Jun 19, 2006 04:45 PM
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I would like you to read this review as my 5 suggested books .Everyone has different interests and tastes but I have noticed that my close friends also like these books.I try to pick books which are not displayed in the front rows of the book shelves. My tastes are a bit unique and I like a dizzy mix of philosophy , romance and a kind of rhythm .
The books should linger around in my mind and heart a long time after I have read them. I always fancy myself as the underdog and so my books also are of the kind which start off slow but then leave off to create a profound impact.I also like wiedness and things which are intimate and far off from the popular conscience yet at the same time present in everyone.So here goes :-
*The Storyteller - Mario Vargas Llosa
*This book is a simple yet breathtaking in the impact it creates. Mascarita is a brilliant Jewish student in university but he stands out in a crowd because he has a huge scar on his face.Yet he never gets angry if anyone ridicules or excludes him for his looks.From outside he is always happy and casual but inside him he is searching for something he cannot define.He finds what he is looking for in the traditions of an ancient tribe called the Machiguenga and his interactions with the tribe and its customs changes his life forever.
The narration is gripping but at times heavy.The dose after you read the book is profound and you may keep staring at the book even after you have completed it.Its like the strong taste of coffee lingering for hours.Superlative South American stuff.
*Life of Pi - Yann Martel
*This is a very young and refreshing book. It is a book about God and how we the common people pass through extraordinary circumstances in our lives with the help of having God in our lives.The entity of God is also above religion and one man can reach God through one or more religions.What matters is the reaching that feeling of divinity and relishing it.The hero of the story piscine molitor patel ( called as pi) passes through such a life.The writing style is easy and involving and reminiscent of Indian authors like R K Narayan. This book is unputdownable and at the same time unforgettable.
The Thirty Nine Steps **- John Buchan
*This is the best wartime thriller that I have read.It is a medium sized book and not really a long one .Worldwar 2 catapults an ordinary guy into a web where he has to elude German spies and the British police to prevent a crucial landing by a German boat in Britain. The narration and language is simple and this book shall keep you really enthralled until you complete it.
*The Wizard of Oz- Frank Baum
*First of all this is not a children's book. Just like Alic ein Wonderland this has metaphorical understatements and philosophical undertones.It basically says that we all are searching for something we already have like the kind Tin Man who want a heart !! This book is grasping and bizarre but I think it is one piece of fiction which anybody can read and gives a message without tring to be didactic.
*Golden Apples of the Sun(collection of short stories)- Ray Bradbury
*Though technically this is categorized as science fiction , it is much beyond that. I think that this is modern fiction at its best. The stories like The Dragon , the Fog Horn and many others shall leave a better understanding of life and change .Art and science mingle beautifully in Ray Bradbury's pen to create a book you shall always cherish.
