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166 reviews
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5.0
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
A family drama set in 1860’s during American Civil War where men folk are engaged in fighting for their country, whilst the women and children are anxiously waiting for their return and silently praying for their good health.
Little Women is about four girls, struggling with poverty and yet trying to find joy in little things which they come across. Mrs. March and her four daughters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy will engage you with their virtues, down-to-earth behaviour, and their supportive and caring nature despite their poverty.
Meg, a practical and sensible girl. Being a teenager, she dreads the unfortunate financial problems in her family which doesn’t allow her to buy new clothes now and then. Yet, she makes most out of what she has and doesn’t throw tantrums, always supportive to her mother. Jo, full of joy and fun. She always finds a way to cheer herself and her sisters in the direst situations. Being a tom boy in her family, she surely stands out among her sisters. Jo is a writer by heart but a sweet heart by nature. Beth, sweet girl and has a musical talent. She can make you angry through her childish nature, also she can surprise you with the love she showers on her pretty doll and on an unfortunate child who died in her hands. Amy, the youngest of all and artistic by nature. Always trying to be sincere in her actions and trying to be lady-like.
All four girls are downright adventurous and fun. Mrs. March makes sure that her daughters are brought up with important lessons in their lives, also making sure not to be so hard upon them. The four girls eventually make friends with a boy in their neighbourhood and play innocent games, start writing a newsletter which includes excerpts and poems, opens a small post office which carries heart-warming letters.
This book makes sure that young readers unfailingly identify themselves with each of its characters, and the story always succeeds in drawing the grown-ups into the beautiful spring-time. A classic book which cannot be missed and you wouldn’t feel like parting away with these Little Women.
A family drama set in 1860’s during American Civil War where men folk are engaged in fighting for their country, whilst the women and children are anxiously waiting for their return and silently praying for their good health.
Little Women is about four girls, struggling with poverty and yet trying to find joy in little things which they come across. Mrs. March and her four daughters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy will engage you with their virtues, down-to-earth behaviour, and their supportive and caring nature despite their poverty.
Meg, a practical and sensible girl. Being a teenager, she dreads the unfortunate financial problems in her family which doesn’t allow her to buy new clothes now and then. Yet, she makes most out of what she has and doesn’t throw tantrums, always supportive to her mother. Jo, full of joy and fun. She always finds a way to cheer herself and her sisters in the direst situations. Being a tom boy in her family, she surely stands out among her sisters. Jo is a writer by heart but a sweet heart by nature. Beth, sweet girl and has a musical talent. She can make you angry through her childish nature, also she can surprise you with the love she showers on her pretty doll and on an unfortunate child who died in her hands. Amy, the youngest of all and artistic by nature. Always trying to be sincere in her actions and trying to be lady-like.
All four girls are downright adventurous and fun. Mrs. March makes sure that her daughters are brought up with important lessons in their lives, also making sure not to be so hard upon them. The four girls eventually make friends with a boy in their neighbourhood and play innocent games, start writing a newsletter which includes excerpts and poems, opens a small post office which carries heart-warming letters.
This book makes sure that young readers unfailingly identify themselves with each of its characters, and the story always succeeds in drawing the grown-ups into the beautiful spring-time. A classic book which cannot be missed and you wouldn’t feel like parting away with these Little Women.
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
5.0
Palace of Illusions – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Re-telling of the timeless tale ‘Mahabharat’, the story of Draupadi which is often not heard by most people. Guess who is the narrator? Draupadi, Daughter of Drupad, Princess of Panchaal, and widely known as wife of five husbands, Panchaali.
Divakaruni gave a powerful voice to Draupadi in this book, with all her joys in little things, her lonely childhood, her struggles and her triumphs, and the un-answered questions, the enduring pain and the revenge she seeks for what was done to her. Through all the complex emotions and doubts in her heart, Draupadi keeps you engaged with this story in her Palace of Illusions.
The story starts on a lazy winter afternoon, with her nurse, Dhai Ma telling about her fiery birth. Apparently, King Drupad was praying only for a son, but he was gifted beyond what he asked for. As her brother, Dristadyumna stepped out of fire, after few minutes of cheering and celebrations, there comes the Girl Who Wasn’t Invited. She amuses herself by making fancy names for herself such as Off-spring of Vengeance, the Unexpected One. She was as dark as her brother was fair, as hasty as he was calm. And the gods said, “She will change the course of history.” Thus, the first steps to the epic battle Kurukshetra were laid.
This book centrally focuses on women which are not often discussed or who weren’t given much part in the tales of our history. For instance, there was Kunti who was widowed and struggles all through her life to see her sons become Kings and that they get what they deserve. There was Gandhari, who was blindfolded for rest of her life as she was devoted to her sightless husband, thus abandoning her power as queen and mother. And then, there was Panchaali, King Drupad’s beautiful daughter. By her headstrong nature, she brings about the destruction of the Third Age of Man. However, these women were seldom portrayed as important characters in our history and often misunderstood by most of the people.
Divakaruni brings about the roles which these women played in changing the course of our history and the importance which they deserved. Her writing style is very grippy, and she doesn’t go astray from the actual story of Mahabharat.
Read the tale of Draupadi, her lonely childhood, love for her beloved brother, complicated friendship with the enchanting Krishna, her unfortunate marriage with five husbands, her secret affection on Karna – the tragic hero, her failure as a mother, and be welcomed into her entrancing Palace of Illusions.
Re-telling of the timeless tale ‘Mahabharat’, the story of Draupadi which is often not heard by most people. Guess who is the narrator? Draupadi, Daughter of Drupad, Princess of Panchaal, and widely known as wife of five husbands, Panchaali.
