Abu Shahid
Legends goes that when Picasso saw the cave paintings at Lascaux he is reported to have said “We have invented nothing”. I can only share the sentiment.
Now hey, I do have my qualms with the book, but those uneasy inquiries itself are a testimony that the book stood the test of time.
As someone who loves trains and coffee and other things; I give this book 5 stars. Informative and sensational. All praise for Mr Sparrow for being such a terrific loco pilot.
One of the best story-tellers i have ever come across. The 8 words of the closing sentence made me relive the book. Ouch!!
Never knew closure could be portrayed as simply and painfully.
Story of 2 men driven by ideals, crossing each others path multiple times over the span of 60+ years, if only ......
Failed bechdel test but damn, recalibrated the reading experience in itself for me.
Nothing against the author but if one thing is for sure, i just do not like self help books. The positivity it tries to spread is just toxic. May be, just maybe humans were not made for capitalistic means of production and maximizing shareholders value.
No yes this does not mean that one should get their brains cooked to mashed potatoes by being on the internet 24/7 but damn, the oversimplification of obsessions and the ‘do-this-to-get-that' blanket statements make me
Just finished reading “WW2” by John Keegan. A dear friend of mine recommended this book and at one point I realised why (hint: its laborious to read at first)
Now, i am not usually into these types of books.
I am I glad I did.
The part about the Siege of Berlin was particularly intense and vivid.
It reminded me of the times when I used to play “Call of Duty: World at War,” reliving those heart-pounding moments.
I could still remember the quotes that used to flash once you used to die.
....'only dead have seen the end of war'...
From diffusing V2 rockets to experiencing the Normandy landing, it was like stepping back into those virtual battles. Once those flashbacks came, the read became so much more immersive. I felt like I was there. It made me appretiate the writing style of Keegan I could not have done before.
What amazed me even more were the lesser-known aspects of the war that Keegan brought to light. The relentless Kamikaze attacks and the Okinawa offensive.
Additionally, the book explored the scientific advancements that emerged from the war. Did you know the Germans were on the verge of developing advanced aircraft like the A10s? And get this, it took only three weeks from the first nuclear weapon test to its actual detonation. Talk about speed and excitement!
Sure, there were moments where the book slowed down a bit, and I found myself eager to move forward. But completing “WW2” left me with a sense of fulfillment and a newfound appreciation for history. It even sparked the desire to revisit the virtual battlefields of “Call of Duty: World at War” once again.
Horrible. Where should I start.
Vague descriptions of the setting. Clay houses, dense mango groves, green blue river. It is as if an unsocial person leaves his 21st century abode and marvels at roads and malls and telecom tower.
But what angered me was the blatant misuse of Hindu(?) words which don't even make sense. Words like Samana, Atma, Om are just thrown around here and there without any sense or context. Infact even the people who indulge themselves in spiritual materialism would not appreciate it.
Hermann Hesse did 0 homework when he decided to write this book. At all his flaws and instances of cultural appropriation, this could at best been an essay or a short story.
What's more, even with desparate attempts, the book is painfully shallow and is not even about Buddhism or the founder of Buddhism- Siddhartha.
What is it like to not be in denial with your soul? To have a mirror to your consciousness that one cannot deny? No, it is not the art that has the power to influence man. It is the power of the man, (an active act in doing so,) to be influenced by art.
Ironical, because it is art and not the man to possess the soul; in its true meaning. For is not having a soul, same as having the omnipotent divine in you?in being truthful to oneself?
In Widle's own words indeed, the separation of the body and the spirit is as enigmatic as it's unison. He contrasts the gift of emotion, which can lead us astray, with the beauty of science's emotionlessness, showing the tension between subjective experience and objective observation; the said subjective experience having 0 ethical value.
PS: fails bechdel test.
One of the finest world buildings I have ever seen. Saw the slow and systematic building of the world's ecology, culture, religion, and politics.
Best bit? Herbert did not spoon feed. At moments I forgot I was reading a work of fiction, where elements of mysticism become placeholders; metaphors for something bigger.
One of those kinds of books I would like my children to read. Definitely will be coming back to the world of Dune.
Agree with a lot of things. Disagree with even a lot more. Perhaps the criticism was more profound than the text itself. Over all a great read, and not at all an easy read.
The book is peppered with references to Greek lore and Abrahamic metaphors, so heads up for that.
The book for me came full circle.
And I am still left unanswered if art will save me.
Wanna give 5 stars for the journey and the analysis; 1 for tangents it took and random rambling in the last few essays.
Still could not wrap my head around a few things; might reread once I am 40+.
I think I want to write here because I also do not want to forget about a mouse named Algernon and a boy who got smart
HOLY FUCk. I feel sick with a lump in my throat, sustained goosebumps at the back of my head and wet eyes. I picked it as cheap sci-fi. But damnn.
What happened to humanity does not matter. Like every story, it was a temporary one.
Man the book was so profound. And it's more philosophical than i ever would have thought.
Are we not a blip in existence. Ours may not be a coherent ending but it does not need to.
Fuck i am overwhelmed.
No; not an easy read. Not an easy read at all; to begin with. The book is pickled. Pickled with distractions, tangents, references from Islam and Independence of India. The author rambling ahead of time.
It felt like reading DMs of my friend except they chose to send me a book.
I just cannot appreciate the writing style enough. One of the most unique.
And I am still trying to digest that change in narration in the chapter Buddha.
All that coming together in last giving a perfect cathartic release; like eating that last bite of aloo-paratha generously spoilt with pickle and chutney.