“Optimism," said Cacambo, "What is that?" "Alas!" replied Candide, "It is the obstinacy of maintaining that everything is best when it is worst.”― Voltaire, Candide Why I’m Reading this Book? This book need no introduction. It’s a classic. But since it was written in French, I was biding my time to come to it. Finally one day… Continue reading Candide
Tag: fiction
Night of the Rat
"There’s always something with everyone. There’s always something you have to accept, overlook, or dismiss. No one is the whole perfect package. No one comes without kinks." -- Tanya Thompson Why I’m Reading this Book? I’ve been referred to this book by my brother Piyush Sharma. He came across it as one of his reading… Continue reading Night of the Rat
Heart of Darkness
“We live as we dream - alone. While the dream disappears, the life continues painfully.” ― Joseph Conrad Why I’m Reading this Book? I was looking for a good but small book and while browsing for something like that, I came across this book. It was in the list of books which are so small there… Continue reading Heart of Darkness
The Monkey’s Paw and Other Tales
“To show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. ” ― W. W. Jacobs Why I’m Reading this Book? I’ve had this book for a while in my digital library, but it was taking a long time to come to it. Recently I’ve read ‘If it bleeds’ by… Continue reading The Monkey’s Paw and Other Tales
True Grit
“You must pay for everything in this world one way and another. There is nothing free except the Grace of God. You cannot earn that or deserve it.” ― Charles Portis Why I’m Reading this Book? This book is mentioned as true american classic at various places. It’s also considered a short novel. Although, I don’t… Continue reading True Grit
Night Shift
"And the great appeal of horror fiction through the ages is that it serves as a rehearsal for our own deaths." -- Stephen King Why I’m Reading this Book? There is no reason for me to read Stephen King except that I really like his stories. It’s a collection of some of his very famous… Continue reading Night Shift
Turn of the Screw
"No, no—there are depths, depths! The more I go over it, the more I see in it, and the more I see in it, the more I fear. I don’t know what I don’t see—what I don’t fear!" -- Henry James Why I’m Reading this Book? This book is coming under my radar as one… Continue reading Turn of the Screw
Arrow of God
"When Suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat left for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool. The white man is like that.” --Chinua Achebe Why I’m Reading this Book? Famous for his masterpiece, ‘Things fall apart’ (which is a very short and… Continue reading Arrow of God
Passing
“She wished to find out about this hazardous business of “passing,” this breaking away from all that was familiar and friendly to take one’s chance in another environment, not entirely strange, perhaps, but certainly not entirely friendly.” -- Nella Larsen Why I’m Reading this Book? Written during "Harlem Renaissance”, first published in 1924, Nella Larsen’s… Continue reading Passing
Silas Marner
“...There's nothing kills a man so soon as having nobody to find fault with but himself.” - George Eliot Why I’m Reading this Book? I’ve read Middlemarch by George Eliot and it’s a sprawling story with about 1000 pages , so when I read the author’s name, I was skeptical. But on further research I… Continue reading Silas Marner