The Beach

Book Name : The Beach
Author : Alex Garland

What is it about : The story of a bunch of curious backpackers receiving by chance, "The Map" to a legendary beach (turquoise lagoon, endless supply of dope and Sunday football came as standard) in Thailand which had been folklore in their realm. "The Map" turned out to be authentic and they found themselves living amongst a community of similarly young-ish no-where men/women whose sole purpose on the beach was to protect its secrecy, live a life on fish, rice and vegetables, smoke dope and basically enjoy life in paradise all day. Such idealistic lives took a complete turn, when fellow "beachers" were attacked by a shark and the local drug lords became nasty, leading to a climatic escape.

Some thoughts after having read the book : A superb backpacker's version of "paradise found and paradise lost". The tension just steadily built up as to when the secret of "paradise" would become instead a "paragraph" in Lonely Planet Thailand, completed with map and route instructions and so on. The looming sinister shadows of the drug lords and their guns and dope added to the tension as to when they would be fed up with this "farang" community in their vicinity; all this came to a boil when the three Swedes were attacked by a shark, resulting in death, fatal injuries and insanity. The reactions from the community gave a vivid demonstration of human fragility, cruelty, selfishness and in the end a wake-up call to what's right and wrong.

Would I recommend this book to you : Take this book with you when you next visit Southeast Asia and let your imagination go wild and live out the fantasy, even though you last saw your backpack all those years ago. Don't know about you, but I would probably last a maximum of three weeks, may be a month in such an environment and in such company, before I would be crying out for clean clothes, a different diet, a change of scene and head homeward-bound.

The Black Tulip

Book Name : The Black Tulip
Author : Alexandre Dumas

What is it about : The story was set in the days of the Dutch "Tulip-Mania" when tulips of all colors, shapes and sizes, exchanged hands at huge sums of monies and assets, without even leaving the soil they were planted in. In one instance, a farmer bought a much sorted-after tulip with "2 carts of wheat, 4 of rye, 8 fat pigs, 4 oxen, a dozen sheep, 4 tons of butter, 1000 pounds of cheese, some furniture and clothes and a silver beaker...". So a tulip in the color of black velvet took centre stage in this classic of love, greed, mayhem, political intrigue and finally justice served.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The story read like a play where you could imagine the theater curtains rising and falling after each set-piece. The style was light and breezy, the story line was entertaining, each scene was purposefully set; so as such, however much pain, betrayal, hardship and injustice the heroine experienced along the way, you could feel it was gonna be alright at the end. The great author was well-known in the way that he filtered out the dull bits of history and liberally embellished an epic based on the remaining colorful bits of historical facts (or otherwise), thus achieving the effects of pace, entertainment and drama.

Would I recommend this book to you : When I took out the book from the local library, I initially approached this Classic with a little bit of apprehension, thinking that major concentration and a big effort was gonna be required here, assuming it to be another formidable read like "War And Peace" or something. But as it turned out, I was like attending a play or musical (think Les Mes) and I was totally amused and the time spent on reading just flew by. I would put it down to the skills of this great author in the way he structured the plot and the witty dialogues he peppered throughout the book. Highly recommended.

And Thereby Hangs A Tale

Book Name : And Thereby Hangs A Tale
Author : Jeffrey Archer

What is it about : Another collection of short stories by one of my favourite authors; geez, he must have known a lot of people or attended many dinner parties to bag all these tales. In this case, fifteen intrigues for the readers to savour.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Up to the author's usual superb standard, these stories delighted a dull afternoon, invited a smile to your day and at times, caused the reader to plainly laugh out loud. If I had just one tiny negative comment to make, it would be the fact that the author was so good at his work, that the endings seemed a bit abrupt at times (a short story writing technique, I'm sure), when a bit of lingering sentiments and melancholy would go a long way to make that story more memorable.

