Review:Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

There are a plethora of books in the market today which have been made into movies.This seems to be the latest trend.As an avid book lover,I have always felt that one should always read the book before watching the movie.That way both the author and the film maker get their due credit.But in this case I did not even know that Gone Girl was based on a novel until I saw the credits on the screen.I was a wee bit disappointed as I wanted to read the story first.It does not really make much sense to read a thriller if you already know the climax but since I had heard such amazing stuffs about Gillian Flynn’s writing ,I could not resist reading her most famous work.

                                                                  For all those who haven't watched the movie or read the novel,Gone Girl is a thriller story about a couple(Nick and Amy) who are stuck in a dysfunctional marriage .This book is an attempt to understand the darkest depths of human psyche.The story is sluggish but in a good way.It gives the readers ample time to get used to the philandering husband,the psychotic scheming of a manipulative wife and the overall messed up situation.In any thriller novel,white characters are boring,the black ones are necessary and the grey ones are the most interesting.This book does not have any of the three.All the characters seemed pretty inconsistent to me and I could not relate to any single one of them.In fact I felt that all of them suffered from bipolar disorder,swinging from one extreme to another as the story progressed.

                       Now let’s come to the most talked about feature of this book-it’s climax.I found the finale quite baffling while watching the movie so when I read the book I was expecting the ending to be a bit more well explained.It turned out to be little less absurd than the movie but still not to my liking.Also I hate how the author went complete 360 on Nick’s character-a noble soul who is ready to stay with a psycho killer just for the sake of his kid.His narcissism and misogynistic attitude was equally responsible for all the mess.So why does he get to be the good guy in the end?It did not seem fair.

                  May be I would have liked the book better if I had not watched the movie first.Now I feel my imagination of the novel is limited to the scenes of the movie.The twists and turns of the story may not catch the reader off guard but the writing style is impeccable.Gillian Flynn has once again proved that she has supreme control over her vocabulary and phrases.The book has strong undercurrents of feminism,which is expected from Flynn.Overall a decent read but no way justifies the hype surrounding it.

Review : The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson

If you are planning to visit or move to USA in the near future,then you are better off without reading this book.Bill Bryson does everything in his power to tarnish the so called “American dream” and he does it with impeccable style and suave.There are very few writers who can be sarcastic and hilarious at the same time.Bryson is one of them.
                    The Lost Continent is the story of a road trip across USA covering almost 22500 kms(Yes.Kilometers,not miles.Metric system rules).The author visits his hometown after spending 10 years in England and as soon as he is back,the travel buff sets out on a quest to find the perfect town which he likes to call Amalgam.This is just not a travelogue-It is a book about childhood nostalgia and unfulfilled dreams.I do not feel this is the ideal travel guide to the American continent.Bryson does not even mention the famous attractions of the country.He just drives his Chevy through the most boring suburbs of the most monotonous towns across USA.Sometimes even those tedious towns surprises him with their fresh scenic beauty or an interesting historical monument and other times he just drives for days on the concrete metal road interspersed with similar looking gas stations,motels and fast food chains.

                                 Bill Bryson is not a very likeable person.He is highly opinionated,snob and even a bit racist.As a person ,I hate him.As an author ,I absolutely adore him.The phrase “politically correct” does not even exist in Bryson’s dictionary.He is brutally honest-a characteristic that is rarely seen in modern day authors.He unapologetically goes on to bash everything that in his opinion is wrong with the American culture-blind consumerism,falling standards of education,obesity(The list is quite long).

                 Every book,even as awesome as this one,has its highs and lows.The first part of the book where the author covers the midwestern and east cost of USA, is superbly written-crisp and witty accounts of his visit to Philadelphia, New York and many other places.The second part,covering western America,becomes very dragging at times.Also,the author takes it for granted that the reader is familiar with American history.There are pages where I felt completely lost and had to look up few historical references,which was kind of annoying.

