The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can!"

First I happened to watch the movie towards the climax, and Di Caprio’s emoting, made me want to read this book. His face looks calm but his eyes have an unanswered question hanging about them, and gets killed at the same moment. But since I already had a bitter experience with Eat, Pray and Love, I was uncertain.

All the more the reviews of the book were mixed. There were a set of readers who found it very uninteresting and very disappointing. Chosen the read for the month, and finding a copy of the eBook, I finally settled to read. After completing the book,  I really loved Mr. Gatsby and the book both. The -1 star was because it was pretty slow in the beginning, in fact so slow that I almost decided to shelve it.

"It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment."

The story does show Daisy, the love interest of Gatsby in poor light. But then it is just a characterization and very much the discretion of the author. It hurt me reading a few highly critical reviews of this book and I think that would speak volumes of how I felt so close at heart to Mr. Gatsby ;) *blush blush*

Perfect characters just don’t exist and the extent of imperfections in each character is what contributes to the riveting story. Moral, immoral, perfect, dented the characters maybe, but they all make a breezy touch to the reader’s heart.   Gatsby’s love for the girl and the extent to which he tries to win her again just build in our minds strongly though it is just outlined and subtly mentioned. He leads her on subtly, doesn't force himself upon, all the while expecting her to agree without showing his expectations on his face. I could relate to that seemingly calm look on Di Caprio.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

And when it rains on his funeral and it goes “Blessed are the dead that the rain falls on..,” it felt like something filled up the heart and moistened the eyes. A story so stoically told, like a collection of events that so slowly and subtly builds up a strong feeling of love and respect for Gatsby in spite of raising many doubts about his seemingly mysterious past.

“...They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . .” 

Seen so many Tom and Daisy around, and couldn’t agree more. Some books bring a lump in the throat, even before the story unfolds in your mind. The Great Gatsby is one such wonderful story of a lovely gentleman that brings forth the sweet bitter smell of roses crushed heartlessly by his beloved.

THE Stranger By ALBERT CAMUS

One of my best reads in 2015.

People are different, and viewpoints can be different, that said, we have a never ending list of what normal behavior is, and what is not. Every single line of a text or message can be comprehended differently based on our moods, whims and fancies. But still we are so opinionated about how others speak, do or behave, forgetting that they do not have to react the way we think they are supposed to in any given situation. The environment in which we grow/live, the people we meet, the books we read have an effect on our behavior.  Not reacting the way majority perceive as normal amounts to abnormal behavior?

The protagonist sends his mother to an old age Home, and the reason is his poor financial condition. The mother understands too. The relationship between them was not that close before she went to the Home, so naturally it gets less personal. Well, he doesn’t want to see the face of his mother’s corpse, doesn’t cry, doesn't stay longer at the place after the burial. When a person does it all we would be very nice enough to tell them how the grievance is not going to bring back the dead to life. But when the person himself behaves thus with the knowledge of the same?

Immediately after this he falls in love with Marie, makes love, watches a movie, but then doesn’t everyone else also attend to their daily chores after someone's death? The killing of the Arab too, clearly is in self-defense, and spur of the moment, not a planned and plotted one. But the punishment is meted out and justice denied based on his behavior at his mother’s funeral.

His last outpour to the Chaplain, who keeps putting his views, is befitting, with just the right words and the right amount of words.

Ajaya: Roll of the Dice (Epic of the Kaurava Clan #1)

It took almost two months for me to complete Ajaya. Mahabharata has always been the most fascinating of stories, something like a treasure chest. And with it being serialized and telecast in television, my siblings and I were constantly discussing the story. We were strong supporters of the Kauravas, and always felt they were fooled and manipulated. Karna was the real hero for us, and Duryodhan’s gesture towards him meant everything.

After so many years, Krishna being an avatar, and supporting Pandavas, did move me towards them. The palace of Illusions had a different effect on me. Retold from the views of Draupadi, the love between her and Karna was so astounding. And yes, practically it did make me wonder, why a woman would accept such a fate of marrying five husbands, compared to marrying a Suta, who was a king on her swayamvar day. I have heard many say that the five husbands were due to such and such reason; there are so many explanations, but whatever the stories behind, how can a woman be happy with such a decision that is thrown upon her.

She goes about narrating how the rules were fixed by Kunti regarding how she was to be shared among the brothers. It was so revolting to read that. Well, there could be an argument that says it was more open and accommodative. But when the entire decision is taken by the mother and her sons, how could it be taken as something positive?

With several incidents and actions that sound more cunning, why so much adharma to reinstate dharma and what is the dharma that is being projected? There is mentioned in the epic, that Duryodhan reaches heaven first, because he was a just king. How can somebody like Duryodhan be a just king? If he was such just administrator why not leave Hastinapur with him?

Anand Neelakantan has substantiated his retelling of the Mahabharata as a more acceptable version with logical suppositions. The final few pages after the die is cast make it more interesting read, and the conclusion couldn’t be better.