2011: Challenges and how I fared

I signed up for a few challenges in 2011, something I did for the first time. I am glad I got to read new authors and books as part of this challenge, which I would not have otherwise.

• Nordic Challenge
  Challenge: 3-5 books
  Read: 3 books

I took this challenge mainly because I was so ignorant of the books coming from this beautiful region. I discovered a beautiful book (Sophie’s World) and a wonderful author (Henning Mankell).

• Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge
  Challenge: 3
  Read: 3

I am so happy I took up this challenge. I discovered such a great author. I absolutely loved After Dark, but the other two books were a disappointment. I will definitely read more from this author.

• New Authors Reading Challenge
  Challenge: 15
  Read: 15

Read a few new authors, some were great, some were not.

• Seconds Challenge
  Challenge: 3
  Read: 3

I gave Gabriel García Márquez and Amitava Ghosh a second chance as part of this challenge. I could not read Márquez’s A Hundred Years of Solitude, but A News of a Kidnapping was a surprisingly good read. On the other hand, Ghosh disappointed me further with his A Circle of Reason.

• 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
  Challenge: 5
  Read: 1

Disappointing. Both the challenge and the book I read as part of this challenge.

• TBR Challenge
  Challenge: 12
  Read: 3

I finally read 3 books that I had wanted to read from a long time. An interesting thing to note is I did not like any of them. That should say something about my TBR list, huh?
I have decided what challenges I will be taking up in the coming year. Sign up post coming soon.

 

Norwegian Wood

Title: Norwegian Wood
Original Writer (Japanese) : Haruki Murakami
Translated to English by: Alfred BirnBaum
Originally Published in Japanese:  1987
Translated to English: 2000
Genre: Fiction
My Rating: 2 on 5

Regular readers of this blog know that I have signed up for Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge and I read my first Murakami book After Dark as part of this challenge and also that I was thoroughly impressed with the book. Ever since I read that book, I have been itching to lay my hands on any of the other Murakami books and it was only natural that I chose one of his most popular books, Norwegian Wood.

Norwegian Wood is about Toru Watanabe and Naoko who are bound together by the death of a common friend, Kizuki. Toru learns to deal with the grief of his best friend whereas Naoko becomes emotionally unstable after her boyfriend’s death. Toru continues his study at the college and Naoko goes to a sanatorium to deal with her emotional instability. Toru has his group of friends and goes on with his life and continues to exchange letters with Naoko. Their relationship is uncertain and strange because they act like lovers but neither wants to admit it.

The trouble with reading a popular book is you would have built high expectations before you even read the first word. If the book turns out to be good, then all is well, but in my case, more often than not, a popular book fails to impress me. Sadly, Norwegian Wood falls under the second category. The book has this monotonous voice which is depressing, which is right considering this book is about dealing with death and grief, but what irritates me is how the characters behave sometimes. Toru and Naoko and the other characters are in their late teens or early twenties and they act as if they know the world and give out intellectual insights which make me cringe.

I am not sure if it’s the original text or the translation, but the writing is really poor and amateur. There are places where you want to tell the writer, forget what she is wearing and move on with the story already! Toru and Naoko are supposed to be having a very intimate conversation when Toru visits the sanatorium. He is seeing her for the first time after she vanished a couple of months back and he really wants to know how she is doing emotionally. When the scene has this emotional momentum going, does it really matter whether Naoko slid the clip off her hair or if she transferred it from the right hand to the left? The captivating, surreal tone which I liked the most about After Dark is non-existent in Norwegian Wood. Both the books are so different, it makes me wonder if they really have the same author. If I hadn’t known this was a Murakami book, I would have never guessed!

The ending is very predictable and left me wondering what the point of the book was. This vaguely reminds me of Catcher in the Rye, another over-hyped book which I just could not stand. There might be a message hidden for me underneath: do not read popular books! I plan to pick up The Hard-boiled Wonderland and End of the World next.

The Fifth Woman

Title: The Fifth Woman
Author (in Swedish): Henning Mankell
Translator (to English): Steven Murray
Originally Published In:  1996
Translated In: 2000
Genre: Mystery
My Rating: 4 on 5

The Fifth Woman starts with a prologue where five women are brutally murdered by some unknown murderers in a remote place in Africa. Four of them are nuns and the fifth woman is a tourist who takes shelter with the nuns. While the nuns’ death is acknowledged by the police and government, they hush up the murder of the fifth woman to avoid any political conflicts. The death of the fifth woman would have gone unnoticed if not for a policewoman who investigated this murder and who decides to write a confidential letter to the fifth woman’s daughter in Sweden informing her about the tragic incident. This proves to be a turning point in the daughter’s life.

The following chapters tell the reader about a series of brutal murders that take place in and around Ystad. Wallander is involved in the investigation and he tries to find the murderer before the person can cause more harm. All through the book, we see a battle of intelligence – the murderer and Wallander try to outdo themselves and prove who is smarter. We all know, every criminal makes a mistake and that is how Wallander solves the case.

