kodakarapuranam by vishalamanaskan

I read this one in train yesterday. I started the book when I reached Coimbatore and finished it by the time I reached Bangalore. This is a compilation of blogs of the popular malayalam blogger Vishalamanaskan aka Sajeev Edathadan.

Each blog describes some humorous incidents related to the author and people in Kodakara, a small town in  Thrissur district, Kerala. A few incidents happen in the Gulf country also where the author is working now. The narration uses very simple language and follows Thrissur dialect which makes it even  more attractive. The strength of the writing style is in the informal way in which it is done. Vishalamanskan has clearly got himself promoted from an amateur writer to a humour writer who is liked by the class and mass alike.

Good humour, highly recommended for a train journey. 4 out of 5.

2 States by Chetan Bhagat.

I started this one without much expectation after CB's previous novel and I was proved right. It is high time "the paperback king of India" rethought about his plots and storytelling ways.
 
The story(?) goes like this. The boy, Krishna(again named after Lord Krishna, like all of CB's heroes) meets Ananya ,falls in love, sleeps with her and hopes to marry her . But, wait a minute. Isn't this the story of every CB hero? Well, yes. Its the "same old story" except that the boy is Punjabi and the girl is South Indian. The next step, convice their parents for an inter-state marriage. Now follows an unrealistic, boring, sloppy and idiotic attempts to "woo" the parents. I advice you  stop reading at this point rather than  wait till the last chapter  when they finally get married with their parent's blessings.

I just hope this is not made into a movie. Read this book only if you have nothing else to do. 1.5 out of 5.

Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen

I took a lot of time to read this. Blame it on my hectic life or the old style of English. But I thought it was total worth of my time.

In short, this is the story of five sisters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia Bennet. The narrartive is from Elizabeth's view point. Mrs. Bennet, the girl's mother, is on the lookout for rich husbands for her daughters and the girls are looking for love. So much interest has been generated in the Bennet household when a rich young gentleman, Mr Bingley comes to stay in the neighborhood. And with him, there is his friend, Mr. Darcy. Shortly, a guest arrives at Bennet house; cousin Collins, who is also looking for a wife. There is the military regimen also, which has charming officers like Mr. Wickham. So are the Bennet girls going to find love? Can Jane win Bingley's heart in spite of her inferior connections ? Is Lizzy going to find her man even if her pride is hurt by a certain Mr. Darcy ?

I found out from wiki that Jane Austen titled the novel as "First Impressions" initially, which was rather apt considering the characters of the main protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The characterization done is very much robust. All the characters, let it be the annoying Mrs Bennet, or the arrogant Lady de Borough or the silly and selfish Lydia, all the characters stick to the identity given to them. The novel also has a tint of humour almost throughout the storyline.

A must read for sure, 4.25 out of 5.