Haiti where he "married" a local voodoo goddess and his loving wife back home having a tough time trying to get to grips with these new arrivals (inculding a shrine and the whole shebang) !

Asian Tiger - A minor league golfer became a sensation with the Myanmar chiefs and got caught up with designing golf courses in war zones.

Bouki And The Cocaine - Haitien villagers figuring out ways to transport millions worth of cocaine out of their coastal village under the greedy watchful eyes of the local policemen.

The Lion's Mouth - An American Aid worker making good use of some "blood diamonds" in Sierra Leone and her diamond trader boyfriend was in for a surprise.

Brief Encounters With Che Guevara - A southern American recalled the different occasions the famous Argentinian revolutionist crossed path with him since childhood days.

Fantasy For Eleven Fingers - Two pianists with eleven fingers stunned the world during their different eras.

Some thoughts after having read the book : If I hadn't read the Q & A at the end of the book, I would not have known that (with the exception of Haiti) the Author actually had not been to these exotic countries and the stories were the results of his research. So it was no surprise that the stories took on a more cumbersome and mechanical tone and texture. What gave me these impressions ? Perhaps it was the over-detailed description of the flora and fauna of the Columbian jungle or perhaps the Author overcooked on the number and details of the piano symphonies. I did not feel the stories moved smoothly a la Graham Greene or La Carre (excellent writers on the theme of bystanders caught up in turmoils on foreign soils); but take nothing away this Author, he touched on great themes of irony, tragedy and the life of a lost soul abroad. It's just that the candid Q & A took away a certain degree of authenticity and credibility. By the way, the story " Fantasy For Eleven Fingers " had a definite feel of a Pushkin or may be a Chekov and this story gave me the feeling that the Author was experimenting with styles.

Would I recommend this book to you : The Author might not have the reach and depth of Graham Greene or La Carre on these topics (or perhaps he needed an epic-length novel to illustrate he is in fact on that level); but for now, I had been very content with this book as it provided plenty of food for thought regarding poverty, culture clash and  revolution. Great theme for the readers to actually consider writing a different ending for each of these good short stories.

River Out Of Eden

Book Name : River Out Of Eden
Author : Richard Dawkins 

Just for a change, I am not going to elaborate on the details of this book; other than to say that I read this Author's many books as part of my own personal "crash course" on Zoology and Evolution as a whole. I look at it like it is another massive thesis for the Author to expound his views on these topics and as per usual, he provided numerous colorful anecdotes, interesting examples and written with that irresistible logic and common sense. I in particular, liked the "African Eve" illustration of our genetic heritage, the Henry Ford "Efficiency" story of "let's make the strongest part weaker" and the "Bee Dance" series of experiments. You can read my other reviews on this Author's books by clicking on "Richard Dawkins" in the left hand column of this blog. Enjoy !

The Time Keeper

Book Name : The Time Keeper
Author : Mitch Albom

What is it about : The first dude who had a vague sense of Time (as opposed to his peers who thought the Sun - day time god and the Moon - night time god, each took turns to rule over them) and eventually discovered how to go about measuring Time, was banished in a cave for 6 thousand years by God for having made this discovery. During this time, he was made to listen to all human requests for "more time, faster, slower, sooner, later, delays, punctual, on schedule, out of time, spare time etc.); two voices stood out louder than the rest, a teenage girl who was in and out of luv and wanted to cut short her time on Earth by gassing herself to death; and a dying old man who wanted more time (another life) by planning on freezing himself for a couple of hundred years when medical science would raise him from such state and cure his many illnesses. These three characters were eventually to meet up and realize the true meaning of TIME.

Some thoughts after having read the book : As per the Author's previous books which I had the pleasure of reading - Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People You Meet In Heaven, he wrote this book with the same consistent and characteristic approach, tone and style; basically, straight forward conversations, simple scenarios with ordinary people living next-door to you, over an IMPORTANT subject and delivering the BIG message. As in his previous books, the Author left much space and alternative scenes for the readers to imagine, interpret and conclude the message ourselves. This was done by exactly the way he had written this book - keeping it short, concise and not convoluted. The BIG Subject called into question was : TIME.  Of course, we all know why human had endeavoured for so long for precision and measurement of Time; just look at our GPS, high speed trains, stock markets and so on. But is Time a good measurement for feelings, emotions and experiences ?  Are we all enslaved by Time ? Why are we all making secret wishes so often for more time, faster, slower, sooner, later, delays, punctual, on schedule, out of time, spare time etc. ? Yes, the Author had successfully got the readers thinking.

