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anusha_reads
relaxing
medium-paced
I do think that families are the most beautiful things in all the world!
-Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
A family saga, which is also a bildungsroman, Hello Beautiful is a story about a basketball player. Its also a story about Four Sisters. It draws its parallel with Little women. Infact the sisters in this story themselves relate each other with the characters of little women.
The narrative initially centers around William but gradually shifts its focus towards the four sisters, particularly Julia and Sylvie. The intertwined stories cover the themes of family, relationships, loss, and resilience.
As the story progresses, the lives and experiences of Julia and Sylvie overpowers the storyline. The author explores their individual journeys, challenges, and relationships in greater depth, delving into their personal growth, struggles, and connections with each other and other characters.
Though the pace becomes a tad slower in between, the narrative gears up towards the latter half.
I enjoyed the story of Alice, (daughter of Julia) thoroughly and was eager to learn more about her life.
Reading is a solitary affair. Even the toughest of books can be devoured easily if one is in the right frame of mind.
An Oprah bookclub selection, I enjoyed reading.
-Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
A family saga, which is also a bildungsroman, Hello Beautiful is a story about a basketball player. Its also a story about Four Sisters. It draws its parallel with Little women. Infact the sisters in this story themselves relate each other with the characters of little women.
The narrative initially centers around William but gradually shifts its focus towards the four sisters, particularly Julia and Sylvie. The intertwined stories cover the themes of family, relationships, loss, and resilience.
As the story progresses, the lives and experiences of Julia and Sylvie overpowers the storyline. The author explores their individual journeys, challenges, and relationships in greater depth, delving into their personal growth, struggles, and connections with each other and other characters.
Though the pace becomes a tad slower in between, the narrative gears up towards the latter half.
I enjoyed the story of Alice, (daughter of Julia) thoroughly and was eager to learn more about her life.
Reading is a solitary affair. Even the toughest of books can be devoured easily if one is in the right frame of mind.
An Oprah bookclub selection, I enjoyed reading.
A historical fiction narrated by the protagonist, Grace Bradley, who is in her nineties recalls her past as a maid at Riverton Manor, which she joined at the age of fourteen. She gives a vivid picture of the house and its members.
Grace is being interviewed to unravel the truth that has been kept secret for decades.
The book has a beautiful mishmash of love, betrayal, society, and WWI impacts. A story with a lot of plot twists yet depicting complex relationships, as seen through the eyes of Grace.
Grace is being interviewed to unravel the truth that has been kept secret for decades.
The book has a beautiful mishmash of love, betrayal, society, and WWI impacts. A story with a lot of plot twists yet depicting complex relationships, as seen through the eyes of Grace.
reflective
medium-paced
When one talks about love, why is it that people only look at the romantic aspect of it? Why don’t people ever look at the love a mother has towards her children or the love between two siblings, or even the love a dog has towards its master or just love for a fellow human?
Is love eternal or ephemeral?
“A LIFE WITHOUT LOVE IS OF NO ACCOUNT. DON’T ASK YOURSELF WHAT KIND OF LOVE YOU SHOULD SEEK, SPIRITUAL OR MATERIAL, DIVINE OR MUNDANE, EASTERN OR WESTERN. DIVISIONS ONLY LEAD TO MORE DIVISIONS. LOVE HAS NO LABELS, NO DEFINITIONS. IT IS WHAT IT IS, PURE AND SIMPLE. LOVE IS THE WATER OF LIFE. AND A LOVER IS A SOUL OF FIRE! THE UNIVERSE TURNS DIFFERENTLY WHEN FIRE LOVES WATER.”
One story is about a lady named Ella, who is a wife, a mother of three and who recently picked up a job as a part-time reader for a literary agent, a perfect-looking family, a dog, and a beautiful house. She reads a book which changes her outlook towards life completely. I admired Ella for her patience and spirit. It’s tough being a mother of teenagers and facing other multitudes of disappointments in life.
