gautamgopalk's reviews
46 reviews

The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The second in the Wooster-Jeeves series, The Inimitable Jeeves is the first full-length novel by brilliant English writer P.G.Wodehouse which features the rich incompetent Bertie Wooster and his incredibly smart and competent valet, Jeeves. Many of the chapters could have been individual short stories like the first book in the series (and was originally conceived as such), but instead they have been neatly tied together by an overarching continuation of a narration. The writing is incredibly hilarious and the pacing is very enjoyable.

The story loosely follows the trials and tribulations of Bingo Little, a friend of Bertie Wooster, who spectacularly fails to woo a different girl in every other chapter, causing a lot of anguish to our protagonists. The supporting characters are simply superb and there are many aspects of the story that are laugh-out-loud funny. For a book published in 1923, the brilliance of the writing makes it incredibly entertaining, even over a century later. This book could also serve as a nice introduction to new readers of this series as the writing is better and the characters have more depth than the first book.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

3.0

Viktor E Frankl was a survivor of the concentration camps during the Second World War. In this book, Man's Search for Meaning, he divides his writing into 3 parts - his observations in the concentration camp, an introduction to logotherapy and a case for the necessity of logotherapy. The first part of this book is incredibly powerful. The descriptions are daunting and the narration is strangely moving. There is incredible clarity in the presentation and there are many aspects of this book that are deeply thought provoking.

The latter 2 parts of the book delve into logotherapy and isn't particularly engaging. The writing gets repetitive and starts to meander towards the end. Neither is the end of the book technical nor is it written for laymen which makes it a strange read. While there are many references for the interested reader, it still seems to miss the mark when seen in its entirety.

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Written by famed English writer, P.G.Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves is an outstanding collection of 8 witty short stories published in 1919 and serves as the introduction to lovable fictional characters Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. This book which is the first in the "Jeeves" series has 4 stories featuring Reggie Pepper, who was an early prototype for Bertie Wooster while the other 4 stories introduce and feature the much admired duo - Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. Some of these stories were slightly modified and republished in the third collection in this series, titled Carry on, Jeeves, published in 1925.

Since this is the first book of the series, it truly is a great starting point for readers to get acquainted with the famous fictional characters and the writing style of P.G.Wodehouse which is superbly funny yet characteristically subtle. The stories are short and immensely enjoyable. The writing is steeped in British humour and it might take the reader some getting used to, if this is unfamiliar territory. All 8 stories are wonderfully done and incidentally, it turns out that the best stories of this collection are "Absent Treatment" and "Helping Freddie" which feature Reggie Pepper and not Bertie Wooster or Jeeves.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

First published in 1970, and then later published in 2014 with some more pages added, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a terrible book by American writer Richard Bach that is extremely simplistic. It is a fable with a moral that is quick and boring to get through. The entire short story is about a seagull that wants to find meaning to its life beyond eating food. The book is vague and the titular character becomes a messiah like figure as the story rapidly progresses. This book is not worth any reader's time.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad 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? No

3.0

This sweet and simple fictional tale, narrated by a stray cat that has been adopted by a young Japanese man, takes the reader on an emotional journey as the characters set off on a literal journey within Japan. The narration switches between the cat's perspective in the current time and flashbacks filled with nostalgic moments. Published originally in Japanese in 2012 (and translated to English in 2018), The Travelling Cat Chronicles, touches beautifully on the universal themes of friendship, love and self-sacrifice.

The author, Hiro Arikawa, does a fantastic job of conveying heartwarming feelings, while showing the reader key moments from the protagonist's past. There is a slice of life feel to this novel and it ends on an extremely emotional note. This book is a quick and easy read with a bittersweet ending. The pacing and lack of depth are slight dampeners to an otherwise enjoyable story.

Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

funny informative lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Shoji Morimoto, a young Japanese man in 2018, decided to start a "do-nothing rental" in which people can request his presence in various situations where he would be present and do nothing. This seemingly absurd concept has grown into a popular phenomenon with very creative requests from clients and it has culminated in this book, Rental Person Who Does Nothing, published originally in Japanese in 2023 (and this version in English being published in 2024). The book is a very light read, which is extremely fun and hilariously written.

