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gautamgopalk's reviews
46 reviews
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very funny fictional novel by Swedish journalist and writer Jonas Jonasson, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared is a best seller that was published in Swedish in 2009 and later published in English in 2012. The beginning of the book which is literally in the title is an old man who wants to run away from the old age home he is at on his hundredth birthday. This serves as a launch pad for a fantastically imaginative tale with many laugh-out-loud moments.
The narration cuts between two timelines with one focusing on the life of the protagonist from his birth to the current day, and the other focusing on the present day in which our hero with a staunch determination is on the run from his hundredth birthday party at the old age home. The storytelling weaves many key historical moments from the past century into a hilarious comedy. The popularity of this work led to a sequel and a film adaptation being released in 2013.
This is a lighthearted book where the characters are repeatedly faced with comical situations to the point of absurdity. While delightful to read, it would have been a better experience if it had been slightly shorter. The only caveat that the interested reader should be aware of is that there are many geopolitical references which can come in the way of enjoying this work if they don't know or particularly care about historical events on the global stage.
The narration cuts between two timelines with one focusing on the life of the protagonist from his birth to the current day, and the other focusing on the present day in which our hero with a staunch determination is on the run from his hundredth birthday party at the old age home. The storytelling weaves many key historical moments from the past century into a hilarious comedy. The popularity of this work led to a sequel and a film adaptation being released in 2013.
This is a lighthearted book where the characters are repeatedly faced with comical situations to the point of absurdity. While delightful to read, it would have been a better experience if it had been slightly shorter. The only caveat that the interested reader should be aware of is that there are many geopolitical references which can come in the way of enjoying this work if they don't know or particularly care about historical events on the global stage.
The Barefoot Coach by Paddy Upton
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Paddy (Patrick) Upton is a South African born coach who was associated with the 2015 cricket world cup winning Indian men's team, 2024 Olympic medal winning Indian men's hockey team, and the 2024 world chess championship winning team supporting Gukesh Dommaraju. These achievements are just a few that he has had in the sporting world as there are a plethora of other teams and franchises that he has worked with over the years. His role has been that of a "mental coach" for the most part (along with variants in title like "strength and conditioning coach", "fitness coach" etc.) and he has valuable insights to provide about mental conditioning.
This book titled The Barefoot Coach was written in 2019, before some of his accomplishments listed above, in which he clearly elucidates ideas about effective helping techniques for the mind. The exposition towards the beginning about instructing, advising, mentoring, abdicating and coaching is fascinating. There are many anecdotes and vivid descriptions about interactions with various famous sportsmen who he worked with, which are inspirational. One gets a glimpse of how great sportsmen dealt with success and failure, with regards to mental framework.
The lessons that can be picked up by the reader as the writing progresses applies to coaching in any sport, management in a corporate world, and even to everyday life! The narration seems to meander towards the end, but it is more than made up for by exciting stories full of life (especially those of experiences with barefoot surfing which gives the book its title). This is a fun and alluring read for introspective readers interested in improving their mental approach to challenges in life.
This book titled The Barefoot Coach was written in 2019, before some of his accomplishments listed above, in which he clearly elucidates ideas about effective helping techniques for the mind. The exposition towards the beginning about instructing, advising, mentoring, abdicating and coaching is fascinating. There are many anecdotes and vivid descriptions about interactions with various famous sportsmen who he worked with, which are inspirational. One gets a glimpse of how great sportsmen dealt with success and failure, with regards to mental framework.
The lessons that can be picked up by the reader as the writing progresses applies to coaching in any sport, management in a corporate world, and even to everyday life! The narration seems to meander towards the end, but it is more than made up for by exciting stories full of life (especially those of experiences with barefoot surfing which gives the book its title). This is a fun and alluring read for introspective readers interested in improving their mental approach to challenges in life.
Hoa Tulilp Đen by Alexandre Dumas
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alexandre Dumas was a French novelist in the 19th century known for adventure novels like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. A lesser known work of his, published in 1850 is The Black Tulip (La Tulipe Noir) which is a shorter novel and generally classified as a historical fiction. The story is set in Holland circa 1672, with Tulip mania (Dutch: tulpenmaine) serving as the backdrop for a wonderful, adventurous and romantic tale. The writing is initially dense and difficult to navigate but it quickly blossoms into a captivating, fast paced narrative that leaves the reader on edge while being gentle and easy to follow along.
There are a handful of prominent characters around whom the story revolves. The race to grow a black tulip amidst an intense political plot line of a setting with the black tulip itself serving as a MacGuffin is brilliantly presented. The characters start to seem one dimensional towards the end and the romantic angle, while engaging, is sappy at places. There are historical inaccuracies but it doesn't get in the way of enjoyment. The truly remarkable aspect of this work is that it changes genre every 50 pages or so and it is simply fantastic to experience.
For readers who have always wanted to read a classic, which is well paced, short and easy to get into with all the required elements of drama, adventure, romance, elegance and beauty to make a compelling read, this is definitely the book to pick up!
There are a handful of prominent characters around whom the story revolves. The race to grow a black tulip amidst an intense political plot line of a setting with the black tulip itself serving as a MacGuffin is brilliantly presented. The characters start to seem one dimensional towards the end and the romantic angle, while engaging, is sappy at places. There are historical inaccuracies but it doesn't get in the way of enjoyment. The truly remarkable aspect of this work is that it changes genre every 50 pages or so and it is simply fantastic to experience.
For readers who have always wanted to read a classic, which is well paced, short and easy to get into with all the required elements of drama, adventure, romance, elegance and beauty to make a compelling read, this is definitely the book to pick up!
Endless Night by Agatha Christie
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Written in 1967 near the end of her life, this crime novel titled Endless Night is a superb work of fiction by Dame Agatha Christie, the undisputed queen of crime. The writing is in first person from the point of view of one of the central characters. The tone is suspenseful with an incredible build up of a sense of doom and foreboding. While this is classified as a crime novel, it is not a murder mystery in the conventional sense and it is definitely not a detective story (as one might mistakenly tend to expect from the writer). The themes touched upon lean heavily into romance, horror, and suspense with fortune telling and curses by gypsies sprinkled generously in the narration.
The story begins with the thoughts and desires of a poor 22-year old man in mid-20th century Britain who does odd jobs for a living. The central wants of a big house and a beautiful bride inexplicably set a series of events in motion or so it seems. The find of a sprawling location for a beautiful house on a land supposedly cursed by gypsies makes the setting gloomy and tense. The story is heavily character driven with the interactions between a splattering of characters gently driving the plot.
Agatha Christie considered this as one of the favourites of her own works and it received warm critical reception upon publication. Reading this is an immersive experience that is highly recommended!
The story begins with the thoughts and desires of a poor 22-year old man in mid-20th century Britain who does odd jobs for a living. The central wants of a big house and a beautiful bride inexplicably set a series of events in motion or so it seems. The find of a sprawling location for a beautiful house on a land supposedly cursed by gypsies makes the setting gloomy and tense. The story is heavily character driven with the interactions between a splattering of characters gently driving the plot.
Agatha Christie considered this as one of the favourites of her own works and it received warm critical reception upon publication. Reading this is an immersive experience that is highly recommended!
Lessons in Stoicism: What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live by John Sellars
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
2.0
Stoicism is a school of philosophy that flourished in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The author, John Sellars, is an academic in history of philosophy who is involved in efforts to bring the philosophy of Stoicism to a wider audience. This book takes the work of three Stoics from olden times - Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius - and distills a couple of broad themes in simple writing to a few pages. It is a very short read. It is an attempt to gently introduce some tenets of the philosophy to anyone curious about it.
