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Book Description:
George Singer's ERGON is precise, delicate and fierce in its engagement with the world.
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Ergon: The core function or purpose of something or someone. Virtue arises when the ergon is realized fully.
Aristotle (Nichomachean Ethics, 1.7, 12)
Title: Ergon
Author: George HS Singer
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
Her name had been out of the headlines so long that he was sure no one was searching for her when he fit the key into the lock for the last time. The door swung wide on its hinges, but he felt no need to secure it behind him. The steps groaned beneath his weight as he descended into the basement and ordered her to stand and face the wall.
Title: The Edge of Normal
Author: Carla Norton
ISBN: 9781250031044
Publisher: Minotaur Books/2013
Pages: 308
Reeve LeClaire seems like any other young women, leading a normal life. But she is a survivor. She had been captured by a abusive kidnapper when she was 12 years old and was only found because of a freak car accident. Even after her escape six years ago, she is still undergoing therapy. Her psychiatrist asks for her help with another young girl who has been rescued from an similar experience as Reeve.
Initially Reeve is reluctant but she travels to help the other girl Tilly. They bond instantly but Tilly has something to hide even now. When Tilly's kidnapper is found dead, it scares the girl even more. Reeve takes it upon herself to find out the truth. The real kidnapper too seems to know all the moves of the authorities and Reeves and always is a way ahead.
The novel has a good pace. We get to read the minds of the kidnapped and the kidnapper by the alternate perspectives of the both. Reeve overcomes her own misgivings and is hellbent on helping Tilly to get over her fears. The novel kept me on the edge and I was with Reeve, Tilly and another little girl who was rescued in the midst of all this.
Title: The Emerald Swan
Author: Jane Feather
ISBN: 978-0553575255
Publisher: Bantam/1998
Pages: 448
I picked it up after reading the back cover. It is about twin girls who got separated and grew up differently. Maud grows to womanhood as the frail, somewhat manipulative ward of young earl of Harcourt. The other, Miranda, grows up as an endearing, street-smart urchin who earns her living as a travelling player on the streets of England and France. One day Harcourt runs into Miranda by chance while she is perforoming on the streets. He is amazed to see the resemblance between the two. And a plan forms in his mind. Maud is not ready to marry the King of France who is besotted to her! She would rather commit to a convent.
Harcourt thinks that Miranda can be used to please the King until Maud agrees to marry him! With the right clothes and right training, the plan seems to succeed but no one has envisaged that Harcourt himself might fall for Miranda! From there onwards, things get complicated. And when King arrives, the events turn interesting..
Maud seems like a lifeless character but with the entry of Miranda in her life, she changes. She gets animated and can now think beyondherself. The instant bonding between the twins is unmistakable. And both the sisters too plot to get better of Harcourt, the King of France and many others. Use of the emerald bracelet as a metaphor works well. Slowly the deep dark secrets of the nobilty too is esposed.
With strong characters and intelligent dialogues, this book is much more than a romance novel. At the end, we come to like Maud too, who initially seemed too insipd and cold.
Running on fear alone, Sarah Lucas follows her dog Sylvie down a long meadow and onto a disintegrating ski trail in the woods.
Title: Every Last Cuckoo
Author: Kate Maloy
ISBN: 978156126756
Publisher: Algonquin Books/2009
Pages: 277
This novel starts when we think that life has almost ended. When one thinks there is no more to be done, no more to be seen, suddenly one finds new arenas.
Sarah Lucas is secured in her husband's love. She is seventy five and is happy with her life with Charles. She loves their peaceful existence in rural vermont living in the midst of friends and occasional visits from family. When Charles dies unexpectedly, she is assailed by loneliness and thinks her life has ended. And then she finds herself with un-expected boarders, a motley crowd, who need a place to live one way or the other. All end up caring for each other forming a family of sorts. Sarah feels fulfilled and happy. She still misses Charles but her love for him sustains her, does not break her apart. Sarah also finds a new hobby in the form of photography and nature walks.
Every Last Cuckoo is a very good book, with a beautiful relationship between Sarah and Charles, and their various friends. The little girl Hannah, is specially very endearing. She is the child of Tess, David's girlfriend.
