A Twist In The Tale by Jeffrey Archer

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A Twist In The Tale by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Twist in the Tale is a collection of short but riveting stories with a 'twist' in there around somewhere. Although most of them were pretty good and holds you, I found a couple of them really good.

One is of a male chess player, who thinks he is good in the game, drooling for a female chess player. He just makes a pass and its shown as if she falls for it and goes home with him. he challenges her for chess games and the bet is she removes one of her apparel. In return if he loses he suggests an amount, which he doubles after every game. He thinks things are going his way when he 'wins' a couple of games. But he is in for a surprise in the end.

The second one is a wine tasting expert and his friend having dinner at a common friends place with a vaunter. The braggart businessman taunts the wine taster for every comment he makes about wines and finally challenges him for a tasting at his place. He even says that the wine taster wont be able to identify even one of the brands/make. So the friends accept the challenge and surprisingly wine taster fails in all three tests. But as the book title says, there is a twist in store in the end.

All in all if you are trying to read after a break, then this book might help you bring back the habit.

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Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway

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Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
 

I think after reading this, first book which I read written by Hemingway was Death in the Afternoon, I have lost some/much of the respect that I had of Hemingway as a person. In Death in the Afternoon he atleast sympathises with the poor animals and does not physically get involved in killing any even though he tries his hand at bullfighting at a lower level. But as a writer, he still holds high with this. This book basically describes his adventures( is that the apt word? I dont

know) along with some natives of Africa in big game hunting. The book is full of hunting and white supremacy. The only interesting part [or the part which you dont feel disgusted] is when Hemingway talks about writers, specifically American writers. Apart from that he describes how he tracks animals, he tries to assert/assume white supremacy only to find natives being superior, and tries to show/shows[!] he is honest here, camps at different places and kill innocent animals. He even compares the size of the animals he killed with that of the poor souls killed by another white. Basically this book just describes how colonialists destroyed Africa, economically as well as naturally.

I just got bored and it was getting more and more disgusting to read of animals getting killed. Hemingway at one point even justifies with a statement that 'every living thing has to die' and so he doesnt feel guilty. He feels guilty/frustrated that he let a 'kudu' go even after hitting him.He says he lives a damn good life. But when you have the money and the colonial power over a nation and you just do whatever ridiculous thing you feel like doing and you call it a 'damn good life', its just stupid and deplorable.

He also tries to describe the African landscape, but just seems to forget it in his bragging talk.

I doubt in todays world anyone would be interested in reading this. This is basically for those historic, colonialistic racist group of people who take pride when they kill a wild animal with a gun shot and feel proud or feel to have done something great when they praise a native or be friend a native.

I have given 2 rating points just for the way Hemingway plays with the words and switches the situations.
   

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Hardy Boys - The Shore Road Mystery by Franklin W Dixon

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The Shore Road Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am an avid reader of Hardy Boys since I was, well as far as I can remember. I still remember crying when in Delhi during a vacation to get a copy ;P, when along with my cousins I was just strolling around outside.

So I decided to give this a go just to relax a bit. the story starts with a friend,Jack, of Hardy Boys asking them to help out in a family mystery to find a treasure. Meantime cars are being stolen in Bayport and interestingly the evidence is pointing to Jack and his father. the suddenly one day Jack and his father are kidnapped.

The story is how the boys solve the mystery and also trap the car thieves.

My purpose was served. ;) Just a stroll through 210 pages!


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Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

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Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying that I had read, Sons of Fortune from the same author before reading Kane and Abel. But Kane and Abel was the book which brought the fame to the author and Sons of Fortune came after that.

Kane and Abel is the story of two men who were born in very different circumstances, but end up in America with Kane taking up his family banking business and Abel becoming a hotelier and because of a misunderstanding is intent on destroying Kane.

But before all this there is an excellent narrative of Abel's life which runs from being adopted by a baron in Poland, whose name he later takes up and whom he considers his father, to being jailed in his own bungalow by Germans and then taken top the concentration camps by Russians. he eventually escapes from the camp with the help of a doctor who himself was in the camp for 15 years, but helps Abel to escape by using the plan he himself had planned in 15 years. Abel reaches Moscow in a train in which he is helped by a woman who tries to adopt him on reaching Moscow. But her husband objects and he sends him to Turkey. He is rescued from a barbaric punishment in Turkey by the British embassy officials and sent to the Polish embassy from where he travels to the US. This part of the book is really riveting and grips you and holds on to you tight.

