Book Review: “The Strange Library”

by Haruki Murakami (translated by Ted Goossen).

All I did was go to the library to borrow some books.

Murakami has such a brilliant ability to lift the layers off the most mundane places and everyday events, and reveal a world that is so eerily fantastic. I was really fascinated by this short story of a boy who is imprisoned in the hidden depths of an old library by an evil librarian who will eat his brains if the boy cannot memorize three thick books on Ottoman tax collection.

While imprisoned, two very unique characters visit the boy - and it is through the alternating visits of the beautiful girl who only speaks through her hands, and the intriguing Sheep Man, that we find ourselves in a world that is as unreal owing to the fantasy element, as it is made real by invoking some very real human fears.

Set at the end of an enormous underground labyrinth in a world of irrational tyranny, emerges a cocoon of friendship and bravery, and - above all - a surreal mirror to a very real world.

One final word, even though this is categorized as a children's book, don't forget that this is also Murakami. Nothing he says can be taken at face value. Everything he says has endless layers of interpretations.

Book Review: “Ao no Exorcist” - Tankobon vol. 10-11

Written and illustrated by Kazue Kato

After a mighty battle that ends with Rin, Yukio and Shiemi's encounter with an ancient whale-deity, the team returns to face a new rescue mission in the form of classmate Godaiin, who sees demons against his will. Mephisto has the cure for this, but of course, in return he asks for them to deal with "The Seven Mysteries of True Cross Academy".

[Ao no Exorcist is an ongoing manga series. Individual chapters are currently being collected into Tankobon volumes. I have decided to categorize my thoughts based on adventures. In this third part of my review, I look at Tankobon volumes 10 through 11, which contains chapters 38-47].

As far as missions go, I found this section to be a little weaker than the others. The concept of timeless mysteries attached to the Academy was brilliant, and - as with all the other missions - it was wonderful to see the strength and ingenuity of the Exwires - as individuals as well as a team. However, the power of this concept got diluted a little bit, especially when confronted with such entities as a transvestite ghost with confused sexuality.

But this was also the series where a gate to Gehenna opens up, and I cannot wait to follow that story arc. And discovering that opening was one of the greatest characters in this story, Arc Knight Lewin Light. Right-hand man of Paladin Arthur A. Angel, he is an awesome combination of wit and intelligence presented in a deceptively unkempt look and lazy behaviour.

The Art, which has been outstanding throughout, goes up yet another level with the True Cross Academy Festival. Colours, events, food, people, and all the smells and sounds of the celebrations came alive in a wildly unbelievable way.

Somewhere about half-way through the 12th Tankobon, this adventure ends, and - amid rumours of a spy among the members of the True Cross Order - a fantastic new story starts, revolving around Izumo Kamiki and an ancient family curse. This, so far, has been the absolute high point of this series for me. Till the point that I have read, this story has not yet concluded and I will re-visit this review when the current saga in Hachinohe concludes.

I'm not your weapon, demon king, or savior! I'm Rin Okumura! And when I'm done, I'm going to be the best exorcist you ever laid your eyes on!
~ Rin Okumura

Book Review: “Ao no Exorcist” - Tankobon vol. 5-9

Written and illustrated by Kazue Kato

From the hallowed hallways of True Cross Academy, where Rin Okumura is training to become an exorcist, the story now shifts to the heart of Kyoto, as exorcist-turned-demon Saburota Todo steals the powerful "Left Eye of the Impure King".

[Ao no Exorcist is an ongoing manga series. Individual chapters are currently being collected into Tankobon volumes. I have decided to categorize my thoughts based on adventures. In this second part of my review, I look at Tankobon volumes 5 through 9, which contains chapters 16-37].

Hoping to prevent a catastrophe, the exwires travel to Ryuji Suguro's hometown to help the exorcists of the "Myoda Sect". Nestled between an estranged father-son relationship on one end and a shocking deception by a respected exorcist on the other, a stolen artefact releases a poisonous miasma that poses a widespread and deadly risk to the entire city of Kyoto. As the story unfolds, historical secrets are revealed, great alliances are formed, and powerful magic is displayed .. but, eerily, there always seems to run a thread of something greater, waiting in the wings.

While the previous chapters were all about introducing the key characters in this saga, this is where we start going deeper into each person's life - and, to my endless fascination, the author maintains this trend throughout the series. There is no one single "hero" of this tale. Everyone has a part to play; every action makes a difference. And I really loved seeing how each character - driven by his or her unique quality - helped to make a tangible difference every step of the way.

Sure, there was some silliness in this section too! ... A trip to the beach aroused a lot of comments from the boys, surrounded as they were by Shiemi Moriyama's mortification at having to wear a swimsuit, and Shura Kirigakure, whose everyday clothes are never that much more than a swimsuit anyway. But it all felt in good fun, and did not deter from the main danger they were fighting to control.

The Art, as I mentioned in my previous review, is as powerful as the words, and adds such great value to this entire tale. Not only do characters continue to look distinct, there is so much of "movement" in the art; nothing is static, nothing looks fake. And of course, locales continue to look stunning - giving the reader a deep sense of being present along with the protagonists.

With an ancient whale-deity aiding a mission to hunt down a terrifying Kraken, I will end this review. I shall be back to talk about Rin's deal with Mephisto himself!

Book Review: “Ao no Exorcist” - Tankobon vol. 1-4

Written and illustrated by Kazue Kato

Weaving together the supernatural and the action genres is this fantastic tale set in a borderline world between Assiah and Gehenna. At the heart of this saga is Rin Okumura - the son of Satan - whose quest for revenge for his father's death, sets him upon a journey where he not only meets a variety of characters, both human and demon, but where he also discovers his own inhuman powers.

[Ao no Exorcist is an ongoing manga series. Individual chapters are currently being collected into Tankobon volumes. I have decided to categorize my thoughts based on adventures. In this review, I look at Tankobon volumes 1 through 4, which contains chapters 1-15].

After a deadly encounter with a demon who wants to drag Rin down to hell, Rin's guardian Father Shiro Fujimoto dies trying to protect him. Unleashing a hitherto unknown power by unsheathing the Komaken sword, and armed with the resultant knowledge of his own secret identity, Rin contacts Mephisto Pheles, chairman of the True Cross Academy, in order to train to become an exorcist so that he may avenge his father's brutal death.

True Cross Academy becomes the base for a series of adventures as humans from Pages and Exwires to Arc Knights and Paladins come together in this epic battle against the demons of Gehenna. Of course what drew me to this manga, and keeps me constantly in awe, is the story being set in a supernatural world. Even while they wait to take the Exwire exam to graduate from their starting positions, they are attacked by monsters. In a fast-paced saga, every magical moment is but a preparation for more fantastic and dangerous moments.

Amidst all the powerful magic and evil surrounding Assiah, the story still manages to present heart-warming tales that showcase what really makes up these people who they are. One such incident was Fujimoto's familiar, the Black Cat, Kuroneko whose fierce reaction to its master's death is handled so beautifully by Rin.

What is also brilliant about this story is that even though we meet quite a large number of characters in a relatively short period of time, each and every one is so unique and memorable, that not once did I need any reminder on the who's who of this strange world. From the self-conscious Shiemi Moriyama, to the strong willed Ryuji Suguro with a dark secret of his own; from the wild and dominant Shura Kirigakure, to the deceptively terrifying demon Amaimon, to the immortal Honorary Knight in top hat and cape and matching pink stockings, gloves and umbrella: the very powerful and truly fascinating Mephisto Pheles ... everyone came so alive in my mind.

And finally, the amazing Art. Every character is so unique, so beautifully drawn. Every location is so gorgeous, every building so stunning. Just as much as the words that create this story, the art wields a unique power to tell a tale.

Forced to reveal his true identity in a fight against demon Amaimon, Rin is captured by Paladin Arthur Auguste Angel and taken to the Vatican for a trial. Saved only by an intervention by Mephisto, and guided by Yukio and Shura, Rin launches on a very strictly regulated training session.