        All in all,if you are a serious nationalistic,this book is definitely not for you.Whereas if you are one of those few people on the face of this earth who are able to laugh at themselves,then you are in for a treat.

Review : Theo and the Forbidden Language by Melanie Ansley

We all need a bit of magic to break the shackles of monotony in our lives.Sometimes we find that enchantment in nature and sometimes we find it in books.Theo and the forbidden language is definitely one of those stories which casts a spell on the readers and transports them to another dimension.

                      After reading the blurb , I was a bit skeptical because I could never imagine a rabbit as a hero who fights a war for his people.This was mainly because of two reasons.Firstly,we do not have many rabbit/hare protagonists in the literary world(except Watership Down).Secondly,I always thought rabbits were these furry creatures who eat carrots and love being cuddled,not fight battles with steel armours and razor sharp swords.So I started reading with some apprehensions but by the time I had finished the tenth chapter ,I was completely in love with Theo.The storyline was vibrant and  action packed.The author has also been successful in creating some very memorable characters -Brune,the muscular bear;Noshi,the wise leader ;Indigo,the fierce rabbit warrior.The story of how Theo conquers his own demons is beautifully written.It makes the character of Theo much more relatable.This book sends out a poignant message that everyone has weaknesses but we can all become champions by believing in our strengths.

                                                          I felt the plot was predictable-shy protagonist embarks on a quest which leads him to his destiny(combo of harry potter,lord of the rings,star wars).But apart from that I think the magical world created by Melanie is very believable and easy to follow.It would be a perfect read for any fantasy lover,especially kids above the age of 10 .

Versatile Blogger Award Nomination

Thanks a lot Nita for nominating me.I would request my readers to have a look at her book blog BOOK CHOOSE .It is very fresh and genuine.

Let us just peruse the rules of this competition :

• Thank the person who nominated you for this award and post a link to their blog.
• Select 15 blogs that you follow regularly
• Nominate those 15 blogs for VBA
• Let your readers know 7 unique facts about yourself.

Below is the list of blogs which I would like to nominate

1. Ashley                Marginalia: A Reading Log
2. Shomeret           Shomeret:The Masked Reviewer
3. Katerina            The Realm of Books 
4. Natalia               Book Cupid
5. Jennifer Blake   Heartland Reading
6. Jonel Bokyo       Pure Jonel
7. Simon Thomas  Stuck in a Book
8. AJ Strekel          Read all the things
9. Leanne               All write-y then 
10. Sophie Cordeo  Seameless Reader
11. Harvey               Bookmarked
12. Jullianne            Outlandish Lit 
13. Shanny               Shanny Reads
14. Allen Olu           Allen
15. Jerri Aubrey     As the page turns

Now comes the fun part.I have always found it difficult to write about myself but I am going to give it a shot

1. I recently took a break from my corporate job so that I could read as many books as I like and travel the world.
2. I am a fitness freak.
3. I love skateboarding.
4. Kill Bill is my comfort movie-I can watch it anytime,anywhere.
5. My favourite genre is Autobiographies and memoirs.
6. I can spend a whole week in my bed just watching FRIENDS marathon.
7. I try and keep away from romantic novels and movies.

The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk

Some love stories are like wine which have a pleasant after taste,some others are chilled beer which soothes your soul and some are like a cheap booze which just reeks of mediocrity.The Museum of Innocence falls in the third category.The plot was weak to begin with and it became worse as the story progressed.

                         The protagonist,Kemal Bey is a lazy spineless son of a wealthy father whose only obsession in life is to sleep with this girl,Fusun,who by the way is his cousin.His idea of an ideal life consists of 3 things-

1-Making love to Fusun

2-Having dinners with his finance,Sibel.(And also sleeping with her)

3-Drinking raki(anise flavoured alcoholic drink).

