Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway

Hello people,

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.
   

View all my reviews

 Thanks!

Hardy Boys - The Shore Road Mystery by Franklin W Dixon

Hello people,

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!


View all my reviews

 Thanks!

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

Hello people,


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!


View all my reviews

 Thanks!