Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse
‘Joy in the Morning’
This vintage PG Wodehouse work has them all – Jeeves, Bertie Wooster, tyrannical aunts, comical romantic tangles, idyllic getaways, a well-knit plot, humour, wit and loads of fun. The book is guaranteed to bring you joy any time of the day. I would have loved to include all the books of Wodehouse, my all-time favourite, here.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Mistry’s bulky and absorbing second novel is set against the background of the Emergency in India. Through the lives of four ordinary people, a student, two working class ‘untouchables’ and a seamstress, the author presents the perennial problems that haunt India – the caste system, poverty, corruption and social inequalities – with empathy and compassion. It is a bleak book that leaves you feeling sad, but, never mind, it’s a fabulous read.
‘A Fine Balance’
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This novella, that superbly reconstructs a murder 27 years later, is my favourite book by Marquez. Santiago Nasar was killed by two brothers. This is no spoiler, for everyone knows who the killers are and the beauty of the book lies in how Marquez, in spite of disclosing this right at the start, grips the reader’s attention with the sheer magic of his story telling art.
‘'Chronicle of a Death Foretold’
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Power by Stephen Greenblatt
This excellent analysis of tyrants in seven plays by Shakespeare delves deep into what makes tyrants. What is remarkable about this clever book is that, without naming people, it is a canny reminder of the parallels that exist in the US and other parts of the contemporary world.
‘Tyrant: Shakespeare on Power’
The Myths We Live By: Adventures in Democracy, Free Speech and Other Liberal Inventions by Peter Cave
The writer’s sharp, sceptical and witty expose of the self-serving ideas of the ‘free world’ affirms that only human institutions can take us to a just and equitable world. Grounded in clear-eyed, but not romantic notions of justice and fairness, it is a bracing read.
‘The Myths We Live By: Adventures in Democracy, Free Speech and Other Liberal Inventions’
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