Now let us come to the female lead ,Fusun who I honestly feel suffers from split personality disorder.Her thoughts and actions never seem to match.Then there are her parents who encourage their daughter’s ex lover to try and woo her in front of her husband.Understanding such dysfunctional characters is beyond my intellectual capacity.The first 250 pages are about Fusun’s body-her hair,her breasts,her neck.The next 250 pages are about the things which had some sort of skin contact with Fusun-her cigarette butts,her scale,her pen,etc.The last 250 pages are about Fusun’s seesawing life dreams-A movie star or a driver or a painter.(before she ultimately decides to be a trophy wife).One rarely comes across such a excruciatingly long and painful piece of narration.

                                The only thing worth reading in the book was the depiction of Turkey and its colourful culture.The author has been successful in giving each neighbourhood of Istanbul a character of its own.My personal favourites are Beyoglu and Cukurcuma and I wish i get to visit them someday.The lifestyle of the elite as well as the lower middle class is very well described.Just after the Valentine week ,I had promised myself that I will make a genuine effort to read more romantic novels this year but if the modern love stories are anything like this book then I guess I am better off without reading them.

Confessions of a Cynical Romantic

I have always loved book stores .I spend more time perusing books than browsing latest trendy outfits. My local book shop is like a second home to me; well at least most of the book shop. There is this one section which is completely alien to me-the romance section. I cannot recall a single instance where I have spent more than 5 minutes in the Romance alley of a book store. Like every other girl, I went through that “Mills and Boons” phase during my teen years but since then I have read very less love stories.

   So this Valentine's day, I was searching for an inspiration that awakens the comatose romance- lover in me. That is when I came across this list which is perfect for someone like me. My favorite romance novel is Erich Segal’s Love Story which I felt should have been included in this list. Do let me know which love story you read this Valentine's day.

My Favorite Harry Potter Memes

I just finished reading the Harry Potter series for the nth time and every time I complete the last book, the tears just start flowing. These hilarious memes did cheer me up though.

WOW!!!I did NOT know that.

Harry was always the “good boy”.

It gives me shivers to think of the havoc this pair would have wrecked, if they had the invisibility cloak.

Why so serious, Sirius?

Oh Leo!! First the Oscars and now this L

Every nook and corner of the internet world is full of Harry Potter memes.Do let me know which ones are your favorite.

Review:A Town Called Dehra by Ruskin Bond

I absolutely adore Ruskin Bond and have been doing so since my childhood. He does not write about world wars or bank heists or long forgotten heroes .Instead, he writes about the most magical place on this earth-Dehradun and that’s what makes him my favorite. I would like to believe that this book is Bond’s love letter to the Doon valley.

                            A town called Dehra is a collection of short stories revolving around the day to day events of the author’s early life in the city. Few of the stories are excerpts taken from his debut novel-The room on the roof. These tales are about the people in Bond’s life who influenced him the most-his Tonga fearing grandmother, poor but proud Bibiji,young and carefree Somi.My favorite story is the one where the author talks about the heart and soul of Dehradun –The trees. Bond is totally correct when he says that Doon is one of the few places in the world where trees are a match for man.My family shifted to Dehradun in the late '90s and the moment I got off the train, I was left awestruck by the huge Banyan tree in the middle of the railway platform. Over the next few months I discovered that almost every house in the city (including mine) had an orchard in the backyard. Papaya, mango, guava and litchi trees were in abundance and still are. Even now, whenever I visit the valley, the majestic sal and shisham trees are always there to welcome me.

                                 For me, reading a Ruskin Bond book is like swimming in a sea of nostalgia. I am transported to a time where life used to be much simpler-the Parade ground was still green, the forests of Rajpur road were not converted to shopping malls, the roads had lesser number of vehicles. I sometimes feel sad that Dehradun is no longer the quaint, sleepy town that I grew up in but the fact that Ruskin Bond has immortalized it cheers me up.

Review : Song of the Sea by Jade Varden

 I am not a big fan of the young adult fantasy genre because most of the YA fiction books that I have read in the past year or so have had very immature content. Therefore, when Jade asked me to review her latest work, I was a bit skeptical but the blurb looked interesting enough and I was in mood for some light reading, so I decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did.