There has apparently been a resurgence of Stoicism over the last couple of decades with people flocking towards this school of thought. This book, published just before the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts to capture the minds of the curious audience. Any small book on a deep subject hazards the risk of missing nuance. This book spectacularly misses every kind of nuance and the drawbacks of this work are clear from the get-go. If you want a rundown of Stoicism and don't have the time or energy to read Meditations written by Marcus Aurelius (and translated to English by Gregory Hays), then you could consider reading this Lessons in Stoicism, although a lot of contemporary discussions on online forums might be just as good to dip your toes into.
There has apparently been a resurgence of Stoicism over the last couple of decades with people flocking towards this school of thought. This book, published just before the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts to capture the minds of the curious audience. Any small book on a deep subject hazards the risk of missing nuance. This book spectacularly misses every kind of nuance and the drawbacks of this work are clear from the get-go. If you want a rundown of Stoicism and don't have the time or energy to read Meditations written by Marcus Aurelius (and translated to English by Gregory Hays), then you could consider reading this Lessons in Stoicism, although a lot of contemporary discussions on online forums might be just as good to dip your toes into.
A Primer for the Monte Carlo Method by Ilya M. Sobol
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Ilya M. Sobol is a Russian mathematician known for his extensive research contributions to Monte Carlo methods and pseudo-random numbers. His highly impactful work spans application in several fields in the real world. This book, A Primer for the Monte Carlo Method, was originally published in Russian in 1968 and has a long history of re-publications (which is now available in multiple languages). It is considered by many to be a classic on the topic of Monte Carlo simulation. For a highly famed treatise, it is very concise, immensely enjoyable, written in a simple manner and quick to read. It doesn't assume knowledge of mathematics beyond calculus.
Monte Carlo method is a numerical method to solve mathematical problems by random sampling. It is highly intuitive, and has very elegant applications. There are three chapters with the beginning focusing on the method, the middle detailing real world applications and the end having a nice discussion on finer details involving the generation of random numbers. This is the kind of book one hopes to read while waiting to kill time at airports and trains during travel as it is generally not dense and helps the reader gain knowledge of a new technical skill in a quick manner.
Monte Carlo method is a numerical method to solve mathematical problems by random sampling. It is highly intuitive, and has very elegant applications. There are three chapters with the beginning focusing on the method, the middle detailing real world applications and the end having a nice discussion on finer details involving the generation of random numbers. This is the kind of book one hopes to read while waiting to kill time at airports and trains during travel as it is generally not dense and helps the reader gain knowledge of a new technical skill in a quick manner.
Fifty Challenging Problems in Probability with Solutions by Frederick Mosteller
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is a fun book of puzzles and riddles that are actually problems in probability. While the title is Fifty Challenging Problems in Probability with Solutions, there are fifty six problems which the author concedes in the preface to the book. Given that the book was originally published in 1965, the brain teasers feel timeless and it is encouraging to find complete solutions (and discussions) printed at the end of the book. The one place where the book feels old is when Fermat's last theorem in the form of Molina's urns is stated as unsolved while it has been solved (in 1995).
One can enjoy this work with elementary understanding of probability and combinatorics. The problems are helpfully grouped together where it makes sense. While not all problems might be challenging, there are some truly involved questions and a handful of open ended questions that are exciting to ponder upon. This is a nice refresher for people wanting to think about mathematically inclined riddles as the material captures the zeitgeist of probabilistic puzzles.
One can enjoy this work with elementary understanding of probability and combinatorics. The problems are helpfully grouped together where it makes sense. While not all problems might be challenging, there are some truly involved questions and a handful of open ended questions that are exciting to ponder upon. This is a nice refresher for people wanting to think about mathematically inclined riddles as the material captures the zeitgeist of probabilistic puzzles.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
mysterious
slow-paced
2.0
Published in the United Kingdom in 1940, during the second world war, this murder mystery crime thriller by Dame Agatha Christie has different names depending on the edition and place of publication - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe in the UK, The Patriotic Murders and An Overdose of Death in the US. This book is a product of its time which is evident by the presence of overtly fascist, leftist and conservative characters along with political themes of economic conservatism and fight against fascism creeping into the narrative (and eventually dominating the plot). Fictional detective Hercule Poirot who has considerably aged, slowly unravels the mystery, while Chief Inspector Japp makes his final appearance.
