Modieen Kanchanmala-P.T Muhammed Sadik,Review by S.R Gowri

Modieen was born in a  rich and powerful Muslim family  in Mukkom.
               His grand father ,father, mother, uncle etc.  were
highly respectable people. in the
society.  His father  was a great polictian   and respected  person in
Mukkom       .While
his mother was gentle person ,but a very brave woman. Modieen was  an average
student in studies . But he was  best foot ball player , singer ,
social  reformer, above all  he  was  humanitarian , and a great
personality .He was always kind  to poor and untouchables, children
.He believed and loved all religious, .He was very helpful person .
       More than anything he loved someonemost dearly. she was
kanchanmala.  Kanchanmala  was  also born in   in a richest family in
Mukkom.
She was  one of the  12 the daughter of her father and mother. Her
father was also
a polictian .Both fathers of kanchanmala andmoideen  were close
friends. Unlike Modieen .Kanchanamala was  one of the best student in
the school. Her father wanted  her to become a doctor. Kanchanmala
used to fight against social evils in the college .Kanchanmala met
moideen in a bus. Both fell love at
first sight. They exchanged  love letters .But after sometime  a
letter sent by modieen was caught  by kanchana' s uncle .Kanchan mala
was forced  to stop her studies and was
and put house arrest. Meanwhile  moideen was thrown out from his home
by his father  but their love and exchange of letters  did not stop
.They cointued write letters to  each other. They used many methods to
exchange letters . They even found a  separate  language to write
letters. They faced many difficulties,harassments. etc. But didn't
stop writing letters . Both of  of their families  were against  their
love  . But  Modieen 's mother , uncle . sister Amina  and his friends
Mukkom bhasi ,Appu and their workers' supported  love affairs between
Kanchanmala and  Modieen .Kanchanmala was kept under  house arrest for
24 years by her family. But exchange of their love letters continued
.After many years  both decided to leave the  place and go to Paris
and live together  .Modieen made all  arrangements' for their
elopement and collected  passports
That evening  on his return he travelled with many others in a boat  .
Suddenly  was heavy rain. the  boat capsized. Modieen saved many
people. But in  heavy  current in the
river he drowned. When Kanchanmala heard  tragic death of Modieen  she
tried to committed  suicide  .But Modieen's mother came toher rescue
she took her to moideen's house .Thereafter Modieen's mother   cared
and looked after her kanchana as daughter in law, moreover as her own
daughter

Looking For Alaska- Book Review by Navya K.S

Looking for Alaska is a beautiful novel written by John Green. The story revolves around Miles who leaves his place,that is,Florida to Culver Greek,Albama for his higher education.There he meets Colonel,his new roommate who later introduces him to a very beautiful and energetic girl,Alaska. Miles or Pudge as called by Colonel,discovers a new world with them and later Pudge falls in love with Alaska.The story takes a different turn when the very impulsive Alaska is no more and the rest of the story is how the roommates deal with the heavy loss while also trying to figure out what exactly caused her death.
                                     

  Personally,I loved the whole story as it explores the different elements of life, especially the teenage life.The story also talks about the tale of friendship and love in a very beautiful way.Basically it's a book worth reading.

    

                              The Canterburry Tales by Geoffrey Chauser(Reviewed by Vandana C Mohan)


                                                      The Canterburry Tales is the collection of around 23 stories by Geoffrey Chaucer.It is like a travel log,as a lot of people were traveling  towards a church and  at night they all decides to rest at a roadside shelter and for timepass they decides to say their stories.The whole travelers says their story and chaucer collects the stories in his diary.The stories  are very interesting and it has a special appeal because ,it has a content of real life experiences.The story draws the conditions of the middle english period as Chauser explains the stories.The stories are very interesting and the reader does not get into the state of boredom.
                                                        The story deals with the conditions of the middle class,and the condition of women in the olden era.Chauser adds his flavour by natural mode o story telling.

                              School days by Ruskin Bond(Reviewed by Vandana C Mohan)
                            


                                                       Ruskin Bond's School days is a collection of short stories by famous short story writers.It deals with the adventures of  childhood like love, desires etc.The book concentrates on the adventurous school days and the stories are very interesting that we could relate it with the readers childhood memories.The story starts with Ruskin Bond's story and follows with other writers such as Charles Dickens,Anton Chekhov,Samuel Smiles etc.all the stories are so interesting and easy to understand.The reader gets the pleasure of reading as he read the stories.The reader doesnt get into the stage of boredom in any of the stories.Each stories are unique and each contains a solid content.

THE TURN OF THE SCREW by HENRY JAMES ( DERONIYA DAVIS)

Turn of the screw is a short story by Henry James. People gathered at the country house and started telling ghost stories, that is the beginning of the story. Then a woman began to tell the experience that she had years before.

