Book Review - Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup

Image: My own

From the book cover: A former tiffinboy from Mumbai, Ram Mohammad Thomas, has just got twelve questions correct on a TV quiz show to win a cool one billion rupees. But he is brutally slung in a prison cell on suspicion of cheating. Because how can a kid from the slums know who Shakespeare was, unless he has been pulling a fast one?

In the order of the questions on the show, Ram tells us which amazing adventures in his street-kid life taught him the answers. From orphanages to brothels, gangsters to beggar-masters, and into the homes of Bollywood's rich and famous, Slumdog Millionaire is brimming with the chaotic comedy, heart-stopping tragedy, and tear-inducing joyfulness of modern India. 

My thoughts: I'm a firm believer in not judging a book by its movie. In this case, I had seen the movie some years back and felt disappointed. There was a lot of hype surrounding it and the movie just didn't do it for me. So, when I saw the book at my bookstore, based on which the movie was taken, I picked it up immediately.

Moreover, I have read most of the author's previous works and remember enjoying it immensely. Swarup writes in a a way that I can connect with as a reader. And more importantly, he does not shy away from writing characters that are far from perfect. He always does a wonderful job in portraying 'grey' characters, that makes you like them for their flaws. 

So last evening, I picked up this book with an intent of covering just a few chapters. But I was so caught up in the novel that I finished it in one go, over few hours. I must confess that I stayed up till almost one last night reading this. It is so captivating that you get sucked right into the story along with the protagonist, Thomas. 

The book is narrated in the first person by Ram Mohammad Thomas(there is a story behind the name as well). He is an orphan and he recounts his entire life story to his advocate, Smita (and to us). There are twelve chapters in total corresponding to the twelve questions that Thomas gets encountered with. In fact he gets asked a total of thirteen questions, but the last question is a plot twist as we come to know in the last chapter. 

Each chapter begins with a flashback as to how Thomas learns the answer to the corresponding question which is told in a series of flashbacks, and brings us back to the present, at the end of each chapter. The life of an orphan who thrives on the chawls and slums of Mumbai, Agra and Delhi are portrayed very realistically without being patronizing. 

Thomas is portrayed neither as a simpleton nor as a victim. He has his strengths and flaws. He is shrewd, quick to learn, adapts to his surroundings and street smart. There are so many other characters that I loved besides the protagonist. Whether it was his best friend Salim from the orphanage, Neelima Kumari the famous actress or the 'tragedy queen' as she is referred to by the media, that Thomas worked for, Gudiya, a helpless girl from the slum that hr grows fond of, or Nita the prostitute with whom he eventually falls in love with.

These are characters etched out in a lot of depth. For instance, Neelima Kumari and her fixation with being youthful and the ironical climax of her story. I'm not going in detail, but please do read this one if you haven't. There are only a handful of Indian authors that I like and enjoy and Swarup is one of the few on the list. I highly recommend Slumdog Millionaire. Read it not to just get a feel of the underbelly of India, but to embark on a thrilling journey that will keep you on the edge of your seats right till the last line. 

* The book was previously published as Q&A.

Petrichor

Walking by the Seine 

In the city of love

Petrichor and you 

Murky depths I see

Reflect the turmoil

In your eyes

Seems like irony

A cruel twist of fate 

That I have to lose you here

The very place I came 

To search for love 

Love that fills my soul

And consumes my body 

With passion for you 

I want to reach out

Take you in my arms 

Watch the night lights 

Twinkling on the Eiffel

I wish to walk with you

On these vintage streets

And have coffee and croissants

With you on a Sunday morning

But like so many things in my life, 

You are not meant to be

I see a dash of color on your lips

That blood red on your pale face 

Is all the color I need 

In this city of greys and blacks 

That wistful look you give 

Before hurrying inside

Clutching your umbrella 

By your side

Is enough to last me a lifetime...

Book Review - The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Image: My own

From the book cover: Miss Marple takes a vacation. 

The blonde, in a white evening dress, lying on the hearth rug in the library, had been strangled with her own sash. 

Reports of missing persons filtered into the police station. Under the eagle eye of the Chief Constable, the police follow these leads. The suspects multiplied. 

The owners of Gossington Hall call in their friend from the village for advice. And it is Miss Marple who finds the thread linking all the clues.

My thoughts: This is the first Miss Marple mystery that I read. Yes, I know I'm late to the party. But better late than never. Anyway, the title alone was enough for me to pick this book up. Isn't it interesting? There were a lot of good reviews on this and I went into it with high expectations. 

I sat down on a warm afternoon expecting a good old murder with Miss Marple. However, a little bit into the book and I was disappointed. No, the story line was excellent. The only problem was that Miss. Marple doesn't make much of an appearance until the second half of the book. 

There were far too many detectives and police officers handling the case and it was difficult for me to keep track of all their names and roles in the story. Like all classic Agatha Christie novels, you get absolutely no clue as to who might have actually committed the murder until the very last chapter. Almost all the characters that we are introduced right from the beginning can be a considered a suspect in ways more than one. 

As the case unravels, we meet a lot more characters, be it the dead girl's cousin- Josie, the wheel chair bound Conway Jefferson and his in-laws- Adelaide Jefferson and Mark Gaskell, the Bantrys to name a few. All of whom has a motive for murder. But the real twist in tale is when a second body is discovered not long after the first one. 

