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sheelal's reviews
356 reviews
The Twist In The Folktale by Chandrasekhara Kambar, Ananda Lal
3.0
analysis is stronger than the translated plays themselves. interesting read but not as hard hitting as I expected
The Window Seat India Election 2014 by Supriya Sharma
5.0
best account of regional political nuance and what they say, as microcosms, of a turning point in Indian politics. highly recommend to anyone interested in contemporary India
West Bengal - Changing Colours Changing Challenges by Sitaram Sharma
1.0
I had to stop reading this after 35 pages.
It had the potential to analyze all news, government, and anecdotal evidence to explain why West Bengal has had such a turmoil last 50 years. Instead, the author shifts between attempting to place himself in the middle of the situation and at the same time unbiasedly list the "facts".
It was hard to read - shallow reporting/fact finding, and jumpy narrative - and I couldn't subject myself to terrible writing any further, so I put it down.
Would not recommend to anyone with a sense of intellectual self-respect.
It had the potential to analyze all news, government, and anecdotal evidence to explain why West Bengal has had such a turmoil last 50 years. Instead, the author shifts between attempting to place himself in the middle of the situation and at the same time unbiasedly list the "facts".
It was hard to read - shallow reporting/fact finding, and jumpy narrative - and I couldn't subject myself to terrible writing any further, so I put it down.
Would not recommend to anyone with a sense of intellectual self-respect.
Surface by Siddhartha Deb
5.0
beautiful writing - the bits about kolkata reminded me of the film teen yaari katha. when amrit travels through the northeast, it isn't portrayed patronizingly. the politics aren't laid out systematically and the smaller stories effectively highlight the nuanced complexity of the situation in the north east.
would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a survey understanding of this part of the country
would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a survey understanding of this part of the country
Righteous by Joe Ide
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wrecked by Joe Ide
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
3.0
It read very similar to a book about the Orphan Train I read in fourth grade. To her credit, there really isn't information about this time period, and personal narratives are traumatic so it's difficult to create a complex narrative for an adult reader.
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
3.0
the story was interesting, and the description of Kars was lovely. however, i felt the characters did not have much meat, the plot not complex, and the political context not fully explained. i think it's a good introduction to eastern turkey though.