Writing a Book Review: Basic format for classes 6-9

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Filed under: Downloads, Library Rules

‘Angels and Demons’: Book Review

“Stand tall, smile bright, and let them wonder what secrets making you laugh!” ―Dan Brown.

This book is a crime thriller based on religious facts authored by Dan Brown, an eminent American author who always delineates his fictions in an enticing and mystic tack.

Once we get into this book, it takes the form of a puzzle; at each  phase we feel as if our mind is able to create a conclusion for the story-line  and at the very next phase it breaks all our assumptions ad turn out to be something else with a absolutely incredible twist.

The book is about a murder case of a priest and a mysterious symbol which portrayed the word illuminati being branded on his chest and a Harvard professor, Robert Langdon is notified to identify the mystic symbol.

However, the book which depicts the contrasting nature of religion and science has a mesmeric story-line. The most notable thing is even though the pages of the book end, the story will never have an end, it is eternal.

 It makes us ask a lot of questions to our own self.

It makes us accept the hidden universal truth that may one be born to any religion,  one may practice any religion, At the end we all reach at the same point , where one seeks the truth which we consider to be the greatest thing  for ourselves.

It is rightly said that “Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind.”

So go for it, if you have patience as well as a mind enough to accept the similarities and dissimilarities between scientific facts and religious mysteries.

To understand this fiction you need to follow the author’s path and he will reveal the secrets to you, but the thing is each reader will have a different perception of these  secrets.

It was a good page turner for me; I rate this book 4/5.

Hope you have great thrill reading this!!

 Reviewed by: ANAGHA ANIL

Filed under: Book Reviews, Snippets

Book Review Writing Contest: Winners

S. No.	Position	Name, Class & Division
1	I	Nandana A. S., X D
2	II	Rakshanya Sekar, X A
3	III	Aathira Menon, X A
4	III	Aravind S. Krishnan, IX B

Held on 3 Sept. 2013

Filed under: Reader's Club, Winners of library competitions, Book review, winners

The Kalam Effect by P.M.Nair: Book Review

by

P.M.Nair

In this book,the author describes his experience with ‘Kalam Sir’ that
he had during his time. He describes the humbleness and great qualities
of A.P.J.Abdul Kalam that he recognised while working for him.

A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was known as the "people’s president", and the
correct reason behind this has been penned down in the book.He was the
man who worshipped and believed in God a lot. He had such a strong
belief in n god that,I think, he could communicate with him.

For,once,there was a programme in the Rashtrapati Bhawan,that was to be
visited by  a great mass of people,approximately,2000-3000. That
day,the rain started pouring in the morning. The author i.e; the
secretary started to panic for how the programme would be held. He
talked to Kalam , but he, in response, teasing him, told not to
worry. If it is raining out,we can keep the programme inside. P.M.Nair
went hysterical and told that the Bhawan could hold only 700-800
people. To this, the reply came from the President in a rather cool and calm
way. He smiled and pointed towards the sky through  the window and said "I
have spoken there. Do no worry" And believe it or not, at 5 o’clock the
programme was to be started and the rain had stopped at 4:30 pm!!!
And,as if it was not amply surprising to digest,the rain had started
after the programme.

Well, this is only one of the incidents written in the book.This book
tells a great lot deal about him.I loved this book and would like to
recommend it to all.

Reviewed by

Himabindu Bhardwaj, VIII C

Filed under: Book Reviews, Reviews by students, Book review, P.M.Nair, The Kalam Effect

Book review: Homecoming by Shashi Warrier

The Homecoming

by

Shashi Warrier

This is a book I have read recently. The story basically revolves around the moral conflicts as well as the material losses experienced by the people in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Line of Control region. The political side of the story is extremely sensitive as one may defy the arguments put forth by the author in many occasions. And its personal side is quite disturbing. The central character of the story is Javed Sharif, a businessman, based on Bangalore who retires from the family business and decides to settle in his home state Kashmir. As the events unfurl , his homecoming which was expected to be a peaceful one turns out to be a tragic one as his younger son was arrested and alleged to be part of the terrorist activities and elder one betrayed him and left him bankrupted for the rest of his life.

The story beautifully presents the feelings of 3 generations in a family of which one was associated with the freedom movement. It also shows how a family bound by the bond of love disintegrates under changing political and social circumstances . The bleak picture of the indifferent attitude of the authorities to the layman is also well presented . Intertwined with the main theme is the vivid description of the scenic beauty of Kashmir. The author often draws comparison between the scenic beauty and the political unrest prevalent there. In the story the drastic turn of events start in a very auspicious occasion. This story does not end in an optimistic note. Although bloodshed is mentioned in a few places the story has very less elements of violence. This book helps us to judge the so called ‘single reality’ from different perspectives as it is said that there could be more than a single reality.It is a book worth reading as it takes us to a different world from which we would not return till we finish reading it.