Another story is about Rumi and Shams. Rumi’s adopted daughter Kimya, loves Shams. The part that hurt me the most was when Shams dumps her on their first night after marriage and eventually Kimya dies due to the sadness inflicted upon her. Shams, being a person who could even foretell anybody’s future, couldn’t see how deeply Kimya loved Shams and longed for him. Moreover, Aladdin loved Kimya and wanted to marry her. Again, why couldn’t he foresee that?
The book is divided into five parts: Earth, water, wind, fire, and void. A beautifully written book, with multiple narratives, it is sprinkled with soulful quotes, which are worth pondering. The parallel narratives incite curiosity as one yearns to know what happens next in both stories.
“LOVE IS THE WATER OF LIFE. AND A LOVER IS A SOUL OF FIRE! THE UNIVERSE TURNS DIFFERENTLY WHEN FIRE LOVES WATER.”
I reread this book with the members of our book club and we had an amazing time dissecting the book.
Dive into this spiritual quest of Rumi and Shams that transforms Ella, the protagonist!
Is love eternal or ephemeral?
“A LIFE WITHOUT LOVE IS OF NO ACCOUNT. DON’T ASK YOURSELF WHAT KIND OF LOVE YOU SHOULD SEEK, SPIRITUAL OR MATERIAL, DIVINE OR MUNDANE, EASTERN OR WESTERN. DIVISIONS ONLY LEAD TO MORE DIVISIONS. LOVE HAS NO LABELS, NO DEFINITIONS. IT IS WHAT IT IS, PURE AND SIMPLE. LOVE IS THE WATER OF LIFE. AND A LOVER IS A SOUL OF FIRE! THE UNIVERSE TURNS DIFFERENTLY WHEN FIRE LOVES WATER.”
One story is about a lady named Ella, who is a wife, a mother of three and who recently picked up a job as a part-time reader for a literary agent, a perfect-looking family, a dog, and a beautiful house. She reads a book which changes her outlook towards life completely. I admired Ella for her patience and spirit. It’s tough being a mother of teenagers and facing other multitudes of disappointments in life.
Another story is about Rumi and Shams. Rumi’s adopted daughter Kimya, loves Shams. The part that hurt me the most was when Shams dumps her on their first night after marriage and eventually Kimya dies due to the sadness inflicted upon her. Shams, being a person who could even foretell anybody’s future, couldn’t see how deeply Kimya loved Shams and longed for him. Moreover, Aladdin loved Kimya and wanted to marry her. Again, why couldn’t he foresee that?
The book is divided into five parts: Earth, water, wind, fire, and void. A beautifully written book, with multiple narratives, it is sprinkled with soulful quotes, which are worth pondering. The parallel narratives incite curiosity as one yearns to know what happens next in both stories.
“LOVE IS THE WATER OF LIFE. AND A LOVER IS A SOUL OF FIRE! THE UNIVERSE TURNS DIFFERENTLY WHEN FIRE LOVES WATER.”
I reread this book with the members of our book club and we had an amazing time dissecting the book.
Dive into this spiritual quest of Rumi and Shams that transforms Ella, the protagonist!
dark
reflective
slow-paced
POD BY LALINE PAULL, SHORTLISTED FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023
HAPPY WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!
It is an apt book for the day!
“THE OCEAN IS ALWAYS WAITING FOR US. WE ARE PART OF HER; SHE IS PART OF US.”
There is an author's note at the end of the book, which talks about how the author had to study several marine species, refer to encyclopaedias, and websites and had to talk to concerned people; to write this book.
A dystopian, fantasy, magical realism, and nature writing. It reads like a well-researched book with loads of information about sea creatures, their scientific names, their habitat etc.
“TO SPIN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WAS THE KEY TO FITTING IN, AND IF SHE COULD ONLY HEAR THE MUSIC OF THE OCEAN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, SHE TOO WOULD BE ABLE TO TUNE IN AND DO IT.”
