Turtles All The Way Down




Name of the book: Turtles All The Way Down
Name of the author: John Green
Name of the publisher: Penguin Books
No. of pages:  286

This book is simply mysterious. It mysteriously binds together the main plot of mystery with the other sub-plots of love, friendship and filial relationships. Aza, the protagonist and the narrator of the novel suffers from bouts of anxiety because of germs that are within and without her; it is fascinating to view the world through her subjective frame as she and her best friend, Daisy become a part of an unsolved mystery voluntarily which propels the novel.

Russell Pickets, the fugitive billionaire goes missing and is sought after by the legal authorities desperately; an award of hundred thousand dollars is declared for the person who provides a cue to the mystery. It turns out that Pickets’ sons Davis and Noah were Aza’s childhood playmates. She and Daisy together embark on a journey of love, gloom, mystery and riches. The end could be easily misconstrued as ‘All’s well that ends well’, but John Green gives no such respite to the readers.

To navigate Aza’s world, the reader needs to be understanding, patient, open-minded and sympathizing. All of which is worthwhile as Aza’s struggles can be related with anyone else’s struggles in this world of perfectionism. She is an inspiring figure who learns to ‘go on’ despite her problems (the novel does not create a utopia for the readers). She is the most alluring character in the novel; others being more banal.

Though this book would be categorized as light and swift reading; the reader should not expect it to be  an escape into a world of fantasy. Read it to become aware of a defamiliar perspective on life and become a better human being in the process.
                                                                                                     -Kriti Malhotra

                                              

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Start Where You Are

Image
Book Title: Start Where You Are: a Journal for Self-exploration Author: Meera Lee Patel Publisher: Perigee ISBN: 978-0-399-17482-7 “It’s impossible to follow a dream that has no shape or outline.” This is a powerful book that is magical! It is full of colorful illustrations with quotes written on them along with an exercise for applying every quote. The exercises range from knowing to healing oneself.  There is a quote by Kazuo Ishiguro: “There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one.” This is followed by an exercise on the next page in which one has to find something to be grateful for amidst the darkness. The exercises make it a very practical book. They can be used in different stages of life. One can give a concrete plan to an amorphous dream; dissolve fear when terrorized and even watch the Sun to de-stress. Therefore, it is the practical magic added with beautiful colors that make this book outstanding. This book also encourages ...
Read more

milk and honey

Image
Name of the book         : milk and honey Name of the author        : Rupi Kaur Name of the publisher : Andrews McMeel Publishing No. of pages                   : 204 Genre                              : Poetry As the title of the book implies, this book is therapeutic; not only for the broken heart but also for a fragment of the society. The broken fragment is the battling sisterhood. Milk and honey is boldly feminist and Rupi Kaur has proven how simple words can cause a bigger explosion than ammunitions. How does Kaur attain this? The language is pithy; the metaphors, crystal-clear. Consequently, the book is soft but loud. The loudness elevates female sexuality and biology; it promotes self-love and prefers it to loving another unrequitedl...
Read more

A Pale View of Hills

Image
Name of the Book:          A Pale View of Hills Name of the Author:       Kazuo Ishiguro Name of the Publisher: Faber and Faber Number of Pages:            183 A Pale View of Hills was the debut novel of the Nobel Prize Laureate, Kazuo Ishiguro. It is primarily set in Japan post the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It does not deal with the historical intricacies but with the personal lives of the characters: the impact of the war on their lives apart from the personal struggles that each one undergoes separately.   The protagonist is a Japanese woman named Etsuko who is living in England but has an over-powering past that keeps seeping through the present. In fact, the reader knows her better only though these flashbacks and can empathize with her consequently especially because she is imporous to even her own family.   This is a tale of nost...
Read more