Literary Fiction

'Mountains Echoed' a sentimental but not saccharine sweet narrative

Let me honest at the start of this review. I have not enjoyed Hosseini's earlier works. I know of some people who will probably never speak with me again after this confession, but hey, that's just my view as a reader. Having said that, I must say that his new book, "And the Mountains Echoed" made up for more than the disappointment I felt while reading his earlier two works. Let me just say that this book will be reread even though I know how it ends and what happens in it.

"And the Mountains Echoed" is a sentimental story, may be which is why I did not like "The Kite Runner" or "A Thousand Splendid Suns". However, this one is not saccharine sweet and does not lose the bigger perspective of the story. I found it to be more mature a tale and more thawed in with the writer's thoughts and emotions. The alignment was perfect and illuminated on every single page. The story is probably not that intense but the way it is narrated and the characters that come to life certainly make it a lot more intense and interesting. The jumping of the novel in parts is also alright, because it makes sense and weaves everything through like a well-knitted quilt.

The plot of the novel is centered on love between siblings. The story as usual is set in Afghanistan and moves around the world in typical Hosseini style. It all starts in 1952 and 

People of the Book speaks of love for the written word

I am a little skeptical about reading historical fiction at times, more so when set in regions whose history I am unaware of. I like to be prepared when I am reading a book. It is only fair to the writer. More over, I don't think I would be able to read a book without knowing the place inside out. The reason I mention this is my last read was...  

Frances and Bernard is one of the best books this year

This has to be hands down one of the best books I've read this year. I am not a fan of epistolary novels however this one grasped my attention and did not let it go, till I had finished the book. There are very few books that manage to do that. This is one of them. "Frances and Bernard" by Carlene Bauer is more than just an epistolary novel. It...  

The Hungry Ghosts is all about forgiveness and karma

It was through a dear friend that I got introduced to Shyam Selvadurai's works. We were younger than and wanted to read everything queer and take it all in. At such a time, I was introduced to "Funny Boy" by my friend, written by Shyam Selvadurai. The book was about a boy's coming to terms with his sexual orientation and that too in an almost conservative Sri Lankan society. I...  

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a spectacularly amazing read

There are debut novelists and then may be after reading him I can safely say that there is Anthony Marra. This is after reading his book, "A Constellation of Vital Phenomena" and the fact that I could not stop sighing and being spectacularly amazed by most of his writing as the pages were turned. The writing does not seem as though it belongs to a debut writer or maybe I...  

Ten Things I've Learnt about Love is almost magical

It was the title's unusual quality that drew me to it. I wanted to then read it and find out more. What was the book about? Why this title? I was guessing that it would be a love story for sure, however I did not for once think it was a love story of a father and his daughter. Of the relationship they share and what they don't and how...  

Essence of every emotion is well captured The Interestings

It is never easy to write about the world the way it is. To talk of love and friendships and everything that takes place in between is never something that can be done without wrenching the way you feel about them. I have always admired writers who can manage this and continue to do so, because it takes a lot out of the writer to dig in and generate stories...  

One should not miss reading Crossing to Safety

I had heard a lot about "Crossing to Safety" from a lot of people online. It is one of the American Classics that demand a read and once you have read it, you will be ever thankful. Or so I had heard from everyone who had read the book and could not stop talking about it. I had to read it. I tried reading it initially and then gave it...  

Baker's Daughter reflects quiet power of narration

A lot of books have been written about the Second World War by now. More so from the perspective of the Holocaust and nothing else. At times, you also think that you have read it all. After all, how different can one story be from the other? I have always thought that or rather used to. To read enough all the time about a particular incident does not make you...  

By Blood, a literary fiction read like no other

There are books that you have been wanting to read since a very long time but never got around to. They are just laying there on your shelf, waiting silently and more so patiently, so you can get to them. "By Blood" by Ellen Ullman was one of those books for me that just lay there for the longest time. I did not pick it up and even if I...  

The Childhood of Jesus is allegorical in nature

JM Coetzee's books are not easy to read. His writing is not easy to comprehend either at times. It takes a while for the reader to figure where he is going with the plot, but once the reader gets the hang of it, it is a cakewalk from thereon. Every time I pick up a Coetzee, I am a little apprehensive of how is it going to turn out. I...  

Life After Life, a read that you must gift yourself

I had never read anything by Kate Atkinson before this one. I had heard a lot about her, but of course and was quite intrigued by the titles of her earlier books. At the same time, every time I would try reading an excerpt from any of her books online, I could not connect with them. I guess maybe the timing wasn't right. Maybe there are times when some books...  

Bitter Almonds is written with great tenderness

It is so important to be educated. Is it not? So much so that we - the ones who are educated almost take it for granted. A privilege of sorts. We can never imagine not being literate. To us, that is the core of everything, which as I said often gets overlooked for whatever reason. I tried teaching someone once a long time ago, taught him to read a little...  

A Visit from the Goon Squad is a fascinating book

When you finish reading a book of a stature such as "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan, you sit down, breathe and keep breathing, till the breath paces itself out and you aren't gasping anymore. The effect of books has to be this way. It has to have the maddening reaction in a reader - the gasping, the constant thinking about the characters and more so how...  

Reading Mohsin Hamid; Slumdog Millionaire meets The White Tiger?

Mohsin Hamid is a gifted writer and a wonderful story-teller, so it is totally to his credit that his latest novel "How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia" is gripping. In fact, it left me wanting to finish the book, and I did so in one sitting or two. And that's despite the fact that it's not his best work, by far. Hamid is undoubtedly one of the leading...  

How to Get Filthy Rich... is highly entertaining, thought provoking

Mohsin Hamid's books are biting and raw in their nature of storytelling. Nothing is rosy and that his readers are aware of. Nothing is sugar-coated. He tells it the way it is and maybe that is why his readers like reading what he has to write. Hamid writes about the society, the way he sees it. Whether it is a story of a young man in love in his first...  

Falling to Earth works because of its brilliant characters

Kate Southwood does not give it to the readers all on a platter, she takes her time, building scenarios for the reader. ...  

Vampires in the Lemon Grove is haunting and refreshing

The mix of stories could not have been better in this collection. ...  

'The Dinner' is a wonderfully translated book

'The Dinner' is a book written in Dutch and translated wonderfully by Sam Garrett. ...  

The Cripple and his Talismans is a unique book

As the title suggests the book is about a cripple. A man in search of his lost arm. ...