Great Expectations

I remember my col senior advising me during "interaction" sessions - 'Never expect from any one and never let anyone expect from you'. And I should say now, 6 years hence that day, I still haven't 100% followed that advice. Anyways this blog is not about my expectations or any philosophy regarding expectations. As the title says its about the book I just finished Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

I had picked up this book at the start of first sem of my masters. Busy as I was, I read it just now in my sem break. The reason I bought this book was, a friend of mine rather a literary friend of mine used to go on and on about Charles Dickens and I, haven't read even a single work of his (expect school curriculum) used to be at loss of words ( and I don't like that). The author is really famous and well known for the fact that most of his works are first person narrative. When you read the book, its a story about you, one can always be pip and live thru the novel. This makes one more involved in the novel and of course adds to the pleasure of reading, specially when you are reading to get away from the pending projects and assignments.

As all the classics I have read, there are few really strong characters in the book Miss Havisham and Magwitch being my favorites, and definitely I like Joe. The story has nothing special to offer. A lady left at the altar by a guy who plots against her with her brother for money. A convict who repays by trying to get a kid from slums to castles. A blacksmith so innocent and pure who gets offended by no one. A lady who destroys everything for someone else's revenge. A lawyer so strict of rules that he hides millions of secrets. A person so kind to one but ungrateful to other. In the end the justice is served, convict is hanged, old villain is sent to jail, good people are married, struggler's reach somewhere in business, and pip gets the lady he always loved. And they meet never to be parted. The language is something I really appreciate. Love to read a book thats so pure and filled with emotions, strongly expressed emotions they were.

The story is about pip who journeys from a naive kid to a man of honor (may be too strong a word). The transition is neatly expressed and clearly justified. When he realizes his benefactor is a convict he does resist initially but lately tries to do everything to make things right, even illegally, even at the stake of losing everything, which means a lot for a kid who was ashamed of his poor uncle. Also the love he had for the lady which lasted even after her beauty was gone and she was divorced, made him worthy to have her. Plus the way secrets are hidden and people are entangled, is quiet a treat.

Every man ought to know his own business best - A line from the book which I want to remember always.

PS - I saw a movie Crash today, a must watch it is. The only movie which shows good part as well as bad part in every person. There is good and little bit bad in each one of us.

PAUL McCARTNEY - Maybe I m amazed

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time
And hung me on a line
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you


Maybe I'm a man and maybe I'm a lonely man
Who's in the middle of something
That he doesn't really understand
Maybe I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman
Who could ever help me
Baby won't you help me understand


Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song
You right me when I'm wrong
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you

---Beautiful lyrics

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

Whoever has ever read or heard about ‘PS I Love you’ would have definitely noticed ‘The Gift’ by the same author. I had got the book some 2 years back. I loved the former book by the author, a guy who knew his end was near pre-arranges small surprises for his beloved for a year (after his death), to help her cope up with the loss. Lovely romance it was, beautifully written and so I had to get the next book in the series. But I never could find time to read the book. Some or the other reason, time or some exam or some other novel, and funnily I never came across any motive to read it. There were no reviews about the book anywhere; moreover none of my friends had read it, to encourage me to read it. But finally I read the book (thanks to my new laid rule – not to buy any more books till I finish all that I already have) and decided to write about it.

As story, love romance family it’s beautiful. The main jist being appreciate and love your family, lovely work by the author. But there are so many unanswered questions (waise that goes for PS I love you also) but this book has too much fantasy to be accepted. You can’t accept the concept of pills to clone a person so he can be at two places at the same time. I agree people in this era are dying to do everything at once, everyone wants to be at 2/3 places at a time. I won’t blame them, the life in this century demands that, u want to succeed u need to do work of two at a time , but seriously it would be a lovely movie like “Just Like heaven” or “If Only” and many more. I feel a novel should tie all loose ends; u cannot say something and leave it to the reader’s fantasies. Anything out of ordinary in Harry Potter is accepted it’s a different world but not everywhere.

What she wants to say (from both the books I have read) is so true, u have just 24 hours and you cannot get more (unless some miracle) use them properly, value things, prioritize things properly. You can always earn money you can never earn time. You can always keep running to finish all chores, to get all deals but you really need to appreciate the family and friends you have, who stand by you when you are running

Not review exactly!