And as a brand new adventure starts in Assiah, I will end this review. I shall be back to talk about "the Impure King"!

Book Review: “Fragile Things”

by Neil Gaiman.

If you've been following my blog you know I am a huge fan of Gaiman, and this collection of short stories and poems took me one step deeper into that magical world where the mind can truly run free. While all the stories were essentially wild and fantastic, as his tales always are, a weird and dark strain runs through them all, and that was a whole new experience.

Such beauty in so much ugliness in "Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story". The fantastic saga of the "Sunbird". The old lady in the attic and that terrifying image of the head of a cat in "Feeders and Eaters". Twelve snapshots of love, of silence, of memories in "Strange Little Girls". The unique exchange of storytelling in "October in the Chair". Every story had something unforgivably dark, something stunningly beautiful.

Some of the more memorable stories for me included "A Study in Emerald", a brilliant fusion of Sherlock Holmes and a Cthulhu murder mystery in a setting that was as unique as its final denouement was surprising; "Other People", a tale of undying grief and everlasting terror in one endless cycle; and "Goliath" (a short story written specially for 'The Matrix') a story of love and loss that is as real as it is fabricated, as momentary as it is eternal.

This collection also showcases Gaiman's poetry (I had no idea!)
“Remember: that giants sleep too soundly; that witches are often betrayed by their appetites; dragons have one soft spot, somewhere, always; hearts can be well-hidden, and you can betray them with your tongue.”
Created as a guide to what one does upon finding oneself in a fairy tale, "Instructions" was my absolute favourite poem in his collection.

Book Review: “King Solomon’s Mines”

by H. Rider Haggard.

A lost mine deep in the bowels of earth, brimming with precious diamonds. An endless treasure protected eternally by an ancient curse. Into this - largely unexplored - world, three travellers enter. With fantasy woven into history, this is the story of a journey into the heart of Suliman Berg.

The story does start off slow, but I suppose one has to account for the sensibilities of the times. In 1885 there was probably no tearing rush to get to the crux of the matter in a few choice words. And so, while it took me some effort to get through the initial descriptions of, for example, how to save oxen from certain diseases, and it certainly took me a lot of effort to get past the subtle but somewhat consistent references to black and white cultures; I found the story amazing enough, to be able to move past those setbacks.

As they follow a mysterious map drawn in blood by a 16th-century Portuguese explorer, the journey to the fabled Mines bestows amazing roles upon the trio. From being hailed as white men from the stars with magical capabilities, to donning the role of warriors fighting bravely for the rights of a usurped king, this tale is fascinating because it does not rely solely on a secret horde of precious stones. The journey itself is a great adventure.

As far as the characters that make up this journey, while we do, in essence, follow hunter Allan Quatermain, aristocrat Sir Henry Curtis and sailor Captain Good, for me, this was not necessarily "their" story. I felt this was more of a saga about Kukuanaland, and the story of what happened to the different people that lived in, or visited, its mysterious lands. The strange travellers on a doomed mission, the shameful secret of a murdered king, the heartbreaking loyalties of a rescued maiden, the united bravery of a rebellion uprising ... this story belongs to each and every one of them.

I do however have to make a special mention of "immortal" Gagool. Chief advisor to the king, witch hunter of the land, and armed with uncanny powers of prophecy, her character is as unique as it is a powerful presence in this tale. Additionally, it is she who brings this fascinating tale to a close by leading the three protagonists on the final leg of their journey into the mines, the secret location being known to her alone. Carved deep inside a mountain, the stunning mines - as much a storehouse of treasures, as a homage to past rulers of the land - present a whole new journey fraught equally with extreme risk and reward.

At one point, during the war, it is said of the battle: "Now it seemed to be a love song, now a majestic swelling war chant..." - I can actually say that of this entire story.

Book Review: “Along Came a Spider”

by James Patterson.

The first novel in the ‘Alex Cross’ series, this story follows the forensic psychologist as he works on two cases: that of a brutal murder of two women and a child, and a high profile kidnapping of two children from an exclusive private school. Totally unrelated at first, the story soon leads us to one common factor: the brilliantly psychotic Gary Soneji.

Other than the smooth reading, what kept my interest consistently alive was the fact that every time a mystery was solved or a plot point concluded, something new came up. Quite early on in the story, we are introduced to the perpetrator and his grand plans; and even while I was wondering what was left to read, the story revealed yet another dramatic turn of events.

I did not care for the two biggest relationships in this story - that of Alex Cross and his grandmother, and that of Alex Cross and Jezzie Flannagan, the head of the missing children's Secret Service detail. Both seemed to be written by someone who was not comfortable discussing relationships and had to resort to clichés to tell that part of the story. Only the fact that one of them is integral to the story, made me keep reading through those sections.

Other than that small hitch, this was a great story told really well - moving rapidly from morbid obsessions to brutal murders, from hypnosis sessions to unlikely witnesses ... with some really surprising twists.

Book Review: “I Sing the Body Electric! & Other Stories”

by Ray Bradbury.

While perhaps not in the same ilk as The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles, this collection of short stories nevertheless showcases exactly why Bradbury is the master of presenting the most basic human emotions even in the most extra terrestrial settings, while all the time creating sheer poetry with his words.

For its pure awesome factor, "Tomorrow's Child" really impressed me. Malfunctioning birthing equipment leads a couple's baby to be born in a different dimension. All communication - and in fact their very images - become completely distorted in translation from one dimension to the other; the baby appears as a blue pyramid to its parents, while they appear no more than opaque whitish rectangles to the new-born. This is what a new family has to deal with, sitting on either side of the fence of two dimensions. This was in fact the only story where I badly wanted to know what happened after the story ended.

"Night Call, Collect" is a brilliant journey into a solitary human mind stranded in an empty town in Mars. A clever invention to ward off boredom quickly descends into madness, as a lonely old man comes into contact with innumerable versions of his younger self and each contact becomes a taunting reminder of all that was loved and lost. By the time the final denouement is presented, reality is no more a concrete concept.

As a reader, but even more as a writer, "Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby's Is a Friend of Mine" touched me very deeply. This is the tale of a stranger who appears in a small town, and introduces himself as Charles Dickens. As he sets about "writing" the famous works of Dickens, he is - with the exception of a young boy - labelled a fraud by the entire town. What happened in his life that led him to assuming that name and that role? And what happened the day he met Emily Dickinson in a library?!

I also really liked "Downwind from Gettysburg", a brilliant take on the assassination of Lincoln, questioning the underlying motives behind some history-changing acts; "Punishment Without Crime" a superb expose on a society that cares so much about appearances, that a man is sentenced to death for play acting a murder; and "I Sing the Body Electric!", the story of a robotic grandmother who is assigned to a family that has recently lost a member in a tragic accident.

Bradbury's world may take place on a different planet or in a different dimension, but he always, always explores what it is to be lonely, to be afraid, to be eaten by guilt and consumed by regret ... to live from one moment to the other on the strength of hope alone.

Book Review: “Library of Souls” (Book 3: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children)

by Ransom Riggs.

This concluding book certainly makes up for the boring second instalment of the Miss Peregrine series!

Travelling through London, this adventure comes to a stop at the slums of Devil’s Acre, a vile corner of Victorian England. Here is where we meet the magical Mother Dust, the mysterious Sharon, and the quirky Bentham. And here is where we go back and forth in time, and in and out of different parts of the world as the mission takes Jacob and Emma from the legendary library of souls through the integrated time loop system. Although at times it felt like things fell too conveniently into place, I enjoyed this book.

Overall this series contained a very good idea at its core, with some interesting characters and some very cool fantasy and action sequences (although there really wasn't enough material to stretch it into three books).

Book Review: “Hollow City” (Book 2: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children)

by Ransom Riggs.

Hmm. Well. Actually there's not much that can be said about this second book in the "Peculiar Children" series of adventures. From Miss Peregrine’s island, the rescue mission now takes the children to London. This entire book is all about the children running from one spot to another, away from hollows and wights, whilst meeting lots of other peculiar children along the way.