She had the job of looking after of two children at a gentle mans house house, where the one who looked after the children before died. The gentlemen was their uncle, who said that she would never contact him for any case of the children. By keeping this in mind she went to the country house. But she finds that the children was awesome. Their name was Flora and Miles. Miles had once expelled from his school under some reasons. But Miles was extraordinary in his lessons, that pleased her.

Once in evening when she was walking, she sees a man at top of one of the tower with a terrifying face in searching for someone. She said that to the housekeeper.Again she saw him looking through a window, again searching for someone. The house keeper founds  that he was an  old employee of the house, named Peter Quint. He was dead. After some days she came to see  shadow of a women, Jessele , the maid who was looking  the children before her. That time she was with flora. She ignored the figure.

After this she began to suspect the children. Many questions arose in her mind, is the children in contact with the ghost?, and what do this ghost want? She becomes more tensed as the the story proceeds. Then she began to be in a dilemma that she has to leave the house or save the children from the evil spirits.

As the story continues the ghost began to appear at the windows, at bottom of the stairs and she who tries to protect the children from the ghosts. Like this the story becomes thrilling and interesting. Children behaved strangely especially Miles.Miles and Flora didn't behaved like children. Mile was at the age of 10 and he behaved like an adult. The maid who looked after them was 20 and experienced. From the beginning itself she was very close ad affectionate to the children. This becomes a reason for tension as she recovers what is happening to the children, but she couldn't find the reason behind this. And she also understands that the affection towards the children was not of hers.the reason behind the role played   by  Jessle and quint  is not  clearly  mentioned in the story, and the relationship of them with the children.

As we reads on we may think that the ghost and all are her illusions . Like that the 'Turn of The Screw' is a simple, interesting ghost story..

                           



                                2states(reviewed by Vandana C Mohan)


                                                        The story two states talks about two lovers,krish and Ananya from different states,Delhi and TamilNadu ,and their desire to marry each other.They met at IIMA and gradually they became friends and they fell in love with each other.And they decides to marry each other. When their parents met each other at the convocation, they realized that the way from love to marriage is not that easy.In between Krish deals  the  issue with his father.After convincing Ananya's parents, Krish invites Ananya to his cousin's wedding and Ananya found difficulties with his mother.But she adjusts with her.
                                                         And the groom finds certain difficulties in this marriage, but Ananya sort it out with her intelligence and she became a life saver to his family.And after a lot of family drama ,they both will marry and the story concludes with a happy ending.The story is very interesting as Chetan Bhagat adds his magic to the story.The author confesses that this is the story of his marriage.

The Godfather-Mario puzo(Aswin ks)

The story of Don Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia family, inspired some of the most successful movies ever. It is in Mario Puzo's The Godfather that Corleone first appears. As Corleone's desperate struggle to control the Mafia underworld unfolds, so does the story of his family. The novel is full of exquisitely detailed characters who, despite leading unconventional lifestyles within a notorious crime family, experience the triumphs and failures of the human condition. Filled with the requisite valor, love, and rancor of a great epic, The Godfather is the definitive gangster novel

The Drover's Wife(Short Story) - Neema Mary Tom

The short-story "The Drover's Wife" is written by Henry Lawson, Australia's most famous short-story writer and poet.This short-story has the Australian bush or outback as its setting. This is revealed in the two first paragraphs, where the author makes a short and precise description of the little house and the surrounding landscape. The main conflict in "The Drover's Wife" is perhaps not so evident as we may think. At first it is quite easy to imagine that there is a conflict between the bush woman and the snake. The reason for that is that the snake is a threat to the woman. If she does not kill it, the snake can bite one of the children, which will be a disaster since it is nineteen miles to the nearest neighbor. The child would be dead before they could get help. However, this conflict is only a consequence of the main conflict, which is mentioned in a sentence early in the text, "The drover, an ex-squatter, is away with sheep. His wife and children are left here alone." The main problem is that the wife is left alone to deal with the hardships of life in the Australian bush. The point of view used in "The Drover's Wife" is the Third person point of view That allows us to see into her thoughts and feelings. Since the woman is the main character as well, we are given a complete and realistic portrait of a woman's life in the bush. As a girl-wife she had hated the lonely life in the outback, but as time passed by, she grew used to it. When the drought forced her husband to go droving, she had been left alone with the children and the problems a life in the bush would bring. Her struggles have been many. Every time her husband returns, the woman is very happy. However, she does not gush or make a fuss about it. She usually gets him something good to eat, and tidies up the children. The bushwoman loves her children above all, but has no time to show it. The children have a very harsh impression of her.I think Henry Lawson simply wanted to write a wonderful story, portraying the hardship of life in the Australian outback from a woman's point of view.

