The Guide by R K Narayan

Author: R. K. Narayan

Price: 100/-

Pages: 247

My Rating: 5/5

Story:

This is narrated alternating between past and present of the protagonist, Raju.

Present:

After the release of the Raju from the jail after two years, because of few incidents the villagers consider him as a Swami and will start worshipping him. Though Raju couldn't bear the expectations of the villagers, he decides to take the Swami role to lead his life in comfort. 

Past:

Raju was born and brought up in Malgudi, is a popular tourist guide. One day a person visits the village along with his wife, Rosie, who is a Bharatha Natyam enthusiast but kept her interest aside because of her husband. Swami meets them at the railway station, and gets attracted towards Rosie from the moment he saw her. He arranges everything for their stay and guides the couple to various places. Meanwhile, the bond between Raju and Rosie strengthens.   

Did Raju get his dream girl, who was already married ?

Did Rosie pursue her interest in dance ?

How did the relation of Raju with Rosie turn into ?

What changes did their relation brought in both of their lives ? 

How did Rosie's husband react ?

Did Raju's interest in Rosie lasted till the end ?

Why did Raju land in jail ?

How did Raju's life as a Swami proceeded ?

My Opinion: 

This book will make us forget everything and take us through a mesmerising journey along with the story, filled with emotions, nail biting situations, leaving us in a trance even after reading the book. 

The way R. K. Narayan narrated the story, the way he formed the sentences, the way he infused the humour, the way he portrayed the emotions of the protagonist, the way he described situations and surroundings, the way he build the suspense till the end..everything is magical.

Conclusion:

Do not miss this book.

"The Sense Of an Ending" by Julian Barnes

Author: Julian Barnes.

  

Publisher: Vintage Books.

  

Price: Rs.499 (Hard Cover) and Rs.299 (Paperback)

  

Pages: 150

My Rating: 5/5

Masterpiece – is the right word to describe this Booker Prize Winner “The Sense Of An Ending” by Julian Barnes.

Blurb:

Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they would navigate the girl-less sixth form together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they all swore to stay friends for life.

Now Tony is in middle age. He’s had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. He’s certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer’s letter is about to prove.

My opinion:

Tony, sixty years old, divorced in middle age, living alone maintaining a friendly relation with his ex-wife, is the protagonist of this novel (or you may call novella). The book starts with Tony’s memories in school and then in college with his friends Colin, Alex and Adrian. He recollects how his relation with Veronica, his girl friend in college, and with Adrian ended after introducing Veronica to his friends one day.

While Tony was leading a peaceful life in his old age, he receives a letter, from a lawyer, which again pokes his forgotten memories. The letter says that Veronica’s mother left a small amount of money for him after her death. This issue leads Tony to the facts that happened in the past, which he never even dreamt of.

Read the book to know...What is the thing that Tony came to know?? Is that letter just about money left to him or does it have anything else with it?? Why did Veronica’s mother leave money to Tony?? What happened to Adrian’s life?? 

Some of the lines I liked are…

• When we are young we invent different futures for ourselves; when we are old we invent different pasts for others. 
• If you want to make people pay attention to your voice you don’t raise your voice but lower it: that is what really commands.
• Most of us make an instinctive decision, then build up an infrastructure of reasoning to justify it.
• Marriage is a long dull meal with the pudding served first.
• Reward of merit is not life’s business.
• The less time there remains in your life, the less time you want to waste it.
• History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.

I picked this one seeing the beautiful cover page and the “Man Booker Prize Winner" tag. Though the story is waferthin the author beautifully portrayed the minute emotions of an old person.This will leave you wanting for more. 

The Author will take the reader on a journey deep into Tony's memories and his reflections on them. Each and every sentence in the book has prose, purpose and adds value to the story. The book starts as a collection of memories of an old person but picks up pace and ends in thriller style.

Conclusion:

Insightful. Unputdownable. Go for this. Worth reading again and again. Enjoy. 

You can get the paperback on Flipkart for just Rs.224 here and hard cover for Rs.349 here.

God Save The Dork - Review

Author: Sidin Vadukut

Publisher: Penguin India

Price: 199/-

My Rating: 4/5

'God Save The Dork' is a sequel to Dork:The Incredible Adventures Of Robin 'Einstein' Varghese

After the voicemail scandal in the first part, Robin ‘Einstein’ Varghese, the protagonist, was promoted in Dufresne. The story of this book was set up in London where Robin was in the Dufresne's team working for their client, Lederman.

This is a hilarious account of how Robin strives to deliver his best in every situation thinking-on-his-feet but ends up doing something stupid. The satires on consultancy field and humour on office culture are continued even in this book like in the previous one.

Robin’s attempts to get the attention of a beautiful chinky intern, difficulties in helping Sugandh (who cannot even prepare his own biodata) to get a job, Raveena Tandon madness, experience with British museums, jealousy on his college mate Rahul Gupta who is now VP of Dufresne, out-of-box thinking to maintain the relation between Dufresne and Lederman, humiliation because of the microphones, his demanding girl friend, office scandal in the end...Oh wait I forgot to mention about ‘Project Mohanlal’ – ROFL...ultimate mallu comedy.

With Sidin's unique style of writing, this book is witty right from the page one. There is also an element of suspense as the story proceeds. The ending is far better than the previous book.

I don’t want this Dork series to end with just three books. Waiting for the next one.

Overall a rib-tickling work, as expected. 

About the Author: Sidin Vadukut is an engineer from NIT Trichy and graduate from IIMA. Currently a columnist and editor with the business newspaper MINT and also a cricket columnist for www.cricinfo.com

You can order your copy on flipkart here for 129/-  and on infibeam for 119/- here