The Interpretation of Murder: Jed Rubenfield

Jed Rubenfield’s book borrows quite a few things from the famous non-fiction book The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud. To start with, the title is intentionally made to look like a spoof on the original book. The author and psychologist, Sigmund Freud is one of the characters in Rubenfield’s book. Several real characters like Carl Jung, Abraham Brill and George McClellan, Mayor of New York City appear in this fictional book.

To begin with, I liked the idea of creating a fictional story out of real-life incidents and characters. The author has a disclaimer that while some of his characters are real and some characters are fictional, the story itself is completely his imagination. Freud visited America only once in his lifetime and is said to have been disappointed with his visit. Rubenfield picked up this fact and weaved his story around it. Around the time when Freud visits America, a young woman is brutally murdered. The next day, another woman is almost murdered in the same way leading to speculations that a serial murderer is on the prowl. The second victim loses her voice and her memory of the incident and this results in engaging Sigmund Freud and our male protagonist Stratham Younger, both psycho-analysts to help the victim rediscover her voice and her memory so that she can identify her attacker. A detective and a coroner are assigned to resolve the case. While one thread about solving the case is going on, the book parallely talks about the protests and revolt against the rising fame of Freud and his teachings. Anti-Freud gang threatens Freud and his followers to abandon their visit and this adds to the mystery factor of the book. Rubenfield paints many characters in a way to make them as possible suspects and this piques the curiosity.

I could go on and on about the story since there are so many things going on about the book. The plot is brilliant. I liked the author’s idea of placing an imagined plot on real-life incidents and characters. The very fact that Freud is a character in the book increases the curiosity quotient of the book. The characters are pretty good. Younger, the main character, has enough layers to make him interesting. The detective, Jimmy Littlemore, adds some humor to the story and comes across as an intelligent and warm-hearted detective. The victim, the beautiful Nora Acton, is based on one of Freud’s patients.

The story moves pretty fast but gets complicated somewhere in the middle of the book when there are multiple threads running, all related in some way. It becomes tedious to remember the numerous names and their motives and their connection to the murder. The climax is good and fitting for a murder mystery novel. Many loose ends are left untied which thus because of which the book doesn’t give you a sense of satisfaction after reading it.

For anyone looking for a murder mystery, this is a must read. For anyone slightly interested in psychology, this book will whet your appetite slightly. If you are like me, pick up this book just because Sigmund Freud is in it.

The Handmaid’s Tale : Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin is a jinxed book. I have picked up this book atleast 3 times, only to put it back for some reason or the other. The book is not boring, mind you. It’s not the book itself which makes me put it down and pick up something else, but the circumstances. Whenever I pick it up to read, another book sneaks in and makes me want to pick that instead. After 3 failed attempts, I decided to read another Atwood book, so I read The Handmaid’s Tale.

The book talks about a world that is an imagination of Atwood, a world where poor women are hired by the rich to bear children. These ladies are called handmaids. This book is the story of one such handmaid and her life. I like the length at which Atwood goes to create this world. Names for classes of people – Marthas, Handmaids, Guardians and so on, names for gadgets – CompuTalk – she even creates a currency for her world. She painstakingly gives depth to each class. Handmaids are always in red, Marthas in green, Wives in blue and so on. The dress, the body language, their activities are planned to the minutest detail.

The story itself is not very interesting. The army takes over the country one day and forces its own rules on the people. Every person is being watched every minute of the day. Sounds a bit like George Orwell’s 1984? It is very similar to that. The story moves back and forth in time which makes it intriguing. I was reminded of Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go which was about people being chosen as organ donors. Handmaids are no different. They are treated as baby-making machines and are expected to follow rules which make them more fertile.

The writing is awesome. There were some lines which struck me as beautiful. Atwood’s strength in this book lies in the creation of this fictitious world and the characters in it. The protagonist comes across as shallow and could have used some dimensions.

Some lines I liked:

Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy.

Every night when I go to bed I think, In the morning I will wake up in my own house and things will be back the way they were.
It hasn’t happened this morning, either

It was like being in an elevator cut loose at the top. Falling, falling, and not knowing when you will hit.

We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. It gave us more freedom.

The bottom line is do I recommend it? I am not sure. If you want to read an Atwood book, may be this would be a wrong choice because I am told her other books are better. If you want to read some book with this story, go ahead and pick it up.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: F Scott Fitzgerald

Of all the books that are made into movies, this is the only book which I hadn’t heard of before learning about the movie. This movie made a lot of news and God knows where I was when the book was released or made news (turns out I was not even born. The story was published in 1922). Did it make news at all or did it become popular because it was made into a movie?

