"Around India in 80 Trains" by Monisha Rajesh

"Around India in 80 Trains"

Monisha Rajesh

At first glance this book is funny and witty.  It is a journey of a girl travelling across India taking 80 trains.  To begin with I must say it is indeed a very brave attempt and she has actually done it beautifully, covering all corners of the country.  The best thing is after finishing the book you get that good positive feeling that all the problems in life can be dealt with determination and faith.  I like the book for lots of things - first the journey, secondly the detailed and in-depth look into India this book provides, thirdly her resolve to just keep moving ahead.

This book gives an extensive view of the Indian railway network.  Living in India since last 40 years, I did not know many of these places can be reached by our railways.  Loads of information around the places is being touched and shared.  The author has covered tourist places as well as famous religious places irrespective of religion.  Certain trains like Indian Maharaja and its Deccan counterpart were like news to me.  I did not have any idea that they existed.  

At the same time author has talked about the traveler's own personal challenges, fights and determinations.  I must say this whole journey was a very brave effort and I wish I could travel across India just like her.  I specifically like her style of writing; it feels easy to relate to.  Her idea of calling her companion 'Passepartout' is just cool.  This book could have been entirely different- it could have been just pointers and logs of her train travels; instead this book is more like her travel through life while she is doing all these train journeys.  This books talks about her journey as a person, meeting new people, fighting with old people, trusting random people, forgiving old friends.  I specially was surprised by her 10 day vipasanna course as not many people are brave enough to complete that.  That is something I myself want to do but cant take our 10 straight days from my life.  The end of her journeys not only mark the end of certain number of Indian trains but a lot more.  On a high level this book gives a good look into the very heart of India. 

Overall rating:  3.5 out of 5

Grip Factor        : 3
Language Style  : 3.5
Engaging Plot    : 3
Characters          : 3.5
Satisfying End   : 3.5

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3139409000

"The Night Circus" By Erin Morgenstern

"The Night Circus" 

By Erin Morgenstern

This is one  of the most magical books I have read... talking literally. It is a mystical and exceptional story built around two key people at the same time tying all other characters close in the story beautifully.  I wish they make a movie on this book so that I can actually watch all the wonders described here. This is one of those books which I have binge read.  In the beginning I thought there was too much of prose in the book.  However, once I completed around 10% of the book, interest started building up.  That is the point where you start getting hooked up.  

The book is about magic and two people who are supposed to compete with each other.  They have to figure out everything from the venue to the competitor to rules.  They have to excel at what they do at the same time doing better than the other.  While doing so they hopelessly fall in love with each other and their longing for true love is the biggest magic in the book.  "The circus arrives without warning" is the most lovable and sought after line in the book.  The world of illusions, surprises, tricks and magic; all has been covered exceptionally here. 

The circus in this book is one of the most dreamlike places in the world.  I wish there is such a circus which could take us away from the real world.  How the competitors make the system work and travel around the world is excellent.  The world thinks it is just illusion but the reality is so entirely different. that is what makes this book difficult to keep down.

 I am glad I joined this group on Goodreads - "Indian Readers".  They are currently reading this book and I started reading it post their recommendation.  There are many sections in this book which I love, I am listing below some of those.  These are the lines which I can keep saying out loud and refer to - again and again.

"Secrets have power and that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well"

"The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones"

"I prefer to remain unenlightened, to better appreciate the dark" 

"Past stays on you the way powdered sugar stays on your hands"

"Stories are meant to be told.  You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul and it might move them and drive them".  

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3152821872

Overall Review: 5*

Grip Factor             : 5+
Language Style      : 5
Engaging Plot        : 5+
Characters             : 5+
Satisfying End       : 5

"Last Train to Instanbul " by Ayşe Kulin, John W. Baker (Translator)

"Last Train to Instanbul "

 by  Ayşe Kulin,  John W. Baker (Translator)

I don't know who but someone gave me a suggestion to read this book on Goodreads.  I just took the suggestion and bought it.  Honestly, it was one of the best decisions.  This is such a wonderful, informative, and captivating book.  Too many adjectives but nothing compares to what I felt while reading this and after finishing this book.  

People like me are very much engrossed and certainly well aware of political situations in our own countries.  We normally do not have any idea of what is going on half way across the world, leave alone what happened few decades ago.  The world is now well aware of how Jews were treated at the hand of Germany.  However, I did not have any idea of Turkey's role and respective handling of Turkish authorities in helping its own citizens in the situation.  

The book provides all the elements - Romance, War, sense of Mystery, a sense of longing to know what will happen next all throughout.  The book is spun around one family but is able to tie every other character around them easily at various events and phases in the book.  People living a normal life in Europe are jolted out of their daily routines and are subject to unimaginable, inhuman challenges and conditions.  One fails to imagine how could situations change and how could any government behave in such a way without any particular fault.  

How officials from Turkey step up and support their own citizens is commendable.  How they are able to bring their citizens back to their home ground right under the noses of Germans is amazing.  

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17779550-last-train-to-istanbul?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=lbl0oyEAK4&rank=1

Overall Review: 5*

Grip Factor            : 5

Language Style      : 4.5 

Engaging Plot        : 4.5
Characters              : 4.5
Satisfying End        : 5

"Hinterland" by Caroline Brothers

"Hinterland" 

by Caroline Brothers

For the first time in my life, I saw the world from the eyes of someone we pass off as an illegal immigrant. Two brothers living life, having dreams & aspirations lose everything in a blink. They lose both their parents, their home, their country - everything they ever knew. Only thing they could dream of was a chance to live a better life, to be able to go to school. It is so sad to know that such a high percentage of such people are minors. They are the ones who never got a chance at anything. Life was basically snatched from their hands.  

The powers in the world take decisions in their meeting rooms and lives of normal people get crushed and moved and changed.  The book gives a detailed account of not only their journey but looks inside them and allows the reader to bond with them. The aspects regarding borders, government, police are all described carefully. The kids are able to find not only cheaters but also angels who help them throughout their journey. They are faced with lots of hardships but are also able to find loopholes and supporters. In that aspect the book is balanced.  It does not take sides of any power in the world nor does it compare any of them with other in terms of provisions or supplies or facilities or any lack of the same.  

The two brothers in this book live a journey to make something of their lives.  It feels sad to know that the book is based on true facts. However, given the current political situations in some countries, this is a fact which the world has to live with and face.  The ending is surprising and I wished it could have been more promising.  

Grip Factor: 4.5
Language Style: 4
Engaging Plot: 4.5
Characters: 4.5
Satisfying End: 4

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12159295-hinterland