Category: Writing
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Fascination with the Mundane
As I watch “The Disciple” – a painfully pessimistic movie in which the protagonist does not go through the typical character arc recommended by most screenplay experts, a friend’s question rings in my ear, “Who wants to read books about losers?”. The protagonist typically follows the character arc of the hero. He is someone who…
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Ring the bells that still can ring
Leonard Cohen crooned, rather perfectly:Ring the bells that still can ringForget your perfect offeringThere is a crack, a crack in everythingThat’s how the light gets in These are the kinds of lines that set you free. Free from the compulsion of producing something perfect. Free from the obligation of creating something that can not be…
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Book Review – Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Eleanor Oliphant is an office worker with zero social life. She dreads the weekends, waiting for Monday to arrive. Her colleagues laugh at her; she can not carry out even a single conversation without awkward remarks and has not cut her hair for years. At the beginning of the book, she meets the IT person…
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National Startup Day
The honorable Prime Minister has declared the 16th of January as National Startup Day. This is a fascinating development and a piece of excellent news for the Indian startup ecosystem. As a humble contribution from my side, I plan to give the kindle copy of my book, “Reclaim Your Inner Entrepreneur,” free today and tomorrow.…
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Neighbourhood Creativity
Kevin Kelly’s article I linked to yesterday made one point which I have been thinking about and telling everyone I meet. The fact that you reading this, a weblog created by a non-entity, non-celebrity, makes that point too. And since you are reading it, you quietly believe in it too. The take-away in bold then…
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Book Review – The Talented Mr. Ripley – Patricia Highsmith
If you meet Tom Ripley in the street, you will think he is a decent, shy, innocuous young guy. The first few pages make you feel that he is just another young guy who wants to play pranks by making people send cheques for fake income tax claims – cheques that are not even encashed.…
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Book Review – Less Than Zero
Less Than Zero is the slice-of-life narration of four weeks of Clay’s life. Clay is back from his school on vacation to his hometown of Los Angeles. He is part of the artistic elite, the kids of movie directors and actors, kids who drive Porsches and Cadillacs of their own. Kids who should be happy…
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Book Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Goldfinch is truly a Dickensian novel, as many people have already observed. It is the odyssey of Theo, his coming of age story, and his meeting many oddball characters throughout his life. As in The Secret History, the plot is not the mainstay here, but it is not a plotless novel as many Literary…
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Book Review – The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” is slow burn as slow burn can be. The characters develop extremely slowly, over pages of back story, descriptions of peculiarities, seeming trivial incidents that do not mean anything, but they add up to something meaningful in the end. I thought that it was a combination of the intellectual leaning…
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Movies for writers and other creatives
Writerly life (Creative life in general) Capote : A movie that explores the time in life of Truman Capote when he wrote “In cold blood. Bonus is a glimpse in the success of Harper Lee, who was Capote’s childhood friend. The Angel at My Table : The movie is about the New Zealand author Janet…