The Long Earth - Terry Pratchet & Stephen Baxter

THE LONG EARTH

ISBN : 978-0-552-16723-9
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2012
PUBLISHERS - Corgi, Random House
PAGES - 432
BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Terry Pratchet & Stephen Baxter

SYNOPSIS - NORMALLY, WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO, HE LISTENED TO THE SILENCE.

The Silence was very faint here. Almost drowned out by the sounds of the mundane world. Did people in this polished building understand how noisy it was? The roar of air conditioners and computer fans, the susurration of many voices heard but not decipherable.... This was the office of the transEarth Institute, an arm of the Black Corporation. The faceless office, all plasterboard and chrome, was dominated by a huge logo, a chesspiece knight. This wasn't Joshua's world. None of it was his world. In fact, when you got right down to it, he didn't have a world; he had all of them.

ALL OF THE LONG EARTH.

EXCERPT - 

1916: The Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong, and the wind in the leaves. Where has the mud, blood and blasted landscape of no-man's-land gone? For that matter, where has Percy gone?

2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Police officer Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive--some said mad, others allege dangerous--scientist who seems to have vanished. Sifting through the wreckage, Jansson finds a curious gadget: a box containing some rudimentary wiring, a three-way switch, and...a potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way humankind views the world forever. 

FL Speaks - Its been quite a while since I last picked up a book. Hence, this review might not be upto the standards expected of ALOP.

Moving on, as I wound up my 2 month long sabbatical at home, I found this exorbitantly priced bookshop in the airport. Amidst those forever long stacks of books by Grisham and Nora Roberts, The Long Earth was silently waiting to be picked up. And that is what I did. I picked it up, paid a ridiculous price of 450 bucks and sat down to devour each word.

Remember, its Terry Pratchett we are talking of. He's the master of satire and funny in the fantasy word. And Baxter, is a renowned Science Fiction author. In between sips of cold coffee, the ocassional glances to the pretty cabin crews and the inevitable boarding of the flight, I found my sweet spot. The next three hours were a blur.

With the occasional turbulence ofcourse. The book starts ridiculously simply enough. It starts with a box that has a switch and is powered by a potato in the middle of it. And that's when things start getting interesting. Anyone can make that devise. It is devastatingly simple if you follow the instructions. And once you hit the switch, voila! you're no more on earth. I mean, you're. But not on the earth you were a second ago. And that realisation and the simplicity of it and the imagination of the writers blew me away. The Long Earth is a never ending line of parallel earths, each different from the main earth as we know it.

You want to start over? Hit the switch and you're on the next earth. You don't want to be there too? Step over to the next one. There are thousands of earths lying in wait for you to start over, thousands of earths left to be explored. And its just a thickness of a thought away.

Joshua Valiente is a hero. The day humankind discovered the stepping device and the parallel worlds, Joshua Valiente as a kid, rescued hundreds of other kids from various worlds, because they were simply dumb enough not to read the rules. But there was something that no one knew about Joshua. He didn't need a stepper box to step to parallel worlds. He was a natural. This book is the journey of Joshua along with an entity known as Lobsang across the vast lengths of the Long Earth. It is the story of the Green family, who left their fortunes and lives in the old earth to travel to a different earth hundreds of steps away to start base all over again. Farming, hunting and food gathering has become the new 'in' thing. 

But just as the Long Earth opened up a lot of possibilities for the already overpopulated Earth, it also brought along a few demons of their own. With more than 50 percent of the population deciding to jump ship, the economies collapsed. There is no law and order in the new worlds and there is something more terrifying millions of worlds away that might meet up with the humans.

Spoilers : If you plan to read the book, don't read this. If you do not, go to rot13.com to decode it.

Zrrg gur gebyyf. Gurl'er sevraqyl, gurl'er uhtr, gurl fvat orggre guna Whfgva Ovrore naq lrg fbzrguvat vf fpnevat gurz gb zvtengr. V jnf rkcrpgvat n zber bs n guerng guna gur bar gurl zrg ng gur raq bs gur obbx. Naq gur pyvznk jnfa'g jung V rkcrpgrq rvgure. N ahxr tbrf bss ba rnegu naq Wbfuhn naq Fnyyl (jubz lbh'yy zrrg va gur obbx yngre) ehfu gb gur fvgr bs qrinfgngvba. V jbhyq'ir cersreerq vg vs gurl fbzrubj fgbccrq vg. Ohg gura, nz abg gur bar jevgvat guvf.

All in all, it was a great first book. Don't let the genre fool you. True, it has more of a Baxter touch than Pratchett's, however, it does manage to end the first book well.

Rating - 4/5

The Guardians of Karma, by Mohan Vizhakat

About the author:

Mohan Vizhakat is a senior management professional stationed at Bangalore. The author’s keen interest in the rich heritage of Indian mythology helped him weave together this story, his debut.

Cover and blurb:

To be absolutely honest, the cover is a turn-off. It feels very childish and though the genre is indeed fantasy fiction, the cover almost makes me reluctant to read the story. The story from the blurb feels interesting, with the sole hope of Devlok resting on the shoulders of a warrior monk.

My thoughts on the book:

I am a big fan of fantasy fiction to be honest. I liked what the publisher of this particular book had to offer in the genre the last time, so it was with that expectation that I disregarded the cover design and started reading the book. The story of Hara and Acharya Parashu, their journey to rescue another Acharya from the capital of the Daityans, starts off with panache that we come to expect of such a detailed plot. The demonstration of the strength of the Bheeshma monks was also quite exciting to read.

The first indication of mythology was also very interesting. The mythology I know in that regard is very different, and I like the way the author has changed it to suit the situation. There are parts in the book that make you question the mythology as well. There is action, and that pulls you in. There is also an unexplored love angle.

Though the plotline is exciting, I didn’t quite feel the magic of a mythological fiction in the narration. There is talk about spirituality, which though interesting, tends to become heavy and boring later on, and I chose to skip a few pages.

Not the best I’ve read, but again, not the worst. Nice research, put across well, and thought provoking. More spiritualism than fantasy or mythology or sci-fi I guess. I’ve to read it again sometime, and maybe then it’ll make more sense than it does right now.

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My rating: 6.5 / 10

Book Details:
Title: The Guardians of Karma
Author: Mohan Vizhakat
ISBN: 978-93-80349-95-4
Genre: Fiction (Scifi, Mythology, Fantasy)
Publishers: Srishti Publishers
Price: INR. 250

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Reviewed by Leo

Shared with

1. First Reads Challenge at b00kr3vi3ws
2. Indian Quills Review Challenge at The Tales Pensieve

This was reviewed for Srishti Publishers, who I thank for the review copy. No other payment was taken for this review.

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Pandora's Star - Peter F. Hamilton

PANDORA'S STAR

Book 1 of the "Commonwealth Saga"

ISBN - 978-0-330-51891-8
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2004
PAGES - 1244
GENRE - Sci-Fi
BINDING - Paperback    

AUTHOR - PETER F. HAMILTON

SYNOPSIS - [From the back cover]

It is AD 2380 and humanity has colonized over six hundred planets, all interlinked by wormholes. With Earth as its centre, the Intersolar Commonwealth has grown into a quiet, wealthy society, where rejuvenation allows its citizens to live for centuries.

When astronomer Dudley Bose observes a star over a thousand light years away vanish, imprisoned inside a force field of immense size, the Commonwealth is anxious to discover what actually happened. As conventional wormholes can't reach that far, they must build the first faster-than-light starship. Captained by Wilson Kime, an ex-NASA astronaut a little too eager to relieve his glory days, the Second Chance sets off on its historic voyage of discovery.

But someone or something out there must have had a very good reason for sealing off an entire star system. And if the Second Chance does manage to find a way in, what might then be let out?

FL SPEAK - This is a monster of a book and an epic space saga. And I mean it in the best way possible. There is a reason why I don't read Science Fiction a lot. Its much easier to watch Star Trek than to read it. Even though with a lot of trepidation I picked the up, my faith in miracles was restored. This is not just the standard run-of-the-mill space action flick, this is so much more.

The first para starts the funny part amidst all the technical jargon as Captain Wilson Kime is about to be the first man to land on Mars. The climax is hilarious. Fast forward to a couple of hundreds of years and humans now live in almost any planet they can find. But this book is so much more than your average sci fi drama. The Commonwealth is what you would call a governing body. And the sciences!! Frigging awesome. Although some words still goes zooom over my head [am not too much of a space geek even though I worship the show Firefly]

World building is fabulous and on a grand scale. Don't be put off by the 1244 pages long book, its worth it.

