Alex - Pierre Lemaitre (Book)

Alex - Pierre Lemaitre.
Translation by: Frank Wynne.

Another day, another book and another dear friend who indeed put a gun of sorts on my head and swore to never to speak to if I didn't read this book :). And I must say, what a fool I was to miss the terrific Pierre Lemaitre so far and this co-incidentally became the second book that I read from the land of French after recently finishing and loving "The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth" which was a conspiracy to kill the French President. This was although a totally different ball game as far as killings are concerned and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, another page turner from France. I love detective stories and this was an exceptional one of an agent that I so much reminded me of my recent other read from Robert Galbraith and his awesome detective Cormoran Strike with his partner Robin always in toes with him solving the cases. Here we have terrific Camille Verhoeven with his team of team of agents solving the mysterious case of "Alex's" kidnapping and subsequent murder trails. What I loved about Pierre's style is the background story that each character has and the way he keeps opening them as the story progresses forward and doesn't give out anything in the very start as an introduction. The ease with which the reader in me actually fell in love with the Agent first, followed by falling in love with the victim and to my own shock I found myself actually rooting and cheering (by the time it ends) for the killer too. Now he Pierre did that, you've got to read the book to know. Also, before I forget, let me mention this too that the book isn't for the faint hearted, the gruesome killing and torture may be a little too much for some, I although enjoyed it thoroughly. If you plan to read this, the racy fast paced book that it is, do have your breakfast, lunch or dinner before you pick up the awesome book.

Alex is a beautiful girl who gets kidnapped at the very start of the story, with barely one vague witness and nothing much of a background as where she works, stays or for that matter who she is, the cat and mouse chase game starts. Camille Verhoeven is the agent on whose table the case lands, he himself is recovering from his pregnant wife's murder who was kidnapped and killed some 4 odd year ago. Now, Author has smartly disclosed almost no details about his wife's case on this one as the prequel to this book is actually a book called "Irene" and that's what Camille's wife's name was. So, we better get that too now to get to know Camille a little bit better (I am going to do that very soon, can't keep myself hanging in suspense for too long you see). Camille himself is one heck of a character, with hardly 5 feet in height, bald, over weight, almost hitting an age of 50 with no life to look forward to but just a bunch of professional friends and irritatingly for his superiors, brilliant. A very helpful boss who always comes to his rescue and with a judge who is hell bent in proving him wrong plus on top of that a superb support agent who is the mi-serest best I have ever read a character in any-book and who is always hungry. The story is poised right from the very start to a terrific finale as Camille has to not only find the kidnapped girl, save her from being killed, find the reason and the person who is doing it, why he is doing it, find her background, family, friends and what not whereas no one has any clue as who she is. On top of that even after being kidnapped for a few days, there is no missing person report anywhere. Imagine, all that happening in the first 50 odd pages of the book and I had no idea what to expect from it. And I must say the way it blew my mind off, I regretted not knowing French big time. If Frank Wynne's translation is so good, imagine how terrific it will be in Original.

Although judging a writer by just one book is way too early but I must say Pierre Lemaitre came too close to one of my all time favorite writer Stieg Larsson as far as the suspense, thrill and characterization is concerned. He actually made me fall in love so much with the characters that I had no choice but to compare them with Larsson's amazing characters. Gotta read more of him now and see how fantastic his other works are. Another thing that I loved about Pierre's book is the way so subtly he shows the filth and ugly side of Paris / France to us who know nothing about the city / country in general which surprised and shocked me big time.

Have you read Alex or Irene? or any of Pierre Lemaitre's books. Do let me know which is your favorite, if you have read any of his works. I am big time looking forward to Irene now at the earliest before my dear friend puts a gun on my head, I will get it and read it now on my own.

Game of Thrones - Season 2 (TV Series)

Game of Thrones - Season 2.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones_(season_2)

Another week gone and I am done with another season of Game of Thrones :). As slow I may take it, I still know that the last season is still a good six months away.

Season 2 immediately picks up the story from where Season 1 had left it on a very high, dramatic and yet so much emotional note. In comparison, definitely Season 2 is not a patch on the first one but yes it does takes the story forward a couple of notches. Surprisingly Jon Snow still maintains the same one (smug) expressions throughout the year with almost nothing much to do or achieve in this season too. Of-course he does gets to go beyond the great wall yet the "King Beyond The Wall" doesn't make an entry yet :D. I was so eagerly waiting to see the face of the King but they left me again in tenterhooks :) (Read rushing to start the Season 3 now).

