THE KITE RUNNER

started: 7/26/05
recommended by a friend. it was superb, as hinted by the fact i read it in a day tho it was longer than the girl detective story. i was bawling. p. 67 and p. 88 were excruciatingly touching. what a somber but handsome novel. this is a must-read.

update: 8/20/05
i must confess i doubt i'll get motivated enough to recount the funny moments in the life of pi as promised in a previous post.

however, i've been intending to attempt to do justice to the kite runner. this book is truly a great work. i'm partial to stories that delve into the human psyche, that tell a tale which exposes the essence of the 'human condition' in original but credulous ways.

powerful indeed are stories that contain strong, developed characters, with whom the reader can connect and journey. stronger yet are the characters with whom the reader subconsciously and inevitably connects and journeys. this book had such characters. and the context, the circumstances, the events manifested by the author are so unique and painfully gripping. one example - i'm not unfamiliar with shame and regret. so i can relate to the protagonist (who doesn't act much like one at all throughout most of the book).

a few lasting impressions:

-i am fascinated by the power of fear and cowardice.
-i am grateful for the small but impressively significant moments that mark life's critical crossroads.
-i am in awe of the bittersweet irony of life.
-i am profoundly moved by the fact that grace, honor, loyalty, and love recognize not the boundaries of class, wealth or religion.

update: 2/7/07
i am rereading the kite runner and it is still a tear-jerker. it is so TOUCHING. hassan !!! =(

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN

forgot to mention i'd read this one while passing time as sickly slept. it was good, i guess. interesting. i'd seen bits of the movie on tv and never actually got around to sitting down to watch the whole thing. um, yeah, the plot was realistic, which made it interesting, pre-cursor to the x-files craze. cool to read about biology jargon. i did minor in bio and all. ok, nuff said. it's not available on paperback for nothing. good plane reading.

LIFE OF PI

it's a bit irritating so far. haven't picked it up since hawaii. not a good sign, but perhaps it'll pick up (once i get around to picking it back up).

update: 8/16/05
an update on my current read - life of pi - as a friend indicated, the book definitely picked up after a while. i was told this would happen about the time of the shipwreck, but i found that it was actually much earlier. perhaps after the first 10 chapters? anyway, there really are funny parts. the silly things that one thinks, feels, and does when alone are fascinating indeed. and to be alone not by choice, surrounded by endless sea, well, that does make for an interesting story, doesn't it?

there was a review on the cover likening it to some classic works - old man & the sea (w/c i haven't read), etc. and perhaps due to this comment i'm biased when i'm reminded of books i read junior year in h.s. - american lit or something. mr. whatshisface. softspoken and had greasy hair. anyway, back to the book - i would say some of the similarities include: the slow-paced unfolding of events mirroring the delicate unfurling of a cocoon - to depict the notion of a 'coming of age', the anthropomorphism, extended metaphors. i prefer this book over some of those old novels though, primarily because of its humor. the humor definitely adds spice to the story. i'll come back and give some examples later. i should've earmarked them for you. i found myself snickering out loud on the plane, quite cozy in my middle E seat.

anyway, throw me out a window if i ever have to read the grapes of wrath or billy budd or the great gatsby again, or if i'm ever coerced into re-dissecting the infamous scarlet "A" and the lives it stained. boy, my teacher was WAY into that stuff. oh the laboriousness with which we 'discussed' those books. i wouldn't wish anywhere near a similar fate on anyone.

update: 8/20/05
"and so it is with God." if you've read the book you're not surprised i quote this particular line. it took me a full three seconds to realize what it meant, after which i promptly burst into tears. SO TRUE. though i wish the message of christianity had been stronger, i can't complain that the hope and life that is God is a tremendous truth to have been communicated. yay for yann. finishing this book over leftover greasy takeout was thoroughly disappointing. over a piping hot samosa and creamy chicken biryani, fragrant with flavor, would've been Pi more satisfying.