Prey by Michael Crichton

Have you ever thought about microorganisms you inhale day in, day out?
How about the itch at the back of your neck as you read this blog entry?
Are you really sure that the air you breath is clean? The itch is harmless?
Why don’t you reach back and scratch that itch... just do it before you continue to read this posting… :-P

Which brings us to the review of this book entitled “Prey by Michael Crichton”; because miniscule particles are not as harmless as it seems.

Published in year 2002, this novel is based on tale of misguided bunch of scientist creating nanobots based on genetically modified E.Coli bacteria for Department of Defense. Pushed into the main storyline is our protagonist, Jack Forman who used to be a top notch artificial software programmer until he was booted out for revealing his boss’ under-table dealings.

Being a house-husband and his wife (who works as VP for Xymos, a nanorobotics company) as sole breadwinner pushed him to the brink of emotional roller coaster as he suspected his wife for having an affair behind him (clues: very tight clothes, late night bath before sleep, late night phone calls and wearing those “f*ck-me-heels”).

Things started spiraling down when his kid was afflicted with severe rashes only to be cured instantly when they loaded her into MRI scan. He was then offered by his ex-boss to work with his old gang of programmers to rein in a swarm of escaped nanoparticles, which shows obvious sign of evolving, reproducing, self-sufficiency and the ability to learn and innovate.

Wait a minute... this is boring book review... what am I doing writing a formal book review!!
Crazy me… let me restart…

Ahem…!

This book is about a bunch of people trying to rein in a bunch of escaped nanoparticles originally designed for military purposes. So basically it’s about human against a swarm of nanoparticles with intelligence!

So did we (as human) wins?

Of course we win, we always win due to our ingenious; think-out-of-the-box intelligence. The team of protagonist in the novel smoked, lured, tagged (not individually-lah of course), tailed, before finally bombing the swarm’s hideout.

In the end, the swarm is not the only problem they have because some of the “smarter” swarm has found a way to co-exist symbiotically with humans!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, some of the particles decided that living inside a human host and propagates via kisses (or something else not mentioned in this book :-P) is the best way of surviving amidst the land of crazy Homo-sapiens.

But of course, our heroes in this book will not let this happen without crossing over their dead bodies. So they combat back with more particles; which is bad for the symbiotic particles but harmless for human; and after that, they bombed the place to smithereens to complete the annihilation.

What do I think about the book?
Hmmm… I think I got smarter after reading it :-D

I can now talk about the potential harm of tweaking stuff on minuscule level without considering its future consequences.
It would be like introducing vector A to kill vector B only to realize that vector A is harmful to the environment and will go on to kill vector C, D and E.

Told you I’m smarter now...hehehe…


Personal rating: 7 out of 10

Cons:
1) Sometimes long winded explanation on scientific stuff; which is essential to the progress of the storyline but drags the pace of the story itself

Pros:
1) Ingenious assimilation of family problems with technical mumbo-jumbo in one action packed storyline.
2) One of few novels I’ve read with citations to actual thesis/dissertation/white paper on actual researches done.

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

"Once upon a time, there was a prostitute named Maria"

Grabbed your attention didn’t I? :-D

Don’t blame yourself. It’s a perfectly normal reaction because that’s how Paulo’s novel entitled “Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho” grabbed mine as well :-) not one, but twice!

What a grand way to start a book about prostitution.

Why it is titled “Eleven Minutes”? Why not “Twelve Minutes” or “X Minutes”?

If the title bugs you as how it has bugged me, the explanation (as what our protagonist, Maria “discovered”) is that on average; it takes only ELEVEN minutes to complete the whole act of copulation and yet people are obsessed with it. Now you learnt something new eh? :-P so go ahead and time yourself... hehehe...

Now back to the book review :-)

Contrary to what you read in other review sites, this book is not “porn-ish” enough to be categorized as porn, nor lurid enough to be lumped together with “Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk”.

In this novel, our pretty heroine; Maria suffers from her first unrequited love and determines that she will never trust anyone with her heart again. A chance encounter on her trip to Rio promises her an opportunity to leave her Brazil homeland to an "adventurous trip" to Switzerland.
From thence onwards, our heroine was pushed into sleazy limelight; working first as dancer and then as prostitute by night and voracious book reader by day.

The difference between Maria and normal prostitutes (as depicted in the novel) is that Maria is constantly on the search for the “sacred sex” and not the “wham-bang-thank-you-maam” kind of experience.
She “endured” the job and accumulated enough money for her trip home only to defer her decision when she met 2 guys of different persona.
A painter named Ralf Hart; who lost interest in the sexual part of the relationship and on the lookout for “sacred sex” himself. And a guy simply named Terence; who drove Maria out from her usual sexual experience and embark on a dangerous ride towards pleasure of sadism and masochism.

So who does Maria chose in the end? Sacred sex or S&M? Read this review until the end if you wanna know the spoiler :-P

If I’m a naïve girl reading this book (this is only an assumption :-P), I might be convinced to try and seek out the “sexually filled self discovery journey” befitting Paulo’s theme in this book. Just joking :-D

In my opinion, plot of this novel does not deviate far from Paulo’s consistent theme derived from his hit-selling “The Alchemist”. Books by Paulo (at least the ones I’ve read) tend to favour the prospect of self discovery. In this case, "Eleven Minutes"; though packaged in the world of prostitution and sex, does not disappoint. The only plus point is that the reader gets to peek into a world rarely seen from the sexual workers’ point of view.

So after reading this book twice (as mentioned earlier), perhaps I can start to pen my own book which starts off with:

“Once upon a time, there was a gigolo named xxxx” :-P

Spoiler ahead:
So, who did Maria chose in the end?
Ralf Hart of course! Who would want to get tied up, candle wax dripped on their skin or spanked all the time :-D

P/s: Thanks to this “porn-ish” book, I went on to create a “mini-library” of my own with catalogues of books I’ve read and books I’ve reviewed. In fact, this is the only book that I read twice without realizing it (once in paperback, once in e-book).


Personal rating: 6 out of 10

Cons:
1) I think it sounded too Disney-like albeit with sexually charged promise of “living happily ever after”. So reader should be open-minded when they read this book.

Pros:
1) Insight into the world of prostitution

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

Excerpt from the main opening of the book entitled “The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton”.

Satan is glad – when I am bad
And hopes that I – with him shall lie
In fire and chains – and dreadful pains

- Victorian Child’s Poem, 1856

You know you’re in for a good ride… errrr… a good read when you have Michael’s book in your lap. His book is thoroughly enjoyable and is often irresistibly delicious to read. So much so that forsaking your sleep to turn the pages and read seems worthwhile.

Written in 1975 (way before I was born :-P), this book is what I would categorize as one of the most readable book despite being written mostly in Victorian Era’s speech and slang. Unlike "DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little" which read like a choked carburetor, this book is such a joy to read that I felt somewhat smarter in Victorian slang after reading it :-)

Great example (from the book) would be:
“Pierce asks him the question, see, but he shows no interest in the matter, he plays like a flimp or a dub buzzer, or a mutcher, no interest or importance, and this because he don’t want the skipper to granny that a bone lay is afoot. Now the skipper should have done, we went to a lot of trouble on his account, and he could have put down on us to the miltonians, and for a pretty penny too, but he hasn’t the sense, otherwise why’d he be a skipper, eh?”

Catch no ball? Explanation’s in the book :-) So if you feel like knowing what’s afoot in that particular paragraph, then don’t hesitate to grab this book ASAP.

Now back to the review :-)

With Victorian era England as the backdrop, this novel is about a charismatic but enigmatic protagonist named Edward Pierce, who assembled a “crack team” in their attempt to steal the shipment of gold transported monthly from London to France in order to support the Crimean War.

Crucial foundation of this robbery is to get their hands on keys to the heavyset safes used to keep the gold shipment. This is easier said than done because each of the keys are located and safeguarded by different personnel at different locations. On top of that, multiple levels of security are added to make the shipment as safe as possible.

Though faced with various impossibilities, our anti-hero managed to plan and execute it flawlessly until his main accomplice “turn nose” on him.

The story was told from various point-of-views; in which, primary “voice” is uttered evidence during court proceedings (when they were finally caught but Pierce managed to escape in the end and Agar was sent to Australia in exile). As the story progresses, Michael managed to infuse additional information and clarification on customs, slang and bits and pieces related to Victorian era England, which made the overall read an enjoyable one.