                           Reading this book was like reading a Disney movie screenplay but unlike most of the Disney movies I watched during my childhood, this story had depth to it. The story of Brenna‘s search for her mother is inspiring and relatable.The writing is fresh and crisp. As a reader, I just fell in love with the female protagonist-she is smart, hardworking and has an undying passion for sailing.She is also silly when it comes to the matters of heart, but then which teenager isn't. I believe the target audience for this book is the school going younger generation and Brenna is the ideal heroine for them. She is not some love struck teenager who believes in dancing to the tunes of her prince charming. She is a mature, determined girl who is ready to face the challenges of life. In an era where media is dominated by shallow female portrayals, strong characters like Brenna are needed. The author has also been successful in portraying the futility of war. The youth of the world need to realize that we do not own land water and air and therefore fighting over these resources will ultimately lead to the destruction of mankind.

                          The only thing missing from this book was the lack of focus on the other characters. I would have loved to read more about Nixie and Kyle. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The YA fantasy genre needs more books of this kind.

Review : Man's search for Meaning by V.E.Frankl

There are innumerable literary works based on holocaust and I have read quite a few of them, the latest being Maus.In my opinion, reading multiple accounts of any tragedy desensitizes the reader and the book loses its purpose.Therefore,I was quite skeptical about reading this one but went ahead anyway as it had such raving reviews.                                                                      According to the author, a prison is the best place to study humanity because inside a jail, one can closely observe the 3 shades of life-white, black and grey. The first half of the book is Frankl’s account of his experience in a concentration camp. It has all the common elements of a holocaust story-the gas chambers, the Capos, shaved heads, bony skeletons and all other cruelties that make you lose faith in humanity. The author narrates the experiences of the prisoners who found hope amid all the hardships and hence made it till the end. He also writes about the prisoners who failed to find a dream that could give them a purpose in life and therefore lost the game of survival. The second half of the book is about “logotherapy” which is a psychology theory stating that suffering and survival go hand in hand and only through suffering can one find the true meaning of life.   
              The great thing about the book is that it provides a scientific perspective to the survival stories of holocaust. The not-so-great thing about the book is that the whole chapter on “logotherapy” is like a medical journal filled with technical jargon.It was good read but I do not think that this is one of those books which will totally transform one's outlook towards life.

Review : Underground by Haruki Murakami

I believe everyone in the modern society wears a mask. These masks have been worn for such a long time that they have become a part of our facial features. To understand the psyche of a society, one needs to look underneath the masks and the only time the masks come off is during a high pressure situation –a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. Murakami attempts the same by interviewing the people who were affected the most by the Tokyo gas attack in 1995.
                                In this book, Murakami has proved that his interviewing skills are top notch. The interviews with the victims are short, precise and very informative but there are around 30 victim accounts which tend to get repetitive at times. After a  certain point, I felt that I was reading a textbook on the symptoms and after effects of sarin gas poisoning. The chapters on the trial proceedings of the AUM cult members were also very dull and monotonous. What surprised me the most about the victims was the robot like attitude of the people during the tragedy. Everyone was in such a hurry to get to work that they did not even bother to drag themselves to the clinic. Imagine a large group of people with burning red eyes, vomiting on the sidewalk  and still walking towards their offices one step at a time(like a scene from a zombie movie).After reading the book, I have a new found respect for the railway officials. Their commitment towards the work really floored me .The train attendants were the one who came in  direct contact with the chemical because without caring for their safety ,they wiped off the liquid with bare hands just so that the train schedule can be on time.

           The research work done for the book is truly commendable. The book contains first-hand accounts of the medical staffs who dealt with the victims, the train attendants, the media people who covered the event and also few members of the AUM cult. Having said that, I also feel that the book seemed more like a research paper –very bland and factual. Nevertheless, it is always fun to read a non-fiction book from an author who is mostly famous for his fictional works and I really appreciate the effort which has gone into the making of this book.

