The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - Not a Book Review

 

I bought this book on someone's recommendation. Though I saw the book in various bookstores and its online presence was also excellent. But everything with a good online presence isn't actually good. So, I picked up this book from a local bookstore and started reading it. Before you read further, let me warn you that this post might have some spoilers, and yes, I'll not be writing much about the story. 

The Silent Patient, which is written by Alex Michaelides, is a thriller, which has its own pace. At some point you find things moving at lightning speed. At some places, you'll be wishing to skip a paragraph or two. It can be categorized under the psychological thriller head... Maybe not. Human Psychology and thrillers have an age-old relationship. It gives the writer a space to explore the areas which are less explored. It also makes the story less predictable and gives the reader a long-lasting experience/hangover. 

If I talk about the writing of the book, the author has left no stone unturned. He took all the liberty to move forwards and backwards with a smoothness, which is highly commendable. The format of the story demands watching the same thing with two pairs of eyes. It was a challenge, But Michaelides do it with ease which is worth appreciating. On one hand, he uses the narrator to tell the story, and on the other hand, he uses the protagonist/ the silent patient/Alicia to tell the story in the journal entry format.

The other thing I wish to discuss is the role of the narrator. As a reader, we don't give much attention to the narrator. In most cases, the narrator is shown in a neutral light or on the positive side of the equation. But, you can't expect this from this book. Here, the narrator can guide you or misguide you as the situation arises.

The characters are very well used. Every character demands attention. I personally saw each one of them with a sight of suspicion on various occasions. And that's what makes you more active and involved as you read. Of course, the suspense remained till the last page of the book. 

The last thing which adds charm to the writing is the description. I believe that description in writing acts like sugar in a cup of tea - You add more or you add less, in both cases, it will spoil the tea. And the sugar/description was almost perfect in the book. It gives the reader perfect light to march ahead on the bumpy road. And the light is not that bright to make you blind. I hope you got what I want to say? If not, write to me at hrntales@gmail.com. We'll discuss more about this book and a lot more things.

So, the book was original, gripping, and perfect in every sense.

Here's the link if you wish to buy the book.

Love, Laughter, and Peace

HRN

Private Delhi by Ashwin Sanghi and James Patterson - Not a Book Review

The City of Delhi was quite freezing when I reached the Indian Habitat Center with a sling bag filled with a couple of books, a pen, and a notebook. I was almost an hour early for the session and for the very first time I saw this gentleman, a little shorter than me, walking with a bunch of kids around him, asking for autographs or photographs. I won't lie to you. I was numb for a moment. My mind couldn't differentiate between reality and my imagination. 

I met Mr. Ashwin Sanghi after his talk at Times Literature Fest back in 2016. I will share that experience in a coming post of mine. For this post, let's talk about his second installment of the Private series, co-authored by James Patterson. It's called Private Delhi.

Story

I received the book in December 2016, but I got the chance to read it in the current lockdown only. 

The book begins with a gruesome murder, committed by this mysterious man, wearing all black. And soon after that, a dozen rotting bodies found in the basement of a shattered house, which is said to be government property. The case didn't get much attention from police or media, but the chief minister of Delhi, Mr. Jaswal hired Private, the well-known investigating agency, whose Indian operations are headed by Santosh Wagh.

The basic motto of Jaswal's interest, in that case, involved dirty politics. He wanted to know the involvement of the lieutenant governor of Delhi, Mr. Ravi Chopra. 

But the case is messier than it seems. With the involvement of various big players, this case is a big challenge for Santosh and his team. Will he able to crack it?

Review

I have noticed that many a time a story deviates if it is written from different characters' points of view. This world has a different definition for each one of us. And to write the same story from different characters' points of view is a task in itself. And Ashwin Sanghi and Mr. Patterson did a commendable job. Every characters' background, detail, and the aim is very well written. Each chapter starts with a different characters' vision and ends on a thrilling note. One gets so much involved in that chapter that one expects a continuation in the next chapter. But the next chapter is somewhat different from the previous one. And the beauty of writing this book in such a way is, it keeps the reader so much involved and on his toes. The thrill element, style, details make this an amazing cocktail, which can be termed as fast-paced fiction - a page-turner. 

Being an ardent reader of Sanghi's work, I picked up this book. And I have no issue in accepting that it's difficult to mark a border between his work and Patterson's work. 

