Sunday, January 26, 2014

Sycamore Row

In a trademark Grisham style,the book directly jumps into the story without beating too much around the bush. Seth Hubbard, a multi-millionaire decides to commit suicide and leaves a "handwritten" will which bestows 90% of the booty to his housekeeper. The protagonist, Jake Brigance, is chosen by Seth to execute his wishes. Of course,the family of Seth contests the will. 

The book, not a sequel of "A Time to Kill" as the book claims, reprises some familiar  characters in Sheriff Ozzie, attorneys Harry Rex and Lucien, Jake's family et al. A Time to Kill was definitely one of the better books by Grisham and if you think you are sitting down with Sycamore Row with a similar anticipation,i have two words for you - mindless drivel. 





Grisham, in his latest installment, has definitely lost the plot and sorry to say but also the art of storytelling. Every nook and corner of The Black vs The White story line has been used to the point of abuse as a story line and this book is a testimony of that. Loud characters like Booker Siriruk and Harry Rex offers a glimmer of hope, but it quickly fades away.   

The climax is very flimsy and very unrealistic. Grisham true power lies in letting the story go through natural course; this time it seemed he forcefully changed its course. 

As an ardent fan, i am not in pain in saying - Mr Grisham, you disappoint. However it does give me pain in saying - Mr Grisham, you disappoint, again.  

The Cuckoo's Calling

It does take some special skill to write something anew – for an author to reinvent herself and bring something different off her shelf. JK Rowling tried it unsuccessfully with “The Causal Vacancy” but comes roaring back with the latest from her pot – The Cuckoo’s Calling. 


The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith


For me, the book is a reminiscent of Harry Potter series, not because there is any trace of the wizard, but because she again transports the reader to the streets of London and makes you believe that the reader is the protagonist.When it comes to reviewing a criminal fiction, I tend to be cautious for letting in too much information which might result in Spoiler Alert! Therefore I just skim the surface for this post. 

 The characters are well defined, and thankfully few – something that was amiss in her second book. The story meanders in the middle but it all fits in the climax – something that manages to hit you in the face. Welcome back to the arena Mrs Rowling – this time in the form of the disfigured war veteran Cormoron Strike. 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

National Items :)

National Wildlife - Mosquitoes

National Food - Maggi

National Employer - TCS

National Dress - Lungi

National Footwear - Crocs

National Couple - Chaai and Sutta

National Endangered Specie - Corrupt Free Official




Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

Copy - Kindle Rating - 3/5 Around the globe, Malcom Gladwell is known as a foremost thought leader. The gift that the author has, apart ...