Review : The Guns of August by B.W.Tuchman

Reading this book was like witnessing a high octane drama. Tuchman has painted a magnificent picture of a war torn Europe with her words. The book focuses on the first month of the war and the chain of events which eventually led to the battle of Marne. It provides all the military, political and geographical details about the war that changed the face of Europe in the next four years.

                            The book is full of epic tales of bravery, cowardice, tragedy and treachery. The opening paragraph describing the scene of King Edward VII’s funeral just swept me off my feet. I loved how Tuchman has characterized all the European nations-Germany is the high school bully, France is the scrawny nerd who stands up to the bully and gets beaten black n blue (obviously!) and England is the guy who promises the whole class that he will take care of the problem but disappears the moment the bully appears. The story never loses its momentum. All the military accounts both on and off the field are described in detail. The major portion of the book is about the generals of the French, Russian, German and English army. Tuchman has discussed the personalities of these men in great detail because ultimately it was the idiosyncrasies of these men which led to the loss of millions of lives. The Schlieffen plan is very well explained and the chapter on the battle of Tannenberg is unforgettable. My favorite section was the one written on the German naval warship-Goeben.The chase sequence between the German and English ships seemed like a scene of a modern day action movie.

                                 The author does not believe in providing back stories to certain events which can be very confusing sometimes.She mentions the battle of Sedan in quite a few places but there is no overview of that event anywhere in the book. Also, I found the maps to be very complicated but that did not pose a problem as the text is very self- explanatory. This book is a perfect combo of information and entertainment. The unbiased narration makes it a must read for any history lover.

Review : ASURA-tale of the vanquished by Anand Neelakantan

It just breaks my heart when a fresh idea is implemented in such a crude manner. It has been a while since I came across such a terrible piece of writing and it really disappoints me because the story had so much potential. I guess it serves me right for expecting so much from a book.

                 From the very first page, the book spews hatred against the Brahmins and Aryans way of life. There came a point in the book where I felt I was reading some Pro Dravidian propaganda, which is not what I had signed up for. I believe the author wanted to showcase the evils of caste system but the whole point is lost when the entire book is full of anti-Aryan/fair skinned overtones. I do not know if it was intentional but the narration itself is very self-contradictory. The protagonist, Ravana says that the Asura  clan respect their women because unlike the white skinned Devas, they don’t  force their widows to practise Sati; but earlier in the book the same protagonist is shown raping a maid just because he was pissed off  with his wife.(I mean what the hell!!!).When I picked up this book, I thought I will be reading about Ravana’s intellectual conquests, his unique friendship with Bali, his administrative and military skills. Instead I got introduced to a schizophrenic Ravana who whines the entire time. The only thing I liked about the book was the character of Bhadra.His character represents the common man and his struggles. His account of the events that ultimately led to the downfall of Ravana is very interesting.    

                                              In my opinion, Ravana was a great emperor and deserved a much better story-a story that was at least proofread (I really don’t want to get started on the innumerable grammatical and vocabulary usage errors). The traditional version of the epic does more justice to this magnificent character.

Review:The palace of illusions by C.B.Divakaruni

As soon as I started reading this book, I was overwhelmed with a strong feeling of nostalgia. All the memories of my beloved grandmother basking in the afternoon sun and telling me the fascinating tales of Mahabharata came rushing back to me. I believe the Mahabharata stories constitute an integral part of the childhood of millions of people across this nation. Therefore, Divakaruni deserves a lot of credit for being brave enough to write about a saga which has been reconstructed innumerable times over centuries.