What I liked about the book

I have a special space for fast-paced thrillers in my heart. When I say fast-paced, it should include appropriate detailing, research, and storyline. All these parameters are taken care of while writing the book. 

A lot of intellectuals can give you a hell lot of pointers on how a mystery/thriller should be written. I believe in only one thing - if I can crack the mystery before the author discloses it, it's not a very pleasing thriller.

You won't believe me but I sat with a pencil in my hand to write the details of the characters to crack who is the murderer. After chewing my pencil for two days, I have no problem accepting that I failed miserably.

What I dislike about the Book

If I don't compare this with the books I liked or disliked, I find this book perfect in itself. If you are a reader who reads books for leisure or peace of mind, this book is not for you.

So here's my take on this book. If you wish to buy this book, you can click HERE and grab your copy.

Thank you

HRN

The Art Of Racing In The Rain - by Garth Stein - Not a Book Review

 Bliss.

 I've come across this word many times. Be it in ted talk or various spiritual videos, they talk a lot about bliss. And it's a cool word to use in your day to day life. 

The closest encounter I had with this feeling is when tears are rolling from your eyes and you are still smiling.

And when this book was coming to an end, I could feel my eyes moist and a little smile on my face.

Bliss.

I read about this book called 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' by Garth Stein in another Book called 'i came upon a lighthouse' which I have read a couple of weeks back. 

The book is narrated by a Dog whose name is Enzo. He expresses whatever he sees, whatever he feels, with such a perfection that he'll make you his friend from the very first page of the book. His master, Denny, who is a gifted Car Racer/Grand Tourer (GT) takes care of Enzo with utmost dedication. His life is filled with ups and downs. A beautiful and loving wife, Eve who is not doing well. A little girl Zoë who loves Enzo as much as his Dad.

Eve is diagnosed with something which is taking her life slowly. She is hospitalised once and after that, She decides to be at her parent's house for better care. She is slowly losing her health. In her last months, she develops a loving relationship with Enzo.

After she dies, her parents demand custody of their granddaughter and put false allegations on Denny to get the custody.

The book is filled with lots and lots of ups and downs, and what remained constant and unchanged was Enzo and his love for his family.

The story is simple. Just pick up a newspaper and you see innumerable columns filled with lots of these kinds of articles and clippings. Just pick up those novels with tragic endings, and you'll see many stories like this. But what makes it special is the narrative of a dog. The world looks so different from his eyes. His compassion, his generosity is contagious. His way of dealing with things is so loving. He uses his heart more than his mind. And That's what makes a Dog, A DOG.

A human, when pops out on the planet and gains a certain amount of maturity, tries to unlearn the over usage of his mind and tries to operate from one's heart. And it takes a lot of years for Humans to accomplish that. And most of us even fail in accomplishing that.

But Dogs know that art from the moment they take their first breath on this planet. That's why they come here for such a short period.

This book is for those who love animals and care for them. This book is for those who love that thrill of care race and like knowing the minute things of a car race. This book is for those who love long walks when it drizzles. This book is for... Everyone.

So Here I'm sharing the link to the book. Do let me know your views about it.

Thanks for reading.

Shall I tell you a secret? in Mongolia, they say that when a dog dies, he or she reincarnates as a human. What? You don't believe me? Read it yourself in the book

Love

HRN

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'The Gopi Diaries' - Not ABook Review

 

We, as a society, categorise everyone into major categories according to one's degree of expressiveness in public - Introverts and extroverts. What I believe is that both of the terms are highly variable to the environment in which a person is. Just to put it this way, my relatives think of me as an introvert, who thinks a lot but speak less. On the other hand, I have this habit of talking to dogs intimately, just like other talks to humans. I love asking how are they doing or what they did when I wasn't with them. And they respond, obviously not by using our language, but by responding in different ways like howling or waging their tales. Sometimes they even bite me softly on my palm or grab my pyjamas to show that I belong to them and they missed me.

I'm not an expert in understanding all the signs and symbols of the dog kingdom, just like many people claim that they have expertise in that area.

But I always wanted to write a story from a dog's point of view. I wanted to (and still want to) weave something interesting which showcased the love and loyalty of a dog towards his or her fellow human. Something like this always run in the back of my mind.

A friend of mine, who is a voracious reader, recommended this book called - 'The Gopi Diaries - coming home'. And trust me I'll always be indebted to her for recommending me this chunk of love.