On reaching America the two characters develop in parallel, and this is where the 'Sons of Fortune' comes into picture. Then you get the feeling of a cliche where everything feels the same in both the books. Though Kane and Abel has to be credited as it was the first book written and 'Sons of Fortune' is the repetition.

They get a family, they have children, who are well set to continue the success story. Abel is trying his best to destroy Kane with help from Kane's former but brief step father. They suddenly join the army to fight the Germans. They are into politics suddenly, and all in all Jeffrey Archer thrills you, provided you have not read 'Sons of Fortune'.

There is a twist at last, a some what obvious one, and just before Kane dies, both realise their folly. Kane's son marries Abel's daughter and it is that daughter that Archer writes about in the 'Prodigal Daughter.

All in all an entertainer. But as I said, provided you have not read 'Sons of Fortune' first!


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Honour Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer

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Honour Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have had exposure to Jeffrey Archer before, though not much, and have found his works very fast moving and riveting. This one has a woman spy, Hannah Kopec- a model- ,who suffered from Iraq war, working for MOSSAD as a trainee aiming to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Another one is a professor,Scott Bradley[whose father suffered professional embarrassment], at Yale who is working for the CIA.

The plot starts with Iraq's deputy ambassador, Al Obayadi to the UN hiring a lawyer firm [ the Cavalli group] who work for criminals in New York through a shadow firm under their lawyer title. The aim is to steal the American declaration of independence and hand over to Saddam to embarrass Bill Clinton internationally.

For this the Cavallis hire criminals and an out of favour actor who will be made to look like Clinton and by visiting the national Archives, steal the declaration. They kidnap and leading plastic surgeons daughter to force the doctor work on the actor and eventually kill the whole family. They also hire an Oscar winning, but now out of work and once convicted director and by fooling the people and authorities alike by shooting a film, steal the declaration.

Meanwhile Scott Bradley is set to work for the first time in the field for CIA and is following the MOSSAD girl Kopec to check on her. But they end up falling n love first and then on the orders of her head commander, she ends up poisoning Bradley. But Bradley survives which Kopec is unaware of and heart broken , firmly decides to cut ties with the outer world with only aim to kill Saddam.

The CIA gets to know the operation and are wondering what to do next. Bradley suggests to take over from MOSSAD the plot of assassination and use change that to recovering the declaration. Bradley, Kopecs head commander and a couple of others are nominated for the operation in Baghad. They "hire" the same forger who worked for the Cavallis and create a duplicate of the declaration and plan to switch that with the original, the same way the Cavallis did it. the copy is to have the spelling of 'Brittish' "misspelt" as 'British'!

The operation is really incomprehensible in realistic scenarios and is dragging a bit. May be not one of Archers best works. Finally though only Bradley and Kopec survive with a small twist that the Declaration was actually with the Cavalli the father who is shown to be patriotic and does not want the history of his nation to go to Saddam. Thus the title 'Honour Among thieves'!

I have another Archer this weak with Kane and Abel...


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Keys to Crime by John Creasy

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Keys to Crime by John Creasy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I came across 2 books last week. Both were crime investigation. ;). One of them was Keys to Crime by John Creasy.

I had no idea about this book or the author. I searched for any info online, though I dont like to get prejudiced before reading a book. But NO INFO is what prompted me to search and guess what! I got no info even after searching google for Keys to Crime by John Creasy , except for some info about the author and his other works.

Hmm.. Nevertheless I opened and found a not too simple a start. Howard Kenyon, an actor, though not revealed at the start, who wanted to take a break from stardom [LOL!] was at London his home, in a hotel suite, which was cancelled by a pianist named Towari. Well into his sleep he hears someone at the piano with an incomplete note! At midnight "helps" the pianist to complete the note after which the pianist gets shocked and goes into the details. Thus we have our heroine, named Lucy Hale, a budding singer and a protege of Towari,  and hero.

The PR man, Girtie of the Towri group sets up a story which makes Kenyon and Hale lovers and they set straight for a vacation trip to a distant village inspite of the group having a concert a week later. Meanwhile Towari and his secretary Matt are not yet in London and our PR agent does a coup again and says that Towari is suffering from memory loss. Well, anything for publicity?

Things take an interesting turn when the couple are attacked on their way back and Kenyon is almost kidnapped. But luckily some fans come to his rescue and he arrives safely with his new fiancee now, to the hotel. Towari is still missing and a chief inspector named Wingold gets hold of the attempted kidnapping case  as well as the Towari case. Things take an ugly turn as a fan who rescued Kenyon gets killed when he followed the kidnappers in a sports car.

