The Shadow Of The Wind

                                                                     THE SHADOW OF THE WIND

                                                                             Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Love and deception are at the heart of the literary mystery aren't they always?'

Scotland on Sunday

"The book is written by someone witty and knowing enough to spoof himself while still being able to raise the hairs on the back of your neck... Barcelona becomes a place of doors opening into dark interiors of the mind'

Economist

'The Shadow of the Wind will keep you up for nights and it'll be time well spent. Absolutely marvellous' Kirkus starred review*

"This is such a racy, enthralling tale that it is easy to see why it spent two years on the bestseller list when it was first published in Spanish and Catalan... clever and expertly told... an extremely good read'

Herald

'A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love'

Woman's Own

'An astounding critical success. There's an intricate plot, a gothic atmosphere and an elusive quest, as well as murders, intrigue and star-crossed lovers'

Guardian

'Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should'

Michael Dirda, Washington Post

'Combining all the best elements of crime fiction with an investiga-tion of the power of literature to shape our lives and imaginations, it is one of the most original and compelling stories of the past decade'

Nick Rennison, Waterstones Quarterly

One Hundread Years Of Solitude

 ONE HUNDREAD YEARS OF SOLITUDE

GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

A magical book that should be read by every one. This book is about Buendia family of 4 generations.

I enjoyed all the wilderness, solitary lifes, labyrnithe and entricate behaviours of characters.

Every generation will be falling into the cycle of love, hatred, passion, solitude and death over and overagain.

I particularly love the last pages of the book, very curious how the writer is going to end this endless cycle of human life. Blended with magical realism this book explored the culture of latin american's.

A few quores that i love are:

• It's enough for me to be sure that  you and i exist at the moment.
• The first of the line is tied to a tree and last of the line is eaten by ants.

Notes From Underground

                 NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND

Now I ask you: what can be expected of man since he is a being endowed with strange qualities? Shower upon him every earthly blessing, drown him in a sea of happiness, so that nothing but bubbles of bliss can be seen on the surface; give him economic prosperity, such that he should have nothing else to do but sleep, eat cakes and busy himself with the continuation of his species, and even then out of sheer ingratitude, sheer spite, man would play you some nasty trick. 

   

He would even risk his cakes and would deliberately desire the most fatal rubbish, the most uneconomical absurdity, simply to introduce into all this positive good sense his fatal fantastic element. It is just his fantastic dreams, his vulgar folly that he will desire to retain, simply in order to prove to himself-as though that were so necessary-that men still are men and not the keys of a piano, which the laws of nature threaten to control so completely that soon one will be able to desire nothing but by the calendar. 

The Atlas Six

 THE ATLAS SIX

Knowledge is CARNAGE

With the caption of "Knowledge is carnage" , this novel had attracted many young readers  and became a famous series. The other two books The atlas paradox and The atlas complex are most awaited series.

Being classified as Dark Academia book, this book deals with the six magicians who enter into a secret society where there find themselves in path of blood, love, knowledge and secrets. Attractive narration and characters. Well written. Possessing various magical talents, these six tenets will find a way to kill or die for knowledge and later realized to be for there lives. 

A few lines that I like are:

"Beware the man who faces you unarmed. If in his eyes you are not the target, then you can be sure you are the weapon"

"Because the problem with knowledge Miss Rhoades, is its inexhaustible craving. The more of it you have, the less you feel you know"

The Master and Margarita

 THE MASTER AND MARGARITA-MIKHAIL BULGAKOV

it's a DEVIL GAME

A true literary gem that seamlessly blends fantasy, political criticism, magic, and death, wrapped around a poignant love story. The novel took years to write, with Bulgakov laboring on it from 1928 until his death in 1940. Due to the oppressive political climate of the Soviet Union, it wasn’t published until 1967 in a censored version, with the complete text only appearing in 1973.

The story alternates between two main plotlines: one set in atheistic Soviet Russia, where the devil, Woland, and his entourage, including the demonic cat Behemoth, wreak havoc, and another recounting the trial of Jesus by Pontius Pilate. The presence of the devil brings death and violence like a plague, with disappearances and murders that go unquestioned due to their inexplicability.

Here are some lines that stand out for their brilliance and depth:

1. "Dostoevsky's dead," said the citizeness. "I protest!" Behemoth exclaimed hotly. "Dostoevsky is immortal."
2. "We speak different languages, as usual. But that does not change what we speak about. Well?"

These quotes highlight the novel's wit and philosophical depth, capturing the essence of its satire and dark humor.

CANDIDE

 CANDIDE by VOLTAIRE

At end all you can do is to work.

My first post would have been a more optimistic book. However, this book is a thought-provoking and interesting exploration of philosophy and plot. As a witty and satirical work on the philosophy of optimism,Candide offers ultimate entertainment and profound views on life's pessimism.

Though it's brief (not more than 100 pages), this little book has been translated into many languages and is recognized as one of the masterpieces of French literature. A few lines I love from  Candide include: 

"If this is the best of all possible worlds, where then are the others?

"God has punished the knave, but the devil has drowned the rest."

Candide is a great depiction of human perversity, with optimism overthrown by life itself. No will is needed; all you need to do is grow your garden. The only way to escape from human sorrows is to work. And why? So that we can relinquish ourselves from two elements of evil: need and boredom.