Weaving of Arachne

Chronicle of a Death Foretold  by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the finest examples of powerful writing. The title of the novella gives the exact description of what it deals with. The novella is a chronicle of a murder that has been foretold, so much so that the entire knows about it. However, we should not let ourselves be deceived by the straightforwardness of the title because the ambiguity of the narrative can said to be directly proportional to the unambiguousness of the title. In contrast to other murder stories, the author in this novella clearly states the identity of the victim, the perpetrator and their motives from the very beginning. However, the author remained equivocal to the end about the culpability of the murdered man. It is not revealed whether the murdered man was actually guilty of the crime imputed to him, though throughout the novella we find several hints that try to establish his innocence. Nevertheless, one must bear in mind that the unnamed chron...

A Man Called Ove  by Fredrik Backman is not simply a book. I will describe it as a warm snuggle for want of better words to express my emotions about it. The eponymous protagonist of the novel, Ove can be best described as a curmudgeon. He is the archetypal grumpy old sod who will surely come across as extremely unlikable when you meet him first. But, if we are willing to look beyond the crass façade of the grumpy old sod we will discover the gem that lies hidden within. We are very quick to judge and label a person based on our first impression of them without making the slightest effort to know their story, to know why they are the way they are. Perhaps that is why Backman introduces us to this extremely unlikable character and obliges us to take the journey with him, to know his story and then form our opinion about this grumpy old sod. The narrative oscillates between different phases of Ove’s life thereby interweaving his past and present. It is a simple yet profound s...

While facing a pandemic nothing can be more relatable and relevant than The Plague  by Albert Camus. As is suggested by the self-explanatory title this novel brings forth the plight of the people of Oran who had been besieged by the epidemic of plague. Though set in the fictitious town of Oran during the 1940s, the novel has become more relevant than most of the contemporary novels, given the abnormal and tumultuous times that we are facing. The novel is styled as a chronicle narrated by an unnamed narrator whose identity is revealed at the very last chapter. Though the novel emphatically portrays the suffering of the residents of the plague-stricken town yet nowhere does it get mushy. Rather, it maintains its stoic, objective tone throughout, which I feel is quite an achievement given the poignant nature of the events that are described. Another feature of the novel that appealed me was the impersonality of the chronicler. Though the novel is styled as a personal chronicle of...

“Finally, the day has arrived” Andrew smugly mused. No, it isn’t his birthday; or perhaps by a contorted logic one can say that it is. After all, wasn’t this day destined to usher in a new phase in Andrew’s life? This day will bestow a new lease of life to him; hence, one is justified in calling it his birthday. The beeping of his phone pulled him out of his reverie. It was a message from Ajay, his office colleague. It read, “Congratulations!!! I want a grand party, no excuses shall be entertained. And don’t forget your hapless friend once you fly off to America.” Andrew smiled indulgently, evidently Ajay adored him. In fact almost all of his colleagues admired and adored him. Andrew’s charismatic personality, coupled with his good looks and pleasant disposition won him a great many friends and admirers. However, this deluge of admiration had deluded him into thinking that the world revolves around him. But in this case it wasn’t presumptuous of him to think that since last few da...