Becoming Jane

Read the complete review at

https://bengalurureview.com/2019/12/20/becoming-jane-julian-jarrold/

Time Stops at Shamli and other stories

Author: Ruskin Bond

One of the best story collections from Ruskin Bond, “Time stops at Shamli and Other Stories” is a magnificent compilation of short stories, primarily set in the backdrop of the foothill of the Himalayas.

Ruskin Bond deals with a wide spectrum of characters and excels in bringing out different aspects of human relationships in his stories. He gives a deep insight into the fragility of the human characters and very subtly points their weaknesses which are easily exposed when they encounter situations which are beyond their control.

 In the tapestry of the mountains surrounded by woods, there are simple workers, who wake up in the morning, do their jobs and head back home in the night to sleep in peace on their soft pillows with a clear conscience. There are lovers who long for their beloved and the children who miss their parents.  There is a sense of incompleteness in them, because of an unfulfilled dream, a longing for something they could not obtain. There are also twisted characters, who are used to their shades of grey and do not think once before stooping to acts of greed and cheating.

Time Stops at Shamli is a timeless tale of a lover who gets stranded in an inn, only to be reunited with his ex-flame, who is unreachable to him. Listen to the wind kicks the nostalgia of our stay in the inn of a secluded hill station on a stormy night, with strong winds whistling and threatening to rip the roof apart.

The Summer Season is a beautiful tale of the hardships of the young boy who comes to the hill town from his village to earn a few bucks for his family. Dead man’s gift is the story of a miserly Bania and an opportunist policeman, who is trying to benefit from other’s money.

There are haunted stories, whispering in the dark and The Haunted Bicycle , which send chills down your body. There are stories when crows and tigers make their point of view very clear in their disapproval of humans.

There are stories around tunnels in the mountain roads and the streams in the wilderness. Two boys fight for the ownership of the stream. The tunnel watchman makes sure the tunnel is safe for the train to enter in the pitch dark. 

There are a few stories, which do bring out the frailty of human characters, He said it with Arsenic is one such twisted tale, which portrays a greedy uncle who can stoop to any extent for money. But these are characters we have read before and we are not really appalled by their actions and can easily predict the consequences of their vanity.

The freshness of the mountain air, the wilderness of the woods, the beautiful lush greenery in the forests after the rain bring such joy and warmth in the heart. Ever thought of a life without mobile phones, in the lap of mother nature and surrounded by wilderness?

Ruskin Bond makes it come true through these stories.

This book is precious to me as I have his autograph on the first page of my copy, which I painstakingly obtained after standing in the long queue outside the Cambridge bookstore in Mussorie.

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍👍

Ramayan Rendition-2019

रामायण प्रतिपादन - अवध का संताप

जय श्री राम

कौशल्या कहे राम चंद्र से ,
आज तो हुई ममता की हार,
पिता के वचन पर इतनी गरिमा,
पीछे रह गया माँ का प्यार!

धर्म की व्याख्या मुझे न पढ़ाओ
कम्प उठ रहा मेरा मन
इतना कठोर कब से हुए राम
छोड़ के मुझे तुम चले हो वन !

दोनों पुत्र है चक्षु समान,
सुमित्रा के दो अनमोल रतन
दूर कैसे अब रहे पुत्र से
राम के संग जो चले है लखन !

वन का जीवन बहुत कठिन
फिर भी किसी की एक न मानी
महल की सुविधा को पीछे छोड़
पति के संग चली सीता रानी !

सिया के जैसे मेरे भाग्य कहाँ,
किस्से कहूँ  मैं दिल की बात
विवश उर्मिला दुःख से वंचित
कैसे कटे  अब दिन और रात

भ्रात के सिवा तुम्हे कुछ नहीं सूझे
तनिक इधर भी ध्यान दो नाथ
प्रेम का बंधन छोड़ छाड़ कर,
जा रहे वन को राम  के साथ !

दोनों भाईयों को करे क्या विभाजित,
मन मैं मेरे स्वामी का वास ,
निंदिया के गोद मैं कट जायेगी ,
चौदह बरस लम्बी वनवास !

कैकेयी बैठी अपनी कक्षा मैं,
मंथरा सवारे उसके बाल,
पुत्र मोह मैं सोचे बावरी
राज करेगा मेरा  लाल

दशरथ विवश अपने ही  वचन से
अवध पर छा गया कैसा काल
कैसे रहे वो राम से अलग
कौन पूछे अब उनका हाल

रण भूमि पर जो दिया सहारा
हर्ष मैं दे दिए दो वरदान,
आज कैकेयी पुत्र मोह मैं
चीन रही खुद पति का प्राण

सूचना सुन भरत आश्चर्य चकित
संभल न सके वह अपना क्रोध
लज्जित अपने मात के कृत पर
राम से करे क्या अब अनुरोध

मति भ्रष्ट हो गयी क्या माता
किसने पढ़ा दी आपको पाठ
अपने की ज्येष्ठ को वन मैं भेज
कैसे बनू अवध का सम्राठ

राम है सिंहासन के अधिकारी
उनका सामर्थ्य अवध की शान
राम के जैसा न राजा है कोई
राम के जैसा न पुरुष महान

कैसे कठोर ह्रदय है माता
वरदान दिया है या दी कोई श्राप
पिता के मृत्यु का बना मैं कारण
कैसे हो गया मुझसे ये पाप

चार अंग और एक प्राण थे
भरत शत्रुघन लखन और राम
आप के इस निज स्वार्थ का कारण
कलंकित हुआ भरत का नाम

भारी ह्रदय और दुःख को समेटे
निकल पड़े भरत राम के द्वार
बंधु जनों और मंत्री  संग
पहुंचे चित्रकूट नदिया पार

