The Trial : Franz Kafka

For this book, what I gather, the world of classic literature should be more thankful to Max Brod, the closest friend of Kafka, rather than Kafka himself. "The Trial, a classic, more of psychometric kind, was neatly placed in the drawer of Kafka at the time of his death in 1920. Max was instructed by Kafka to burn all the manuscripts after his death. Thankfully, Max Brod, after reading only few pages never felt like burning it. The Trial was published in 1925 with fragments added by Max Brod. Since then, it is incomparable.

This terrifying tale of Joseph K. gripped me from its very first lines : Somebody must have slandered about Joseph K. as one fine morning he was arrested in his apartment. The tale further unfolds into such dimensions that any sane man would fear to put himself in the place of K. He gets arrested without any reasons, faces the trial without any judge & gets death sentence without any vision of magistrtate. In his own words he gets killed like a dog.
It shook within me the very trust that we put on modern society. But how does a German-Jew reads it all to narrate in his novel. I tried to explore Kafka in his diary after I came across The Trial. The by-product of enimity of kinsmen, to be specific, his father, is evident in the pages of his diary. This constant clash made Franz Kafka. His mind piercing words were the only sanctuary for him.

The Trial, vanishes within us, the rare emotion of trust that we have for the surrounding world. Bizaare in it's plot, it narrates a story of a man who is convicted for a crime that he is unaware of. The height of fright reaches with the fable which an unknown priest tells K.
To be mentioned, I love the writing style of Kafka. The way he starts his story.
This book, I love a lot.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

I cannot remain mute about Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) when I am talking about my favorite books. The man of extreme knowledge & insight, Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist, journalist, short story writer whose psychological penetration into the human soul had profound influence on the 20th century.

He joined a group of utopian socialists for which he was arrested in 1846 & was sent to Siberia. He spent there four years in hard labour but when he returned back he was a different man.


I have read two works of Fyodor Dostoevsky :

1). Crime & Punishment :- This a story of a poor student who kills a rich money-lender under the self impression of being a person who is extremely talented. Gradually he realises his mistake due to his illness.

2). An Honest Thief :- A collection of short stories starting with the story of a drunkard for whom alcohol is out of the limits of good & evil.

Nietzsche said of Jesus: “it is regrettable that no Dostoevsky lived near him.” He also stated “Dostoevsky was the only psychologist from whom I had anything to learn: he belongs to the happiest windfalls of my life.”

Fyodor Dostoesky is a worth reading writer. If I am allowed, I will certainly place him above Tolstoy.

These books, I love a lot.

The Godfather : Mario Puzo

The Godfather Mario Puzo has here created an extraordinary novel; it pulsates with dramatic and evil incident, brute rage, and the naked terror of an infamous underworld. Puzo takes us inside the violence-infested society of the Mafia and its gang wars. He shows us its trials by gunfire and torture and the nature of Mafia friendship. The Godfather is essentially the story of a man and his power, and it is a reading experience one is not likely to forget.

The Godfather is Mafia leader Vito Corleone, benevolent despot who stops at nothing to gain and hold power.

The Godfather is a friendly man, a "reasonable" man, a just man -- and the deadliest gang leader in the Cosa Nostra.

The Godfather's command post is a fortress on Long Island, from which he presides over a vast underground empire that encompasses the rackets, gambling, bookmaking, and unions. Tyrant, blackmailer, murderer -- he gives his friendship (no man dares refuse it), rights wrongs (even murder is not too great a price for "justice"). His influence runs through all levels of American society, from the cop on the beat to the nation's mighty.

Mario Puzo introduces us to an extraordinary gallery of men and women and re-creates the feudal world of the Mafiosi. The elements of this world explode electrically to life in this violent and impassioned chronicle. It is a spellbinding story, written with authentic knowledge of this particular milieu and with the hand of a master storyteller.

This book, although fictitious, still throws some light on the grim life of Italian Mafias. Every character apart from Vito corleone, is like a painting created from the pen of Puzo.

The world of fictions in English literature is incomplete with out The Godfather.

This book, I love a lot.

Siddhartha : Hermann Hesse

Another book which I am in deep love with is Hermann hesse's Siddhartha.
Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), German poet and novelist, who has depicted in his works the duality of spirit and nature, body versus mind and the individual's spiritual search outside the restrictions of the society. Hesse was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946.

Siddhartha is the story of a brahmin boy who yearns for enlightenment. He leaves his home with the obvious permission of his father, accompanied by his friends.
After several years of wandering they come to meet Gautam The Buddha. But Siddhartha leaves the comapany of Buddha himself even after the persuasion by his friend not to do so.
Later on, Siddhartha wents to live a very material life inspite of his yearn for enlightenment.
But Siddhartha attains the enlightenment conclusively without the help of any master.

What Heramann Hesse did in this small story of his , simply shows his grasp of eastern spiritualism. Every dialogue between the Buddha & Siddhartha is noteable.

This book, I love a lot.

Rag Darbari : Shrilal Shukla

Rag Darbari is one of the most famous Hindi novels written by Shri Lal Shukla, an author known for his satire. The novel highlights the falling values present in the Indian society. It goes ahead to expose the helplessness of intellectuals against the strong nexus present between criminals, businessmen and politicians.

The novel is about Ranganath, a research student in history who visits his uncle in a village for a few months. He is surprised to learn how is uncle uses all the instruments of the society viz. the village school, the village panchayat (a local elected body), the local government offices etc for his selfishness. The moral values which he has learnt during his university education are considered completely useless and impractical.

This book, I love a lot.

Harry Potter : J K Rowling

Yes, Harry Potter. I love all the books of this series.

J. K. Rowling has created a magic. Indeed, when I started reading them I found my self attached with all the characters. Ron, Hermione, Hagrid always seemed so close to me.

I've read all the six books published by now.

1. The sorcerer's stone

2. The chamber of secrets.

3. The prisoner of Azkaban.

4. The goblet of fire.

5. The order of phoenix.

6. The half-blood prince.

I am eagerly waiting for the seventh book the survivor.

This book, I love a lot