The 2012 Reading List Part-I January 8, 2012
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Book Reviews, Classics, Fantasy Fiction, Mumbo Jumbo, Sci-Fi.Tags: 2012, a hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, new year resolutions, reading list, science fiction, stieg larsson, the bourne identity, the bourne supremacy, the bourne ultimatum, the girl who played with fire, the girl with the dragon tattoo, vampire romance
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2012 is in. It is a unique year; heralded by doomsday predictions and bucket-list resolutions.
Well, I am not the usual new-year-resolutions maker. But a one week vacation from office on New Years Eve gave me a lot of free time to dabble with. And, I managed to scribble my TO-DO list for this year.
The resolution topping the list was; Read… Read.. READ!
So, I’ve prepared my reading list for this Quarter ( In line with another resolution of mine! ). No specific preferences, but a mishmash of genres which I had been hoping to experiment with, but had never really got down to.
I have chosen the series form of books because it has always impressed me. IMO, this is one of the most challenging forms of writing. Being able to capture the attention of a reader through thousand and thousands of book pages, and a delicate web of entwined plots is a commendable (and tough) job!
A Disclaimer:
I haven’t read all these books yet, so don’t blame me if you don’t like them. But they have this quality of beckoning you, like some sort of literary seduction, making you want to read them. I am not sure how they will turn out to be, but here is my list.
So without wasting any more time, lets go..
Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting the definitive “Reading List Q1 2012.”!!
The Millennium Trilogy:
There are some books that catch your imagination – simply by an intriguing name or the imagery of a character which flashes before your eyes. When I first heard of the name – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, my first reaction was – “What?”
The trilogy is a series of the books with the most riveting names -“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl who kicked a Hornet’s Nest” and “The Girl who played with Fire”. It is written by Stieg Larsson, a journalist who came from nowhere and attained iconic status in the crime fiction world with this series of books.
I have not read much of Crime fiction earlier. The most I had read were the Agatha Christie novels, and the occasional classics like “The God Father” . And of late, had been bit too preoccupied with Wizards and Vampires.
So this is my first detour into crime fiction in a long long time.
I have just orders a Box set of the trilogy from Flipkart, and the books seem to be pretty long (600+ pages each ). Yet, every review I have read has called these books a page turner, so it is No 1 on my reading list.
And the biggest motivation of course is the character of Lisbeth Salander. Weird, enigmatic, brilliant, dangerous security specialist; she simply cannot be missed!.
The Shiva Trilogy:
This is a series of books by an Indian author Amish Tripathi. The first 2 books – “The Immortals of Meluha” and “The Secret of the Nagas” are bestsellers. The third book of the series has not been released yet.
It is an unusual genre – Mythology, and I don’t remember having read any books of that genre yet.
OK, you may count Lord of the Rings as Mythology, but Indian mythology is unique – it is such a dense and spiritual subject. And taking a culturally sensitive subject like mythology and converting it to believable fiction is an awesome feat !.
I have spent most of my childhood reading books by great English authors. The characters in my mind, the novel settings.. Everything is foreign. The last great book that I read set in Indian settings was the “White tiger” by Arvind Adiga. So I am really looking forward to how the author has pulled it off.
Another thing that attracted me to this book is this haunting quote from “The Secret of the Nagas” – “The opposite of love is not hate, its apathy”.
Well..Age old thoughts spun into a tale relevant in the modern context. This is a must-read book!.
The Hitch hiker’s guide to the Galaxy Series:
The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy is a crazy book.
It tickles you out of your senses. Gives the absurdist, stupidest, most bizarre ideas in the most matter of fact way, expecting it to be funny and it actually is!!
This is the first in a series of 5 books by Douglas Adams. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” , “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”, “Life, the Universe and Everything” ,”So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish “, “Mostly Harmless” and “And Another Thing…”. The last book was written by 2 other authors after Doulas Adams’ death.
The author’s line of thinking, the way the arguments are constructed, the anecdotes will make you ROFL, BWL, LMFAO.. ( OK, I am running out of expressions now! )
Wickedly funny and geeky, it is an absolute must read for any SF or Humor enthusiast. Douglas Adams actually has a cult status among Science Fiction enthusiasts – Just Google “Meaning of life 42”
Taking the most ordinary mundane daily happenings, and spinning it into the weirdest anecdotes, this book has intellectual gems thrown in the most the most unassuming way!..
