Sunday, September 14, 2008

Book review: My Cousin Rachel

This is something you would find different from what you experience with the other books that are read generally.In fact I too came across this by an accident and then ended up reading this.From the first page you are taken with ease away from the hustle and bustle of the urbane life to the village and that too at a time when communication was still not as advanced as now, can't say a Victorian story but gives you a similar feeling
Coming to the story this is about Philip Ashley who although orphaned at an early age is brought up by his older cousin Ambrose who at the time happens to be his only close relative living.Ambrose takes a liking for the boy and starts bringing him up as his own son, his heir in a world that consisted of none but the two and a firm liking of the house they grew up in until; when Ambrose in order to recuperate from his rheumatic problem and also to collect plants for his garden meets a charming lady and ends up marrying her which unfortunately was a fiasco in simple terms.His only communication to his young protege was through letters which in the begin were full of fun an enthusiasm soon start turning sad and also stating the failing of his health.Hearing this young Philip arrives at Florence only to learn of his cousin-guardian's sudden death and that his wife out of grief had left the place for good leaving behind nothing but Ambrose's hat.
Later when Philip's cousin Rachel turns up in England and despite the initial anger and ill feeling Philip cannot help but be attracted to the small, delicate, mysterious, sophisticated lady.... his cousin Rachel.The story from here takes twists and turns with young Philip in a turmoil about how actually did his cousin meet with his untimely death as one mask is exposed there lies beneath another mask of deceit and this is not limited just to his cousin Rachel but also the Ashleys who are the closest to Philip in England after his deceased cousin and also a ghostly beggar figure whom Philip meets during his short visit to Florence and which keeps haunting back through out the book.
In short this is an interesting and griping story worth reading because the style of the writer, the way in which she shows subtle signs to the reader depicting the state of mind in which the character is there by capturing their interest time and again and the way in which she deals with each character so differently and naturally as though the reader gets the feeling that this is something of a record of what had actually happend.

Friday, September 5, 2008

THE FIRST BOOK

You should have seen me that day I came from the library it was as if I had found something that has been amiss for a long while, it was a feeling I never experienced to the effect I had that on that first visit or subsequently when I started reading the book on the way home in my school bus.

The book started with the description of the characters and to my utmost surprise it was the story about a bunch of kids and a dog and one of the kid's family owning an island ['Oh so islands can also be purchased!!! I wonder if they have shops like we have for selling islands abroad...an how much would one cost?'].

The story was interesting through and to me it was you know like finding a pleasure that I had never ever known existed or could be achieved by the mere reading of the book.I was so obsessed with the book that any min spare like the breaks in between classes or a free hour which I would have otherwise indulged in chitchatting with my friends was now entirely devoted to the reading of the book.this even continued when I traveled to or from school the only thing I cared was 'THE BOOK'.Even at home to the utter surprise of my mother I finished my homework in record speed and then ...... back to the book

I was so engrossed in the story so enthralled by the way it twisted this way then that way an the kids running after treasure boxes their feeling when they see that there are people behind 'their treasure', I started imagining myself as the characters.I used to stop reading suddenly and then start dreaming of me doing what 'that character' did.[Something that I say that I still have sometimes when I am really engrossed in a book]

Thinking about it now I was not even sure I understood the whole thing but I did finish the book and that too by Saturday that week and then it started the feeling like you have.... I mean the one you get when you just finished a whole box of sweets and then you see another box[Ohh... sweets and books what a useless comparison but what to do these are the two things I really love :) and they are the first things that came to my mind], I mean forget the sweets, I was simply MISSING READING A BOOK. Strange though it may sound but I really have felt it for the first time and has been there with me ever since I just can't stay long without reading a book.

I started looking longingly at every person who held a book in my class I wanted something to read and guess what I did.... I simply read my whole English textbook so that I could while my time until 'THE TUESDAY

There that was my first experience at reading a novel I started with the thought of summarizing the book but lost track and ended up telling about myself.... will be posting sooner :)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The first experience...

