Author: Neil Gaiman
This book belongs to my sister. Halfway through reading it, I realised that I have actually seen parts of the original TV miniseries back in London - the book is a novelisation of the TV show. I didn't follow the miniseries - there must have been a serious lack of eyecandy to get me properly hooked - but the book I like very much.
The idea of people and events, conveniently sidelined by the rat-racers, falling through the cracks of London to exist in a parallel world - now who would have thought of that? A universe where an Angel called Islington resides under the watch of Afro-Anglo monks (Blackfriars, anyone?) and an elderly Earl holds Court on a moving Underground train. The most ingenious of all - Knightsbridge as a scary district. How true is that?
What struck me was how the villainous pair in this book is similar to the twosome in Terry Pratchett's 'The Truth': a short one with the words and brains partnering a huge hunk of a man who is mostly brawn. I suppose it is a prerequsite for bad guy characterisation, like the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine. Another similarity is one of the villain's penchant for fine antiques.
I'm not saying much more. Read it to find out.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Girls of Riyadh
Author: Rajaa Alsanea
I first read about this book and author about a year ago, in a magazine interview. She is from Saudi Arabia, but at the time of the interview was studying somewhere in the Western hemisphere. The interviewer was surprised when Alsanea remarked approvingly of a mini-dress a passerby was wearing: "I'll wear it as a top over jeans," she commented. Well, in her own words, "The Western world still perceives us either romantically, as the land of the Arabian nights... or politically, as the land that gave birth to Bin Laden and other terrorists."
As for me, I had always perceived Saudis to be the role model of religiosity and piety. After all, their kingdom is the birthplace and final resting place of our prophet Muhammad PBUH, and one of the King's official titles is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (referring of course to al-Haraam in Makkah and al-Nabawi in Madinah). This impression was shattered somewhat when I went there for Hajj two years ago, and did leave me feeling a tad disappointed. So reading this book - although the first few pages seem to entice the reader with promises of scandal and what not - was not such a shock for me.
The premise is broadly similar to 'Sex and the City' although still very much within the confines of Muslim society: a tale of a quartet of girl friends in Riyadh looking and lamenting of love. Well, technically, only 3 of them are actually lamenting, whilst the fourth didn't seem bothered about not having a man in her life until she ended up being the only one with a fairytale relationship. As the author's apparent goal was to highlight the trials and tribulation of love, this fourth girlfriend had only 3 or 4 chapters dedicated to her, the most memorable of which is a retelling of a highschool escapade involving videotapes (and no, they're not that type of videos either).
The most interesting part about the book is the way the chapters are structured: as weekly emails sent to a mailing list from an anonymous writer (again, parallels with Carrie Bradshaw, except the writer is not one of the quartet). Otherwise, there is nothing much to shout about, except that Saudi girls - at least those in Riyadh's 'velvet class' - are not much different from the rest of us.
I'll take the Arabian Nights any time.
Read more reviews here.
I first read about this book and author about a year ago, in a magazine interview. She is from Saudi Arabia, but at the time of the interview was studying somewhere in the Western hemisphere. The interviewer was surprised when Alsanea remarked approvingly of a mini-dress a passerby was wearing: "I'll wear it as a top over jeans," she commented. Well, in her own words, "The Western world still perceives us either romantically, as the land of the Arabian nights... or politically, as the land that gave birth to Bin Laden and other terrorists."
As for me, I had always perceived Saudis to be the role model of religiosity and piety. After all, their kingdom is the birthplace and final resting place of our prophet Muhammad PBUH, and one of the King's official titles is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (referring of course to al-Haraam in Makkah and al-Nabawi in Madinah). This impression was shattered somewhat when I went there for Hajj two years ago, and did leave me feeling a tad disappointed. So reading this book - although the first few pages seem to entice the reader with promises of scandal and what not - was not such a shock for me.
The premise is broadly similar to 'Sex and the City' although still very much within the confines of Muslim society: a tale of a quartet of girl friends in Riyadh looking and lamenting of love. Well, technically, only 3 of them are actually lamenting, whilst the fourth didn't seem bothered about not having a man in her life until she ended up being the only one with a fairytale relationship. As the author's apparent goal was to highlight the trials and tribulation of love, this fourth girlfriend had only 3 or 4 chapters dedicated to her, the most memorable of which is a retelling of a highschool escapade involving videotapes (and no, they're not that type of videos either).
The most interesting part about the book is the way the chapters are structured: as weekly emails sent to a mailing list from an anonymous writer (again, parallels with Carrie Bradshaw, except the writer is not one of the quartet). Otherwise, there is nothing much to shout about, except that Saudi girls - at least those in Riyadh's 'velvet class' - are not much different from the rest of us.
I'll take the Arabian Nights any time.
Read more reviews here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)