Long time since I wrote few reviews on this space. After finishing my exams for 1^st sem I m enjoying my time watching movies and reading a novel, so thought will write about them.

First “eat pray love”, too much of hype. The story is good and after really long time I m reading a novel which is based on true life story and feels that it is a true life story (loads of fantasies I have read – based on true life story). I actually m not gonna read the sequel by the author. No offense but too many details, frankly if I do want to learn or understand meditation I will look for a book about it, wont read a novel for it. A personal opinion – I read novel to see world from other person’s eyes, sometime I love the perspective (harry potter) sometimes I don’t (lately have read too many to name one). I am a big fan of classics, fav – pride and prejudice by Jane Austen. Love the story Love the characters Love the presentation Love the language. And I am not at all able to relate to these latest modern authors, really boring; may be cause it is so much related to the real world that my eyes see nothing interesting in them.

Next movies –

Due Date – a strict no no, really needed a break from my hectic col schedule thought it is from the director of hangover should be nice but damn it was crap but worked well to get my head off studies.

Harry Potter – the best in the series after the first and the second. Hated the fifth and sixth part. Loved getting back to the beautiful world of magic where things go right in the end always.

Before Sunrise/Before Sunset – two movies, one sequel for other. A kind of movie which I would have loved to read. A novel of these would have been my favourites but not the movie. But still a must watch, love can still be beautiful

Jhootha hi sahi – fun to watch on the laptop in a lonely train journey, would have hated in the theaters

Anjaana Anjaani – full entertainment, Ranbir is becoming my next fav. Hrithik can never be beaten

Break Ke baad – some people copy the story, some copy the jist, some copy everything. One person told me its like Love aaj Kal, story ya may be but the movie nope not at all, doesn’t have any logic only this movie is too much

Action Replayy – I just watched this movie cause it was there in my laptop, a horrible disastrous remake of “back to the future II”. But the movie did make me laugh.

I m off to watch golmal 3 and salt and knight and day and A team……many more in the queue

Have to watch Narnia 3 alsooooooo

I also tried to watch Khichidi – talkin of untolerable movies, I couldn’t watch even for half an hour, deleted it.

Thanks

Yesterday I was watching “Saajan” (yup on tv, I m back home enjoying tata sky), one of those block buster hits of old times. Guess what was the most striking thing about the movie, it was that skinny handsome salman khan (of course Madhuri is there but she looks exactly same even now).This reminded me of a sms – as days pass by u see no change, but when u look back at your life lots of things change. So much has changed since I passed +2, in me and around. The only thing constant in life is change, so true.

I have this theory the end is always beautiful, it’s the journey that matters. The small beautiful moments are the things that I remember about my life most; the time I spent with my friends, the horrible movies I have seen with my mates in theatres, the time when my dad came to Nagpur to make sure I got into the correct train. In this so called “modern world” we just keep running to achieve goals, goals keep changing but running never stops and the result we might achieve everything we ever dreamed of but still something is missing; no one knows what that thing is cause we passed through it way back in our life.

Today I actually look back at my life and remember – how I used to fight with my bro (l remember when he shot the gun at me, n that plastic bullet stuck right in my glasses), I remember I never went to drop my bro to station cause I couldn’t see him off, now I scam him nicely for gifts J , I remember my mom cooking so many things just the day before I leave for hostel cause I should have home made food in hostel, I remember my dad dropping me at the school bus stop, my dad was my first jogging partner, I remember my awesome school days – those teachers day celebrations, there were inter house competitions, feels awesome when one of my school mate catches up on face book or orkut, I remember col hostel life – my first out of home experience, I remember chennai beaches, I remember fun in office training, everyday non veg jokes, I remember my first few days in masters, many more will come. My life is made up of all these moments along with many others. One day suddenly I get reminded of something and it makes my day, sometime I even feel sad. But then I remember one of the lines by my friend’s mom - don’t ever regret a decision which u had taken, at that moment at that instant you thought it was right and so it is. I used to be a person who panicked full time but all great friends of mine made me realize life is too short for regrets and panics, enjoy the beautiful thing called life

Thanks to all those people who ever came in my life and will come J