Review: অর্ধেক আকাশ

অর্ধেক আকাশ by Suchitra Bhattacharya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A woman, torn between her marriage and her career, is unable to choose one between the two. She strives hard to find her own identity, other than being just wife and mother. Does she succeed? The book tries to find an answer. The topic of the book is very much relevant in the present context. Suchitra Bhattacharya's writing is lucid, easy-flowing. Though it's not clear to me what message she wished to convey to her readers.

Overall, a light read to enjoy. You'll be disappointed if you expect any kind of message out of this novel. Not bad for just time-pass.

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Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's December and Christmas is here. And an Agatha Christie novel, alongwith a steaming cup of coffee can make the chilling holidays worth-remembering. That's precisely what I chose to do in this Christmas.

This is my second novel by Agatha Christie. As usual, her novels never fail to fascinate me. The story-line was gripping, though it somewhat dragged in the middle. The end was unusual, in typical Agatha Christie style. You can never imagine what exactly happened until you have read till the last page.

A page-turner, indeed! I have already bought some more novels by the author and they are waiting to be read in the coming year.

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Review: হাজার চুরাশির মা

হাজার চুরাশির মা by Mahasweta Devi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read the original novel in Bengali: "Hazar Churashir Maa". This is not the kind of book you'll enjoy reading curling in your cozy sofa on a lazy winter afternoon. Rather, this is the kind of book that will shake your conscience, that will make you question your long-standing faith in the system of democracy and justice. This book is a vivid portrayal of the Naxalite movement, that occured in West Bengal in the decade of 1970s. Many youths, bright and intelligent, who could have become the creme de la creme of society, lost their lives fighting for their ideal. Ironically, the living incarnations of the devil, who played a vital role in the heinous crime of murdering the youths, became respected people in society with time. All the atrocities committed on the idealistic young boys are described from the viewpoint of a mother, whose beloved son was killed during the movement. My eyes became moist when reading this novel.

This is my second book by Mahasweta Devi, after I read "Rudali" last year. Looking forward to read some more books by the author in the coming year also.

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