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BOOK 1: #bookerprizelonglist2023
The protagonist is thirteen-year-old Jamie O’Neill. There are two intertwined stories, one about Jamie and another about the teacher Mrs Tess Mahon.
“Humans can survive without poems. It is nice to have them, but without them, no one suffers, whereas the world needs maths.”
Jamie loves tall trees, winter, November, complete tales and poems of Edgar Allan Poe and Mathematics. He doesn’t like Francis Bacon but likes Paul Henry. He is a brilliant boy but is not like other students.
“To understand how a person might feel, see it as a compliment. That’s how I’d see it. Sensitive people solve a lot of the world’s problems, so they’re problem solvers, ultimately.”
Sometimes people do not accept those who are different and often ridicule them and then some recognise them and accept them for who they are. I hated the principal Father Faulks for being mean and partial.
“To some, the world is filled with threats. To others, opportunities.”
Jamie wants to build a machine with which he can connect with his mother, who is no more.
It is a sweet story about lost links, relationships, missing people, hurt, hidden truth, the chaos one builds around themselves or the mess others create due to all these reasons and more.
Despite having many problems, some admire and appreciate the beauty in life. Some make it their objective to encourage and appreciate the effort of others.
Jamie is a well-drawn-out character one is sure to fall in love with. One falls for his innocence and his brilliance.
“chaos is a branch of maths that proves dynamical systems whose random states of disorder and irregularities are governed by determined laws that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, right?”
The clear crisp prose and the beautiful story make the book unputdownable, so I relished it. Parts of the book reads like a poem. The story is narrated with such tenderness that one melts reading it. The book speaks for itself depicting the brilliance of the author.
The protagonist is thirteen-year-old Jamie O’Neill. There are two intertwined stories, one about Jamie and another about the teacher Mrs Tess Mahon.
“Humans can survive without poems. It is nice to have them, but without them, no one suffers, whereas the world needs maths.”
Jamie loves tall trees, winter, November, complete tales and poems of Edgar Allan Poe and Mathematics. He doesn’t like Francis Bacon but likes Paul Henry. He is a brilliant boy but is not like other students.
“To understand how a person might feel, see it as a compliment. That’s how I’d see it. Sensitive people solve a lot of the world’s problems, so they’re problem solvers, ultimately.”
Sometimes people do not accept those who are different and often ridicule them and then some recognise them and accept them for who they are. I hated the principal Father Faulks for being mean and partial.
“To some, the world is filled with threats. To others, opportunities.”
Jamie wants to build a machine with which he can connect with his mother, who is no more.
It is a sweet story about lost links, relationships, missing people, hurt, hidden truth, the chaos one builds around themselves or the mess others create due to all these reasons and more.
Despite having many problems, some admire and appreciate the beauty in life. Some make it their objective to encourage and appreciate the effort of others.
Jamie is a well-drawn-out character one is sure to fall in love with. One falls for his innocence and his brilliance.
“chaos is a branch of maths that proves dynamical systems whose random states of disorder and irregularities are governed by determined laws that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, right?”
The clear crisp prose and the beautiful story make the book unputdownable, so I relished it. Parts of the book reads like a poem. The story is narrated with such tenderness that one melts reading it. The book speaks for itself depicting the brilliance of the author.
BOOK 4: THE HOUSE OF DOORS, by TAN TWAN ENG #bookerprize2023
‘FACT AND FICTION ARE SO INTERMINGLED IN MY WORK THAT NOW, LOOKING BACK ON IT, I CAN HARDLY DISTINGUISH ONE FROM THE OTHER.’- SOMERSET MAUGHAM, THE SUMMING UP.
True to this epigraph, the story has elements of reality and elements of amazing imagination. Going by the definition of a story, it has a series of events, a brilliant plot, and evokes emotion too.
Tan Twan Eng has woven this tale using real people: Somerset Maugham, Sun Yat Sen, Ethel Proudlock; some real facts, some real events and an amazing novel that only feels real.
The house behind every door has a story and a door often represents transitions, changes or opportunities. Curiosity to unravel what is behind the door makes us embrace even the unfamiliar.