                                     I remember when I was a kid, I used to be in awe of Draupadi. She was the perfect daughter, perfect wife and the perfect queen. This story takes away the entire enigma surrounding Draupadi’s character and makes her very approachable. I enjoyed reading about her childhood, her dreams and aspirations before her life became a series of tragedies. The sibling bond is very well painted .It made me want to read more about her brother,Drishtadhyumna(I had never really paid any attention to this character before). Since the whole story is told from Draupadi’s perspective, it obviously has a strong feminist undertone. The backdrop maybe of Mahabharata but I genuinely believe the modern day woman can very easily relate to the protagonist’s difficult choices and heartbreaking sacrifices. I loved the fact that Draupadi was not portrayed as the victim in the book (unlike most of the time in my grandmother’s stories).Instead it was her thirst for vengeance which lead to the Great War. To be honest, I found the Panchaali-Karna angle equation quite unimpressive. Sometimes I just fail to understand why all authors need to provide an unrequited love angle in the life of almost every strong female character of literature. It is like feminism cannot be portrayed without an unfulfilled love affair.

                              The writing is not very sophisticated. In fact, the prose gets repetitive at times. Overall, a quick and easy read. Any Indian mythology lover will definitely enjoy it if willing to overlook few flaws.

                             

Review:Rex Randall and the Jericho Street by Vince Carter

After reading 3 back to back graphic novels, I wanted to break the routine and was very glad when Vince asked me to review his action thriller-Rex Randall and the Jericho Street. There are few ingredients which are absolutely necessary for writing a successful crime fiction-an intense plot, intriguing characters and an action packed climax. This book had all the ingredients but somehow the end product was not that great. The story is good in patches. Some chapters are really well written but there are few portions where the plot twists become very predictable.

                                                   To be honest, when I read the blurb, I was not very excited .I imagined like most of the modern day thrillers, the female characters will be used as a sex symbol but as I started reading the book, I was pleasantly surprised. The female personalities are very essential to the storyline and their roles are very well described. In fact, the best thing about this novel is the characterizations. All the characters are beautifully defined and as the story progresses the reader gets to know about them in depth. The story line is taut and the kidnapping sequences are well executed but the book lacked nail biting suspense. Also the chapters where Rex writes his story becomes very repetitive and redundant.

     In my opinion, the Rex Randall series has a lot of potential because of its unique backdrop. With clever dialogues and proper editing, this can turn into the perfect James Bond-Charlie’s angels combo.     

Review : Watchmen by Alan Moore

I do not think my pathetic reviewing skills are going to do any justice to the Holy Grail of graphic novels but I am going to try anyway. To be honest, I was not very optimistic about this one. I never really got the “holier than thou” masked crusader concept; but Watchmen is so different. This book is not just about fancy costumes and superpowers; it’s about ethical dilemmas and complex morality. I loved how Alan Moore has explored the human psychology behind the desire to be a super hero. Unlike most of the stories of this genre, Watchmen focuses on the darker side of the heroes-their mistakes and murky pasts. Watchmen is not about a bunch of vigilantes fighting the evil and saving the world. It is about the heroes fighting their own inner monsters (and eventually saving the world).There were times, I felt sorry for them and there were times ,I felt like kicking their asses and finally I just gave up judging them. In my opinion, any book which brings out such a wide range of emotions in the reader is a great one.
                                   The alternate history approach was pretty amazing too. For a while, I actually believed that Americans had won the Vietnam War and the world leaders were really stupid enough to start a nuclear war. The “comic within a comic” idea was innovative but I have to admit that its significance was totally lost on me. (I am not very good at picking up metaphors and symbolism).The only disappointing aspect about the book is the way Alan Moore has handled the female characters. Laurie’s character did not have any depth to it and I felt she was used a sex symbol. Same goes for her mother. In a story which boasts of such amazing characters, the female personalities seemed very stereotypical.
                                                       It’s one of those books which leave you with more questions than answers .It is not an effortless read like few other graphic novels(Maus,Persepolis) but in the end ,it’s worth the time and endeavor.

Review:The complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

First Persepolis and now Maus.I am on a graphic novel spree and I must say I am finding it hard to quit. While reading these war memoirs, I have realized that when it comes to depicting the tragedies of a war, pictures speak a lot more than just words. The visual illustrations make the war seem a lot more personal and intimate.