Now, I don't want to give away too much of the plot as it will take all the fun out of a crime mystery. I was totally satisfied upon completion of the book as we are given a proper explanation as to the motive for the murder and all loose ends are tied up nicely. Now, only if there was some more of Miss Marple and her brilliance, I would have declared the book perfect and given it an additional star. 

Should you read it? Yes, if you are a fan of Christie and Miss Marple (no matter how small a role she plays, it is crucial to the book), then this one is not to be missed. 

April - A month of learining

When I signed up for the A to Z challenge this year, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Though this was the second blogging challenge that I have undertaken, this was my first A to Z. I didn't have any theme and decided to go randomly. 

I didn't schedule any of my posts; taking one day at a time. Posting daily except on Sundays quickly took its toll on me. Yes, some days were exhausting, on some others I faced the dreaded block where my mind was completely blank and clueless as to what I should write on. 

The only thing that kept me going were the constant encouragement and feedback from each one of you. Yes, each comment counts when you are in this journey together. The comments and views for each post were a motivation to go further. A huge thanks to Soumya, Titli, Preethi, Leo, Sundari, Devika, Ruchi, Vidya, Pratikshya, Rajlakshmi and all others who were an encouragement for me all throughout my journey. So sorry if I have left out any names here. There have also been some new blogs that I discovered during this challenge. Always glad to discover new (for me) and talented writers from all over the globe. 

There have been times when visiting and reading all blogs, as much as I would have liked, were not possible. I would like to apologize for that. I shall be hopping over to those blogs to catch up on lost time. Soon :)

April was also a month that gave me Gouri. Which reminds me that I should get cracking on the rest of her this month. Fingers crossed for now. I just hope the end result is not disappointing. 

Would I participate next year? Definitely. Though I have never been a person to schedule posts in advance, I would like to follow a theme and plot on at least some posts prior to the challenge from next year. Also, a special mention to the hosts of the A to Z challenge for being there for all of us. I shall look forward to the journey next year. 

The challenge may have come to an end, but we can continue to support each other throughout our blogging journey, right? Once again, a huge heart felt thanks to each and everyone of you. For being there. Thank you. Thank you for gifting me a beautiful April :)

Reminiscence

Let me wake up to

The sound of waves crashing on the shore

And the smell of coffee and fragrant butter rolls 

Let us spend some more time holding each other in our bed

The duvet covering us providing the most comfort in this world 

Let us take long walks by the sea

With waves frolicking at our feet

A gentle caress, a forbidden kiss

Today let us leave reality behind 

For today let us just be

Man and woman

Without the definition of labels smothering us

Not allowing us space to breathe 

And when it starts to drizzle

As it surely would, the rumble of a thunder I heard is not too far away

Let us not rush back to the safety of a roof above our heads 

Get wet it the rain with me 

Let us leave adulthood far behind 

The expectations, commitments

Let it all cease to exist 

Even if for just a single day

And when evening comes, as it inevitably would

For all good things must come to an end in our hasty life

Let me find the warmth in your body by the Bon fire

And fall asleep with your hands around me

With just the stars watching over us on a moonless night

For tomorrow we must head back

To the stark reality that awaits us

To the harshness of wasted time, maddening traffic and dirty politics 

But for today let us just be 

You and me...

Z - Zoya

Image Source

Zoya applied the black eyeliner carefully, giving more precision to her already smoky eyes. Last year, this time, she had been a pathetic mess. Drowning in a pool of self-pity and random strangers with whom she had shared her bed with. The best way to mend a broken heart was to numb the pain, at least that was what she had felt like then. 

Though temporary measures such as seeking solace in men and alcohol, had no long term effects of lifting her spirits, she had turned to it. If anything, she would wake up feeling more depressed the next day. All that had changed the day he had walked into her life. 

With him by her side, she learnt that life was not all grey skies and looming clouds. That when the rays of sunshine would finally break through them, things would take on a magical sheen. And slowly, the days seemed bearable, the nights longer and filled with promise, the words she read in books and the musical lyrics she heard spoke  to her in a language that she hadn't understood before. 

And today, she was getting married to him. The one who had taught her that life was not all lows, that there were highs as well. The dreaded wedding attire suddenly seemed beautiful. Those gold ornaments that she had shied away from all her life glittered on her hands and neck as she moved, reminding her of a symphony that she had heard, and thought forgotten, long ago. 

With a final satisfied smile, Zoya turned and headed down to be with the one person who made the world, her world a better place to be in. 

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

Y - Yesterday

Image courtesy: Google

I have learnt from yesterday

Just like the challenges undertaken today

I have hope, faith and belief 

That we are going to emerge winners tomorrow

April has been a memorable month gone by us

One that I stepped into with uncertainties a lot

There have been friends who had my back 

And some new made along the path 

Today I'm a little sad

The journey comes to an end tomorrow

It doesn't have to be so 

We shall continue to walk hand in hand

So many lessons learned

Writing has been grueling on some days 

We never gave up, continued at our own stride

And tomorrow we shall hold victory in our hands...

P.S. Am I the only one feeling this way? The challenge shall surely come to an end tomorrow but our journey doesn't have to. 

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge.