Pentacles

Pentacles: Sabarna Roy

the book comprises of one long story and four long story poems are quite similar to the title of the book Pentacles(pentagram). The stories and poem in the book describe vivid emotions and aspect of life. Overall, it is a well written book and a decent read.

New Life- Loneliness is like smoke, it starts from a definite point and ends up everywhere indefinitely. It eats up the soul. The protagonist of this story Mr. Sen is an entrepreneur and is exceedingly successful in different ventures yet he is lonely and has a torrid past. Mr. Sen has been lonely since he was 13 and he has shaped his life out of all the adversaries and yet he became the best version of himself. The story talk about different ladies in his life at different stage of life. This story is an emotional catastrophe about a child with separated parents but is never gloomy. Both his parents were creative yet their difference drew them apart. As a 13-year-old Mr. Sen did not bulge to the difficult time rather he denied to give up and let others feel pity on their situation and started his life a fresh with his father. The book has some great father son moment. Mr. Sen aged beyond his years and showed exemplary maturity and yet he was lonely as it was difficult for him to make peace with past. New life has few very good written paragraphs my favorite is trauma” human characters are amplified by their reaction to trauma. People who internalize trauma are celebrated and become heroes. People who succumb to trauma are shamed and become victim”

Seemanti’s character has depth and an unparallel understanding of human behavior though she has a brief role to play yet her characters significance cant be undermined.

Poems:

The tower poem is about random things and experiences it talks about nostalgia about all materialistic achievements and few soul satisfying things one misses out in search of success. It also talks about dream and happy family. Some verses of this poem have cryptic meaning to it.

Chasing is about passion love and betrayal

There are two kinds of beauty on this planet one who loses their beauty to age and another one who ripens with time. Tara is smallest yet the most heart rendering poem of all. It talks about sudden rendezvous with school love 26 years apart yet the emotions were raw.

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the elephant girl

There is a mystique and charm associated with this book. This story is based in British India about two provinces one in Bengal and other one in Assam. The story revolves around raj the crown prince of Paschim Behar, the forest reserve of Kachugaon and the stories of superstition and mystery associated with it. Raj decides to visit the Goalpara forest tramway whose journey reveals the myriad wealth of the Himalayan foothill forest on Jenkins invitation. Raj being a wildlife enthusiast was elated and fulfilled his desire to gaze wildlife. It is here when the story takes real turn.

Plot and characterization are phenomenally good, the expanse of story is elaborate yet the story telling is precise and crisp. This book is well contrived and clearly indicates the hard work put in. there is a vast array of characters some penned simple some complex and few complicated yet the all fulfill the purpose. The existential quality of book is labyrinth cobwebs woven around Raj. The writing is utterly convincing as the mystery deepens with every chapter and very difficult to find the culprit behind the murder and nuisance, there are no loose ends what so ever.

His writing transcends you into the beautiful forest reserve. The description of forest and wild life is vivid and personified. I have been to the state of Bengal and Assam and couldn’t agree more with writer’s description. I was amazed to read how beautifully the reality superstition and unknown were used to weave the plot of the book. There are 2 different stories written with same characters and Raj in pivot, in the end both the stories converge in perfect sync. 1^st story is about dynasty politics conspiracy illicit relation trust and betrayal with Raj in epicenter and 2 possible murders in the tussle of power. The story unfolds as the book gradually proceeds making the murder mystery more complicated. The book features some great deception and unpredictable twist.

While the second story is about the elephant girl the myth and superstition. This part of the story intelligently builds on the folklore of jungle and taboo associated with it. I was awestruck with the lively and surreal description of forest wild life and soul hunters. Both the stories are individually captivating and there convergence is a proper confluence.

Tuesdays with Morrie

If you read just one book this year,  it must be Tuesdays with Morrie. If you are planning to read one or in middle of reading one- stop and read Tuesdays with Morrie (TWM). I have read various self-help books prior to TWM but they all had a few things in common. They all talk about improving life, personality, finance, and different aspect of life but TWM talked about death and dying graciously. Though the book talks about loss and death but not in a depressing way. It also signifies the importance of a single human and his impact on numerous people and Morrie was such an individual. Reading this book made me aware of my flaws and strength as an individual. Tuesdays With Morrie is not just any book, it is a book that comprises of life mistakes, and experiences, and also has Morrie’s way of solving them. When one goes through different chapters, he/she can easily co-relate to the problems discussed in the book and Morrie’s approach to handling them. This book was conceived as Morrie’s last project that he narrated to his old student who visited him on Tuesdays. The flow of the book is captivating and entertaining. It is high on the emotional quotient and can leave you with teary eyes on occasion.  Morrie talks about an ignored and tabooed death which is inevitable yet people hardly talk about it. He talks about talk and suffering and also about enduring them. He talks about the unnecessary emotional baggage we carry and how to get rid of it. TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is an emotional roller-coaster of problems and complications and yet he talks about successful transitions from them. The depth of Morrie’s character is superlative, he is poised and sorted out in spite of all the hardship and struggle he faced as a child. TWM is a book highlighting the importance of love, compassion, forgiveness, and above all embracing death. The problems discussed by Mitch and Morrie felt as if they were my own. Morrie was not just a teacher he is a guide, a mentor, or a philosopher to some, and his way of looking at things people, and circumstances are different yet simple. This 200 odd page book is a trove that has to be preserved, read and re-read. Tuesdays with Morrie left my eyes moist and thankful for the people and things I have in life. TWM speaks of humility compassion and the importance of friends and family. Morrie died in 1995 yet his ideas and thought propagates with us for our own greater good. His famous Ted Koppel interview is available on Youtube (worth watching). I can’t thank you enough Mitch Albom for showing this book light of the day.