Book - 34, The Hobbit

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (1937)

by

J R R Tolkein

Book Read: 17-21 October 2015

Note Written: 09 November 2015

The quest to complete the series of 'Lord of the Rings' and 'A Song of Ice and Fire' continues. The Hobbit comes across as more of an adventure fable for children as compared to the strength and mood set by The Silmarillion, which I read before this, from Tolkein's World of Imagination. The Hobbit or There and Back Again takes us through the little 'adventure' that Bilbo Baggins has out of Hobbiton once. Since I had seen the movies already, I knew what was happening. I feel that they unnecessarily stretched the tiny, lovely novel into a long-stretched and often boring trilogy, just because the series could be a cash cow. That was no fair treatment to the novel I felt. Tolkein's World in The Hobbit is light,  witty, exciting and engrossing in each page. How wealth blinds the eyes of men is shown through the nature of Thorin Oakenshield, even though he is gallant, and good in nature. One of my favourite parts of the book is the exchange between Bilbo and Gollum, also the conversation between Bilbo and the deadly Smaug. I had immense fun reading the novel. The song of the dwarves refuses togo from my mind these days. 

"Far over the misty mountains cold,
 To dungeons deep, and caverns old,
 We must away, 'here break of day,
 To find our long forgotten gold."

The illustrations and maps of the edition was lovely and a great help in understanding the setting. The only doubt I had in mind while reading was that why did Tolkein, someone who created many worlds for us and hundreds of names in the process, stick to the Gregorian calendar for months? Is there an explanation? I'll look it up. 

Movie 33 - Baahubali: The Beginning (3rd Time)

Baahubali: The Beginning (2015)

by

S S Rajamouli

Movie Seen: 12 September 2015
Place: IMAX Screen, Prasads, Hyderabad
Note Written: 04 October 2015

A third time for Baahubali; this time with Rohith, Divya, and Minu. Got 2nd from last row seats and enjoyed the spectacle once again in it's full glory. This time around, what I noticed more than anything was the background score of the movie. It's a thing right? Each time we watch a movie, we notice something new about it. Depends on the director's as well. Lijo Jose Pellissery and Alphonse Putharen can give a lot of things new each time you watch the movie. S S Rajamouli belongs to this category in a grander scale - a person with true love and passion for cinema. So, the background score. M M Keeravani has done a spectacular job with the BGM of Baahubali and it was really a treat to watch it with the amazing sound system at the IMAX screen. Ramya Krishnan once again blew my mind with her terrific screen presence. That's all I guess. All the things I had to say about the movie I have said twice already. You can find them here and here. 

Book - 33, The Festival of Insignificance

The Festival of Insignificance (2015)

 by

Milan Kundera

Book Read: 16 October 2015

Note Written: 02 November 2015

The Festival of Insignificance is my first experience of famed author Milan Kundera. The book was tiny yet great, I felt. I loved it. I read it again, some days after I read it first. While many people and online reviews say that it isn't that great or come close to his earlier works, I maintain that the book is good. When I write this online note today (08 Dec 2015 - I normally write something in my journal and later put that date when I transfer it online) I have read 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' as well, and guess what I like both. 

I am glad that The Festival of Insignificance is the first book I read of the author since I could approach it objectively, without any expectations or prior notions. The language is simple, yet packed with stuff that makes you think- the wonder at the enigma of the navel, for instance. The story of the Twenty Four Patridges which comes within the book as told by one of the characters, and their reading and analysis of Stalin and his 'trusted' officials presents the era and minds of people whom we consider 'dictators' in a different light. There is no justification to their heinous acts, just that the story reminds us there is a lighter side to people whom we consider evil. 

Being insignificant has its value, sometimes you fail to recognize it, but it is there and it sure has its impact on the world. This tiny book holds many characters with varying layers of thoughts and deeds and brings out the many moments of realization of the 'personal' and how each person is unique. Once again, I loved the book, looking forward to more Kundera. 

Movie - 32, Exodus: Gods and Kings

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

by

Ridley Scott

Movie Seen: 06 September 2015

Note Written: 01 October 2015

'Exodus: Gods and Kings' is a film which follows the biblical story of Moses, his life in Egypt, and the exodus of him and his people in search of the promised land. The film works as a visual spectacle but isn't that impressive, lacks a soul I felt. A recent biblical epic which came, Daren Aronofsky's 'Noah', is a film that had emotional depth as well as being visually stunning. All the characters in the movie gave great performances, and the epic visuals were a treat but I felt something was missing, most of the time. 

What guides the movie forward is conflict and contention - between Moses and Ramses, between Moses and God. Moses has to make choices for his people while going against his 'brother', Moses has to watch the acts/wrath of God - it's not an easy task. Even when I was little, I had felt that God's punishments to the Egyptian people were too harsh. I don't get it when people say that God of the Old Testament was harsh and New Testament gentle. God at least, of all entities, should have some consistency. 
Overall, the movie is just watch and forget.

PS: There's Aaron Paul and Ben Kingsley in it. 