If I were to imagine the book as an ice-cream, then the taste would be rum raisin... my personal favourite... :-) tasty and you’ll definitely feel sated long after you’ve finished the book.
Frankly I don’t know what I am trying to say here... hehehe... aiya... cincai la... :-P


Personal rating: 9 out of 10

Cons:
1) I couldn’t find any flaw with this novel. No wonder it was adapted into movie starred by the good looking old man :-) Sean Connery (I haven’t watched the movie yet though)

Pros:
1) An enjoyable read. So much so that I have “panda eyes” as I read right till late night :-D

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

What a f*cken sh*tcase book. The problem with this f*cken book is that it is filled with so many f*cking words in its f*cking paragraphs that I think it should be renamed as “The Greatest F*cken Book” ever.
This book is so thoroughly laced with profanities that it should be placed behind bars lest the minors read it.

Despite these f*cken profanities (pardon me but I’m getting hooked by the sound of it now :-P), it emerged as a surprise winner for the Man Booker Award 2003. Surprise surprise indeed :-)

After such an interesting opening, let us move on to the boring part of the book review; which is the book review itself. Hey, I didn’t say book review is cool & fun... in fact, it is hard to do you know... sob sob sob (Drama King took over again :-P)

What can I say about this book? Hmmm… let me think… ummm… (Give me some time here, I’m trying to sound intelligent now :-D)

Told from Vernon’s point of view, this book is about his misadventure starting from the small town of Martirio (where he lives with his widowed mother). Vernon’s friend, Jesus Navarro killed his schoolmates before turning the gun on himself. As for Vernon, he is the unfortunate soul to shoulder the dishonorable title of a scapegoat in a town lusting for revenge and retribution. Fearing for his life, he goes on a run to Mexico only to be caught by the police.

With this fact, his “fate” as a fugitive and accessory to murder is sealed and his lifestyle came under intense public scrutiny often with hilarious effects and anecdotes.

After an intense and highly charged court prosecution; when it seems that all hope is lost (here’s the spoiler :-P); he is saved by none other than the sh*t he shat when the murder happened. Yes, you heard that right, they found the class paper he used to wipe his a$$ and prove without reasonable doubt that he has a solid alibi, thus ending the speculation that he’s the accessory for the killings.

So what do I think about this book? Truthfully? Please read on then :-)

Besides being filled to the brim with profanities (as mentioned earlier), this book is laced with even more Texas jargons and slang that reading without stumbling (or re-read) seems impossible.
The flow of the story is not “flow-y” enough to be enjoyed. Think of it like driving a car with chocked carburetor or clogged fuel injectors.
In fact, I have difficulties finishing this book despite it getting great reviews (not to mention accolades by being crowned the Man Booker Winner for 2003).

So without mincing my words, I HATE this book!

It is supposed to be a satire about everything and anything American but the joke about killing your classmate touches on raw nerves.
In my opinion, the satire falls flat and depiction of the dumb-dumb Vernon who supposedly represents the angst ridden youth of America is so out of tune and thoroughly misguided.
As I read this book, I could feel my hatred growing for such an obnoxious and downright stupid character of Vernon.
If these facts did not deter you from reading this f*ucken book, I don’t know what else would. However, if you insist on buying this f*ucken book, please read thru the front, mid and end section before you part with your hard earned money.


Personal rating: 4 out of 10

Cons:
1)I thought the review is filled with negativity? Still not enough to deter you from buying it? :-P


Pros:
1) What is good about the book? Hmmm… perhaps the boldness of DBC Pierre of taking such a topic and satirised it to his whims and fancies.

The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho. The famous writer the world loves and most well known for his book entitled “The Alchemist”. I have to admit that I was a compulsive book buyer when I first started. I tend to buy all books from one writer at one go. BIG MISTAKE :-(

I’ve learnt my lesson the hard way; so ladies and gentlemen, please do not buy books compulsively (especially from one writer at one go) because writers are like engineers too… they have “mood” when they work.. opppsss... write. :-P

Therefore, some of the novels might be appealing while others would be appalling (depending on their mood :-P). One such novel which unfortunately fell in the latter category is entitled “The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho”.

