Thursday 23 October 2008

Little Children and Unaccustomed Earth...

Little Children by Tom Perrotta is a good book... Is it a great book? Well not according to me...
I wont talk about what happens in the book. You can read the book yourself or just Wiki it to know the plot.
All I'll say is that it is a darkly humourous account of a suburbian dysfunctional society so real that your next door neighbour might fit the character description. Yet none of the characters or their underlying insecurities, beliefs, failures, dreams were captivating enough for me to remember or revisit any of the characters present in the book.
I do suggest that one reads it.
And yes I loved the end.

Now coming to Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. Most of the stories in this book, one might feel lead nowhere and end in a pointless paragraph. Yet look deeper. Read closely. And each word has its meaning. Each character has a life of its own. Some themes seem similar specially when it comes to the children in the story. They are all trying to escape their Bengali identities and adapt to the world they now call their own. Yet they face the hard realities of who they are and what they swore they would never be but have become due to the curious plays of fate. I loved the stories. The description. The painful acceptance of fate in some and in some the continued fight for a change. A better life.
I do suggest this book.
But a word of caution. What I like may not be the popular opinion. So tread and read carefully =)

Oh yes !!! A book one has to read purely because of its plot and simplicity is Q & A by Vikas Swarup! I read it nearly two years back and I love to re read it from time to time. It is fantastic!

And people please leave some suggestions as to what I should read next. I really need to go book shopping! Have to stock up for the winters! =)

7 comments:

Impressionist said...

seems like u've been reading a lot!
good for u...:D

-I

zephyr said...

but u still havent suggested any books to read?? temme!!

thusspakerono said...

The Night Train to Deoli by Ruskin Bond is a simplistic marvel...
The book is pretty old, but do grab it if you come across it...

zephyr said...

Thanks Rono..
will get it for sure =)

Pallav said...

Anything by Terry Pratchett..his new book Nation is out.

Neil Gaiman is also out with his new book--The Graveyard Book.

If you want to read something really mindfuck ...Try Chuck Palahniuk: Haunted, or Choke.

Take cares!

N

Raghav said...

immoral by brian freeman a good mystery/thriller.

zephyr said...

@nothingman - Oh I quite like Chuck Palahniuk's works.. Find them disturbingly good.. have read Invisible Monsters and am halfway through Choke and Diary... Need to read Haunted.. Thanks!!! =)

@Raghav - THANKS!!! =)