अश्रु बहे और शब्द न निकले
भ्रात को देख भर आया मन
राम ने उन्हें जब गले से लगाया
हुआ राम भरत का मधुर मिलान

लौट चलो ज्येष्ठ छोड़ो यह हठ,
क्षमा करो हम से हो गयी भूल
अपना सिंहासन खुद ही सम्भालो
मैं तो तोहरे चरण की  धुल

पर वचन बद्ध जो रामचंद्र
पिता के प्रण का करे सम्मान
उनकी लीला अवध मैं न सीमित
नारायण करे जग कल्याण

चौदह बरस वो वन वन भटके
लंकेश ले गया सिया को साथ
वानर संग राम लंका पहुंचे
रावण का वध लिखा उनके हाथ

समय बीत चला तीव्र गति से
अवध मैं छायी  हर्ष उल्लास
जानकी संग  पधारे दशरथ नंदन
सफल हुआ उनका वनवास

पूर्ण हुई उर्मिला की प्रतीक्षा
कौशल्या की भर आयी आँख
अवध संपन्न राम राज्य से
अमर हो गया भरत का त्याग

निश्छल स्वभाव ढृढ़ संकल्प
कोमल विचार पर अटल है मन
आदर्श नायक , नीति के रक्षक,
आराध्य है सबके रघु नंदन


लब

सत्य धर्म का राह दिखाए
आज भी पर एक ही नाम
देश मैं हो परदेस मैं बैठे
हम तो जपते जय श्री राम

Forty Rules of Love

Read the complete review at:

Forty rules of love review

The Rules of Civility

Author: Amor Towles.

Set in the backdrop of Manhattan, NewYork in 1937, a few years after the great depression, Amor Towles gives us a tour of the upper circles of Newyork through his dreamy heroine Katey Kontent aka Katya, a Russian immigrant, whose father moved to Brooklyn years ago. On the brink of the world war and still recovering from the depression, Manhattan is still on a delicate verge in the world economy.

The story runs more from a flashback point of view from an older woman, who chances upon a picture of one of her own flings in a  museum in 1966. The story rewinds back to 1937 Christmas Eve when Katey meets the man who topples her life upside down, Theodore aka Tinker Grey.  Katey, who works as a secretary in a law firm,  is happy spending her new year eve buying cocktails in a local hotspot with her best friend and roommate Eve Ross.

But serendipity, or so they think, has them meet Tinker Grey that night, a man from the glamorous elite of the New York City. Tinker with his cashmere coat, gold plated lighters, and his perfect gentlemanly behavior sweeps the two ladies away with his charms.

The encounter alters the lives of all the three. Katey is heavily impressed with the enigmatic Tinker, who works hard for a bank and lives his life by the rules of George Washington's "Rules of Civility". Tinker is a perfect gentleman, and to top, it all, attracted towards Katey, or so she thinks.

But Eve walks away with the prize because of a freak accident one night when they were all riding in Tinker's car after crashing into a party. Eve is heavily injured and Tinker is obliged to take care of her in his plush apartment. Proximity works its charms and Eve uses both the closeness and Tinker's guilt to her advantage.

Longing for what she could not get, Katey falls for Tinker. And she steps into the tinsel town by befriending the socialites from the upper circle of the New York Society. She canters through parties mainly to hear grapevine between Eve and Tinker. She quits her job and joins Gotham, a magazine dedicated to the juicy gossip of the New York glitterati. Over a period of time, she meets Tinker's Godmother Anne, who was instrumental in paving his career, a business tycoon and a shooting expert, Wallace Wolcott, whom she helps organize his affairs and Dicky Vanderwhile, whom she tries to romantically connect with. Her life, raised on a principle to appreciate simple things, is suddenly turned topsy turvy to step into a world of luxuries.

Katey keeps having numerous chance encounters with Tinker and tries to make her impression on his lifestyle and his perfect manners. But nothing prepares her for the ugly truth which reveals itself amidst the glittery stardom and plush carpets.

Going by the proverb, "It's the Journey, not the destination which matters". We, as readers, along with Katey, take the rollercoaster ride through the eclectic circles of New York life. Starting from local train rides to early morning racecourse strategies, to the late-night limousine rides, pub hopping, the boxing rituals, the cozy coffee corners, the juicy gossip of the paparazzi, the cultural museum visits, the chance encounters with the literati, one gets a good tour of New York in the late 1930s.

The author has left no loose ends tying the lives of the main protagonists together. The story moves in a brisk pace, and when you are reading about one, somewhere in the back of your mind, you keep thinking about what happened to another. The reader hopelessly waits for Tinker and Katey to meet and relish their brief yet deep conversations. The helplessness on either side is so subtly derived and finally as Katey gathers all the courage, and we readers, gather hope, there is this unpleasant twist in the name of harsh reality.

Something else very unique about Towles' writing style is he does not use the quotes for the conversations. He starts the dialogue with a hyphen and leaves it to the reader to determine who is saying what. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and looking forward to reading more from the author.

I end the review with one of the Rules of Civility
"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience."
Conscience, a funny word, you would think when you finish the book, but definitely, not debatable.

The Costume story

Its fun to dress up in fancy costumes, especially during festivals. Anantha loves to design costumes and also wear them to dress up as a witch on Halloween or Santa Claus on Christmas. Read the entire story at

The Costume story

The Modak Thief

In the backdrop of the spirited Ganpati Celebrations of Pune, Aman and Sahil find themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of adventures. One Modak box goes missing every day in one of the popular pandals of Pune. Racing against time, with credibility at stake, Aman and Sahil find themselves in a nail-biting chase to find the Modak Thief.
Read the full story at
The Modak Thief

The Bastard of Istanbul

Read the complete review at
Bastard of Istanbul Review

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Read the complete review at
https://bengalurureview.com/2019/07/14/alexander-mccall-smith-ladies-detective-agency/

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Author: Heather Morris

Plot Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a story of the Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov and a girl Gita, whom he falls in love with, in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Lale is a Tattooist in the concentration camp. His job is to tattoo all the incoming prisoners in blood with a number and diminish their identity.
In two and a half years of his tenure, Lale befriends several Jews and Germans alike, witnesses horrendous crimes and somehow miraculously escapes being a victim himself time and again.