I would like to conclude by quoting these lines from the book–‘ I WONDER HOW THE FABRIC OF MY LIFE CAME APART SO QUICKLY . IT WAS A RICH FABRIC, SOMETHING I HAD TAKEN GREAT PAINS AND OVER 3 DECADES TO WEAVE. WE MIGHT EACH RECOVER INDIVIDUALLY , BUT THE RICHNESS OF THE FABRIC IS GONE.’ 

 

Reviewed by

Arya S., XII A

Filed under: Book Reviews, Reviews by students, Arya S., Library Kv pattom, Shashi Warrier, The Homecoming

Clear Light of Day: Book review

Clear Light of Day

by

Anita Desai

I consider Anita Desai’s “Clear Light of Day” as a poetic novel as it considerably deals with symbols and suggestions. Her use of “the house” imagery is at the center which signifies dust, dullness and decay.

As the novel begins, you’ll notice that the house of the Das family does not change except decays. Like Anita Desai’s other novels, the setting is Old Delhi. The interesting thing you’ll notice is she skillfully synthesizes the image of house with the lives of the Das family. The house is associated with sickness, dust, and disorder. And for that reason, the “grey” color is described again and again.

So, the house reflects the mentality and sickness of the entire Das family. In other words, nobody in the Das household enjoys life, all merely exists! The sickness and disorder pervade in the mind of the family members. This house is exactly in contrast with the house of Haider Ali and that is why Raja gets attracted towards it.

For this house of Das family, the symbol of “web” is described which is apt from every point of view. As I say the house does not change but decays, it is fair to remark that because of such sickness and dusty atmosphere of the house everybody feels “suffocated” and that is why they try to find escape in one thing or another. For that reason, Raja is attracted towards Haider Ali’s house. Tara often goes to Mira Mansi and finally, she succeeds in escaping completely by marrying off Bakul. Baba seeks escape in music and plays his gramophone all the time. Bimla becomes the professor of history. In this way, the house plays a vital role behind the escapist nature of the Das household.

Anita Desai beautifully describes the state of the Delhi city. Sometimes, the whole city seems to be dead and the houses are referred to in the novel as the “tombs”. The house of the Das family seems to be deserted and therefore, Bimla does not prevent Baba playing his gramophone loudly because she thinks that the silence of the house is more dreadful. For her, the noise produced by Baba’s gramophone gives peace to her. Even when Mr. Das and his wife were alive, they were just like the outsiders as Mr. Das was known for his entrance. The mother was either engrossed in the cards or confined to the bed. That is why Tara sometimes feels that even the ghost of her father could create the noise of papers and nothing else!

The decaying aspect of the house is felt on the Das family and this why the whole family gets scattered and only Bim remains with Baba in the “dead house”. This is how, the house has symbolic significance, which plays a major role in the actions and deeds of the Das household and becomes the central episode in the novel.

 

Reviewed by

Aajma Manoj

IX A (Shit-I)

Filed under: Book Reviews, Clear light of day

Book Review Writing Competition: Winners

National Library Week 2010

25 Nov. – 02 Dec.2010

Book review writing competition held on 25/11/2010

 

Results

Shift-I

S.No.	Group	Position	Name, Class & Div.
01	VI-VIII	I	Nithyasree VI D
02		II	Anjana S., VIII D
03		III	Jini S., VIII D
04	IX-XII	I	Salini Johnson, XII A
05		II	Neema K.Saji, IX C
06		III	Amritha G., X D
07		III	Mahima Unnikrishnan, X B

Shift-II

 Held on 23/11/2010

Juniors (Classes VI & VII)

Sl. No.	Name of students	Class & division	Result
1	Varun. G	VI  A	I
2	Rohin. R	VI A	II
3	Nandana Suresh	VII A	III

 

Seniors (Classes VIII-X)

Sl. No.	Name of students	Class & division	Result
1	Rahul Chandra	IX  B	I
2	Serene Sidhique	IX  A	II
3	Arun Kumar S S	X  A	III

 

Filed under: Winners of library competitions

Indomitable Spirit: Book review

by

Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul kalam was born on October 15,1931and has the unique honour of being the recipient of the country’s top civilian awards : the Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1991 and the Bharat Ratna in 1997. Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam became he eleventh president of India in July 2002.