When two stars suddenly wink out in a matter of minutes, the Commonwealth think its time to explore outward again. The Second Chance is sent to investigate when they realize that there is a barrier covering the stars. We humans are curious by nature. We simply don't let things be as they are. The Second Chance was launched to figure out who out up the barrier and why! And that might be the fall of humankind as we knew it. The Commonwealth wanted to know if the barrier was put up to contain someone or annihilate a star system. And that proved one thing atleast. There are superior life forms out there somewhere.

But the crew of the Second Chance had no idea what they were in for. Days after reaching their target, the barrier came down. And the Second Chance had to defend themselves against waves of attacks before jumping into hyperspace.

This is a space odyssey! A marvelous tale. The characters are impossible to hate. What I loved most about the book was not the travel to investigate the stars. Its the situations in between. There is Paula Myo, investigative officer, hell bent on capturing a famous terrorist who vehemently believes there is an alien among humans corrupting them. Then there is the other sentient alien ship, whose motives are still unknown.

And before the final page is over, I've started to believe that the terrorsits might actually be right. Bloody gave me goosebumps all over.

Eager to get into the final book now.

My Rating - 4.5 stars

PRICE - INR 400/-      

Hexagon by Ishaan Lalit

A Thrilling tale about Rahul Oberoi,an art thief whose great achievement was that he had never been caught. All that changed when he along with his girlfriend and partner Ria are apprehended during a heist.They are then taken to a top secret underground government facility where rahul's grandfather worked. In the middle of this facility is an ancient device made of stone adorned with mysterious carvings. It is a gateway to six parallel dimensions and six different earths. they are then embroiled in a war waged by a violent race called the moths and the fate of the six earths depends on the outcome of this war.

 I read Ishaan's first book and I have read it twice since then. It was firsttime some indian author wrote a fantasy/sci-fic book and wrote it so damn well. [ I recommend you to do read that. ]

Hence there was much wait and expectations from Hexagon for me. The story as outlined above is pretty straight and almost expected. Now with such books , it becomes all the more important to make the characters and events memorable. The cause and effect of each character / community should be in a way that one thinks about them days after finishing the book and marvel at the author's thought.

There are indeed some part of the books which are done well. But then there are pages and pages where the characters are so dumb, so unreal. The conversations are just not worth reading line by line. It was like reading subtitles for a non english movie. Rahul is not arrogant , but comes across as stupid and a spoiled brat. Rarely does he think before he says or acts. One doesn't expect the hero of all earths to be a coward but poilte and humble sure can be imagined. 

Ria , his girlfriend ; Khaled and his girl Mia , the Moth emperor , his arrmy head , all of them have their good and bad scenes. Unfortunately for me , the bad ones are far more than the good ones. Also the events are not linked or given a befitting cause or reason .

Only character I liked in the ook is of high priest and their fountain of red liquid.

This is an easy read in the sense you would want to finish it.
But how satisfied you are after this reading experience, I can not comment.

Rating : 2/5

The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?




1st PUBLISHED: 2008

ISBN: 13-978-81-8477-169-5

BEST SELLERS: Suzanne Collins is the author of the bestselling Underland Chronicles, which started with George the Overlander. In the Hunger Games, she continues to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age. Other books in this series are Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

GENRE: Science Fiction/ Adventure

SYNOPSIS:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender.

But if she is to win, she will have to weigh survival against humanity, and life against love. Suzanne Collins delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in the future with unsettling parallels to our present.

EXCERPT:

They do surgery in the Capitol to make them appear younger and thinner. In District 12, looking old is something of an achievement since so many people die early. You see an elderly person you want to congratulate them on their longevity, ask the secret of survival. A plump person is envied because they aren't scrapping by like the majority of us.

ARPITA SPEAKS:

This is a book you'll find your nose buried in until you finish it. I just could not put it down; I was practically walking around reading it and consequently banging into things. The plot is, of course, outstanding. The book might not bring you to tears, but it will shake you to the core.

