Sunday 30 December 2012

Life of Pi


Life of Pi by Yann Martel, is no wonder a book which is well known among readers worldwide for a decade or so. The book being the winner of Man Booker Prize in Fiction on 2002 wasn't really the reason for it to grab my attention but the number of status updates in my friends' facebook profiles recently. As the book lover in me always preferred to read the book instead of watching the movie. Without wasting much time I got hold of the book and started reading.

The story as the title conveys is indeed about the life of Piscine Molitor Patel, an Indian boy who was born and brought up in Pondicherry, a small union territory in South India. His name would sound rather weird to most of us just like many others who were around him during those days without the slightest interest in swimming to understand that he was named after a famous pool in France. Anyhow it was quite amusing how this smart kid overcame the usual taunting of his friends because of the name by introducing him as "Pi" other than sulking over the situation. Pi's father Mr. Santhosh Patel was the owner of the Pondicherry Zoo and I believe that this fact gave a vibrant start to the story of his life. In 1977 Patel family decides to sail to Canada. Unfortunately "Tsimtsum" the ship they were sailing drowns in the Pacific Ocean on 2nd July 1977 leaving then 16 year old Pi on a lifeboat as the only survivor. The real adventure begins only then as he was to share his life boat with 4 other refugees of the shipwreck who are none other than an injured zebra, a hyena, a female orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.

The story is divided into three parts. First the childhood of the protagonist, second the life of Pi in the lifeboat and third a conversation of Pi with two Japanese officials who came to meet him after he landed in Mexico. The narration was mainly done as the flashbacks of Pi, and there were sections in the words of “Visiting Author” at the Pi household many years after the epic adventure, blending the story with alternating point of views.

Stories of castaways’ might be common, but this story has a specialty. The author assures the reader beforehand that it has a happy ending, however, the excitement, curiosity and the uncertainty of reaching a land would never leave the hearts of the readers making them hang on till the very end. The book is a natural page turnover! Unlike many other stories the flashbacks were hardly dated or written in a proper order of events. The author has understood the mindset of the majority, not to bore them with a stack of diary entries but offering a thrilling adventure without killing their interest to read. The very jumbling of incidents made the story more colourful and saved it from being monotonous. Despite the major part of the story being set amidst an Ocean where you could see nothing else other than water, every little incident of survival, the climate and the emotions were described in detail, each and every paragraph was enriched with fresh content. I even hardly noticed the lack of conversations.

The comments and the behavior of the Japanese officials were funny and hilarious, and I consider the third section of the story as an excellent climax because the light humor gives a soothing effect to the senses of the reader after 227 days of a stressful journey.
I highly recommend this book to every reader. It’s a must read and truly a precious piece of writing which every book lover should cherish. As Mr. Adirubasamy says “it’s a story that will make you believe in God”

Ending the note with a context from the book.

“I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still. My suffering did not fit anywhere, I realized. And I could accept this. It was alright. NO! NO! NO! My suffering does matter. I want to live! I can’t help but mix my life with that of the universe. Life is a peephole, a single tiny entry to the vastness-how can I not dwell in this brief, cramped view I have of things? This peephole is all I’ve got!”

A Gathering of Sorrows



The Benson family is back, and they are no more the young adults whom we met in the first book but a bunch of fine young ladies and gentlemen in their twenties and thirties. Their lives have moved ahead many years since Scott, the eldest of the first generation passed away and with the time the family has grown big adding spouses and children when one by one got married and settled down. Willow, the eldest is now thirty two year old and a mother of six, three of her own and three from her husband’s first marriage. Her bliss was multiplied after the grandchildren gifted to her by the two elder daughters. Apart from Emilee every other Benson is now happy and well off with. However, their lives still have its fair share of sorrows and tragedies, sometimes in a way of losing a family member or at times as natural disasters. So, A Gathering of Sorrows – Volume Two of Benson Family Chronicles will welcome you all to join Benson family’s journey for another two years ahead.

I personally enjoyed this book even more than I did the previous one, probably because the family is now large and most of the members were old enough to make their own contribution to the story. The author has skillfully managed to spin a web connecting so many characters and a chain of events together. The story would slide over the pages so smoothly taking us along with the Bensons to experience their happening lives. The narration was perfect that I felt the warmth and comfort while reading the novel which a person would only feel when they belong to a loving and caring family. As the first novel, this again is a great example of victory against all the mishaps and proves the strength of unity. The incidents, life styles, characters and emotions are expressed so beautifully and intensely. Flashbacks of their early lives are blend at right intervals making the story even more touching. It’s a real family story with usual up and downs, tears and laughter. All in all I am sure that this novel would certainly be a wonderful read, especially if you are a family person and enjoys the family moments small or big. 

You can purchase the book from the following link.


Saturday 29 December 2012

Book Review - A Severing of Ties



Here comes my first review on an American novel in the blog and I should say that this work really was a great pleasure and exciting experience at the same time. A Severing of Ties is the volume one in a series of stories to come up in The Benson Family Chronicles written by Chelsea Falin.

The story starts when the Benson kids are quite young, Scott, the eldest being twelve years, followed by the nine year old Willow, seven year old Emilee and the baby Avery of four. Benson family cannot be introduced as normal as a family could be, as both the parents are drug addictive, abusive and savage. They knew nothing other than beating and cursing the poor kids all the time and make their lives a hell at a very tender age. However, as the days pass by not only the kids grow up to be fine young adults but also the number of members in the family. They sail through their lives in unity, caring and being protective for each other until they break off from their miserable fate little by little as the title declares.

Benson family, the children to be precise will touch your hearts from the very beginning of the story. The author has skillfully narrated the incidents, the filthy surroundings in a detailed manner that you would get absorbed to their characters. I went through the first chapters with tears in my eyes as I could feel the endless pain they were bearing and their vulnerability of these innocent souls.

Although it’s a work of fiction, the characters and most of the incidents might obviously the reality among people all over the world. Life is no fairy tale to the Benson family as the miseries that have taken place in their life has out-numbered the happy moments dawned in their whole lifetime. Still, they got strong with each and every obstacle they had to face and cherished every happiness which rarely was bestowed to them. The story is not a bunch of depressing incidents but an eventful journey of the Bensons with courage, love and unity. I would suggest everyone to read it, especially the young readers as this would make you believe that determination and hard work can lead you to success irrespective of whatever the sorrows destiny would throw at you. May this be a story for the teenage crowd who has been gifted with loving parents and comforts realize the bitter truth in the society, that there are thousands of less fortunate people out there, so they would learn to appreciate even the little things offered to them in life. 

Happy reading to you all!

You can purchase the book from the following links.

Amazon
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