Would I recommend this book to you : Please see my other comments on this author. In this instance, I would recommend the following books which I had enjoyed in the past by the same author. First Among Equals, A Matter Of Honour, A Quiver Full Of Arrows, A Twist In The Tale, Twelve Red Herrings, To Cut A Long Story Short and Cat O'None Tales.

Across The Pond

Book Name : Across The Pond
Author : Terry Eagleton

What is it about : A Manchester-born university lecturer summed up his insights, experiences and philosophies on all things American - from politics, religions, media, literature to wilderness, will power and obesity. The author placed himself in a unique position to make such calls as he has an American wife and lived in Dublin and being an expert in Literature stood him in good stead towards a good understanding of the American English-ness.

Some thoughts after having read the book : A much-needed introduction from the word "go" on the necessity and validity of "stereotype", somehow eased my mind about : how could a book generalize a nation so large and consisted of peoples from such diverse backgrounds from previous slaves with history on their backs, newly arrived immigrants with hopes in their dreams, elites from Wall Street who had nothing but dollars and dividends in their heads or politicians who cared nothing but their rise to power through all these people's votes. From then on, I enjoyed reading the Author's observations on the differences and idiosyncrasies "across the pond" from the point-of-view of an Englishman. However, I was for most of the time, puzzled by the lack of a clear structure of the narrative as the various topics and lines of logic seemed recurring, never fully completed or perhaps the world being so flat these days, that there could not be cliche which I had not previously come across about the Americans. Besides, I have lived and worked in New York and the fact that I have siblings living in California already allowed myself to gain a personal insight about certain aspects of this (relative) new found nation.

Would I recommend this book to you : The readers would find the book to contain amusing observations, fair commentaries and the readers would gain a first hand and first level understanding of this nation.

Sex, Lies And Handwriting

Book Name : Sex, Lies And Handwriting
Author : Michelle Dresbold

What is it about : The science and methodology of "reading" hand-writings was presented together with numerous examples taken from notorious figures including the likes of Ted Bundy, Hitler, Capone as well as ex-Presidents and well known businessmen. There was also a section devoted to layman readers who, instead of having their palms read or talking to their psychiatrist, they sent in their hand writings, asking the Author for help. The case study of identifying Jack The Ripper underlined the profiling methods as a way of providing supporting "evidence" .

Some thoughts after having read the book : The book to me, opened up a new avenue for self-analysis and self-improvement. Without treating the subject matter of the reading of hand-writings as gospels, the "reading" nevertheless did offer a certain amount of common sense. For instance, I would imagine that in general, an out-going person to have big hand-writings and a shy person to write in tiny letters. On a parallel and similar note, the practice of Chinese calligraphy had long been known for those in the field, to improve one's patience and instilling the attitude of constant improvement - the "go-get" character, if you like. The chapter on identifying Jack The Ripper was as riveting a piece of crime-solving as any detective novels I had ever read. The Author pulled together all the tell-tale signs from the dots on the "i"s and the crosses on the "t"s and pointed out the most likely suspect !

Would I recommend this book to you : It's always good to know yourself better and from a totally different perspective and this book could help you achieve that and delivered much more. You might improve (hide) your true temperament by actually changing the way you write. The book also made fun reading as you discovered more from analysing the hand-writings of your loved ones.

An Essay On The Principle Of Population

Book Name : An Essay On The Principle Of Population
Author : Malthus T.R.

What is it about : The first version of this classic work on the many aspects, theories and practical "checks" on the topic of human population was published in 1798. The all-round philosopher, economist and politician presented his views on labor, social welfare, agriculture, industrial ventures and his rebuttal to the many on-going economics-thoughts and philosophies that were in vogue at the time; these fashionable ideas included  the "perfectability" of the human species, conjectures concerning the progress of the human mind. The ideas, theories, arguments and government Bills, put forward by the likes of Pitt, Adam Smith, Godwin, Condorcet were torn apart mercilessly. The Author established himself as a giant in this field as hereafter, Malthusian concerns had been often debated whenever plague, famine and endemics ran wild on our fragile Earth.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Truly an all-time Classic with the capital letter C. This version of the book was presented in a style of English that was prevalent almost 300 hundred years ago, so it was tough going for the readers to grasp the sheer English-ness of the essays. The essays were peppered with examples and illustrations taken from far afield of China, the United States of America as well as cases coming from closer to home, of the introduction of the Poor Bill, the Adam Smith's scenario of industrial revenue against the trends of labor movements. Interestingly, when viewed from our standpoint of the modern world of Genome, space exploration, gene therapy, organ transplant, Malthus might have been too short-sighted (or perhaps not enough qualified in the field of general Science) when he argued against such ideas as "organ perfectability", "indefinite prolongation of human life". What would he think now ? Of a particular note - I thoroughly appreciated the style of how Malthus constructed his attack and defense in his lines of arguments.

Would I recommend this book to you : Be prepared for a tough ride as the readers would find the English impossibly painful, the arguments almost irrelevant to our modern age of iphone, speed dating and mass consumerism. But also be prepared for the reward of having struggled through this "Malthusian" monumental works and having the satisfaction of knowing a totally different world and society that existed 300 years ago; and also the fact that the Malthusian concerns, arguments and debates would still strike a chord this very day, when the human societies could still not find adequate solutions to food crisis, the spread of virus and social (un)fairness.

The Accidental Mind

Book Name : The Accidental Mind
Author : David J. Linden

What is it about : Brains, brains, brains ! All you had ever wanted to know about what actually went on upstairs. The book would present the on-going quest to understand how come human childhood took so long, how come our dreams almost always depicted fear and anxiety and how our brains made up stories in its automatic ways. The book started off with hard balls biology on the neurons and whats-not which were constantly being fired around in our grey matter; the book would then move on to depict our brains as scoops of ice cream layers with the bottom-most, sharing common grounds with the likes of frogs and dolphins; the final chapters contained explanations of how the brains affected our behavior in sleeping, dreaming, sexual orientation, religion, memory and learning.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The parts of the book explaining the nuts and bolts of neurons and stuff were way beyond my league but I did gain a certain level of comprehension of the goings-on by reading between the lines of what the Author was trying to put across. The Author did brilliantly in covering topics related to human behavior as a result of our brain's functions and these coverage were all enlightening and interesting; I was particular fascinated in how the brains constantly "made" things up, so as to help us to make sense of this world. The Author stressed that the "Middle Thing" was still missing - on a molecular level, things had been cleared up a bit with the technology making progress on DNA, Genome and so on; on a behavioral level, psychiatrists and scientists made great progress in analyzing our dreams, memory and general intelligence; BUT the "Middle Thing" linking these two levels were still very much unknown before a more complete picture could be made out, on the detailed functioning of our brains.

Would I recommend this book to you : The biology parts were pretty hard going but overall the book was well presented and many interesting topics were succinctly covered. I enjoyed the read and was fascinated by the insights and I would recommend the book to readers of all levels.

Cat O' Nine Tales

Book Name : Cat O' Nine Tales
Author : Jeffery Archer

What is it about : A collection of short stories, most of which are embellishment of the tales he came across from other prisoners during the author's own time spent at HM Prison.
Some thoughts after having read the book : I first read JA's works in 1990 (First Among Equals) and was gratified by this author's excellent command of "straightforward" English as well as the interweaving plots and clever use of inter-dependencies. I have since read many more (to be covered later in this Blog) of his works and I have always found them fun and enjoyable. This book however, perhaps due to the author's own sentiments (he was in prison), I felt a certain darkness and subdued-ness (as if the author was not in a very good mood when telling us these stories) which were quite unlike the previous ones I read. I still derived much enjoyment out of this book though.
Would I recommend this book to you : Yes. Bring the book on a plane, to the beach or over a glass of chilled white wine alone on a long evening by the fire. With this author, you know you are going to be reading some slick, excellent and straightforward English. I would recommend this author's book to any learner of this language, just to read some good English. Of course, REAL people just don't talk as clearly as the characters in his stories.