One night a phone call claims Towari is indeed kidnapped and they want money in return. Matt should deliver the money or else no more Towari. Matt is supposed to arrive with instruction that night and instead of him arrives, a finger which everyone is sure is of being Towaris.

A full scale investigation starts with police suspecting everyone in the hotel! One more character dies after cheif inspector is found tied up inside a dressing room during the first night of the concert and Hale's real lover boy, James who had arrived earlier takes the dead woman's [Sarah] place. Towari is still missing and Girtie claims he made a deal with the kidnappers and has even transferred the money and is in procession of a slip which says Towari will be arriving next morning. The police traces out the owner of the finger which turns out to be a dead body. But as everyone else believed Towari didnt arrive as Girtie was fooled.

Finally police sets up a trap into which Lucy Hales lover boy James walks into and the reason of the crime was that he was rejected by Towari as a budding young singer! Sarah was as usual blackmailed to be a part of the kidnapping plan and all is well in the end!

I just struggled to finish all 200+ pages and needless to say what a lame plot! No wonder google returned zilch on searching this. My second novel turned out to be a bit more interesting.



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Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie

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Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The second one was "Water Like a Stone" by Deborah Crombie. This too was an unfamiliar author and I took the books as I just didnt want to waste time searching for a "good" book.

This atleast gave me search results and the author has infact published a series of investigation stories.






Scotland Yard officer, Duncan Kincaid takes his colleague and partner Gemma and her son Toby along with his son Kit to his parents in a country town. All of them have problems which Kincaid hopes this trip will solve. Gemma is nervous about her relationship with Kincaid and after the death of their child is doubtful, how his parents will take her in. Kit has nightmares about his mother dying but does not inform anyone. There are worries at the other side too. Kincaids sister Juliet is in a strained relation with her husband because of his partner and leaves their firm to do independent construction contract work which she loves. Her daughter Lally is into dangerous habits and far apart from this a woman named Annie Lebow or Constantine [because of yet another strained marriage!] is wandering on her boat through Londons beautiful canals, which are described in great detail.

Only ones with no worry are two kids Toby and Juliet's younger son Sam. To add to all this, Juliet finds a body of a child mortared in a wall at her site the night Kincaid arrives. A week after this, Annie Lebow is found dead less than a mile from this site outside of her boat! Lebow was a drop-out-from-a-rich-family social worker. She was unsettled as a kid whom she 'rescued' from his drug addict parents is killed by his foster parents. She then decides to live on a boat, ironically a luxurious one, and meets another family which she had to deal with in her professional life. She had rescued the family from the law as the parents where said to act saying their son had frequent fixes, for publicity.

But Annie Lebow, on her boat The lost Horizon finds that the mother is dying and she contacts a civil doctor she knows to help the family despite the resistance from the father fearing police digging up their past life. Meanwhile Juliet had begun to suspect that Piers, her husband Caspar's professional partner, with his high life style might be crooked. Piers, aware of her suspicions, has planted doubts in Casper’s mind about Juliet’s fidelity.

Kit sort of starts liking Lally and follows her around as she goes off to have a smoke with Piers' son. There is a background story of a young psychic boy going on which gets no where. Kincaid, Gemma learn that the family on the boat is responsible for the infant in the barn. But they also come to know of the cicumstances which forced them to do this.

Piers turns out to be a fraud and his son turns out to be Lebows killer [and assuming, he also is the psycho in the background].

The story is filled with emotion, sympathy, suspense and complicated relationship. The ending is also a happy one as in films. And I found thats the problems. This book feels like it was written for a film as is the case with most of modern fiction! I found it rather passive and recommend it only for those who really love crime fiction and for a description of Londons canals!

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Kim by Rudyard Kipling

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Kim by Rudyard Kipling
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have read Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book [ as I suppose almost everyone has] and hoped of something similar in this book. This book is also number 78 in the Modern Library listing of the 100 great English novels of the 20th century. Very well.


I started reading it and it seemed to be a simple story of a boy called Kimbal O'Hara or Kim. He was the son of an Irish soldier, but now an orphan living in Lahore. A Buddhist lama comes in search of enlightenment and meets Kim who becomes his 'chela' and they start their journey together. Kim also was in search of the 'Red Bull' of his dreams which would solve all of his problems.

Then as I thought this was going to be an adventure of their journey, 'The Great Game' comes in and confuses me much more. I think some one who is not aware of the history of India or India itself will get a lot confused at what is happening. I was not aware of the great game in detail apart from the fact that it was some sort of a battle between two colonialist powers Russia and Britain.

