Front Cover Friday – 22

In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut

Doesn’t the cover have this mysterious look to it that’s just so charming? I loved it!

Here are the other versions I found -

Although I like the first one the best, each of these covers have an alluring factor to them – if it’s the lantern and the glow of light at dusk that makes the first cover attractive, it’s the closing in clouds and the summit that makes the second one beautiful; if it’s a eerie feeling that the fan on the third cover evokes, then it’s the warmth of a sunny day that the fourth cover brings out. All in all, every cover is so creatively done, I think.

Here’s the story synopsis from Shelfari -

A young man takes three journeys, through Greece, India and Africa. He travels lightly, simply. To those who travel with him and those whom he meets on the way – including a handsome, enigmatic stranger, a group of careless backpackers and a woman on the edge – he is the Follower, the Lover and the Guardian. Yet, despite the man’s best intentions, each journey ends in disaster. Together, these three journeys will change his whole life. A novel of longing and thwarted desire, rage and compassion, “In a Strange Room” is the hauntingly beautiful evocation of one man’s search for love, and a place to call home.

What do you think? Of the story? Of the covers? Which cover do you like best? Do share.

Tag Tuesday – 4

Hello Readers,

This week’s question comes from celestialrays -

What was your favorite book(s) during school days?

Thanks for stopping by to take part in our Tag Tuesday posts…we really enjoy having you around and reading your responses.

Ladies Coupe

Quick Data

Author: Anita Nair

ISBN:978-0-141-00595-9

Price: 275INR

Author Website: http://anitanair.net/

The plot is very easy to comprehend. As the title suggests, it’s about the ladies travelling together in one ladies coupe. The journey is made wonderful and thought provoking when these ladies share their till-date spent life with the protagonist Akhilandeswari, 45 -the one who is on a quest of finding out what her life means to herself, where is her life headed and what exactly she wants from it-after all these years of being the ‘man of the family’?

Poignant tales of 5 ladies-Margaret, Janaki, Sheela, Marikolunthu and Prabha Devi-of different ages and background and performing different roles in their lives- lay in front of Akhila from which she picks up some bits and pieces and tries to solve her own jig saw puzzle which is on her mind since a long time now.

What are these ladies going to tell Akhila, which is going to make her confident about her own thoughts and her own decisions which she is unable to take?  Is it going to be something about the woman power? No, it’s all about the woman as an individual herself. Her desires, likes, wants, needs and her own identity.

A power packed novel about woman and her life in different settings-rich-poor, educated-illiterate et al. The best part is this novel doesn’t offer some unwanted ‘gyaan’ or ‘lecture’ to be precise- on what woman should do and should not do. It’s about knowing your inner self. It’s about the human being inside every woman who somehow is left behind or sometimes buried while catering to other’s demands and roles which are dawned upon her.

I think it was a nice read though like every story there are some negatives too but they’re negligible-not to be counted! The down to earth language and some facts that are presented about Hindu culture are also like eye-openers. These are things which we may know but when weaved in a story they create an impact and make sense. I like that way of presentation!

My rating for this book is 4*