The story revolves mainly around Ea, a spinner dolphin of the remote and peaceful Longi tribe. Ea leaves her tribe and ventures out into the vast ocean. Ea’s life revolves around the pod, consisting of the Longi tribe and its spinner dolphins and the notorious megapod, consisting of the Tursiops tribe and its common bottlenose dolphins. Ea meets Wrasse, Rorqual, the melancholic whale and Google and members of the Tursiops tribe.
She witnesses fights, politics, thugs, murder, rape, pollution, and cultural differences between the two clans. She faces tumultuous problems herself, making the story dark, gloomy and disturbing.
She witnesses fights, politics, thugs, murder, rape, pollution, and cultural differences between the two clans. She faces tumultuous problems herself, making the story dark, gloomy and disturbing.
I loved the character Google, a dolphin bred in captivity which gets lost in the sea. It was sad to see him feeling helpless. He kept reiterating that anthrops love them, which I found very cute.
Parts of the anthropomorphic structure felt like George Orwell’s Animal Farm as they used to talk and contest with authority within their clan and fight with the members of another clan. Moreover, there was a very evident power struggle.
“THE TRUTH IS HARD TO BELIEVE, HARDER TO BEAR.”
The author has beautifully integrated the horrors of marine pollution caused by humans, oil spills, discarded fishing nets, plastic, and sound pollution into the story. These and other environmental factors which affect oceanic life.
I found this read tough and quite academic and it took me some time to gyrate to the beats of the book.
Give it a whirl if you love reading about oceanic creatures.
dark
medium-paced
A multilayered bildungsroman, a beautifully crafted book of grotesqueness and disquiet.
“DO YOU KNOW THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN THE HOUSE? REMEMBER, KITCHEN IS THE NAME OF A DANGEROUS AND RISK-LADEN PLACE.”
Narrated by Hafeezuddin Babar, fondly called Guddu Miyan, an orphan who grows up amidst a joint family, he is always drawn towards the kitchen and he keeps repeating that ”the kitchen is a dangerous place,” which juxtaposes the title. The kitchen in the house he grew up in is dark, dilapidated with black walls and broken tiles, with creepy crawlies, lizards, small snakes and rats.
The novel gives the feel of Marquez’s One hundred years of Solitude and Dostovesky’s Crime and Punishment.
In Urdu Anjum means star, the author has named all the prominent women in Hafeez’s life Anjum: Anjum baaji, Anjum baano, Anjum Apa, Anjum Jaan and his wife Anjum.
He kills two men who harm the ‘Anjums’ and carries its guilt throughout his life.
Korma, biryani, pulao, khichdi, the whole story revolves around the kitchen. He is often seen around the kitchen, enamoured by the sweet, sour, and spicy aromas of the delectable dishes. After an accident, Guddu Miyan starts getting premonitions. He associates the dishes cooked that day as an ill-omen and can foresee imminent danger, or death of someone.
“COOKING A DISH OF FISH IN SPICY PASTE ON THE WRONG DAY AND AT THE WRONG TIME WAS INEVITABLY GOING TO HAVE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS WAS MY FIRM BELIEF AND FAITH “
As much as he loved the food dished out in the old kitchen, he hates whatever his wife Anjum makes.
The author brings out all the muck, filth, goo, and slime in and around us, which we often ignore or pretend not to see. The food we eat makes us and breaks us too, making it an elixir or venom.
“THE BODY HAS TO ENDURE THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE MADNESS OF THE SPIRIT.”
I’m sure the book would have read like poetry in Urdu, though I read the English version with the members of my bookclub
“DO YOU KNOW THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN THE HOUSE? REMEMBER, KITCHEN IS THE NAME OF A DANGEROUS AND RISK-LADEN PLACE.”
Narrated by Hafeezuddin Babar, fondly called Guddu Miyan, an orphan who grows up amidst a joint family, he is always drawn towards the kitchen and he keeps repeating that ”the kitchen is a dangerous place,” which juxtaposes the title. The kitchen in the house he grew up in is dark, dilapidated with black walls and broken tiles, with creepy crawlies, lizards, small snakes and rats.
