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

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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