Book - 32, Without Feathers

Without Feathers (1975)

by

Woody Allen

Book Read: 15 October 2015

Note Written: 23 October 2015

'Without Feathers' was recommended and lent by Thara Mohan- cheers and thanks! She had warned me of the apparent danger of 'public laughter' and related embarrassment- so it happened as well, to be frank. My symptoms were broad smiles and wide grins and I somehow managed to laugh silently with a my cheeks almost exploding due to all the suppressed laughter, during my reading sessions in the MMTS train and RTC bus. 

Without Feathers is a collection of various essays, notes, and two plays by Woody Allen. I especially enjoyed the two plays - God and Death. The whole book was weird and funny, going haywire, and making you laugh all the while. Do read, everyone.

Woody Allen's method of classic, thought-provoking humour, which is seen in his movies and writings alike, makes for an absolute pleasure reading and viewing experience. He has a great understanding of arts, literature, politics, world affairs, and many other subjects and his humour comes from the combination of all these. I shall try and read his other works as I come across them in due time. Again, do read if you get Without Feathers!

Movie - 31, Kunjiramayanam

Kunjiramayanam (2015)

by

Basil Joseph

Movie Seen: 31 August 2015

Place: Rose Theater, Mukkam

Note Written: 25 September 2015

After watching morning show 'Double Barrel', I went for matinee show of 'Kunjiramayanam'. Jobin (my cousin) was supposed to come with me but he didn't turn up. The movie was a pure entertainer. The audience at the screen where I watched gave a really good response to the movie. There was laughter all through the movie. Before the movie began they showed the trailer of 'Ennu Ninte Moideen' and the response was crazy, as it was the story of Mukkam itself. 

The title sequence of Kunjiramayanam deserves a special mention. With its visuals of village folk in their various daily activities and smiling faces, the sequence is lovely and evokes a smile in our and freshness in our mind. Also deserving a mention is the 'Salsa' song, a recent favourite of mine in terms of its parody style lyrics, tune and its hilarious visuals. 

From start to finish, the approach of a Kerala youngster with good humour sense is evident. The experience was like reading a children's comic and having lot of fun with caricature-like characters. My favourite in the movie was Dhyan Sreenivasan, whose portrayal of Lalu, a shy, stupid boy who looks adores his good-for-nothing mentor and never achieves anything. Dhyan was such a darling as Lalu! The suspense created and maintained for the guest appearances were really worth the wait. 'Kunjiramayanam' is definitely my kind of a silly, fun movie. Had a great time. 

Book - 31, A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones (1996)

by

George R R Martin

Book Read: 05-14 October 2015

Note Written: 17 October 2015

Getting the whole set of 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series (5 books) for just Rs. 740 is perhaps one of the best deals I ever got. Thank you Flipkart, Ann (who lent me the money then), and Paulami (who received the order) for that. The sheer thickness of the books astounded me and I was wondering when and where will I find the time to read them all. Now that I have read the first book of the series, A Game of Thrones, I have discovered that it's no big deal, the language is as simple as it can get and the story is told straightforward - you don't need to work your brains a lot. You can just race through the books. 

When I was reading the book I became in awe of the TV series more and more - it's such a brilliant adaptation! The story is not much different from the book, at least the first one is not, just a bit more detailed, that's all. When you read through, you understand the scale and finesse at which the series was made - each character, each scene will appear in front of you - it's very easy to guide your imagination. They made Tyrion such a womanizer in the TV adaptation with added scenes in brothels and all and I wondered why, but then I realized that they were just playing showbiz - more skin, more controversy, more viewers, more money.

The narration, each chapter focusing a single character in his or her point of view is interesting, but the problem is that you wish while reading that some people you could just skip to reach other people. I wouldn't now know the fresh feeling of reading the book with its plenty of twists and turns since I am already familiar with the story. That's kind of sad I think. This is the problem when you come across adaptations and remakes - you constantly compare and lose the elements of freshness and surprise.

PS: I think R+L=J is true. Unless George R R Martin decides to deceive us or not tell us at all. 

Movie - 30, Double Barrel

Double Barrel (2015)

by

Lijo Jose Pellissery

Movie Seen: 31 August 2015

Place: PeeCee Theater, Mukkam

Note Written: 21 September 2015

The thirst to see Lijo Jose Pellissery's latest, even when no one was willing to come with me due to the negative reviews and reports of the first two days, took me to PeeCee mukkam. Jobin (my cousin) had promised to come for 'Kunjiramayanam' in the afternoon, so I though I could already be there at mukkam after watching Double Barrel. The movie is definitely not for the normal Indian audience, it is something totally unseen in our commercial films as yet, that's the reason for the hesitant acceptance of it, according to me. 

Double Barrel is LJP all the way - he is a craftsman who knows what he's doing, who's passion towards cinema is unflinching, who sees nothing else but the joy and thrill of making quality cinema. My favourites of the various characters in the movie were 'Silent and the Kid' - a great duo, and also Blacky, the gangster. There were a lot of experiments in craft and script of the movie which made it a fun, cinematic experience to me. Double Barrel is LJP's yet another step to the future of Indian cinema. Most people won't understand or accept it now, but will laud this movie later - the same way 'City of God' is being accepted now as one of Malayalam cinema's best.