The novel gives the feel of Marquez’s One hundred years of Solitude and Dostovesky’s Crime and Punishment.
In Urdu Anjum means star, the author has named all the prominent women in Hafeez’s life Anjum: Anjum baaji, Anjum baano, Anjum Apa, Anjum Jaan and his wife Anjum.
He kills two men who harm the ‘Anjums’ and carries its guilt throughout his life.
Korma, biryani, pulao, khichdi, the whole story revolves around the kitchen. He is often seen around the kitchen, enamoured by the sweet, sour, and spicy aromas of the delectable dishes. After an accident, Guddu Miyan starts getting premonitions. He associates the dishes cooked that day as an ill-omen and can foresee imminent danger, or death of someone.
“COOKING A DISH OF FISH IN SPICY PASTE ON THE WRONG DAY AND AT THE WRONG TIME WAS INEVITABLY GOING TO HAVE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS WAS MY FIRM BELIEF AND FAITH “
As much as he loved the food dished out in the old kitchen, he hates whatever his wife Anjum makes.
The author brings out all the muck, filth, goo, and slime in and around us, which we often ignore or pretend not to see. The food we eat makes us and breaks us too, making it an elixir or venom.
“THE BODY HAS TO ENDURE THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE MADNESS OF THE SPIRIT.”
I’m sure the book would have read like poetry in Urdu, though I read the English version with the members of my bookclub
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
The first book is THE HENNA ARTIST, the second is THE SECRET KEEPER OF JAIPUR and the Third and final is THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS.
I enjoyed all three books equally. I was dying to read this book and I was jumping with joy when I finally got it.
The Perfumist of Paris is set in the 70s and is mainly about Radha’s journey as a career woman as well as how she strikes a work-life balance. Radha works as a perfumist and is the mother of two girls Shanti and Asha. Problems arise when her architect husband Pierre demands that she stay home to take care of the house and the children. The internal turmoil between the mother and the working woman is very relatable. Her possessiveness when children are concerned, and her fear that her children might love her less; all these angsts are depicted beautifully. Tormented by her memories, she tries to steer clear of anything that reminds her of her past and keeps it bottled up.
Radha is mesmerized and drawn towards the world of fragrances and considers it her calling. I admire Radha’s resilience, and determination, towards her work as well as her love and pride for her children.
I just love the bond between the sisters Lakshmi and Radha. Lakshmi always acts as a pillar of support for Radha and knows Radha in and out, assessing her mood by just looking at her face or the tone of her voice.
The character Florence, Radha’s mother-in-law, was great. One often is delusional about mothers-in-law. I wouldn’t like to describe much as some things can be enjoyed more while reading.
The book is sprinkled all over with facts and information about aromas, their origins, and the fragrance industry. The beautiful descriptions of the perfumes, the exotic locale, Paris, Radha’s drive to make an exquisite perfume, the difficulties she faced at work, her attention to detail, her empathetic nature, her zest for learning, and the overall plot; all in all, an amazing grand finale to the trilogy.
All loose ends get tied up perfectly in this book.
What repercussions does she face due to her choices? Read it to know it!
I enjoyed all three books equally. I was dying to read this book and I was jumping with joy when I finally got it.
The Perfumist of Paris is set in the 70s and is mainly about Radha’s journey as a career woman as well as how she strikes a work-life balance. Radha works as a perfumist and is the mother of two girls Shanti and Asha. Problems arise when her architect husband Pierre demands that she stay home to take care of the house and the children. The internal turmoil between the mother and the working woman is very relatable. Her possessiveness when children are concerned, and her fear that her children might love her less; all these angsts are depicted beautifully. Tormented by her memories, she tries to steer clear of anything that reminds her of her past and keeps it bottled up.
Radha is mesmerized and drawn towards the world of fragrances and considers it her calling. I admire Radha’s resilience, and determination, towards her work as well as her love and pride for her children.
