Book Review #34 When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka - Stars 4/5

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka Stars 4/5

Review:

Those who read 'The Buddha in the Attic' should also read 'When the Emperor Was Divine' which is also set in the same premise - the lives of the Japanese in the US during WW2.
'The Buddha in the Attic' was like the voice of many and not about a single main character but 'When the Emperor Was Divine' is about one unnamed family and the final chapters are said hard-hitting like a response from all the affected person point of view to the country that is treating them like an alien. This is not a melodramatic story, and it ends with a positive note about their hope.

Plot:

The story is about a Japanese family living in the US during World War II Says how men were named a traitor and prisoned secretly for years and how their families were sent to Utah desert to internment camps for years.
The family is first separated from the father and living in an internment camp, their life changes there, after years when they are back to their home they see how ruined their places are, kids are still missing their father, they are visit school and asked to not intervene the whites, they ask apologies even if their hand touches them mistakenly.
After years when their father returns the kids are not sure if it was him, he is looking different now, pale, energy drained.

Quotes from the book:
“But we never stopped believing that somewhere out there, in some stranger's backyard, our mother's rosebush was blossoming madly, wildly, pressing one perfect red flower after another out into the late afternoon light.”

"We used to live in the desert. We used to wake every morning, to the blast of a siren. We used to stand in line for our meals three times a day. We used to stand in line for our mail. We used to stand in line to get coal. We used to stand in line whenever we had to shower or use the latrine. We used to hear the wind hissing day and night through the sagebrush. We used to hear coyotes. We used to hear every word spoken by our neighbors on the other side of the thin barrack wall ... We used to try and imagine what it would be like when we finally returned home."          

Book Review #33 The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka Stars 5/5

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka Stars 5/5 

Review:

The Buddha in the Attic is Lyrical and empathetic.
Instead of a single, named protagonist, author writes in the first personal plural through a series of thematic chapters.

Plot:

The voice of many. Tale of Japanese mail-ordered brides sent to America by ship and later when their life is kind of stable the World war 2 begins and life takes turns again.
They are lured that future husband is a wealthy businessman but only after reaching the US they come to know that the photos are 20 years old and these guys are mostly working as a slave in a farm.
They go through many struggles, they are naive, they are blamed.
But after decades when their kids grow the families become less Japanese and more American, only to have it shattered in a passage, simply called 'Traitors' as the World War II begins and men captured and the family never see them again.

Quotes from the book:

“Not once did we ever have the money to buy them a single toy”

“You will see women are weak, but mothers are strong.”

“We forgot about Buddha. We forgot about God. We developed a coldness inside us that still has not thawed. I fear my soul has died. We stopped writing home to our mothers. We lost weight and grew thin. We stopped bleeding. We stopped dreaming. We stopped wanting.”

Book Review #32 - கொற்கை: பத்தொன்பதாம் நூற்றாண்டில் திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் தொல்லியல் ஆய்வுகள் by இராபர்ட்டு கால்டுவெல், வானதி

கொற்கை: பத்தொன்பதாம் நூற்றாண்டில் திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் தொல்லியல் ஆய்வுகள் by இராபர்ட்டு கால்டுவெல், வானதி Stars 4/5 

கொற்கை. 1899இல் திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் தொல்லியல் ஆய்வுகள் செய்த 'அலெக்சாண்டர் ரீயா' மற்றும் 'இராபர்ட்டு கால்டுவெல்' அவர்களது ஆய்வுகள் 1902இல் நீண்ட கட்டுரையாக எழுதப்பட்டது. தற்போது 2020இல் வானதி அவர்களால் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

திருநெல்வேலி, ஆதிச்சநல்லூர், காயல்பட்டணம் போன்ற பகுதிகளில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட ஆராய்ச்சிகள் நமக்கு இதுவரை அறியாத பல தகவல்களை வெறும் 60 பக்கங்களில் தருகிறது.

தொல்லியல் ஆயிவுகள் பற்றி எனக்கு எந்த பரிச்சயமும் எனக்கும் இல்லை மொழி பெயர்ப்பு அனைவரையும் வாசிக்கவைக்கும் வகையில் உள்ளது.

