Coraline

Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. 


  -- G.K Chesterton


Thats the quote Neil Gaiman chose to open his marvelous, thrilling book Coraline with. I've been a Gaiman fan ever since I read his Neverwhere, and bought Coraline in one of my reckless splurging sessions at Landmark, Hyderabad. 


Certainly looked like a spooky children's tale... but boy, what a chilly, scary book. And not scary just because of the demon villain, but more because of the moral/take-away of the story. 


Also, of course, to mention, is the INCREDIBLE stop motion 3D movie they made of it. I caught it on TV  here in the US, and they followed up the movie with a 15-min making of. And this my friends, is what you call animation. Here's a quick peek.

The Return of Percy Jackson

When I bought one and then all five of the Percy Jackson series, I had to finally admit to myself that I am a sucker for children's fantasy. It was no Harry Potter of course, but it was fun to learn Greek mythology in that way, considering my education didn't cover it at all. I really didn't know ANYTHING about Greek mythology other than maybe Aphrodite's name. It was also fun to compare, in my head, the differences between the styles of JK Rowling, who is so distinctly British and Rick Riordan whose humour is so reflective of American goofiness. Very different. Not the forget the food. At Hogwarts, we read about delicious feasts and puddings, and grabbed turkey legs from the magical plates, whereas at Camp Half-Blood in Percy Jackson world, it's pizza and coke that made the demi-Gods drool. That was disturbing.

Anyway, so I finished the Percy Jackson series in about 10 days, and was sad to say goodbye to another hero. Atleast I thought it was goodbye.

A week ago I saw Rick Riordan's newly released The Lost Hero in a bookstore, and sneakily ordered it online with a couple of other books. And I was happy to plunge back into the world of demi-Gods, meet a bunch of new characters in the same old setting, but a new twist.

The twist being, we are slowly delving into Roman mythology. Percy Jackson was "missing/kidnapped" the entire book, but a not-so-subtle hint at the end of the book revealed that he is going to be playing a much bigger part in the next book -- The Son of Neptune. (Nepture aka Roman name for Posiedon.) So, excitement is there slightly. Sucky part is that the book is out Fall 2011. Nicely done by Riordan to bring back the Hero after his series ended. Makes me fervently wish that Rowling will just write something soon. Anything. (She is writing apparently, but she is so secretive.)

So that brings us back to focusing on the Harry Potter mania about the grip the world this weekend. I can hardly believe that my tickets are for real.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company

Just got my Internet connection fixed at my new apartment. Feels good to be online 24 x 7. Of course, it's going to slow down my reading of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I'll deal with that later.

Yesterday, was talking to SA about Shakespeare and I remembered this book a friend had insisted I read... The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, also known as The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged).

That was the funniest book I read in a long, long time. The Reduced Shakespeare Company, is a group of actors who've been performing abridged versions of Shakepeare's plays. Hamlet was reduced to a 25 minute play, and Romeo and Juliet, to 20 minutes.

Eventually, they wrote The Complete Works, which is still a tremendous hit. Imagine, a hour long play, 4 actors, who keep improvising (so each performance is different) that describes all the Shakespearean plays.

Of course, I've not seen the play - I've only read the book, but it was a treat. I also remember there being some incredibly funny footnotes on most of the pages, even the introduction, and prologues were ridiculous. I xeroxed a copy of the book, I think I should scan it and upload it. A must read for Shakespeare fans.

Down the memory lane

Since forever, I've loved making lists. Absolutely ridiculous-waste-of-time-habit. Although, now being occupied and employed, and enroute to saving the world, I've not had much time to make long, ridiculous lists. However, today, the genes-and-brain-wiring got the better of me, and I said, fornicate under the consent of the king everyone. I'm going to make a list - the kinds of which has never been seen before, except by the librarian of the Unseen Unversity.

The list I made today is called Books I've Read. It's the most self-satisfying thing to do. My history of list making goes back to school days, when I used to list out the 50 States of the USA and make lists of Danielle Steel novels I'd read. (I was devouring those soppy novels at the rate of one per day.) But today's list is special. It was like going back in time, as I tried my best to dive into the recesses of my memories and pull out titles of all the books I've read.