Double Barrel is a clash of genres- enjoyable, weird, full of classy frames, plenty of fun shootouts. I should watch it again and again! I feel sad that I couldn't watch it a second time in big screen, since it was taken off from screens in Hyderabad the next week itself. 

PS: The DVD has released now - yay torrent!

Book - 30, Silent House

Silent House (1983)

by

Orhan Pamuk

Book Read: 28 September - 04 October, 2015

Note Written: 04 October 2015

Normally what I do is read a book, wait for a couple of days, reflect on the book, and write my thoughts. This time, it's not that. I just finished reading Silent House. Pamuk weaves his magic of stories into my life yet again (not that I have read many of his works, just two, including this). Silent House claims nothing profound in its plot or but remains profound as it unravels the lives of the characters who narrate their own life and experiences. Every person is different in life and life is equally different for everyone. Our choices maketh what we are and we are all closely linked to each other, every human being, in thoughts and deeds- what affects you can affect me as well, some way or the other. All characters in the novel, Grandma (Fatma), Recep, Faruk, Hasan, Nilgun, Metin - all of them have lives knit close to each other and all of them bears crosses of their own. The book shows a clash of ideologies, religion, personal conflicts, love, lust, meaninglessness of life events, lack of empathy and understanding, fraud, and much more to us. Somehow, Recep the dwarf had always had the form of Peter Dinklage in my imagination while reading Silent House. Sometimes you place people/actors you know will fit the role, in your mind, for when events and characters are visualized as you read. 

I don't know what else to say... Life is a journey straight ahead, there is no turning back from it, there is only memories left. We can relive them, we can brood over them. We can amend our sins of the past through regret and repentance. We can build a new life through our memories. 

Movie - 29, Nosferatu

Nosferatu (1922)

by 

F W Murnau

Movie Seen: 24 August 2015

Note Written: 19 September 2015

Nosferatu is one of the earliest film adaptations of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. It is a silent film with inter-titles. I watched the movie on Youtube, from my office, in one of those jobless, bored days. The reason I decided upon this film was that the film constantly featured in various online lists as one of the most notable horror films of all time. In over hundred years of films, we are all now used to various kinds of scary movies- we might find most of the of horror movies as stupid or funny. Nosferatu still managed to give me goosebumps at times. 

The passion of the director in making a great horror movie with the resources and technology available at the time is a evident and found great result through Nosferatu. Various visual effects used, achieved by actual cutting and pasting of film, to show the might of Count Orlock (Dracula) were stunning! The image of the Nosferatu with his long limbs, long nails, weird head and walking style will strike you as you watch the movie and haunt you later. As someone reviews the movie 'the movie is in awe with its literature'. Even though it was an unauthorized film version of the story of Dracula and was subjected to burning because of its copyright infringement, the movie is indeed legendary. Now the film has a cult status. Sometimes, taking 'inspiration' can produce surprising results. 

Book - 29, Summer Crossing

Summer Crossing (2005)

by

Truman Capote

Book Read: 27 September 2015

Note Written: 15 October 2015

I was pretty excited about reading 'Summer Crossing' since only recently had I watched 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' - a delightful movie based on Truman Capote's novella. But the excitement didn't linger after I was through some chapters of the novel. It has been two weeks or so now since I read it, and I have already forgotten about what happens in the story. I had to check Wikipedia to refresh my memory.Now I remember what happens; but there is all chance of me forgetting it soon enough. The novel failed to captivate or interest me while reading. The book is just about 150 pages and I slept off in between due to boredom and I had to wake up and complete it later. It is said (in the wiki entry) that Capote himself wasn't that interested in the story and trashed it. A manuscript was found 50 years later and it got published in 2005. It was Capote's first attempt on a novel and I think that's why it felt very amateurish and dis-interesting to me I guess. I'm not going to trash it. It'll be in my slowly growing collection of books.Will read his other stories and share my opinions on the go. Thank You. 

Movie - 28, Kick 2

Kick 2 (2015)

by

Surender Reddy

Movie Seen: 23 August 2015

Place: Sridevi Theater, Chilkalguda

Note Written: 16 September 2015

I had two choices that day - either go for 'Bajrangi Bhaijan' or 'Kick 2', and I chose because it was the latest release compared to the other and I thought it would be more fun, especially since the first film was great. How I regret that choice now! Such a wrong choice it turned out to be. I have no idea how I endured all that bullshit - I am particularly sad since I missed Bajrangi Bhaijan and missed Biriyani from EFLU mess (Chithra had called in between, I should have gone for Biriyani then and there) that day because of this hell (literal) of a movie. Surender Reddy, the director had said that the Hindi version of Kick lacks the 'Kick' (fun) element of the original Telugu version. Then, I don't know what to say of this abomination called Kick 2. If what he says is true, then Kick 2 is the lowest the movie franchise could go. There is no kick to it at all; the movie is not even the original character's story, it's his son's, who prefers 'comfort' rather than kick. 'Kick' had given me a kick watching, but this 'comfort' guy really made me uncomfortable. Ravi Teja gave a decent performance and so did the people who constituted the Bihar village that was shown(Rajpal Yadav was there), but all of was in vain, as the director chose to make some crap story anyway. Ravi Kishan played one of the most irritating villain's ever - he disturbed the hell out of me by his 'Son of God' crap! There was no commitment to the story or its direction - they just made a franchise for the sake of it and packed a lot of bullshit - as it is normally done for most sequels now. Grow up people! Stop taking audience for granted. Make something good or don't make unnecessary sequels - do not destroy the good name you had with crap like Kick 2 or Kilukkam Kilukilukkam. 

Book - 28, The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion (1977)

by

J R R Tolkein

Book Read: 10 - 25 September 2015

Note Written: 30 September 2015

The Silmarillion - the creation myth and the tales of the ages before the happenings of the stories of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Silmarillion opened up a great, mighty world in front of me - it was a similar experience to reading the old testaments of the Bible - there were creation elements, genealogies, mythical stories of valour, divine interference, stretches of darkness and many more. Silmarillion is a great start to the series, even though it was published after them. Tolkein's style of writing in the Silmarillion is completely different from the lighter mood created in the Hobbit, now that I have read that as well. Silmarillion is heavy, descriptive, and takes the subject matter with all elements which suits an epic. A special mention of honour should go to Christopher Tolkein, who so painstakingly put together his father's work and published it, with necessary additions.

After reading the Silmarillion, I have plans to learn Elvish now, among other languages - I'll find a way and time for it, I hope. Speaking of which, how did Tolkein manage to make up hundreds of names? It took me a while to remember some of them, especially since the same person could have multiple names and titles. Morgoth is one of the best and most evil characters ever - but I liked his previous name 'Melkor' better. There are numerous stories of different kinds of great adventures, battles, wars, love stories in the book, of which my favourite is the chapter and the story 'Of Beren and Luthien'. That was one splendid story! I really hope somebody makes a movie out of it. Will start reading the other books of the series according to my reading plan along with the 'Song of Ice and Fire' series of George R R Martin. Already doing it. There are thousands of pages to go and a quite a few deadlines to keep! Wish me luck. 

Movie - 27, Srimanthudu

Srimanthudu (2015)

by 

Koratala Ravi

Movie Seen: 16 August 2015

Place: Suresh Theatre, Sitaphalmandi

Note Written: 11 September 2015

It was the day Jithin came visiting and we both went for the evening show, after watching 'Julie and Julia'. 'Srimanthudu' was getting good reports and reviews from all over. The theatre was crowded- it was mostly family audience. The film, even though it has a lot of normal melodrama seen in Telugu commercial family flicks, was likable on the whole. At some scenes, I felt liked laughing seeing the billionaire kid Mahesh Babu sitting and worrying in his mansion about poor people in the village, but I let the feeling go, owing to the nature of the film and target audience. The character played by Mahesh Babu is built well, but I am not convinced by the sincerity of his actions. I could see why the movie was a big hit- it satisfies the everyday escapist dreams of the 'mass' Telugu audience.I shouldn't be judging them, I have no right to. Let us all sit, watch, and enjoy what we want. Peace. 

Book - 27, Beauty and Sadness

Beauty and Sadness (1964)

by

Yasunari Kawabata

Book Read: 02-09 September 2015

Note Written: 11 September 2015

'Beauty and Sadness' tells the story of Oki, a writer; Otoko, his past lover; keiko, Otoko's student and lover, and the many conflicts of the past and present that they face and endure. Kawabata's writing style is gentle, but slow-paced; I had much difficulty in concentration when I started reading the novel. The lives and experiences of the characters raise many questions on love, truth, fairness, belief, etc. 

Keiko is a very interesting character- I couldn't figure out at any point what her actual intentions and thoughts are or were. There are some characters in novels and stories, when you read them you become part of their thought process, but Keiko was totally inaccessible for me and disturbed me so. Another character in the book whom I liked and admired is the mother of Otoko (there is no name given to her) for her resilience, patience, and unwavering love for her daughter. 

Love is the main theme in Beauty and Sadness. Love is absurd - it can take people to many places, give many strange experiences, is challenging, can raise many questions, along with all these, changes your world forever. There is no turning back, it has become a part of life, you can't escape from the haunts that lost love becomes to you- there is beauty in love, there is also sadness, they are intertwined. 'Beauty and Sadness' took me to a brief spell of sadness, but there was some beauty to it as well.  

Movie -26, Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia (2009)

by

Nora Ephron

Movie Seen: 16 August 2015

Note Written: 25 August 2015

This is the second time I'm watching this film. 'Julie and Julia' is one of my favourite movies on food- wait, it is in the list of my all-time favourites since it's about food and also because of the splendid performance by Meryl Streep as Julia Child. The movie is perhaps the most prominent of movies based on a blog.Amy Adams and Meryl Streep are perfect in their renditions of Julie Powell and Julia Child, homemaker's and passionate cooks from two time period's and two places. I was glad I watched the movie after a decent lunch, otherwise I would have struggled a lot seeing all those amazing dishes on screen. The life in New York of the Powell couple and the life in Paris of the Child couple are portrayed with honesty by the director, Nora Ephron (that was such a shallow sentence, I know). Anyways, I like this movie a lot. Will watch it again. I have a plan to make Beef Bourignon sometime- Julia Child's Beef Bourignon. In these tumultuous times where intolerance against beef eaters increases in India, I am worried about my eating and culinary passion for beef. I hope this stage passes and everybody gets to eat what they want, without being disturbed. I would like to end this note now by thanking Nora Ephron for this wonderful movie. 