They continue their journey south east, north to the mountains and on trains by foot, on horse carts etc etc.
Kim meets his Red Bull which is the symbol on the flag of the Irish regiment and they take Kim in. The Lama continues his journey while paying for Kim's education.

Kim becomes a 'White man', a 'Babu' and a 'Chela' at once. All these terms are related to Indian history and you wont have a clue of what it means unless you know about India.
Kim plays his part in the Game and the lama realizes that the River he was in search of is in the plains and not in the mountains. He is told have found it in the end and Kim's fate is left for the reader to decide. Three possibilities I found were Kim becomes a proper 'Babu' playing the 'Game' or a 'Buddhist' or a combination of 'White Man', 'Babu' and 'Chela' depending on the situation.

It was a confusing story which, for me, never highlighted India as it truly was nor was a complete adventure story and neither was a simple childrens tale. may be it was too hard for me to digest!

You can buy the book at Flikpart.com, which is really easy and interesting! I will blogging about buying from Flipkart next time.

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Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway

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Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Recommended for: Bull Fight Enthusiasts.


Honestly I took up this book going by the title and thought it to be some murder mystery! ;) But it turned out to be somewhat similar , but not as I thought. There was murder and there was thrill. But the book was non-fictional and an exhaustive explanation and view on famous or notorious Spanish Bullfighting.

I am reading Hemingway after a long time and I couldn't recollect what kind of an author he was. He seems to be somewhat interested a bit too much in himself or his writing. But I have to admit he is a passionate and serious follower of bull fights. He points out most delicate points intrusively and even knows a detailed schedule of bull fights, not only across Spain, but in other countries like Mexico and France as well.

He has given in detail the techniques and genius' of some great bull fighters he has seen, such as Joselito, El Gallo, Juan Belmonte etc. He sees bull fighting as a tragedy and not as a sport. But he acknowledges the bravery of both the bull and the 'Matador'. He gives an apt description about the supporting cast, the 'picadors, 'banderillos'. He also has apparently tried a hand at being a 'matador', but unsuccesfully. But he learnt about how the bulls are groomed since they are born to become fit for the 'toros'.

Hemingway also despises modern bull fighting where he feels the picadors merely prepare the bull for the matadors to kill. He compares original bull fighting with art and music. He writes

"Bullfighting is the only art I which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter's honor."

He also compares it to playing a mouth organ.

But I have little interest in bull fighting and I didnt find the book interesting even though it was hugely informative. Standard-wise book should deserve at least a 3.5 as its volume of information is not in question. It has also pictures in it to show a 'veronica' and 'cornada'. Leave alone some silly interaction with a fictional or imaginary old woman the book is presented well.


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To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

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  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommended for: Any one with parents or siblings or children or friends or enemies ;)

I had no idea what the theme or the publicity[except for a few reviews of 'very good' from various places] of this book was before I chose to read this one. I prefer to read that way as I will be free of prejudice.

To Kill a Mocking bird is a story of a simple family, with 2 siblings Jem and his younger sister Scout along with their father Atticus. I started to like the novel from the start as I could identify myself as I too grew up with a sister 3 and half years younger to me in a similar simple neighborhood with simple friends. The book addresses the racist mindset of the society prevalent at the time [1935] and through children tries to explain the naivety of our life.

You will find everything that a brother and sister of 10 and 6 years respectively, do and will be entertained mostly. But what it also successfully does is to promote a simple message of 'not hating anybody' and not taking any offence to heart and simply think from under the other mans skin.

To go into the story the siblings are leading a simple enough life with their vacation friend Dill when Tom Robinson, a negro and the real 'Mocking Bird' is accused of rape by a white, but notorious family. Scouts father Atticus takes up the hard job of acquitting Robinson of the crime. There are a few other characters like judge Taylor, Calpurnia, Miss Maudi, eccentric Boo Radley, Link Deas, etc who take this novel forward with their kindness while, some others like Bob Ewell and others who are of the opposite kind.

Author has succeeded in passing the cliched but eternal message of naivety of life and not hating others. I think its a must read.

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Sons of Fortune by Jeffrey Archer

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Sons of Fortune by Jeffrey Archer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars








I actually went for another book but because I could not find that one I just picked up this one up. Having read Jeffrey Archer before and thus made up an image of really fast moving work from this author, I thought no harm.