My first book ever was a book by Enid Blyton called Bed-Time Stories. Fairly tales which have gone a long way and has permanently imprinted on my mind the love for fairies, and magic, and romantic notions about all good things. But that was as a kid. Another more important memory is my 9th birthday gift from mommy, when she very earnestly took me aside and said that reading is one of the best habits anyone can have, and then she handed me the first book of Enid Blyton's fabulous series - The Famous Five.

Just thinking of those books and browsing lists of them took me back to the hours I've spent reading in my summer holidays, not eating till I finished my book. The Five Find-Outers! So absolutely hilarious! And Malory Towers... I swear, my kids (and all my friends' kids) will be gifted these books, and lectured about the good mental health effects of Enid Blyton.

I was lucky to read her at the right age and right time. I barely managed to enjoy Nancy Drew, or the Hardy Boys, but quickly moved on to the aforementioned soppy novels, and then literary classics.

Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, PG Wodehouse, Terry Pratchett (all fabulously British) are the regular favorites of book lovers, but in addition, I was lucky to be part of The British Council Library where I read lots of unusual and rare or unheard of books. Many of which were absolute gems.

Well, its a nice list. And now I have to get out of here.

Fantastic fantasies and not

A free day is a lovely phenomenon. No one around. Unexpected glory. I have much to say. I've been talking to myself all day, simply because I was walking around alone, and couldn't blog then.

This post is for Terry Pratchett. Thank you Mel and Mishoo for passing the bug. I've enjoyed his language, and imagination a lot. But most of all, I enjoy his style of turning the simplest things upside down, and bringing out the humour in the most commonplace things. Darn, I can't do justice to him.

The book I've been reading this week - Lords and Ladies - starts off questioning starts. The start of the universe and life. When did it all start? He says:

"Much human ingenuity has gone into finding the ultimate Before.

The current state of knowledge can be summarized thus:

In the beginning, there was nothing, which exploded."

I died laughing. He's brilliant. Read his discworld series - especially the stories with the Witches.

PS: Talking about books, today at Walden I saw a new Fantasy series. The Edge Trilogy or something. The back of the book was all praises, about how this book will be in print in the next millennium as well and how it is going to change the course of fiction. Blah blah. Everyone these days is writing fantasy - witches? Bring 'em on. Elves, goblins, and what nots. This book had an overdose too, and he also mentioned 'flesh eating trees.' Now that, I thought, is pushing it. Trying to be original is something, but flesh eating trees is not that. Maybe I'm over-reacting. Time will tell if my paths will wander into the Deep Forest with the flesh-eating trees. But I have a feeling...

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.

Potter

I told you, Potter fever's coming up.

Yesterday, I received an email, with an e-book. The 7th Harry Potter Book. I have no idea how this person got their hands on the e-book of the book that isn't released yet, and everyone is waiting for.

I'm not sure I quite believe it is the thing. So, a bit wary, I opened it and read it suspiciously. The writing seemed accurately her style. J. K. Rowling I mean. But then I was reluctant to read more, for one, I've lost touch and wanted to read book 5 and 6 again. And then again, when I read Dumbledore's name, I felt an immense pang.

Also I wonder if someone has actually been crazy enough to write their own version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows. I can't wait to find out.

I'm reading book 6 now. E-book, though. I mostly hate reading books online, in fact I never have. But this time, I dont have a choice, coz I'm reading it during work hours and I'm hooked. I could never ever get hooked to an e-book. Its just difficult to read too much text online for long. But, Harry Potter makes it otherwise.

Anyway, gotta get back to the book. I just wrote this because:

1. I haven't blogged for a while and have missed it.
2. I was impressed or intrigued, rather, by how many times I've been in near tears while reading Potter. Quite affects me.

Later, then.

PS: Been also tripping on Depeche Mode the past week or two. Brilliant stuff - Playing the Angel (the album). Check out.