Want a peek? Well, this is one of my favorite passages (out of the countless others) in the first book.
“People of Earth, your attention, please. This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council. As you will no doubt be aware, the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system. And regrettably, your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes. Thank you.
There’s no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.
I don’t know, apathetic bloody planet, I’ve no sympathy at all.
There was a terribly ghastly silence.
There was a terribly ghastly noise.
There was a terribly ghastly silence.”
The Bourne Trilogy:
Oh, I know. Don’t give me that pitiful look. I know this series is ancient. I should have read it like 10 years ago! But then, it’s better late than never. And what best way to start a New Year than make up for all the good things you missed in the past!. So, the Bourne series makes it to my list.
There are 9 books in the series; out of which the first 3 are “The Bourne Identity”, “the Bourne Ultimatum” and the “The Bourne Supremacy” written by Robert Ludlum. The rest 6 have been written by some other author. Don’t know how long the series will be able to hold my attention, but at least the first 3 are a must!
There is something very touching about a man who is constantly trying to understand who he is. And, when he is painfully deducting his past by analyzing his instant reactions to situations and things. It is sort of scary yet tragic in a very poignant way.
The book is an absolute edge of the seat thriller. I have read the first one halfway through and it is quite promising. Am determined to make the rest this Quarter.
Let’s see!
The Vampire Diaries:
What is life without any romance?. So here is my last entry – a dash of romance to the reading list. And what is the best form of romance other than Vampire love stories – it’s the hot flavor of the day!
I have read the first 2 books of the series – The Awakening, and The Struggle, and there are 7 more to read. Since the novels are only 100+ pages each, it isn’t much of a challenge really..
The books are not much of a literary genius (is sort of Mills and Boons sometimes), but the plot somehow got me hooked. It has all the elements which will make you want to read it more – romance, suspense, drama.
Actually the motivation for me to read this book came from the Vampire Diaries TV series. The series is awesome, with impossibly handsome vampires and equally ravishing vampire-victims stuck in a world with witches and werewolves. Gosh!
I don’t know, but there is something very enticing about these Vampire love stories . Perhaps it is the idea of an impossible romance – a relationship so volatile that it cannot exist naturally.. Hunter loves the hunted.. Guy thirsting for the blood of the woman he loves. The conflict between extreme emotions.. Lion falling in love with the lamb.
But then, writers are crazy people – the readers even more!
So, here is my list for Q1 of 2012.
Hope I’ll be able to keep up my New Year resolution and post my reviews as I read along!
See you later, Alligator! 
The Stranger January 6, 2012
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Book Reviews, Classics, Mumbo Jumbo.Tags: albert camus, death, existential dilemma, existentialism, life, philosophy, the stranger
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For quite some time now, I have been pondering over The Ultimate Question.
What is the meaning of my life? What do we achieve by rushing round in the humdrum and mundane-ness of our daily chores? What do we have to gain from this melodrama?…
Is it something to do with our surroundings? Is it significant because of our experiences? Does this life have meaning in itself, or is it valuable only when lived amongst people we love?
In short, you can call it momentary pangs of self existential dilemma!..
Of course, I’m not the first one to ask these questions. For centuries, men have pondered over the same. So, it is an eerie coincidence that at a moment when I was stung by these questions, this book by Albert Camus seems to have “accidentally” strolled into my life.
“The Stranger” is a personification of the self existential dilemma. It is a queer book. Starting abruptly, you are introduced to a character who seems to be totally apathetic to his surroundings. He has this uncomfortable air of careless indifference which makes you wonder – What’s wrong with this guy? Is he a sociopath?
Meursault is a man out of touch with things on an emotional plane – who considers everything around him with an objective mindset. He gets along well with people, but they hardly touch an emotional chord in him. He either finds people interesting or boring, and usually agrees with them to avoid confrontation.
And then a freak incident happens when he accidentally kills another man and is sent to jail. The case is brought in court, and Meursault’s indifferent attitude towards the murdered man horrifies the judge. He is served a death sentence.
The last few chapters deal with how he deals with this sentence, contemplating on what really matters to him. Why should he look forward to living his life? Is it a relation with his girlfriend? Is it about experiences with the world outside the walls of the prison?.. Is it the pleasure of seeing the sky and watching the stars?.. Moments of freedom?
What is it that makes his life worthwhile?!