               Maus is a survival tale of a Jewish couple (Vladek Spiegelman and his wife) in Europe during world war 2.Unlike most of Holocaust narratives, this tale has innumerable underlying layers. It is not just a story about holocaust, it’s a tale of fear and courage, of strength and weakness, of love and hate, of kindness and cruelty. I loved how Spiegelman has combined so many elements in a single story-the horrors of the holocaust, complicated dynamics of a father son relationship, the effect holocaust has had on the later generations of the survivors. The story jumps between NYC (present)and Poland(past) which makes it multidimensional. I think it is very difficult to induce humor in war stories without making light of the subject but somehow Spiegelman has pulled it off in his book.

                                          The protagonist’s survival tale can be summed up in one sentence (which I feel is the most powerful dialogue of the book)-“To die, its easy. But you have to struggle for life”. This book can surprise you even if you have read a  plethora of holocaust novels and if you haven’t ,then there is no better place to start.

Review: The Dalai Lama's Cat by David Michie

 I love books with deceptive and intriguing titles because if this book had even hinted that it was about the teachings of Buddhism, I would never have read it but now I am so glad that I did. Never before have I come across a book on spirituality that is so simple and yet is so successful in conveying a strong message to the readers in a very nonchalant manner.
         The story is an autobiography of an Himalayan cat, Snowlion a.k.a HHC (His Holiness’s cat) who has spent most of her life in the Buddhist monastery of Mcleodganj in the city of Dharamshala. In her stories, HHC tells the readers about the various tenets of Buddhism that she has learnt by observing the Dalai Lama and his staff.HHC describes how the teachings of His Holiness has benefited her in overcoming the obstacles of her life on a daily basis. The book is filled with anecdotes about various celebrities who have visited the monastery to discuss their issues with Dalai Lama. The author also paints a beautiful picture of Dharamshala. The book will definitely make you fall in love with the place.
                                              The book has the right amount of humor, it is precise and has some amazing characters. Unlike what the title may suggest, The Dalai Lama’s cat has something for everyone-the cat lovers, the dog lovers, the spiritual readers, the non - spiritual readers. I found it to be a very interesting and effortless read and I am sure you will too.

Review:The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

For a long time, I was under the impression that graphic novels and superhero comics were synonyms but after reading this phenomenal novel by Satrapi, I realized how wrong I was. I am so glad that I chose this book to introduce me to the world of graphic novels. The beauty about this form of storytelling is that the images stay with you forever.
                                                                                Persepolis is a story about a young girl (Marjane  Satrapi)who lived  in Iran during the Islamic revolution. The book lets the reader view the hypocrisies of war through the eyes of a 10 year old. As the story progresses, Marjane transitions from a precocious child to a benumbed adult and the reader realizes how difficult it is to grow up in a war torn fundamentalist country. During her childhood,Marji was always confused as to how the ruling regime would manipulate Iran’s history to suit their own propaganda. As she grew older, she started to detest the Islamic fundamentalism and tried to resist it in every possible way. Her parents sent her away to Vienna to escape the war but after four years of drugs and depression, she came back to her homeland, pursued a diploma in art, got her life in shape but ultimately left Iran and settled down in France.
                                    This story is not about the Iran war.It is also not about religion. It is about how an unstable political situation of a country can impact its youth, can take away their freedom and snatch their individuality from them. We often associate the Middle East with terrorism and oil wars but this book throws light on the day to day oppression the citizens’ face in a fundamentalist Islamic regime. At a time when Iran was fighting a never ending war with Iraq, the citizens were fighting their own battles with the compulsory veil, the no make up rule, ban on western music and movies, the empty shelves in supermarkets and the frequent bomb raids.
            Unlike most of the autobiographies, this story does not sugarcoat unpleasant events. The author is blunt and straight forward. The narration is sad,poignant,tragic and funny at the same time. The visual illustrations are black and white which suits the story. Like all graphic novels, at certain stages of the story, I found the images made a stronger point than the words. This is definitely a must read for all history and memoir lovers.