Being a tattooist, Lale has certain coveted privileges which are not given to other Jews. The Germans do not shoot him like a fly as they know he has an indispensable job to do.  Lale can walk freely across different blocks of the concentration camps and also in and out of the camps between Auschwitz and Birkenau. He is also allowed to go outside the gates of the camps.

As we all know, Jews were the workers in the camps. They were made to collect the belongings and later, the dead bodies of other Jews. The valuable belongings of the Jews which included precious gemstones were set aside to be a part of the German treasury. Then, they were massacred in masses by the poisonous gas or shot, in large numbers.

 Lale falls in love with another prisoner, Gita, and dreams of marrying her someday. The book is about his hope, his aspirations and his determination to find his love and his identity back amidst circumstances which could be described to be the worst acts of humanity the world had ever witnessed.

The book is very fast paced and is written in a very simple language. As any world war II book, it is also hard hitting at places. Not for the first time, we mutter curses under our breath. And ponder over the same question again, "How did the world let the brutal massacre happen?".

Having said that, I must admit that this book did not succeed in touching me as the other world war II books. There are many places where I felt Lale was promoting himself more like a super-hero than a Jewish prisoner.

 Lale had convoys stealing valuables from the Germans and trading them back for food, even chocolate from outside the gates. This food, he distributes among all the Jews in the camp. In short, he is the "Robinhood" of Auschwitz. Auschwitz- the living hell of Earth, where Jews were tossed like flies and burnt to ashes. In such a camp, one man takes risks on a daily basis. Accepted. Then he gets caught not once but twice and still does not get punished. And he continues taking risks again. It is hard to believe that the Germans would not have sniffed such thefts happening right under their nose.

There is one incident where the Germans invite the prisoners for a soccer match. I was expecting that they will have all the Jewish team stand in line and shoot them one after another after the match in front of the audience. But our man, Lale, somehow emerges a super-hero, there too.

It is true that Lale is a Holocaust survivor and lived post-world-war II to tell his story. It might also be true that considering that he was working for the Germans, he must have enjoyed certain privileges. But was he "the chosen one" and the Robinhood he claims himself to be, is hard to believe !!

Somewhere in the last pages of the book, after he is out of the camp,  Lale admits "Nothing can be gained by telling the true nature of the treatment of prisoners there. So he tells them what he did there and how much he preferred to work than to sit around". And I think that statement summarizes the book for you.

Recommended : 👍👍

A Pursuit on a Pilgrimage

Aman had met Sahil by chance in Matheran about six months ago and solved the mystery of a stabbed horse. Fate brings them together again as they embark on a pilgrimage to Tirupati and this time the mystery of the lost boy makes them go on a hunt.
Read the full story at...
A pursuit on a pilgrimage short story

Are you kidding me?

Author: Anirban Das

Ranging from Corporate world to train rides, to talking animals, "Are you kidding me" is an excellent medley of humorous short stories by author Anirban Das.

I started to read the chapters randomly in the order of the choice of the titles which appealed to me the most. So, the first two stories which I read were a man creating a nuisance by snoring in a train and an experience of a first time passenger in the flight. I was laughing out loud in these stories.

But as I started reading the other stories, I found myself reading satire, mocking our reactions to certain situations which most of us encounter in our lives at one point of time or another. A few experiences I have been through myself, be it my own high expectations of what should have been vs what it actually is or falling prey to an enticing advertisement which promises you many things but nothing comes free under the cover. I could relate to the different characters in different stories, be it a student or an employee.

The writing is smooth and witty, and you just glide through the pages effortlessly and move from one story to another. The author deftly switches his style from the formal narration to the colloquial conversations very well. The transition is very smooth.

The Gubbara Yadav's adventure deserves a special mention, it is a brilliant piece of imagination.

If there is one feedback I had for the author, it was that the corporate humor is not understood by everyone. The audience is limited in that sector. So when one can widely relate to and appreciate the other stories, one tends to struggle a little bit to understand the nuances and nitty-gritty of the management world. So if those can be separated out in the future books, it would be an added advantage. Otherwise, it is a splendid piece of work. Hats off to you Anirban Das. Keep writing.

P.S - I am assuming that most of the stories have stemmed out from the author's real-life experiences and if this is correct, I do have a question to ask Anirban Das- Did you actually meet Jennifer Lawrence?  :)

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍

The Bagheera Chronicles : The Tiger King by R.B.Mage

A very quick breezy read from a first-time author Rahul Balaji, aka R.B.Mage, his pen name. It took me about an hour to finish it. The story revolves around a Rajput prince, who has to face the wrath of a curse bestowed on his ancestor to transform into a were-tiger every full moon and a witch, who can help him absolve of this hereditary curse.

The book engages you right from the beginning. It digs deep into the elements of fantasy, be it beads, potions, tea leaves, or crystal balls, you have them all. There is the evil sorcerer, the dark side, who has opposed the Tiger kings over generations and has always succeeded in killing them.
But this, time around, the Tiger king has an added advantage of his true love to battle against the sorcerer and get rid of the curse. There are the witches and the oracles who are already in place to assist the were-tiger fight against the dark side. Will they all succeed in battling the evil, forms the crux of the story.
It is a sort of a book where the stage is already set, everything is already in place, and it plunges into action right away. It is more like get, set, go. True love is already prophesied and revealed to the prince and the witch. And in no time, you reach the climax, all between two full moons, when the transformation actually takes place.