That I actually enjoyed reading the book kind of disturbs me somewhat, to be quite honest; considering the fact that the whole time I'd been cursing people for being so sadistically entertained by gory reality shows. Because, that's what this book subtly draws you attention to- the awful truth about the public, and the government. To punish the downtrodden for rebelling against the Capitol, and to remind them never to challenge their superiority, they introduced the disgracefully popular Hunger Games, which have 24 young boys and girls fighting each other, trapped in an outdoor arena that could be anything from a frozen wasteland to a burning desert. The catch? Only one would survive.

Katniss is a heroine you'll find hard to forget. Courage and caliber are what she's all about. A girl with prodigious hunting skills, she becomes the head of the family after the death of the father she loved. Immensely protective of her little sister, she volunteers for the Hunger Games. Knowing how little chance she has of winning- or in other words, surviving- Katniss leaves behind her family, and the boy who was in intricate part of her life, to step into unknown territory accompanied by another boy who she feels she owes her life to...

While the training sessions and makeovers are amusing, the gruesome deaths are all the more haunting because these are children we are talking about. Here's science fiction blended with philosophy; just the right touch of romance and a dash of humor. There are such a lot of unexpected surprises, right until the end of the story- it's fulfilling and there's still something to look forward to; like having a sumptuous meal and waiting for desert.

Eager to read the next book in the series.

RATING: 5/5

PRICE: Rs.295/- (This was my reward for becoming the Member of the Month in February; I couldn't thank the admins enough for sending me this particular book. I'll always treasure it.)

NUMBER OF PAGES: 374

PS- And with this review, people, I've officially become a PURPLE card holder!! Are the admins listening?! :D

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

NEVER LET ME GO

AUTHOR: Kazuo Ishiguro

GENRE: Science-Fiction

SYNOPSIS:

In one of the most acclaimed novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishigaro imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewed version of contemporary England. Narrated by Kathy, now thirty-one, Never Let Me Go dramatizes her attempts to come to terms with her childhood at the seemingly idyllic Halisham School and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world. A story of love, friendship and memory, Never Let Me Go is charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of life.

EXCERPT:

"What I think", said Tommy slowly, "is this. Suppose its true what the veterans were saying. Suppose some special arrangement has been made for Halisham students. Suppose two people say they are truly in love and they want extra time together. Then you see Kath, there has to be a way to judge, and see if they are telling the truth. That they aren't just saying they are in love, just to defer their donations. Or they think its love but its really just a sex thing. Or a crush. But the point is whoever decides they need something to go on"

I nodded slowly. "So that's why they took away our art…"

"It could be.. Suppose two people come to Madame saying they are in love, she could find the art they have done over the years. She can see if they match. She said our art reveals our soul. She could decide what's a really good match and what's just a stupid crush"

Chandana says: 

The children of Hailsham House are afraid of the woods. In the days when their guardians were much stricter, the school myth goes, a boy's body was found there with its hands and feet removed. Despite the incessant rumors, Hailsham children seem to have a nice life. The school places considerable emphasis on self-expression through art and, especially, on staying healthy. There are frequent, exhaustive medical check-ups. Smoking is a real crime, because of the way it can damage your body. 

Yet despite the care lavished on them, their world has a puzzlingly second-hand feel. Everything they own is junk. Sometimes you get the feeling they're being taken care of on the cheap. In fact, they are; and their fear of the woods reflects, in a distorted but pretty accurate way, their fate. They're organ donors, cloned to be broken up piece by piece and used as spares. The purpose of Hailsham is to prepare them for their future - to help instill in them feelings of self-repression and denial that will keep them steady and dependable from one donation to the next.

Never Let Me Go is the story of Kathy and Tommy and Ruth, and of the love-triangle they begin at Hailsham. Ruth is the controlling one, Tommy is the one who used to find it hard to keep his temper: they hope that love will save them. They've heard that love or art, or both - will get you a deferral (Couples who are deeply in love will be allowed to live together for a while like a "normal couple" before they begin their donations). Kathy - well, Kathy is a carer by nature as well as profession: she watches her friends break themselves against the inevitable, but never lets them go. After Hailsham, they grow from puzzled children to confused young adults. They live in a prolonged limbo, waiting for the call to donate. They're free to wander. They learn to drive, roam Britain looking for their "possibles" - the real human beings they might have been cloned from.