புத்தகத்திலிருந்து சில பகுதிகள்:

“இறந்தவர்களை எரிக்கும் பழக்கமுடைய இந்தியாவில் , இந்த புதைக்கும் பழக்கம் உடைய மக்கள் எப்படி தோன்றி , எந்தச் சுவடும் இல்லாமல் மறைந்து போனார்கள் என்ற கேள்வி வருகிறது. இது சில நூறு வருடங்கள் மட்டுமே வயதுள்ள இடங்கள் எனில் , இந்தப் பழக்கத்தின் எச்சம் இன்னமும் இருந்திருக்க வேண்டும். அப்படி எதுவும் இல்லாமல் போனதன் காரணம் என்னவாக இருக்கும் ? இது மட்டுமே இந்த இடங்கள் வரலாற்றுக்கு முந்தையவை என்பதை குறிக்கின்றன.”

“பல வருடங்களுக்கு முன் நான் கொற்கைக்கு சென்றிருக்கிறேன். அது ஒரு அவசரமான பயணமாக இருந்தாலும் , அங்கு நான் கண்டவையும் , கேள்விப்பட்டவையும் , இப்போது முக்கியத்துவம் இல்லாமல் இருக்கும் இந்தக் கொற்கையே ( கொள்கை என்ற தமிழ் வார்த்தையில் இருந்து மறுவியதாக இருக்கலாம் ) கிரேக்கர்களால் ' கொல்கி ' என்றழைக்கப்பட்ட துறைமுகமாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்ற முடிவுக்கு வந்தேன்.”

“இன்றைய மன்னார் வளைகுடாவை , கிரேக்கர்கள் ' கொல்கி வளைகுடா ' என்று குறிப்பதில் இருந்து இது ஒரு பெரிய நகரமாக இருந்திருக்க வேண்டும் என்று தெரிந்துக் கொள்ளலாம். பண்டைய மரபுகள் குறிக்கும் , தென்னிந்திய நாகரீகத்தின் தொட்டிலான கொற்கை இதுவே என்று முடிவு செய்யலாம். இங்கிருந்துதான் , மூன்று  சேரன் , சோழன் மற்றும் பாண்டியர்கள் பிறந்து , வளர்ந்து , பின் தங்கள் பேரரசுகளையும் , வம்சங்களையும் உண்டாக்கினார்கள் எனலாம். இங்குதான் பாண்டியர்களின் ஆட்சி தொடங்கி , பின் மதுரைக்கு போனது என்றும் தெரிந்துக் கொள்ளலாம். கொற்கை என்பதன் அர்த்தம் ' ஒரு படை முகாம் ' என்பதாகும். இதே நேரத்தில் , இன்றைய கொற்கைக்கும் , கடலுக்கும் இடையே இருக்கும் பழைய காயல் என்ற இடமே , மார்கோ போலோ அவரது நூலில் கிழக்கிந்திய கடற்கரையின் முக்கிய துறைமுகமாக குறிக்கும் ' காயில் ' என்ற இடம் என்று நான் முடிவுக்கு வந்திருந்தேன்.”

“அதாவது லட்சம் வருடங்களுக்கு முன் வாழ்ந்த மக்கள் இறப்பு என்பதை அறியாதவர்கள். அவர்கள் வயது ஆக ஆக சிறியதாகிக் கொண்டே போவார்கள். காலப்போக்கில் அவர்கள் மிகவும் சிறியதாகி விடுவதால் , வீட்டின் விளக்கு மாடத்தில் அவர்களை வைத்து விடுவார்களாம். அவர்களைப் பார்த்துக் கொள்வது பெரும் வேலையாக இருந்ததால் , இளம் வயதினர் , அவர்களை ஒரு பானையில் வைத்து , பாத்திரங்களில் அரிசி , நீர் , எண்ணெய் போன்றவற்றையும் வைத்து , ஊருக்கு வெளியே புதைத்து விடுவார்களாம்.”

Book Review #26 - My Story/En Kadhai/Ente Katha by Kamala Suraiyya Das

என் கதை by Kamala Suraiyya DasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

An explicit biography published February 1st 1973. Kamala Das (born Kamala; 31 March 1934 - 31 May 2009) was short-listed for the Nobel Prize for Literature and is probably the first Hindu woman to talk openly about desires of Indian woman.
Originally published as Ente Katha in Malayalam, I read the Tamil version finely translated by Nirmalya and published by Kalachuvadu Publications.

Review

For many readers this will be the first time they read such a content from an Indian author.
Begins her childhood, an early marriage, frequent shifts to cities, her love of books, writing, loneliness, depression, health and also some lights on places like Kolkata, Bombay and Delhi.
She was born into a conservative family in Kerala and her life took turns in exploring the desires of women which makes me wonder how the book got received when it published.