My Best Friend- Gowrie S.R

My  best friend

he  is my best  friend

he  was born  on Dec 9

he is  vey loving

he is very polite

he is  very caring

he has twinkling  smile

he is positive

he  is very broad  minded

he   is kind

he is god

he is a teacher

he is a father

he is a priest

he reads sings advises  and cracks jokes

he is father Poulose k.p..

The Motorcycle Diaries-Che Guevara(review by Rinol Job)

Che Guevara has done a wonderful job. Reading about Che’s impressions of Cuzco will make us time travel,back to that time. And judging from what he wrote, it seems that little has changed in that corner of Peru.. Perhaps that is one factor why I liked this travelogue better than any other travelogue , in that this one focused a lot more on the scenery and the local culture.

Second, I appreciated the gradual mental change that was reflected in Che’s writing. He had a middle-class rather affluent background, and here he was, faced with the grim realities of South America. He encounters indigenous peoples such as the Aymara, the Quechua, and the Yagua who live in the interior, and witnesses the poor realities that these people face. He also encounters a leper colony and sees the unlucky situation that they are in. This gradually molds his thinking into Marxism, as evident in his prose. The final sentence especially illustrates this, when he proclaims that he is sacrificing himself to the authentic revolution, bracing his body, ready for combat, as the bestial howl of the victorious proletariat resounds with new vigor and hope. It was quite an idealistic ending.

Personally, I am not sold to the idea of Marxism and Communism, as I feel that humans are inherently selfish. This I think is the one general flaw which makes the idea of Communism a failure. Looking back at history, we see how several Communist states became corrupt; it was never a utopian state where everything is equal. However, I can also see Che’s point of view. If you’re on the bottom end of the social spectrum, you would wish that life were a little bit easier, hoping that the riches those bourgeoisie enjoy would trickle down to your own plate. That’s the hope. Alas, it is easier said than done.
I suggest everyone to read this book, well nothing to do with politics here but just to know the other face of the world..

The last Leaf - Short story by O. Henry (review by Anil Surya)

It’s a short story written by the world renowned writer O. Henry. The main characters of the story are Behrman, a painter, Johnsy and her friend Sue, both run a studio. The story happens in a little district west of Washington, where the streets have run crazy and broken themselves into small stripes called “places”. These “places” make strange angles and curves. The street is a copy of the old Greenwich Village. So the art people have valuable possibilities there. Also the rents were low, so art people came prowling from different parts and became a “colony”.

Sue and Jhonsy had their studio at the top of a squatty, three-story brick. Among them one was from Maine; the other from California.  They had meet at the table of an eight street hotel, and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so congenial that the joint studio result.

               

That was in May. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called pneumonia stalked about the colony, touching one here and there with his icy fingers. Mr. Pneumonia smote Jhonsy; and she lay, scarcely moving, on her painted iron bedstead, looking through the small Dutch window-panes at the blank side of the next brick house.

   

One Morning doctor invited Sue into his room and said “she has only one chance in ten” and that chance is her want to live. Jhonsy has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well. Doctor then said “If she makes herself believe that there are better days ahead, then she has one-in-five chance, instead of one in ten.

              

After doctor had gone, Sue went into the room where Jhonsy was lying. She saw her looking through the windows and counting backwards. “Twelve”, she said and little later “eleven”, and then “ten”, and “nine”, and then “eight” and “seven”, almost together. Jhonsy was actually counting the fallings ivy leaves. She believes that when the last one falls she must go. Sue said there is nothing that old leaf could do with her getting well and she went out to meet Mr. Behrman.

          

  Behrman was a painter who lived on the ground floor beneath them. He is in his early sixties. Behrman was a failure in art. He had been always about to paint a masterpiece, but had never yet begun it. When Sue entered his room, he was drinking gin and talking about his coming masterpiece. Sue told him about Jhonsy’s fancy. Sue and Behrman went upstairs and showed the ivy vine to Behrman. They looked at each other for a movement without speaking.

         

Every day morning Jhonsy looked through the window to see whether the last leaf has fallen. But the last ivy leaf was still there. Jhonsy would lie for a long time looking at it. The doctor came one day and said, “she is recovering fastly”. “With good nursing she will recover”.

        

The climax of this story “The last leaf” makes O. Henry one of the greatest short story writers in the world. He ends the story with the death of Mr. Behrman due to pneumonia. Jhonsy looking out of the window at the last ivy leaf: the reason why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew?  Because it was Behrman’s masterpiece- He painted it there the night that the last leaf fell.

