Book Review - Sputnik Sweetheart

See, I told you I loved the book. So much that I've written a stiff formalish book review. Not my usual practice, but what the hell.

Sputnik Sweetheart – Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami’s delicately written, mysterious novel ‘Sputnik Sweetheart’ is a fascinating and surreal read. This was the first book I read by him, and after ages I was transported by a book so much that it was unconsciously always playing in my mind and everything I did, had a shadow of the book over it.

A young Japanese school teacher narrates this story about his beloved, eccentric friend Sumire, who yearns to write and lives a careless and ‘beatnik’ existence. He is secretly in love with her, but she loves him not, and instead, she falls in love with a woman 17 years older than her.

This new love with a woman transforms Sumire, and throws her into a ‘new fictional setting,’ one she is unfamiliar with, and not used to. But her love for Mui is overwhelming, and Sumire changes into a neat, clean and suddenly feminine person and suddenly finds that she can’t write anything.

She travels to Europe with Mui, and on a Greek island, mysteriously disappears into smoke – without the slightest trace.

Our narrator is then sought out by Mui for help, and travels to Greece to help trace Sumire. In Greece, he experiences something surreal, and discovers things about Sumire, Mui, and himself that is as complete an answer and as enigmatic a question as any.

This book is an exquisite story about loss, and loneliness, and love, and discovery. Murakami’s style and words leave strong images and designs in your head that stick, and leave you with a mix of hope and surreal wonder.

Quote from a book

Reading my birthday gift - Sputnik Sweetheart, by Haruki Murakami, nice read.

Quite interesting actually, and here's a part I just came across and liked:

"Any explanation or logic that explains everything so easily has a hidden trap in it. I'm speaking from experience. Somebody once said if it's something a single book can explain, it's not worth having explained."

Shame that it's a translation though... don't think a translation can ever do full justice.

The Pure Truth

Sometimes you get hit by what is called the Truth of life. I just got hit by one. It's quite a nice feeling. Everything makes sense, for a few minutes, before the lies of the world take over again.

The one that just hit me, and it's hit me many times before, only this time I'm sitting in front of my computer, is easy to understand.

The truth is a sentiment that was also put to words by Dumbledore in a book, (I'm not Potter obsessed right now, just mentioning the source) - it goes:

The person you are depend on the choices you make.

Or something in more meaningful words. But man, its profound. And goddamn true, maybe you know it too, or maybe you don't, yet.

Orkut kills?

My eyes are filled with tears as I write this. Because a 16 year old boy has been killed for God alone knows what reason. It's all over the news, and the horrid thing is imagining the lives of everyone involved.

The family, and also, the boys who've been arrested. They are murderers. They shouldn't be.

Cyber crime is now rising in my country, and people will blame the internet, and of course, networking websites like Orkut and Facebook.

And while I disagree with the angry hate for Orkut, I'm saddened by how we're all possible prey to cyber crime. Only because there are people with hate, and people who're caught in unfortunate ideas and obsessions. I don't know what makes them do it, and I'm sure nor do they.

I can't explain. It is tragic.

Google Analytics

Do you have a blog? Or own a website? Do you want to know how many visits you had, from which country (and city) and how long they stayed on your page?

Or maybe you'd be interested in knowing where they found your blog, or how many of your visitors left your page in 1 second.

Or maybe you'd like to know that they searched for 'kitten stuck on roof' and were led to your page.

Try Google Analytics. Tells you all this, and more. And keeps you occupied when you have absolutely nothing to do besides dig out cookie crumbs from your keyboard. Anyway -

www.analytics.google.com

Nevermind

I'll always love Kurt Cobain, and his band, and his music.

To the junk heads, he's God. To the conservatives, he was a lunatic, alcoholic and drug abused rockstar who killed himself.

All I know is that he was brilliant. And started a strong new genre of music. He asked the questions no one dared to ask, and said things that weren't meant to be said.

He is a legend.

