Neeraj Chavan

I remember Stephen King referring to this book as his breakthrough book which established him as a writer in his memoir;On Writing. That's when I decided I need to give it a read. It's a masterpiece!

A hotshot writer gets trapped in a psychotic woman's bedroom, who claims to be his "number one fan in the world". What follows on is a story of Annie Wilkis making the writer write for her and his failed attempts to escape the wrath of this woman's descent into psychotic madness. Initially when I read the premise, I had my doubts over the limited setting of the story. But King has managed to build out this book beautifully. It's action packed, thrilling and an absolute page turner!

Another one of King's novel which I have to give 5 out of 5.

Picked up the audiobook as I wanted to read Didion's works for a while now. It's a good memoir of her difficult time when she lost her husband and her daughter was in an induced coma. I respect her telling the story but I guess I kind of expected more depth. It felt very repetitive at times and the medical jargon and terminologies could have been less.

Towards the end chapters, the book managed to get better and focus more on her feelings and emotions during this period of grief but it was too late till then to strike a chord with the reader in me.
Maybe I'll pick up some of her other works.

“It is not necessary to accept everything as true, one must only accept it as necessary.' ‘A melancholy conclusion,' said K. ‘It turns lying into a universal principle.'“

This pretty much sums up this vaguely unconventional novel. Kafka delivers the harsh truths of bureaucracy, existential individualism and mindless formalities of the society in a subtle way, through this weird fable surrounding the life of Josef K. It's not an easy read and sometimes you wonder about what exactly is the narrator trying to convey as ideas seem to contradict like a paradox. It questions the very principles on which our society is based. In my opinion, there's one thing I surely learned from this book, that there's no escaping the authority. Whether you rebel against it or make peace with it, that is totally up to you. Kafka is eccentric, vague, surreal and intellectually fascinating, all at the same time! You should read it with an open mind!

“Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had such a damned good time together.”“Yes”, I said. “Isn't it pretty to think so?”

A classic tale of unrequited love beautifully set amidst the backdrop of Spain and Paris! Hemingway's way of narration and his elegant style while describing the imagery is unparalleled in the literary sphere. It's literally your ticket to Spain and Paris, right from the comfort of your couch. The whole book revolves around a bunch of folks who've just came out of war and are trying to forget all the misery. There's extravagant wine and liquor flowing throughout the entire book and at times you may find it a bit tedious to read. A fiesta indeed. The characters are well developed. I admire Hemingway's portrayal of Jake Barnes. The protagonist who's wallowing in the angst of his unrequited love for Brett. And yes, what can I say about the lady of this book; Brett Ashley! She is the perfect definition of a ‘femme fatale' You're bound to fall in love with her.

The plot is brilliantly woven with the all the characters. But the pace of the book seems a bit slow, despite it being a short novel. That's the thing about Hemingway. He never compromises with quality just for the sake of wrapping it up. Ernest is always known for providing a rich reading experience to his readers!

The conclude it, it's a great book about a lost generation. It taught me that despite all the boisterous partying and champagne, if you're not in harmony with your inner self, you'll eventually suffer and always be in a pathetic state. And that no matter how terrible the affliction seems, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. There's always hope. For the sun also rises, even after the darkest of nights!

Fyodor takes you on a roller coaster ride with this one. The narrator is a weird character. He amuses you and irritates you at the same time! In the end, he hands you a mirror to your soul. You may either end up hating him or loving him, it all boils down to how you perceived it. As of me, he fascinated me! Maybe I'll read it once again someday, to grasp the esoteric philosophy of Fyodor.