The Angel’s Game

The Angel’s Game

…by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.Set in the early 1900 Barcelona, this story introduces us to the narrator, David Martin, who works at a local newspaper and aspires to be a writer someday. David gets an opportunity to write a story for a newspaper under a pen name, and thus signs a contract with the publishers of the paper. Few years down the line, David realizes that the kind of story that he writes for the paper is not what he really enjoys doing, and then enters a mysterious foreign publisher, Andreas Corelli, who offers David a chance to write a book under his own name in exchange for a big sum of money. The catch? – David has to write a book that will help create a new religion. Intrigued, yet unsure, David doesn’t take up Corelli’s offer right away, but when things in his life start going downhill, he gives in and starts off with the project. Soon after, David finds himself in the middle of a maze, trying to solve the mystery of his foreign publisher among other things. As he digs more and more to get answers, he’s only left with further questions.

Who is Corelli? How this project changes the course of David’s life. Does he get to finish his project? Why he finds himself in a big pool of trouble – police chasing him, people close to him passing away, people he comes in contact with getting killed, not knowing how and when everything is going to end. David’s life is anything but peaceful.

This book, working wonders to bring out the charm of a dark and depressed Barcelona, left me satisfied, intrigued, yet confused. The author does a superb job of narrating a tale of this proportion paying attention to every scene, every detail and never leaving the reader bored. I was hooked, right from the first page; had I had the time to read it all in one go, I would have…this is one of those books that is so thrilling in its scope that it will leave a reader wanting more with every turn of the page. The story flows flawlessly; the characters are all very well-drawn; the prose evokes the right emotions at the right times making the readers connect and identify with the different characters. All in all, this author’s work is a must-read.

Now for the part what left me confused – while I couldn’t put down the book especially once I got to the later part of the book, at the end, I was left with many questions than anything else. And honestly, I don’t know if that’s because this is something that is out of realm of understanding, or because the intention was to leave the reader in that puzzled state of mind. The author leaves the story with an open end – while it didn’t bother me that I was left to interpret the ending to my liking, to my understanding, it did baffle me a bit because of all the unanswered questions I have…maybe I’ll get the answers if I read it once more and fill my head with all those details that I might have missed the first time around, but until then I’ll have to settle for leaving my concerns behind. Anyhow, this doesn’t take away from the wonderful journey that was reading the book; so I won’t complain much.

Overall, I would highly recommend it – a tale of love, obsession, passion, friendship, a little bit of life’s philosophies with a tint of supernatural outlook makes reading this book a one of a kind experience.

My rating: 5*.

*for the rating scale, click here.

Secret Daughter-edited

Quick Data

Author: Shilpi Somaya Gowda

ISBN: 13: 978-006192231

Website:http://www.shilpigowda.com/

[putting it as it is straight from the back of the book-the excerpt]

On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter’s life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.

Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she and her husband Krishnan see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are convinced that the love they already feel will overcome all obstacles.

What I liked about this book is the way it has been presented in a simple manner in spite of the issue being a bit complicated. The book also takes you through the city of Mumbai in few of its’ chapters-the riches and the poors of the vast city. As the title suggests it’s about a daughter and then it’s about the mother as well. Which is interesting. The chapters weave through the happenings of India and America simultaneously without letting the reader feel confused even for a moment. Two families,two countries,two mothers and one daughter that binds them all together !

Yes..I liked the end as well..the author has treated the story pretty well when it comes to an obvious end.

Umm..there is nothing that I didn’t like about the book…just that in general it scores not more than 3 according to my opinion. It’s one of those books,you know,which you feel is a good one but you won’t want to read it again after a certain interval…it will reach your heart but I’m not sure whether it will stay with you or not…but in all a good read..check it out yourself

My rating for the book is 3*

The History of Love

…by Nicole Krauss.

Leo Grusky, an elderly lonely person, a retired locksmith by profession, an on and off writer, lives in New York. Originally from a small town in Poland, Leo, as a teenager, falls in love with a girl named Alma and writes a book before they both get separated and flee the country (to come to America) due to the war. When Leo lands in NY, he does everything to find Alma, only to be disappointed to see her married and raising a family. He spends the rest of his life after that yearning for her love, lonely in his apartment, spending time with his friend Bruno, and working on another book every now and then.

Alma, a teenager in NY who was named after a character in a book titled The History of Love by an author named Litvinoff, wants to help her mother find love after her father passes away. She explores ways to make her mother move on when her mother receives a copy of the manuscript of The History of Love from a person named Jacob Marcus, who wants the story translated. Recognizing a chance for her to find love, Alma sets out to find Jacob Marcus and during that quest gets pulled into wanting to discover about her namesake character in the book.

The mystery that unfolds after that, with interference from Alma’s brother Brid, is what makes the rest of the story. Who is Jacob Marcus? How does Alma, the teenager, and Leo come together? What role do the author Litvinoff and his book play? Does Alma find Jacob Marcus? And many other questions are answered in this gripping tale of love, life, melancholy, friendship, misunderstanding, longing, simple pleasures and much more.

Narrated mainly from the point of views of Alma (the teenager) and the elderly Leo, this book made me smile, left me feeling sad, kept me immersed in the story and at the end, brought out few tears. The story in itself is gripping. Many characters, each with its own charm, at first left me confused. But everything comes together as the mystery unfolds little by little in later parts of the novel. Although the story was strong in general, there were parts that were tad unrealistic for my taste, particularly with Alma and her brother Bird. Even with little dissatisfaction here and there, I’ve to admit that I absolutely enjoyed reading the book from start to finish.

One of the points I was attracted to the most while reading this book was the prose – the words that poured like poetry, giving life to even the most heartbreaking situations. I immensely enjoyed reading the book, especially the parts where the narration was done by Leo. I felt that Leo’s character was the strongest, and had the greatest potential in bringing out the beauty of the story. Honestly, I might’ve liked the book more if it had been narrated by Leo only…but then each and every chapter / character was deep and enriching in its own way, so I won’t complain.

Overall, I would highly recommend it – it’s a brilliantly penned story of compassion that shouldn’t be missed.

My rating: 5*.

*for the rating scale, click here.