Of all the books from Paulo, I like this THE LEAST! I wouldn’t want to divulge on the details but as per the summary at the back of the book, which reads as follow:

“Why do we destroy the things we love most? This is the question Paulo Coelho faces as he confronts his past. On a forty-day quest into the starkly beautiful and sometimes dangerous Mojave Desert, Paulo and his wife, Cristina, encounter the Valkyries, strange warrior women who travel the desert on motorcycles.”

Great promise nonetheless. But as I read thru the book, I came to the realization that this is a book about Paulo’s journey towards self discovery! I was so disappointed with my book selection that I had to force myself to slug thru the book.

Imagine reading thru the book about something so detached from your consciousness that there is no linkage whatsoever.

I kept cursing myself that I’ve wasted my blood & sweat money over another book which I can’t enjoy in the first place.

If someone were to tell me to look into my soul and evaluate my past, present and future after reading this book, I would advise the person to go back, drink some wine (or hot milk or whatever drink you prefer la..), take a good rest and talk to me tomorrow. :-)


Personal rating: 4 out of 10 (for the effort to record his journey of self discovery)

Cons:
1)What is there to glean from especially if the book is about another person’s self discovery? To learn from his/her experience? If the answer is YES, then I would suggest you (yes, you who read this review) to talk to the elders and learn a thing or two from them from first hand point of view.

Pros:
1) N/A

The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri

Onions... I was chopping onions for omelets the other day during my short reading break when I stumbled upon a linkage... a revelation so to speak.
Plot of this book entitled “The Death of Vishnu” by Manil Suri is so similar to onions. Why onions right? Well, let me explain :-) (I love explaining you know :-))

Like most of the Asian writers, the storyline and characters grow in tandem with each other, thoroughly entwined and there is no way to review the book either from generic or holistic point of view. It is therefore really hard to review these books without losing the essence itself.

As such, I have no choice but to revert to the tried and tested method of reviewing only the main characters of the book as initially done in this blog for “Evening Is The whole Day by Preeta Samarasan”.

To put it mildly, I will “peel” the characters apart akin to peeling onions one layer at a time :-) see the linkage now? Brilliant eh? Hehehehe… Okok... basket case here... :-P

Main character is Vishnu, as the title suggests and as we read on, we’re introduced to the rest of the families staying in one particular apartment in the midst of Mumbai city.
These families are then brought into focus one after another and how they are linked to the others. Without further ado, here are the characters/families in the book and their interactions:

Main character; Vishnu:
A runner or odd job man hired to serve the families staying in the apartment. His “home” is at the ground floor landing of the apartment.
He is despised but tolerated by the families there. He lays dead/dying on the floor landing but is ignored by the rest of the families. In this novel, his ethereal body “walks” up from floor to floor passing (or rather bypassing) all the events surrounding his mortal life.
This book is basically the recollection of Vishnu’s life experiences with respect to his mother, the Pathaks, the Jalals, the Asranis, the Tanejas, Padmini and other “ikan bilis” (anchovies) characters.
Padmani; the whore/lover, in my opinion, is the most interesting part of the book… so much so that I’ve allocated a slot just for her :-D)

The Pathaks and The Asranis:
Not on friendly term with each other. Both strives to outdo each other; even to the extent of claiming who took care of Vishnu the most (in truth, both have this love-hate relationship with Vishnu instead). Wife of both families often argued (amongst themselves and with their husband) over trivial matters.

The Jalals:
A dysfunctional Muslim family, in which the husband is actively seeking explanation for everything and ended up disillusioned over his alleged revelation that Vishnu is a God reincarnate. The son, Salim who fell in love with Kavita (The Asrani's daughter) and eloped though Kavita dropped the idea midway and returned to the family.

The Tanejas:
Their relationship is the epitome of an arranged marriage. The story follows on the way they were introduced to each other, how they moved onwards until the shocking news when Sheetal was diagnosed with incurable cancer. When she finally succumbed to her disease, Vinod became a recluse, shutting himself from all the cares of the world.

Padmani:
The whore who managed to twist Vishnu to spend his every cent on her (I kept wondering how Vishnu managed to get the dough to seek Padmani out on regular basis :-P). Her grip on Vishnu is so strong that Vishnu "borrowed" one of the tenants' car just to drive her around and Vishnu nearly went crazy when he discovered that Padmini has gone without a trace on one fine day.