The setting of the murder(s) is promising where a dentist gets murdered in his office and the list of patients who showed up on that fateful day are deemed suspects. The story quickly veers off into a dull narrative with Hercule Poirot waiting for the most part for something else to occur to help him understand what happened. An important clue towards the identity of the murderer turns out to be a buckle on a shoe (which ties in with the title) but its revelation doesn't generate any excitement. All the characters are uninteresting and that sadly includes the murderer. The pacing is incredibly slow and the book is somewhat of a disappointment for fans of Agatha Christie.
The setting of the murder(s) is promising where a dentist gets murdered in his office and the list of patients who showed up on that fateful day are deemed suspects. The story quickly veers off into a dull narrative with Hercule Poirot waiting for the most part for something else to occur to help him understand what happened. An important clue towards the identity of the murderer turns out to be a buckle on a shoe (which ties in with the title) but its revelation doesn't generate any excitement. All the characters are uninteresting and that sadly includes the murderer. The pacing is incredibly slow and the book is somewhat of a disappointment for fans of Agatha Christie.
On Freedom by J. Krishnamurti
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
Jiddu Krishnamurti was an Indian philosopher and orator who travelled the world, giving speeches on freedom (among other topics) between 1948 and 1985. This book, On Freedom, is a collection of transcriptions from his speeches which pertain to this topic. The main takeaway from the book is that the reader should think deeply for oneself about what freedom means. Everyone is implored to be alert and aware, lest the mind becomes dull. There are some intriguing takes on the obstructions of thoughts, righteousness and social conditioning to experiencing true freedom.
The process of reading through this collected work is taxing, as the presentation is dry and unimaginative. There are pseudo-philosophical statements which are given as "facts" and there are many times when the frustrated reader may wish the material was presented in a laconic way. The language is easy to comprehend but the topics talked about are incredibly repetitive (which is expected, given the nature of this publication). Potential readers might want to consider skipping this book for videos online which feature Jiddu Krishnamurti's oration.
The process of reading through this collected work is taxing, as the presentation is dry and unimaginative. There are pseudo-philosophical statements which are given as "facts" and there are many times when the frustrated reader may wish the material was presented in a laconic way. The language is easy to comprehend but the topics talked about are incredibly repetitive (which is expected, given the nature of this publication). Potential readers might want to consider skipping this book for videos online which feature Jiddu Krishnamurti's oration.
Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The third installment in the collection of short stories by brilliant English writer, P.G. Wodehouse, featuring the famous fictional duo of rich bumbling Bertie Wooster and his incredibly competent valet, Jeeves was first published in 1925; and in some ways was intended to be read as the first book of the series. It has 10 short tales and the first in this list is about how the two famous fictional characters get acquainted. The writing is engaging and the stories can be read in any order as they aren't particularly connected with one another. The title <i>Carry on, Jeeves</i> is taken verbatim from the dialogue of one of the prominent characters.
Five of the short stories in this book have appeared before in <i>My Man, Jeeves</i>. These have been slightly altered and polished from the earlier appearance, with a prominent change in <i>Fixing it for Freddie</i> where an earlier prototype of Bertie Wooster has been replaced by Bertie while Jeeves has been artificially introduced. The author displays his writing prowess by making a bold choice to present the last story purely from the perspective of Jeeves. The stories are happy, charming and hilarious. This is a fun work of art which brightens the mood and serves to distract the mind in the best way possible.
Five of the short stories in this book have appeared before in <i>My Man, Jeeves</i>. These have been slightly altered and polished from the earlier appearance, with a prominent change in <i>Fixing it for Freddie</i> where an earlier prototype of Bertie Wooster has been replaced by Bertie while Jeeves has been artificially introduced. The author displays his writing prowess by making a bold choice to present the last story purely from the perspective of Jeeves. The stories are happy, charming and hilarious. This is a fun work of art which brightens the mood and serves to distract the mind in the best way possible.