The book Indomitable Spirit is an awesome book written by Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam.It is the experience from his own life’s journey from the shores of Rameswaram to the hallowed portals of  Rashtrapati Bhawan. In this book Dr.Kalam has showed great respect towards women and says that "womanhood is a beautiful creation of God" and this is explained in chapter-9 (Empowered women) which particularly depicts examples of women who have defied society norms and have done well to rise beyond their expectations. According to him, "there is no other profession in the world that is more important to society than that of a teacher" which is explained in chapter-2 (My Teachers).  And this is what is liked the most as I aim to become a teacher. It gave me more interest towards that profession. He has great hopes towards the youth of the nation.  Indomitable spirit has two components. The first component is that there must  be a vision leading to higher goals of achievement.The second component is the ability to overcome all hurdles coming in the way of mission accomplishment.

In this book he tells the young men and women, "success can only come to you by courageous devotion to the task in front of you". Since I conclude that the youngsters should read this book as it is very inspiring, and by reading this book one becomes self – confident courageous and determined.

 

Reviwed by

Anuja S.S. (XI A)

Filed under: Book Reviews, Abdul Kalam, Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Indomitable spirit

Raj of the Rani: Book Review

"Freedom is the oxygen of soul”

 

by

TAPTI ROY

This book of Tapti Roy deals with the life of a warrior queen from history – Rani lLkshmibai , who was a figure in the gallery of heroes of the ‘First war of Independence’. Apart from the descriptive events of the freedom struggle,the book also presents the life of common man during the time of British rule in India.It is more than a fiction,realistic more than being dramatic in language.This book deals with the different phases of Rani Lakshmibai’s life – transition from Manikarnika (daughter of Moropant Tambe) to Rani Lakshmibai,queen of Lhansi is depicted very clearly.The life of energetic,vivacious and brave child, brilliant and expert queen is being presented with different versions of same story. As the information is collected from reliable sources, it is a good source of reference too.It salutes the valour of the nation’s heroes who sacrificed their lives to provide the freedom we enjoy today.It presents the chain of historic events which ultimately led to the freedom.We feel the patriotism while reading each and every line of this book and it honours this brave woman who found out her place in history.

Reviewed by

Arya S

Filed under: Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Raj of theRani

Best Book Review Prize: 2009-‘10

Best Book review prizes have been given to students of class VI,VII and VIII to promote reading habit.

S.No.	Class	Name	Class & Div.
1	VI	Devipriya	VI A
2	VII	Roja Rani	VII A
3	VIII	Mukulika	VIII B

Filed under: Winners of library competitions, Book Reviews

A Fine Balance: Book review

A Fine Balance

by

Rohinton Mistry

Perhaps the first thing that catches your eye about A Fine Balance penned by the veteran author Rohinton Mistry, recipient of many accolades and whose books have been shortlisted for the Booker Prize many a time, would be the chunkiness of the book, what with the story spreading out to more than six hundred pages. A Fine Balance is undoubtedly a meticulously written novel, rich in superfluous detail, which is set mainly in the 1975 India. It has a certain charm and rawness entwined to it that would make sure that the reader sticks on to its pages which are overflowing with the naiveté of the proletariat.

The novel literally maintains a fine balance between the stories of the four protagonists who meet at one point of the book, during and after which their lives are altered beyond imaginable ways but mostly ending up at heartbreaking crossroads. At first comes Dina Shroff, a girl based in the then Bombay in a well-to-do Parsi family. Her narrative revolves mainly around her family who was shattered by the passing away of her father which culminates in her mean brother, with his hypocritical ideals, taking the control of the house. This finally leads to an abrupt end to Dina’s education. Later, she meets Rustom Dalal and turns into Mrs. Dina Dalal as she is known throughout the rest of the story. Her husband, who is too good to be real, dies in a freak hit-and-run accident at the night of their third wedding anniversary, which leaves a traumatized Dina behind. She was determined enough for a young widow to say an outright no to a second marriage and to refuse a place under her brother’s roof, probably ending up as an unpaid servant for life! But instead she strived to fend for herself with help from one of her childhood friends.

Parting with Dina’s narrative for now, the pages take us to “In a village by a river” where we are introduced to Ishvar, Narayan, later Om and the story of their ancestors. This area of the book is ostensibly nothing but a tale of woe sometimes taking on a harsher version reducing us to tears. It deals with the caste system and the outrageous brutality of the loathsome landlords who deserve to be ripped apart. The effectual and overpowering account rendered by Rohinton Mistry in his fluid flow of language enrages the reader to act against the despicable acts of the so-called upper caste men upon the destitute.

Then again as life moves on, we move on to Maneck Kohlah, a boy leading quite a carefree life up in the mountains inhaling lungful of fresh, pure air each morning, absolutely oblivious to the lives down in the cities. In this part of the novel, we are treated to the frivolities of the families in the mountains, co-existing in complete harmony and wrapped up in their personal worlds of blithe. Ishvar and Om as tailors and Maneck as a paying guest find themselves at Dina’s house. Gradually they steer clear of their prejudices and make quite a company! But nothing too good stays for long. And so the merciless hands of fate unclenched apart their bonds of intimacy and friendship and strewed them across for their own destinies to devour them.