The book has a very strong opening. The plot generates an amount of intrigue and dread in the hearts of the reader. The murders are brutal and dreadful, but you can’t stop from reading further to know what happens next. The way Mankell ties in different story lines and introduces the twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even though the murdered characters are of little use later on, Mankell takes the trouble of giving these characters a personality of their own.

The following para contains spoilers. Skip it if you have not read the book yet. If you want to read it, select the paragraph with your mouse and you will be able to read it.

Mankell took a lot of care in developing the plot and the motive behind the murders, but I was let down by how the mystery was solved. Wallander was on the right track all along and one simple mistake from an otherwise meticulous murderer gave the identity away – which is hard to believe. When the murderer escapes from the station, Wallander takes a wild guess about where the murderer might go and it turns out to be true and that is another weak point in the book. Why did the murderer end up going to that place when it was very well known that the place is already known to the police? Mankell also lets a few loose ends flutter and does not tie them up. We never come to know the story behind the severed head found in the first victim’s safe. And what about the diary found in the safe? What was the relation between the owner of the diary and the victim? Despite these weak points, the book was a very interesting read.

Unlike the other mystery authors, Mankell gives a human touch to the hero of his books. Wallander is not painted as a dashing, intelligent, flawless man who every woman desires. Instead, he is shown to have problems of his own – a divorce, a daughter who does not really get along well with him and a father who is always complaining that Wallander does not devote enough time to him. Mankell not only focuses on the plot of the book, but cares to touch about other social issues. He brings in debatable issues of citizen militia and mercenaries, but never loses the momentum of the story. He even gives us a glimpse of the woes of a working mother – how difficult it is to balance a profession and family when there is no support around. This particularly touched my heart because I am a working mother myself.

This book is the tenth in the Wallander series. I read the first one and jumped straight to 10th, but it no way affected the pleasure I had in reading the book. Strong plot, interesting characters and a deep insight into the investigative procedure make this book a highly readable one.

This book qualifies for Nordic Challange 2011 and 2nds Challenge 2011.

The Joke

Title: The Joke
Author: Milan Kundera
Published In:  1969
Genre: Fiction
My Rating: 3 on 5

Milan Kundera is one of those writers who can leave a long lasting effect on you. I met (you know what I mean) Kundera when I read his The Unbearable Lightness of Being and was so taken by surprise that I wondered if I was actually reading that book or dreaming. I did not care about the story that much, but the philosophical notes that interspersed the story chapters were the best part about that book. Having been completely blown away by his first book, it was only natural that I picked up The Joke from the library.

The book is about a young man, Ludvik Jahn, whose life changes for the worst owing to an innocent joke he cracks in a letter written to his girlfriend. What he thought would be a funny comeback makes him look like a traitor to Communism and is kicked out of university and makes him end up in a prison.

I went on taking in the story hoping to read some more philosophical meanderings from the author, but they never came. The book was one big rant: most (if not all) of the characters appear morose and lacking something or the other in life. I am not sure if it is the translation, but the language did not have the kind of impact I was expecting. This book is supposedly the one which brought recognition to Kundera in the English speaking countries. I fail to see what is it about this book, but I found it lacking on many fronts. The characters lack depth, the story is quite boring and the language is not that great either. There were some parts which held my attention, but a major part of the book was one big, boring read.

This in no way stops me from reading more from Kundera. I took back so much from his first book, that the second one is no deterrent.  I hope I like what I pick up next.

This book qualifies for2nds Challenge 2011.

The Post-Birthday World

Title: The Post-Birthday World
Author: Lionel Shriver
Published In:  2007
Genre: Fiction
My Rating: 2.5 on 5

I discovered Lionel Shriver when I read her most popular book We Need To Talk About Kevin. It was highly recommended by a blogger friend of mine and I was more than happy to read this book and discover a writer who could write a story with different underlying subtext. I immediately took a vow to read more of her books. Unfortunately, her The Post-Birthday World is neither as powerful, nor as interesting as the former book.

Irina McGovern, a children’s book illustrator, has a steady relationship with her partner Lawrence. They both are Americans living in London. One fine day, Irina finds herself on the verge of betrayal when she is in the company of Ramsey Acton, a popular snooker player, on the occasion of his birthday (hence the title). The book forks out here with two options – does Irina betray or doesn’t she? One thread of the book flows with the first option where Irina goes through the guilt trip and finally leaves Lawrence to  marry Ramsey. She faces a different set of challenges where she has to convince Ramsey of her fidelity and put up with his eccentric ways of displaying love and claiming ownership over her. Another thread goes on parallely in which Irina remains faithful to her husband and faces hurdles and the biggest shock of her life when Lawrence cheats on her. The chapters from each thread appear alternately and some of the incidents are common to both threads and they become repetitive.