This novel teaches us that no matter what, life is very beautiful. There is so much within us to give and and make a difference in the lives of others and in doing so, we enrich ourselves too. Maloy's writing is good too, the flora and fauna is so vivid and also the interactions between the various people. The essence goodness within all of us is shown very beautifully. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It is not a sad novel in anyway. In Charles passing away too, Sarah can recall his love and passsion for her. That in no way diminishes. The title is so befitting. When a few leave, few more arrive...
Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Poalini
ISBN: 0552553204
Publisher: Corgi/2002
Pages:497
I picked this book from my niece's collection when I was in Bangalore. Even though I had started it, I never got around reading more than a few pages. 497 pages and smaller font did not help! However, I started to read again yesterday and did not stop until I finished it.
Eragon is a fifteen year old boy who lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran in Alagaesia and works in his uncle's farm. They are barely able to manage. One day he finds a beautiful stone, which he thinks can buy him and his family more meat. However, no one is willing to buy it when they find out it came from Spine, a place of magic. One night a dragon hatches out of it and scares Eragon out of his wits. Coming back to his senses, he hides it from everyone he knows. Unknowingly he has been exposed to a world of magic, adventure, fantasy which intermingles with evil. When tragedy befalls him, he has to escape with his dragon along with an old story teller, Brom.
Brom knows all about dragons and their legacy and teaches Eragon about them. The poor farm boy now becomes one of the legendary Dragon Riders. They embark on a journey to save the Empire which is ruled by an evil king. On their way, Eragon meets wizards, elves, and many evil characters about whom he had no inkling at all. Is he the one selected to save the Empire?
Eragon and the Dragon Saphira can connect in their minds. They have a beautiful relationship. Although the dragon is younger than Eragon, we can see she is very protective about the boy and is almost motherly towards him. Eragon too loves Saphira and cares that no one harms her.
This book should appeal to all as it has great battle scenes, magic, armour, totally evil beings along with elves, wizards, dwarves, humans and not to forget the Dragon. It is also a coming of age story of a boy of unknown origins who is selected to be a dragon rider. The beginning was a bit slow and I did find the last 50 pages too hurried but as a fantasy, it works...
Title: Equal Rites
Authour: Terry Pratchett
ISBN: 9780060855901
Publisher: Harper/2000
Pages: 213
It starts with a dying wizard in a hurry to reach somewhere. He reaches Bad Ass village, into the family of a blacksmith. He is to pass on his powers to the just being born eighth son of this blacksmith, who himself is an eighth son. After he does so, it is discovered a little late that the eighth son is...er..a daughter. Now it is said that a girl can't be a wizard. Nothing can be done about it. The wizard dies, leaving behind his staff to protect the girl and Esk grows up to be normal little girl amongst seven brothers until she is seven.
Although Granny Weatherwax, a witch herself, disapproves of a girl being a wizard but decides that the girl has to learn to be wizard in order not to misuse the magic passed on to her by the wizard. She persuades Esk's parents to make her learn to be a witch under her guidance. After a few years both venture out to Unseen University for her wizardry training. On the way, they encounter weird characters..
The novel has all the elements of fantasy, magic, humour, parody and satire. It keeps us hooked, makes us smile and at places the metaphors are beautiful poetry. Despite its magical element, it hits hard at contemporary society where we still have set notions that a girl is not supposed to do this or that.
I am looking out for more works by Terry Pratchett.
Title: Elephants Can Remember
Author: Agatha Christie
ISBN: 000712080X
Publisher: Harper Collins/2002
First Published:1972
Genre: Mystery
Pages:299
I picked up an Agatha Christie after a very long time. I have read most of her works but not this one. 'Elephants Can Remember' is one of the last works of Agatha Christie. She wrote it at the age of eighty-two years and was in failing health.
It is not one of those typical Hercule Poirot mysteries. It starts with the introduction of mystery writer Ariadne Oliver who contacts Poirot to help solve a case, which was closed for further investigation due to lack of clues. The case is about what was seemingly the double suicide of a loving husband and wife and the impact of that upon their children.