The book is written by Mrs Sudha Murty, who is the chairperson of Infosys Foundation, a philanthropist, and an incredible writer. She has written some beautiful books down the years. And I have always loved her way of writing, which is simple and grasping. 

Though I'm interrupting the flow of the article to write something which I genuinely feel. I think simplicity in expressing your thoughts via writing is an amazing art. When an author writes something, he or she is imbibing an image into his or her reader's mind. The more simple and gripping the writing is, the better and clear the image will form. 

Getting back to the book, it is written in such a format that Mrs Murthy's dog, Gopi, is the narrator as well as the protagonist of the story. He is a beautiful golden retriever puppy and starts the story about his infancy. His pain of separation from his family when Mrs Murthy and her family bring him into their home. He expresses his confusion about the human world, their way of doing things, and their love towards him. He explains the nature of different people in the family and their attitude towards him. 

I completed the book in less than an hour and felt bad to complete it so quickly. Every page I used to turn gave me a heartache. I wanted to spend more time with that book. 

And when I reached the last page of the book, I discovered something magical.

After some Lovely photographs of Gopi with the Murthy family, I got enlightened with the fact that The Gopi Diaries was not a single book but a series of three books. And that made me feel satisfied.

After a couple of months, I received my much-awaited pre-order copy of 'The Gopi Diaries- Finding Love'. 

In that book, the author describes the first year of Gopi with them. She elucidates all his mischievous activities. She carries forward the same narrative and tells us about the growth of her lovely puppy Gopi who is now stronger and bigger, but still is the star of the family. 

Gopi has now built a more loving relationship with everyone in the family. Mr Murthy, who was a bit afraid of Gopi, has also started developing a lovely relationship with him. He is having a time of his life, playing all day and giving unlimited cuddles to the humans around him.

Now I'm desperately waiting for the third book in the series, which is expected in the early months of the year 2022.

The things I love about the book:-

1) Narrative

Writing this kind of narrative needs a lot of imagination and creativity. It's a bit easier to write from any person's point of view, Alive, Dead, or imaginative. Humans can talk and express their thoughts in various ways. But animals can't express their emotions by speaking. You need to be very observant and

Creative to write a piece of literature like this.

2) Cover page and illustrations

They generally say that one should not judge a book by its cover. But believe me or not, the first thing which attracts the reader is undoubtedly the cover page of the book. The cover page of both the books is equally expressive and beautiful, which give a hint of its contents if you look at them carefully. 

And the illustrations bring life to the book.

3) Simplicity

As I have mentioned earlier also that Mrs Murthy's style of writing is very very catchy, clear, and simple. She belongs to the lobby of those evergreen authors who are known for their simple writing style. Mr R.K. Narayan and Mr Ruskin Bond are known for that similar clarity and simplicity. And I have no issue in accepting that too much-revealed philosophy as well usage of heavy words for simple narratives turns me off. This short and sweet book is the epitome of clear imagination and observation. Whether you are a dog lover or not, you'll be enjoying it thoroughly.

So here I'm sharing the links to both the books to buy.

Coming Home

Finding Love

 

Do comment below your thoughts and reviews about the books.

Thanks for reading

Love, Laughter, and Peace

HRN

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'i came upon a lighthouse' - Not a Book Review

 

When I was in college, my ultimate goal was to become an entrepreneur. My friends and I used to sit together on the age-old staircase behind the extended area of our college and used to talk about new ideas, changes, the economy and whatnot. We all had that sparkly eyes when we used to share our dreams, our desires, and our goals. And that phase helped me a lot in phasing the different situations in my life. 

Being an entrepreneur has its pros and cons. I've grown up watching traditional entrepreneurs, who were so damn greedy and think about accumulating money as much as they can, without thinking anything else in their life. They used to exploit their employees by not giving them the perks they deserve. They used to exploit their customers by quoting the high price of the products which aren't easily available in the market. Not everyone was like that, but some of them around me were doing that. Black marketing, scams, and all that dark stuff was so common (and is still common) in my growing years that I have doubted my decision to become an entrepreneur, not once but millions of time. 

All the books I've read anyhow convinced me to become an entrepreneur and keep searching and discovering new ideas in the field of business I'm in. Honestly, no man whom I've personally met has ever succeeded to convince me to see the bright side of entrepreneurship. And about the successful entrepreneurs, I've read about always ends up disappointing me. Their idea of entrepreneurship is somewhat changing the track and after some point in time, I stop following them. 

Let me share my idea of entrepreneurship.