I would have liked to see the characters shape up, and slowly gain on their strengths. But considering that this is the first book in the series, there is a possibility that the author might talk more on the character development in the subsequent books.

But set aside certain qualms in the plot, the author's imagination is laudable. The palaces and the gardens are very beautifully described and the storyline is gripping. He has put in earnest effort in bringing the fantasy world alive and it is definitely commendable. Both the writing style and creativity are excellent.  I hope to see more books from the author.

 For a first time author, a job well done!!

Recommended : 👍👍👍
Especially for young readers and teens. They will definitely like it. 

The Notebook (2019- hindi film)

 It is one of those days I wanted a breather from a hectic routine and was looking for a very light movie with absolutely no baggage. And one such time I  picked up a movie slammed by critics for a good reason and did not do well in the box office. All for the sake of a wonderful review. And boy, I am not disappointed !!

One fellow movie buff wrote such a lovely review about this movie that I decided to give it a shot.
Set in the backdrop of the beautiful Kashmir, the plot centers around two teachers, who decide to give up everything to teach in a school in the middle of Wular lake in Kashmir. A retired army officer, Kabir decides to move to Kashmir from Jammu to take up the arduous job of teaching the kids in a school which has no basic amenities. Some of the dangers include snakes creeping into the rooms and dead body parts seen floating in the toilet flush. There is no electricity and people have to travel long distances in boats to get a signal on the phone.

He finds his only adult company in a notebook, a diary left by the ex-teacher of the school, Firdaus. Kabir follows the footsteps of Firdaus and gains the trust of the children.  He falls in love with her thoughts and writings.  He tries to trace her, but in vain. So he seeks solace by filling the rest of the diary with his own experiences.

One fine day, when Firdaus arrives, Kabir is gone from the school. All that is left to her is the same notebook filled with Kabir's words. And now, the job falls on Firdaus to find Kabir.

The movie has many flaws.  To start with the lead star cast is a big let down. The plot has many unnecessary side twists. That explains why the movie did not fare well.
How I wish, Shahrukh had been in this movie... sigh !!!!

But one cannot simply ignore the breathtaking shots of Kashmir. The movie is a visual treat right from the first scene. The snow-capped mountains, the beautiful Wular lake, the fields spread with lovely autumn leaves are beautifully captured. The tender emotions of the little children and their earnest interest in pursuing education rather than taking up arms are so heartwarming. The political tension runs as an undercurrent, always on the backdrop.

What I liked the best about the movie is its subtleness in all aspects, be it romance, humor or the underlying message it tries to convey. Some of the best moments of the movie are shot from a child's point of view. A child mistaking a grenade for a toy or picking up a gun not knowing the consequences strike a chord to all of us who know the fate of Kashmir.

Watch this movie for those little children who will instantly capture your hearts, watch it for that old-fashioned tender romance which is not usually seen in the movies these days and above all, watch it for our own Kashmir! A paradox on Earth, the heaven of bliss and an eternal fire of hell.

Recommended : 👍👍👍

Anne of Green Gables

Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Review:

Anne of Green Gables is a very familiar title for classic fans. I have watched clips online, but somehow never ventured to read it until recently the book club monthly challenge required us to pick up a book with a color in its title.

I had read Little Women long back and had enjoyed it thoroughly, it is still one of my favorites. A tale of girls growing up together, their bonding with their parents, siblings, friends and how their personalities mature as they step into adulthood was a joy to read.

Anne of Green Gables is similar, if not the same. A young orphan girl alights from a train station in the quaint town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, a province in Canada. She does not know that she was being sent as a mistake to a family who was looking to adopt a boy. Her to-be guardians, an aging brother, and sister wanted a boy to help them with their chores.

This is the story of Anne, her dreams, her relationships and her journey to womanhood. As a child, Anne is forever talking and imagining things around her. She gets lost in her dreams and fails to do her chores regularly. Anne is guileless and has many flaws than virtues. There are a lot of references made in the book about the way we parents are concerned over the children for their imperfections. As her guardian Matthew puts it “she will turn alright, her heart is in the right place!” Despite her goof-ups and continuous chatter, people of Avonlea take into her free-spirited nature and pure heart. With her innocent yet profound comments, she slowly and steadily wins the hearts of her guardians and neighbors alike.

As she grows up, Anne is shown progressing in various aspects, her education and her experience teach her many things. As any coming-of-age book centered around a girl, this book also focuses a lot about Anne’s wardrobe, her hairstyle, her manners, her evolving beauty, and her social etiquette. From a brat who loses her temper in seconds to a girl who wishes not to augur ill to people who hate her, Anne’s personality evolves a long way. 
  
The beauty of nature and its healing influences are well captured in the changing seasons of Avonlea through its breathtaking landscapes, the enchanting orchards, the winding pathways, and the lovely brooks. 

  What I liked most about the book is that the author focuses more on Anne, her inner growth and her little victories over her own disappointments rather than the perceptions of the people around her. As in any book, there is always a jealous rival, and a handsome boy noticing the heroine. But the references are very subtle and the undercurrent runs only in the background. Those nostalgic typical girl games– a tea-party where girls are suddenly grown-up women, a story club filled with martyrs and tragic heroines, the foolish trouble causing dare games, bring back fond memories of childhood. 

It is also a story of kindred spirits. Anne keeps searching for kindred spirits around her and sees many despite variations in age, gender, and social status. And in her words,” Kindred spirits are not as scarce as I used to think. It is splendid to know there are so many of them in the world".


We all want to meet a few kindred spirits in our lifetime, don’t we? 

I could not put down the book, it is a little treasure which I will cherish forever.

