Archive | April, 2012

Mathias B. Freese is a multifaceted personality who is a teacher, a psychotherapist and an author. I got a chance to read and review(here) one of his books –  ’This Mobius Strip of Ifs’ and was quite impressed by his writing style and the sincere way in which he has shared his life with his readers.

It was a pleasure to conduct an e-interview with him for our readers here.

1. When did you start writing your experiences in the book form ? How has been the writing experience so…

Title: The Storm at the Door
Author: Stefan Merrill Block
Publisher: Faber and Faber UK
ISBN: 978-0571269594
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5
Stefan Merrill Block’s, “The Storm at the Door” speaks of illness, mental illness at that. He combines his family facts and fiction to give readers a book that sometimes makes you stop in your tracks and think about it. The Storm at the Door is astonishingly original and quite compelling. Block has taken his maternal grandparents’ lives and blended fact with fiction – often…

Reviewd by Kamalika C
Title: A Monsoon Of Music
Author: Mitra Phukan
ISBN : 978-9-381-01700-5
Price: 450/-
“A Monsoon Of Music” made my mind refreshed, after the couple of books what I read before. My first read on ‘Musical Fiction’, what I shall call it, as the novel is entirely based on the world of music mainly highlighting the Hindustan Classical music tradition. The minute detail of the musical heritage and the keen observance of how the musical world may look from inside, are literarily appreciated and a good read…

The Alluring North, one of four books that make up the ‘Intriguing India’ series, is not a travelogue, nor a guide-book, nor even a retelling of ancient folklore. It is a little bit of all three. It is, in deed, the vivid journey of India’s ancient history, culture and customs, brought to life through two well-informed people who have travelled, questioned, and analysed.
What is the origin of the fear that a monster lies beneath the surface of Lake Pangong? Who was the Englishman who carved out his own kingdom…

Manju Jaidka’s novel Scandal Point is set in a colonial India approaching the twentieth century. A handsome young ruler of an Indian princely state angers the British rulers by falling in love and eloping with the Viceroy’s daughter. It is not an ordinary romance, as the elopement has far-reaching consequences.
It results in a child who grows up unaware of his lineage. Till one day, like Oedipus, he discovers the truth and embarks on a journey seeking his roots. There are no records, no documents, no witnesses, no evidence. Only…

Title: The Resignation (Tyagpatra)
Author: Jainendra
Translator: Rohini Chowdhury
Publisher: Penguin India
ISBN: 978-0-143-41524-4
Genre: Indian Literature, Translated Fiction, Literary Fiction
Pages: 178
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5
Indian Literature is under-rated. I have always believed that most Indian writers (great ones at that) are often not spoken about or mentioned at all. Some great books are never discussed. That’s a sad situation for a country that is so rich in literature – considering the number of languages stories are weaved in and then translated for the English reader’s (like me)…

Title: The Lover’s Dictionary
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Picador USA
ISBN: 978-1250002358
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 211
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5/5
The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan is an ode to love – a subtle love letter to love and its nature. That is what the book means to me. Needless to say that the novel is written in the form of a dictionary – a dictionary of love and a relationship surrounding that love.
The idea is simple: How does one talk about love? Is there a way…

Title: The Red House
Author: Mark Haddon
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
ISBN: 978-0224096409
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 272
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5
When Mark Haddon writes, you sit up and take notice. There are no two ways to that thought – at least not for me. I remember reading, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” in 2003 and being taken in by the spectacular writing style and the first person narration. In the same way, I enjoyed reading, “A Spot of Bother” – very different from the first…

Title: Alice in Bed
Author: Cathleen Schine
Publisher: Picador USA
ISBN: 9781250002402
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 240
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5
Alice in Bed by Cathleen Schine is the debut novel of the writer, and for that reason alone it shines, without getting too sentimental. I normally am petrified of reading a debut novel, for two reasons alone: I might end up loving it, which means that if the second novel disappoints, I would not read the author again or I might end up not liking it and then that…

I had bought this book from the library the day I spotted it on the shelves. Yet, it had been sitting on my shelves for quite a time before I picked up to read. Why? I was wary. It has happened quite many times that a book that has been winning rave reviews failed to make a strong impact on me. I have had the feeling of being on the wrong side so many times that I was darn skeptic to read it. But, I am proved so wrong. I…