Book Reviews/A Writing Journey
Category: 5 out of 5 Indian settings
Sentenced to nineteen years in prison, Roberts escapes from his Australian jail cell and heads to India. Robbed in Mumbai, he’s forced to live in the slums until his life in various illegal operations, lead him to a more comfortable life style.
This is a tale with its heart in the streets of Mumbai. The characters, the setting, Mumbai’s underworld and the gripping story make this an unforgettable tale. While this is a nine hundred plus page novel, I still didn’t want it to end.
After a regime change in 14thcentury Persia, Ghia, along with his wife and children flee to Qandahar. There he meets a merchant heading to India. When they arrive, the merchant introduces Ghia to Emperor Akbar who soon employs him. Ghia believes his good fortune is due to his youngest daughter, Mehunnisa. At age eight, she first glimpses at Akbar’s son, Prince Salim at his wedding when her ambitions stir.
A Man Booker prize winner, this novel traces Pi Patel’s journey from Pondicherry by sea. His father has brought the animals from the zoo they once owned in the coastal city, but not long into the journey, the boat sinks and Pi and a few of the animals are the only survivors.
While the movie of this book was beautifully filmed with a well chosen cast, it failed to capture the philosophical essence that made the book a memorable read.
Read and Write 