The book was inspired by Somerset's Play The Letter, which was also made into a film.
The whole story takes place in Penang, Malaysia. Lesley is the wife of a lawyer named Robert. Robert and Willie(Somerset Maugham ) are friends. They invite Willie over to their house. Lesley starts telling Willie about Sun Yat Sen and Ethel Proudlock, which in turn helps him write great books. Robert warns Lesley that she shouldn’t tell Willie about personal incidents as they could chance upon the stories in one of his books. The story unfolds revealing a lot of secrets, deceit, homophobia, infidelities, political turmoil, concealed sexuality, and gender bias. The book prominently highlights the problems faced by gay people in that era.
I felt that Lesley was the most prominent character in the book, though the book is about Somerset Maugham.
Its a layered novel with narratives moving between Willie and Lesley.I thought that the whole idea of weaving a story around this author is brilliant.
Tan Twan Eng’s debut novel The Gift of Rain was nominated for Booker long list in 2007 and his novel The Garden Of Evening Mists won the @walterscottprize 2013 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2012.
‘FACT AND FICTION ARE SO INTERMINGLED IN MY WORK THAT NOW, LOOKING BACK ON IT, I CAN HARDLY DISTINGUISH ONE FROM THE OTHER.’- SOMERSET MAUGHAM, THE SUMMING UP.
True to this epigraph, the story has elements of reality and elements of amazing imagination. Going by the definition of a story, it has a series of events, a brilliant plot, and evokes emotion too.
Tan Twan Eng has woven this tale using real people: Somerset Maugham, Sun Yat Sen, Ethel Proudlock; some real facts, some real events and an amazing novel that only feels real.
The house behind every door has a story and a door often represents transitions, changes or opportunities. Curiosity to unravel what is behind the door makes us embrace even the unfamiliar.
The book was inspired by Somerset's Play The Letter, which was also made into a film.
The whole story takes place in Penang, Malaysia. Lesley is the wife of a lawyer named Robert. Robert and Willie(Somerset Maugham ) are friends. They invite Willie over to their house. Lesley starts telling Willie about Sun Yat Sen and Ethel Proudlock, which in turn helps him write great books. Robert warns Lesley that she shouldn’t tell Willie about personal incidents as they could chance upon the stories in one of his books. The story unfolds revealing a lot of secrets, deceit, homophobia, infidelities, political turmoil, concealed sexuality, and gender bias. The book prominently highlights the problems faced by gay people in that era.
I felt that Lesley was the most prominent character in the book, though the book is about Somerset Maugham.
Its a layered novel with narratives moving between Willie and Lesley.I thought that the whole idea of weaving a story around this author is brilliant.
Tan Twan Eng’s debut novel The Gift of Rain was nominated for Booker long list in 2007 and his novel The Garden Of Evening Mists won the @walterscottprize 2013 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2012.
BOOK 2: PEARL by SIAN HUGHE, #bookerprize2023
What is so magical about a mom’s love that it gets etched into our souls? Why don’t we ever talk about a father’s love towards children?
If a child is rendered motherless, can fathers fill the void? Does it affect the children all through their life?
PEARL is a bildungsroman/psychological fiction.
A mother disappears, leaving behind her husband Edward, her baby Joe and eight-year-old Marianne.
The narrator of the story is Marianne. While reminiscing about the time she had spent with her mom, she talks about all the happy moments she had with her mom, reading books like Alice in Wonderland, Little Princess, Charlotte’s Web, and Harriet the Spy. She recollects the rhymes they would sing together, the bike rides, and how her mother used to be happy doing things for them. Then why did she leave them? Did she leave them? Did something happen to her?
She worries, thinks, mulls over, contemplates, regrets, doubts, and blames herself constantly and calls it a misadventure. She recollects but then she doubts her memories too, blaming herself again. One can feel the angst in the child, how she misses her mother, whom she spent all her time with. What would an eight-year-old child feel if she is being questioned time and again about her mother’s disappearance?
The people around them are not very empathetic towards them. The house they used to live in is dilapidated, but it is her house, and she knows its nooks and crannies. They move out of it, but she misses it a lot.