The book is very aptly titled 'Sons of Fortune' as while reading we would think or are constantly reminded to think of the fortunes of 2 of the leads had one moment of decision making by a nurse hadn't happened.

Nat Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport[ Peter Cartwright] are two twins separated by fortune and a nurses/nanny's wish to please her mistress. The story goes ahead slowly as Fletcher , in a well to do family, meets a politician and at the age of 14 meets his partner for life. Both get their best friends Tom and Jimmy on their first day in school. The common villain also appears first day in one of their classes.

The story goes forward with an unrealistic scenario as except a couple of people all of the other characters, however small they are, are projected as men of principles, sincerity, integrity etc. Nat's life takes an unexpected turn[ the story is mostly of those] when he gets an army call up which occurs because of an act by the villain. Nat meets his life-partner subsequently and both the twins go different ways as a Banker and a Lawyer. The villain has moved on to trouble Fletcher as they become professional.

Nat's life takes another twist as a currency devaluation occurs in France and Fletcher also resigns from the famous law firm in New York. Then its like Nat - Villain - Fletcher all together in one place. They all end up in the field of politics and in more twists to come, the villain gets killed.

The twins are busy rescuing each other and in the process learn that they are twins. But not to hurt their family, they keep it a secret and it comes to the end with both shown as heroes and the winner in the election didn't matter any more. Though I wanted one of them to win the election and ended the book on a happy note as my candidate won!

But over all the book has too many twists[perhaps the title forces that], too many heroes and too much feel good factor. Despite that villain is quite strong, may be because the heroes are too lenient and are not ready to hurt the villain back. There is some American rock and roll culture depicted too in bits and pieces and the author also tries to show a generation gap. But it felt artificial some times. For me the book felt ok but artificial at times. But I would recommend it if you have a couple days of travel with nothing else to do.




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A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

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A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


A 3.5 would have been apt. Its a gripping book, which you can never put down unless its natures call! A shortened version of Dumas classic,which is why I have just given it 3.5 instead of a 4+, this one never loses its pace. A prisoner falsely accused of murder, impersonates his cellmate ,who was perhaps unfairly accused of manslaughter, and sets about to correct a few things. In the process his life completely changes and from a small town lower middle class brash man he ventures into uncharted waters and excels.

The closing was superb with a retired judge and a veteran esteemed solicitor stealing the show. Only thing which is questionable is perhaps the practicality of the story at the time it was set.

A really fast read which could just refresh you completely.

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Death at My Doorstep by Khushwant Singh

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Death at My Doorstep by Khushwant Singh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am reading Khuswant Singh, 'seriously', for the first time. I had read his short stories as lessons in school and that's that. I thought or had an image of him as an elderly man who loves children and writes soft stories. So I had a great man in my mind. But how all that was shattered by this one.

This is a book of memoirs of some people he had come across in his life and are presently dead. It's like he is awaiting his death and thinking about some others he knew and are currently dead. He doesn't necessarily criticize or praise anyone with intent, though does that inadvertently some times.

He comes across as a typical rationalist who seeks proof for every single thing on the earth or the universe which cannot be sensed by humans or which could be sensed. Though he only bothers to ask this from others and not at any time is concerned about a proof for his won theories. Example when he says there is no proof for life after death, he also has to think about there not being a proof for NO life after death! But I think thats why he calls himself and agnostic.

About the book itself I found nothing interesting as a whole. Though some parts like that of Bhutto, one Rajni Patel and lastly his dog, Simba was interesting. I think I could see the first impression of him,that I had, only in the Simba portion. He is not having an open mind for an agnostic and I expected much better thoughts and a heart from a man 96 years old and with all that experience.

If you have nothing else to do and a couple of hours to spare, you can pick this book up and go through.

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The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India by Sheldon Pollock

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The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India by Sheldon Pollock

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I left this book just 10% into it. It starts by saying that Sanskrit is 2000 - 3000 years old, while the first written material in Sanskrit was found to be from about 4000-3000 BC. Also when the origin of the language is not clear, it was not apt to finalize its age as around 2000 years old.
Next I came across, usual things like Sanskrit being forbidden for the "lower" varnas. The author emphasizes the ranking for the varnas and says that the Shudras would have thought what they could not do that the "higher" varnas can. But the author doesnt bother to think that its one who cannot think or is not interested in education is called a shudra while not the reverse as in a shudra was not "banned " from education. The author bypasses the important fact that Valmiki who wrote the epic "Ramayana" in Sanskrit was a Shudra. I couldnt bear with the usual western view of Indology and left the book.
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