Quote from the book

'Wipe out of the paints unmold the clay
Let nothing remain of that yesterday'

A Google Doodle Honour


 “I speak three languages, write in two, dream in one,”


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Book Review #20 - 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' by Haruki Murakami

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki MurakamiMy rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another Haruki Murakami work im reading/listening this year.
Being an audiobook that runs for 4hours I was able to complete it in two days and understood that audible audio books can be a good way to read too.

Review:

We have read books or biographies by sport personalities turning into an author, here the experience of a popular author Haruki Murakami's as a long-distance runners/triathletes and the impact running has had on the author’s life and work is narrated in 9 different essays.

Quotes From The Book:

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

“The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can't be learned at school.”

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Book Review #19 - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Norwegian Wood by Haruki MurakamiMy rating: 3 of 5 stars

Whatever I read this year is mostly of Haruki Murakami this year!

The books cover design is so attractive, only while completing the half of the book i understood that the front cover is showing three main characters of the novel standing in a triangle which pretty much hints about their triangle love story.

Review:

'Norwegian Wood' is a slow and sad love story but still it is good and leaves a mark.

Similar to author's other works here we again have the characters who are mostly dealing with depression, guilt, loss, death.

Quotes From The Book:

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

“What happens when people open their hearts?"
"They get better.”

“Letters are just pieces of paper," I said. "Burn them, and what stays in your heart will stay; keep them, and what vanishes will vanish.” 

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Book Review #18 - Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor NoahMy rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review:

It is heartwarming, funny and insightful.
Trevor Noah in this book and Stand up comedian Kumail Nanjiani in 'Big Sick' movie can be appreciated for just sharing some chapters of their life and not speaking how they succeeded and how they made it to what they are today.

Even if you haven't followed Trevor Noah's work like me you will still find this book as a compelling one. After reading you will surely start following him and become a fan.

Trevor Noah was born a crime. His life as a coloured kid in South Africa throws light on Apartheid, race, Color, men in his life and his mother the Iron Lady.

Quotes From The Book:

“Learn from your past and be better because of your past,” she would say, “but don’t cry about your past. Life is full of pain. Let the pain sharpen you, but don’t hold on to it. Don’t be bitter.”

My mom’s attitude was “I chose you, kid. I brought you into this world, and I’m going to give you everything I never had.” She poured herself into me. She would find places for us to go where we didn’t have to spend money. We must have gone to every park in Johannesburg.

Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.

Relationships are built in the silences. You spend time with people, you observe them and interact with them, and you come to know them

Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” He was so right.

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Book Review #12 - யானை டாக்டர் [Yaanai Doctor] by Jeyamohan

யானை டாக்டர் [Yaanai Doctor] by JeyamohanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the Book:

Yaanai Doctor (Elephant Doctor) from writer Jeyamohan is a must read short account of a real-life veteran veterinarian doctor who is an Elephant expert.

The story is narrated by a colleague who works closely with Dr K who gets instantly admired and later trying his best to get the deserved recognition for the Elephant Doctor.

Review:

The reader can easily connect with the narrator and visualize the beauty of wildlife and see how inspirational Dr K is. This short read will make you go to nature and communicate with it.

About Doctor K:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._Kris...

About the author:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Jeya...

Free Audio Book Version of this book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la53H...

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Book Review #11 - ''Murder on the Orient Express'' by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review:

This was my first Agatha Christie novel. I was not expecting that Connections & ending, which was the best thing in a murder mystery story.

Spoiler:

The Number Twelve

"I remembered a remark of Colonel Arbuthnot's about trial by jury. A jury is composed of twelve people – there were twelve passengers – Ratchett was stabbed twelve times." (3.9.58)
The number links a many and what an ending!

Quote From The Book:

“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”

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Book Review #09 - 'Ghachar Ghochar' by Vivek Shanbhag

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ghachar Ghochar means tangled beyond repair.

Review:

Unsettling, Often claustrophobic!
This novel looks intimately at a middle-class family living in Bengaluru, at how their new-found fortune becomes more of a cruel joke played upon them, unleashing the beast within. It changes family equations, robs them of their moral fortitude and peace of mind.
The author often refers some minute details that are easy to relate to any middle-class south Indian
which may be nostalgic at times and Déjà vu the other times but you will never want to go through where the story later progresses and ends.

Quotes From The Book:

“it’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there’s only a little, it behaves meekly; when it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us.”

“On that day I became convinced that it is the words of women that deeply wound other women.”

“Words, after all, are nothing by themselves. They burst into meaning only in the minds they’ve entered.”

