2013 Summer reading list

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Two unfinished books and two other books that I have just started and look promising. Ya, that should do it for the summer. (Although I am tempted to throw in a classic in the mix - The Brothers Karamazov)

The Elephant Vanishes (Genre: Short Stories)

Thanks to S to recommending this to me. I was already floating in the Murakami world having read his two epic tales - The Wind up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84. Part fantasy, part sci-fi, part Japanese contemporary fiction and whole parts entertainment! I read them in a span of 2 weeks, mainly because I couldn't umm, put them down. This happened to me after a really long time. I don't remember when I strongly felt like this for fiction - I had stopped reading fiction and now am catapulted into the genre again, thanks to Murakami.

So I was happy (and surprised) at The Elephant Vanishes which is Murakami's collection of short stories :-) Sample one of my favorite stories from the book, on S's blog - On seeing the 100% Perfect Girl

Stephen King on Writing (Genre: Non-fiction)

Part autobiography and part advice on the craft of writing, this book is turning out to be such a required reading. With fascinating insights into his own process of writing, who else but Stephen King can pull together a powerful book on the practice and skill of writing. This one is for keeps. I am definitely grabbing my own copy soon.

A Fine Balance (Genre: Indian fiction)

I am not sure how I let this masterpiece pass me :-) I have heard too many good things about this Rohinton Mistry book. It specially interests me since I love Indian fiction spinned around historical and political events. As a kid, I have heard stories about the 1970's emergency period in India from my dad and it intrigued me. I am determined to read through this and it has been a gripping narrative so far.

The Price of Inequality (Genre: Non-fiction, Economics)

A day doesn't go by without a reference to the rising inequality in India. And after so many powerful videos made on what inequality actually means and why we should care, I wanted to read more and understand it better. Specially because India is hanging in such a dangerous balance right now, I am taking upon myself to read this book and hopefully explain/share what I learnt once I am done reading.

As one Amazon review reads: 

One sentence basically says it all: "The top 1 percent of Americans gained 93 percent of the additional income created in the country in 2010, as compared with 2009." Now think of that in terms of a party with 100 people and big pizza with 100 slices. Basically it means that one rich guy gobbles up 93 slices of pizza. The other 99 get to divvy up the other seven.

Five Things: Five B&W classics you wish you had seen!

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Field tested atleast two of the five movies I am going to recommend, on my boyfriend (who is new to the B&W era). And with very satisfying results. So I am picking these five movies that will ease you to explore more B&W classics :) And this deliberate picking is across five different genres to add variety. Go!

Safety Last! (Genre: Silent Comedy)

Harold Lloyd, you beauty. The only feeling I am left with after watching this movie - can I see it again? And again? Best known for the famous clock dangling scene immortalized by Lloyd and later cloned in numerous movies (latest being Martin Scorsese's Hugo). But don't just gloss over it yet - with an incredible repertoire of gags (several clever ones in fact) and "thrill" sequences - Safety Last is the landmark movie on physical comedy, an act that has almost vanished in modern times. (See New Yorker's piece on The demise of physical comedy). This is laugh riot at its best - the pure kind of comedy, devoid of any pop culture references or vulgarity.

Watch yourself laugh out loud like a kid. My money's on this one.

And oh, Harold Lloyd glasses, anyone?:)

12 Angry Men (Genre: Courtroom Drama)

When I was a kid, one of the first classics I read was To Kill a Mocking Bird. I picked an abridged version and I fell in love with law. I day dreamed and fantasised myself as a lawyer. And then, of course, adulthood happened. 12 Angry Men is a movie shot entirely in a tiny room filled with 12 men on the jury, sweating, debating and cross-examining evidence to reach a decision on a young teenager accused of murdering his father. This movie took me back to the time when I harbored the same feeling while reading MockingBird - to pursue the passion of law. Of course, this might not be the case with you - but watch, just for the unfolding of an intelligent plot and a take at how humans are generally prejudiced.

Like the first review on IMDB says: If you ever see a Black & White movie, make it this one.

The Seven Samurai (Genre: Warrior/Samurai Action)

Seven Samurai is required viewing. Period. There is enough said about good cinema, great cinema, but very rarely you come across cinema that just cannot be remade. It makes The Magnificient Seven, Sholay and other inspired western classics look like cheap imitation. Just like the difference between a genuine Armani and a fake one. There is so much complexity involved in the story that every time I see this movie it blows my mind. Akira Kurosawa, respect. Frame after frame after frame, it is a thing of beauty. Action sequences so brilliant, I am yet to find a word that can befittingly describe it. See here for a short review I wrote on an earlier post.

Although, this requires no review to guarantee that it will be the 3 hours of your life, well spent.

Rififi (Genre: Heist/French Noir)

Jules Dassin makes me giddy with anticipation with every movie of his. And that makes it so hard to pick a best one from his movies like The Naked City, Brute Force etc., that I would love to own them all as DVDs and keep them at arm's length for repeat viewings. Watch the 30 minute long silent heist sequence, (see below clip) the best bang for your buck. The genius of this movie is in its subtlety, execution (beautifully shot!) and low key acting. I don't know, like a beautiful mural perhaps, you can't tell what about it is so overwhelming.

Indeed, this set the path for future noir movies.

Paths of Glory (Genre: War Drama)

I don't care how much you hate B&W movies, but this is a must-see. Ok, I said that for all of the above, I know. I just couldn't resist repeating that, specially since this is Stanley Kubrick we are talking about. (I was torn between choosing Paths of Glory and The Killing, but since I already suggested a noir movie, I went with Paths of Glory). I wouldn't tell this about any other movie but for this: I don't find a single thing that can be changed in this movie to make it any better (ok, perhaps you might disagree on the ending).

Hands down, the most technically shot movie made on trench warfare in World War I! All I can say is this is no ordinary war drama. If you haven't watched this, you are doing yourself a great dishonor.