For me, entrepreneurship is not a win-lose game. It's a medium through which you finds a win-win situation for you, as well as your client. It's a medium through which you actively pay back to society, no matter how small your business is. Paying back to society not always mean charity. It's about creating a smart module thorough which everyone moves upwards. It's about creating opportunities for everyone your business touches - without exploiting or pressurising a single party. It's about investing in your dream and investing in someone else's dream, provided it is also for the betterment of everyone. 

So after reading innumerable biographies and autobiographies in my late teens and early twenties, I recently got this book which opened a different realm for me.

This lovely book which I'm holding in my hands in the picture is called 'i came upon a lighthouse'.

The book is a memoir written by Mr Shantanu Naidu, in which he not only writes about his journey down the years, but he beautifully writes that how his life overlaps the life of none other than Mr Ratan Naval Tata.

Naidu worked as a Design Engineer in Tata Elxsi, when he co-founded Motopaws' which is an initiative to reduce animal deaths and injuries (specifically dogs) caused by vehicles hitting them. In Motopaws, they brought forward a unique idea of radiant dog collars. This simple idea brought down these accidents by 31 per cent. 

My dear readers, this one was the first reason I picked up this book. As a person who gets along with dogs, more than with humans, I was excited reading about that unique idea. 

When Ratan Tata came across this simple idea, he called them in his office and with that a unique bond between Mr Tata and the author formed.

Mr Tata became his guardian angel and stood by him as a teacher, as a parent, and as a friend in every situation. 

The author decided to go on with his higher education and went to Cornell University, Ithaca for that. Before leaving he decided to come back to India after his education and work for Tata Trust, which is actively involved in Social Services. And yes, he does come back and become an integral part of the institution. 

But this book is not only about the author's journey. This book is written about the simplicity, vision, and humility of Mr Tata. His way of handling things, his way of looking at things, are minutely described in the book. 

This is one of those books which not only motivates you like those so-called self-help books you see on every bookstall. But this book is a warm hug for those people who love to help others and understand this by heart that Money is a by-product of being an entrepreneur. 

So I picked up the book for some of the reasons which I'm mentioning below:-

1) Motopaws 

I love the mission behind the initiative of Motopaws. Personally, I've lost count of the dogs I've lost in accidents. I have cried and spent sleepless nights thinking about their sufferings. I have spent countless nights cursing myself on my insufficiency to save them. I'll share a story in my upcoming blog.

2) Simplicity of Mr Tata

You can search for books on Mr Tata on Amazon and Flipkart, believe me, you won't find anything authenticated. As a person, he always thought about doing something rather than blabbering much. He has invested in the technology and modernization of every field. Reading about his life is a treat in itself.

3) The Idea of Entrepreneurship

The initial paragraphs of this post cover what I have always thought about Entrepreneurship. Now you might have been thinking that My idea is nothing but Mr Tata personified. In every industry, in every field, you can see Tatas. He is that 'Win-Win' situation personified who talks less but has a genuine hand in nation-building. 

4) Illustrations 

The book is beautifully illustrated by Sanjana Desai, which enhances the reading experience. Reading and imagining go hand in hand. You make a picture of what you read in your mind. And when you see a similar picture on the pages you are reading, it's an indescribable experience. You must try it.

So that's all for my side. I would highly recommend this book to each one of you and you can grab your copies from HERE.

Thank you for reading

Love, Laughter, and Peace

HRN

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"One Arranged Murder" by Chetan Bhagat - Not a Book Review

 In life, one of the most challenging tasks is judging something without being judgemental about it. Let me elucidate.  While Judging something, you have to be neutral in every aspect. You have to keep aside all your past experiences, earlier records, and people’s opinions regarding that particular thing. On the other hand,  when you are judgemental about something, you bring the past performances and other people’s view into the equation. Don’t worry, this theory is created by me. It helps me to bifurcate between judging something or being judgemental about something. I hope that will help you too, as you read this article further.

Chetan Bhagat, who started his career with the books like One night @ the call center, Five point someone, and Three mistakes of my life, was a trendsetter and converted many non-readers into readers. He brought a different revolution in the field of literature. He became the apple of the eye of millions of readers, specifically in India. But with time, and after lots of success, Bhagat started losing his charm when we talk about his books. Most of his books began adapting to Hindi movies. So, I personally felt like he started writing more for the movies’ scripts than readers. His Books like Half-Girlfriend and One Indian girl was somewhat looked like more of a Bollywood script than a book.

