gautamgopalk's reviews
46 reviews

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

First published in 1866, Crime and Punishment is a Russian fiction by Fyodor Dostoyevsky about the suffering of a poor university student who has convinced himself to murder an old pawnbroker. The novel deals with the inner workings of the mind of this central character (Rodion Raskolnikov) and the anguish he faces. It is well written and it is an interesting take on the human psyche when it comes to crime. There are long passages which might make the reader go on a philosophical journey, with a focus on themes of suffering, social alienation, economic disparity in society, morality and religion. The plot of the story by itself is simple and not the highlight of the novel.

This could be a disappointing read because of the hype around it. This particular English translation by Constance Garnett isn't good. It can be difficult to relate to the protagonist or feel pity for what he is going through. The pacing of the story isn't consistent which has an overall effect of a boring read.

Individualism and Economic Order by Friedrich A. Hayek

informative slow-paced

3.0

Individualism and Economic Order is a book which contains a collection of essays published between 1935 and 1947 by famed economist Friedrich Hayek. There are some deep and dense thoughts on the contrasts between free markets and planned economies. The essays are thought provoking and helps in clarifying how individualism is a theory of society. 

The essays aren't necessarily directly connected with each other and some of them can be incredibly strenuous to read. The brilliance of this book seems to lie in elucidation of central questions related to economics (and more specifically to individualism as well as socialism). Reading this book can help the reader to think intently about how to approach this subject in a methodical and sharp manner like the author who is a master of the subject.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

challenging lighthearted 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

2.0

Anthony Horowitz has presented a murder mystery in an interesting new way in this 2016 novel, Magpie Murders, in the form of a story within a story. While the storytelling is ingenious, the writing seems somewhat tedious towards the end and the novel feels a tad too long. The story is very meta in the sense that it is about the writing of a murder mystery presented as part of a murder mystery. Due to the novelty in the style of presentation, this book lacks a bit of the thrill that a reader gets when reading a murder mystery. Certain parts of the book are annoying to get through. The descriptions of the characters and their actions feel robotic and emotionless for a major chunk of the book, which may have been deliberate to add to the meta nature of the book, and it ultimately gets wearisome.

A Quiver Full of Arrows, Volume 1 by Jeffrey Archer

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

A Quiver Full of Arrows is a good collection of 11 short stories, written by British author Jeffrey Archer and published in 1980. It has a beautiful story titled Old Love as part of its collection, which is simply marvelous and possibly one of the best short stories ever written. There are a few humorous tales like The Luncheon and Broken Routine while other stories like The Chinese Statue, The Coup, The Perfect Gentleman, Henry's Hiccup and The Hungarian Professor are deeper, more well rounded and might even resonate on some level with many readers. The other stories are worth reading once and One-Night Stand seems somewhat outdated.

Reading this book is a very pleasant experience. The language is lucid and the stories are very easy to follow along.

Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices by Noah Feldman

adventurous emotional informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

A fantastically well written book by Noah Feldman, Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices was published in 2010 and goes into detail about the lives of four supreme court justices - Felix Frankfurter, Hugo Black, Robert Jackson and William Douglas who were all appointed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Each of these four great men came from impoverished backgrounds and developed unique perspectives on the American constitution that form four pillars of thought that is prevalent even today. They were self made men who touched great heights in their professional careers. It is incredibly inspiring to read their story through this book because of the beautifully gripping manner in which it is presented.

This book can be read by anyone and doesn't require any background knowledge of the law as the writing is simple, mesmerising and thrilling. A handful of key legal cases which formed landmark supreme court decisions of that era are discussed in layman's terms. The story feels like an amazing work of fiction because of the larger than life characters, their friendships, betrayals and character arcs fuelled by jaw-dropping ambitions, and yet it is merely a historical tale grounded in facts. It is possible that some biases of the author may have invariably crept in but it is hardly discernible and the author has taken painstaking efforts to provide a plethora of references to make up for it.

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

adventurous emotional informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-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

3.0

Considered an American classic, The Red Badge of Courage written by Stephen Crane in the 1890s is a war novel from the point of view of a young soldier in the Union army during civil war. The novel deals with the emotions, thoughts and internal strife of this newly recruited soldier as he struggles with the philosophy of war and the cowardice arising from the impending sense of doom.

The focus of the story is on the internal monologues of the protagonist and the experiences of the senses in the battlefield. The author beautifully builds the external narrative in a slow methodical manner despite presenting the visual imagery and aural stimuli associated with war purely through the eyes and ears of one character. There is intermittent dialogue from a few other characters and vivid descriptions of nature and formations of the army with a generous use of metaphors. This is a short and pleasant read, written in a realistic style that endures the test of time.

No One Left to Lie to: The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton by Christopher Hitchens, Douglas Brinkley

dark informative sad fast-paced

3.0

This is a scathing essay on president William (Bill) Clinton by liberal journalist Christopher Hitchens. From the way it is written, it probably felt most impactful when read as soon as it was published. The many characters surrounding the then president of the United States are mentioned in a way that makes sense to someone who has followed the presidency with great fervor. A layman who knows little to nothing about American politics in the 90s will glean some aspects of the highly publicized impeachment where many of the revelations can be incredibly disturbing.

Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas by James L. Adams

informative lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Conceptual Blockbusting by James L. Adams is an enjoyable book which makes the reader think about thinking. It is a short book and quite fun to read. There are some good works of art, doodles and cartoons that accompany various chapters (which more books should have). The subject matter of the book is about creativity and making the reader cognizant about the thought process.

The ardent reader with interests about this can meditate on their own ways of thinking and strive to improve them through what is contained in this book. The narrative is laced with suggested group exercises, many of which seem fun and could serve as party games (apart from highlighting various aspects of creativity and thinking).

The Essential Tales Of Chekhov by Anton Chekhov

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

The Essential Tales of Chekhov is a collection of 20 short stories by Anton Chekhov, selected from his span of writing from 1886 to 1899. These stories are an embodiment of realism where the stories end without resolution as each story is a slice of life in late nineteenth century Russia.  Any reader who likes to ponder about human nature will find themselves gravitating towards certain stories in this collection, depending on their life experiences and what they find relatable.

Personally, the story that stood out was Ward No. 6 which is top notch story telling. Chekhov demonstrates his literary prowess with his writing of The Grasshopper, The Darling, The Kiss, Enemies and Gooseberries which were highly enjoyable. The stories like Neighbours and The New Villa are well written and also shine a light on the class structure and thoughts of peasants prevalent at that time. The stories vary in length, depth and quality which makes the rating of this book a difficult task. Consequently, the rating is merely a very rough amalgamation of feelings about individual stories. 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

adventurous dark lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

3.0

Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel by British author William Golding, where a plane of British school boys aged between 6 and 12 crash on an island during a war. The story deals with the (disastrous) attempt by them to survive, govern themselves and wait for a rescue.

The novel is not long and it is very easy to read. Although it is well written, the characters don't have a lot of depth. There are symbolisms which can be seen beyond the surface level reading of this book and the author does a good job of providing an insight into how man can devolve under certain circumstances. There are a few graphic scenes (and themes) which can be thought provoking but at the end of the day, the story may not connect with many readers.