Try as much as I could, I am still in a huge Awe of bloody Lannisters, totally smitten in love with the Half Man, the Imp - Tyrion. Wow, every time he gets slapped, kicked or shot down by his own immediate family, I feel like there should be a way I could enter the Television and kick their asses. Jamie is now my all time favorite although with hardly any presence in this one but the things are going to turn up nicely in upcoming episodes I could make out. As he joins Brienne the wench on the journey back to the Kings-Landing. Things are poised and I can already smell so much action ahead.

Stark family is still in ruins. Again my first love in the Stark household is no surprise - Arya Stark :), what an amazing character and so beautifully done by the little girl. Sansa should be killed ASAP, makes no difference to me. Rob on the roll with his army, love life, revenge and what not is getting the best footage ever. Bran and Rickon with Asha and Hodor are on a journey which turns mysterious with every new twist, wonder how it will end for them.

The only weak link as of now as per me which totally disappointed me so far is "Stannis", what happened to his character? someone please tell me that it is going to get better from here and how about the "Onion Knight" Davos that was such a heartbreak. I hope they do not disappoint me in the coming episodes. The guy who plays Stannis is a total miscast, a total turn off for me (at this stage at least). Also I am heart-broken by so less attention given to the Mountain, Mormonts, Clegane brothers etc.

Totally incredible is the way they do so much in mere 10 hours each season and I believe I am not the only who feels like their episodes are too short, I bloody blink and its over, before even I could develop a repo with the character and his / her histrionics, Bang! Its over. Totally in love with the amazing background score, especially the one at the start which lasts about close to 2 minutes and the songs as the end credits roll, simply brilliant. Visuals are totally epic, I really wonder where they must have gone to shoot the series and what kind of effort it must take to make an Epic like this. Brilliant. Although the War scenes so far, look a little hurried up and nothing impressive about them but I give them a benefit of doubt.

I don't want to talk about the diversion from the books as this is something supremely amazing to be shoot down just because it diverts or adds up so much more in terms of entertainment value by adding up new things. I am delighted to see the "Others" twice in a row which almost gets no mention in the first five books by GRRM :).

What keeps me on toes and at the edge of my seat with every episode is the punch lines they keep throwing to no end. Which again keeps putting a wide smile on my face.

Winter is coming (Definitely the longest they ever had earlier).
Lannisters are definitely going to pay their debts as thats what they are famous for.
Dragons are coming too (very shortly, growing very fast).
Daenerys is going to cross the narrow sea and claim the Iron throne (I am eagerly waiting for it).
Jon Snow still knows nothing :).
And my favorite is definitely the "King in the north" that gives me goosebumps every-time he is mentioned.

Another point that impresses and surprises me big time is that each season they have 10 episodes directed by at least five different Directors yet it is so consistently fantastic that it is hard to tell who among them is the best.

PS: I have downloaded all the seasons from Torrents, please tell me especially those who have watched it through other sources if there are subtitles when they speak in Dothraki? Because the version that I am watching, doesn't have any, am I missing something or much?

The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth (Book)

The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth.

I was thinking of reading this book for quite a while, especially after watching the movie "The Jackal" which was loosely made on the original movie made on the book "The Day of the Jackal". I totally loved the movie Jackal for so many reasons, my favorite Bruce Willis for being the ultimate Jackal, my wife's favorite Richard Gere as the detective trying to catch the bad man and our neutral favorite Sidney Poitier as the man in support trying to save the First Lady from the clutches of the Jackal. I have lost count how many times we must have seen the movie yet totally loving it every-time. But as it happens so many times when I pick up a supremely acclaimed classic I always dread what if it doesn't work for me? Exactly same happened with me while I read this book, here are my reactions as I kept reading it to the very end:

25% into the book: The political commentary just doesn't comes to an end and makes it a very challenging read. (I guess the movie was way better).
30% into the book: Finally the Jackal makes an entry and the things start to get interesting.
50% into the book: Alright, we know he is set and his target is set, but where is the good cop who is going to stop him?
60% into the book: Finally the good cop starts making his move and things start getting thrilling.
70% into the book: Should I call in sick?
80% into the book: Hope people don't call me today.
90% into the book: Dinner is ready, colleagues calling, I am ducking inside my cubicle.
100% into the book: Bravo, this is the best thriller ever, Hats off Mr. Forsyth, please tell me that you wrote a sequel.
My opinion on Movie (1997 Richard Gere and Bruce Willis's one): Strictly average, the book is way way better.