The book provides an insight into why people request such a service, with numerous descriptions of actual scenarios sprinkled in the narrative in which the author was rented as "a person who does nothing". He only charges train fare for the commute to the location and the cost for food (if any was incurred). It is written in the form of a memoir with a brief introduction to the thought process and philosophical idea that began this service. There are some thoughts on the financial aspect of "do-nothing rental" (or lack thereof). The highlight of this book is the recounting of the incredibly funny reasons for which this service was used. The book falls shorts of being a memoir as it leaves the reader with more questions than answers but it doesn't detract from being an entertaining read.

Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Peter Robinson is a British-born Canadian crime writer, famous for the crime novel series featuring fictional inspector Alan Banks. This book, Standing in the Shadows, is the last of the series and was published posthumously in 2023. It is a police procedural novel which constantly shifts back and forth between two story lines set in two different timelines of 1980 and 2019, that are interspersed in the narratives set in Leeds and the fictional town of Eastvale respectively. This could be enjoyed as a standalone book as the author does a nice job of introducing the main characters, and spends some time developing the support characters.

The writing is gripping and the constant mystery in the reader's mind will be the question of how the murder in 1980 links to the investigation in 2019 by Alan Banks. The uncovering of information to the reader as the plot progresses is incredibly well done and worth admiring. The middle section of the book is slow with too many references to old music that doesn't serve any purpose besides being tiresome. The reader will have a tough time caring for any of the characters and some of the support characters simply and abruptly vanish from the story which seems sloppy. The ending of the book is shoddily done with too many loopholes which could be disappointing, given the promising nature of the presentation in this novel.

Based on a True Story by Norm Macdonald

dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

2.0

Norm Macdonald was a Canadian stand-up comedian, who has a fan base that ardently loves his wit and humour. This book, Based on a True Story: A Memoir, was written by him exclusively for his fans and is a fun work of fiction for them to enjoy. An astute observer of his work could always sense that he was an intelligent man who pretended to be foolish. This book is no exception to that observation. In the guise of a memoir, Norm has written a fictional tale with made up stories from start to finish in which he depicts his character as a greatly exaggerated fool, and takes the reader on a journey that feels like a tight stand-up comedy act. 

The writing style is fantastic and this book feels like no other. It is certainly a work of art in which Norm has done something incredibly creative (and funny). Despite the positive qualities, this cannot be enjoyed by anybody but his fans. There is abusive language, disturbing depictions of abuse along with some horrible tales - all in the name of comedy. One has to know Norm's style of humour (and some facts about who he was) to get something funny from this book. It is best to be avoided by the curious reader.

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman

funny informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition written by American researcher Don Norman was published in 2013. This is a revised edition from the original book published in 1988 and as the author mentions in the preface, when many of the original examples given in the book became outdated, he ended up rewriting the entire book. This book is like an introductory text in the field of design as it touches on various aspects of design and the interactions between humans and objects. There is an emphasis on first principles and how one should think when it comes to design.

The first few sections have a lot of (hilarious) examples of bad design in everyday objects that we encounter in the real world. The author makes a very good case for the need for good design and how one should go about it. As the book progresses, it gets more technical and often times verbose. Some of the content drags on for a while and can get really boring. Despite the parts that are disengaging, the topics presented in the book are mildly interesting for the casual reader and probably useful for everyone to think about even if the reader's job doesn't have anything to do with design.

My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future by Indra Nooyi

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.0

Indian born American business executive, Indra Nooyi (née Krishnamurthy), has written this memoir to chronicle major milestones in her life. The book is easy to read and feels engaging. Different readers will connect with different aspects of her life story. The story telling jumps from one success of hers to the next on the professional front, with some words on her feelings at those moments. The first part of the book does a good job of painting an informative picture of her upbringing and the author gives her candid views on the opportunities she had. The rest of the book is about how she threw herself into her work and let it consume her.

In this writing, the author has looked back at her life and connected various dots (i.e the successes) she cherishes. The book feels lacking in some regards and it is possible that the author held back on certain aspects of her life for understandable reasons, especially when it came to her family. The book leaves a conflicting image in the readers' minds as the tough choices she has made in her personal life are both inspiring and appalling in places, while her writing on societal issues and corporate life are amazingly lucid.