Potty about Potter

Very silly title again. It's very easy to create them.
Anyhow, I love Harry Potter. It's been a while, though, since I've been consumed by Potter fever, but I feel it coming. It's very near.
I never tire of going back to how it all began. I remember coming across a list in Bombay Times. Some list to the effect of Must-Read Books of the Week or something. 4 out of 5 in that list were the Harry Potter Books. And this was not a children's book list. I was very intrigued. Hadn't heard about the series until 4 books were out.
I was in class ten. At our next 'open house day' (when you get exam results), school hosted a book sale. Now, generally the practice at home was if you do well in your exams, mum would buy you a book or two. I don't think I'd done too well in my exams. I still got mum to buy me a book. And as I could only persuade her to buy one, I picked the fattest Harry Potter book. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.


So that's how it all begun. And here's what's so amazing about Potter.

The entire series is very engaging and easy to get hooked to. The plots are complex, interwoven, thrilling and brilliantly thought out. The characters are so real that I'm in love with at least 5. Her imagination (even if she's borrowed and tweaked a lot from other stories) is excellent and fascinating. I've tried my hand at fairy tale writing and I can't confess how difficult it is to come up with any kind of 'fantasy-world' that is plausible and amusing and as exciting as Hogwarts and the magical world of Potter is. Well, I could go on forever.

But more than anything, I owe a lot to those books. This part is very corny, but yea, when I was going through some rough phases, and I'd often burst into tears, I'd find solace in my Potter Books. It's true. I could, and still can, open any of the books, to any page, and get hooked instantly and certainly get a chance to laugh in the first 4 minutes of reading.

There was also this time, when I took upon myself this difficult task of converting people to read and love the Potter books. It was easy in some cases, when people were keen to read, I'd just lend them my books or urge them to borrow them from somewhere. I've also gifted the set to a couple of precious friends.

But this task often turned ugly when I came across people who had great disdain and resentment for the Potter books. There was a time when I'd like to have punch them. But soon, I realized it was no point. People either loved the books or hated the idea of them. What was unfortunate, was that these guys hadn't given Potter a chance. I've been exasperated and so frustrated in numerous arguments about how they should at least read a few pages. But then I figured it was pointless. So, I decided I'd have nothing to do these snobs.

It got so bad for a while, that when I was in a situation where I'd have to make new friends, inevitably, when we ran out of small talk, I'd ask the person I'd be talking to if he/she read the Potter books. And it influenced my making friends with that person or not decision.
But, some close relationships were formed because of Potter.

Pooja Shah - I was sitting next to her one day in the first week of Math class in my pre-12th standard preparation classes. The class was full of aliens. So far I hadn't met one person I could exchange words with. She, however, had an expression that revealed to me that she felt the same way about being where we were. A frustration that bordered on disbelief. It really was that bad. So, after a few minutes of what's your name-s, I asked her if she read. She did. And she was just reading a Potter book. I fell in love, and from then on, we were two humans in that sea of aliens. But we didn't notice them ever again.

Shammi - My ex-boyfriend. One of the ghosts in my life now. But, yea, our first conversation was about Potter too. Again, I was sitting next to him in college, first week at Xavier's and he held in his hand, a magnificent hard-bound copy of Book 5. I'd read it already, and immediately gushed off into 'you wont believe what happens to Sirius in the end!' And he read the expression on my face and guessed correctly 'what happens to Sirius in the end!' I was horrified, I hadn't meant to reveal it. And I simply had to apologize profusely.

But, besides all that, the Potter Books are precious to me. They'll always be special. Now, I can imagine the pressure that J. K Rowling must have gone through when she wrote book 5 and 6 after the immense success of the series. Imagine - the whole world is commenting, guessing, requesting, begging, discussing, ordering, predicting the content of something you're trying to write. And you have to write it well enough to shut up the critics in the first place. Crazy. Commendable.

I'm dying to read the last book. Of course, am sad that it is the last book and apprehensive about what the end is going to be like, but yea, it's about time.