I clearly remember that day in my fourth standard when we were handed out our schedules[or Time tables as we used to call] there was a period each week for a library,[wow a whole period for the library... and I will be allowed to 'THE LIBRARY'] that was which exited me and also angry cause that was a Wednesday my library period was on a Tuesday["could they not have handed this yesterday....Bah! hopeless management"], anyways finally it was "THE TUESDAY" and my first step into the place and I immediately fell in love with it. I really could not say it was just love but awe at the thought that a single room could hold so many treasures and I was allowed into it[wow..... that simply made it so wonderful]. Then I saw her such a wonderful smile with which she wished us in.... and said that she would be calling us one by one and we could come and select a book off the shelves from which we were allowed off.The calling stated and it was in an alphabetical order[why the hell did my name start with an 'S' :( so many before me so many books gone.... will there be at least one for me.. and why were these fools taking so much time can't they hurry.....] Finally me and the smile on my face the moment I reached the place that would be the best moments in my life [there were quite a good number of books left though..... :)] and then started the crazy feeling [just one book... what will she do with all these cant she give me at least 3... or just 2...NO she says only one book....Huh!!!], every book looked so tempting so different so very interesting and the funniest part was I did not know even a single name... not even one and I started pulling out one book after another with both the librarian and the kid behind me looking me like when will I move from there.... finally I settled for a one titled "ENID BLYTON'S FIVE ON A TREASURE ISLAND"[wow a treasure island that should be interesting......] and when I finally made it to her still looking back at the shelf maybe I should take that red book there or that nice hard bound one.... will this be nice who knows I don't even know the who wrote this... and then she said "nice book you selected..."[she was the best she said that the book I selected was a nice one I am really great... look at all those fools I call friends who went in for the red book or the bound book but I went for 'This book' which she called nice.. :D] and then at the end of the class until when I was just looking at my book or telling off everybody who would hear that she praised me for selecting 'this' book [HA HA HA so wonderful of me... I am the best... the greatest] It was only when she started talking to us that I broke of my dream like state[fervently hoping she would say to the whole lot that I choose a really really really good book and everyone should learn from me.....] and she ,not like I was hoping simply said that the library was open in the lunch hours if any one of us wanted to come in and read something and the end of the class for us...[What bloody insanity was this... outright injustice just one hour a week for the library just one...] but then it was done nothing more I could and silently walked out of the library sad but all the way smiling and pulling my friends and proudly saying that I got this wonderful book that had so wonderful story that you know it had magic, and whatever I knew that my friends would say a 'WOW' at.. my book had it all nothing in their books.... [hehehe I was really a big bragger since childhood ;) I had not even read a page of the book and I stated telling about its greatness] But the whole day I was silently stealing glances trying to read but again... scare where I would be punished by my other teachers. Even so my favorite maths teacher did catch me and lo... to my surprise she says "library book eh.. let me see? good one you got there but read it in your free time or at home not in the class put it inside or I will take it away"[wow even my maths teacher says this is a nice book I really am the greatest.... YAHOOOO] that's it I was on cloud nine for the rest of her class and even volunteered to carry her books to the staff-room after the class just cause she said my book was nice.... NEXT: About the first book

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Begining of an everlasting love....

Fascination for books that was with me since very young in my life. Books,books and more books that was all I started dreaming about when I was first allowed to my school library in my fourth standard and that has held until to day [although I did have patches where my books were just related to my subject :( ] and will surely stay. I had a strange habit in the early school days, we had a rule in our school that every student be given a book for a week after which he may exchange or request for the same book.... this was the beginning of the problem for me as my bus travel to school took close to 45 min each trip and the book I borrowed finished in 3 to 4 days leaving me without one for the remaining week, so what I did was started searching for all those who did not read books in my class and make at least one tag along with me to the library so that he could borrow a book which I could read subsequently[clever of me ehh...]. Maybe this habit of mine made more book lovers like me, no idea but I sure did enjoy the books I found and any one wanted me to summarize a book that was game because I simply loved that.......and perhaps one of the major reasons for me to start this blog coming soon my first book