A Fine Balance does a lot of talk on the Internal Emergency declared in India during the setting of the novel. It does compel the reader to put your thinking cap on and frown. The author is visibly taking a harsh and cut-and –dried stand against the then Prime Minister, even making a complete mockery of her at one instance of the plot. But, all the same, the opinion whether biased or not all depends on the mindset of the reader. But one thing we can never deny is the fact that Rohinton Mistry has once again proved his sinuous style of unfolding the chronicles of the hoi polloi with such passion, rawness, simplicity and candor that it is next to impossible not to keep the pages turning and finally reach 614^th page!

Reviwed by

Salini Johnson

Class: XI-A (Shift-I)

Filed under: Book Reviews, A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

The silence of the lambs: Book review by Salini Johnson

 

by

Thomas Harris

 

“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some  fava beans and a nice chianti” – Hannibal Lecter

The above-mentioned sentences are the world famous hair-raising confessions of the cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter, enlivened on the silver    screen by the Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins. To be frank, it is  hard to come by a bloodcurdling novel like “The Silence of the Lambs”        with its cool style of storytelling that could leave you in utter amazement whether it was really a horror story you had just finished! That is where the real    success of this book as a best-selling novel lies in enthralling its audience, leaving behind us with a feeling of having drenched in cold water.   In my opinion this novel is incomparable and indubitably stands out among the run-of-the-mill horror fiction. The adept ability of the author Thomas Harris is indeed praiseworthy.

The plot of the story mainly revolves around Dr.Hannibal Lecter, the name  that sends a chill down the spine. He is portrayed as a psychopath, with extraordinary intelligence, secluded in a high security prison. The reader is first introduced to Clarisse Starling, an FBI agent who seeks advice from this sociopath on the whereabouts of a killer unrestrained whose modus     operandi is to leave his victims flayed. The rest of the novel is indeed    breath-taking and mesmerizing, at times petrifying, yet suspense-filled.

All in all, the book has been weaved into a smooth tale of tracking-the-murderer in a unique manner resulting in gluing our eyes to its pages throughout. No wonder “The Silence of the Lambs” has been caught on        reel to sweep off the Oscars in its time. Some horror novel this is!

Reviewed by

Salini Johnson,

Class: XI-A.

Filed under: Book Reviews, silence of the lambs, Thomas Harris

“A long way gone” by Ishmael Beah: Book review

A long way gone

by

Ishmael Beah

 

" A long way gone " by Ishmael Beah is an extraordinary memoir which gives a first hand report of the hardships and desolate situations faced by people and countries during war.Ishmael Beah is a graduate from Oberlin College and a member of the Human rights watch children’s rights division and advisory committee of U.S.A. He emerges as a gifted writer by reporting his life in a clear eyed and liberate fashion and will surely haunt the reader for some time.Among the different war stories which are published, this one stands out as a bestseller because of its simplicity and transparency as seen and experienced by the author. It is a first hand information and gives an idea to the reader of the problems faced by the civilians, the army and the rebels during any war like situation.

            In this story, the author is a 12 year old boy living happily with his close knit family in a place called Mattru Jong. He and his gang of friends, enjoyed school like any one of us and played rap music as pastime. The only exposure to war for them was movies. Suddenly their lives are torn apart by a group of rebels who attack unannounced  and the whole family is separated. Initially the author stays with his brother whom he later loses as they move from village to village in search of safety. The book vividly describes the impact on the young minds as they see families blown apart and the sufferings of those left behind.

             It also gives a vivid description of the life of refugees who are ill treated and bribed by the nation’s own army. This book depicts the events in sequence how the cruel fate, forces them to join the army and the hardships and atrocities they are forced to commit and how it changes the impressionable young minds from home loving  to destruction. This book not only gives the account of war but also the turmoils in the young minds as they try to re-acclimatize to the civilized way of life. Thankfully by the timely intervention of the UN, we find as we read that we will start to concur with the actions  done by these young minds. the author finds some timely respite as he is reinstated with his uncle at Sierra Lane only to be heading to war. He tries to escape in order to not end up as a rebel or recruit. Reading this book makes us wonder how any one can come out of such horror with his humanity & sanity intact.

            This book is also a testament of the ability of children to outlive their sufferings if given a chance. It really leaves an impression of a long way gone…by a determined impressionable mind……………………….. 

 

REVIEWED BY

AISHWARYA NANDAKUMAR

IX – C (Shift-I)

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Filed under: Book Reviews, A long way gone, Ishmael Beah

Da Vinci Code: Book review by Karthika P.

