The Magical World of Classics-- Heidi

I begin with my fortnightly feature on Classics today.

The first is one of my All Time Favourite classics since Childhood --- "Heidi" written by Johanna Spyri.

It is the story of a little girl named Adelheid, fondly called Heidi, who is an orphan and lives with her Aunt Detie in Germany, until one day when her Aunt decides to take up a lucrative Job offer. Taking up this new job means little time to look after Heidi and so Diete decides to leave Heidi with her formidable and gloomy Grandfather who lives in the pretty little Swiss town of Mayenfeld.

As Heidi begins adjusting to her new life in the Alps, the readers are transported into the delightful and innocent world of children, where everything is harmless and beautiful.

Read this book to experience the beauty of the Swiss Alps and to re-live your carefree childhood days.

Even today whenever I read "Heidi", I find myself wishing that my life was as simple as Heidi's, where every morning would begin with the Fir trees whispering against my windows and I would spend my whole day playing with my pet goats in the mountains having bread and cheese for lunch and dinner (:

Written originally in German, way back in 1880, Heidi was later (thankfully!!) translated into English and continues to mesmerize readers the world over even today.

It is also available as an E-book, legally :)

Download Heidi here : http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1448

Last Words: This one is a sure shot stress buster and after effects of reading Heidi include a temptation to eat cheese at every given opportunity and wanting to run away to the Swiss Alps by the first flight available. Enjoy!!

The Magical World of Classics--- Coming Soon!!

If "Booorriiinnggg" is the only thing that comes to your mind when I say classics…. Then worry not, Bookworm is coming to your rescue.

Yes, along with my monthly feature of "Book of the month" I am starting with a new feature on classics.

Erm...Why classics? Arent they long, tedious, full of difficult phrases??

I rather say Why Not?

Classics, unlike the regular books, are the purest form of literature. Be it a tragedy like Hamlet, a comedy like Don Quixote or a romance like Gone with the Wind, these were the original stories and reading them will make you realise that all the books we read now are in one way or the other a little inspired from these classics.

We live in a world that is getting increasingly simplified, be it our language or our modern day literature. And Classics ensure that we remain in touch with our roots.

And most importantly, classics have been loved by all the generations, the characters have been immortalised (Even kids will know who were Romeo and Juliet), and they have survived the test of time. What more proof would be needed to say that these classics are some of the best books available for us??

So... are you ready to enter the Magical World of Classics with me?

You Know You're a Bookworm When.....

1. Your idea of a perfect date begins at The Crossword Book Store, browsing for books and ends up on the couch… discussing books.

1. You have a tendency to quote randomly from the latest book that you have read or are reading… For Example: when you see Palak (spinach) for dinner you say "It is silliness to eat, when to eat is a torment"

1. You have the habit of noticing grammatical errors while people are speaking and you love to correct them, even if in return you get whacked on the head with your own book.

1. You judge people by the kind of books they read: Chetan Bhagat/Sidney Sheldon readers = The Easy Going ones, Management Books readers = The Workaholics, Shakespeare/Jane Austen/Classics Readers = The Intense, Dreamy ones, Non readers = The Losers

1. You will take it PERSONALLY if you hear even complete strangers saying "Oh books are so BORING!!"

1. In all probabilities, the only serious hobby you have had in your life is "Reading".

1. Nine out of Ten times, you wear glasses… atleast reading glasses.

1. If you ever realise that there is a certain book that you STILL HAVE NOT READ… you will die of misery and embarrassment.

1. When you are moving to a new house, you will pack your books in bubble wrap and write "Fragile, handle with care" on the box.

1. According to you mishandling a book is a heinous crime and all offenders should be made to serve in a library for lifetime.

1. Your circle of friends include the staff at your favourite bookstore, the friendly book-wallah on Dadar Station and your raddi-wallah who gives you second hand books for free.

1. You are so crazy about books that in spite of all the constructive things you could have done with your free time, all you will do is start a blog dedicated to books and write about books till the time everyone around you gets nauseous and starts puking at the slightest mention of the "B- Word".

Book Review-- Keep off the Grass

When Chetan Bhagat wrote Five Point Someone, it started a trend of sorts about the "me too an IIT/IIM alumnus" genre of books.

At the first look, "Keep Off the Grass" too comes across as something similar.

Yes it is about a guy who is stuck in the IIM. And yes, just like Bhagat's famous trio of Hari, Alok and Ryan, even our protoganist here isn't really great when it comes to grades. But that is exactly where, thankfully, the similarity ends and that's what sets this book apart from all those IIT alumni novels!

Keep Off the Grass, the debut novel of Karan Bajaj, takes us on a whirlwind journey from the plush offices of Goldman Sachs in Wall street to the mystic ghats of Benares.

It is the story of Samrat Ratan, a 25 year old investment banker from wall street who earns a paycheck of a quarter million a month. Though he has achieved all that he could ever ask for, the feeling of being lost in a crowd refuses to go.

That's when he decides to quit his job, go back to India and enroll in a business school while also planning to search for the ever elusive thing called Happiness and Contentment in the land of a million Gods.

