The Trial - Franz Kafka - Book Review

 

        Roadside bookshops are an absolute treasure trove that a reader can come across. One that can surprise you. One such small shop had books by Kafka that I was looking for, and I went ahead and bought them. I had to read this after checking out the blurb.

        Joseph. K, a head clerk at a bank, is arrested for no reason. The constable, the court - no one is aware of the reason or what wrong he had committed. He is allowed to continue with his normal life and attend court on weekends. Joseph has a hard time trying to figure out what is happening to his life. What was he arrested for? Does he get convicted or acquitted?

        What piqued my interest in this read was the absurdity of the plot. This is my second read of Kafka after Metamorphosis. Every character in this book appears to have a say but is clueless at the same time. The mental state of Mr K is well reflected throughout, and it affected me in unspeakable ways. There are a couple of interesting characters: a businessman, a painter, a lady servant, and a church father who influences K's thinking and reasoning. Even though the book is under 200 pages, it was never an easy read for me. There were a lot of inner conversations that made me ponder several times and, at the same time, made me uncomfortable. An individual's struggle against the system is well brought out here. We can relate this to some of the systems that we see around us. 

        Kafka points out the web-like entanglement of the system wherein an individual can get tangled deeper and deeper, even as the person seems to find a way out. There is some tongue-in-cheek dry humour throughout the book. This book makes you snigger at the absurdity while becoming uncomfortable at the underlying reality. There was a particular scene where K compares himself to a fly stuck in flypaper. That stayed with me for a long time. The ending was very unexpected, and it shook me. 

        In short, an absurd yet powerful novel. This might not be everyone's cup of tea. But once you read this, you will have more thoughts to process and also wonder at how the author came up with such a powerful thought back then. No wonder Kafka is celebrated even now!

That Night - Nidhi Upadhyay - Book Review

 

        Some time back, I came across a YouTube video where the person talked about a book that scared her big time, and it caught my attention. How am I going to miss a scary book? So, on a rainy weekend, I curled up in my reading corner with this book. Let's see if it was worth it.

        Natasha, Riya, Anjali and Katherine were best friends in college, through thick and thin, until that fateful night. What was supposed to be a bottle of whisky and a prank with an Ouija board resulted in the death of their hostel mate, Sania. Twenty years later, four of them are scattered across the world, barely in touch with one another. The secret from the past that no one else knew is out to get them. Four of them convene to sort this out as darker secrets begin to bleed out. Is it the ghost of Sania? Or is someone out for revenge? 

        The plot of the book was interesting. It genuinely interested me. The messing up of electronic devices and the dark secrets all kept the tempo going. Also, it kept me guessing if this was a real ghost or someone out to get revenge. Since most of the book revolves around the four main characters, the author provided good characterisation for all of them. The language is simple, but some of the dialogue seems bland and plain. It can be quite a hiccup. Also, the second half of the book was unnecessarily stretched. The book would have been better if it were 20 to 30 pages shorter. This lag affected my reading seriously. I expect a thriller to keep me engaged and breathless until the very end. The book fails miserably at this. The interest in guessing whether it was a ghost or not wanes due to this. As a result, the ending felt flat for me.

        To sum it up, a book that had a promising plotline and engaging buildup, only to be let down by flat writing in the second half. Thriller fans can give it a one-time try.

Random Ramblings #16 - Pitter Patter Raindrops

                        

Rain! Such a beautiful thing. A real beauty of nature. What started as an on-and-off drizzle suddenly blew into a full-fledged downpour as I pen this article. Nature is putting on a full show with extreme lightning and thunder. Today, I did not feel like sitting on the verandah as usual and watching nature perform its feat. Instead, I decided to sit in my room and listen to the soothing rain, at times interrupted by the booming thunder that sets the glass windows reverberating.

Such rains can be dangerous. But you can never cease wondering at the magic nature creates. The trance that rain creates in me can never be contained in words. More than a lullaby, the pitter-patter creates a lasso that pulls my mind out of the abyss that I bury myself in. The rise and fall in tempo, along with the rustic smell of damp soil, creates a connection with nature. Like I always say, there are simple but wonderful things around us that make our lives complete.

As I reflect on my day and write this down, I can hear the rain subsiding outside. I step out to watch the drops that seem to linger on the building's corners and trees, dancing in the cool breeze before jumping off the ledges and branches to unite with the earth. I step out to feel the damp earth with my naked feet, rejuvenate myself, and take in the scent of the wet earth and cool breeze. Happiness brews inside me as I finish this write-up and plan to sit on my favourite chair, savouring the after-effects of rain.

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom - Book Review

        Some books land in our hands just like that. While searching the library shelves for a book, this showed up. There was some connection I had with the title, and I ended up taking it up for a read.

        Mitch Albom is a busy man who is extremely successful in his career and life. One day he happens to see one of his old professors, Morrie, on TV. The person is suffering from ALS. Mitch pays him a visit and reconnects with him. Morrie ends up sharing life lessons with Mitch that he records in this book for all to benefit from.

        To start with, a good and fairly engaging read. I expected something different when starting the book but ended up with a different perspective on the same. The lessons from Morrie hold prominence very much to this day. These conversations pull at our hearts at various instances, and we could not help but feel happy for Morrie himself. The underlying thought of Morrie is to love each other, and the book emphasises prioritising love nd kindness above everything else. This might mean a lot in these times when many people find time a valuable thing. The warmth and chemistry between Mitch and Morrie keeps the conversations lively and us invested in the book. The book is also written in a clear way to connect everyone to this.

        A quick but invaluable book that will strike a chord with the readers. The love radiated from Morrie is reflected throughout the book, which is passed on to the readers. End up with a smile on your face as you celebrate the life of Morrie with this book.

Five Survive - Holly Jackson - Book Review

                                     

           An interesting storyline is always hard to resist. As I was walking down the street, looking at the roadside bookshop, this book cover caught my attention, and the blurb made me pick it up.

           Six friends are on their way to a vacation in an RV. What starts as a fun ride quickly goes out of hand as they make a wrong turn and end up stranded in a desolate place. Someone shoots out the tyres, and with no mobile coverage, they must survive the night. The sniper is there to take one of them out and has no plans to back down until it is done. Who is the sniper after? What inner demons of theirs will surface? Will they escape safely? forms the rest of the story.

         This is an interesting premise with a lot of potential. For the most part, the book was interesting enough. The storyline was make-or-break, where it could have gone either way on many levels. But the author kept us engaged throughout most of the book. There were places where the situation became redundant and tiring. But it was for a shorter time period. The writing was simple but engaging. I also liked how the book jumped right into the story without wasting much time. There were a couple of back-and-forths, but that did not affect the pacing. There were a couple of red herrings as well - some hits and some misses. Most of the characterisations were good and intriguing, while one or two irritated me.

         In short, an interesting book which did a pretty neat job. Those who love thrillers might like the book. Personally, a decent enough book where the goods outweigh the bads.