Spoiler:

The Essence of the story:

After a moment of particular crisis in the family: “Amma and Malati noticed Anita’s dissent. It’s an unwritten rule that all members come to the family’s aid when it is threatened. Anita had broken that rule. She should not have.” Anita is the narrator’s wife, an “outsider” to the family and, as the rather threatening “she should not have” indicates, a potential “ant” that may need to be quashed.

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Book Review #08 - "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins GilmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review:

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a semi-autobiographical short story by the author. The actual story represents the author's thoughts on 'Men Dictate Women's Lives' and Liberation.

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," Jane suffers from depression and starts to see a woman inside her yellow wallpaper. She thinks the woman is struggling to break free but it is not just the woman in the yellow wallpaper.

Quotes From The Book:

“It is so hard to talk with John about my case, because he is so wise, and because he loves me so.”

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Book Review #07 - "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryMy rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Little Prince is a short and enjoyable classic fiction (120 pages with illustrations) on intergalactic travel adventures of a little prince shows us a deep reflection on human nature.


The little prince describes grown-ups as loving numbers and asking questions to get to know someone where the answers are numbers instead of questions about things that matter (like getting to know their personality).

To prove the little prince is right, here’s a numbered list of the types of adults he meets on each planet:

1. The King – talks about his control and power, but the little prince clearly sees that it’s just an illusion since he commands things under the “science of government, until conditions are favourable. (pg 31)” Or, when they were going to do it anyway.

2. The Vain Man – wants nothing more than to be admired constantly.  The little prince wonders “…what is there about my admiration that interests you so much? (pg 34).”

3. The Drunkard – the vicious cycle of shame.  He’s ashamed that he drinks so he drinks to forget his shame. The prince has literally nothing to say about that.

4. The Business Man – endlessly counts all the stars and says he owns them and they make him rich. The little prince sees that work should be a two-way street. “But you’re not useful to the stars. (pg 40)”

5. The Lamp Lighter – stuck in the endless cycle of chores. He is a hard worker and the little prince likes him since his job is useful to others, but the little prince doesn’t understand why he can’t rest and enjoy the many joys (like sunsets) that his planet has.

6. The Geographer – never actually goes anywhere. He writes about places and discoveries that other people have made.  He’s the kind of adult that never fully lives their life.

7. Earth – the last planet he visits that has a combination of all these grown-ups (which he numbers to please the adults).

Quotes From The Book

'And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

'All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.'

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Book Review #06 - "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture by Randy PauschMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

What is it about

'The Last Lecture' is a wonderful life lesson that can influence you and change your perspective on life.

Reason Behind the Lecture and Book

'I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children, If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. But I am a lecturer, so I lectured.'

Randy Pausch gave his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon (where he was a professor) while he was battling cancer. He thought that the lecture is not just for his audience but also for his kids after his demise. His speech was recorded as a video and got popular on which he later decided to make into a book.

If someone asked you, “What’s unique about you?” how would you answer? You’d probably stop dead in your tracks. And more than likely, you’d take time to think before you answered. That’s the question Randy Pausch asked himself when he was about to prepare his presentation for 'The Last Lecture' Series.

To achieve his childhood dreams, there were often obstacles in his path and in The Last Lecture, Pausch walks us through how he went through these brick walls. For instance, when he was a child, he dreamed that he would someday work at Disney.

Here are some of the author's suggestions which he learned out of incidents from his life, quotes and rules-to-live-by
- Treat the disease, not the symptom.
- Don't obsess over what people think.
- Check egos at the door.
- Praise each other.
- Look for the best in everybody.
- Watch what they do, not what they say.
- Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.
- Loyalty is a two-way street.
- Tell the truth.

Notable Quotes From the Book

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people."

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer."

"Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. "

"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."

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Book Review #05 - "Rajiv Kolai Vazhakku" ராஜீவ் கொலை வழக்கு by Ragothaman

ராஜீவ் கொலை வழக்கு by RagothamanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review

This one is a rollercoaster ride. The book started to affect my sleep for few days as the events start revealing one by one. so, took a decision to read and complete it as soon as possible to come out of the feel that the book provides.

