Book Reviews
My Personal Reading List and Comments<< Newer Reviews || Older Reviews >>
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70. (08-Oct-2007). Farenheit 451. Ray Bradbury.
Synopsis A novel about a dystopian near future by one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century. Comments A good read. Quite profound at times but worth the journey. What might let this down is the obviousness of Ray Bradbury's love for books and hatred of anti-intellectualism. Rating. 3 Stars |
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69. (08-Oct-2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. JK Rowling.
Synopsis The final installment of the Harry Potter series. Who might die this time around? Comments Almost everyone died. Anyone who was expecting to see almost everyone die in this book will not be disappointed. Rowling sure does love the theme of death. Rating. 5 Stars |
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68. (08-Oct-2007). Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. JK Rowling.
Synopsis Harry Potter is a teenage wizard, who is the brain child of JK Rowling. I do not think that he needs much more introduction than that. Comments I am 27 and I read Harry Potter novels. Most of all I find them enthralling. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Rating. 5 Stars |
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67. (22-Jul-2007). Catch 22. Joseph Heller.
Synopsis Catch 22 is a satrical novel that follows the US air force captain Yossarian and a collection of other characters. It is set somewhere around the end of World War II. Comments At first I was put off reading this further, possibly due to a combination of hype and sluggish start to the story which deters the reader in search of the 'classic' that it is acclaimed to be. This novel is somewhat difficult to get into at first but opened up further as the characters develop. So, all in all, yes it is a classic. Rating. 4 Stars |
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66. (22-Jul-2007). Eyeless in Gaza. Aldous Huxley.
Synopsis Eyeless in Gaza follows the story of Anthony Beavis and his close friends and family. Comments Written in a journal style, which to add is not in any sequence, this novel is rather intellectual. Which, one might argue, is what Huxley does best. This is not for the Huxley beginner on any account though. I found the story to be slow paced and, dare I say, dry up until the moment, somewhere near the end of the novel, where the protagonist and his colleague embark on what is seemingly an unnecessary trip to South America. The narrative from that point onwards opened up the entire plot to me and made the pieces of the story come together. Like I say, quite an intellectual struggle for those not familiar with Huxley but if you are willing to go the distance and grapple with both the format and prose used, then there's an intellectual reward in store for the reader. Rating. 4 Stars |
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65. (12-Dec-2006). The World is Flat. Thomas L. Friedman.
Synopsis From the author of 'The Lexus and the Olive Tree' comes another Friedman style exploration of globalization. Comments The major readability factor for this book which I believe has made it such a huge success is the way in which it is organised. Friedman starts off with a brief explanation of what has been happening since his last hit book, 'The Lexus and the Olive Tree,' and then goes onto explain, masterfully, the 'Ten Forces that Flattened the World.' Friedman's energy and enthusiasm for India is illustrated throughout. Which of course goes in favour of the millions of IT professionals on the brink of making it big in India these days. Which, of course, is a brilliant thing. Hopefully in the next ten years we shall see a dramatic increase in the productivity, experience, reliability and overall standard of businesses in India who will improve the entire world's standard of living. This is a well presented and organised business book and great for getting up to date with what is going on in the world. It is a must read if one wishes to know where they stand in the modern economy. I would recommend this as a must read, starting point, to anyone who is serious about understanding business in the 21st century. Rating. 4 Stars |
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64. (18-Oct-2006). The Worlds Most Infamous Killers
Synopsis Over 150 tales of passion, revenge, despair, infamy, barbarism and horrifying crimes. Profiles of the 'world's worst killers' including, Fred and Rosemary West, Dr. Harold Shipman, Charles Manson, Javed Iqbal, Peter Sutcliffe, Vlad the Impaler and tonnes more. Comments This is one book that is full to the brim of murders. The articles in the book are in an easily digestible, yet interesting manner which makes it a great book to pick up and flick through every now and again. Excellent reading for wannabe crime writers and researchers. Not so good reading for those who are seeking a peaceful nights sleep. Rating. 4 Stars |
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63. (18-Oct-2006). 1984. George Orwell. 1949.
Synopsis Big Brother is Watching You. Comments Striking and powerful are the words that come to mind when reflecting about this novel. At times it is difficult to prevent onesself from comparing this to 'the other' masterpiece in this genre; but the author does hold his own and makes this novel compelling, gripping and most of all thought-invoking. Rating. 5 Stars |
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62. Don Quixote. Miguel de Cervantes. 1605.
Synopsis This novel follows the batty adventures of Senor Don Quixote and his, Squire in waiting, Senor Sancho Panza. Comments book the First... How much more wacky can you get? From saddling a skinny horse to battling with windmills. Don Quixote provides enough insanity to make us all chuckle. In this book, we see Don Quixote take his oath of knighthood, employ his squire Sancho Panza and devote his errantry to the peerless 'Dulcina' of Toboso. book the Second... The comical adventures do not wear off in the slightest. This book is just as insane. From trailing the 'enchanted' Dulcina of Toboso, to the humourous administration of Sancho Panza's insula, this sure gives the reader a reason to turn the page. Excellent novels by Miguel de Cervantes and kudos to Edith Grossman for such an excellent translation. Rating. 5 Stars |
61. Memoirs of a Geisha. Arthur Golden . 1997.
Synopsis Memoirs of a Geisha tells the fictional story of a young girl who is sold to the Geisha houses of Gion at a young age. Comments False memoirs? Indeed so. However, this cannot be held against this novel in any way possible. From the setting of the remote fishing village, to the sights, sounds and even smells of the Teahouses of Gion. Arthur Golden's years of research spring to life and take you through the journey of what might as well be a real geisha's. Japanese culture is possibly the most far fetched and difficult to fathom for even its closest neighbours in terms of geography. So a little patience and open minded flexibility is needed when reading this. Saying that though; this novel gives a massive insight into something we would otherwise remain ignorant to. Another thing to note is that the movie does not give this novel the justice it deserves. Rating. 5 Stars |
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