The book is a French translation. Seems to be very simple but holds a lot of symbolism – the concept of death brought in to contrast with the value of life. Not much of a leisure read, it would pass off more as dense stuff for an advanced literature class. The book does not tell you much, but makes you think a lot.
So… What exactly is the purpose of our lives??
A plausible solution to this questions came from an unlikely source.
Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist had said:
A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming!.
The Adventures of Tintin December 5, 2011
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Classics, Movie Reviews.Tags: adventure, animation, captain haddock, snowy, Spielberg, the adventures of Tintin, Tintin, treasure
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It was the summer of 1995, fifteen years ago. I had just taken membership in a library called the “German club library”. For a small sleepy town like Rourkela, the library was pretty good. Contained around 15-20 racks of fiction books. As a youngster fascinated with fiction, you could read along to all your heart’s desire!
It also had a small sofa, a sort of reading room. And that day, I saw a thirty something uncle (yeah, we called thirty year olds uncle then ) reading this big, thin book, chuckling and guffawing away in every 2 minute intervals. Curious, I peeked into what was making this person so happy. Aha!!..No wonder..Uncle-ji was reading a Tintin comic. 
So that’s Tintin for you. A hilarious, thrilling and engrossing series set in a perfect world where good always triumphs and the villain always ends up behind the bars. The expensive comic, with beautiful glossy print unfolding pages and pages of delightful merriment was a prized possession in my childhood days. Every kid loved them!
Obviously, when the much awaited cinematic version arrived, it was looked forward to with breathless anticipation.
We were not disappointed.
Spielberg has done it again! The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is a dazzling adaptation of the comic series. And in 3D, it seems so real, so remarkably Herge, with the adorable captain Haddock, spunky Snowy and Tintin of course!. The movie actually made me feel lucky – it was like the characters have come alive; walking out of my imagination right in front of my eyes!
Every bit of it keeps you engaged – either you are laughing or you are gaping at what would happen next. With mind numbing stunts, albeit in animation, the Tintin movie is total awesomeness packaged in one deal. Spielberg waited 30 years to make a movie of his favorite character, and every bit of it is worth the wait.
The story involves an inquisitive detective with an extraordinary flair for uncovering mysteries. Tintin gets caught up in curious happenings involving a long lost ship, which begins a roller coaster ride leading to a hidden treasure. For a generation that began its brush with English literature in stories of lost and hidden treasures ( remember Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Hardy boys, and our very own Treasure Island by R.L.Stevenson!), it is the perfect cinematic and visual treat.
The racket goes on and on and on, almost making your head reel. And even towards the end, you feel that there is so much more to go. After so much action, the climax seems to be a bit abrupt – not the director’s mistake; the character of Tintin had so much up his sleeve.
107 minutes of absolute entertainment. It is 9 out of 10 on the awesomeness scale!
Super 8 October 18, 2011
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi.Tags: Aliens, JJ Abrahams, Monsters, Sci-fi, Steven Spielberg, Super 8
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It was just another one of those Friday evenings when you are confronted with Life ‘s epic dramas. What to do? Where to go? Which movie to see ?
A search on BookMyShow (That’s the only Movie booking site not blocked in my Office) provided 2 options – “Real Steel” and “Super 8”. An IMDB’s rating of 7.4 and the star power of Steven Spielberg clinched the choice for us. “Super 8″ it was!
Now coming to the movie:
Have you ever spent the whole 90 minutes of a movie wondering what the title was all about?. This time I did. Somehow the story didn’t make it very clear and throughout the show, we kept counting for 8 things which would make a Super 8. Missing the first 2 minutes in the start made all the difference, I assume. 
Anyways, the whole movie seemed to be a manifestation of Steven Spielberg’s fixation with aliens, and JJ Abrahams’ with cameras (I guess!). It’s like two geniuses put their heads together. Spielberg said “Aliens”. Abrahams nodded ..” Cameras”.. And Whoaaa..We have a movie!!..But unlike Spielberg’s masterpieces of the past, the result here turned out neither very unique nor believable. So it sadly failed to sweep you off your feet.
Set in the fictional town of Lillian, Ohio the story revolves around the lives of 6 kids amidst glimpses of suburban life , parental melodrama and teenage wisecracks.
The beginning set a good tempo for the action to follow. Fast paced, building up tension towards a cinematic climax that simple falls PLOP on the face!