Keywords from the Web

இந்திய சரித்திரத்தில் மட்டுமல்ல உலக சரித்திரத்திலும்கூட ராஜிவ் கொலை வழக்குக்கு இணையான இன்னொரு வழக்கு இல்லை. வழக்கின் ஆரம்பப்புள்ளி முதல் முடிவு வரையிலான நேர்மையான அலசல். முழுமையான பின்னணித் தகவல்கள், ஆதாரங்களுடன் கூடிய விசாரணை விவரங்கள். வழக்கின் தலைமை புலனாய்வு அதிகாரி கே. ரகோத்தமனின் இந்நூலை, ராஜிவ் கொலை வழக்கு பற்றிய ஆதாரபூர்வமான முதன்மை ஆவணமாகக் கொள்ளலாம். சதித்திட்டம் குறித்த விசாரணைகள் எவ்வாறு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டன? புலன் விசாரணை செய்த அதிகாரிகள் சந்தித்த சிக்கல்கள், சவால்கள் என்னென்ன? யாரால், ஏன் அவை தோற்றுவிக்கப்பட்டன? இந்திய உளவு நிறுவனங்களின் நிகரற்ற மெத்தனப் போக்கின் பின் உள்ள அரசியல் என்ன? விடுதலைப் புலிகளுக்கும் இந்திய அரசியல் பெரும்புள்ளிகளுக்கும் இடையிலான நுட்பமான தொடர்புகள் குறித்த செய்திகள் அதிர்ச்சியளிக்கின்றன. அதைவிட அதிர்ச்சிகரமானது, புலிகளோடு நெருங்கிய தொடர்புடைய சிலர் இறுதிவரை சரியாக விசாரிக்கப்படாதது.



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Book Review #04 - "Moongil Moochu" by Suga மூங்கில் மூச்சு - சுகா

Moongil moochu by சுகாMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review Summary

Thanks to Suga the author for his nostalgic writing about 'Tirunelveli' in weekly magazine 'Ananda Vikatan' which was later combined and published in paperback format.
Moongi Moochu is an account of life experience and life events of a man in and about a small town. The author speaks about the minute things that should be addressed once in a while like the places he visited from childhood, classic old theatre, friends, relatives, places and people.

About the Book From the Web

பசுமரத்து ஆணி போல, மனதில் ஆழமாகப் பதிந்துகிடக்கும் இளமைக் கால நினைவுகளைப் பிறரிடம் பகிர்ந்துகொள்ளும் சுகமே அலாதியானது. குறிப்பேடுகளில் குறித்துவைத்த சம்பவங்களைவிட, மனதில் பதிந்த விஷயங்கள் விசேஷமானவை. நினைத்தாலே இனிக்கக்கூடியவை. அப்படி, தனது மனதில் தேங்கியிருந்த சுகமான நினைவுகளை, எழுத்தாளரும், திரைப்பட இயக்குநருமான சுகா, ஆனந்த விகடனில் ‘மூங்கில் மூச்சு!’ என்ற தலைப்பில் தொடராக எழுதிவந்தார். மண்ணின் மணத்தோடு துவங்கி, பால்ய பருவத்து சகாக்களுடனான சந்தோஷ தருணங்களையும், ஆறு, கோயில், குளம், நீச்சல், விளையாட்டு... என வாழ்ந்த சூழலையும் நம் கண்முன்னே நிழலாடச் செய்திருக்கிறார். வாழ்வோடு ஒன்றிய பல விஷயங்களை வர்ணனைகளோடு வார்த்தைகளில் வடித்திருக்கிறார். அறிவு புகட்டிய ஆசான் முதல், அன்பு பாராட்டிய உறவுகள் வரை அனைவரைப் பற்றியும் நெல்லைத் தமிழ் மொழியின் வாசனையோடு, ஜனரஞ்சகமாக, சுவாரஸ்யமாக எழுதியிருக்கிறார். எலெக்ட்ரானிக் யுகத்தின் தலைமுறை மாற்றத்தையும் கூறியிருப்பது படிப்போரின் ஆர்வத்தைத் தூண்டும் விதமாக உள்ளது. சென்னைக்கு வந்த பிறகு, திரைத்துறையின் வழிகாட்டியான பாலுமகேந்திரா பற்றியும், பாலசந்தர், பாலா, சீமான், அறிவுமதி போன்றோருடனான நெருக்கத்தையும், சுவையான சம்பவங்களையும் திரையிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறார். ஆட்டோ டிரைவர், சைக்கிள் ரிக்ஷாக்காரர், கண் பார்வை தெரியாத முதியவர்... என பலரையும் தன் நினைவுகளில் தேக்கிவைத்து இவர் வெளிப்படுத்தியிருப்பது, பசுமையான அனுபவம் கொண்டிருக்கும் எவருக்கும், தம் அனுபவங்களை பகிர்ந்துகொள்ள வேண்டும் என்ற எண்ணத்தைத் தூண்டும்.


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