Ok, this book is one of the most confusing books I ever read and most unpredictable too! I'm used to having definite thoughts about the plot of the book after it ends but when this book ended, I was left utterly clueless. I understood bits and parts of it but can't connect it completely even now. When I googled its reviews, I met with similar reactions and was then assured that I was not the only one. This book combines sci-fi, black magic, mystery, thriller, fantasy all in one and maybe is an overwhelming read for people like me. I get that it's any author's heart's desire to leave readers to conclude in their own way but the reader has to reach to a certain place from which there are few definite paths to follow. My opinion is that this book fails to take readers to that place. I'm hoping this book has a master plot still not known to the reader and I wish to ask Mr. Ghosh one day when I meet him, hopefully.
So, this book! I have rarely read classics which are more than 100 years old and this book was a culture shock for me. What a loquacious book! My exact feelings were why this man is spending 2,3 pages writing the stuff which could have been explained in one paragraph, but then I live in a different era and am brought up with modern literature. it was so different reading paragraphs after paragraphs and pages after pages reading conversations which (from my point of view) were not even important in the narrative; reading them was so tiring. Characters of this book are all very eccentric and uncommon as I can't imagine anyone of them being seen as normal in this generation. It was like experiencing a high energy play with a lot of verbosities. Dostoyevsky certainly has mastery over words since this book is filled with so elegant sentences and philosophies that one can highlight half the book just for its beauty. Some conversations were eye-openers but some really were over the top. I'm left with mixed feelings about Russian authors as I had a similar experience with Maxim Gorky; but then, maybe it's the culture of a particular country and I am still not evolved yet in a literary sense to appreciate these fully. I'm certainly looking forward to reading more Dostoyevsky and other Russian authors.
I rarely read thrillers, but I had heard so much about this book and now a movie is coming out, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. This book consists of a very limited number of characters which is good for a newbie reader to understand. Author maintains the suspense till the end despite having so few characters. A particular thing I learned from this book is the protagonist need not be a strong, firm character. Author takes the worn out, drunk and (some may call it) a loser Rachel as the chief protagonist with equally important characters of Megan and Anna. All three characters are narrating the story and author being a lady, it feels more authentic and realistic to read all three women voices. Author has certainly played her strong points. Though the ending didn't match my expectation, it was already sky high, so no let down there. Although, me not being a staunch thrillers fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery by Amitav Ghosh
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins