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.