On the plus side we meet a few interesting peculiars gifted with everything from telekinesis to indestructibility. On the minus side however, it was just that one thing repeated over and over again throughout the book. (Also, for a rare - even dying - species, the peculiars were surprisingly abundant throughout London).

There was one twist in the tale towards the very end - but I honestly cannot say that that made up for the ordinary narrative that preceded it.

When all was said and done, I enjoyed "Tales of the Peculiar" (one of the books published in the Peculiardom) more, in fact, than the main story.

Book Review: “Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children”

by Ransom Riggs.

Okay, let me start with my conclusion. Based on the book's cover and the excerpt, I was expecting a scary story with creepy characters. It is not. And that was a little disappointing. However, once I was past that, it was still a good fantasy tale.

His grandfather's tales of his childhood and a collection of old photographs, take 16-year-old Jacob to a large abandoned orphanage in Wales. Jacob barely steps into a world out of time, before he is introduced to a group of "children" with very unusual talents, and faced with the very unearthly threat of soul-sucking hollowgasts. Armed with a newly discovered "peculiar" power of his own, and supported by a range of talents from making fire, to floating, to invisibility, Jacob embarks on a great rescue mission.

I thought that the concept of the time loop was fantastic, and I really liked the unique characters that make up this tale. (Although I really cannot say I was enamoured by Jacob and Emma's relationship; regardless of what she looks like, she is around 100 years old, and she did have a relationship with his grandfather).

One last observation; I think if the characters were closer to 9-10 years of age, it would have made more sense - within the world and outside: both the children's actions and the narrative style seem to point to a younger cast and a younger audience.

Still, overall, an enjoyable story.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Night Eternal” (Book 3: The Strain Trilogy)

by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

This final book of The Strain trilogy is set in a world where the Master has successfully created a nuclear winter, and most humans - what little is left of them - live as slaves to the vampires.

While Fet and Gus continue to be the heroes of this story, this book also prominently features the fascinating life of Mr. Quinlan. Through interludes describing his fascinating history dating back to 40 AD, and narratives revealing his true purpose in life, it is now that we really get to know him. Eph - who I really wasn't that impressed by, even though he is clearly positioned as the main protagonist of this tale - does finally redeem himself in the final moments of this fight. Nora goes from somewhat useless to excessively annoying. And why Zach is the "chosen one" is never explained ... there is a weak 1-sentence attempt at an explanation, but that may have made it worse than just leaving it as an illogical plot point. Oh, and whatever happened to the Space Station that we very, very briefly visited some time back? Like the character of Phade, that was a good idea that went nowhere.

Generally speaking, while the first book was really good, and the second more of a placeholder, overall, I have mixed feelings about this final book. I liked the fast-paced action and the broad scope of the story that takes us to so many different areas where different people are seen to cope with this calamity in different ways. What I really did not like at all, was the concluding narrative where the authors walk us through the Bible and talk about God, and Sodom and Gomorrah, and what happened to Ozryel, and how Gabriel and Michael eventually return him to Heaven... The Strain had started on a scientific premise, basing vampirism on a hitherto undiscovered virus. How that became a story about god and the angels and heaven and hell, defies all explanation and good storytelling.

Still, overall, an interesting read - with some of the more interesting characters I have read about. For ultimately this is a story driven mainly by characters. The heroism of Abraham Setrakian, the villainy of Eldritch Palmer, the bravery of Augustin Elizalde, the loyalty of Vasiliy Fet, the unique story of Gabriel Bolivar, the fascinating saga of Mr. Quinlan ... it is their acts of bravery and their moments of cowardice, that ultimately creates this world of The Strain.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Fall” (Book 2: The Strain Trilogy)

by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

Things slow down considerably in this second novel in The Strain Trilogy. Where discovery of a new threat and its gradual takeover of the world is a natural foundation of storytelling, repetition of the same events and situations in a second book just makes it boring.

