Commented on nikamma1112's review
Oct 03, 2004 07:56 PM
I didn't pick up the Hindi references, of course, but enjoyed the Joycean ride. And thanks for the comments on my review! Stu
Reviewed Local Trains
Oct 03, 2004 08:49 AM
3108 Views
(Updated Oct 03, 2004 08:02 PM)
Attention all Westerners! Do you want to get to really know your fellow Mumbaikers? Have you tried charming them with cocktails, wooing them with fancy meals at expensive restaurants, but you still feel like there is an unaccountable distance between you and the teeming hordes? Well, I have an a...Read more
Commented on NoAccountWanted's review
Sep 03, 2004 03:36 PM
Great comment on the review. Zen is a book that meant a lot to me at a stage in my life when I was looking for something deeper than what I saw in everyday life, and it did exactly the same sorts of things to me that it did to you. So here's a question--when are you going to write some reviews? Y...our comments are brilliant.Read More
Commented on own review
Sep 02, 2004 06:15 PM
I've been back in Mumbai for the past month, settling in, and haven't had much time to compose anything. However, now that I'm here, I hope to review things I run across or read. Currently reading Rohinton Mistry, and intend to write something when I'm finished; also on some Narayan.
Reviewed Shiv Sagar - Juhu - Mumbai
Sep 02, 2004 05:25 PM
5482 Views
(Updated Sep 02, 2004 06:05 PM)
Okay, it doesn't have the greatest atmosphere in the world, and the traffic getting there is often nightmarish, but a lot of Mumbaikers know Shiv Sagar as one of the most dependable fast food joints in Juhu. And besides, Saffron (at J.W. Marriott up the road) is redolent with atmosphere and has ...Read more
Commented on suyog's review
Sep 02, 2004 04:55 PM
It hadn't occurred to me that the characters were 'flimsy,' though I'm only halfway through the book. I'm not overawed by Mistry's reputation, because ignorantly, I had never heard of him before I picked the book up in Crossword a couple of weeks ago. I think it is an engrossing, beautifully-craft...ed novel, and while Mistry is no George Eliot, he does provide enough details about the characters' inner lives and outer circumstances to paint a fairly complete portrait of them, in my opinion.
By the way, here's my question of the day: Why does India have such an incredible depth of literature (as good as any literature anywhere) and yet can't seem to make a decent movie? Discuss amongst yourselves.Read More
Commented on own review
Aug 25, 2004 06:54 AM
I don't have a lot of experience with the iPod--I have a friend that has a 20 GB model and have listened to it, but not with the same headphones I use with the iRiver, so I don't have a scientific basis of comparison. The iRiver is very durable--I've already dropped it with no discernable damage. ...The battery life was one of my main selling points, and after several months of use, it isn't lessening--I use the player about 2 hours a day and can go for a week between charges. I think the iPod is much more elegant and that its search features are superior to the iRiver. I also like the click wheel of the iPod more than the toggle button of the iRiver, but it took me very little time to get used to the iRiver's layout. And by the way, what I said about the indexing (not indexing WMA formats) turns out ot be false--my WMA files (around 4200 of them) are fully indexed by artist, album, song, and genre. So yes, I'd love to have an iPod if the price was right and the battery life was up there with iRiver (I still don't think it is, even on the new models), but think the iRiver is a much better value. It has been a lifesaver on long commutes in India this trip.Read More
Commented on yogishbv's review
Aug 17, 2004 05:53 PM
Yes, Lufthansa is just kind of creepy. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is the airborne equivalent of a Nazi concentration camp, but there's definitely something unsettling about the experience of traveling on Lufthansa, especially in/out of India.
Commented on isrini's review
Aug 17, 2004 05:49 PM
This is one of my favorite films of the past 5 years. You've done a terrific job of capturing many of the complexities. Keep it up!
Commented on Cousin2's review
Aug 13, 2004 08:44 AM
I'm glad that you and Suyog are writing about this book. It is very near and dear to my heart.
Commented on suyog's review
Aug 13, 2004 08:42 AM
I'm glad you read the book; for me, LOTJ isn't powerful because it attempts to document every instance of horror that the Jews have endured over 1000 years, but rather because of the psychological and spiritual brokenness that is evoked in one boy, Ernie Levy. I'm sure that every racial, religious,... national, or cultural group that met with genocide in the last century has its own literature of suffering--LOTJ is just the best that I have run across.Read More
Commented on own review
Aug 05, 2004 11:21 AM
Glad to see you ordered 'Last of the Just.' I didn't think anyone else had ever heard of it. Hope you like it, though it probably won't be what you are expecting.
Commented on supermom's review
Aug 02, 2004 06:25 PM
I would have rated your review 'Not Useful,' but then I suppose it is useful to those who are expecting LOTR to be like Harry Potter. It isn't--it is in another universe of literature altogether. Yes, Harry Potter moves along at a more rapid clip, but is that what we read books for? To avoid the ...possibility of being bored? Ay caramba...Read More
Commented on own review
Jul 29, 2004 12:57 AM
I suppose you probably aren't a big MTV-watcher (I'm not either, but for awhile it was hard to avoid 'Stacy's Mom'). I think it will depend on the type of music you like. I've always been addicted to Beatlesque songcraft, and anyone who can write a catchy, literate pop tune is going to get my vote..., since so much music out there is just drivel. Anyway, if you only get one of their albums, get the latest.Read More
Reviewed Fountains of Wayne
Jul 29, 2004 12:47 AM
2608 Views
(Updated Jul 29, 2004 01:30 AM)
When I was last in Mumbai (in May), Planet M had (finally) received a stack of Fountains of Wayne's latest CD, Welcome Interstate Managers. About time, I said to myself. I returned to Planet M a few weeks later, and as far as I could see, not one copy had been sold. Now, there are many crimes ag...Read more
Commented on own review
Jul 28, 2004 09:52 PM
I really do with Mumbai had a hotel like the Brunton. I mean, I like the Marriott and all, but the BB is such a relaxing place, and the JWM is always filled with frenetic activity and a few too many Bollywood stars.
Reviewed Brunton Boatyard - Cochin
Jul 28, 2004 09:32 PM
4496 Views
(Updated Jul 29, 2004 01:20 AM)
I visited Cochin (sorry, I like the old name much better than the new--Kochi sounds to me like someone sneezing) last November, during the mini-monsoon. It was hot and humid, but I was taken by the ancient Portuguese dwellings and churches, and soothed by the slow lifestyle around the Fort area....Read more
Commented on own review
Jul 25, 2004 03:35 AM
I appreciate the comments. I recently went to Darjeeling, and felt very let down, partly because the monsoon had set in early, but mainly because I had spent time in Switzerland, and no other mountains I've visited compare to the Alps. I know, the Himalayas are higher (MUCH higher), but there is s...omething about the Alps that has a storybook quality--the kind the Brothers Grimm would appreciate. I'm hoping to try the Himalayas again on my next trip, and maybe I'll have better weather. StuRead More
Commented on own review
Jul 25, 2004 03:12 AM
I really appreciate all the terrific suggestions for books. I always buy a lot of books in India, so I'll probably wait until I get to Mumbai next week and go to Crossword or somesuch. I'll have your suggestions in hand. Stu