Book - 26, A Free Man

A Free Man (2012)

by

Aman Sethi

Book Read: 25-27 August 2015

Note Written: 09 September 2015

Mir lent me this book saying that since I am from a Journalism/Media background, I might find it interesting. It was, in so many ways. The narrative is told from the point of view of the author, a young journalist, Aman Sethi himself, looking for stories among the migrant labourers of Delhi, mainly at an area called Bara Tooti, a haven of people of all sorts looking for work in the vast metropolis. The main focus of the narrative is on a man called Ashraf and some of his 'friends'. He doesn't have proper friends, Ashraf says; he likes to see himself as someone out of all human bonds such as family, friendship etc. 

The lives of migrant labourers are something close to my heart- I think about what could their stories be, what could their future be- I used to form small stories in my mind when I saw labourers standing early in the morning in the streets of Kochi and Kerala in general, with the recent surge of migrant labourers from across India, in search of more money from daily labour. Kerala has become to these workers what the Middle East (the Gulf) has been and become to Keralites. The influx of this new breed of labourers, who are more alien to Keralites than the previous Tamil labourers, alien in terms of language, culture and ways, has unraveled a new cultural space in the state. The migration has opened up very many prejudices and attitudes which are built-in the conservative society of Kerala. 'A Free Man; helped me reflect on all of that and gave me interesting thoughts on the notions of 'freedom', 'independence', and 'working for the sake of work' through Ashraf. A great read it was. Thank you Mir. 

Movie - 25, Baahubali - The Beginning (2nd Time)

Baahubali - The Beginning (2015) 

by

S S Rajamouli

Movie Seen: 12 August 2015 (Sat)

Place: IMAX Screen, Prasads, Hyderabad

Note Written: 20 August 2015

So, a second time watching Baahubali at IMAX- this time, got seats in the back rows (2nd last). It was absolutely a pleasure watching it from high up there, especially since I had to watch it in the front row the previous time. This is important because there is a hell of a lot of difference in viewing from the front and back rows. The full glory of S S Rajamouli's vision of Baahubali could be enjoyed this time. We (Priscilla and I) missed the beginning part of the movie- the Ramya Krishna/Waterfall scene due to heavy traffic that day. I was kind of pissed off, as always when I miss the beginning minutes of a movie (I get angry even if i missed the titles). Once we sat comfortably and was settled, I forgot my frustration completely and got immersed in the visual spectacle. I noticed many things which I had missed in my previous viewing- that's how it is, the more you watch a movie, the more things you notice in detailing, especially if the movie is well-made. Recently, two movies which gave me this pleasure of repeated watching and noticing new things were 'Baahubali' and 'Premam'. Baahubali, the second time was a well worth Rs.250 for me!

Book - 25, Tales From A Vending Machine

Tales From A Vending Machine (2013)

by 

Anees Salim

Book Read: 22-25 August 2015

Note Written: 26 August 2015

After 'Vanity Bagh', this is the second book of Anees Salim that I have read. Tales From A Vending Machine is a simple story of a girl who manages a tea-vending machine in an airport and her various experiences and thoughts regarding the people in her life, events that she witness, from her perspective. There are many interesting moments in the story, especially regarding the family of Shahina, the protagonist.She has a twin sister as well who is not at all similar in character as her. We are led through Shahina's small adventures, memories, and struggle with life. The characterization of the people is in such a way that everybody is human- finding and paving their own rights and wrongs. With its simple language and decent plot-line, Tales From A Vending Machine makes for an interesting passing read. 

Movie - 24, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

by

Shawn Levy

Movie Seen: 09 August 2015

Note Written: 19 August 2015

'Secret of the Tomb' follows the pattern of the previous 'Night at the Museum' movies. A normal sequel to the successful franchise and it is nothing more. As with most movies like this, it lacks freshness and manages to give you only a few laughs, while you watch and remain bored for the rest of the time, as a tribute to the nostalgia and freshness of the first movie of the series. The performances by the principal cast remains the same, their energy the same, but it's the script that makes many scenes look lame. Towards the end, there were many absurdities and illogical elements which questions even the basic fantasy rationale of the movie. I mean, the exhibits are supposed to come alive only when the tablet is there, they how do the exhibits come back alive from London to New York, when the tablet remains in London? There is nothing much more to be said- 'Secret of the Tomb' is yet another addition to the countless sequel movies which you will learn to forget. 