Regardless, the characters that had been established as the key players in this war against deadly vampires, continue to shine in this book. Setrakian's quest for the Occido Lumen, an ancient book that contains the secret for defeating the vampires and Fet, whose common sense, street smarts and bravery make him a perfect ally for any mission, were my two favourites in this book too. Gus, recruited as the vampire's "day hunter" forms a team comprising such memorable characters as Silver Angel. The luchador whose glory days are far behind him, has one of the more heroic and memorable moments in this tale. Even Eph appears to be set to take on a more active role in the coming days.

While the majority of this book was rather slow, the final scenes - including the ride in the Amtrak train and the confrontation between Setrakian and the Master in the nuclear power plant - were brilliant. Fast-paced and exciting, they changed events around quite a bit, and paved the way for an exciting final installment.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Strain”

by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

Starting with the legend of Jusef Sardu, the Polish nobleman who suffered from gigantism and met with some mysterious fate in Romania, this first installment in The Strain Trilogy tells the story of the horror that crosses continents in its terrifying mission to rule the world.

From the moment the dead airplane arrives at JFK International Airport right after an occultation, and all but 4 passengers are found inexplicably dead, the tension in the creepy atmosphere grips you and never lets go. Truly there are moments when the very air stops, yet the darkness keeps moving.

Led by Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather, a Director at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with the discovery of a mysterious box in cargo, the theory of a deadly virus is considered. And as the Strigoi slowly takes over, we see the beginnings of the slow eradication of humankind, as handfuls and then large groups of people fall victim to a yet unheard of "disease".

As far as characters are concerned, of course the hero of this tale is Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian. Working at a nondescript pawnshop, we are slowly introduced to his life, his history and his ultimate mission. It is through him that we learn about the 7 Ancients, and the one rebel among them - the Master. And it is his decades of knowledge that puts together a plan that has any hopes of victory, and a group that has any hope of carrying his crusade through to its end.

Greatest in this group is exterminator Vasily Fet. Called in to inspect a rat attack in an upscale home, it is Fet who carries out his own inspection, and it is Fet who tracks down Eph and proves to be a fantastic asset as he transforms his knowledge of vermin living in the dark to this fight against the vampires.

Surprisingly, even though the author clearly positions Eph as the protagonist - we do follow him around right from the beginning - he was really not a very impressive person. An ordinary human at best, and a cliched divorcé at worst, his story was too insipid for him to be the hero of a vampire novel.

The sinister tone that was set up in that tiny kitchen where a grandmother told her grandson the story of the monster that goes pic.. pic.. pic... never lets up. Six foot stingers that zap out of the mouth and drain human blood while white parasitic worms take over the corpse and turn it into a vampire that will continue the cycle... This is not a story about your average pretty boy vampire from Twilight. Harking back to the concept of the vampire as created by Bram Stoker, this is true terror.

Rashmi bookmarks “Dying of the Light”

by George R. R. Martin.

Set on the rogue planet of Worlorn, this is a tale of a planet moving in Space towards its inevitable death, of planetary cultures that came together for a brief time, only to then drift towards their eventual annihilation.

As awesome as the setting of this story was, unfortunately far too much time was spent on the personal relationships of a few characters - which immediately loses me as a reader who really has limited patience for love stories in science fiction!

Here lies endless Space. Here spins the brilliant Wheel of Fire. Here is a planet that is being pulled closer towards a cold and dark region of space where no life can ever again survive. Here is a world built with the express purpose of celebrating the cultures of 14 different planetary systems. Here lie stones with the power to retain memories and relay messages. Here are cities where everything from taxi service to acquiring citizenship is fully automated ...

Yet, here we are, for the most part, pondering over the break-up of (the very weak) Dirk t'Larien and (the very annoying) Gwen Delvano. Actually I found the "secondary" characters way more interesting than the main protagonists - they had a richer story to tell, with their unique culture and code of behaviour.

Still, for a first novel, Martin certainly created an undoubtedly fascinating world.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Confession”

by John Grisham.

1998. An abduction of a high school cheerleader. A black boy who happens to be in the same school. Oh, and this is a small town in Texas.