While watching the movie, I somehow had the eerie feeling that the treatment was so Cloverfield like. The invisible unseen alien monster, the camera angles and shooting as a major theme in the story, the characters’ reactions when they realize that their friend Alice(Elle Fanning) has been abducted by the god-knows-what creature stalking the town. It was a Cloverfield “Deja vu”!..
The story leaves many unfinished threads, and as it progresses, becomes lesser and lesser believable . It is almost like once the hidden-for-suspense alien is revealed, the director has set auto-complete on. The audience is simply expected to put two and two together, letting the alien happily fly off back to space. And it’s a happy ending (and lots of question marks) for everyone left behind.
Americans who were kids in 80s and 90s might watch it with a twinge of nostalgia. And it could be a treat for an alien obsessed ET adoring crowd.
But we were disappointed.. 
And somehow, the biggest let-down was the IMDB rating. Something between 5 and 6 would have worked just fine.
Twilight May 25, 2009
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Book Reviews, Fantasy Fiction.Tags: fantasy fiction, romance, stephenie meyer, twilight, vampire romance
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Many of us have ideas and imaginations, but being able to transform your illusions and dreams into believable fantasy is a rare gift. With her very first book , Stephenie Meyer has brilliantly captured her fantasies to create an enchanting saga of the Twilight series,through the character of seventeen year old Isabella “Bella” Swan.Twilight” is a unique book with a mesmerizing charm – it makes you turn the pages with expectant wonder, and reminds you of the sparkle and fascination in teenage love!.
Bella has just moved into the dull sunless town of Forks, Washington to stay with her father and continue her education. Right from her first day at the new school, she is unconditionally and irrevocably drawn to the excruciatingly handsome Edward Cullen. His perfection and beauty dazzle her, to the point that she begins to wonder if he is really human. And thus begins an unusual love story – made all the more unusual because Edward is actually a vampire!!
You get to see ingenuous high school chit chat, with many boys falling for Bella’s attractive looks – much to Edward’s vexation. Instinctively attracted to her, he courts Bella – confused by his feelings for her, and whether his affection for her will really fit into the whole scheme of things. You actually end up feeling charmed by her vulnerability, and his fiercely protective attitude towards her. The idea of love transcending all borders is appealing, and of course – don’t we all love “love stories”?!
The romance is neither torrid nor sensual, but retains a sensitive and dream like hypnotic quality. It goes on like a fairy tale, until things suddenly take a sharp turn – changing this engaging romance to an exciting thriller. There are many breathtaking moments, and the author has been able to masterfully blend romance, adventure and suspense in one irresistible package.
The character of Edward as a forever-seventeen picture of perfection is designed to make hearts flutter, and the realization that he subconsciously thirsts for the blood of the girl he loves is an interesting theme for psychoanalysis. 
It sort of reminds me of something I read somewhere –
“It is impossible to love and be wise” – FRANCIS BACON
A link to the author’s website is here: www.stepheniemeyer.co.uk
Cloverfield(2008) May 24, 2009
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi.Tags: cloverfield, monster movie, new york, suspense, thriller
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We live in a society that constantly feels the need to be in touch with our past and present – through mobile phones and instant cameras. We film, record and photograph everything, not willing to let go of any bit of our life undocumented. So, what if you are in the middle of a heady celebration, happily recording and then something suddenly goes terribly wrong??… You are caught documenting something catastrophic, and inadvertently – the last moments of your life!!!
Cloverfield is one movie that preys on these innermost subconscious fears, and terrorizes you with the shocking realism with which it has been portrayed. Completely presented through the perspective of a camcorder, it begins with the recording of a farewell party for Robert “Rob” Hawkins. Amidst cheerful flirtations and celebrations, Hudson “Hud” Platt goes around the gathering recording farewell messages for Rob, who is moving to Tokyo for a new job.The upbeat party atmosphere is suddenly shattered by an earthquake rocking the building. Merriment swiftly transforms into paranoia and then panic as we realise that a monster has struck downtown Manhattan, wreaking havoc and “eating people” everywhere. As the military swings into action, it announces a mandatory evacuation of the city, and thousands are seen fleeing the streets. In the middle of all this, Rob realizes that his girlfriend Elizabeth “Beth” McIntyre is stuck in her collapsed apartment, located in the neighborhood where the monster is causing destruction. He is faced with an impossible choice – whether to evacuate to safety or go back and rescue his love. Rob and his friends decide to risk their lives and rescue Beth.This is the turning point of the story – and a beginning of the shock and drama which is about to unfold.