Book - 24, Don Quixote

Don Quixote (1605, 1615)

by

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Book Read: 27 July - 21 August 2015

Note Written: 25 August 2015

'Don Quixote' was one of those books which I always dreamt of reading the full version- and I finally got to it. The edition which I read (Penguin Classics) is 941 pages long, it took me three weeks to complete reading it (during commute and in office free-time), but what an adventure it turned out to be! 'Don Quixote' could easily be called the greatest work of literature in the world. I say this mainly because most literary epics say the story within an leave it at that- but Cervantes, through Don Quixote critiques himself and his own creation, the novel itself, through his characters. And to do this at that period of time (500 years ago)- incredible indeed. The novel (both parts) contain sonnets, poems, and long stories within the narrative, supplementing the adventure saga of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de La Mancha, Knight of the Sad Countenance, Knight of the Lions and Sancho Panza, his most trusted squire. The poems and the sonnets were a little difficult for my non-poetry-trained mind to comprehend, but I managed to read the whole thing through.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are one of my favourite literary and cinematic duos now. The chemistry between them is fun. They give us laughs, insights, sadness, bravery, courage and much more through their adventure. Sancho inspired me with his wisdom as shown in the second part of the book when he becomes the Governor of Bartaria for some time, and even after he had to reject the position. Since the novel is written in the 16th Century, the wireframe of the characterizations is according to the era he lived in, and some things could be objectionable to readers of a modern world- examples are his portrayal of women, non-Christians etc. I think this can be forgiven owing to the era he lived in and I frankly think he was a liberal of the times. 

The visual imagery in 'Don Quixote' is so strong that you travel according to the story in your mind and form your own world for the story and its events. While reading the novel I had a strong urge to make a movie out of it, when I have ample resources and experience for it. 

I understand that the first part of the novel was published in 1605 and when it became a success, another author attempted a second part of the novel and challenged Cervantes. He gave an apt reply to the challenger by coming up with a second half himself in 1615 which was not only superior to the other author's work, but even to his own first part of Don Quixote. Genius work it is. Nothing I have read yet has come close to the magnanimity and brilliance of Cervantes's Don Quixote de La Mancha. Right from when I started getting addicted to the brilliance of the novel, I felt an urge to translate Don Quixote completely into Malayalam, my mother tongue, even if it takes me years. Someone else has already translated the novel, but I think I should give it a try myself, as a tribute to the genius of Cervantes and his valiant creation, Don Quixote, the novel and the character. 

Movie - 23, Mad Max 2 : The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2 : The Road Warrior (1981)

by

George Miller

Movie Seen: 06 August 2015

Note Written: 18 August 2015

Of all the three 'Mad Max' movies with Mel Gibson as the lead, 'The Road Warrior' is the most famous and successful. After watching the film, I felt that fame and the title of 'one of the greatest action movies ever made' is well deserved. Miller has totally created a world of his own for the movie- the vast landscapes, deserts, and crazy-punk riders are all so grand and glorious- resembling its new counterpart 'Mad Max 4 :Fury Road'. Mad Max 4 had a huge support of modern CGI too, the second part creates an equal charm without it.

Execution-wise, Road Warrior is nothing short of legendary. The war for gasoline in the post apocalyptic world sees its peaks through the movie, unravelling to us a world of survival, ruthlessness, and horror.It's a hell of a ride. The boomerang kid and the crazy helicopter guy were very noteworthy characters. Road Warrior is a lot different from the original 'Mad Max'. It is a different world altogether. I can foresee a future something similar to what the movie shows, as mankind is fast destroying all available resources. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. 

Book - 23, A Dog's Heart

A Dog's Heart (1968)

by

Mikhail Bulgakov

Book Read: 25 July 2015

Note Written: 29 July 2015

The story is set in Soviet Union of 1920's, where a doctor/scientist transplants the pituitary and sexual glands of a man to a stray dog, in a bizarre experiment. 'A Dog's Heart' is a dark tale which gives us a lot to think and reflect upon. You really have to read it to feel it- it was disturbing to me, almost the same way Animal Farm disturbed me. Reading the 'Introduction' part after the novel gave me a lot of insights to it. It is a satire of the new Russian nation then- the Bolsheviks experimenting with the idea of communism in the nation to build a new kind of populace and seeing it backfire on themselves slowly. It is a sad fact that the novel wasn't allowed to be published in the nation it was born until about 60 years later. The story is told from various points of views, the best of which is the beginning and the end, where the narration is from the view of the Dog, Sharik. I felt sad reading those parts- it is true, street dogs are perhaps the most insulted beings, ever, may be after mosquitoes (but I doubt it). It would be these unwanted creatures who would have seen the true face of people amongst us- how they behave when they don't have to be socially acceptable. Looking forward to reading more of Bulgakov. 

Movie - 22, Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

by

Blake Edwards

Movie Seen: 05 august 2015

Note Written: 12 August 2015

'Breakfast at Tiffany's' was a random selection that day- what a lovely choice it turned out to be! Holly Golightly aka Lula Mae devoured my heart with her antics, adventure-spirit, slight madness, and boldness. I thought, this is how freely people should be able to mingle with other people- devoid of any insecurities, without being scared of a great many normal worries and societal norms. Audrey Hepburn was amazing in her most iconic role, but when you know that Truman Capote the author of the novella wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly, I feel that she could have brought another level of charm to the character. The movie is brimmed with happiness and energy. The cat deserves a special mention for its role in the movie. I am so glad that I picked this movie on that day. 