The Museum Of Dr. Moses

Book Name : The Museum Of Dr. Moses
Author : Joyce Carol Oates

What is it about : More memorable and original psychological thrillers from this author. This time around, an over-polite jogger did not see what was coming for him; a creepy museum in sparsely populated upstate New York; the tale of an Irish boxer who almost fought to the top; a grisly discovery from a divorcee on a hot hot day - just a few of the interesting stories to keep you from going to bed.

Some thoughts after having read the book : A roaring good read from this dependable author. Please see my other review of Joyce Carol Oates.

Would I recommend this book to you : Satisfaction, fascination and just pure pleasure in having enjoyed this book ! Please see my other review of Joyce Carol Oates.

Flying In To Love

Book Name : Flying In To Love
Author : D.M. Thomas

What is it about : This work of fiction combined the likely facts, populist myths and the author's liberal imagination to generate one helluva of a story of the events before and after the assassination of JFK. JFK the visionary, the womaniser, the politician were all on show here in amongst the hangers-on, the compliant wife, the president-in-waiting (LBJ) and the layman's view from the crowd - the standpoint of a nun. The book did not attempt to present a.n.o.t.h.e.r. conspiracy theory, but more a fictional dissection of the characters involved. BTW, the "Love" in the title referred to the airfield in Dallas, Love Fields, where JFK landed for his fateful visit.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The book threw me off from the word go when apparently JFK passed through downtown Dallas without a shot being fired ! This part of the book soon turned out to be "the alternative" which many at the time had hoped and dreamt - a way or a sense of denial of the inevitable tragedy which we knew too well. The book spared no blushes in describing JFK's rampant sexual desire where every dame was game and LBJ was depicted a suave political animal as the winner who took all. The author demonstrated a deft hand in mixing apparently known fact, popular myths and other old wives' tales, as in his other works (check out The White Hotel); and the readers were taken on board a fast and furious ride through the unfolding events, often from a fly-on-the-wall perspective.

Would I recommend this book to you : Absolutely YES ! The readers would gain an intimacy with the fictitious, half-truth characters and their lives at the end of the book. I found immense satisfaction in "knowing" that "an alternative" was out there where these famous peoples resided. But if you had all along worshiped the central characters (JFK, LBJ, Jackie et al), beware, you might find the book did cut them down in size, just a bit.

Marcovaldo

Book Name : Marcovaldo
Author : Italo Calvino

What is it about : A series of short stories of the lives of the family members of Marcovaldo taken through the seasons of the years - their urban adventures, rural exploits, their fascination of the modern age and numerous episodes at Marcovaldo's workplace; all set in an industrial city in northern Italy where man-made modernity infringed upon Alpine forests with Marcovaldo et al caught in the middle.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I felt totally enchanted with the seasonal lives of this Italian family. Their stories were told with wit and humour and the actions and consequences were depicted skillfully - making soap bubbles, helping plants grow, herding cattle along city streets or destroying neon-sign adverts - most amusing ! Think episodes of Mr Bean without Rowan Atkinson's over-the-top rubber-face expressions !

Would I recommend this book to you : Definitely a feel-good book; having read one of the enchanting stories at the start of your morning (on the bus, in the Metro, instead of the morning TV news), you would be in a good mood for the rest of the day and would be looking forward to reading more of Marcovaldo and Co.'s hilarious mishaps, odd adventures and wonderment on the nature of nature as well as the almost disastrous consequences of their good-will and well-intention actions. Really a book for all ages, all seasons and all moods.

The Female Of The Species

Book Name : The Female Of The Species
Author : Joyce Carol Oates

What is it about : A series of psychological thrillers based around a female of different age, generation and background and the short stories settings varied from holiday resorts in the American Northeast, an American hospital to the high class shops of New York Upper Manhattan. Basically there were the attentive nurses performing dubious acts, audacious toddlers getting lost on the roof, mum with a bit of a wild past, an unfaithful yet indecisive wife and there could even be a murderess in the midst.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Each story gripped my attention right from the word go and never let loose of my focus, right till the very suspenseful endings. The author was masterful in creating the tension by drawing you close to the characters' thoughts until you could feel their heart pound, pitied their dilemma, condoned their actions, inherited their weaknesses and consumed by their passion.