Giant monster movies tend to be usually stereotypical. It will either be a Godzilla or a Frankenstein let loose in a city or some mutated aliens descending from space to annihilate the Earth. There will be gory pictures of the slimy creatures destroying buildings, killing people and crushing cars as they go around spreading mayhem wherever they go. Cloverfield is also a monster movie, but the treatment is different. You don’t see the monster much, but you can feel it there throughout the movie – in the fear it generates in the protagonists of the movie. It strikes you in-the-face, and you feel like you are in the skin of characters, and actually running for your own life!! The suspense is spine chilling, and keeps you frozen to your seat while your mind screams - “Run.. run.. RUN!!”
Overall, it is a one-of-a-kind thriller with an uncommon experience. To watch the trailer, link here: http://www.cloverfieldmovie.com/
To kill a Mockingbird May 18, 2009
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Book Reviews, Classics.Tags: childhood, children, harper lee, innocence, justice, lawyer, racism, to kill a mockingbird
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A perfect blend of innocence and maturity – this book is a fascinating fable of human attitudes and perceptions, narrated though the ingenuous eyes of an eight year old girl. With masterful strokes, Harper Lee paints a vivid picture of a small town in Alabama at a time when racial prejudice and apartheid were burning issues in the United States. The fabric of the novel is strikingly believable and authentic, probably derived from the author’s own experiences as she attended local schools in Alabama.
The story begins with the merry adventures of eight year old Scout and her twelve year old brother Jem. You begin to get completely engaged in their childhood gambles and escapades, and how the siblings discover the attitudes and realities of the society around them. With a brilliant wit, the author describes how these kids build imaginary worlds, recreate weird stories about the townspeople enacting them, and react to the prejudices and racist mentalities of their town. They are strongly protective of their father, who is a white criminal lawyer in the town court and also a single parent. He is fighting a case for a black man who has been falsely accused by the testimony of a white girl, and here the story begins to get darker as the details of his struggle trickle in.
Reading ahead, you get to see a long and tortuous courtroom scene, when one man struggles in a bitter fight for equality and justice for all mankind – irrespective of race or colour. At a time when it is unthinkable for a black man to win over a white man’s verdict in the court, he exhorts the Judge and the Jurymen – “In the name of God, do your duty!” . In spite of his efforts, once again the unspoken rules stay unbroken. The court pronounces the defendant “Guilty”. The young kids, who have been watching the trial unbeknownst to their father, are devastated. All they can do is to feel cheated by a society that “ain’t fair”!!
This book is a rare gem, leaving a lasting impression after you read it. It traces the trajectory of human thoughts right from innocent childhood, and the loss of this innocence to the so called “worldly wisdom”. It is witty, funny, emotional and sensitive, and demonstrates that even people in the toughest professions can have the gentlest of hearts.
Quoting from the first page of the paperback -
“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.”
– CHARLES LAMB
The Secret (2006) May 10, 2009
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Mumbo Jumbo, Non Fiction.Tags: ideas, philosophy, rhonda byrne, the secret
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![TheSecretLogo[1]](http://intenseopinions.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/thesecretlogo1.jpg?w=460 "TheSecretLogo[1]")
I am usually wary of psychological mumbo jumbo – basically because it has a huge potential to influence you. Also because the way you think should be entirely according to you own calling, and not according to how X or Y advise you to. So, I was a little sceptical of this documentary style movie – “The Secret”, which claimed to hold the secret of all success, fulfilment and accomplishments.
The Universe has a secret which had been hidden from all mankind. Only the hugely successful and immortal geniuses could decode “The secret” and kept it under wraps across centuries and generations. This powerful secret was the cause of their successes, and it is so compelling that it has the potential to transform the life of anyone. This is how the movie begins. Based on a book of the same name by Rhonda Byrne, the movie has been filmed like a run through of the Discovery channel, with psychologists, nuclear physicists, doctors, healers, priests and scholars sharing their experiences and revealing the power of the Secret.
This all powerful secret is “The Law of Attraction”. The human mind is amazing, and it is so potent that we can do anything just by having the desire to do it. We attract whatever we desire and visualize. We create our own universe, with the power of our minds and our entire world rearranges itself according to our actions and aspirations.
