Rishin Rahim: Books

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, 1966

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, 2021 I liked Project Hail Mary and is enjoyable with its 'Science the shit out of a problem' approach which the author previously used in The Martian. Great premise neatly balancing nerdiness and quirkiness. What I had an issue with was the characterization of the protagonist and wished the book handled certain aspects with a touch more nuance. Enjoyable but not thought provoking.

Lost in the Jungle by Yossi Ghinsberg, 1985 Lost in the Jungle is an adventure survival story about how a group of friends or acquaintances decided to spend some time in the Amazon Rainforest but unfortunately they gets lost in the jungle and experiences some harrowing and near death events. This story is narrated by one of the friends, Yossi, who spends about eighteen days alone in the jungle.The writing was very basic and sometimes I wished the writing was more detailed. This could may be due to the fact that the original was written in Hebrew and later translated. May be a lot of detailing might have been lost in the translation. Anyway, despite the lack of richness from a literary point of view, still the book was a real page turner.I love survival adventure books or stories, mainly because of the edge of the seat thrilling moments that it evokes in me. The survival instincts of human beings always enthralled me. Although thinking about such situations is very scary, I always wished I could also experience the things like in the books. Experience of reading such book will be always remembered as a vivid, thrilling part of our life.I would confidently put this book in that category because some of the experiences that the author faces is fascinating as well as downright scary. Some of the decisions that they make is very puzzling and seems idiotic but still the courage they showed and the will power to not give up hope is encouraging and touching. The character changes that the author undergoes, from a brazen arrogant youth who lacks any kind of awareness regarding the jungle and very insensitive to its living beings to a person who is trying to find redemption for his actions by fighting for the rights and existence of the same jungle and its tribes and their upliftment is commendable.All in all, the book was thoroughly enjoyable.

Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond by William Dalrymple, 2016 A fascinating book that traces the path of one of History’s most enigmatic artefact- The Koh-i-noor. This historical non fiction book is so well researched and comprehensive that the notes and citations alone occupies more than 20 pages, which is a delight in itself.The book is divided into two parts. The first part, written by Dalrymple, captures Kohinoor’s early history. From the references in Hindu Puranas to possible medieval sightings, the early modern sightings during the Mughal times, the violent seizure by Nader shah, till the ownership is transferred over to the Sikhs via Afghanistan, we get a glimpse of the degree of greed, murder, torture, conquest and treachery involved, when the stone was passed from one regimen to another. We get a picture of the opulence and splendour of those times, the art and aesthetics of the people, the sheer extravaganza and excessive obsession of the rulers towards allegory and symbols. We see how Kohinoor slowly evolves from one of the three legendary gems to the sole and singular symbol of sovereignty and power.The second part, written by Anita Anand, provides an in-depth analysis of the strongly contentious transfer of ownership from the Punjab dynasty to the British Monarch. It highlights the inner politics, strategies and ambition that the British showcased to capture the precious stone and at the same time, we get a glimpse of the history of the mighty Punjab dynasty, its decline and the tragic fate of young Maharajah Duleep Singh. The book ends with the different futile attempts made by its numerous hosts to bring back the stone.This book is a crash course of Indian history from late medieval to early modern and is filled with facts and information. The sheer drama involved can eclipse some of the most thrilling fiction and the authors deserve a big appreciation for presenting history in such an intriguing and impartial manner. A brilliant book and thoroughly enjoyable read.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, 2008 Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008, White tiger is a breezy read filled with dark humour and hard hitting criticism of India. The author gives a bleak picture of a morally corrupt and dangerously volatile caste struggles. The book may seem filled with exaggerated India-bashing told through a Bollywoodish tale of rags to riches, but no honest reader would deny the fact that the things narrated in the book are not only possible but happens very often in most part of the country, especially the caste struggles.Through his protagonist Balram, the Author tries to give a picture of the never ending war between the powerful and the powerless, the struggles and humiliations faced by the poor and the lower castes that we hear everyday in the news. The author uses lots of symbols and metaphors to support his narrative. One such metaphor, the Rooster coop is used for describing the oppression of India’s poor. Roosters in a coop at the market watch one another slaughtered one by one, but are unable or unwilling to rebel and break out of the coop. Similarly, India’s poor people see one another crushed by the wealthy and powerful, defeated by the staggering inequality of Indian society, but are unable to escape the same fate.Despite all the wit and brutal cynicism, as a native Indian, the voice of Balram lacked a bit of genuineness although the scenarios were very real. The critics and cynicism were apt at a macro level but when you go deeper into the character, there was a definite lack of authenticity. Author, at times, was so out of touch with his own creation, like a tourist watching sympathetically at the poor state of the country and ranting about it to his people back home. Moreover, the whole story is written like a letter to the Chinese supreme, which I felt very needless and gimmicky.It is definitely funny and an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it for its remorseless and delightfully mordant wit but is it worthy of such a prestigious award. I don’t think so, The book is shallow, caricaturish and gimmicky, and does not contribute anything as a social/political novel. From a literary perspective, I felt disappointed with this book

