Harry Potter.. Sticking with him till the end

It has been a completely different experience this time ( the second time around HP Series read). Last time, it had long waits and what is termed pottermania, of which I am sure remnants still remain in each of us muggles who have been sucked into J K Rowling's world.

The half blood prince is my least favorite of the Harry Potter books. One of course we arent happy to see the most loved wizard depart, but for how she ends it on breach of trust and confoundment. Another thing that baffles me is the SuperHero status she gives Harry towards the end, when he decides that he has to endeavor it all by himself and decides a love interest would only deter him from his goals. It felt like an antithesis... Didnt we hear Dumbeldore harp on and on about the only magic that is deep enough is love? And yet Harry decides to forgo his ability to love which may be the about the only thing that distinguishes him from the dark lord? And then the almost complete lack of hilarity in her writing, which until book 5 holds her writing different from other fantasy authors; for her comedy is a class apart. But here the tone is solemn all the way.

That said, I still love the series and I am on to book 7 now.. the final saga...

Does anyone else feel the same about the half-blood prince? a little deceived, like Harry himself?

The toss of a lemon

I am in my slow-impatient-reader mode currently.  And hence the lack of new reviews.

It so happens that you raise your expectations with certain books and they disappoint you downright! It kind of stalls your reading-spirit and you take a while to recoup. 

It has happened to me with "Toss of a lemon". So this novel is set in south India; a difference from usual Indian author books, which are mostly concentrated in Bombay and above. The last book set in south-india which started off well and lost it half way through was "house of blue mangoes" by David Dravidar. Although, in that book I liked most of the parts.

Toss of the lemon had a greater appeal for it seemed to concentrate on the caste system from the angle of the brahmin family. Hailing from one, I was almost certain I will love the book! The story wound around three generations, customs, change of outlook, education giving way to broad-mindedness was all great on paper, but dragged in execution. I have no idea what mindset I should have had while reading this book to like it. Even though all the traditions, festivals and little nuances described were so familiar to me, the author had managed to create a lull throughout the book; a dark shroud over every character, nothing happy about any incident; almost painting a picture that being on top of the caste system means doom to your future generations. The story could have been told in a much gay manner. Although the events weren't catastrophic or sad, the author had managed to confer just the gloomy side of it. 

Most of the chapters moved  unmemorably from one generation to next. It seemed like she had confused  depicting boldness and rebellion spirit with sadness in her writing. By the end of the book, I was pretty vexed; I will not recommend the book if you are looking for a exciting read. The author has a lot of talent with writing. But channelizing it to tell a interesting tale is a whole different thing! Lets see. May be five years from now, I might give it a second read and might end up liking it! I usually don't give up on books. But this one I am surprised I managed to complete!

Verdict: Read the book if you are interested in being cognizant about south indian brahmin culture.Otherwise brace yourself for a long uneventful silent ride.

Suite Française

By Irène Némirovsky

Almost until a year ago, before I discovered so many wonderful book-bloggers, reading-challenges and the like, I’d randomly search the amazon.com for reviews, similar books, discover new authors and all those thrills of being a book-freak. Based on one such endeavor was Suite Francaise. Though I purchased the book almost two years ago, I have still not been able to complete it. For one, I was disappointed with myself that I was disappointed with the book and secondly, I was losing the patience to complete it! So this time, though I felt the book was way more interesting than it had seemed before, I only managed to complete part one.

Suite Francaise is actually two novels which is half finished work by Irène Némirovsky, who was one of the many victims of Nazi occupation. This English translation of her original work in French has a documentary like flow, bringing reality through characters strewn across war-laden France. ‘Storm in June’ the first part, tells the story of a handful of people, who represent the chaos and cynicism of a nation at war.

At the front to flee from Paris are the Pericands, a large family, managed by the efficient lady of the house Charlotte Pericand. Their story is told in point of view of their many members and one is even from that of their cat. Then there is the narcissist writer Gabriel Corte, who is unwilling to believe the impending danger on Paris can impact the rich and mighty like him. The third narration is about the Michauds, who have a placid outlook to the war. Their only concern is for their son’s safety who is a soldier. Finally it is Charles Langelet, who is an art buff, abandoned by his servants, flees Paris alone.

The story unfolds through all these characters, slipping into ironic moments and predictably ending in tragic ones. While the optimism of Pericands ends in murder, elopement and abandonment of the various members of the family, Charles returns to Paris at the end of the war to be cruelly killed. Gabriel’s ego is slashed by the war-events and like a moral he is left unemployed and devoid of all the power he initially amasses. It is only the subdued Michauds, who are introduced as being doormats, who make the impossible journey on foot, eventually end up to find their son alive and healthy in the end.

The culmination of the people from different calls of life, whose lives have no connection except to flee a burning Paris, was an intriguing way to represent war. I believe the bond of the characters to the reader was not strong enough to feel the import of the writing. It might have been an effect of being lost in translation. Even so, the stories lacked a certain melodrama that grips the reader to stories of war. The narrative is largely pedestrian.

Another weird note worth pondering is Némirovsky being a jew didnt seem to include any incidents pertaining to jews. It is not like one has to emanate sympathy other Nazi tales do, but she even expresses distress on jews, almost like she doesnt like her descent. But, that however makes a totally different angle of debate of her work.

You do not have to go with my word; for the book is highly acclaimed and has received rave reviews. I hope to finish the second part Dolce sometime, which is supposed to be even more realistic than the first part. For now, my verdict rests on the advice - approach the book with a non-fiction mindset. I am sure you might enjoy it then.