Shreya Chandwadkar
What a beautiful book!
Blankets is a coming of age story of the author, told through most gorgeous art.
The book is about self-discovery, love and growing into an adult with all the memories and experiences of one's childhood.
Would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick light read !
Although a light and fluffy read, the book does contain some profound ideas, about religion, self care and kindness.
The thing I liked most about his work is how effortlessly two frames merge into one another, making you smile like an idiot. Not quite sure, whether at the story or the artwork.
Prettiest book I've ever read, hands down.
Weird, absurd, entertaining nonetheless.
Randall Munroe first grabbed my attention with his book What if. It had the similar humor as this one, where he explores some very extreme answers to very valid questions.
At times the answers do get ridiculous and make you chuckle.
Reading this book made me think of the similarities between it and Andrew Stanek's How to Kill Hitler: A Guide For Time Travelers. Another instant classic, a well researched one too.
Those three stars are just for the last chapter.
For all the chapters leading up to it a solid 5.
It's unlike Jeffrey Archer to force you to “think” about the end to a story.
How Murakami of him.
But I respect the author's audacity to try something different.
Otherwise, the novel's like any other from the author, keeps us on the edge of our seats till the last sentence. Makes us read over hundred pages in one sitting.
All that was missing was a twist so good, your jaw drops, you close the book, smile to yourself of the man's genius, open the book again and continue reading. Maybe shed a tear or two.
Feel like I would appreciate this book more when I do eventually read it again, to pick up all the signs the author left about the abrupt ending.
But one thing's for sure, wouldn't recommend this as the first book to read by the author.
That privilege lies with Kane and Abel.
“If our long term survival is at stake, we have a basic responsibility to our species to venture to other worlds. Sailors on a becalmed sea, we sense the stirring of a breeze.”
First published in 1994, this book contains profound ideas and vision so far ahead of its time.
To be able to read/listen to Carl Sagan's work is a privilege.
Particularly loved the chapter : Is there intelligent life on earth where he describes the signs of life which an alien race could observe by being in earth's orbit. Caught myself smiling deliriously at some of the simplest mentions of the ordinary. But it soon takes an ominous turn.
An excerpt:
“From your orbital perspective, you can see that something has unmistakably gone wrong. The dominant organisms, whoever they are???who have gone to so much trouble to rework the surface???are simultaneously destroying their ozone layer and their forests, eroding their topsoil, and performing massive, uncontrolled experiments on their planet???s climate. Haven???t they noticed what???s happening? Are they oblivious to their fate? Are they unable to work together on behalf of the environment that sustains them all?Perhaps, you think, it???s time to reassess the conjecture that there???s intelligent life on Earth.”
Again, this most definitely should be a required reading in high school.
???Our society, including the non-religious sector, has accepted the preposterous idea that it is normal and right to indoctrinate tiny children in the religion of their parents, and to slap religious labels on them - ‘Catholic child', ‘Protestant child', ‘Jewish child', ‘Muslim child', etc. - although no other comparable labels: no conservative children, no liberal children, no Republican children, no Democrat children. Please, please raise your consciousness about this, and raise the roof whenever you hear it happening. A child is not a Christian child, not a Muslim child, but a child of Christian parents or a child of Muslim parents. This later nomenclature, by the way, would be an excellent pieces of consciousness-raising for the children themselves. A Child who it told she is a ‘child of Muslim parents' will immediately realize that religion is something for her to choose - or reject - when she becomes old enough to do so.???
This quote struck me to the soul.
Religious indoctrination is one of the worst things we could do to a child - inhibiting their inquisitive nature and asking them to abide by some specific “rules” written down years ago and in turn reject / ridicule every other such rules.
A very chilling hint of this is shown in Aldous Huxley's dystopia A Brave New World.
Although my mom and grandmother are both religious, they never forced their faith on me. As a family we often have debates from time to time, questioning everything and it helped in broadening my mindset.
I never understood the argument that atheists cannot appreciate life because they don't understand that God created them and everything for them because God loves them.
But rather its the EXACT opposite.
Atheists appreciate life even more because they know the sheer improbability of it.
The fact that you are alive now and not a billion years from now or a thousand years before.
The fact that among the millions of galaxys, you were a result of a genetic accident that resulted in your birth. Isn't the complexity of this very fact enough to be thankful JUST to be able to witness this complex spec we call earth - for even a second, let alone years.
Its too ambitious for this book to be included in school curriculum, isn't it?
A compact book, explaining the universe.
Listened to the audio book. Neil deGrasse Tyson's soothing voice telling you about supernovas, black holes and everything in between.
The only downside was that it was just 3.5 hours long.
Not complaining because it took a week to finish, you have to drop everything you're doing and really listen to grasp the information.
Especially loved the last chapter where he reflects on how lucky we are to be alive. Just how incredibly lucky to be able to witness technological advancements and to be present on a planet that soon won't be as habitable.
I am certain the stage production of this is heaps better.
As this was a script and not a novel, the plot was good but without J.K Rowling's extensive character descriptions, the story just lacks magic.
Feels more of a children's amateur tale rather than an epilogue.
(Or dare I say 8th part as its advertised)
Dialogues seemed forced. Constantly reminding the reader of past events.
But who doesn't like a bit of nostalgia eh?
Looks lovingly at Tales of Beedle the Bard
A book coma after so long.
Cannot seem to get the characters out of my head.
For the longest time I had avoided reading this one.
Why?
Because knowing Hosseini's writing, I knew its going to stay with me for the rest of my life, as the Kite Runner had.
His characters are beautifully innocent and yet all knowing. He draws you in with the smooth flow of his words and then the next moment, you can hardly believe what you have just read. Clutching the book as you silently weep for a fictional character.
His words have power to move even the toughest of hearts.
Forever a fan.
PS.
Is it even a Khalid Hosseini book if it doesn't make you cry?