Oh, what a movie; what a lovely, lovely movie!

Book - 22, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (1991)

by

José Saramago

Book Read: 17-24 July, 2015

Note Written: 28 July 2015

'The Gospel According to Jesus Christ' tells the story of Jesus Christ as a human, not just as the Son of God/fairy-like image that we are used to, through religious texts. I would like to believe that the turn of events of his life could be more like this than the glorious accounts in the Bible Gospels. The book raised a lot of questions in my mind about God and answered almost all of them. God- if there is a power like that- I would like to believe that such a power exists- is not just a single entity. His will is not complete without the 'other side'. 'Good' is never reflected until and unless there is something called 'bad'. God and the Devil are like 'Yin' and 'Yang'- not complete without each other. 

The book gave me a lot of insights on many things, and shocked me at times- especially with the detailed account of the life of Joseph. In the Bible, Joseph is reduced to a character mentioned in just a few lines- he was noble, he helped his wife, he searched his son, that's about it. Mother Mary has been mentioned, thought of, and studied by many people and scholars, not Joseph, I feel. Saramago fills this void and does it great. Mother Mary and Mary Magdalene are characters primarily in conflict with each other but equally in love with Jesus- perhaps Mary Magdalene's is more of a selfless love. 

The narration using long sentences, paragraphs, and most minimal usage of punctuations made my reading a little weird, but interesting, especially since I am a stickler for punctuations. But I enjoyed each and every bit of the book- the flow was amazing and totally new to me. José Saramago is my new favourite author- looking forward to reading all of his works. 

Movie - 21, Mankatha

Mankatha (2011)

by 

Venkat Prabhu

Movie Seen: 04 August 2015

Note Written: 10 August 2015

This was my second time watching 'Mankatha'. The first time I watched, I was half asleep through the second half (not because I was bored, but was really sleepy). The movie is an out-and-out Ajith show- stylish, classy, funny, cruel, mean, villanish, the movie is tailor made for him, literally. The course of the movie with many bizzare sequences made Priscilla comment that "this is a very weird movie". There were some over-the-top scenes, especially with 'Action King' Arjun, but these were passable, provided the mood and style of the movie. The climax looks very impactful, but wasn't so much for me- maybe because of the actor who played the other police officer- bad, bad acting. In the movie, one particular scene which I really liked was where Ajith pushes Trisha's (the heroine) dad from a running car on to the road while she's watching, thereby easily ending their 'love' and relationship- it was cold, but a great scene, showing both the heartlessness and cruelty of the protagonist. Mankatha, even with its minor flaws, has a cult status. The movie wasn't as good as Venkat Prabhu's 'Chennai 28' or Saroja, but as 'Thala' Ajith's 50th outing, it's just perfect!

Book - 21, The Search Warrant

The Search Warrant : Dora Bruder (1997)

by

Patrick Modiano

Book Read: 16 July 2015

Note Written: 27 July 2015

'The Search Warrant' is a semi-autobiographical account of the author going in search of the details of 'Dora Bruder', a girl from Paris who lived during the time of the Second World War and Jewish Persecution. The author embarks on this journey by coming across a 'missing' notice he found in an old newspaper. The narration is through combining his own account of the search, notes, official records, letters etc. The author also remembers his own journeys through the ways and locations which Dora Bruder lived and existed. Sometimes, I think of things like that- how many people would have been and trod on the paths which I now walk on- they would all have their own stories, their own secrets, their own histories and such that. Through the various anecdotes, accounts, and official records we get to know the many horrors of the era- thousands, persecuted, gone missing, executed without any particular reason or cause- the horrors of the war are terrible indeed. There should be similar stories in all places of contention, throughout the world, where war has happened or is happening- millions of stories, with very few being told.

Movie - 20, Oru Vadakkan Selfie (A Northern Selfie)

Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015)

by

G Prajith

Movie Seen: 01 August 2015

Note Written: 08 August 2015

This was the third time I was watching 'Oru Vadakkan Selfie'- seen it twice from the theatre, once from Hyderabad (PVR, Forum Mall) and once from Kerala (Rose, Mukkam). The movie is a great entertainer, at least towards the end part.It has a lot of genuine humour moments in it- humour which I can relate to in my life, a lot. There where many situations where I saw my own life in Nivin Pauly's character, when he's in front of his family as a jobless youth, lazy in studies, with not much of a sense of responsibility. Even though it was my third time watching it, I laughed throughout the movie- and that's the success of it. Though I appreciate the casting of Manjima as heroine, her acting could have been better- let's watch out for her upcoming movies and decide further whether she's good. I especially liked the fact that the film didn't end in a conventional way, with the leads falling in love in the end and happily ever after and all that. The film doesn't even set the heroine as the hero's lover or show what they all do after all the adventure they had. On the whole, 'Oru Vadakkan Selfie' is pure fun!