Being home-schooled for many years, Marianne finds it difficult to adjust and she plays hooky from school mostly.
I admired their father, Edward’s patience, who brought up the children as best as he could. He had injected the reality of the mother’s desertion into his life.
Later when Marianne becomes a mother, she keeps doubting herself, whether she might ditch her daughter the way her mom did or if she might pass on some bad genes to her daughter.
Like Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, Marianne’s mom’s presence and absence are felt throughout the book.
It’s a beautiful heart-breaking story with a sprinkle of gothic elements. Every chapter has an epigraph, and it is invariably a cute rhyme.
The author has brilliantly portrayed the mental trauma Marianne goes through, throughout her life.
What is so magical about a mom’s love that it gets etched into our souls? Why don’t we ever talk about a father’s love towards children?
If a child is rendered motherless, can fathers fill the void? Does it affect the children all through their life?
PEARL is a bildungsroman/psychological fiction.
A mother disappears, leaving behind her husband Edward, her baby Joe and eight-year-old Marianne.
The narrator of the story is Marianne. While reminiscing about the time she had spent with her mom, she talks about all the happy moments she had with her mom, reading books like Alice in Wonderland, Little Princess, Charlotte’s Web, and Harriet the Spy. She recollects the rhymes they would sing together, the bike rides, and how her mother used to be happy doing things for them. Then why did she leave them? Did she leave them? Did something happen to her?
She worries, thinks, mulls over, contemplates, regrets, doubts, and blames herself constantly and calls it a misadventure. She recollects but then she doubts her memories too, blaming herself again. One can feel the angst in the child, how she misses her mother, whom she spent all her time with. What would an eight-year-old child feel if she is being questioned time and again about her mother’s disappearance?
The people around them are not very empathetic towards them. The house they used to live in is dilapidated, but it is her house, and she knows its nooks and crannies. They move out of it, but she misses it a lot.
Being home-schooled for many years, Marianne finds it difficult to adjust and she plays hooky from school mostly.
I admired their father, Edward’s patience, who brought up the children as best as he could. He had injected the reality of the mother’s desertion into his life.
Later when Marianne becomes a mother, she keeps doubting herself, whether she might ditch her daughter the way her mom did or if she might pass on some bad genes to her daughter.
Like Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, Marianne’s mom’s presence and absence are felt throughout the book.
It’s a beautiful heart-breaking story with a sprinkle of gothic elements. Every chapter has an epigraph, and it is invariably a cute rhyme.
The author has brilliantly portrayed the mental trauma Marianne goes through, throughout her life.
BOOK 5: THE BEE STING by PAUL MURRAY #bookerprize2023
“IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER, A MAN HAD KILLED HIS FAMILY” These are the opening lines of the 600-plus-page book.
It’s a family saga which talks about Dikie, a car dealer, his beautiful wife Imelda and their children Cass and PJ. Cass is about to graduate and is keen on joining college and PJ, amazed by science, is always quoting facts like “DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST PART OF THE HUMAN BODY TO FORM IN THE WOMB IS THE ANUS?”.
The author describes the plight of every family member and the thoughts they go through while talking about their past and present. It is a wild concoction of family ties, sacrifices, love, hatred, despair and disappointments. On one hand, the author talks about Dikie being a father who was fun and would read LORD OF THE RINGS to his kids and in another moment there is a complete disconnect.
The book is set in Ireland in the wake of the 2008 recession. Imelda being bitten and smitten by the buying bug worries about what she might miss out on or what she might have to sell off. Cass worries about her college admission, while PJ thinks that his parents might divorce. Subsequently, Dikie runs away to the woods to build a shelter for some apocalypse.
It encapsulates the struggles of the father (Dikie), his sacrifices, his helplessness, and his guilt which makes him a pitiable character.
I was in a quandary, trying to get acclimatized to the non-grammatical chunk of the book, which was devoid of commas, full-stops and semicolons and one had to just understand that the sentence had ended or begun. Then again there was a sudden change; it shifted to the second-person narrative. I found it interesting that by pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling the author created such a unique writing style and depicts his creative brilliance.