The curious case of Benjamin Button is about well, Benjamin Button who is born as an old man. He is seventy years old when he is born. Wrinkled skin, stooped back, achy joints – all indications that nature has played a cruel joke on him. As he goes on with his life, he realizes that he is actually growing younger, going back in age. The story starts off with a bang and keeps the curiosity raised until the middle of the book. But the ending was a disappointment. What starts off as a promising story ends with a ‘poof’. Still, an enjoyable story. I wonder how they made this into a movie. The story was first published in 1922. The rights are in public domain now, so the story is available free online for everyone to read. Check the links at the end of this post to read this story online. Though the story was published so long ago, the movie was made only in 2008.

There are two other stories in the book – Bernice bobs her hair and The diamond as big as the Ritz. Both the stories are available online for free. The first story is about a girl who is constantly talking about bobbing her hair to get boys’ attention without any intention of getting a bob. I like the characterization in this story. The two protagonist ladies are etched really well and their feelings are relevant even today. The second one is about a man who owns a diamond which is as big as The Ritz. This story is as wacky as Benjamin Button but has a better climax.

There is nothing much really to remember or learn from these stories, apart from the couple of laughs you get while reading them. These are intended to be that anyway – light and entertaining. There is no attempt at prodding one’s intellectual, so take these stories as they are. Get a hearty laugh and move on to another book.

I am dying to know what the public reaction was when these stories were published. It was a different era with totally different mindset and I was wondering how people took these stories. Did they like it or did they dismiss as a heap of rubbish?

Read the stories online:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Tales of the Jazz Age – This book has The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The diamond as big as the Ritz and other stories

RIP Erich Segal

I just read this on another blog. Erich Segal died yesterday at the age of 72. He was suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 25 years.

Who hasn’t read Love Story? I read this book when I was a little girl with dreams of Prince Charming and Mr.Perfect. No wonder this book had a big impact on me. I still remember the famous opening lines of the book.

What can you say about a 25 year old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach, the Beatles, and me?

You know the girl is going to die as soon as you start reading the book, yet you hope against hopes that she survives somehow. You still bawl when you read the last page and close the book. You continue to cry even half an hour after reading the book. This is a book which remains very close to my heart. There is no logic here, I simply love it. No questions asked.

RIP Erich Segal. May this earth be blessed with more writers like you.

Atonement: Ian McEwan

The first ever McEwan book I read was On Chesil Beach. It was a short and sweet read which left me wanting to read more from this author. The obvious choices were Amsterdam and Atonement. While Amsterdam met my expectations and proved me right on reading another McEwan book, Atonement exceeded my expectations. This was expected to happen because Amsterdam won the 1998 Man Booker Prize whereas Atonement only got a nomination in 2001. I have a history of not liking Booker Prize winners, so I wasn’t surprised when I liked the latter better.

Atonement is about a woman who has committed an unforgivable crime in her childhood. The book is the journey of how lives were affected because of her mistake and what she does to achieve atonement. The book is set in England and uses the world war 2 as a backdrop in a certain part of the book. The young girl, Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old girl dreams of becoming a writer. She enjoys the process of writing – creating an entire different world and the characters in it, changing them and making them act and talk according to her will. She loves melodrama and she is always trying to impress her parents and siblings by writing stories and plays for them.

Briony accidentally witnesses an incident between her elder sister, Cecilia and their charlady’s son, Robbie. What was an innocent incident turns into a vulgar, adult act in the eyes of a 13-year-old. Briony is still to understand adults and their motives, she is thrilled to have witnessed something she should not have. She gives the entire scene her own meaning which is far from the truth. Two more incidents that follow (which she again witnesses) take on a different meaning because she has already decided on Robbie’s intentions about her sister. This innocent, melodramatic interpretation makes her commit a crime which affect many lives, especially that of Emily and Robbie. The rest of the book is about how Emily and Robbie get on with their lives and how Briony realizes her mistake and makes amends.

McEwan has strong characters in his books. He gives each of his character a unique voice and this is very evident in Atonement. Briony is a teenager during the initial part of the book. The voice of the book takes on a childish tone whenever Briony is in the scene. The part where Briony is furious at Lola and slashes the weeds and another one where she stands on the bridge and decides not to move from there until ‘big’ happens in her life – all of these are so typical of a teenager. This part made me realize how similar I was to Briony as a teenager. The voice for her character changes gradually as she grows up. I wonder how writers can achieve this. The book dips in between when Robbie goes to war front. This part was slow and boring. McEwan could have done without this. The period where Robbie is in jail and he exchanges letters with Cecilia is sweet and heart-melting.

It’s not about the bike: Lance Armstrong

A serious reader could not have missed hearing about this book. It has been making news ever since it has been written. I too heard of it but never felt the urge to pick it up and read it. On my recent library visit, I picked this book up for lack of any other choice. I am glad I did it because this was one inspirational read I have done since a long time.

The book is written by Lance Armstrong, a cyclist.  It is about his fight against cancer and survival. The author was diagnosed with cancer just when he was at the peak of his career. He was at the advanced stage and had to undergo multiple surgeries and multiple sessions of chemotherapy. The surgeries and chemotherapy drained out the last ounce of energy from his body and left him almost dead. He bounced back and entered the Tour de France and won it and went on to win three more of them. This book is his journey from diagnosis of cancer and his winning the Tour de France.

Armstrong could have easily adapted a tone of feeling sorry to win the sympathy of the world. Instead, he puts up a brave face and wants the world to be motivated by his fight. For Armstrong, the focus is on the fight and the ultimate bouncing back rather than the cancer and the suffering. This I feel is the best part of the book. The tone of the book is one of courage and not of self-pity. This is what made the book work for me.

The book starts with Armstrong’s childhood. He talks about his father abandoning his mother and how his mother struggled to run the house and pay his fees. Armstrong shares a strong bond with his mother and that is evident from the very beginning. They understand each other very well and you wish you had that kind of relationship with your mom. The book goes on to trace Armstrong’s journey as an amateur cyclist and his turning pro. It takes an emotional turn when Armstrong is diagnosed with cancer. His surgeries, his chemotherapy sessions, the way he and his mom read and read about cancer to gain knowledge in order to fight it out – all this makes for a motivating read. The book continues about his recuperation and his decision to get back to professional racing, his wavering between states of self-confidence and depression. There is even a detailed section on IVF, where Armstrong talks openly about his experience.

The book was easy and quick to read. This may not the best book I have read, but it will remain in my memory for a long time. If you are going through a low phase in your life and need some pepping up, this is the book for you.

2009: The year that went by

Another year has gone by. As usual, I tried to read 50 books this year, but failed. At the end of the year, I console myself by saying what matters is quality and not quantity. Quality wise, I read some good books last year. There were some disappointments too.

The top 10 books I read in 2009 in no order:

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
A Certain Ambiguity – Gaurav Suri and Hartosh Singh Bal
A Sleep and a Forgetting – William Dean Howells
The Bridges of Madison County – Robert James Waller
The Little Stranger – Sarah Waters
The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter – Kim Edwards
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
Eating India – Chitrita Banerji

Some decent books out there. Apart from the first one, none of them made me sit up and take notice.

Some honorable mentions which did not make it to the list:

Paths of Glory – Jeffrey Archer
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco
Amsterdam – Ian McEwan
Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

The Name of the Rose should have been on the top 10 list but the only reason why it isn’t is because I knew it would be good. I know, lame excuse, but there it goes.

The best book of the year has to be:

The Book Thief – Markus Zuzak

I can’t say enough about this book.

There is stiff competition for the worst book of the year:

The Road – Corman McCarthy
The Bell Jar – Syliva Plath
I read two new authors who were on my read-them-now list.

Umberto Eco
Milan Kundera

Both were delightful. I was impressed by Eco’s wit. I liked Kundera’s book for its philosophical content.

I discovered some new authors by chance.

Markus Zuzak
William Dean Howells
Sarah Waters

Howells was the best and the most unexpected. Sarah Waters was a chance discovery. I loved her book and am going to definitely read more from her.

I read one book which was on my list since ages.

Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

This was my five year plan, but was happy to finish it in 5 days. Liked The Fountainhead better than this, may be because I read it when I was too young.

Best surprise

The Book Thief – Mark Zuzak.

I didn’t expect it to be so good when I picked it up.

Worst Disappointment

The Road – Corman McCarthy.

Don’t even get me started on this.

The Bridges of Madison County: Robert James Waller

This book was a 1992 best seller and was made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. I had heard this book being mentioned in some discussions but never laid my hands on it.

This book is about Franseca, an Italian based in Madison County Iowa. She lives with her husband and two kids, but is lonely. She doesn’t like the farm life she is forced to lead after her marriage. Her husband is a rural at heart and doesn’t share her feelings when it comes to romance and other soft luxuries of life. Robert Kincaid visits Madison County to do a feature on the covered bridges of the town. He is a photographer on an assignment for National Geographic and stops  by Fransesca’s house to ask for directions. This triggers off a spark in both their hearts and what follows is an intense romantic affair. This is not so much about the physical relationship but the spiritual and divine connect that two human beings can have. This is what I liked the most about the book.