Ironically the book is based on one of the attacks on French President Charles De Gaulle's life out of half a dozen attempts various people made on the man but he still survived all of them :). On top of that what shocked me to no end was the spoiler that Frederick Forsyth himself gives precisely at the point I had read 30% of the book, giving away the ending himself. Fortunately even that takes nothing away from the book and story as it isn't about what is done but it is more about How it is done which keeps the reader on the tenterhooks. How kool is that. But one thing is there that during the entire course of reading (3 days I guess), all I could visualize was Bruce Willis as the Jackal, Richard Gere as Lebel the Commissioner on a cat and mouse chase game, one hell bent on killing the head of the state (France) and other will leave no stone untruned in saving the same man. On top of that my mind kept playing the superb outstanding background score of the movie throughout the book. Unbelievable experience it was. And now I know why this book keeps coming up almost always when we talk about the top ten thrillers of all time. No wonder, it will show up in my list too now onward.

Imagine a book written almost 50 years back, still holds up the thrill so well. The ease with which the Jackal keeps changing the identities with a set target in mind and lets nothing come in between him and the man he was slated (paid) to kill. The way Commissioner Lebel leaves nothing for Jackal's benefit but is always almost a few steps behind him, the thrilling way he and the secret service of a dozen nations come together with the help of Interpol to find a needle in a haystack was seriously outstanding writing. Mind-blowing is the way how convincingly Author opens up all the cards for the reader, totally keeping me grinning from ear to ear. I can vouch now that I haven't read a better thriller, although it is quite challenging as I said in the starting but I had full faith on my friends who are always praise for this book and Mr. Forsyth. And the story pays the ultimate dividend as it progresses to the chilling and edge of the seat thrilling ending.

Now I am totally eager to watch the original movie made in 1973 to see how close it comes to the book. Have you read the book or seen the two movies based on it? Which one as per you is the better version? And if you haven't read the book, I guess you already know what I want you to do. Would it show up on your top ten favorite thrillers?

Tamas (Hindi) – Bhisham Sahni (Book)

Tamas (Hindi) – Bhisham Sahni.

This was one of those few books that I pick up every year to impress my mother 🙂 and then I gradually pick them up to read myself. I started reading this last weekend as we had to travel back to our home town for a family function, I actually picked it to check the public’s reaction on a very old, acclaimed and that too a Hindi book. And I must say not only the book blew my mind off but the way I got superb response from people upwards of 45 years + age, it was simply amazing. A South Indian uncle sitting right opposite our berth going from Pune to Ujjain on a pilgrimage trip spoke so much about the story with such passion (without giving out any spoilers as he realized I was midways into the book). He was delighted to say that I have an amazing taste in literature :), of-course I didn’t confess to him that I was doing it for my mother. Now after reading the book while travelling back to back for three days and wrapping the last 20 pages this morning after reaching home, I am totally speechless. As the period and the drama that this book covers is totally unbelievable. Written in the mid 70’s, based on a time period which is like a few months before of India’s independence and subsequent partition, the way story progresses for a poignantly open ending, it just felt like someone removed the rug below my feet.

My last read was “A Tale of Two Nights” based on Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984) and Babri Masjid demolition of early 90’s which again spoke about Hindu Muslim relations and differences in great detail again in a heart touching story. But as if I didn’t have enough of it already, I got this one which tells exactly the same story which was happening 50 years prior to Babri Masjid episode. The religious divide which comes in picture at the drop of a hat between the three sects (Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs) time and again, earlier at one point of time they lived like brothers otherwise. And on top of that we have Britisher’s who were ruling us at that point of time, the dilemma that the Deputy Commissioner of the town faces with these three groups raring to kill each other in the name of religion and what not, was totally mind-blowing. The entire story is so smartly written, which almost never gives out the name of the place it all is happening as well as the time it is actually taking place. But the way things are going, I could do the math to timeline it and by almost the ending the Author decides to give out the names of the places 🙂 which again is something you need to read the book to experience it. Totally unpredictable I will say.

I just couldn’t believe how easily a Hindu will kill a Muslim just because a little political move by the top shots changes the equation. Even when they have lived in the same area for generations and pretty well know that they can never be enemies of each other neither will/should harm each in any circumstance. The way a human turns into an animal or for that matter even worse than an animal was simply shocking. Especially the way quite a few settle their own scores like killing the weaker ones as they couldn’t kill the stronger ones or raping the females they couldn’t lay their hands on otherwise, unbelievably inhuman and what toll it takes on the readers in-expectant mind. Again as I am never too ashamed to confess as it happens quite a few times with me, here too I had no idea what actually “Tamas” meant, till I finished the book this morning and called my mother to ask what it meant in the context of the book? she said only one word “Darkness”, Wow, Hats off to you Mr. Sahni, you just got a fan for life. How apt.

Unfortunately these days I do not read much of Hindi literature, all thanks to the availability in the stores I go book shopping and a little to blame myself that I always rate foreign writers higher than our own. Plus I believe no contemporary writer is writing in Hindi anymore they all are writing in English, further killing Hindi literature.

I know that my blabber makes no sense and does no justice to the terrific writing of Mr. Bhisham Sahni, having said that I will say that each one of us has to read this book and that too in Hindi, its original language (if you can) to get its gravity. Have you read Tamas or seen its TV adaptation or the critically acclaimed movie made by Govind Nihalani on it? Do let me know how you liked it and if you haven’t watched or read, I will say read you must first. You are totally going to love it.

Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian - EL James (Book)

Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian - EL James.

How I got into Fifty Shades? I ask myself and get an instant answer that one fine day a few years ago my nephew came to me with the first movie on his pen drive. Neither he nor we had any idea what we were about to watch. Guess the song "Love me like you do" was the trick how we got into the movie. It was such an embarrassing experience (read cringe-worthy) to watch it with my some 19 odd year old nephew with wifey around :). The movie was a fantastic lesson on "Sex and BDSM" if you ask me, unfortunately it was too gross to my sensual taste and the story almost went nowhere. The only good thing(s) in the first movie Fifty Shades of Grey was the girl, I totally loved the one who played Anastasia Steele, ravishing and gorgeous she is and the toys that Mr. Grey has (no pun intended), I am talking about the big boys toys. The fleet of Audi Q7's, an Amazing Audi R8 (one of the fastest and most expensive cars) and a state of the art Helicopter. And before I forget to mention, his personal library, which has a huge collection of some rare books, first editions leather bound (Thomas Hardy's) Wow. The apartment he owned, the kind of money he made and the big philanthropist as he was projected. Developing state of the art technology, selling it to developed nations on a premium and free to the underdeveloped nations like Africa and India (how Nobel). Plus the guy was straight, handsome, clean, almost a professional kick-boxer with loads of money supply to last a few life times. I really wondered what could go wrong with a guy like that to do what he was doing on screen and on top of that the question that was killing me was why the Girl was taking it on her the way she was doing. Hence the book had to be read. After reading the book I indeed get all the answers and am totally convinced as why a guy like Grey should not be loved the way Ana loves him.

Now, Ms James is a little too smart so she wrapped up Christian Grey's illustrious life (read Sex life) in three books, Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed from the point of view of Anastasia Steele. On top of that as if it wasn't enough for her readers, she wrote two more "Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian" and the one that I just finished "Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian". These unfortunately were the same books as its counterparts from the previous years but were Christian Grey's version of the same story :). How beautiful and on top of that she ends up selling some 150 million copies worldwide in multiple languages, produces the Movies too and even they too made a lot of money if Wiki is to be believed. Bravo.

Five books later, the plot can still be wrapped up in one line that Mr. Grey is a man who was abused in his childhood by his Crack Whore Mother's Pimp, later adopted by Mr and Mrs Grey whose family friend (again a lady) abuses him further till he falls in love with Ana Steele and his life changes overnight for good. Call it fortunately or unfortunately whatever you may, I end up reading all five books ;) as fillers between my tough reads (as I like to call it) and found them to be pretty interestingly written. A little too much of Sex of-course which at times gets cringe-worthy but as Mr. Grey claims "No one dies of excess Sex" and his girl friend confesses to him that she would love to die making love to him. How beautiful. Of all the five books that I have read so far, this one was the most challenging one to read but still I finished it somehow and I will be waiting for the next one to come along soon so I can put Mr. Grey's story to rest once he is "Freed" as the next I expect will do it.

Have you read Fifty Shades? or Have you seen the movies?
Who is your favorite Character from the series. Mine are definitely Grey's driver Taylor and his housekeeper Mrs. Jones. And the character of Mrs. Robinson.

PS: I guess after EL James is done with the sixth book of the series ;) (Christian's version of his freedom) she should write the entire series again from his driver "Taylor's" point of view. That would be an interesting read.