She should have stayed away from friends. She should have had more time to spend. She should died when she was born. She should have worn a crown of thorns. She should have... been a son. She should have... been a son.

I was thinking yesterday of how society has brought us up to be wary, and alarmed by people with mental stabilites, and problems. But it must be remembered that most of our most brilliant artists, scientists, painters, musicians, authors, philosophers were thought to be mad. But irrespective of the art they create, these are the poeple who's lives and situations and stories have brought out the important questions, and questions that we need to ask ourselves. Not individually, but as society.

Questions about incest, and violence, and abuse. These people with the problems, will grow up to be the most sensitive to issues, and most volatile to react. And the questions that come up, need to be answered.

On a lighter note, here is a Kurt Cobain quote that I've been admiring the past few days:

We'll float around, and hang out on clouds, and then we'll come down, and have a hang-over.

- from Dumb, by Nirvana.

The Beautiful People

Does beauty really lie in the eyes of the beholder? In fairy tales, maybe yes. I'm not quite sure otherwise.

I think, at least in most urban scenarios, that how a person looks, has a strong impact on how he lives.

Haven't you seen how the good looking (read hot) people carry themselves? Like they know that everyone in the room is admiring them. And you must have seen the not very good looking people try and be as invisible as possible... It differs from person to person, but how you looks is quite likely to affect how you carry yourself.

Dressing. The style, oomph, and how they dress is directly related to how good looking or not they are.

Of course, both of these - attitude and dressing - also depend on mindset.

The tragic part is how good looking or not people are treated by others. Over-flattered and reduced to fluffheads, or ignored and made miserable.

Arrgh, for the second time today I'm writing about something that has got everything to do with people - how they think and behave. And really, I'm at a loss for words. Because there are no rules about people's minds. And thats my reason for optimism. There are some genuine gems out there, and I do think I know a whole bunch.

Freedom of Expression

The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish.
- Robert Jackman

So true. Think about anti-India communities on Orkut. Freedom of expression?

It's a tricky topic to discuss, and here's my take.

Freedom of speech and expression is incredibly vital and important for a healthy society. Though, this freedm only has healthy reflections on society when it is used with good judgment and rational thought. Of course, what the basis of rational thought is, is a whole different argument altogether.

But I do think that as long as this 'free' expression is not offensive, or vulgar to the point of being offensive, and pays respect to the free will and opinion of others, it is healthy and regular.

But, as each person has a unique point of view, there will always, and forever exist 'relative' violations of this freedom. It's only human.

My photos are on Google Earth. I've uploaded a few photos of Goa and Bombay on a service called Panoramio, and after a month of waiting, they've approved my photos and put them up.

Its brilliant.

Freeeeee drinks?

They serve free drinks, for women, every Wednesday at a few bars in Hyderabad. Ladies night, it's called.

So there's this place called Firangi Pani that my friends and I visit sometimes, (mostly Wednesdays) and I definitely feel a urgent need to consume as much alcohol as I possibly can before 9:45pm, which is when they stop serving the free alcohol.

Wednesday last, we were there once again, and I made it in time to get two mugs of beer. Was nice to have my stomach swell with the happy buzz of beer.

Now, there's a flip side. I drink beer. My friends don't. they prefer vodka. And the vodka they serve... well, can barely be called Vodka, curse the slimy thieves. We call it Essence of Vodka, coz the drink barely has 2 teensy drops. Quite annoying. I took a sip of a friend's drink and we voted, 'definitely 2 drops of vodka with a whole glass of sprite.'

M, my roommate, doesn't drink. Not even the 2 drops of vodka with a whole glass of sprite. She ordered a sprite. You can imagine how pissed off she was when she took a few sips and said, 'This isn't even sprite. It's 2 drops of sprite with a whole glass of water!'

I just had to laugh. Imagine ordering a glass of water then. Two drops of water with a whole glass of oxygen?

Bigger Things

This post is a muse. A loooooooming idea. Yesterday, while in the cab back home, I was thinking sadly of what a disaster my life is. I tried to console myself with - whatever has to happen will happen. And whatever happens is for the best. Or your destiny will take you where you have to go. And the likes.

And then I got more annoyed that these larger forces actually control my life. Well, not completely, but yea. They do control all our lives.

I've had various theories. Like my fairy Godmother. My fairy Godmother overlooks my love life. When I'm sort of getting attracted to some chap or the other, if she doesn't think he's suitable, nothing I do, or try will let that relationship get anywhere. I'm telling you. I've tried real hard.

Also there is, of course, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. So yes, you will definitely see your precious college project float out of your hands, fall off the train and into a filthy canal some 15 minutes before you have to submit it on your already delayed deadline.

Or you will definitely not be able to think of a single point to validate your argument when it is most crucial, even if you can think of atleast 8 at any other point in time. (Like right now.)

I'm really fed up. And these larger forces are playing nasty tricks. But I'm still going to keep fighting. I will go down with the ship. And now I will get back to work, before another disater unfolds.

One more last thing about Potter before I leave

I have to go now. But just remembered, have to mention this.

I remember posting a month or so ago about the Potter e-book that was floating around. Quite a few actually, and one version I read, was really good. But of course, not the real thing.

Yesterday, a colleague from another team at Google sent me a file. Called Harry Potter 7.pdf.

Now, its really close to the real book's release date. I DONT want to read the book online, and I certainly don't want to know what happens in the end until I really get to the last page. But, I opened the file.

It is - you wont believe it - a file which contains photographs of every single page of the new book. I saw the first two pages (the dedication and index) and there is no doubt about it. It is the real stuff.

Well, am not saying any more, coz I haven't opened that file again. Will only say one thing: the dedication sent a little chill down my spine.

Just before I go...

I have spent the past 20 minutes looking for a recent photo I've taken to post. But browsing through my Picasa stack, I saw a photo which is apt, to celebrate the full dose of Harry Potter that's hitting me.

This one has been called the Harry Potter staircase.

St. Xavier's College.

Quote for the day

Never try to teach a pig to sing, it only wastes your time and annoys the pig.

- Unknown helicopter repairman in Germany.

If I told you that it was the combined effect of the 3 strong painkillers and listening to Personal Jesus (all three versions) loudly, that caused me to find this Quote for the day amusing enough to post on my blog, will you forgive me? (More than the quote I found the credit to it amusing.) Also, I'm reminded, by the previous sentence, of being told in my creative writing class that the construction of my sentences is very complex, which, more often that not, results in very long sentences. But, on contemplation, I have found that that is not true, and even if my sentences are long, they are not difficult to understand, which therefore makes them not complex. And I hope by now you realize that I am deliberately composing rather long sentences, and attempting to not make them complex, but, as they actually are nothing more that on-the-flow words straight out of my thoughts, they really can't be too complex. Nevermind.

I also like short sentences. Like this one. And this. And also, I like breaking rules of grammar. When it serves a purpose. Of course. Only if. Come to think of it, short sentences make comprehension more difficult. I prefer long ones. Medium sized ones are boring. They really have no point.

Happy weekend. But am still not going, will just think of something else to post. A photo maybe.

Friday again.

It's Friday. I am going to be on 3 strong pain-killers in the next 20 minutes. And just in anticipation of the drugs, am already feeling groggy and druggy.
It's a great Friday.

1. Work's going great.
2. I saw Harry Potter last Sunday. I am going to see Harry Potter tomorrow. And I am going to see Harry Potter on Sunday again.
3. On Monday, I will have the brand new Harry Potter book to read.
4. I have a holiday to plan - birthday weekend, long weekend, going to Bombay with 7 colleagues.
5. I have a pile of movies to watch this weekend.
6. There is a rock gig this weekend - which would bring total count of all rock show attended in Hyderabad to 4. (If I can count a band performing in a mall as a rock show.)

Yea, that's all I can think of. And enough reasons to justify my happy Friday. As if you care anyway. Happy Weekend.