I just love the bond between the sisters Lakshmi and Radha. Lakshmi always acts as a pillar of support for Radha and knows Radha in and out, assessing her mood by just looking at her face or the tone of her voice.
The character Florence, Radha’s mother-in-law, was great. One often is delusional about mothers-in-law. I wouldn’t like to describe much as some things can be enjoyed more while reading.
The book is sprinkled all over with facts and information about aromas, their origins, and the fragrance industry. The beautiful descriptions of the perfumes, the exotic locale, Paris, Radha’s drive to make an exquisite perfume, the difficulties she faced at work, her attention to detail, her empathetic nature, her zest for learning, and the overall plot; all in all, an amazing grand finale to the trilogy.
All loose ends get tied up perfectly in this book.
What repercussions does she face due to her choices? Read it to know it!
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
⏳TIME SHELTER, BY GEORGI GOSPODINOV, TRANSLATED BY ANGELA RODEL, SHORTLISTED FOR INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2023⏳
⏳
“TIME DOESN’T NEST IN THE UNUSUAL, IT SEEKS A QUIET, PEACEFUL PLACE.”
This brilliantly crafted book reads like an autobiography. It is fiction with beautifully interspersed facts, historical, geographical, linguistic, and more. The title ‘TIME SHELTER’ is a term coined from ‘Bomb Shelter,’ the purpose being protection, either way.
⏳
“TIME FEEDS ON US. WE ARE FOOD FOR TIME”
In our visible world, time moves forward, but what about history? Ephemeral life in eternal time thrives on memories, the good ones, and the bad ones, some happy and some unhappy.
⏳
“THE PAST GROWS LIKE A WEED”
Shabbily dressed, mystery man Gaustine is a geriatric psychiatrist. He builds a shelter, a Time Shelter for treating patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Every floor is dedicated to a decade, capturing its zeitgeist fully. Eventually, more and more shelters come up everywhere. Even countries start choosing their happy decades.
⏳
“HAPPY COUNTRIES ARE ALL ALIKE; UNHAPPY COUNTRY IS UNHAPPY IN ITS OWN WAY”
The author gives us a brief history of many countries in Europe, giving instances of the impacts of war, political turmoil, old movies, and songs.
⏳
I love the quote “…SUDDENLY THE ADS HAVE BECOME THE TRUE NEWS ABOUT THAT TIME...” I think as children all of us have grown up watching ads or listening to jingles and we remember them even now.
⏳
“WE NEEDED A PRECISE AND EXHAUSTIVE DESCRIPTION OF WHICH SCENT BRINGS WHICH MEMORY BACK…” Smells, scents, and fragrances linger in our memories. Though I remember my teacher’s face vaguely, I remember the smell of the perfume she used to wear.
⏳
The author has sprinkled anecdotes here and there, making the topic lighter. I found the character Runner very cute as he jumps the wall of this establishment to rescue the singer, John Lennon, the patient after having partially recollected that somebody would kill him.
⏳
“IN A WORLD MADE OF NAMES, FORGETTING THEM IS ITS NATURAL END”
Even though the patients had problems recollecting their own names, happy eras from their past brought smiles to their faces.
⏳
The Epigraph “ALL REAL PERSONS IN THIS NOVEL ARE FICTIONAL, ONLY THE FICTIONAL ARE REAL.” Says a lot about the book. I found this idea very unique and like the quote says, it was difficult to differentiate the two characters.
⏳
Overall, it’s a book that looks easy, has a lot to absorb and requires patience because there is a lot to mull over and assimilate. The wonderful translation made me forget that the book was originally written in Bulgarian.
⏳
⏳
“TIME DOESN’T NEST IN THE UNUSUAL, IT SEEKS A QUIET, PEACEFUL PLACE.”