Robert asks Fransesca to leave her family and go with him. Fransesca is torn between her love for Robert and her responsibilities towards her family. Ultimately, the lovers sacrifice their love for their duties. There is no childishness here. They both know they are losing a great deal, but understand that Fransesca has her own reasons for it. Robert, who turns out to be a real gentleman who cares for his lady’s feelings, comes across as a hero who every woman will fall in love with. I did too!

After the death of her husband, Fransesca tries to reach Robert, but is unable to. She fears he is dead. As a reader, you so badly want her to find Robert and when she gives up her search, you alsmost scream at her. She hears about Robert’s death later and this part is heart breaking. This book is a real tear-jerker and this is where you will shed your tears the most.

This book is not about memorable quotes or good description. It is about a simple, pure love story between a woman and a man which transcends the earthly definition of love. It is very clear there is some divine intervention in this story.

In the book, the author talks about meeting Fransesca’s children and hearing the love story from them. I believed this and was assuming all the while that this is a true story which was turned into a novel, but wiki doesn’t believe so. I liked the book as it is, but liked it a bit more because I thought the characters from the book actually existed somewhere in some place.  I am disappointed that it isn’t so.

The Little Stranger: Sarah Waters

It’s been ages since I read a ghost story, so when I picked up ‘The Little Stranger’ and it said ‘… chilling ghost story’, I immediately decided to read it. Now that I have finished reading it, I am not so sure it was a ghost story.

Sarah Waters is a great story teller. She has all the right ingredients for an interesting story. The setting is just perfect – an old, dilapidated mansion with some disturbing history to it. A family, the eldest has an early death, the son is injured in a war, the daughter is plain – the house has an air of sorrow and morbidity around it. Introduce a narrator, the family doctor, to the scene and you have an interesting story going on.

The book is big but reads quickly. The twists and turns in the story only add to your speed. The tone of the book is gripping. It is gloomy at times, scary at times and sometimes runs a chill down your spine (Isn’t that what all horror stories are supposed to do?). All in all, a good book to read.

Spoiler Alert. Don’t read the next paragraph if you haven’t read the book or plan to read it later.

The book is not so much as a ghost story because you really don’t know whether a ghost really exists in the scene. Sarah Waters describes a scene, presents some hypothesis and leaves the decision to the user. Since the house has a gloomy air, the characters are in a sad state of mind and this could be the reason for their hallucinations. Second hypothesis, the house might have ‘negative energy’ which is causing people to expose their weak point and hallucinate. Third, there could actually be the ghost of the dead little girl (is that why the title is The little stranger?). Finally, the narrator himself is the culprit. I got strong hints to this throughout the book, but I still can’t believe this is posisble. The doctor is narrating the story, doesn’t blurt out that he is the murderer, but still the reader gets it. Brilliant, isn’t it? This, according to me, is the best part of the book.

The Book Thief : Markus Zusak

This book is, hands down, the best book I have read in 2009 so far. Considering the number of days left in this year and the amount of time I get to read these days, this book might remain the best book of the year.

What is the book about? Here is what the publishers say:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Words – written and spoken – are central to the book. This book is unusual in many ways. One, the structure of the book is something I have never seen earlier. It is broken up into chapters based on the books that the protagonist steals. Two, the narrator of the book is also unusual. I don’t want to reveal it here because I don’t want to deprive you of the thrill you get when you discover for yourself. Three, the actual idea of putting a book thief in the middle of Nazi Germany in 1940s – who would have thought? The good thing is it works really well. The author maintains the gravity required to describe the burning Germany and the humor and the wit required to captivate the readers.

I just loved the writing style. It is witty and humorous. Sometimes it is the kind of humor where you are laughing at yourself, unknowingly. I am guessing the author loves colors. He uses colors to describe almost all scenes in the book. In fact, the book starts colors. There were many sentences and paragraphs which made me stop reading and think. Some got a chuckle out of me and some disturbed me. I wish I had made a note of some so that I could quote here. Google came to the rescue and here are some.

First the colours.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.

The last time I saw her was red. The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In some places, it was burned. There were black crumbs, and pepper, streaked across the redness.

…For some reason, dying men always ask questions they know the answer to. Perhaps it’s so they can die being right.

For now, Rudy and Liesel made their way onto Himmel Street in the rain.
He was the crazy one who had painted himself black and defeated the world.
She was the book thief without the words.
Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like the rain.

“… it was raining on Himmel Street when the world ended for Liesel Meminger.
The sky was dripping.
Like a tap that a child has tried its hardest to turn off but hasn’t quite managed.”

If I could, I would quote the entire book here, that’s how much I liked it. Why did I like the book? The writing was what got me initially. The story will tug at your heart. And the characters – Liesel and Rudy and Max and the Hubermanns – each one of them will remain with me for a long time. What I will never forget though, is the narrator.