Do all families bring out the best in you? Do families help you get through troubled times? Are families synonymous with unconditional love? Can one feel lonely even when he/she has a family? Is the current era the age of humans or the age of loneliness?
Read this epic to know what happens!
“IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER, A MAN HAD KILLED HIS FAMILY” These are the opening lines of the 600-plus-page book.
It’s a family saga which talks about Dikie, a car dealer, his beautiful wife Imelda and their children Cass and PJ. Cass is about to graduate and is keen on joining college and PJ, amazed by science, is always quoting facts like “DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST PART OF THE HUMAN BODY TO FORM IN THE WOMB IS THE ANUS?”.
The author describes the plight of every family member and the thoughts they go through while talking about their past and present. It is a wild concoction of family ties, sacrifices, love, hatred, despair and disappointments. On one hand, the author talks about Dikie being a father who was fun and would read LORD OF THE RINGS to his kids and in another moment there is a complete disconnect.
The book is set in Ireland in the wake of the 2008 recession. Imelda being bitten and smitten by the buying bug worries about what she might miss out on or what she might have to sell off. Cass worries about her college admission, while PJ thinks that his parents might divorce. Subsequently, Dikie runs away to the woods to build a shelter for some apocalypse.
It encapsulates the struggles of the father (Dikie), his sacrifices, his helplessness, and his guilt which makes him a pitiable character.
I was in a quandary, trying to get acclimatized to the non-grammatical chunk of the book, which was devoid of commas, full-stops and semicolons and one had to just understand that the sentence had ended or begun. Then again there was a sudden change; it shifted to the second-person narrative. I found it interesting that by pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling the author created such a unique writing style and depicts his creative brilliance.
Do all families bring out the best in you? Do families help you get through troubled times? Are families synonymous with unconditional love? Can one feel lonely even when he/she has a family? Is the current era the age of humans or the age of loneliness?
Read this epic to know what happens!
BOOK 7: PROPHET SONG, PAUL LYNCH, #bookerprize2023
“All your life you’ve been asleep, all of us sleeping and now the great waking begins.”
It’s a heart rending, dystopian tale which is scary because I cannot imagine myself in this situation. There is warmth and a protective feeling when all the members of a family are around and safe. The moment a person in a family goes missing every member of the family is shaken up, missing the person terribly and that’s exactly what the author has vividly and chillingly portrayed and much more.
The book gives a creepy feeling, like George Orwell’s 1984, Franz Kafka’s The trial, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale or Anna Burn’s Milkman, but it’s a lot more .Its about a lady’s struggle at keeping her family safe after her husband has been taken away by people from this totalitarian government. Her husband is an active member of the Teachers union of Ireland who’s striving to make the teachers condition better.
It is painful to see Eilish suffer and running from pillar to post looking for her husband Larry. A mother of four children, Eilish herself is a scientist but goes through hell trying to protect her family and she finds herself in such harrowing circumstances and has to decide for herself, what is best for her family.
“If you say one thing is another thing and you say it enough times, then it must be so, and if you keep saying it over and over people accept it as true.”
It’s a novel that reads so real that it’s bound to give nightmares because such situations do exist in this world and the author has brilliantly concocted this tale showcasing this tyrannical system that ruins peoples lives.
I’m glad it’s been shortlisted and maybe this could be the one!
“All your life you’ve been asleep, all of us sleeping and now the great waking begins.”
It’s a heart rending, dystopian tale which is scary because I cannot imagine myself in this situation. There is warmth and a protective feeling when all the members of a family are around and safe. The moment a person in a family goes missing every member of the family is shaken up, missing the person terribly and that’s exactly what the author has vividly and chillingly portrayed and much more.
The book gives a creepy feeling, like George Orwell’s 1984, Franz Kafka’s The trial, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale or Anna Burn’s Milkman, but it’s a lot more .Its about a lady’s struggle at keeping her family safe after her husband has been taken away by people from this totalitarian government. Her husband is an active member of the Teachers union of Ireland who’s striving to make the teachers condition better.
It is painful to see Eilish suffer and running from pillar to post looking for her husband Larry. A mother of four children, Eilish herself is a scientist but goes through hell trying to protect her family and she finds herself in such harrowing circumstances and has to decide for herself, what is best for her family.
“If you say one thing is another thing and you say it enough times, then it must be so, and if you keep saying it over and over people accept it as true.”
It’s a novel that reads so real that it’s bound to give nightmares because such situations do exist in this world and the author has brilliantly concocted this tale showcasing this tyrannical system that ruins peoples lives.
I’m glad it’s been shortlisted and maybe this could be the one!
BOOK 8: IN ASCENSION, MARTIN MACINNES #BOOKERPRIZE2023
“EVERYONE SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED. EVERYONE SHOULD BE MISSED WHEN THEY ARE NOT RIGHT THERE WITH YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY CARRY, THIS VERY DISTINCT WAY THEY HAVE OF BEARING THEMSELVES THAT IS LIKE NO ONE ELSE AND THAT IS BUILT BY EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE AND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SEEN.”
The book is sci-fi and is divided into five parts. It is a nuanced story with a few scientific elements, which makes it interesting and insightful.
The protagonist, Leigh, while narrating her story from her childhood, talks about a physically abusive father, a quiet mother who is a mathematician, and a sister. She grows up to be a marine biologist in Rotterdam and scales the depths of oceans and travels lightyears across the universe exploring, still admiring the blue dot we live on. I loved Leigh, a complex character who, despite having had a difficult childhood, is driven by her love for knowledge and is always keen to work. Whether on a mission diving into the depths of the sea exploring the huge cavity in the ocean or while she travels through space
“IT’S NOT EASY, YOU KNOW, BEING A PARENT. I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT. BUT I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN; I MEAN EVERYONE. EVERYONE IS A PARENT. THAT’S WHAT GETTING OLD IS: CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE. THAT’S WHAT DYING IS.”
A term that caught my attention was ‘CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE,’ a term that is close to ageing, a rapid decline or deterioration with age. It was interesting to read about it as aging sounds scary and is a process everyone goes through. The arguments over evolution whether it was abiogenesis or biogenesis, discussions on the life of algae, the life of Atlantic salmon and its relation to parenting, how weather patterns and existence are related and the inclusion of many mathematical terms like Fermi’s paradox, and Klein’s bottle etc. which were all very beautifully woven in.
An exquisitely thought-provoking book that makes us contemplate life and explains and reminds us of our existence on this beautiful blue planet.
“IN MY MIND, THE WORLD IS NOT REASONABLE, AND CAN NEVER BE MADE REASONABLE. IT IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THAT.”
“EVERYONE SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED. EVERYONE SHOULD BE MISSED WHEN THEY ARE NOT RIGHT THERE WITH YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY CARRY, THIS VERY DISTINCT WAY THEY HAVE OF BEARING THEMSELVES THAT IS LIKE NO ONE ELSE AND THAT IS BUILT BY EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE AND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SEEN.”
The book is sci-fi and is divided into five parts. It is a nuanced story with a few scientific elements, which makes it interesting and insightful.
The protagonist, Leigh, while narrating her story from her childhood, talks about a physically abusive father, a quiet mother who is a mathematician, and a sister. She grows up to be a marine biologist in Rotterdam and scales the depths of oceans and travels lightyears across the universe exploring, still admiring the blue dot we live on. I loved Leigh, a complex character who, despite having had a difficult childhood, is driven by her love for knowledge and is always keen to work. Whether on a mission diving into the depths of the sea exploring the huge cavity in the ocean or while she travels through space
“IT’S NOT EASY, YOU KNOW, BEING A PARENT. I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT. BUT I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN; I MEAN EVERYONE. EVERYONE IS A PARENT. THAT’S WHAT GETTING OLD IS: CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE. THAT’S WHAT DYING IS.”
A term that caught my attention was ‘CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE,’ a term that is close to ageing, a rapid decline or deterioration with age. It was interesting to read about it as aging sounds scary and is a process everyone goes through. The arguments over evolution whether it was abiogenesis or biogenesis, discussions on the life of algae, the life of Atlantic salmon and its relation to parenting, how weather patterns and existence are related and the inclusion of many mathematical terms like Fermi’s paradox, and Klein’s bottle etc. which were all very beautifully woven in.
An exquisitely thought-provoking book that makes us contemplate life and explains and reminds us of our existence on this beautiful blue planet.
“IN MY MIND, THE WORLD IS NOT REASONABLE, AND CAN NEVER BE MADE REASONABLE. IT IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THAT.”
BOOK 9: STUDY FOR OBEDIENCE, SARAH BERNSTEIN #BOOKERPRIZE2023
The dictionary definition of OBEDIENCE is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.
This is a small yet powerful narrative of an unnamed lady who obeys her elder brother and constantly works towards keeping him happy. After a broken marriage, this brother calls his sister to be with him at the beck and call of his desire.
She is hated by this whole (nameless) town as there are a series of unfortunate incidents that occur after her arrival. Although the time frame sounds modern,( as she talks about using the internet and watching television, which refers to the current era), the people in this town are very superstitious and narrow-minded.
What makes people hate someone?
Do people fear the unknown, or do cultural differences, beliefs etc. create barriers?
She cries over a storm-uprooted willow, tends to the kitchen garden with the utmost care, observes the melting ice in the springtime and longs to be the ice, appreciating it for being multifaceted. The author describes her solitude so strongly, that it stirs the heart while reading.
Her world was one of introspection, exploring the boundless depths of her mind, questioning every move she made, doubting every action of hers.
The people in this town are prejudiced towards this lady who doesn't know their language and instead of helping her constantly blame her for all the mishaps that occur in the town. One can only sympathise with her subservient attitude as she believes that she has to be good in this terrible world.
Can upbringing brainwash a person to her core? Can someone be so very influential as to make her believe that obedience is the core value of life?
The whole book made me feel very uncomfortable as it is a very vivid portrayal of the life of this unnamed female protagonist in this unwelcoming town. I suppose that was the objective of the author?!
I found this plotless, descriptive narrative very difficult to read. It has long sentences with very few paragraph breaks. I found the whole narrative very sad though it's narrated without any emotions.
"I CONTINUED TO SPEND THE LONG YEARS SINCE CHILDHOOD CULTIVATING SOLITUDE, PURSUING SILENCE TO ITS EVER-RECEDING HORIZON, A PURSUIT THAT DEMANDED A PARTICULAR QUALITY OF ATTENTION, A SELF-FORGETFULNESS ON MY PART THAT WOULD ENABLE ME TO BRING TO BEAR THE MOST PAINSTAKING, THE MOST CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE OTHER, TO TREAT THE OTHER AS THE WORTHIEST OBJECT OF CONTEMPLATION. IN THIS PROCESS, I WOULD BECOME REDUCED, DIMINISHED, ULTIMATELY I WOULD BECOME CLARIFIED, EVEN CEASE TO EXIST. I WOULD BE GOOD. I WOULD BE ALL THAT HAD EVER BEEN ASKED OF ME."
The dictionary definition of OBEDIENCE is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.
This is a small yet powerful narrative of an unnamed lady who obeys her elder brother and constantly works towards keeping him happy. After a broken marriage, this brother calls his sister to be with him at the beck and call of his desire.
She is hated by this whole (nameless) town as there are a series of unfortunate incidents that occur after her arrival. Although the time frame sounds modern,( as she talks about using the internet and watching television, which refers to the current era), the people in this town are very superstitious and narrow-minded.
What makes people hate someone?
Do people fear the unknown, or do cultural differences, beliefs etc. create barriers?
She cries over a storm-uprooted willow, tends to the kitchen garden with the utmost care, observes the melting ice in the springtime and longs to be the ice, appreciating it for being multifaceted. The author describes her solitude so strongly, that it stirs the heart while reading.
Her world was one of introspection, exploring the boundless depths of her mind, questioning every move she made, doubting every action of hers.
The people in this town are prejudiced towards this lady who doesn't know their language and instead of helping her constantly blame her for all the mishaps that occur in the town. One can only sympathise with her subservient attitude as she believes that she has to be good in this terrible world.
Can upbringing brainwash a person to her core? Can someone be so very influential as to make her believe that obedience is the core value of life?