This brilliantly crafted book reads like an autobiography. It is fiction with beautifully interspersed facts, historical, geographical, linguistic, and more. The title ‘TIME SHELTER’ is a term coined from ‘Bomb Shelter,’ the purpose being protection, either way.
⏳
“TIME FEEDS ON US. WE ARE FOOD FOR TIME”
In our visible world, time moves forward, but what about history? Ephemeral life in eternal time thrives on memories, the good ones, and the bad ones, some happy and some unhappy.
⏳
“THE PAST GROWS LIKE A WEED”
Shabbily dressed, mystery man Gaustine is a geriatric psychiatrist. He builds a shelter, a Time Shelter for treating patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Every floor is dedicated to a decade, capturing its zeitgeist fully. Eventually, more and more shelters come up everywhere. Even countries start choosing their happy decades.
⏳
“HAPPY COUNTRIES ARE ALL ALIKE; UNHAPPY COUNTRY IS UNHAPPY IN ITS OWN WAY”
The author gives us a brief history of many countries in Europe, giving instances of the impacts of war, political turmoil, old movies, and songs.
⏳
I love the quote “…SUDDENLY THE ADS HAVE BECOME THE TRUE NEWS ABOUT THAT TIME...” I think as children all of us have grown up watching ads or listening to jingles and we remember them even now.
⏳
“WE NEEDED A PRECISE AND EXHAUSTIVE DESCRIPTION OF WHICH SCENT BRINGS WHICH MEMORY BACK…” Smells, scents, and fragrances linger in our memories. Though I remember my teacher’s face vaguely, I remember the smell of the perfume she used to wear.
⏳
The author has sprinkled anecdotes here and there, making the topic lighter. I found the character Runner very cute as he jumps the wall of this establishment to rescue the singer, John Lennon, the patient after having partially recollected that somebody would kill him.
⏳
“IN A WORLD MADE OF NAMES, FORGETTING THEM IS ITS NATURAL END”
Even though the patients had problems recollecting their own names, happy eras from their past brought smiles to their faces.
⏳
The Epigraph “ALL REAL PERSONS IN THIS NOVEL ARE FICTIONAL, ONLY THE FICTIONAL ARE REAL.” Says a lot about the book. I found this idea very unique and like the quote says, it was difficult to differentiate the two characters.
⏳
Overall, it’s a book that looks easy, has a lot to absorb and requires patience because there is a lot to mull over and assimilate. The wonderful translation made me forget that the book was originally written in Bulgarian.
⏳
medium-paced
🌏THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE NEW WORLD, MARYSE CONDE, SHORTLISTED FOR INTERNATIONAL BOOKER 2023🌏
🌍🌍
🌍🌍
This is a book written in French by the Guadeloupean writer Maryse Conde and translated into English by her husband Richard Philcox.
🌍🌍
A newborn is abandoned in a shed. The child, Pascal, is prophesied to be a miracle child. The owners of this place who are childless bring up Pascal. The story is about Pascal's winding journey and his experiences, his relationships. He grows up to be a man who neglects his parents, indulges in many wrongdoings, and he writes and teaches.
🌍🌍
The author while narrating Pascal's story also blends in the political upheavals, crises faced by immigrants, racial discrimination, prejudice against women and more.
🌍🌍
The protagonist constantly was trying to figure out who he was and what his purpose was. Throughout the book I expected him to do something that would change the world.
🌍🌍
I did not like this character and probably he was meant to be that way.
Though it is a parody with a good storyline, it had a very ambiguous ending.
🌍🌍
It is an easy read and I hope to discuss this book with people who read it.
🌍🌍
A newborn is abandoned in a shed. The child, Pascal, is prophesied to be a miracle child. The owners of this place who are childless bring up Pascal. The story is about Pascal's winding journey and his experiences, his relationships. He grows up to be a man who neglects his parents, indulges in many wrongdoings, and he writes and teaches.
🌍🌍
The author while narrating Pascal's story also blends in the political upheavals, crises faced by immigrants, racial discrimination, prejudice against women and more.
