Showing posts with label Pirates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pirates. Show all posts

26 March, 2014

#BookReview :: Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Solomon Northup was born a free man in New York State. At the age of 33 he was kidnapped in Washington D.C. and placed in an underground slave pen. Northup was transported by ship to New Orleans where he was sold into slavery. He spent the next 12 years working as a carpenter, driver, and cotton picker. This narrative reveals how Northup survived the harsh conditions of slavery, including smallpox, lashings, and an attempted hanging. Solomon Northup was among a select few who were freed from slavery. His account describes the daily life of slaves in Louisiana, their diet and living conditions, the relationship between master and slave, and how slave catchers used to recapture runaways. Northup's first person account published in 1853, was a dramatic story in the national debate over slavery that took place in the nine years leading up to the start of the American Civil War. 


 I am afraid that I am guilty this time around of watching the movie before reading the book.

 Twelve Years a Slave is Solomon Northup’s story of how he was kidnapped, drugged, beaten and sold off as a slave. It is a detailed account of 12 years of his life that he spent as a slave. The brutalities that he had to endure, the psychological torture that it was and the stories of the people who touched his life in one way or the other. He not only narrates his own story, but through knowing him and his life we learn more about other slaves, slave catchers, the general conditions of a slave and also the relationship between the master and a slave.

 I wish that this was a piece of fiction so that I could just say that it was brilliantly ‘plotted’ and skillfully narrated and move on.

 But that is not the case… this isn’t just some fiction but the dark facts of humanity. When we hear about slaves, we pity them thinking that they had a hard and difficult life. But to hear the first hand account of that life breaks your heart so badly. It was so difficult to imagine that a person had to live a life like that and then go back to our own comfortable lives. His trials and tribulations over those years are bound to touch a person in the most deepest ways - to be beaten physically in an inhuman manner may still be bearable, but the psychological torture that it was and the effect it can have on a person is so immense.

 Solomon Northup’s life will touch everyone who reads this book and maybe even influence the readers to treat others better. And while the film deserved the Oscars, it is not even close to the book’s emotional dynamite!

 A MUST READ Folks!


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19 July, 2013

#BookReview :: Romi and Gang by Tushar Raheja

Unruly and reckless, thirteen-year-old Romi is the hero of his universe. His great affinity for adventure and the unknown is shared by his gang - the rascal Sukhi, the deadpan Sunny, the naïve Golu and his blood brother, Kim.

 When legendary Kim disappears from Mauji, it is left to the four to conquer the maidan with cricket and the world with their wits. Of course, they must prepare for responsibility in between and, one day, go after Kim.







Romi, is a small town boy in love with all things cricket and especially the God of cricket – ‘Sachin Tendulkar’. The story follows the life of Romi and his gang of friends as they wade through their young life and deal with school, teachers and parents all with their innocent enthusiasm. They are four boys, brothers in arms, brought together by their common interest in cricket and their affinity to playing pranks. Their little world starts to tumble down upon them when Kim disappears.

 Reading this book was like taking a walk down the memory lane at two levels. First, having grown up as a tom-boy with four elder brothers at our joint family home – Romi’s story could have very well been mine. Secondly, it also reminded me of the books that originally ushered me into the world of reading – Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and the Five Find-Outers series.

 Cricket plays a major role in Romi and his gang’s life and so it does in this story. Quite a number of matches have been described and I found myself cheering for Romi.  The essence of innocence, the thirst for adventure that the kids of that age have has been captured beautifully by the author. Also, there are certain messages hidden in these pages – messages about being truthful, about loyalty and friendship and the importance of failures in one’s life. The characters also play an important role in making this story a lively one. Romi, Sunny, Golu and Sukhi are each distinct young minds, each with their own quirks and their own fair share of troubles. Besides them there were also a couple of characters who have influenced the story, for instance Romi’s father. The illustrations in this book were also quite good.

 For a thirty year old like me, this book was a way to ‘Nirmal Anand’ for 2-3 hours. The little 9 year old in me enjoyed this book thoroughly. The target audience for this book, pre to early teens, would surely find this book to be a fun read and may even learn a thing or two from it.


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Review Copy Received from Pirates in exchange of a fair review. 

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