It is the first, in the series. I am looking forward to reading the next. I am sure the backdrop will be equally beautiful and the characters will develop further, but somewhere in the back of my mind am pretty sure this one will be my favorite for I know one element for sure will be missing in the other books  – the innocence and joy of childhood.

 

Norse Mythology

Read the complete review at:
Norse Mythology

Avengers: End Game - A tribute

Yesterday we watched Avengers: End Game, the concluding movie of the Avengers series. Over a period of years, I along with my kids have watched a number of superhero movies - Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk. One fine day,  Marvel Studios decided to bring all these superheroes on screen together. They called them the Avengers.

We, as an audience welcomed them with open arms. We cheered for them, rooted for their team. They carved a mark for themselves in the heart of our children. And we never knew when they became a part of our lives. Be it a birthday party, an Annual Concert, Halloween or any other costume party, they are present, invisible, coming in silently and taking over our children.  We cherish those moments when our children chose their superhero, slip on their costumes and perform those tricks and moves. For our children, the meaning of the Avengers has always been the cheerful, brave and daring heroes who take on the toughest challenge with their never give up attitude.

But at the end of Infinity War, the coin flipped. Thanos, the inevitable, arrives. He wipes out half of the universe with a snap of his finger. Half of the Avengers lose their lives and the ones left, lose their soul. In End Game, you see the remaining Avengers struggling to find the meaning of their lives. You see them aged, vulnerable, few settled down with families and few with their eccentricities.
Then one day comes a ray of hope, one last chance, to resurrect things back. A gamble to take, to win or lose everything, a final game.

Endgame is an emotional and powerful movie, many times, I had a  lump in my throat.
And it is definitely a conclusive movie where all Avengers and their supporting cast come together.
In Hercule Poirot's words,  "you have to use your little gray cells to fix the pieces of the puzzle". The scenes keep going back and forth in a very fast pace, one moment you are in the birthplace of Captain America, the second moment, you are in Asgard and third, you are are in the world of mysticism with the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One. The gray cells keep working continuously to correctly place the characters which keep coming in and out of the movie.

The movie is definitely a Magnum opus and a perfect ode to the Avengers and their creator, Stan Lee. We bid farewell to Stan Lee last November, and with Avengers: End Game, it is time to say goodbye to his creations.


There are tears in my eyes as I end my tribute. So Goodbye superheroes, but you will remain in our hearts forever. And thank you Stan Lee and Marvel for making them a part of our lives and our children's as well. There are new superheroes coming in like Captain Marvel but the love for the original ones will always be special. We will miss the impeccable Captain America, the mighty Thor, the witty Iron Man, and the brainy, adorable Hulk, few to name.

One final time, Adieu and hats off to the entire crew and cast of Avengers and Marvel Studios and Stan Lee for such a fitting conclusion.

A ride to remember

A beautiful, touching story about how a chance auto ride together became a memorable love at first sight but will he find her again?...


Read the full story at
A ride to remember

The Winter of the witch - Book 3 WinterNight Trilogy

Author: Katherine Arden

“Tell the story of Frost, Dunyashka. Tell us of the frost-demon, the winter-king Karachun.”

As the tale ends, it leaves us bereft, begging for more. More of Vasya, more of Morozko and more of all the Cheryti who befriend us in our journey with Vasya in her epic adventure across the Russian lands. 

The third installment is action packed with Vasya trying to gain control of the circumstances around her. She has to travel to far, dark lands to seek her allies. In the course of her journey, she meets different people and makes powerful friends and enemies.

With Moscow on the verge of war, there is another undercurrent sweeping in the nation of a possible conflict between men and Cheryti. Pulled in different directions, Vasya has to struggle hard to keep her sanity and derive the purpose of her own life and of everyone surrounding her.

As the story progresses, there are many interesting characters we meet, there is a very nice twist in the end, I still have a smile on my face when I am writing this down that I have walked away with a favorite character who I never thought would be one, till I reached the end of the series !!

The book highlights the historic battle of Kulikovo when Russia fought as one nation under the leadership of Dmitrii Ivanovich. It also highlights the fact that Christianity and paganism, despite being rival practices, coexisted in medieval Russia until the revolution. I really admire the author for bringing this fine balance, not demeaning religion over paganism or vice-versa. I loved the scenes when the true men of God come face to face with the nature spirits and the witches, and how they dealt with each other.

There were times where I did feel we could have seen more of Morozko, more of Sasha and more of Dmitrii, but nevertheless,  this trilogy casts a magical spell on the reader. 

And as J.K.Rowling says 

“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”

Do not miss this trilogy folks. Especially if you are a Potterhead or like the fantasy of similar kind. Go, bask yourself into the glory of Russian history and folklore, and play some mischief with the cheryti. May the devil be with you :)

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍👍

Buy The Winter of the Witch Online

The Girl in the Tower - Book 2 WinterNight Trilogy

Author: Katherine Arden

Review:

The second book in the WinterNight Trilogy begins with Vasya, a free-spirited daughter of the Northern country lord, being accused as a witch in her homeland. With no place to stay and kith and kin slain, she decides to embark on a journey across Russia in the bitterly cold winter with the blessings of the Frost God, Morozko. Vasya's journey turns out to be an adventure filled with adversities.

As she journeys along, she comes across many burnt villages, kidnapped girls and the distraught nature spirits. There is a subtle meaning that whatever the circumstances are, nature has to be attended to. The Domovoi in the oven, the night spirits, the fire spirits or the horse spirits, may have been called Pagan, but the underlying truth is that if we do not care for nature, we will have to face the consequences. All the nature spirits are fading because an evil force is in the awakening.

 When she reaches Moscow, Vasya is star stuck with the city's marvel. With its beautiful buildings and churches, the bustling streets, horse races, bathhouses, and eateries, Moscow comes alive with its lavishness and luxury. Vasya reunites with her brother Sasha, who is now a trusted advisor to the Grand Prince and also her sister Olga who is wedded to the prince's cousin.