Philosophical, with a dash of wicked humour, I finished reading the book at one go. Yes, it is that engrossing :)

The one Flipside of this book is that since it was published way after "Five Point Someone", there are bound to be comparisons all the time. It does not help that some parts of the story, a few lines are eerily similar too.

What works for this book, though, is that Karan Bajaj is extremely unpretentious when it comes to writing and unlike Chetan Bhagat, does not use too many colloquial terms and saves himself from the disgrace of being called an author with bad grammar!

Also another plus point is the complete absence of a love angle, and believe me it is so utterly refreshing for once to read a book that just STICKS to its main plot and does not waver with unnecessary complications :)

My Verdict: Keep Off the Grass is recommended for all those lost souls out there who are searching for a purpose in life. Also for those who love a little dose of wacky philosophy every now and then. Go enjoy!

Book Review -- Everyone Worth Knowing

There is a certain pattern that is followed in almost all the chick-lit novels which I have read so far. There is a girl next door who works someplace cool, like a fashion house, or a glamorous PR Agency. She has a close gal-pal, she meets prince charming, they fall in love, something goes wrong--- like a miniscule fight/misunderstanding/social misfit problems, and then just as the girl is about to lose hope, everything comes together, and she and the guy live happily (not necessarily ever after though!!)

This is a tried and tested formula, and also a tiring way to write a novel, because everything is simply so predictable about the book!!

But yet, there is something adorably endearing about the way Lauren Weisberger creates this story, that makes me want to give this book a 3.5/5 :)

For starters, "Everyone Worth Knowing" is the story of Bette Robinson, who after slogging away for 5 years in a thankless banking job, quits the job in a fit of rebellion. Just when she is finally adjusting to her new life of unemployment, she is hired by Kelly & Co. thanks to her famous writer uncle.

At Kelly & Co. all Bette has to do is plan parties, party hard, check out new places and yes, get paid for it too. During one such drunken party, Bette is snapped with a notorious Playboy and from then on, all hell breaks loose, threatening to affect not only Bette's personal life and reputation, but also her parents, best friend and her boyfriend.

The book moves at an even pace, taking the reader on a colorful joyride of the New York high life; right into the world of models, socialites, playboys, members only clubs… and drugs, lies, backstabbing and utter lack of ethics.

The author etches the characters in the novel with astonishing honesty. You can identify with Bette's desperation and can feel your blood boil at Abby's viciousness!!

It does manage to keep the reader engaged, but the book kind of gets a little tedious somewhere in the middle. And this is the only flipside of the book.

I would highly recommend this one for all the chick-lit addicts out there, and also to the first time readers who want to start with something light and breezy :)

Word of caution: Serious Bibliophiles might get a strong feeling of abandoning this book mid-way, so watch out!!

My verdict: 3.5/5… Thumbs' up for this one :)

Book Review-- The Tales of Beedle the Bard

In the year 1999, the British publication house Bloomsbury, published the first book written by a completely unknown, many times rejected, first time Author, who went by the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

That book, and its consequent parts, went on to create the biggest storm that the literary world has seen till date, and JK Rowling, as she is popularly known as, gave us Harry Potter.

This brief background, I feel is necessary before I start reviewing "The Tales of Beedle the Bard".

The Tales of Beedle the Bard first finds a mention in the last installment of the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The complete book was released sometime after the last book.

The book contains 5 different fairy tales, popular in the wizarding community, each with different magical characters, and with a moral at the end ---- much like our "Muggle" fairy tales.

Let me get straight to the point: The stories are delightful, a little sinister, but quite enjoyable and will even make the reader a little nostalgic as Dumbledore, Hogwarts and quite a few old terms like Animagus, Inferi, The Unforgivable Curses find a mention in these 5 tales.

But honestly, a "non Harry Potter" person will feel lost and left out while reading this book.

The Potter fans on the other hand will not be disappointed, because The Tales of Beedle the Bard is quintessential Rowling with her brilliant imagination, playful humour and gripping plots.

My Verdict: Strictly for the Harry Potter Fanclub :)

Book of the Month-- March

"It has frowzy hair and blue eyes, and looks like a reptile" So said Eve, the first time she saw Adam.

Written by Mark Twain way back in 1905, my Book of the Month for March is Eve's Dairy. Though a short story, of about 42 pages, this book comes across as a very interesting and engrossing read, mainly because Twain wrote it as a first person account of Eve, the first woman to live on Earth, in the beautiful Eden.

Full of subtle but clever humour, this book initially seems as if it is a candid confession of Eve, about her ever changing feelings for Adam, the discovery of Fire, how she thinks the world is a mess because "There are too many stars in one place, and too less in others" and how she would love to eat those Beautiful albeit Forbidden Apples.

But read it a second time, and you will see how Mark Twain has effortlessly explained the complexities of the "Man- Woman Relationship".

Tender and amusing, you will find yourself falling in love with Eve's innocence, her mindless babble and her vain efforts to understand Adam.

Towards the end, Adam too gets to speak his mind, which he does most eloquently at the grave of Eve: "Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden."

Last words: This is one compelling read. Do not miss out on this one :)