Although this is science-fiction the actual 'science of cloning' is no where discussed. How exactly are the clones created? How are they kept alive after they start donating? How do they survive their third, fourth and fifth donations? The author is more interested in the emotional world of the clones. This extraordinary and, in the end, rather frighteningly clever novel isn't about cloning, or being a clone, at all. Its about three friends and the simple hopes that they have. The title of Never Let Me Go is taken from Kathy's favorite song, by make-believe folk singer Judy Bridgewater.  Kathy listens to the song while dancing and holding a pillow that she imagines to be a baby.  It presents a very sad image, for she can never have a real baby.  Moreover, she has never been held as a child, never had a mother she could ask not to let her go.  Though she soldiers on, tending to her dying fellows without complaint, Kathy's silent dance betrays how greatly she is in need of tenderness.  Aren't we all?

PRICE: INR 523/- (Flipkart Price)

OTHER INFO : Turned into a movie in 2010

PAGES: 282

RATING: 3.5/5

Digital Fortress - Dan Brown

AUTHOR - Dan Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author of Thrillers. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and real life appearance covered conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into over 40 languages, and as of 2009, sold over 80 million copies..

BEST-SELLERS -

§ Digital Fortress, 1998

§ Angels & Demons, 2000

§ Deception Point, 2001

§ The Da Vinci Code, 2003

§ The Lost Symbol, 2009

SYNOPSIS – Dan Brown set his razor-sharp research and storytelling skills on the most powerful intelligence organization on earth--the National Security Agency (NSA), an ultra-secret, multibillion-dollar agency many times more powerful than the CIA. When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant and beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage...not by guns or bombs, but by a code so ingeniously complex that if released it would cripple U.S. intelligence. Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Susan Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves. From the underground hallways of power to the skyscrapers of Tokyo to the towering cathedrals of Spain, a desperate race unfolds. It is a battle for survival--a crucial bid to destroy a creation of inconceivable genius...an impregnable code-writing formula that threatens to obliterate the post-cold war balance of power. Forever.

Quotes –

· “I It is said that in death, all things become clear; Ensei Tankado now knew it was true.”

· “ there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Strathmore loved his country.He was known to his colleagues as a patriot and a visionary...a decent man in a world of lies.”

· “ Every night the young Tankado stared down at the twisted fingers holding his daruma wish-doll and swore he'd have revenge - revenge against the country that had stolen his mother and shamed his father into abandoning him.”

· “He seemed to have an uncanny ability to see past the moral perplexities surrounding the NSA's difficult decisions and to act without remorse in the interest of the common good.”

· “ An algorithm that resists brute force will never become obsolete.”

Pulkit Speaks –

Unputdownable is the word for this one. Now for those of you who have not come across Dan Brown’s books yet, I can tell you from my experiences that there are only two shades to it – either you will fall in love with them or you will end up feeling that they are just plainly overrated. I belong to the class of people who thinks that he is unarguably the best in the business in his genre. He writes books that enlightens you as well as entertain you at the same time. Digital fortress is just plain delight and a master read that runs at its amazing neck breaking pace and makes you turn pages one after the other, till the time you have read it all. The technical concepts and algorithms about system security and how they solve the problems in the book till the very last moment can actually double your interest to know about the field of cryptography. Yes at various stages of the book, it would be predictable but that is no reason not to appreciate the creatively engrossing and brain engaging plotline of the book which is almost a ten on ten pointer. In my personal opinion this is Dan Brown’s not only first one but the best one too, closely followed by Angels and Demons, Deception point being third. I found the lost symbol to be a little over lengthy. Let me know what you felt about his books if you have read them in the comments section.

Rating – 4.5 / 5. You will not regret spending on this one!

Price – 299

Original Language: English Publisher: St. Martin's Press Country: U.S.A. Publication Date: 1 January 1998 ISBN: 0312263120 Page Count: 431

PS – Apologies for the irregularity on the blog from my side. It’s not intentional but forcefull. The new schedule in the job is just too stressful at the moment . Shall try to post and stay interactive with all you guys soon. Came to Kanpur for a day at home and managed time to post this. How is everyone doing by the way? Let there be comments! : )

The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

THE TIME TRAVELLER'S WIFE

GNERE: FICTION

AUTHOR: Audrey Niffenegger

SYNOPSIS:

(Blurb)

This is an extraordinary love story of Claire and Henry who met when Claire was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Claire was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force whcih they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Claire's struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. 

