Book Opinionist

The Brother Karamazov is the final novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which as the title suggests is the story of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons and possibly an illegitimate brother. The novel is lengthy flowing over a thousand pages, and if the rumors are true there was also a sequel in the making. But the novel is somewhat complete on its own. But I personally would have loved to see more of what transpired in the lives of the brothers. At least sort of like an epilogue. May be Dostoevsky saved it for the sequel, he never got to write. Writing style has all the repeating tropes of Dostoevsky like long monologues, high level philosophical discourse, delirious characters etc. The book was scattered with deep insights into the human psyche and Dostoevsky's own defenses against Atheism, Progressivism and socialism. Even at times defenses against Catholicism or what he perceived to be Catholicism. The poem inside the Novel: "The Grand Inquisitor" was someth...

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 and is considered one of the early feminist works. But I didn't know that going in. I came across this while searching for horror short stories. So it was confusing for me while I read it. But the implied domination of the husband over our protagonist, or the wife, was not lost one me. But for the most part I had trouble understanding what was the meaning of all the things happening and what the author is trying to convey by her obsession with the wallpaper and the lady which appears to be hidden in the wallpaper. Initially I was of the impression that the wallpaper is exaggerating the OCD or some other mental trouble our protagonist had and leading her to the point of delirium that everyone starts viewing her with suspicion. But after the culminating passage another impression that shone on me was that the wallpaper is the symbol of the disordered societ...

An intensely bleak and dark short story written by the Godfather of horror Lovecraft himself. This is one of those stories which while reading you may ask what kind of a man writes these stories. Although when one thinks about he comes to the realization that every person born under the sun, unless they are foolishly naïve, have these dark thoughts. It's just that we don't write them down or even dare to contemplate them. We hide from them and play pretend with them. This was my first introduction to Lovecraft and what I have understood is, Lovecraft doesn't shy away from addressing his demons.  The story which is written in autobiographical fashion (although I hope none of it is biographical or real) , is about a man who was known for love and compassion slowly turns and commits most egregious acts, which by his words is all due to a cat, a black cat. His descend into darkness is partially due to alcohol. With each day passing he grows more and more irritable, he starts ...

Introductory book to the world of Narnia is suitable both for jolly kids and reflective adults. When 4 kids discover the entrance to a new world in the form of a wardrobe, they don't quite understand what they are stepping into. A world ruled by a tyrant queen, who has initiated a perpetual winter in Narnia, but without the joy of Christmas, that one would look towards in the winter. The 4 kids along with The Great Lion Aslan has to defeat the queen and return the rule to the rightful heirs.  Writing was simple, precise and to the point. There was no unwanted dialogues or unnecessary overdetailing of the scenery. I was very happy to see that the book was not one dimensional at all. And it addresses evil and addiction of humans towards evil, head on. The characters were distinct and easily relatable even for a kid.  The book as a whole is a Christian allegory, there is no doubt about that. But the intention of this is yet not quite clear to me. The book is written like a bed ...