The Secret River - Kate Grenville (Book)

Book: 8/52.

The Secret River - Kate Grenville.

My Rating: 2/5.

Another addition to my list of “What did I just read?” which, surprisingly, I didn’t DNF, but the thought did cross my mind multiple times, and there was a reason why I did not. First, my friend from Aussyland got this one for me as nowadays I take only books as gifts from friends returning or visiting India :). Second on the cover, as you can read - it claims to be “Multi-award winning”, and if I am not wrong, it was even shortlisted for a Booker, and I believe that is why my dear friend picked it up for me in the first place. Now, award-winning books, and I have an appalling track record of either falling head over heels for or disliking them, this one lost in the latter category, unfortunately. Coming back to the story, it is from the early 19th century wherein a British William Thornhill hits a jackpot when he falls for a rich girl, but their luck doesn’t last long, and they lose it all, so much that they need to steal to survive and once caught they are hoarded aboard a ship full of criminals sentenced to Australia. So this book came to me from Sydney, and that’s where the rest of the story takes place: the couple’s survival amidst the challenges thrown by locals (Blacks). He hopes to go back home as soon as he has made enough money, and she hopes never to leave what they had made in Australia after so much struggle. The entire story revolves around a river, but what is the big secret if one goes by the title is not be found in the book. What turned me off was the writing style and abrupt start or ending of things like you turn a page and the story has progressed a couple of years, no details, but they go rich just like that and go poor just like that. Overall, it was a very tough read, if it wasn’t a gift, it must have become my first DNF of the year. 

Do let me know if you have read this one especially if it worked for you. Or any other book that you read and liked from Kate Grenville, for now I will stay away from her works unless highly recommended by someone. I need to pick up a Nevil Shute book fast as no one does justice to Aussyland the way he does it with his words. 

 

Sons and Lovers - DH Lawrence (Book)

Book 7/52.

Sons and Lovers - DH Lawrence.

My Rating: 5/5.

As I mentioned in my last post, one cannot go wrong with classics (mostly, they work), and this one was an amazing experience. I loved it big time. I have read a few works of DHL and have yet to lay my hands on The Lady Chatterley’s Lover as it has been unavailable for quite a while, and as soon as I found this one, I had to read it. What a terrific story based on a mother-son relationship. It reminded me so much of a few movies based in our part of the world (hint! hint!), but this one was way out of my expectations and kept me hooked till the very last page on the final outcome. The favourite of the four kids, he finds it too hard to walk out of his mother’s shadow, even when he falls in love for the first time with someone her mother won’t approve of. Tough times at home because of a miner father gradually changed as kids got on to work and became independent, surprisingly, it kept on going against my expectations and, at times, even shocked me. What I found heart-touching was that the second son loved his mother so much that he never went against her wishes, and even his interactions with her were so straightforward that he knew the answers before even asking a question from her. And the way he adored his mother was totally out of this world, of course, in fiction, Mr DHL made him the way he wanted and stumped me by the ending. To know more, you’ve got to read this one at any cost as it was hardly 380+ pages, and I found it too short to my liking. Also, DHL is criticised for over-sexing his prose, which wasn’t the case, neither with this one nor my previous read, Women in Love, I wonder if I am reading censored versions? 

Do let me know if you have read this one or if you have a DHL favourite. Looking forward to reading TLCL at the earliest opportunity. 

 

Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance - Robert M Pirsig (Book)

Book: 6/52.

Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance - Robert M Pirsig. 

My Rating: 1/5. 

This is why self-help books are not for me. Time and again, I find them a little too preachy or pretentious. Maybe that’s my age calling that I have become philosophical in life that I don’t need philosophical lessons from others. Also, this didn’t have anything to do with Bikes in the first place either. He didn’t even disclose the Bikes brand or make even. The only respite is the road trip that the father and son take and pick up so much in between breaks. By the time it ends and a big revelation takes place, it is too late for me to hit it off. He tried giving it a sixth sense shocking ending, but it didn’t work for me at all. 

My suggestion. Stay away from this and similar books; rather, pick up classics anyway.

Remembering Babylon - David Malouf (Book)

Book: 5/52.

Remembering Babylon - David Malouf.

My Rating: 1/5.

I have started a new practice of accepting only books from friends and relatives who travel from abroad, provided they are by authors from that part of the world only :). So far, I have received a few Malaysians, Americans, Brits, Russians and Aussies (like this one), and a few from Finland are in the pipeline as they are bought, but the travel is taking time. Now, this one came from Aussyland last month, and it happens to be a Booker nominee, I guess that is the reason my close friend picked this one up to impress me, as he NEVER reads. I was excited to lay my hands on it, especially when I read the note on the last page (date and city/country of buying), but what a disaster it was. It almost became my reading career’s second book, which I would have put in the DNF category after the much hated “The Secret” I threw out of my 15th-floor living room window (long back). Initially, it starts on an intriguing note when a kid washes ashore after he falls off a ship and lands in this small village. The way people take him, and he becomes an acceptable part of their society. Still, it becomes cumbersome to read every chapter from the point of view of a new character, which has no introduction to the reader, and the prose keeps on going in no set direction. It goes so off track that the author simply forgets to tell us what happened next to the lost and found guy, not until the last chapter, which leads to a very dissatisfying ending. Fortunately, this was only 180 pages, yet it took its own sweet time to come to an end as I didn’t want to leave it unfinished, breaking my own record. This was definitely Booker material as it made no sense to me, now I know how it qualified but never won it in the finale. I really need a light-hearted book to wash off this one’s memory.

Do let me know if you have read this one or any other David Malouf book, especially if it worked for you. I have another from Australia, hoping that one works for me big time. 

 

The Running Grave - Robert Galbraith (Book)

Book: 4/52.

The Running Grave - Robert Galbraith.

My Rating: 5/5.

My second Robert Galbraith (read JK Rowling) book of the year, and I am smitten in love with Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, just like I was when it all started with the first of the series. Also, this is the seventh instalment of the CB Strike series, which I must say is the best book so far, I have never read anything better from JKR, including the much-loved and admired Harry Potter series. It was an 1150+ pages long story, yet the reader in me kept on asking for more, so much that I never wanted it to finish. Incredible adventure takes us through as Robin goes undercover to one Universal Humanitarian Church after one of their esteemed clients gives them the task of getting his son out of the institution as they believe he was being brainwashed and they had doubts about UHC’s unethical practices. As always, there is so much going on in their own lives, on top of that, this one assignment with a few smaller projects that they both go through during the story was thrilling to read. But this time, Robin takes the limelight away from Strike so much that at times, I was praying for her well-being and mentally asking her to “get the hell out of the situation”, realising Strike was also doing the same, but she won’t get out till she has got the work done and how. As I mentioned earlier, this one undoubtedly will show up in my top 10 suspense thrillers right around Madam Christie’s novels; it is indeed that fantastic. And let me give you a hint, if only you have read other Strike novels, that their love story (in their world and way) does take a few new steps. To know more, you have to read this one as my words do no justice to terrific writing. 

I will be eagerly waiting for the TV series to come out so I can put faces to some of those amazing characters Robert Galbraith introduces us in this one. Do let me know if you have read this one or if you have a personal CB Strike favourite book, I have read them all and loved them too.