🌍🌍
The protagonist constantly was trying to figure out who he was and what his purpose was. Throughout the book I expected him to do something that would change the world.
🌍🌍
I did not like this character and probably he was meant to be that way.
Though it is a parody with a good storyline, it had a very ambiguous ending.
🌍🌍
It is an easy read and I hope to discuss this book with people who read it.
🌍🌍
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
🌺🌺STILL BORN, GUADALUPE NETTEL, SHORTLISTED FOR INTERNATIONAL BOOKER 2023🌺🌺
🌺🌺
Originally written in Spanish, translated by ROSALIND HARVEY. Still Born encapsulates motherhood in a simplistic yet gripping manner, that it would resonate with anybody who reads it. I initially read the title as Stillborn and not Still Born and I thought twice before picking Stillborn. On reading however, I realised that the debate on ‘to be or not to be a mother’ arose in both the books, Boulder as well as Still Born.
🌺🌺
The complexity of the issue made me quiet. Nobody is replete of motherly instincts. Motherhood is a Catch-22 kind of situation where one dives into it and is tied to it for a lifetime. Mothers more than fathers are faced with unprecedented challenges resulting in an emotional backlash. The tipping point of anxiousness makes us decide otherwise. When things get very confusing people long for a simplistic way of life, it is but natural.
🌺🌺
Most ladies have a biological urge, but is the choice imperative? Is motherhood a prerogative or a compulsion imposed on women by the patriarchy? Does it hinder the freedom that women are supposed to have? Why does a mother dog eat up a deformed or sick puppy? What is brood parasitism?
🌺🌺
Still Born is a story about two friends Laura and Alina who both are against the stereotypical role of motherhood. Where on the one hand Laura breaks the shackles of the patriarchal definition of motherhood, on the other hand, Alina chooses the path of motherhood and is faced with an emotional and ethical dilemma.
🌺🌺
The author has brilliantly woven the stories of Laura and Alina, both depicting motherliness and mothers’ instinct . Parts of it are moving and every part of it is relatable. It also beautifully depicts how a mother can be so possessive of her child.
🌺🌺
The will to survive evolves, in a higher creature like us, into the will to matter.
-Rebecca Goldstein
🌺🌺
🌺🌺
Originally written in Spanish, translated by ROSALIND HARVEY. Still Born encapsulates motherhood in a simplistic yet gripping manner, that it would resonate with anybody who reads it. I initially read the title as Stillborn and not Still Born and I thought twice before picking Stillborn. On reading however, I realised that the debate on ‘to be or not to be a mother’ arose in both the books, Boulder as well as Still Born.
🌺🌺
The complexity of the issue made me quiet. Nobody is replete of motherly instincts. Motherhood is a Catch-22 kind of situation where one dives into it and is tied to it for a lifetime. Mothers more than fathers are faced with unprecedented challenges resulting in an emotional backlash. The tipping point of anxiousness makes us decide otherwise. When things get very confusing people long for a simplistic way of life, it is but natural.
🌺🌺
Most ladies have a biological urge, but is the choice imperative? Is motherhood a prerogative or a compulsion imposed on women by the patriarchy? Does it hinder the freedom that women are supposed to have? Why does a mother dog eat up a deformed or sick puppy? What is brood parasitism?
🌺🌺
Still Born is a story about two friends Laura and Alina who both are against the stereotypical role of motherhood. Where on the one hand Laura breaks the shackles of the patriarchal definition of motherhood, on the other hand, Alina chooses the path of motherhood and is faced with an emotional and ethical dilemma.
🌺🌺
The author has brilliantly woven the stories of Laura and Alina, both depicting motherliness and mothers’ instinct . Parts of it are moving and every part of it is relatable. It also beautifully depicts how a mother can be so possessive of her child.
🌺🌺
The will to survive evolves, in a higher creature like us, into the will to matter.