After spending nine years in prison, wrongly convicted for a crime he had nothing to do with, Donté Drumm is just days away from his execution, when serial rapist Travis Boyette comes forward and confesses to the crime. Set against the backdrop of a rotting legal and judicial system, this story is a mad race against time as a few good people, led by advocate Robbie Flak, frantically attempt to set matters right.

The story - desperately heartbreaking at times, wonderfully victorious at others - was beautiful. A fast-paced narrative added that element of swift page-turning that a story like this demanded. Adding to this were some truly memorable characters; the dramatic Reeva Pike, whose greatest desire appears to turn her tragedy into popular reality television; Keith Schroeder, the Lutheran pastor, whose desire to be good and do good is put to the ultimate test the day a criminal shows up on his doorstep confessing to a rape and murder that someone else is on death row for; and of course lawyer Robbie Flak who faces perhaps the greatest trial of his life as he fights for justice in a town steeped in bias and injustice.

A great story that left me alternately happy, angry, and very sad.

Rashmi bookmarks “Neverwhere”

by Neil Gaiman.

Away from his home and family in Scotland, Richard Mayhew is trying to make a life for himself in London. Other than a dull job and an overbearing girlfriend, London has not granted him any of the fantastic dreams he had hoped to realize. Enter Door. In saving a severely injured young girl who appears out of nowhere, Richard is sent on a mission to find the Marquis de Carabas, the only man who can help Door. And just like that, along with him, we fall through the cracks of this world and enter the unbelievable world of London Below.

With “Neverwhere”, Neil Gaiman sets us off on a magical quest for life in an underground land of death, disease, murder, mayhem, and all things truly, truly fantastical. We deal with Rat-Speakers. We make our way through the terrifying Night's Bridge. We meet the legendary Hunter. We appear at the bizarre Earl's Court. We take vampires for guides. We test our mettle at ordeals set by Black Friars. We visit the unique Floating Market. We are visited by an Angel ... And in all this, we are constantly running away from the horrific duo of paid assassins, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar.

An overwhelmed Richard wants to get back to his ordinary boring life; Door is on a mission to find out why her family was murdered; Hunter wants to kill the Great Beast of London. Gaiman adds to his usual world of fantasy, a touch of the mysterious, as the tale weaves in and out of the labyrinthine underbelly of London, through several twists and turns and surprise revelations, as varied characters with vastly different goals join forces in that weird underground world.

“He had gone beyond the world of metaphor and simile, into the place of things that are...” Richard Mayhew's speechless reaction upon first discovering London Below is precisely my reaction - each and every time - to the wonderful world of Neil Gaiman.

Rashmi bookmarks “Gone Girl”

by Gillian Flynn.

Narrated alternately by Nick and Amy - either by means of relating present accounts, or by means of recounting the past - this is the story of a married couple and the mysterious disappearance of one of them.

Let me sum up my thoughts on this book in 4 short sentences:

1. Amy Elliott Dunne is one of the most irritating characters of all time. Reading those diary entries was sheer torture, and after a point I was skimming through most of it.

2. There is no payoff to this unnecessarily long book; things happen, and then they stop happening.

3. This does not fall in the crime / mystery genre - it is a psychological study of two people; and while neither of them is typical of the sex they represent, neither is unique or interesting enough to warrant such a detailed study.

4. There are stories which are based on a great idea but are expressed poorly. There are stories with generic ideas at the core, but are narrated so beautifully that one feels compelled to keep reading anyway. And then there are books which are simple both in content and execution. This was one of them.

There's not really much else I can add to this review. I didn't abandon it, so I suppose there was some level of interest that the author kept alive, to see me through to the end. Perhaps if someone could have edited out about 200 or so pages - preferably from the first half, it might have made for an interesting read.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Cuckoo’s Calling”

by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling).

The first novel in the Cormoran Strike series of detective novels, this investigation of a model's death takes us to the flashy world of multimillionaire movie producers, socialites and rock-stars.