But despite the protective Sasha, the motherly Olga, and the Frost God Morozko by her side, Vasya has to call upon her inner strengths to save what matters to her the most when evil comes knocking on Moscow's door.

To summarize, if The Bear and the Nightingale was good, The Girl in the Tower is brilliant. I hope that Book 3, The Winter Witch, will end with the much-anticipated grand finale for this magnificent tale. I cannot wait to see how the trilogy ends.

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍👍

Buy The Girl in the Tower

Movie : Christopher Robin

Review:
It's always a sunny day when Christopher Robin comes to play !!
After a long wait, Christopher Robin is on Netflix and it was an ideal springtime watch with the kids. Loosely based on the adult life of Christopher Robin, one of the main characters in the famous " Winnie the Pooh" stories, the plot moves quickly from Christopher joining the army for World War II and later seeking employment in a luggage company, Winslow Luggage.

The story begins with young Christopher Robin and his stuffed toy friends - Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl and Rabbit having a farewell party in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood. Christopher is about to be sent away to the boarding school. His friends are not very happy about it. Christopher promises them that he will never forget them and he will come back to them one day. But after he grows up, he gets so involved with the work that he never bothers to visit the wood himself or show it to his daughter, Madeline.

One fine day, Pooh finds all his friends missing, he decides to go through Christopher Robin's door and finds himself in London. Christopher is shocked to see Pooh and decides to send him back to the Hundred Acre Wood, which is in Sussex. They journey through the train, amidst adventures and Pooh pretending naptime.

Once they enter the wood, Pooh disappears and Christopher has to revert back to his childhood tricks to find all his friends. When he bade them goodbye, what he does not know is that it is his friends and his family who will come to his aid and stand by his side in the most difficult times.

I was waiting to watch this movie for a long long time, and I was not disappointed. Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore are all adorable but it is Pooh who walks away with the cake. The absent-minded, silly old Pooh, a bear with small brains but a bear with big heart steals the show with his innocent remarks. My boys loved the 'Say what you see' game so much that they started playing it whenever they are in the car. What I loved about the movie most is how fragile and vulnerable Pooh and his friends are portrayed to be. In this world full of malice, the innocent friends try to help out their childhood friend in whatever clumsy way they can. It brings back the innocent memories of childhood we all had, and an urge to pick up Winnie the Pooh storybooks from the library to read out loud, once again, in the warm comfort of our beds.

I was so sad when the movie ended. This Pooh quote summarizes the movie for me -
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍👍

Buy Christopher Robin Online

500 miles - Justin Timberlake ( Original of Jab Koi Baat Bigad jaaye

“Jab koi baat bigad jaye” was made from this English original track. This wonderful song is so hummable... evergreen... everlasting... *500 Miles* the version by *Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan & Stark Sands*...brings back the yesteryear melody alive.

500 Miles ( Justin Timberlake)

Pop remakes of old hindi songs

We know that Bollywood music directors have adapted Western scores or pop songs and brought out pretty good songs in Hindi. Have you heard of Bollywood hits being turned into English?
Here are three songs that a British pop group "Ivy York" released in an album called "The Call of Spring" available on itunes, spotify, etc
The title song is an adaptation of O P Nayyar's Pukaarta Chala Hoon Mein" from the 1965 film Mere Sanam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbjv4IfisOw
The other two songs are
Island Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U86_C_9hp3Y an adaptation of Shankar-Kaikishan's "Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh" from the 1960 film "Dil Apna Aur Preet Paraye"
and
My Happiness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K36I_WSnxd0 an adaption of O P Nayyar's "Jawaniyaan Ye Mast Mast Bin Piye from the 1957 film "Tumsa Nahin Dekha"

Read how the group took a shine to old Hindi film songs
https://bollyspice.com/music-band-ivy-york-takes-old-bolly…/

The Bear and the Nightingale - Book 1 of Winternight Trilogy

Author: Katherine Arden

Review:

 The Bear and the Nightingale is the first book of the Winternight Trilogy, a historical fantasy based on the Russian folklore. It is about a little girl Vasya, who grows up listening to the fairy tales her nanny tells her and discovers that she can communicate to the nature spirits around her, the ones who guard the household, the stables, the water, and the fire. 

A young priest, Konstantin, resolute in his faith in God, is driven away from Moscow to the cold Northern Lands. When he comes to the fertile soil of Lesnaya Zemlya, he finds himself in a situation where he has to hold on to his beliefs stronger.

Set in the time when Christianity was gaining popularity in Russia, this book touches the age-old feud between Christianity and Paganism. It is a brilliant piece of work. As one flips through the pages, medieval Russia comes vividly alive before the eyes. The cold ruthless winters covered with snow, the delicate spring with the golden sun rays, the short pleasant summers and the breathtaking fall are so beautifully described. One gets a chance to know about the Russian lifestyle  which includes their attire, their staple food which primarily comprises of cold meat, pie, and cheese, their commute,  horses and sleds, the  houses they live in, their church structures, the icon paintings of the angels and the saints and so on and so forth.

Coming to the characters, Vasya is so vibrant and free-spirited, you cannot help falling in love with her. Her brothers, Sasha (though he does not have much role in the first book) and Alyosha and her father Potyr come across as very amenable people. Konstantin, on the other hand, is a very keen observer and follower of rules. 

To summarize, it is a book which is hard to put down.   It has a gripping story and all the elements of a historical fantasy novel. I cannot wait to finish the trilogy.