And then, his views upon feminism and gender equality were widely criticised across the nation. However, his books were a huge success and always remain at the top of the charts.

I read his recent book – One Arranged Murder.

If we talk about its story, Two friends, Saurabh and Keshav, are not much in talking terms after an episode of misunderstanding.  Saurabh, who is about to get married in a couple of months, is going to her fiancé, Prerna, at his home as she fasted for him on the occasion of Karva Chauth.  He was climbing the stairs to meet her at the terrace but was welcomed with something alarming. He saw a people gathering around a dead body on the ground. Was that an accident or a murder? The story revolves around that. Sourabh and Keshav, apart from working in a corporate, also run a detective agency called Z Detectives. So no points for guessing; they help the police to solve the case.

Honestly speaking, without flaunting my intellect, I could guess the criminal on the 80th page of this book, which has about three hundred-odd pages. That was more of a work of my emotional instinct than my critical analysis. But with each page proceeding, I started doubting myself, and that’s what I consider the success of this book. New theories came in eventually, and that’s the essence of the book.

It has that Chetan Bhagat factor as it mixes up all the variants like his earlier books. It has that tragedy, that romance, and that masala, his x-factor in the books like two states and three mistakes of my life.

On the other hand, I found some parts of the book quite impractical and hard to believe. The characters were behaving quite differently and beyond the boundaries of their portrayal. At some point, I also felt that this book is also written for a movie or a web-series. But that’s again one’s personal opinion, not a fact.

Do I like the book? Oh yes. It’s undoubtedly a page-turner, and I believe that its entertainment quotient is relatively high.

Will you like the book? That will depend on what you are looking for in the book.

Here’s the link to the book, in case you are looking forward to reading it.

I’ll see you soon.

Love, Laughter, and Peace

Himanshu R Nagpal

"And The Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseni - Not a Book Review

 Not much after I relocated from my earlier society and started residing a few kilometres away from there, I got a fracture in my left foot. So after a few weeks of bed rest, I started walking in my society. I had utterly no idea who my neighbours were. 

A lady in her mid-fifties, who I suppose lived in the house just next to mine, asked about my well being and how I got injured. In that short conversation, she asked me a fundamental question that ‘Where I’m from?’ Without thinking much, I replied, ‘ We are from Pakistan.’ Her expressions were a cocktail of fear and amazement. She thought for a moment and asked, that where did I put up before shifting here.

I felt like an idiotic ISI agent standing right in the middle of the road. But I have this habit of telling people from where I belong to or where my roots are.

My Grandfather came to India after independence back in 1947 across the border. Undoubtedly we north Indians have faced innumerable invasions and massacres. We’ll talk about this sometime later. Today, I’m here to talk about the book I recently finished. It’s called “And The Mountains Echoed,” written by Mr. Khaled Hosseini.

Khaled was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to California afterwards. His book called ‘The Kite Runner” was highly acclaimed and his most successful work.

“And The Mountains Echoed” is a story of Abdullah, a ten-year-old kid, whose life resides in his younger sister Pari. He loves her more than anything in his life. But one day, his father had to give Pari to a financially well off family because of his monetary conditions and because of various other reasons. The story is about how Pari and Abdullah reunite and in what circumstances.

The book is a work of tragedy – filled with hope and pages filled with void. The story runs in a multi-level format where, in every chapter, the protagonist seems to change. All the characters are appropriately expressed and well connected.

My agenda to write this post is not to give a book review but to write about the things which needed to be discussed.

The first is, as I just wrote above, about the habit of seeking one’s root. I’m totally in favour of the fact that one should not differentiate based on one's cast and background. But, on the other hand, I think it is essential to seek one's own background. It is crucial to know who our ancestors are and how we channelized our way into this society.

The second is about the importance of memory. Suppose we try to think about this at a basic level. In that case, we can quickly conclude that everyone and everything exists as it is or as it was just because of our memory. There is no meaning of relationships or engagements, love or hatred, and so on. Everything exists in our memory.

Now you might be thinking, why I’m talking about these things in a post related to a book?

My answer is, you need to read the book for that. I feel that these two points are like the boat's two oars, which helps the boat row forward.

I’ll love to write a separate post related to these points. Till then, do read the book and share your views in the comment box below or mail me at  hrntales@gmail.com.

Love, Laughter, and Peace

Himanshu R Nagpal

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