WISE AND OTHERWISE BY SUDHA MURTHY

-

" IF YOU TRY TO PLEASE EVERYONE, YOU WILL PLEASE NO ONE.

ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO LEAD YOUR LIFE FOR OTHER'S HAPPINESS. "



Looking back at my page, I realised that I have not reviewed any Indian author books yet.

I have read a lot of them when I started reading, but I do not remember many books to write a review now- I need to reread them again. So I decided to read new ones instead and review them.

So to start with the same, I will review the book “wise and otherwise - a salute to life” by Sudha Murthy mam.

She doesn’t need any introduction to my Indian friends here. But for my non Indian friends and bookstagrammers, she is one of the highly respected persons in India. She is a professor, a philanthropist, writer and chairperson of the Infosys foundation.

About the book- this is a nonfiction which has a collection of 51 short stories based on the events that happened in her everyday life.

PROS: the writing is simple but good.

Her stories are inspiring and thought provoking.

I felt so nostalgic reading this book. It felt like reading column stories in the Hindu newspaper during my school days.

If you are a beginner looking for great books to start, go for it.

CONS: few stories where she has drawn comparison between two individuals felt a little judgemental and biased.

MY REVIEW: 3.5/5

#penbooksandscalpel

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHAPTER 1 - ALIZA AND AHMED

-
Image
Their eyes met for the second time in the day. Every time this happens, Aliza feels a ticklish sensation in her stomach. It's not that they have not been closer than just eye contact, but the jitters won't leave her alone. Her mother-in-law was busy scooping out the last few morsels of chicken from the bowl with a creaking noise that numbed Aliza's ears. Her father-in-law was lost in thoughts enjoying his chicken malai korma and tempered ghee rice.   ‘Aliza, can you get me some warm water?’ Aliza comes running with a jar of water to fulfil her new wife's duties, and Ahmed finds his moment just when Aliza is filling his tumbler and his parents are busy eating. He pokes her in the hip, which is faintly visible between her saree fold and her blouse. Aliza winces and moves behind quickly. She turns around to ensure no one has witnessed it and promptly returns to work, flashing a smile. Ahmed had to steal moments like these between daily activities because the house was alwa...
Read more

CHAPTER 4 - DISTANCE MATTERS

-
Image
'Congratulations on your promotion and transfer. We are looking forward to your full commitment to us. Do get back to this letter at the earliest with your answer.' Read the crafted piece of paper. Ahmed's parents were delighted and jumping with joy. They were chanting 'Alhamdulillah' fervently while Aliza stood confused. She could not make anything of this news because Ahmed's promotion meant everything to her. But his transfer would only mean that Aliza must stay back with her in-laws while he would visit only during weekends. She would happily do so, too, if not for her unsupportive mother-in-law. Aliza wanted to cry, and her eyes brimmed with tears that the world looked like a smudged canvas laying still in front of her. She looked at Ahmed pleadingly and waited until 10 to ask him if he really wanted to go. Asking in front of her in-laws would only mean the end of her good days. Ahmed did not look up because he knew what his transfer meant for both of them....
Read more

CHAPTER 2 - THE BACKSTORY - ALIZA

-
Image
  Aliza is the middle child of her family, with two older siblings and two younger ones. She did not always get her parents' attention because the oldest or the youngest sibling often stole it. She was mostly brought up by her oldest sister, Razia, who made sure she bathed, ate, and went to school on time. After Razia's marriage, her next older sibling Fahim brought home his wife, who had sworn to taunt Aliza all her life. Her younger twin siblings Samir and Ameera were at school, and they often stayed outdoors playing. So Aliza grew up to be the one taking care of her siblings while also managing to thrive herself. After finishing high school, she wanted to join college because her friends were also planning to, and they said studying in college will help a lot in the future. She was also the captain of her school's volleyball team and was a tough player. Aliza thought she could pursue her ambitions after school if she managed to convince her father. But her relatives had ...
Read more