In following up on the suicide of famous supermodel Lula Landry, we are introduced to an extremely wide range of characters from a homeless woman to a famous rapper to an eccentric designer. And for me, this was the highlight of the narrative. First we get a description of the clothes. Then come the mannerisms. Then they start speaking ... and slowly the characters come to life. The driver. The security guard. The make up girl. The store assistant. The poor birth mother. The rich adoptive mother. The actor. The model. I really felt like I was watching these characters move and speak.

I also really liked Cormoran Strike and his "temporary" secretary Robin - both individually, as well as their relationship. Robin's fast-paced, clever means of follow up formed such a perfect foil to Strike's slow but tenacious unearthing of clues.

The plot itself was generic. Very early on, I had correctly predicted who the perpetrator was, and I attribute that to a very standard mystery.

Still, it was an enjoyable read. Despite the simple plot not once did I feel the reading to be a drag.

Rashmi bookmarks “Death Note”

Written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.

There are murder mysteries where no one knows the killer and both the investigator and the public slowly follow the clues and in the end figure out what is going on. Then there are murder mysteries where the reader knows who the killer is and in a cleverly written way, events - and the reasoning behind them - unfold. And then there is "Death Note" where both the investigator and the killer know each other and are working together to catch the killer, while the reader waits to see who will win.

Welcome to the fantastic world of Light (Raito) Yagami, whose accidental discovery of the "Death Note" - a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it - starts an unprecedented rush of events, most fascinating amongst which are the appearance of a shinigami (god of death) called Ryuk, and a brilliant battle of wits with "L", a world-famous detective.

Light's journey starts with a truly well-meaning desire to rid the world of its criminals. But right and wrong start to blur, when he appoints himself as "the god of the new world" with the creation of that utopia. Enter "L". And this is what I found the most fascinating aspect of this series: I loved how equally brilliant the two characters were - I loved that each person was immediately able to figure out the other's thinking almost to the point of being able to predict the other's moves. And I loved how - unlike average crime / mystery tales - this narrative did not hide the denouement till the final point of the grand finale. All tricks and plans are played and counter-played throughout this saga, and that made for a very exciting read.

Although, without a question Light and L are two of the stronger characters I have ever come across, I found it fascinating that this was not a story only about the one good guy and the one bad guy. The stories of many characters, with multiple layers, were woven in and out of the narrative. Their relationships added yet another dimension to the story. Light and his shinigami Ryuk; Misa and her shinigami Rem; TV host Kiyomi Takada and devout "Kira" follower Teru Mikami; heirs Near and Mello... With the possible exception of Misa Amane, who tended to get a little annoying at times, each and every character in this story was strong, fascinating and so unique.

Showcased through the actions - and their far-reaching results - of the two main protagonists, Death Note is also a great comment on society, its beliefs, its stand on right and wrong, good and evil. One of the marks of great writing is, in my opinion, its ability to present characters and/or a point of view, in such shades of grey as to have the reader constantly oscillate between admiring and loathing a character, constantly arguing for or against the stand, and never being able to put an easy, permanent label on any one. And that is exactly what this series does.

Also, for a narrative that spreads across 12 volumes, the action was quite fast paced throughout. Told through cleverly inserted flashbacks, there were some truly brilliant "reveal" moments. If there was one time where I felt the story to be lagging a bit, it had to do with events at Yotsuba Group. While the events at that organisation were an integral part of the story, I felt that at times the story lingered around the building and its people, and lost some of its power. A lag, however, that was more than picked up by the concluding events at Sakura TV and the follow-up events, leading to the conclusion at Yellow Box Warehouse; which were some more exciting concluding action scenes I have ever read.

I do have to say that I was a little disappointed with the conclusion insofar as it had just a touch of the didactic - which was more of an anti climax when you consider the brilliant storytelling that had preceded it. Still, overall, a fantastic read.

Oh, and this was my first Manga, so I have no frame of reference, but I thought the art was awesome. In some cases, the illustrations carried the story forward even in a complete absence of words, and that was pretty cool.

(Yes I realize this is an extra long review, but, like I just said, it was my first ever Manga and I did not feel like editing my reactions!)