 

           “Blinded ignorance does mislead us

            O!Wretched mortals open your eyes”

These words were said by the famous painter LEONARDO DA VINCI,

the creator of the world famous paintings like The Mona Lisa , the Last Supper,

the Vtruvian man etc. He was an expert in many fields. It is said that  Da Vinci has left

many codes in his paintings.

       In the year 2003, a novel by DAN BROWN established that Da Vinci has certainly left

many secrets. The book was none other than THE DA VINCI CODE. It is a fiction featuring

Robert Langdon, a symbologist and Sophie Neveu, a cryptologist who deals with numerical code breaking. The story starts with a murder. The curator of The Louvre Jacques Saunere’s murder and the message left by him Langdon and Neveu towards a new world of thousands of years old secrets.

      Although the number of characters are limited,each one plays a definite role. The language and style of writing is incredible. The main theme of the book is the journey towards the Priory keystone which leads one to the Holy grail and many other well hidden secrets. According to the myth, only the members of the Priory of Sion, a secret society knows the exact location of the Holy grail.

  Da vinci being one of the grandmasters of the secret society wanted the world to know the truth and hence left many clues in his paintings. One such striking trait is visible in The last supper. Da vinci has assigned certain feminine characters to disciple John seated next to Jesus Christ. Holy grail happen to be the cup in which Jesus had wine during The last supper. Mary Magdalene is also referred to as The Holy Grail. It is said that Da Vinci has painted John as Mary Magdalene to show Jesus’s intimacy towards her.

           Mary Magdalene, a prostitute who joined Christ and later became of  his favorite disciple. In the book the author establishes that Jesus had relationship with Mary Magdalene

and that their bloodline exists to this century.

       A huge uproar was roused by this very book. The church and many disciples of the church launched protests against the book and movie alike. In many places the authorities were forced to ban the book. The reason put forth was that The Da Vinci Code hurts their religious sentiments. To be more precise, in the book it is said that

• The Christians overpowered the Pagan religion to establish Christianity all over the world.
• Jesus Christ was selected as ‘ Son Of God’ by mutual voting
• Jesus’ relationship with Magdalene proves to be a major point of controversy.
• In the book a monk named Silas murders the members of The Priory of Sion with the help given by a bishop.

Despite many controversies the book happen to be a best seller throughout the world. Anyone who thinks a fiction can never affect your religious beliefs may go ahead and read the book without hesitation.

 

Reviewed by

By KARTHIKA.P.

   11A

SECOND SHIFT

Filed under: Book Reviews

White Tiger: Book review

 

 

 

Reviewed by

Amrita Nair, XII B

(First Prize in Book review competition, National Library Week, 2008)

 

Not So Shining..

ARAVIND ADIGA’S DEBUTANT NOVEL HAS BEEN HOGGING THE LIMELIGHT FOR RESONS OTHER THAN WINNING THE WORLD’S MOST  COVETED RECOGNETION ,THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE FOR THE YEAR 2008. THE NOVEL “ THE WHITE TIGER “ HAS TORN DOWN THE MASK FRON THE SO CALLED SHINING FACE OF INDIA AND EXPOSED THE DEEPLY SCARRED AND POVERTY STRICKEN FACE OF THE UNSUNG MASSES .

                       ADIGA’S PORTRAYAL OF INDIA HAS RUFFLED A FEW FEATHERS OF THOSE INDIANS WHO HAD BEEN BASKING IN THE GLORY OF INDIA’S RISING SENSEX AND INCREASING INCOME FROM ABROAD .IT IS NOT JUST A CONTENT , BUT ALSO HIS STYLE OF PRESENTATION THAT COMES AS A SURPRISE. THE ENTIRE NOVEL IS IN THE FORM OF A  LETTER  ADRESSED TO THE CHINESE PREMIERE WEN JIABAO FROM AN INDIAN ENTRIPRENEUR BASED IN BANGLORE .

              ‘THE WHITE TIGER ‘ HAS DEPICTED THE  CONDITION OF THE POOR AND THE POLITICIAN WHO FEED UPON THEIR HELPLESSNESS  TO FILL THEIR OWN POCKETS .IT HAS REVEALED TO THE WORLD THAT IT IS THE SWEET OF THE POOR THAT GLISTEN IN THE INDIAN SUN AND FORINERS MISTAKE IT FOR GLITTER .(ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD.)