Personal rating: 7 out of 10

Cons:
1) Too many layers within the storyline. Perhaps a good thing but I grew weary of such a complicated read :-S
2) Hard to review this book without dropping most of the details.

Pros:
1) Manil is able to portray the interaction between different layers of the society via the make-believe apartment dwellers.
2) Not only that, he managed to compress the complexities surrounding the touchy issue of religion in such a nice and presentable "package".

Touching Story

Sometimes information sent via internet can yield surprising results.. for example, I received the following story in my mailbox the other day and it sounded “sinisterly” like excerpt from Chicken Soup for the Soul thingy.
Whatever the reasons, my eyes glistened and my soul is comforted knowing that somewhere out there, there are still kind souls like you and me :-)

Without further ado, please enjoy the following story:


I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but no one came out. I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets..

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, and then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'..
'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.

'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.


p/s#1: If any of you know who’s the writer, please let me know so that I can place his/her credit here. Thanks.

p/s#2: someone emailed me the link to the story. thank u so very much for the link... this is Captain Thank You saying thank you and not Ciplak Me saying thank you :-) so thank you and thank me for confusing you with countless thank yous.. :-P

Source: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/cabbie.htm

This from the pen of inspirational writer Kent Nerburn. The story is true and happened to him in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1980's. At the time he was working as a driver for the Yellow Cab company and worked what he called "the dog shift" overnight.
The story was originally published in a book by Nerburn titled "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace" and published by Harper, San Francisco.

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim

How often do we see a book written about Japanese occupation on Korean soil? It is almost the same as the review I wrote about the Aztecs (click here); which means that it’s almost rare for someone to pen a fictional novel based on such “touchy” issues. Thus, when I saw this book entitled “The Calligrapher’s Daughter by Eugenia Kim”, I didn’t even hesitate to bundle it up and bring it back home with me.

The storyline is about a young woman who fights for her future in a Japanese occupied Korea. Simple introduction nonetheless but it opens up with even greater promises in the first few chapters only to go downhill after that :-(

In its barest essence, it is about a privileged nameless daughter whose dad is a famous and aristocratic calligrapher simply known as Han. Initially despised by his dad, she remained nameless and only known by the make believe name of Najin Han.

As befitting the aristocratic families of ancient times, family ties were strengthened via arranged marriage. Thus, when his staunchly traditional dad arranged for her marriage to another aristocratic family of great lineage, her mom rebelled and sent Najin Han to serve as companion to a young princess in the dying imperial Korean court.

This sets precedence to chain of events in which her dad, mom, brother and the rest of the characters are embroiled in one hardship after another; trying to live their lives hanging between traditionalistic and modernistic approach in the midst of Japanese forced occupancy. Najin Han eventually got married but separated from her husband only to be reunited towards the end of the novel.

In my opinion, the background of this story is good as it introduced us to the ancient Korean customs and how it interacts and grow in tandem with the harsh occupancy of the Japanese regime on Korean soil.

On the other hand, continuous and on-going reference to Jesus Christ (seriously no offense meant here) peppered ubiquitously on every little thing and subjugation of fate to Holy interference sounds to me like an evangelists at work conveyed via the backdrop of historical fiction.


Personal rating: 6 out of 10 (note the "tone" of my review and you can basically judge the allure of this book)

Cons:
1)Read the review especially on the final paragraph.

Pros:
1)Read the review especially on the second final paragraph.

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

Some songs can be just plain addictive.
I have played this song continuously for so many times that I practically lost count... no joke...
Try listening to the song yourself and I bet you will get hooked to it as well...

Well, either you like the song itself or you like the lyric...
As for me, both must match... it won't do if they have crappy tune but good lyric and vice versa right?

So, as I listen to the song repeatedly, I crooned to it as well... I sang and I sang all the way from work to home...

Some people say I have Frank Sinatra's voice... hahahahah... OK... not a funny joke :-P

Here's the lyric extracted from: http://www.elyricsworld.com/





Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor
Reachin for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin at all
It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
I just need you now
Ooo, baby, I need you now


P/S: I wonder if you do agree that songs can sometimes evoke feelings you never knew you had... what crossed your mind as you listen to any particular song?