Stories & More
Menu

We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves

23/1/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Author: Karen Joy Fowler
Genre: Fiction
Keywords: Intriguing. Moving. Thought-provoking.
 
Imagine having a non-human sibling. That is essentially, what this book is about. Yet, it’s also about a lot more. It explores the deep bonds of sisterhood, the relationship between humans and animals, the human need to ‘fit in’, love, jealousy, devotion, resentment, and more. The novel is both humourous and heart breaking, a coming of age tale unlike any other. At times we’re rooting for the protagonist, at other times we’re disappointed with her. Moving beautifully between past and present, this is a story that challenges our notions of family and humanity. 
1 Comment

Narcopolis

23/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Author: Jeet Thayil
Genre: Fiction
Keywords: Evocative. Offbeat. Authentic.
 
Narcopolis takes you deep into the heart of another world. Welcome to the opium dens of 1970s Bombay, with their seedy little rooms, gritty alleys and notorious inhabitants. There are just a few main characters: a eunuch, a dealer, a Chinese officer, but each is endlessly fascinating. The overall mood of the book is dark, of course, but not as dark as one would expect. The writing style is riveting and intoxicating. Not many writers can write a first chapter that is one continuous paragraph, and yet not have the reader feel the strain of reading it. The writer touches upon the struggle to free oneself from addiction, and shows human nature with all its flaws. The drug world has not been glamourized (as it typically is in film/tv) or looked down upon (to send out a preachy ‘message’). Its story has been told with all its grime and glory. A semi-autobiographical tale, the authenticity of the writing shines through. The unsentimental storytelling makes for a refreshing read. 
0 Comments

The Lives Of Others

23/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Author: Neel Mukherjee
Genre: Fiction
Keywords: Family. Epic. Political.
 
In this well-titled book, the author takes us deep into the lives of a large joint family who live in Calcutta in the 1960s. There are the elderly parents, their children, and their children, growing up and growing old together. There are the servants, who play a critical role in the household in more ways than one. Within this one building we see different characters, their insecurities, fears, their political leanings, and how they clash and merge with one another. One character leaves home to help farmers in the Marxist struggle. Another struggles to accept that she is perhaps too dark-skinned to get married. Their lives are a fascinating labyrinth of emotional connections and intersections and arguments. They are just one family, but they are a world within themselves and that makes this book a fascinating read.
0 Comments

    Archives

    June 2018
    May 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010


    Categories

    All
    Advertising
    America
    Animals
    Apple
    Art
    Bakery
    Behaviour
    Book Review
    Books
    Business
    Commemorative
    Communities
    Computer
    Conference
    Consumerism
    Content
    Context
    Culture
    Democracy
    Design
    Diploma
    Disaster
    Driving
    Editorial
    Education
    English
    Entertainment
    Equality
    Ethics
    Feminism
    Film
    Font
    Food
    Gandhi
    Gender
    Global
    Government
    Graphic Design
    Habits
    Healthcare
    History
    Image
    India
    India Post
    Information
    Interaction
    International
    Japan
    Knowledge
    Language
    LGBTQ
    Literature
    Local
    Media
    Mediums
    Mobility
    Modern
    Monument
    Music
    Nid
    Parsi
    People
    Phenomenon
    Plays
    Politics
    Poverty
    Publication
    Rape
    Reading
    Religion
    Review
    Rights
    Royalty
    School
    Sleep
    Software
    Steve Jobs
    Story
    Tarantino
    Teaching
    Technology
    Travel
    Typeface
    Typography
    Unity
    Veterinary
    Visual
    Web
    Women
    Writers
    Writing


    Links

    The New Yorker
    Writing For The Web
    A List Apart
    The Better India
    Wordnik
    Design Is History
    The Grid System
    Chicago Manual Of Style
    APA Style
    Motivated Grammer
    Thinking For A Living
    Philatelic Database

    Old Blogs

    Designscene
    Parsee
    Visibility

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2010–2015, Armeen Kapadia. All Rights Reserved.
  • Blog
  • Blog