        THE  PROTAGONIST OF THE NOVEL BALRAM HALWAI IS BORN IN A POOR FAMILY IN BIHAR  BUT WITH AN INNATE AMBITION TO BE HIGH AND MIGHTY LIKE THE LANDLOARDS IN THE VILLAGE .THE PROTAGONIST FEEL THE NEED TO FLEE THE VILLAGE AND LOOK FOR A LIVING IN THE CITY WHEN HE COMES ACROSS THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED THEIR LIVES IN VILLAGE SHATTERED AN MEANINGLES .HE OFTEN COMPARES HIS VILLAGE AND SACRED RIVER GANGA WITH DARKNESS .THIS WAS THE MAJOR FACTOR AROUSING THE PATRIOTIC OR RATHER INFLAMMABLE PASSION OF THE INDIAN INTELLIGENSIA AND THE EVER VIGILANT MEDIA . BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT ONE CAN ONLY SEE WHAT ONE WANT TO SEE .THE AUTHOR SPEAKS OF DARKNESS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS PRESENT IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT .(FREE EDUCATION AND CONTENTED LIVES IN BIHAR.)

   WHEN THE PROTAGONIST MOVES TO DELHI TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE THE BOOK SLOWLY START REVEALIED THE TRUE COLORS OF  INDIA’S NATIONAL CAPITAL .DELHI APPEARS STYLISH AND ELEGANT TO OTHERS (READ FOREIGN INVESTORS ) BECAUSE IT HAS SUCESSFULLY CAMOUFLAGED THE THAT PLAQUES THE CITY , BEHIND THE CONCRETE JUNGLE,IN THE INSIGNIFICANT  SLUMS.

THE BOOK IS LKE A TYPICAL ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN MOVIE ,JUST DEPICTION OF LIFE ,NO BACKGROUND SCORE ,NO LARGER THAN LIFE DRAMA , NOTHING AT ALL.’THE WHITE TIGER’ UNFOLDS MORE LIKE A CHEMISTRY TEXT BOOK .IT SPEAKS ABOUT THE INEQUALITY BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR .OUR SPEAKER POLITICIANS FORMULATE LAWS AND POLICIES THAT CATALYSE THE EARNING CAPACIY OF THE RICH ,MAKIN THEM RICHER AND THE POOR POORER .

NO MATTER WHAT INCENTIVES ARE ANNOUNCED FOR THE POOR ,IT NEVER REACHES THEM BECAUSE THE MIDDLEMEN AND THE POLITICIANS FORM AN ELABORATE NETWORK BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMON MASSES .

THE PROTAGONIST ‘S MASTER ASHOK AND HIS WIFE PINKY ARE CLASSIC EXAMPLES OF INDIA ‘S CITY –DWELLING ELITE .THEY NEITHER KNOW NOR CARE ABOUT THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE IN THEIR SERVICE .THEIR HOPES AND BELIEFS ECHO THE SPIRIT OF MODERN INDIA ,WHERE THE TIME TESTED VALUES OF TRUTH AND SELFLES SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY (READ PATRIOTISM) ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION .

THER NOVEL PROCEDS AT A SNAIL,S PACE EVEN THOUGH THE EVENTS ARE NARRATED BY THE PROTAGONIST IN A SPAN OF 3 – 4 DAYS .THE COLD BLODDED MURDER OF ASHOK BY HIS NEW DRIVER ,BALRAM HALWAR , DOES NOTHING TO EVOKE A SENSE OF FEAR OR INSTIL A CHILL IN THE SPINE .

THE BOOK CAN SERVE AS A WINDOW TO THE WORLD ABOUT THE TRUTH BEHIND ‘INCREDIBLE’ INDIA .HOW IT MANAGED TO KNOCK THE ’ THE SOCK OFF ’ THE JUDGES AT THE BOKER EVENT IS STILL A MYSTERY TO COME .WELL ,ONE CAN ALWAYS VIEW A GLASS AS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY .ADIGA CHOSE THE LATTER AND MAY BE THE JUDGES SAW THEFORMER IN HIS BOOK .

INDIA IS A NATION OBSESSED WITH CRICKET AND PRODUCES SURPRISING RESULTS EVERTHING IT OES , LIKE IN CRICKET SOMETIMES IT WINS AN UNEXPECTED MATCH AND SOMETIMES LOSES AN EASY MATCH .(GOT THE ANALOGY BETWEEN INDIA AN DCICKET ?) INDIA ‘S 6 DECADE LONG ATTEMPT IN ALLEVIATING POVERTY HAS NOT JUST FAILED , BUT ALSO PRODUCED STUNNING RESULTS IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INDIAN MILLIONARES AND BILLLIONARES .

EVEN THOUGH ‘THA WHITE TIGER ‘ (ARAVIND ADIGA ) ,LACKS THE OF ‘ INHERITANCE OF LOSS “ , IT SUCESSFULLY REVEALS THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN LIFE :

‘ ANYONE WITH A KILLAR INSTINCT ,CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN .’