The whole book made me feel very uncomfortable as it is a very vivid portrayal of the life of this unnamed female protagonist in this unwelcoming town. I suppose that was the objective of the author?!
I found this plotless, descriptive narrative very difficult to read. It has long sentences with very few paragraph breaks. I found the whole narrative very sad though it's narrated without any emotions.
"I CONTINUED TO SPEND THE LONG YEARS SINCE CHILDHOOD CULTIVATING SOLITUDE, PURSUING SILENCE TO ITS EVER-RECEDING HORIZON, A PURSUIT THAT DEMANDED A PARTICULAR QUALITY OF ATTENTION, A SELF-FORGETFULNESS ON MY PART THAT WOULD ENABLE ME TO BRING TO BEAR THE MOST PAINSTAKING, THE MOST CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE OTHER, TO TREAT THE OTHER AS THE WORTHIEST OBJECT OF CONTEMPLATION. IN THIS PROCESS, I WOULD BECOME REDUCED, DIMINISHED, ULTIMATELY I WOULD BECOME CLARIFIED, EVEN CEASE TO EXIST. I WOULD BE GOOD. I WOULD BE ALL THAT HAD EVER BEEN ASKED OF ME."
BOOK12: OLD GOD’S TIME, SEBASTIAN BARRY, #BOOKERPRIZE2023
Though I’ve finished all the books on the #bookershortlist2023, I still have one more book to finish all the books on the #bookerlonglist2023.
This is a story about a retired old cop, Tom Kettle, who has lost all the members of his family. He is shown to be struggling with his memory. There is a burgeoning feeling of the presence of absence. The torment of losing loved ones is reflected so beautifully that it plays on the mind. The cop leading a retired life is drawn back to work when two cops show up at his house asking for his help.
The beginning feels as though there would be an investigation, like a murder mystery but the story doesn’t move on those lines. Parts of it are lyrical, parts dreamlike with ghosts and unicorns. The author repeats many words or phrases like “somewhere somewhere...” or “God help him. God help him…” to be emphatic. Much of the book is about Tom’s wife and his children.
Aren't human beings slaves to their memories? Our thoughts and actions are determined by our minds. Though there are many events in our lives, one often feels like erasing the bad events from our memories. I recently read that Life is a summation of all our happy memories or events. Tom Kettle is shown reminiscing the happy moments of his life at the beginning of the book. There are many events narrated that are heart-rending. Trigger warning: suicide, rape, sexual abuse, or paedophilia.
Sebastian Barry was named Laureate for Irish Fiction, 2019-2021. He was awarded the Costa Book of the Year: in 2008, and 2017 and was shortlisted for Man Booker in 2005 and 2008 and longlisted for the Booker in 2011.
I found this read tough, but you must read it to know it!
Though I’ve finished all the books on the #bookershortlist2023, I still have one more book to finish all the books on the #bookerlonglist2023.
This is a story about a retired old cop, Tom Kettle, who has lost all the members of his family. He is shown to be struggling with his memory. There is a burgeoning feeling of the presence of absence. The torment of losing loved ones is reflected so beautifully that it plays on the mind. The cop leading a retired life is drawn back to work when two cops show up at his house asking for his help.
The beginning feels as though there would be an investigation, like a murder mystery but the story doesn’t move on those lines. Parts of it are lyrical, parts dreamlike with ghosts and unicorns. The author repeats many words or phrases like “somewhere somewhere...” or “God help him. God help him…” to be emphatic. Much of the book is about Tom’s wife and his children.
Aren't human beings slaves to their memories? Our thoughts and actions are determined by our minds. Though there are many events in our lives, one often feels like erasing the bad events from our memories. I recently read that Life is a summation of all our happy memories or events. Tom Kettle is shown reminiscing the happy moments of his life at the beginning of the book. There are many events narrated that are heart-rending. Trigger warning: suicide, rape, sexual abuse, or paedophilia.
Sebastian Barry was named Laureate for Irish Fiction, 2019-2021. He was awarded the Costa Book of the Year: in 2008, and 2017 and was shortlisted for Man Booker in 2005 and 2008 and longlisted for the Booker in 2011.