Would I recommend this book to you : Despite the fact that the book lacked flair, high drama, one-paced and the ending predictable, I cannot give more credit to the Author because the readers were then left with enough breathing space to think over and reflect on the Subject (Time) - always the sign of a good book when the readers were made to think, interpret and learn - this book did all that to me.

The Greatest Salesman In The World

Book Name : The Greatest Salesman In The World
Author : Og Mandino

What is it about : A short and compact book set in the ancient Middle-East about two mega-rich men in their twilight years, recalling how they had achieved such riches through the learnings of some even more ancient Strolls.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Despite the dead-give-away book title, the book is much more than a Dummies Guide to becoming a successful sales person or a quick DIY hands-on manual on how to sell used cars or shower curtain rings; the book ultimately is more a philosophical approach to the bigger and more complex topic of Life Management. I found the "Scrolls" contents to be not dissimilar to what one expects a father would pass on to child; or any masters would impart their life's learning to followers.

Would I recommend this book to you : A quick read to boost your self-esteem and a reminder of how success in life can only come about, through the consistent application of good fundamental practices. Feeling lost, down, deflated, demoralised and in need of motivation ? Take this book out !

Gravity

Book Name : Gravity
Author : Brian Clegg

What is it about : Everything you have always wanted to know about Gravity and the characters and stories involved and here's a line-up of the usual suspects : Galileo Vs The Establishment, Newton's Apple, the un-compliant Einstein, General Relativity, String Theory, Quantum Mechanics, Anti-Matters, Black Holes, Time-Space Warping, Einstein Rings, Hawking Energy, Electrons, Positrons, Gravitons, Bosoms; they are all there. The book rounds up with the latest development and an encouraging message at the end - don't worry if you cannot understand how they (the bits and pieces in The Universe) all come together, they just do, otherwise we wouldn't exist !

Some thoughts after having read the book : Thought-provoking when the book details that the Earth is orbiting the Sun at a speed of 60,000 miles an hour and all creatures large and small manage to stay on to this rolling ball at this speed ! I found it amazing how the thirst of human curiosity had propelled our quest for knowledge on this topic through the centuries and yet more amazingly, human endeavour, experimental and theoretical scientists alike had persevered to come up with theories after theories and often had been proved to match up with experimental data ! I did feel, unlike the "Life Science" topics such as Evolution, Gravity would prove to be a bit of a struggle for most lay-person without a more solid fundamental groundings in this field.

Would I recommend this book to you : Tough going if you are not from this background; a bit dry if you are after a roller-coaster detective type story in unraveling the villain called Gravity but the book will do great for budding physicists as a fine introduction to this huge topic past, present and future.

Our Man In Havana

Book Name : Our Man In Havana
Author : Graham Greene

What is it about : Our man in Havana Wormold, was actually a boozing vacuum cleaner salesman who was recruited in a bar toilet by the British Secret Service as their man in Havana. Wormold subsequently conjured up his imaginary sub-field agents - a pilot, a naked dancer, an engineer, a waiter and the lot, to sort operation monies from London as well as enlarging and forging vacuum cleaner diagrams to be presented as the "secret weapons" deployed deep in the Cuban jungles by "the other side". Before he could say "Hey Presto, those fools in London ... ", his imaginary world collided with reality and found himself the assassination target from "the other side"; climaxing in a hilarious duck-and-dodge-the-poison luncheon, followed by his "triumphant" return (deportation) back to London and was subsequently knighted !

Some thoughts after having read the book : The Author peppered the book with sarcastic remarks of the cynicism that existed in the "Western" and "Eastern" worlds during the Cold War. These remarks still resonate in today's world as conflicts still abound the world over, albeit in different forms. But the book was all about the lighter and humorous side of arm-chair espionage, written with all the flippant flair and freedom and created such larger-than-life colorful characters - a Cuban Police Captain (The Red Vulture) whose cigarette case was upholstered with the skin of a former prisoner; the all-knowing Chief back in London who had assumed too much, exacerbated by his underling who gave partial answers and silent nods; and there was the whiskey-soaked long time friend of Wormold's, the German doctor who inadvertently became a victim of Wormold's sad comedy.

Would I recommend this book to you : Being a big GG fan, I cannot recommend this book more to readers, to view a snapshot of the world that was (Cold War) and that which has changed little since. A super fun read of the chaos caused by our man in Havana, code-named not Double-O Anything, but Agent 59200/5 who had trouble using a Shakesphere reference to encrypt messages and posted a poorly taken micro-dot (film) onto an unmarked stamp and threw into the post box, a further 250 letters (with identical stamps) to "confuse the other side". Yeh, it was so much fun to catch up with such hilarity ! Go Read !