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” – Buddha
The idea is intensely appealing, and the thought that we can chart our fortune only by thinking about it is anybody’s dreams come true! The whole movie is shot like an investigative report, in which we are given clues, examples, hints and situations which support or prove this theory. The arguments seem too preachy sometimes, but the basic message of positive thinking makes an impact.
It is a movie which can be watched with an open mind, so go for it when you are in the need for some aggressive positive thinking. I haven’t started trying it out yet, and will let you know when I discover whether this thing works 
!!
A link to the movie’s website is here: http://www.thesecret.tv/
Death du jour May 10, 2009
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Book Reviews.Tags: book review, death du jour, kathy reichs, mystery, thriller
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![n56795[1]](http://intenseopinions.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/n5679512.jpg?w=460 "n56795[1]")
This is one book that I just stumbled upon and didn’t know what to expect from the content. Apart from the cryptic name which sounded pretty ominous, and a back cover description full of adjectives like “thrilling”, “chilling”, “startling” and “nerve-shattering”, I had never heard of the book or the author before. So, I decided to attack it with an open and investigative mind – a search on Google explained “du jour” is a French phrase for “fashionable, currently for the day”. It turned out that the story revolves around a chain of murders which happened around the same time, but were discovered throughout the narration of the whole story. Hence the name – Death du jour.
The book begins in the bitter cold of a church graveyard where Tempe Brennan, an anthropologist, and the author’s heroine is working on exhuming the bones of a burial which took place 200 years ago. This sombre and dark beginning sets the tone of the chain of events to follow, in which Brennan is involved in the discovery of burnt, mutilated and decomposed bodies in separate incidents throughout the state. Death seems to follow her wherever she goes. She makes startling discoveries and unearths evidence which point to the involvement of a Cult group, which has turned violent and horribly wrong. Incidentally, the dark happenings of her professional life invade her personal space, when she finds that her sister is involved with this dubious “Inner Life Development” group too!. Many tense and nerve wracking moments await the reader as he wonders – “Can she or can she not?”.
The beginning of the book is a bit awkward, and it takes some time to get a hang of the plot. Kathy Reichs uses abrupt sentences and bits of phrases, which tend to confuse. However, a few incidents and fifty pages later, you are completely immersed in the story. The perpetual question at the end of every chapter is “What Next?” The author is aptly able to hold the attention of her readers, because there are so many clues and bits of the puzzle floating around, so it’s almost irresistible to stop until it ends!
Overall, it is an “unexpected” good read. And, if you are in the mood of some experimental reading, then it’s definitely a “worth it” try!!
The novel’s brief excerpt is here:
Rear Window (1954) April 26, 2009
Posted by Afrozy Ara in Classics, Movie Reviews.Tags: alfred hitchcock, neighbor, thriller, window
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A magazine photographer recuperating with broken bones after an accident.. His pretty and perfectionist girlfriend who he feels is too perfect for him.. A bustling neighbourhood in which an array of rear windows open into the lives of all the people living there… This is the setting of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1995 thriller “Rear windows” starring James Stewart as Mr Jeffery and Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont.
Loneliness, love, lust, anger, desperation – all shades of emotions are available for Mr Jeffery to contemplate upon as he sits whiling away his boredom and waiting for his broken leg to heal. This row of windows becomes his lifeline, and amidst this ennui, he comes across a startling discovery of strange going-ons in the window across his. But haven’t we heard the saying – “Curiosity killed the cat”, and truly enough it landed Jeff in trouble too!!. The sudden disappearance of the wife of his across-the-window neighbour piques his curiosity, and make him suspect that the neighbour has murdered his wife. Jeff briefly toys with the ethical dilemma of “Should we spy at our neighbours?” , but as the plot unravels, he finally vindicates his stand. The rest of the story is a roller coaster ride of how he finally does it.
The main protagonist is a witty young man, with a la Sherlock Holmes kind of detective instinct, and a thirst for excitement that fully engages the audience throughout the film. Grace Kelly as Lisa startles us in the end with her pluck and audacity, making Jeff finally rediscover his lover through this adventure. The movie has its own share of whodunnit moments, and that’s what keeps you riveted to it till the end.The dialogues are crisp, the screenplay commendable, and you can feel a distinct old world charm throughout. Definitely a worth watch film!