I found this read tough, but you must read it to know it!
THE POWER OF CHOWA, AKEMI TANAKA
Invigorating and insightful, I feel energised when I read books on Hygge, Lykke, and Ikigai and now it is about Chowa. I love these concepts and no matter how old one is there is always something we learn from other's experiences and life, be it traditions, customs, or a way of life. In this book, Akemi Tanaka talks about Chowa, while quoting examples from the Japanese tradition and customs and her life. Chowa is a Japanese word which means the pursuit of harmony or the search for balance, a way of life.
The author talks about how humans splurge mindlessly, eat without thinking, and live without finding harmony within themselves and with others, and she talks about being mindful. It can be as simple as aligning your shoes in the direction of the door, so that you easily wear them and walk out, or a complex process of climate change.
It talks about people’s greedy urge to buy more and more particularly clothes etc. Helping people to find themselves, which not only is about living in harmony with others but is also a mutual mood elevator.
The Author has given sweet anecdotes from her life which are quite interesting and motivating.
I was enamoured by the term ‘ITADAKIMASU’ which somewhat means I humbly receive this food with respect. In this world where there are so many poor people, wasting food is a sin! Eating food with gratitude is a beautiful gesture, the food changes hands from the farmer to the seller to the cook and finally satiates our hunger.
Another phrase that I found interesting was ‘MONO NO AWARE’ – “an empathy towards all things”
SHO-YOKU, CHI-YOKU: small desire, wise sufficiency. She says less desire leads to satisfaction, which i totally agree.
“ICHIGO ICHIE”- a term that encapsulates the transient nature of things. She gives an example of a Japanese tea house and says that every meeting with people is special and that moment never returns, which is true. It is like reading a book for the first time and how many times we wish we could go back to that moment. So basically we must enjoy every moment of our life.
I feel some words are not the same when translated. This transformed word loses its beauty as compared to the original one.
Every culture has something unique to teach us. Indian and Japanese cultures exhibit intriguing parallels despite their distinctiveness, be it respect for tradition, spirituality, family values, rich heritages or cuisines.
This is a book for anyone who needs life lessons!
Invigorating and insightful, I feel energised when I read books on Hygge, Lykke, and Ikigai and now it is about Chowa. I love these concepts and no matter how old one is there is always something we learn from other's experiences and life, be it traditions, customs, or a way of life. In this book, Akemi Tanaka talks about Chowa, while quoting examples from the Japanese tradition and customs and her life. Chowa is a Japanese word which means the pursuit of harmony or the search for balance, a way of life.
The author talks about how humans splurge mindlessly, eat without thinking, and live without finding harmony within themselves and with others, and she talks about being mindful. It can be as simple as aligning your shoes in the direction of the door, so that you easily wear them and walk out, or a complex process of climate change.
It talks about people’s greedy urge to buy more and more particularly clothes etc. Helping people to find themselves, which not only is about living in harmony with others but is also a mutual mood elevator.
The Author has given sweet anecdotes from her life which are quite interesting and motivating.
I was enamoured by the term ‘ITADAKIMASU’ which somewhat means I humbly receive this food with respect. In this world where there are so many poor people, wasting food is a sin! Eating food with gratitude is a beautiful gesture, the food changes hands from the farmer to the seller to the cook and finally satiates our hunger.
Another phrase that I found interesting was ‘MONO NO AWARE’ – “an empathy towards all things”
SHO-YOKU, CHI-YOKU: small desire, wise sufficiency. She says less desire leads to satisfaction, which i totally agree.
“ICHIGO ICHIE”- a term that encapsulates the transient nature of things. She gives an example of a Japanese tea house and says that every meeting with people is special and that moment never returns, which is true. It is like reading a book for the first time and how many times we wish we could go back to that moment. So basically we must enjoy every moment of our life.
I feel some words are not the same when translated. This transformed word loses its beauty as compared to the original one.
Every culture has something unique to teach us. Indian and Japanese cultures exhibit intriguing parallels despite their distinctiveness, be it respect for tradition, spirituality, family values, rich heritages or cuisines.
This is a book for anyone who needs life lessons!