At a literary lunch, crime novelist Ariadne Oliver is approached by a stranger and asked about the double deaths in the past concerning Ariadne's goddaughter Celia Ravenscroft, who is to marry this woman's son. Mrs. Burton-Cox is concerned that there might be some sort of hereditary insanity involved that could affect Celia. Mrs. Oliver hates to be confronted like this but is intrigued enough to pursue it further. She thinks although human memories are not as permanent as proverbial elephant ones are, but most people do retain bits and pieces. She and Poirot wish to sort out the truth from the embellishment, oversights and speculations.
The story switches between the findings of Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot as they each go about their own way of investigations searching 'elephants' who might remember what happened around the time of the accident. Most are ready to talk about it too as it was not solved. Many did not believe in the double suicide theory either.
The mystery is easy by Christie standards. Its central mystery has a unique, although a little predictable twist. The prose is heavy-handed at times and the dialogues too get a bit boring with too much allusion about 'elephants'. The characters are two-dimensional which does not hold interest for the reader even though one is interested in the mystery at hand. Still Agatha Christie Mysteries are worth reading at least once!
John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” is a fascinating book that traces out story of two generations of two families whose lives are somehow interlinked. We can say that its by chance rather than design. Their lives are correlated to land and nature as was the norm in those times and even now we can see that in our world. In that way nothing has changed in all those years. The rebuilding of the man in the face of adversity, the tenacity of mind and body, mind eternally seeking and questioning, trying to find answers for his faith and belief and in some case just acceptance.
Are we not all questing to find answers about ourselves, our convictions or about the paradox called life?
It has well etched characters….so well that we can identify with them.
LEE: I think he is one of best character in the book. He is unlike any other servant. He himself says that a servant can be the master of the man he is serving. But we never see him imposing on Adam Trask at any place. He is more of a family to them than anyone else. He is the one who brings up Cal and Aron single handedly. It is he who keeps them together. He is practical, down to earth and lots of philosophy going inside him. Even when he leaves for his dream bookstore, we want him to come back as soon as he leaves. He does come back when he realizes that it is only thing he wants and they are the only family he ever had. Hence we see him unpacking his things and making a home for himself. It is he who teaches about choices and from him we learn that it is what we want ourselves to be and not the blood, which flows within us. His study of the Old Testament goes much beyond mere academic interest. He reminds us of Timshel----“thou Mayest.”
LISA: Somehow she made a great impression in my mind. Loaded with faith, belief, practicality and hard work, she knew how to look after her large family. She with her no frills, no nonsense attitude reminds me of the matriarchs of our own land. As long as there is plenty of food on the table, other things did not bother her. She kept her family together and accepted life and death, as they should be.
TOM and DESSI are like any other brother and sister…. loving and affectionate. Despite that they could not communicate with each other as both had a few demons to slay and did not want the other to worry about those. Maybe if they had shared, both would have lived. Maybe….who knows…
CAL and ARON: of the twins Cal is more interesting. He behaves like any other sibling in the circumstances where he knows that his brother is more loved and favoured. Just one look at Aron, everyone loves him but Cal has to fight for it. Most of us have gone through these phases in some way or the other. So we can identify with him. Best thing about Cal is, he knows what he does is wrong but in his jealousy he does not realize it. It comes later after the deed is done. He has deep love for his father and his twin, Aron. He does not hate his mother either. He is simply indifferent towards her.
Aron lives in a world of his own. Where everything is perfect. Only goodness and brightness prevails. Even the girl he loves is perfect in his eyes with no flaws. He cannot accept imperfection. He cannot accept that his mother is a whore. He seeks escape the only way he knows by joining the army.
CATHY/KATE: Much has been written about her. She being evil, a monster, what drove her to it no one knows. But we do see flashes of loneliness. I think even she was not aware of those. In her world, there is no place for any one other than herself…no one and nothing. She is beyond redemption.
Like in this timeless novel, East of Eden, we can still find people just like those. We have Sams, Lees, Adams, Charles, Lisas, Toms, Cals, Arons and above all Cathys amongst us. Good and evil have to coexist or how do we distinguish one from the other. If there is GOD, there is SATAN too.