Divakaruni gave a powerful voice to Draupadi in this book, with all her joys in little things, her lonely childhood, her struggles and her triumphs, and the un-answered questions, the enduring pain and the revenge she seeks for what was done to her. Through all the complex emotions and doubts in her heart, Draupadi keeps you engaged with this story in her Palace of Illusions.
The story starts on a lazy winter afternoon, with her nurse, Dhai Ma telling about her fiery birth. Apparently, King Drupad was praying only for a son, but he was gifted beyond what he asked for. As her brother, Dristadyumna stepped out of fire, after few minutes of cheering and celebrations, there comes the Girl Who Wasn’t Invited. She amuses herself by making fancy names for herself such as Off-spring of Vengeance, the Unexpected One. She was as dark as her brother was fair, as hasty as he was calm. And the gods said, “She will change the course of history.” Thus, the first steps to the epic battle Kurukshetra were laid.
This book centrally focuses on women which are not often discussed or who weren’t given much part in the tales of our history. For instance, there was Kunti who was widowed and struggles all through her life to see her sons become Kings and that they get what they deserve. There was Gandhari, who was blindfolded for rest of her life as she was devoted to her sightless husband, thus abandoning her power as queen and mother. And then, there was Panchaali, King Drupad’s beautiful daughter. By her headstrong nature, she brings about the destruction of the Third Age of Man. However, these women were seldom portrayed as important characters in our history and often misunderstood by most of the people.
Divakaruni brings about the roles which these women played in changing the course of our history and the importance which they deserved. Her writing style is very grippy, and she doesn’t go astray from the actual story of Mahabharat.
Read the tale of Draupadi, her lonely childhood, love for her beloved brother, complicated friendship with the enchanting Krishna, her unfortunate marriage with five husbands, her secret affection on Karna – the tragic hero, her failure as a mother, and be welcomed into her entrancing Palace of Illusions.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
4.0
This is my first fantasy book ever! And, oh how I love this book!
All the while am reading this book, I had only one question: “Why didn’t I come across such a beautiful book when I was a child?”
No wonder, Roald Dahl is one of the greatest writers we had, especially for children, shaping their attitude at such a young age with his awesome characters like Curious Charlie Bucket, the greedy boy Augustus Gloop, a girl who was spoiled by her parents Veruca Salt, and the amazing Willy Wonka, curator of the world’s fabulous Chocolate Factory.
You can find waterfalls of chocolate over flowing between the pages of this book, the great gum machines which will fill up your stomach for the whole day, the square sweets that look round, the crazy lift which not only goes up and down but also sideways with a lightning speed that you’d rather prefer to be on a roller coaster, chocolates which you can snatch right from the Television set and gobble them up, and many other amazing things in this book which will make you dwell in that Fantasy world of Chocolate Factory and never feel like coming out of it!
Roald Dahl made me smell the hot melting chocolate just through his descriptions and quirky words without even having the physical presence of a chocolate! Also, the illustrations by Quentin Blake where just on point! His illustrations gave the essential imagination a child needs to travel through that mysterious Chocolate Factory and enjoy as Mr. Willy Wonka guides us through it.
This book doesn’t teach a child “how to be” but it teaches “how not to be”. And, that’s what I loved the most! We can’t point something is good, because there is going to be a better thing other than that if we just explore. But, we sure can point out that something is bad and in my opinion its more important to learn what is bad at first than to learn what is good.
I suggest this book to both adults and young readers, because a book such as this is timeless and we can still learn a lot from it. If not that, we can still enjoy the fantasy land in which the characters of Roald Dahl live.
Go on and explore Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I’m sure, you’ll feel like having more of that fantasy by the time you finish it.
All the while am reading this book, I had only one question: “Why didn’t I come across such a beautiful book when I was a child?”
No wonder, Roald Dahl is one of the greatest writers we had, especially for children, shaping their attitude at such a young age with his awesome characters like Curious Charlie Bucket, the greedy boy Augustus Gloop, a girl who was spoiled by her parents Veruca Salt, and the amazing Willy Wonka, curator of the world’s fabulous Chocolate Factory.
You can find waterfalls of chocolate over flowing between the pages of this book, the great gum machines which will fill up your stomach for the whole day, the square sweets that look round, the crazy lift which not only goes up and down but also sideways with a lightning speed that you’d rather prefer to be on a roller coaster, chocolates which you can snatch right from the Television set and gobble them up, and many other amazing things in this book which will make you dwell in that Fantasy world of Chocolate Factory and never feel like coming out of it!
Roald Dahl made me smell the hot melting chocolate just through his descriptions and quirky words without even having the physical presence of a chocolate! Also, the illustrations by Quentin Blake where just on point! His illustrations gave the essential imagination a child needs to travel through that mysterious Chocolate Factory and enjoy as Mr. Willy Wonka guides us through it.
This book doesn’t teach a child “how to be” but it teaches “how not to be”. And, that’s what I loved the most! We can’t point something is good, because there is going to be a better thing other than that if we just explore. But, we sure can point out that something is bad and in my opinion its more important to learn what is bad at first than to learn what is good.
I suggest this book to both adults and young readers, because a book such as this is timeless and we can still learn a lot from it. If not that, we can still enjoy the fantasy land in which the characters of Roald Dahl live.
Go on and explore Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I’m sure, you’ll feel like having more of that fantasy by the time you finish it.
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
1.0
Thoroughly disappointed in this book. Worst third person narration ever! Abandoning this book..
The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond
5.0
Re-reading this after almost 9 years. This short story by Ruskin Bond is as beautiful as ever! ❤