The Youth Blog

Take some time out of your packed schedule. You definitely wont repent it. These classics are sure to give you just the break you needed.

 1. REBECCA- DAPHNE DU MAURIER

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”.

Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ is an evergreen classic. ‘Rebecca’ will continue to haunt you long after you have turned the last page over. The beauty of Rebecca lies in the first person narration of an extremely touching thriller. Wondering what I mean by a touching thriller? This emotional story suddenly takes the most thrilling turn you could ever imagine. The story unfolds many mysteries. But the one you are left with is the identity of the narrator. All you know about her are her feelings, her tumultuous thoughts, her insecurities, jealousies and her story.. beautifully told.

2. MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS- GERALD DURRELL

This hilarious autobiographical account takes us to Corfu, a Greek island where Gerrald Durrel spent four years of his childhood between 1935 and 1939. Durrel’s narration of his family comprising of his widowed mother, diet-conscious sister Margo, gun- crazy Leslie and Larry together with their various pets on and off the house does more than just tickle your funny bone.

 3. SMALL MIRACLES : Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life- Yitta Halberstam and  Bernie S. Siegel

This small book will bring in a lot of positivity into your life. A collection of real life ‘miracles’ this book will bring in the wonder and beauty of coincidences that make us wonder whether there is a higher power looking over us. A must grab to keep away everyday blues or brighten up the lining of a dark cloud.

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Have you ever imagined what it would be like, if your every move was watched, your every thought was discerned, your every action was accounted for, and your existence itself was at the mercy of someone else? Gives you the creeps, doesn’t it? Well, George Orwell did give us the creeps.

A book that’s hailed as the most effectively written literary science-fiction, 1984 (written in 1949) is a dystopian novel depicting a virtual fiefdom in the year 1984, where society is constantly under surveillance by the Party, and real happiness is a thing of the past.

Winston Smith, the protagonist of 1984, is a civil servant and works for the Ministry of Truth, whose job is to further the Party’s propaganda. And to achieve this, he erases and modifies historical records, thus changing history itself.

His life is as prosaic as can be, with a screen watching him day in and day out.

The lassitude of his life irks him to such an extent that he thinks of revolting against Big Brother-the elusive head of the Party, whose eyes follow everyone.

And then he meets Julia, a co-worker in the Ministry, and in her presence, he relives all those great moments of life he ever desired or cherished. In the year 1984, he longs to get back to his childhood days, and at the same time he remembers the struggles his mother had to go through to make ends meet.

Eventually, he realizes the present is not as smooth as he had thought after meeting Julia.

As things start to unfold, he experiences what it is like to be tortured and coaxed, and how one can never run away from the Party, no matter what.

In projecting the dystopian year 1984, George Orwell has so effectively portrayed the struggles of the proletariat and the elite that one cannot but feel immense pity.

Nineteen Eighty Four gets one thinking and makes one shudder, at the possible influence that a government might have on the society. Thus, it is very important to have the right ideology and to think on the right lines, and not blindly believe what’s made to be true by someone.

George Orwell-whose real name is Eric Blair-has also earned an eponym, Orwellian, after writing 1984. An Orwellian state refers to a totalitarian regime where the government gives no freedom to its citizens, and scrutinizes their every move. It’s a word with a very negative connotation.

Hats off to Mr. George Orwell.

Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

Lolita turned France topsy turvy with its description of the mindset of Humbert, a paedophile. The book was banned in France, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and the United Kingdom. Despite the controversies, it still managed to sell more that 100,000 copies in America in just three weeks!

The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie (1989)

Salman Rushdie created quite a tornado with this book.  Riots in India and Pakistan left many injured and some even dead. Rushdie was  condemned by Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian spiritual leader. Rewards of upto $3 million was announced for anyone who killed him. A Japanese translator is said to have been stabbed to death for accepting to translate it. Citizens of Venezuela were threatened with upto 15 months in prison if they dared even open the book.  After receiving death threats, bookshops across the world removed all copies form their shelves. The infamous Rushdie had to hibernate for almost a decade till the wrath subsided.

American Psycho- Bret Easton Ellis  (1991)

American Psycho is a first person account of a fictitious serial killer. Ellis was the subject of severe criticism and received innumerable death threats and hate mail. The book is banned in Queensland and Canada. In most other countries like New Zealand and Australia, the book has been branded as “R18” under the censorship legislation. This psychological thriller has been deemed as being extremely dangerous for minors.

Lajja- Taslima Nasrin (1993)

Lajja is Taslima’s take on the anti-Hindu riots which followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Lajja was banned in Bangladesh and in some parts of India as soon as it managed to get out of the printing press. Despite the ban, over 50,ooo copies were sold within the first six months itself. Taslima went into hiding after a non-bail able arrest warrant was issued against her in Bangladesh. Thousands took to the streets demanding her death. She was finally granted bail with a condition that she would leave Bangladesh for good. Though she has been living in exile,  Taslima hasn’t stopped writing. She has authored more that thirty books.

The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown (2003)

Dan Brown’s masterpiece has as many critics as fans- if not more. Brown’s critics accuse him for his inaccurate description of history, European art and architecture. Brown’s take on the history of the Catholic  Church and its ‘secrets’ angered quite a few.