Shriver takes pity on us lesser mortals and uses comparatively simpler words in this book. We Need To Talk About Kevin had such complicated words that I had to keep a dictionary nearby and look up a word after every sentence, but fortunately this book was an easy read. Shriver creates powerful characters and this book is no exception. Irina’s character has so many layers and is so real, you could feel her guilt and her joy as if they were your own. Lawrence too is quite easy to relate to, but I found Ramsey’s character somewhat confusing. I could never make out what the character’s intentions were. Irina’s mom is another character I found amusing and interesting.

It is good to see a book using an unconventional structure and construct, but it just didn’t work for me. Many incidents and dialogues become repetitive and wear you out. In the end, when both the threads reach conclusion, you are not really sure what the message is. Is the writer trying to say no matter what option you choose, you will end up with your dose of happiness and sorrow and your choice does not really matter? Shriver does not take a stand when it comes to Irina’s choice of whether to betray or not, so I am wondering what is the message that she is trying to convey?

The book was okay while it lasted, but coming from Shriver, it was a big disappointment for me. I was expecting a similar kind of effect that We Need To Talk About Kevin had on me, but the book did not touch me at any level.

News of a Kidnapping

Title: News of a Kidnapping
Author: Gabriel García Márquez
Published in: 1996
Genre: Non-fiction
My Rating: 4 on 5

After the disappointing attempt at reading Márquez’s popular book One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I found boring to say the least, I decided to give Márquez another try. It also fit right into the Seconds Challenge I had taken up this year. I was afraid I would find Love in the Time of Cholera unreadable, so I picked a drastically different book. News of a Kidnapping is a non-fiction book which records the kidnapping events that occurred in Columbia in the early 1990s.

Pablo Escobar, head of the drug cartel Medellín cartel, is threatened by the extradition law and takes to kidnapping key persons in order to pressurize the government to change the law. He kidnapped a total of nine people, one of them was a close friend of Márquez. When he was approached to write a book about her kidnapping, Márquez realized he cannot isolate the other eight abductions and decided to cover all the events in the book. The result is this well-researched book which is more like a journalistic report than a leisurely readable book.

The abductions leave a disturbing air around the reader. I could actually feel the stress and dread that the kidnappers lived in – they had no idea they would be alive the next day. The most disturbing part about the book was Marina’s death – the run upto the actual killing, the method of killing and how her body was mercilessly buried without identification left such an impression on me that I just couldn’t go on further. Márquez does a great job of etching out the characters in the political scene. He talks about the limitations and good points about all the important political characters which is interesting to read. You learn a thing or two about to convince or manipulate people, an art that I lack.

I admit I knew nothing about the drug problems that were rampant in Columbia. Neither did I know about the related abductions. Thanks to this book, I know a bit more about history. This is a very different book from all those I have read so far. I would not call this book enjoyable, but it definitely is thought provoking and it tugs at your heart emotionally. I do not think I would want to read more such books, but I am glad I read this one.

This book qualifies for 2nds Challenge 2011.

Life is full of challenges

The coming year is going to be eventful and interesting for me – atleast in terms of books and reading. I am going to sign up for challenges (and quite a few at that) which I have never done before.

1. I have already signed up for the Nordic Challenge 2011. I am aiming for Freya which requires me to read 3-5 books from Nordic authors.

2. I have always wanted to read Haruki Marukami and God knows why I haven’t done so till now. Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2011 will urge me to finally get down to doing that. I aim for Sheep Man which requires me to read 3 Murakami books.

3. Since I am always trying out new authors, The New Author Challenge 2011 suits me just right. The challenge here is to read a minimum of 15 new authors which sounds a bit difficult, but that’s why it’s called a challenge, right?

4. After I read a new author or a first book in the series, more often than not, I go back to read a second book from the same author or the second book in the series. So, it’s only natural that I sign up for the 2nds Challenge 2011. I am aiming for Just a Spoonful – 3 books. I already have a candidate for this – Amitava Ghosh. I read his The Calcutta Chromosome and wasn’t particularly impressed with it. I want to give him a try again and read The Hungry Tide or Sea of Poppies. This list will draw inspiration from the previous challenge.

5. There are so many books on the 1001 books to read before you die list that I want to read. I am signing up for the 1001 books to read before you die challenge and hoping to reduce the size of my TBR list. I aim for High School Diploma which requires me to read 5 books on the list.

6. I want to reduce the size of my TBR list, so I am signing up for The 2011 TBR Pile Challenge.

The most difficult part of this challenge is to make a list of books that you plan to read for this challenge. I had a tough time choosing only 12 from my humongous list.

1    The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
2    In Cold Blood – Truman Capote
3    Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
4    Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig
5    Slaughterhouse-five – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
6    Family Matters – Rohinton Mistry
7    Daddy Long-Legs    – Jean Webster
8    A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
9    The Color of Magic – Terry Prachett
10  For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway
11   Frankenstein – Mary Shelly
12   The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka

Alternatives

1  The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
2  Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
3 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
4 The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
5 The Art of War – Sun Tzu
6 The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

I am ready! I can’t wait for this year to end and the next one to begin.