AND NOW A WORD OF CAUTION ,THIS BOOK IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO SEEK INSPIRATION FOR SUCCESS.THOSE BOOKWORMS WHO NEED TO KEEP THE MID NIGHT OIL BURNING SHOULD LOOK ELSEWHERE .

Filed under: Book Reviews

Catch 22 : Book review

 

Catch-22 is like no other novel I have read.Though it is stereotyped as a comedy, it has action,and other stuff. It has attained the status of a modern classic, at least in American Literature.Just as a fact it has added a new word in the Dictionary.

Right in the middle of a war stuck is our hero Yosarian. Well this is guy isn’t like any ordinary war book hero. Instead of fightng of enemies, he makes plans of escpaing the war. This book follows his efforts in making inventive attempts to save his skin from the countlses people who don’t even know him, are trying to to kill him.Well his efforts are quite understandble.Yet if our hero ateempts to excuse himself from the missions, he is trapped by the Great Loyality Oath Crusade, the sinister yet funny beureauratic rule from which comes the name of the book: “A man is considerecd insane if he is willing to fly all the Dangerous Missions, but if he tries to excuse himself of this mission he is consiered Sane and therefore inegligble to be relived.

Taking a philosphical look on the book, the book is a “microcosm of the tewntieth-century as it might look dangeruosly Sane”

On the bottom line this is one book for all the readers of comedy and american litterature.You can get this book in our library.So what are you waiting for get the book!!

 

Varun.H.S

IX B

Shift I

 

The author of this review can be contacted in his blog

 

 

E-mail allstar57@in.com

Filed under: Book Reviews, Reviews by students

Book Review competition

RESULTS OF THE BOOK REVIEW COMPETITION HELD ON 29/11/2008

Shift-II

JUNIORS(CLASSES VI-VIII)

1. SREELEKSHMI.M VIII B 1^st

2.ROSMIN JOSEPH VIII B 2^nd

3.HEMANT.S VIII B 3^rd

4.MOIN SUBAIR VI B (CONSOLATION PRIZE)

 

SENIORS (XI –XII )

1.SIBA.S XI A 1^st

2.KARTHIKA.P XI A 2^nd

3.R.SUBRAMANI IX B 3^rd

Filed under: Reader's Club, Winners of library competitions

Diary of a young girl: Book review

 

By

Karthika P, XI A

Shift-II

 

Anne Frank, the German Jewish girl who dreamt of becoming a great writer some day. Anne Frank’s diary is the diary that conquered thousands of young and old readers’ mind alike. 

Anne Frank was born on 12th June 1929 as the daughter of Otto and Edith Frank. they were forced to leave Germany and settle in Holland due to Nazi invasions. a diary, which she got as a present on her third birthday wrote a new epic.

Anne Frank, a girl who loved to talk, dream and write. Her life had a turning point when her sister Margot Frank received a call letter from a concentration camp. During 1940’s the Jews Were humiliated, tortured and restricted from almost everything due to Hitler’s autocracy. Jews were even taken to a concentration camps where a series of torturing Jews were practiced. Thousands of people were killed in gas chambers. So the Frank family went into hiding. Anne named their secret hide-out above Frank’s office as Secret Annex. With the help of some good Christian friends they survived in the Secret Annex. The Voan Dan family & a man named Dr Dussel were invited to be the inhabitants of the Annexe. Life in the Annex was not too easy. Even a small sound made by them could give away their secret.

Amidst all this worries the members of the Annex did not try to be happy. There were constant quarrels among them. Always Anne was criticized. Anne made herself happy by criticizing almost everyone and everything in her diary, Kitty. Not having anyone to talk, Anne chooses Peter, son of Voan Doan, as a companion. But Anne’s father advised her to give up her affair with Peter. Months passed and on 12th August 1944 the Nazi captured the residents of Annex.

Everyone was took to Oyster concentration camp. Anne died on March 1946 due to typhus disease. Only Otto Frank survived this disaster. When he reached the Annex what he received was some letters written to kitty by Anne. He published these letters and now it is the second biggest bestseller in the world after Bible.

Anne Frank was a girl who had unusual courage. She had her own dreams and views. She wanted to be respected by herself. Above all she had the best weapon in her hand: Her Pen. She criticized almost everything she could in her letters.

Anne had a great dream to become a great writer and live after her death. And so did she, she became a great writer and still eternal in our hearts even after her heath. She will be immortal for ever.