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, 2017 A short summary of everything happening in contemporary India. Beautiful in many places but not an easy read and requires a lot of patience.There is the plight of hijra community, discrimination faced by Dalits, Anna Hazare movements, the rising Hindu fanaticism, maoism and ofcourse Kashmir. Sometimes feel like the author has pulled out too many issues with some lacking serious depth. We feel like reading through a non fiction book sprinkled with some fictitious characters. And in many cases, it is hard to decipher whether a character is fiction or real, falling into the trap of googling the tale behind a 'fact'.The first few chapters were unputdownable when the story focussed on the life of Anjum - a hijra. There was so much heart in her story. But her tale was soon paused and the narrative completely transferred to the world of Tilo and the ever serene but mourning Kashmir. Tilo, an extension of the author herself, is an interesting character but fail to attract any emotional attachment. More than the characters, it is the story of Kashmir as a whole that captivates the readers with its tale of martyrdoms, mournings and the unconsoled (to whom the book is dedicated). We see Kashmir and its issues through the lens of its people and how deeply it has affected different generations. We fear for the generation that the mainland has constructed, a generation that has known nothing but war.We see the rising 'stupidification' of the mainland and impending danger that it brings.Into the midst of all this sadness comes the baby miss Jebeen the second, with a maoist past, who spreads happiness to the people in Jannat guest house, a place where hope and grief are beautifully woven together by the people who have endured suffering and discriminations in their own way.Things turn out all right in the end. Arundhati Roy is a brave author and this book is all about her experiences of being an activist, a vocal resistance against the exploitation of the weak and the voiceless. For people who holds an extremely different political stand, the book will be like a blasphemous and irrational creation. But for me, it was deeply powerful and moving, at least in some places.

The Devotion of Suspect X (Detective Galileo, #1) by Keigo Higashino, 2005

The Company of Women by Khushwant Singh, 1999

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, 1939

പാത്തുമ്മായുടെ ആട് | Pathummayude Aadu by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1959

The Book of Memory Gaps by Cecilia Ruiz, 2015

The PhD Grind by Philip J. Guo, 2012

ബര്‍സ | Barsa by Khadija Mumthas, 2007

Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino, 1999

ഒരു ഭഗവദ്‌ഗീതയും കുറെ മുലകളും | Oru Bhagavadgeetayum Kure Mulakalum by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1967

ആനവാരിയും പൊന്‍കുരിശും | Aanavariyum Ponkurisum by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1953

മുച്ചീട്ടുകളിക്കാരന്റെ മകള്‍ | Mucheettukalikkarante Makal by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1951

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer, 1997

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, 1915

Don't Ask Any Old Bloke for Directions: A Biker's Whimsical Journey Across India by P.G. Tenzing, 2009

ചിദംബരസ്‌മരണ | Chidambarasmarana by Balachandran Chullikkad, 2001

professarude lokam by K.L. Mohanavarma, nan

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, 1988

buddhan piranna mannil by K.L. Mohanavarma, nan

മുകേഷ് കഥകള്‍ ജീവിതത്തിലെ നേരും നര്‍മ്മവും | Mukesh Kathakal - Jeevithathile Nerum Narmmavum by Mukesh, 2006

Five Point Someone: What Not to Do at IIT by Chetan Bhagat, 2004

രണ്ടാമൂഴം | Randamoozham by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, 1984

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, 1997 - 2007 One of my favorite book series that has significantly influenced my life and childhood. Many thoughts come to mind when I reflect on this book. It is undoubtedly something I would like to revisit in the future. 'Goblet of Fire' and 'Order of the Phoenix' stand out as favorites within the series, particularly because they were the longest, and I found myself not wanting them to end. I plan to write a more detailed review at a later time.

One Night at the Call Center by Chetan Bhagat, 2005

2 States: The Story of My Marriage by Chetan Bhagat, 2009

The 3 Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat, 2008

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, 2003

ബാല്യകാലസഖി | Balyakalasakhi by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1944

ആടുജീവിതം | Aadujeevitham by Benyamin, 2008

Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, Ambition by Chetan Bhagat, 2011

പ്രേമലേഖനം | Premalekhanam by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1943

ദല്‍ഹി ഗാഥകള്‍ | Delhi Gaadhakal by M. Mukundan, 2010

അഗ്നിസാക്ഷി | Agnisakshi by Lalithambika Antharjanam, 1976

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, 2003

The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2) by Dan Brown, 2003

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, 1999

Brigadier Kathakal | ബ്രിഗേഡിയര്‍ കഥകള്‍ by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, nan

The Lost World (Jurassic Park, #2) by Michael Crichton, 1995

The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth, 2006

Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1) by Dan Brown, 2000

Deception Point by Dan Brown, 2001

വേരുകൾ | Verukal by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, 1966

ന്റുപ്പുപ്പാക്കൊരാനേണ്ടാർന്ന്! | Ntuppuppaakkoraanendaarnnu! by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, 1951

Animal Farm by George Orwell, 1945