Recommended: 👍👍👍👍

Buy The Bear And The Nightingale Online

A Holiday mystery

What happens when a horse is knifed and a gold bracelet stolen? Out on a holiday at Matheran, Aman finds himself in the middle of a chase to solve a theft. A suspense filled short story by Anantha.... Read the full story at
A Holiday Mystery

Fortunately, the Milk

Author: Neil Gaiman
Book Review :

One fine day, a little boy and his sister are about to have breakfast, when they find that there is no milk at home. Their mother has gone on a business trip and had warned her husband about the almost empty bottle of milk, who has hitherto ignored the warning. Now the kids are at the breakfast table with no milk for their Toastios and to his utter dismay, no milk for his tea either. So he sets out to the nearest grocery store to buy milk. But it so happens he does not return home for a long long time. The kids, hungry, eat the dry Toastios and wait on their father. When he finally comes back and the kids ask him why he is so late, he spins a wonderful imaginary tale that he was sucked into a spaceship, encountered the aliens, and then fell into a time-space continuum to go back to the 18th century. He lands on a pirate ship and the unfriendly pirates make him walk the plank and were about to feed him to the Piranhas and the sharks. He is rescued by a stegosaurus and his hot-air-balloon-carrier, which is also a time machine. In this carrier, the dad along with the Stegosaurus, who happens to be a renowned scientist, hops back and forth in time, meeting vampires, volcano Gods, aliens, and ponies. And coincidentally, it is the milk, tugged deep in his pocket which always comes to his rescue in every danger he faces. His ardent desire to get milk to his kids on time drives him to battle and persuade everyone whom he meets on the way to get back home.

After listening to his long story, the kids finally realize that their father has been making up the whole thing but they enjoy the tale nevertheless. Neil Gaiman spins his magic once again as a master storyteller. Another author in the same league as Roald Dahl, he knows the likes of the children so well. It's a recipe made and presented with their favorite ingredients- Dinosaurs, Pirates, Aliens, Time Machine, Gods and Ponies. Kids will have a blast reading this book, and so will we adults, reading along with them !!

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍👍

Buy Fortunately, the Milk online

Movie : The Ottoman Lieutenant

Review:
The movie is a love story around World War I, the time when the mighty Ottoman empire (Turkish empire) had just joined forces with the Central Powers, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. A spirited nurse in America is fascinated by a speech of a doctor who runs a remote hospital in the Armenian border, one of the central targets in the impending World War. The doctor claims that irrespective of a Turk, German or a Russian, the hospital treats everyone as equal. The nurse, Lillie Rowe, idealistic in beliefs and positive in life, ventures to travel to the hospital by ship with medical supplies all the way from States to offer her services. She meets a lieutenant of the Ottoman empire at the ship dock, whom she requests to escort her through the desert terrains to reach the hospital.

As they get acquainted, their missions unfold, she seeking to treat the diseased and he on secret ventures to find the weapons of the enemy in various hideouts. They fall in love with each other despite their different political and religious backgrounds. And as every story goes, they have to pay a heavy price, especially because of the precarious environment they are surrounded by.

Amidst the tension of the war, their love is doomed, but they still hold their ideals high offering their services to the countries they serve.

To be honest, the storyline offers nothing new. There are no twists and turns. But The visuals are breathtaking. The formidable Ottoman empire in full glory is a treat to watch. The movie highlights the internal tensions which were majorly responsible for the empire to collapse. 

To summarize, it is a slow paced movie with breathtaking visuals, excellent star cast set on the brink of World War I. If you are interested in war movies, watch this one and you will not be disappointed.


Recommended: 👍👍👍

Movie : Larry Crowne

Starring: Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts
Well, well, well !! That should get the attention. I am a huge fan of Tom Hanks and have never thought twice before picking up any of his movies. He slips into his characters so comfortably that one sometimes tend to forget that he is actually "enacting" a role. He is so subtle, sophisticated and suave and excels in all his roles, be it humor, innocence or weighty. And Julia Roberts opposite him is icing on the cake.

We were looking out for some light-hearted feel-good movies during the holidays and chanced upon Larry Crowne.  It not only has Tom Hanks in the lead, but he has also co-written and edited the script. This is how the story goes.

Larry Crowne is a retired Navy veteran, working in a big retail store as a senior employee. He is the star performer in the store and reaps many rewards for his hard work and exemplary service. One fine day, out of the blue, he is fired from his employment citing his lack of higher education as the reason. The new policies in the establishment demand a basic education requirement for him to continue in his service. Larry heads back home dejected, and with the encouragement of his enterprising neighbor, decides to join college. There he chooses two subjects, economics and public-speaking. He does exceptionally well in economics but fares very poorly in his public-speaking class, whose professor happens to be Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts). Mercedes is fighting her own personal battle with her alcoholic husband and is, in general, disinterested and cynical about life. On the Contrary, Larry starts finding his youth back again in college. He sells his car and buys a scooter. He joins a club of young carefree scooter riders, led by Talia and her boyfriend, who want to do something different in life. Talia helps Larry change his wardrobe, his hairstyle and also helps him in decorating his house. Larry's lifestyle is completely changed under the vigilance of Talia. He joins a local restaurant as a cook and starts earning part-time when he is not studying in the college. As an ace student of economics, he figures out that he cannot retain his house under any circumstances and decides to foreclose his loan and moves to a smaller apartment.

As Larry's life gets rosier, Mercedes's sinks. After a nasty fight, she decides to divorce her husband and accidentally encounters Larry on the road. This is the first time where they meet off campus and a series of events further make them change their impression on one another. The term comes to an end, and Larry comes out in flying colors in economics, and to everyone's surprise, even in public speaking.

 All well that ends well, the movie has a fairly tale-ish ending where the "Teaching beauty" finds her prince charming.

To Summarize, the screenplay is a lot more appealing than the script in the movie. The liveliness of the youth, the hustle bustle of the college, the students on the scooter racing on the roads, the after-college cafe-talks, one student helping out another in whatever way they could- this all brings out the charm of the college days back. And for a middle-aged man to experience the college atmosphere again and relishing every bit of it, is a boon by itself.  the movie is so refreshing, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are a treat to watch !!

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍

Movie : Belle

The holiday season we caught up with some good movies. We are glad we picked Belle.

 Rated as one of the top five-period romance movies, Belle is a very fine movie with an excellent plot and solid characterization.

Set in around 1770s, the film is based on the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, an illegitimate,  mixed-race daughter of the nephew of the then Chief Justice of England, Lord Mansfield. Both by birth and color, Belle is considered inferior and beneath the social standards. Lord Mansfield takes her in when she is young and gives her a good upbringing, along with his other fair-skinned grandniece Elizabeth Murray. She is given all the required education and etiquette which befits a lady. However, in any social gathering, she is asked to stay away and is allowed to meet the ladies only after dinner in a private parlor either to play cards or piano or perhaps a long walk in the lawns.

The movie picks up steam with the notorious Zong massacre case which happened in 1781 where more than 100 African slaves were first insured as cargo, later diseased and thrown into the water in the pretext of shortage of water supplies. The traders file a claim to encash 'the human cargo' with the insurers. The insurers refuse to pay the money saying that the slaves were deliberately thrown into the water and it is against humanity to do so. The matter is brought before Lord Mansfield to pronounce the verdict.

Belle, along with Mr.John Davinier, a lawyer who fights for the insurers is instrumental in convincing Lord Mansfield to rule against the traders. The verdict is known in history as a turning point and was a stepping stone for the abolition of slavery in England, though the eradication did not happen for 50 more years.

Belle is shown as a free-spirited rebellious girl, who refuses to accept her disgrace because of her color and birth. She questions everyone, including Lord Mansfield at times, especially when he falters and tumbles under social pressure. Mr.Davinier is a lawyer passionate about his beliefs and works relentlessly to oppose the torture and the brutal massacre of the slaves onboard Zong.

But the man who steals the show is Lord Mansfield, a man who had the power to change the destiny of England. On one side, he had to answer to his own conscience and to his grand-niece 'Dido', to whom his love was unconditional; and on the other, he has to defend his status in a racist society which demanded verdict to let slavery prevail.

The three main protagonists have done a fabulous job. But Tom Wilkinson outshines all of them. The screenplay is excellent and the story flows from one scene to another. There are a few liberties which this film does take,  there are certain scenes which are bold considering the fact that it is a period drama. Especially, the end is a tad too dramatic.

The movie has a fairy tale-ish ending with Belle marrying Mr. Divinier, whose future looks promising with Lord Mansfield taking him as a lawyer into the inner chambers of the court. But on the contrary, this is not the truth.  In reality, Belle remained with Lord Mansfield until his death. He depended on her for all his office work and she was his confidante. In his will, he grants her freedom from slavery and also an annuity making her an heiress.After his death, she marries a Frenchman Mr.Divinier,  a steward to another gentleman, who belonged to the same Parish and bears him three sons. She dies shortly at a young age of 43, just 12 years after Lord Mansfield passes away.

But that does not take away any laurels from a very fine movie which was made on the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle. It brings to light the first verdict which was made against slavery in the history of England.  And as Lord Mansfield says in his own words  "Let justice be done, though the heavens fall".

Recommended : 👍👍👍👍👍

Watch Belle online

Liesure- a poem by W.H.Davis

Tigers for Dinner: Tall Tales by Jim Corbett's Khansama

Author: Ruskin Bond

Overview:
I have been on a Ruskin Bond spree in the holidays, and am so happy to open up this year's reviews with one of my favorite author. His books always make me feel nostalgic, books we have read when we were young and now fortunate enough to read them out to our children.

Tigers for Dinner is primarily meant for children, but adults will love it as much. It is about the author's childhood memories when he recounts the tall tales of his khansama Mehmoud. Mehmoud earlier served as a cook to the famous hunter Jim Corbett, whom he addresses as 'Carpet-Sahib'. Mehmoud had been with his 'Carpet-Sahib' in his various hunting expeditions and has also camped out with him in the nights in the fearsome jungle full of ferocious animals. Later when he joined the household of Ruskin Bond as his khansama, he found a perfect audience in a young innocent boy to narrate his tall tales in which he encounters fearsome beasts and man-eaters of the jungle and boasts about being a hero. Carpet-Sahib would always praise him for his courage and reward him with unique gifts. They were all extraordinary feats of bravery; be it about smashing a tiger with a hot pan and pulling its whiskers away, wrestling a king-cobra barehanded, shooting a leopard with carpet-sahib's gun, escaping from a man-eating tiger which comes to the house seeking revenge, or saving a Maharaja from a wild boar. The boy listens to Khansama's stories wide-eyed and was in awe of his cook's courage. He, in turn, narrates all his stories to his classmates who over a period of time become jealous of him for having a super-hero cook. Only later does he realize that those were tall tales made up and told to him, but still such wonderful stories, that he decides to write a book on it.

Ruskin Bond always keeps it simple, yet beautiful. The same applies to this book as well. The stories are narrated in such simple language but are so vividly described that you wish you were sitting with him and the khansama in the kitchen as their companion and eat the delicacies and drink the seasonal mango milkshakes.

My six year old loved this book. He was listening to the stories wide-eyed and was in awe of Mehmoud who is now his new super-hero along with Jim Corbett. And I have enjoyed reading it along with him, diving into the world of hunters and the hunted, narrated in a lighter vein. Do not miss this book, especially boys under 10 will cherish it for years to come. Let them read and remember Ruskin Bond, as we do, to this day.

Recommended: 👍👍👍👍👍

Buy Tigers for Dinner: Tall Tales by Jim Corbett's Khansama Online