Filed under: Book Reviews

Book Review Format

Index

S.No.	Title of the Book	Remarks	Sig. of Librarian

FORMAT OF A BOOK REVIEW

S.No.                                                                                            Date:

1. Author of the Book :

2. Title of the Book :

3. Name of the Publisher :

4. Place of Publication :

5. Year of Publication :

Summary of the Book (in 2 pages)

Questions

1. Did you like the book? (Yes/No) Why?

2. Which characters you liked most? Why?

Theme/ Idea /Moral of the book/story

Conclusion

EXAMPLE

S.No. 01                                                                                                             Date: 05/08/2008

1. Author of the Book : J. K. Rowling

2. Title of the Book : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

3. Name of the Publisher : Bloomsbury

4. Place of Publication : London

5. Year of Publication : 2006

Filed under: Book review format, Book review format

Book Reviews

Animal’s People

(Commonwealth writer’s prize, 2008)
by Indra Sinha
366pp, Simon & Schuster, £11.99

How do you write a novel about a world in which unspeakable horror is not the climax, but the air which each character must breathe on every page? The answer, provided by Indra Sinha in his Booker-shortlisted Animal’s People, is to write it using a narrator who has never breathed any other kind of air, and who is by turns cynical and romantic, bawdy and philosophical. His narrator guides us between the worlds of political activists, determined to find justice 20 years after a crime, and his own personal world in which it often seems that the greatest crime of the “Kampani” responsible for his town’s suffering is that it left him crippled and, therefore, undesirable to women despite the great size of his penis.

Behind the clouds

Kamila Shamsie is moved by Indra Sinha’s clever reworking of the Bhopal disaster, Animal’s PeopleSaturday September 15, 2007
The Guardian

Buy Animal’s People at the Guardian bookshop

Animal’s People
by Indra Sinha
366pp, Simon & Schuster, £11.99 How do you write a novel about a world in which unspeakable horror is not the climax, but the air which each character must breathe on every page? The answer, provided by Indra Sinha in his Booker-shortlisted Animal’s People, is to write it using a narrator who has never breathed any other kind of air, and who is by turns cynical and romantic, bawdy and philosophical. His narrator guides us between the worlds of political activists, determined to find justice 20 years after a crime, and his own personal world in which it often seems that the greatest crime of the “Kampani” responsible for his town’s suffering is that it left him crippled and, therefore, undesirable to women despite the great size of his penis. The Kampani, never named, is Union Carbide, whose pesticide plant released 40 tonnes of lethal gas into the city of Bhopal in 1984, killing thousands (both immediately and in the years that followed), and contaminating drinking water which remains toxic. In Animal’s People, Bhopal’s name is changed to Khaufpur – the City of Fear. One of the early delights of the novel is the website to which it directs readers (www.khaufpur.com) which could easily lead one to believe Khaufpur exists. It details the centuries old history of Khaufpur (which is, in fact, the history of Bhopal) and as you enter its matrimonial and classified sections you find characters from the novel. This is not just the playfulness of a writer of fiction trying to make his world appear convincing. Sinha (who, on the website, appears as a female journalist named Indira Sinha) has a sharp political purpose in telling the story of Bhopal’s victims and drawing attention to the fact that it is a story which should, in a world of any conscience, remain within the realm of fiction.

Our narrator’s name is Animal – he claims it is his nature, too. Twenty years old, he was born the year of the industrial accident which killed his parents and left him with a spine so twisted that he has to walk on all fours, his backside raised higher than his head. He is brought up by Ma Franci, a French nun who was struck by a form of aphasia when the gas leak occurred: she immediately forgot all her Hindi and English, and only retained French; consequently, she believes the factory’s gases turned everyone except herself into gibbering creatures without the power of speech. Animal, alone, can speak to her in the French she understands.

Desire, rather than politics, leads Animal into the company of activists, spearheaded by Zafar, who has come to Khaufpur to campaign against the Kampani – which still hasn’t accepted its culpability, or offered meaningful redress for the victims. Animal is less interested in Zafar’s moral fervour than in his passion for Nisha, the woman Animal loves. Soon he is plotting to poison Zafar to keep him away from Nisha.

Into this world steps Elli, an American doctor who wants to open a free clinic for the people of Khaufpur. Zafar believes she is there on behalf of the Kampani, collecting data which she will then twist to claim that the Kampani is in no way responsible for the suffering of Khaufpur’s people. Zafar sends Animal to spy on Elli – a task he’s more than eager to carry out on account of the jeans Elli wears, which are so tight her legs appeared to be dyed blue.

There is a point in the novel when it begins to meander – too many characters introduced, and little narrative tension beyond the question of how many sentences can pass before we have to hear of Animal’s next arousal. But this is a dip, rather than a serious flaw, and compensated for by the last 100 pages, which have a gathering tension and power that are quite extraordinary. At its best, Sinha’s writing is a blade gleaming in the moonlight. And the novel, for all its pain, is a work of profound humanity.

Reviewed by

Kamila Shamsie’s most recent novel is Broken Verses (Bloomsbury), The Gaurdian

Filed under: Book Reviews, 2008), Animal's people, Commonwealth Writers Prize, Indra Sinha