That's In My Library!

There are some books you read and put away; and then there are others, like Gora, that you absorb. You get sucked into it, you feel everything the characters go through, and you come out of it as a better person altogether. Gora is one of the finest and the most complex of the Tagore's writing. It is not merely a novel; it is an epic saga of India, in a troubled time, questioning the basis of caste, tradition, filial piety, patriotism and marriage. Gora (Gourmohan), the protagonist, is intensely patriotic and a strong advocate of Hinduism. He practices his religion with thorough conviction and strict austerity, making him seem an arrogant, self-asserting, aggressive and violent person who thrusts his opinions unto others. On the other hand, Binoy, Gora's best friend, is soft spoken and compassionate gentleman who initially comes across as a shadow of Gora, but subsequently emerges as genuine and self-analyzing. The two boys come in contact with Poresh Babu, a spokesper...

The Complete Sherlock Holmes -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ‘Crime is common. Logic is rare.’ I don't need to introduce the protagonist or the author of this book. Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, are both recognized as the greatest in their respective fields; and that needs no justifying. The Complete Sherlock Holmes  is an  anthology of stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It comprises  four novels and fifty-six short stories,  including some of the most famous collections of Sherlock Holmes stories, such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, along with longer stories like The Hound of the Baskervilles. The stories revolve around the eccentric, arrogant, and ingenious Sherlock Holmes,  the most popular and influential fictional detective ever created . He and his trusted friend, Dr. John Watson, from whose perspective the stories are written, step from Holmes’ 221B Baker Street home into t...

First of all, I am so glad that the concept of 'Autobiography' has been utilized by people like Helen Keller. Her life in itself is inspirational; moreover, the fact that she wrote about it in such a pretty (yeah, that is the adjective I'm going to use) way is commendable. Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama, USA and became blind and deaf due to an illness when she was 19 months old. This book captures her life in her own words. In The Story of My Life, she writes about how she accustomed herself to living her life normally, at the same time being aware of her obvious differences with everyone else. She talks of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, probably the biggest influence of her life, and describes her impact on her. She talks about all her other memories, from being a carefree child to travelling all over the world advocating for the blind later in her life. Helen Keller's spirit certainly shines in this beautifully written memoir . Although brief, i...

Robert Langdon is back... And how! The Lost Symbol is the third adventure in the symbologist’s life  (after Angels and Demons, and The Da Vinci Code ) that involves art, architecture, history, science and religion. This book is pretty similar to his previous books. It has a similar plot, structure, and theme; only this time it takes place in Washington D.C. and involves the Freemasons and quite a bit of Noetic Sciences. Langdon is called to Washington at a friend's request, only to find him missing, and spends the rest of the book chasing clues throughout the city trying to outwit a new villain who is seemingly as smart as he is. I enjoy all Dan Brown books. While I'm not a huge fan, I do like the fantastical idea that there exists a huge conspiracy out there that only a few people know about. His writing could use some work, and he's not exactly crafting great literature, but his stories are pretty suspenseful and high on content, which do enough to cover up ...