PS: Nivin Pauly is getting better and better with his youthful antics in each film. The movie was a good precursor to 'Premam'. Eagerly waiting for 'Action Hero Biju'.

Book - 20, Fathers in Law

Fathers in Law (1965)

by

Henry Cecil

Book Read: 14,15 July 2015

Note Written: 25 July 2015

I got this book and read because of an e-mail which I reread after 7 years- the mail was by Sukumaran Sir, my teacher at START. He had recommended to me some authors to read at the time, seeing my writing style in an article which got published in 'EFLU Uncut' magazine, during my first year of college- the article was a funny one about my friend Ajayan's leg, which got fractured during a campus football match. The authors he recommended were PG Wodehouse, Henry Cecil and Robert Branson. Even though Henry Cecil is supposed to be humour writer, 'Fathers in Law' wasn't that humourous. The story was packed with varied emotions, yes, but what prevailed over humour was sadness and anxiety about what is justice, given the circumstances. The author, being a judge himself, is speaking from things that he has observed in his career, and he has done it quite well. The claim on the child (Hugh) was equal for both the parents, and the book has a great, all-pleasing end. While you read the novel, the case troubles your mind too, as to what fair treatment is, when you have gone through so much of unfairness already. Will I buy another book of Henry Cecil, maybe, maybe not. But, I wouldn't say no to his works if I come across something though. 

Movie - 19, Minions

Minions (2015)

by

Pierre Coffin & Kyle Balda

Movie Seen: 29 July 2015

Place: INOX Multiplex, Kacheguda

Note Written: 05 August 2015

A movie just with the 'minions'- it has been a long time wish for me to see something like that. They are the best things about the movie franchise 'Despicable Me'. 'Minions' the movie wasn't that great though. I felt it's like they had to make a movie about the adorable minions, they knew they had the market and the movie would sell for sure, and they came up with some storyline and certain funny moments, without much effort. They could have done better, story-wise. While there were some really funny moments in the movie, there were boring ones too. And the trailers had already given out most of what's in the first half of the movie. I had to force myself to laugh in some bits there. May be I am not being fair. I shouldn't have watched the trailers for umpteen times. For a first time watcher, it could really be fun. The movie would be a great choice for kids I feel- they would love it. The King Bob part was really hilarious and imaginative. Overall, the movie was okay, the 3D effects were good, and I had some good fun. 

Book - 19, H is for Hawk

H is for Hawk (2014)

by

Helen Macdonald

Book Read: 3-13 July 2015

Note Written: 24 July 2015

'H is for Hawk' is a memoir by Helen Macdonald of her training a Goshawk, while dealing with the grief of the death of her father. I started reading it thinking of it as a novel and later found out that it was non-fiction. I struggled with the book a lot in the initial days. I have a basic disagreement with the author in keeping a hawk as a pet. In fact, I am not fond of keeping anything as pet at all. I know there are many things involved and reasons for keeping some animal or bird as a pet but taming something, conditioning some living beings' mind to our beck and call, suiting our needs mostly, while saying 'before it was wild, now tamed and trained' is not my cup of tea. 'Trained', a term, in this case, making something what it is not. Human beings are intellectually superior and have societal behaviour patterns but why should our ways of living be forced upon other creatures? I'll leave it there. This is a matter of many contentions and I don't wish to create an argument which would lead nowhere. You live in peace, I live in peace. Let me talk about the book. 

H is for Hawk also goes through, from time to time, the experience of author TH White in training a hawk, with much struggle and later failing to tame it. The hawk preferred freedom and never came back to him. Training and taming the hawk was a challenge for Helen too, but she was successful. The memoir was my hawk for a short while, I had my many disagreements, I struggled a lot. Later I decided to let it be and set the book free from my contentions and struggles, probably like TH White. The book was hard to get into, bit once I found the pulse of it, it became an excellent read- even though my own opinions came forth and challenged many things at times. I still maintain that an animal, bird, or any other being, conditioned to be a pet, is never, never, 'free'. 

Movie - 18, Ant-Man

Ant-Man (2015)

by

Peyton Reed

Movie Seen: 28 July 2015

Place: INOX Kacheguda

Note Written: 01 August 2015

'Ant-Man' is like most other Marvel Superhero movies- fun, thrilling, and more fun. In fact, humour-wise, Ant-Man does better than the other movies of the franchise. That is probably beacuse of Edgar Wright's (Director/Writer of Scott Pilgrim vs the World,Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz etc) involvement with the scripting of the movie. He opted out of the project in between, I understand. The movie had an expected storyline from superhero movies -ascend, fall, and rise again stuff- but the climax where Ant-Man defies the quantum world and comes back to reality as we see was a not-so-believable moment. If he remained in that world though, it could have been an 'interstellar' type scenario. We got seats in the 3rd row from the front, that too corner seats- not a great view of the screen from there, but not so bad either. There were a bunch of assholes sitting next to us, talking loud and causing disturbance during the movie. Those were the spoilers in the 'Ant-Man' experience for me. Waiting for the next Marvel movie to come out to spend my money on.