-Rebecca Goldstein
🌺🌺
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
A Quote from the book: ‘LIFE IS SWEEPING AWAY THE DUST THAT KEEPS PILING UP. DEATH IS NOTHING MORE THAN DUST PILING UP.’
Has your grandma /grandpa told you stories? I remember many stories that my grandpa used to tell me.
Whale reads like a story that we would listen to all huddled up and cozy, very hyggelig!
This three-part novel is hilarious, and has elements of magical realism, with a singularly powerful narrative. It is utterly funny and gloomily dark. Originally written in Korean, it is beautifully translated by CHI-YOUNG KIM.
On one side the story is about this beautiful lady and another story is about her not-so-beautiful mute daughter, and the story is about a one-eyed bee lady and her mother. The book is all about intertwined stories flowing mellifluously.
Everything happens in Pyeongdae. This small place is connected by train and then there are quantum leap transformations. From an unknown obscure place to a well-known place on the map and then to nothingness again.
The meaning of existence, social ties, and happiness differs for every character, every character has a different purpose of living and approach to life. It sort of explains the science of happiness through Geumbok’s life.
There is a stark difference in the characters of mother and daughter. While the mother Geumbok, is enterprising and full of life, the daughter Chunhui, doesn't speak and prefers being left unseen. I liked Geumbok’s innovative and tenacious nature and admired the resilient and persevering nature of Chunhui. The old crone and Geumboke were heartless mothers, I hated them for ignoring their daughters.
The talking elephant, who would talk only to Chunhui, was a cute element of the book. The identical twins, the man with a scar, and the one-eyed woman who could control the bees, prophecies, beliefs, and premonitions, were all interesting elements of the novel.
Does a daughter pay for her mother's sins?
Does a mother ever hate her children ?
I loved the fact that every event was summed up as a law; the law of ideology, the law of ennui, the law of beliefs etc and there are 57 laws in the book, after every other page or so.
Parts of the book remind me of the poem OZYMANDIAS BY PB SHELLY
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
It is an enthralling book bound to make an indelible impression on anyone who reads it. It is profundity in a packet!
I enjoyed reading and discussing the book with my friends.
Has your grandma /grandpa told you stories? I remember many stories that my grandpa used to tell me.
Whale reads like a story that we would listen to all huddled up and cozy, very hyggelig!
This three-part novel is hilarious, and has elements of magical realism, with a singularly powerful narrative. It is utterly funny and gloomily dark. Originally written in Korean, it is beautifully translated by CHI-YOUNG KIM.
On one side the story is about this beautiful lady and another story is about her not-so-beautiful mute daughter, and the story is about a one-eyed bee lady and her mother. The book is all about intertwined stories flowing mellifluously.
Everything happens in Pyeongdae. This small place is connected by train and then there are quantum leap transformations. From an unknown obscure place to a well-known place on the map and then to nothingness again.
The meaning of existence, social ties, and happiness differs for every character, every character has a different purpose of living and approach to life. It sort of explains the science of happiness through Geumbok’s life.
There is a stark difference in the characters of mother and daughter. While the mother Geumbok, is enterprising and full of life, the daughter Chunhui, doesn't speak and prefers being left unseen. I liked Geumbok’s innovative and tenacious nature and admired the resilient and persevering nature of Chunhui. The old crone and Geumboke were heartless mothers, I hated them for ignoring their daughters.
The talking elephant, who would talk only to Chunhui, was a cute element of the book. The identical twins, the man with a scar, and the one-eyed woman who could control the bees, prophecies, beliefs, and premonitions, were all interesting elements of the novel.
Does a daughter pay for her mother's sins?
Does a mother ever hate her children ?
I loved the fact that every event was summed up as a law; the law of ideology, the law of ennui, the law of beliefs etc and there are 57 laws in the book, after every other page or so.
Parts of the book remind me of the poem OZYMANDIAS BY PB SHELLY
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
It is an enthralling book bound to make an indelible impression on anyone who reads it. It is profundity in a packet!
I enjoyed reading and discussing the book with my friends.