EXCERPT:

Claire: It's hard being left behind. I wait for henry, not knowing where he is, wondering if he's okay. It's hard to be the one who stays.

I keep myself busy. Time goes faster that way.

I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I'm tired. I watch the wind play with the trash that's been under the snow all winter. Everything seems simple until you think about it. Why is love intensified by absence?

Chandana speaks-

This book tells the story of Henry DeTamble, a librarian in Chicago and his wife Claire Abshire, who is an artist. Henry has a rare genetic disorder (Chrono-Displacement) that causes him to travel through time involuntarily. In the opening of the novel, when 28 year old Henry meets 20 year old Claire, he has no idea who she is although she has known him her entire life. Weird much? It just gets weirder. Henry begins his time traveling at the age of five, jumping forward and backward in his timeline. Where he goes, when he goes, and how long he goes is never in his control. He could be doing an everyday task like brushing his teeth and he would suddenly find himself with a 12 year old Claire. Most often he travels to places and times related to his history. He goes jogging to remain calm and stay in the present. Henry cannot carry anything with him during his sudden travels so he always arrives naked and then struggles to find food, clothes and shelter. 

The Time Traveler's Wife follows the story of their lives mostly in a straightforward chronology, at least from Claire's perspective. She's a child and then a teenager with their secret rendezvous throughout the years in the meadow. Henry first visited her at an older age, so he knew the dates that the earlier versions of himself would visit the older versions of Claire (Its confusing I know.. but keep up!) She kept clothes hidden for him in the meadow and sometimes hid him in a basement room of her house. He was her big secret that she always kept to herself. How could she explain the presence of an older man who traveled through time to be with her?  During another visit, he inadvertently reveals that they will be married in the future. Over time they develop a close relationship. Claire is last visited in her youth by Henry in 1989, on her eighteenth birthday, during which they make love for the first time. They are then separated for two years until their meeting at the library - which is the 'actual meeting' when both of them are in the present.

At its heart, and a very big heart at that, The Time Traveler's Wife is a love story, one populated by realistic characters. Even with the time travel and its effects on their lives, Henry and Claire are people you intimately know and empathize with, their fears and flaws common to us all. Even through their rough stretches of their life, the lifelong fear of something terrible happening to Henry while time traveling, their anguish at the miscarriages when Claire wants a baby more than anything else, the moments where they'd just rather be alone, their love for each other is never questioned and their hope is never extinguished. Henry plans carefully and worries often during potentially stressful situations, like his wedding to Claire or meeting her family for the first time. It also adds to the suspense of the story, not knowing when Henry will arrive or leave during any important part of their life together.

You kind of start to guess where the story is headed when finally Henry and Claire finally have a daughter,  Alba. Alba is diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement as well but, unlike Henry, she has some control over her destinations when she time travels. Before she is born, Henry travels to the future and meets his ten-year-old daughter on a school field trip and learns that he died when she was five years old. Once you're buried within this novel and fully immersed in their lives, you have to suffer their pain - the knowledge that they know Henry is going to die, as well as celebrate their joys with Henry and Claire.

When he is 43, during what is to be his last year of life, Henry time travels to a Chicago parking garage on a frigid winter night where he is unable to find shelter. As a result of the hypothermia and frostbite he suffers, his feet are amputated when he returns to the present. Henry and Claire both know that without the ability to run and escape when he time travels, Henry will certainly die within his next few jumps. On New Year's Eve 2006 Henry time travels into the middle of the Michigan woods in 1984 and is accidentally shot by Claire's brother, a scene foreshadowed earlier in the novel. Henry returns to the present and dies in Claire's arms.

Claire is devastated by Henry's death. She later finds a letter from Henry asking her to "stop waiting" for him, but which describes a moment in her future when she will see him again. The last scene in the book takes place when Claire is 82 years old and Henry is 43. She is waiting for Henry, as she has done most of her life, and when he arrives they clasp each other for what may or may not be the last time.

PRICE: INR 280/- (Flipkart price)

Film Tie-in (Paperback)

Pages - 615

RATING: 4/5