Would I recommend this book to you : A most resounding YES ! I would even say that this author had become one of my favourites in the "suspense and thriller" genre. It was just pure pleasure, leisure, all-round entertainment and an immense satisfaction at the end of the unforgettable stories, having been taken for a roller-coaster of a ride. What are you waiting for ?

The White Castle

Book Name : The White Castle
Author : Orhan Pamuk

What is it about : Set in the days of the Turkish Sultan, the story of an Italian merchant/scholar who was kidnapped by the pirates and ended up a slave. Yes, slave-trading in those days was as common as buying a loaf of bread down the road. Incredible events began to take shape in the Italian's life - his master and the Italian joined/connected in myriads of emotional crossroads and knew each other's thinking, past life, guilt, habits, quirks and aspirations so well and thorough that eventually they became "one and inter-changeable" ! As master and slave marched into battle under the command of the Sultan, only one made it back to Turkey, but who was he ? Read on.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The Noble prize-winning author sure knew how to spin an unlikely tale; but I found the character-building of the main roles to be cumbersome, repetitive and at times, frustrating ( I went - yes yes I get it !); what could have been said in a few pages was dragged on and on and on till I was so looking forward to the end of the book; not exactly eager to reach an exciting climax, more hoping to get it over and done with. Interesting story it might be, long-winded it sure was.

Would I recommend this book to you : Either the translation was under-whelming or trying too hard to be "literature" or the story itself was just not engaging enough - I found it very difficult to get interested and stuck-in; maybe I was just short of patience during this hot Summer and expected to read something fast and furious. So if you want to have an idea of what this author is capable of, go for it; else, pass.

圖說元朝

Book Name : 圖說元朝
Author : 龔書鐸、劉德麟 主編

What is it about : The book detailed the rise and fall of the Mongols - a few humble tribesmen/herdsmen minding their own business near the present borders of north-east China and Eastern Russia, raising a few cattle farms, shaving a few sheeps to make woolly jumpers, roasting mutton on a spit every now and then, and may be even a sing-song after dinners around the camp fire and then they would sleep peacefully under the big night sky. And voila, one day came the great Chinggis who would unite these tribes and these fearless and fearsome horsemen would struck fear across much of Asia and Europe and had a bit of a bash. Their empire extended to present day Poland, Syria, Austria and would help shape and administer China and Russia into their present mighty States, more or less. And at the end, the empire was just too big not to fall apart - feuding brothers and cousins at the royal courts as well as the oppressed locals who had had enough of administration corruptions, incompetence and whats-not. This book focused mostly on the Mongols' influence and history on China, namely the Yuan Dynasty (元朝) that the Mongols established.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I particularly enjoyed reading the good coverage of the various characters involved in this mighty dynasty which included the usual suspects of Chinggis, Kubali etc; but also the able "prime ministers" and the queens who had such a big hand in making Yuan Dynasty and the Mongols such a formidable force in the days when they ruled most of the known world. I also appreciated very much the numerous photos, maps and diagrams which made the book that much readable and interesting.

Would I recommend this book to you : An excellent introduction to the characters, incidents, battles and psyche of the Mongols; especially for us, as we would be visiting Mongolia in a few week's time ! Of course, the present-day Mongolia would be a very pale version of this once proud and mighty empire.

Katherine Mansfield Selected Stories

Book Name : Katherine Mansfield Selected Stories
Author : Katherine Mansfield

What is it about : A selection of about 30 short stories from this well traveled writer who was born in New Zealand and had sojourned in various parts of Europe; she died at the age of 35. This book covered her work spanning her productive years and the topics she wrote varied tremendously from moody ship voyages, busy garden parties to marital tension and class prejudice. Most of the stories covered an amazing 5 to 10 pages only.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Each story read like an episode from different long-running TV Classics soap opera and the reader just happened to sit-in and viewed one of these episodes. Once I had accustomed to this aspect and perceptive, I quite enjoyed each story, even without knowing anything about the "previous" episodes such as the plot line, the characters, the settings etc. and the reader would just dive in to the environment framed up by the author and just "watch a bit of soap". However, one had to bear in mind that the reader would be left in mid-air at the end of each story as there is really no beginning and no end.

Would I recommend this book to you : Read a bit of "literature" for a change; good for your spirit, improve your English and get to know the style and prose of one of the famous writers of a century ago.

Dead Eric Gets Virus

Book Name : Dead Eric Gets Virus
Author : Nury Vittachi

What is it about : Eric The Teenage Nerd accidentally loaded his brains onto a military-grade computer via his PC from home. His only friend Min, tried her best to save him by beating the countdown of the start of a massive world-wide computer virus attack, that would, emm, REALLY kill Eric.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I had read on numerous occasions this Author's contributions to Asian Newspapers columns and I found him to be witty and to-the-point about daily hot topics, mainly dealing with current affairs. Within perhaps the space of one thousand words in these newspapers columns, this Author could really excel with that quick killer punchline. However, writing a short novel of this length was, in my mind, pushing his capabilities. Horses for courses really, think athletes who could be good at 100M and 200M, others good at hurdles, and still others specialize at marathons, but seldom you would meet an athlete winning at short put as well as the steeple chases.

Would I recommend this book to you : Read for a quick fun ride and re-live those teenagers' days.

When The Wind Blows

Book Name : When The Wind Blows
Author : Cyril Hare

What is it about : A WhoDunIt written in 1949 when the murderer dialed a 4-digit telephone number for a cab and the currency in circulation was the Crown. The story revolved around the murder of a famous violinist hours before she was to play solo in a concert held in a fictitious suburban town in the Home Counties of England. Our reluctant (aren't they all ?) detective was the retired legal expert in the form of the cuddly Francis Pettigrew, helped along the way by the whisky-swilling Head of Police and the ever-sober Sargent in charge.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Written all those years ago had not diminished the class, sophistication and the tension of the plot. The book did not read like a now-a-day WhoDunIt top seller, conjured up by an ever-predictable commercial recipe. If anything, the book was tinged with nostalgia of the days of the good helpful citizen,  as well as delightful interplay between the innocent bystanders, the guilty ones and the charming local police force.

Would I recommend this book to you : Not exactly a tour-de-force in crime-solving with a stunning wrap-up, but read the book for its old-time English-ness and appreciate the suburban landscape and characters. All in all, a mild, gentle and amusing read.

What A Wonderful World

Book Name : What A Wonderful World
Author : Marcus Chown

What is it about : All those topics (mainly science) that you dared not approach and were scared stiff when you first came across them before your O-Levels days, now reappeared in this book, explained in easy, straightforward and interesting layman terms. The Author cleverly peppered the contents with memorable stories and anecdotes from the inventors, scientists and various characters involved with that topic and the book was made that much more lively and readable.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Every now and then, one would come across a new friend or bump into someone in the cafe or something and you thought, hey presto, this guy could really explain things and I could understand everything he just said ! And what did he just explain ? Quantum Mechanics ? Capitalism ? Black Holes ? But, hang on, those topics now all made sense to me, un-believable ! Well, the author of this book was that guy in the cafe, crystal clear without loosing the essence and the core message of the topic. Basically, the ideal business consultant - digest the complex issues and then churn out information that "The Management" could understand.

Would I recommend this book to you : I would definitely recommend the book, especially, if you have the time to read one chapter each day to further make the complicated topic easier to comprehend - yeh, we're talking General Relativity, Neutrinos and stuff here ... you would need to take your time. Fun, nonetheless.

The Black Stiletto

Book Name : The Black Stiletto
Author : Raymond Benson

What is it about : Upon receiving a call from his mother's lawyer, Martin would discover that his senile mother, Judy, currently bedded down in an old people's home, was the Black Stiletto, the infamous vigilante wanted by the Mafia and the FBI back in the fifties. At the same time, one of her old enemies received parole and left prison intended to exact his revenge on Judy.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Em, yeh ... interesting idea if one day anyone would find that his or her mother was once upon a time, some ass-kicking, karate black belt and boxing tom-boy with a lethal expertise on the use of the knife (the black stiletto) who had gone about New York City dressed like Bat Girl, fighting crime, the Mafia, the Communists and was high on the FBI's wanted list ! That aside, the story was told in an under-whelmingly low octane tone and style which without boring the reader to bed, certainly lacked the flair and climax.

Would I recommend this book to you : A plain read to while away your Summer beach days or those lonesome Winter nights. Don't expect James Bond-like actions though.

The Double

Book Name : The Double
Author : Fyodor Dostoyevsky

What is it about : Set in the days of pre-1900s in St. Petersburg, one middle ranking government clerk found himself one day, coming face to face, living with, working along side as well as partying with an exact replica of himself; same name and same looks, only that our "Junior" turned out to be in character the exact opposite - smart, commanding, confident, witty, sociable and well-liked. The book centered on our "Senior" trying to work out what was going on - how come nobody was surprised, how could everyone take it so nonchalantly and what exactly was "Junior" up to ? Or was "Senior" going slightly mad where all he saw before him, were hallucinations ?

Some thoughts after having read the book : Man ! I would tell ya, reading 160 odd pages of a man's life turned up-side-down and trying to figure out "in his mind" what was going on, was not an easy feat ! I appreciated very very much the excellent translation from Russian, done on the original script, but I found as a result, the reading was made that much more cumbersome and tiring. The setting of the scene in St.Petersburg was difficult for a non-European reader who had not been well-versed in the intricacies of horse riding, man-servant, Russian government inner workings and the way a ball or party was thrown in those days. I persevered till the bitter end of the book and still could not make heads or tails !

Would I recommend this book to you : I checked out reviews performed by other readers and the comments ranged from "...A work of art...",  "...Students of literature, admirers of Dostoyevsky, and general readers will all be delighted..." to "...utterly unreadable..." ! Well, take your pick and think hard if you really have not better things to do.

The White Hotel

Book Name : The White Hotel
Author : D.M.Thomas

What is it about : The life story of a half Russian girl, Lisa, told along fantastical, multiple, intersecting, and psychological levels and dimensions. The first part of the book was Freud's (Lisa's psychologist) analysis and dissection of the origins of her physical pains and hysteria; revealing at last the deep, hidden root causes of her emotional scars. The second part of the book was an epic tale of her later life as a victim of the holocaust. The story ended with Lisa coming into contacts with lost ones, possibly during a transition state on her way to the Pearly Gates.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The very original (!) story was woven together by a master writer - such huge and diverse topics as the holocaust and Freudian psycho-analysis were put together with logic and ease in breath-taking, stunning and vivid images. The reader was left mesmerised and busy chasing symbols, clues and interpretations and came out not entirely sure what he/she had just read was, fantasy, real life, nut and bolt psycho-analysis or simply a story of epic proportions about a girl who was caught up in an identity crisis and met her brutal ends when she was swept up in the world's events. I felt overwhelmed by the savagery, fantasies (Certificate-18 stuff !), Freud's great intuition as well as the un-relenting pace of the book throughout.

Would I recommend this book to you : Be prepared to be made speechless, stunned and be ready to walk around in a daze for a few days after finishing the book. The relevant "adult" contents were essential for the development of the story and NOT some racy cheap thrills to get sales up. Be warned !

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 !

The Selfish Gene

Book Name : The Selfish Gene
Author : Richard Dawkins

What is it about : Our articulate author tried to put across the ideas that living organisms had simply been "vehicles" formed by the genes (replicators) inside the organisms to carry out whatever tasks were needed to propagate and survive to the next generation. For instance (my own interpreted example), the genes responsible for the human's (or flies, or cats, you name it), acute smelling ability developed such a nose so that the "vehicle" had the best equipment to smell food, dangerous preys and so on in order to pass on the "nose" genes. Moreover, such genes exerted effects over a distance (or over close contacts) to other organisms to affect changes to best suit the gene's very own survival; such as beavers building dams and cuckoo babes mesmerising their bewitched foster parents. Along the way, organisms played out various Games (as in Games Theory) with friends, foes, group and non-group members, relatives, partners to best achieve the "Evolution Stable Strategy" and hang on to dear life so the genes themselves survive another day.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Needless to say, by now, Readers of this Blog would have noticed that I had been an arm chair Darwinian/Evolutionist for a very time - this Subject had indeed been my favourite past-time over the years. I loved the Zoo-wide (as in Zoology) examples from viruses, blood-sucking bats, pigeons, insect colonies as demonstrations for cases-in-points; I loved the debates and evolution analysis on human/organisms psychology involved in parent/child conflicts, battle of the sexes, group behaviours; I loved the way this Subject produced excited arguments or calm reflections over religion, Life and human interactions; I loved the way the Author effortlessly grabbed examples from real-life such as boat rowers, doves and hawks, ants, bacterium and breathe life into these examples, to illustrate and illuminate the areas of discussion - all in all, for non-fiction books, I could read Richard Dawkins's books day and night.

Would I recommend this book to you : A great big YES ! Because I had been totally biased and completely fascinated you might say; but looking at the book objectively, you would find humour, mega-interesting stories of the "Zoo" around you (great example: Royal beheading of an ant Queen by an invading Queen, geez!), witty presentation, the Games we (organisms) played (sometimes un-wittingly) at the bequest of our genes. I would say the book definitely will alter your mind set about the world we live in.

Night Train To Lisbon

Book Name : Night Train To Lisbon
Author : Pascal Mercier

What is it about : A Swiss professor in his late-fifties who specialised in ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin Texts, met a Portuguese woman on his routine walk to school one rainy morning, an encounter which fired off his long-hidden desires and wishes - no, not an affair, but the desire to seek out life's many meanings. Our professor Raimund Gregorius, affectionately known to his students as Mundus, then stumbled upon a privately-published Portuguese book in an old book store, the book "A Goldsmith Of Words" set him off on a train journey to Lisbon to seek out and experience the Portuguese author, Prado's world of philosophies, emotions, and paradoxes as well as Prado's tumultuous relationships with his father, mother, sisters, friends, lovers, patients and Resistance comrades.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The book put together the lives of the two main characters - Mundus and Prado pieces by pieces as the reader gradually grew to understand their world. The structure and layers of the book was intricately wovened and constructed as we slowly explored the world of Prado, a brilliant medical doctor, philosopher and child prodigy who later became a Resistance co-operator under the era of the Portuguese dictatorship, almost 30 years Mundus's senior. This exploration was actually carried out by Mundus as he visited and conversed with Prado's many surviving friends and relatives in Lisbon - Prado died of a brain hemorrhage in his late fifties, some thirty years before Mundus's interest in his life. The book was beautifully written and stylistically composed - here's a description I personally liked most from the book : Quiet and elegant. Like dull silver.

Would I recommend this book to you : I cannot give the book more praise for its unique style, delicate touches and dramatic encounters. The book could be read as an adventure, a self-reflective philosophical debate or as a tool to understand human emotions towards families, friends, foes and religion. Before you head off to the local library, here are a few gems for your pleasure:

"Is the soul a place of facts ? Or are the alleged facts only the deceptive shadows of our stories ?"

"We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there."

"Life is not what we live, it is what we imagine we are living."

"Given that we can live only a small part of what there is in us - what happens to the rest ?"