Fault in our Stars-John Green(review by Princy John)

Cancer is one of the most dreadful disease . Most people hesitate to talk about it . Every one fears to discuss about it . This book gives the reader an optimistic look about cancer, . Hazel, the female protagonist  is a cancer patient . She has undergone many different treatments for this, but she knows as well as her family that death is close to her . She has terminal cancer which has taken her ability to breath on her own among other things. In the beginning Hazel joins a support group for cancer survivors. Although she is not thrilled about being a part of this group she soon finds a reason to like it. Augustus Waters , the male protagonist, handsome Augustus develops  an interest and feelings towards  in Hazel and the two become friends. No one understands a cancer kid like another cancer kid and the two are there for each other through thick and thin. They spend many days and experiences together from reading the same books to playing blind video games with their friend Isaac. The both develops a fascinating interest towards and a  biggest impact is left by a book called An Imperial Affliction. This is also a book about cancer. Throughout the book many of their adventures are driven by this book from many different conversations to a wish turned into a trip to find the end of the story, or will it be the beginning of a new story for the two of them? Throughout their story Augustus works to leave his mark on the world and Hazel attempts to understand why this is so important to him. Neither of them truly understands the other ones point of view. With the ever-present fear of a reoccurence on not only their minds, but the minds of everyone around them will they truly be able to understand each other? Will they leave their mark on the world before it is too late or will it no longer matter? Find out in The Fault In Our Stars .
I enjoyed the first person narrative of this book and the way that everything seems so personalized. The first person perspective makes it easier to connect with each one of the characters and to see into the mind of Hazel. I also enjoyed the flow of the book. Throughout this book many things that bring each of the characters together through the good and the bad. These things almost always bring the characters closer in one way or another. This is one way the author provides a base which is very important to this story

I picked this book up because it looked like an interesting and thought provoking book.

I finished this book because once I started the story just flowed.
I’d give this book to anyone who enjoys reading. This book can appeal to just about any type of reader and will leave any reader enjoying it and wanting to finish it.

MY SECRET WISH LIST-Preeti Shenoy(review by Princy John)

This bok is a one night go. Preeti Shenoy’s  is one of my favorite writer . the way she writes  makes me feel inspired , her books make me feel over whelmed .This book read more like the script of a TV serial than a novel.

Diksha, who looks back at what her life was like when she was 16, and an innocent crush (or was it love) turned into something more. She was in chains o her parents . She was pulled out of the school, and then she was forced to marry at a young age . The story returns to the present, where she’s in a much cliche “housewife” role, with a child and a husband who’s the quite “traditional” or “old-school” man, and she was suppressed down by her husband . He was a kind of bureaucratic mentality person and rarely had time for his wife and son. Diksha begins to break out of her “cocoon” and encouraged by her cousin and friend Vibha, she makes a wish list and begins to do things she’s always wanted to do. She reconnects with her old friends, begins to break rules and become outgoing.

What I liked about the book is very simple language and decription .To be very rank this is my most avouite bok. i have read it many times .After reading this book I myself made a wishlist. I would suggest this book to every girl who wants to break with tradition and explore her life .

The Notebook-review by Princy John

The Notebook is a true love story. This book would make every girl and boy fall in love . It would even make every girl to wait or her prince charming Noah and Allie spend a wonderful summer together, but her family and the socio-economic realities of the time prevent them from being together. Although Noah attempts to keep in contact with Allie after they are forced to separate, his letters go unanswered. Eventually, Noah professes his undying and eternal love in one final letter. Noah travels north to find gainful employment and to escape the ghost of Allie, and eventually he goes off to war. After serving his country, he returns home to restore an old farmhouse. A newspaper article about his endeavor catches Allie's eye, and 14 years after she last saw Noah, Allie returns to him. The only problem is she is engaged to another man. After spending two wonderful reunion days together, Allie must decide between the two men that she loves.

This story is read by an ordinary man who is reading to a woman who suffers from Alzheimer's. This Alzheimer's suffering person is Allie  .
This book is now a famous movie in Hollywood , known by the name ''The Notebook''.

I would suggest this book to all my friends .

Adieu, Dear City- Fr.Joseph Kusumalayam

Adieu, dear city, while tears fill my grey eyes

Adieu, alma mater, while tears well up my adult heart

Good  bye, good bye, good bye

My dear, dear city, my most beloved city.

You made me a pastor of souls;

With laurels of wisdom;

How lucky, I wonder!

Adieu, my dear city

Adieu my dear Kalina

You sheltered me in despair

You stretched your hands when there was no hope

Fathers Babu, George and Sinto my morning smile!

Adieu my dear Colaba,

Bycula, Thane, Varthak Naragar, adieu.

Good bye, good bye, Bandra, Assisi Nagar

I take leave of you.

Ultimately,

I take leave of you my Mother of Antop Hill

You protected me, you cared me, loved me

Oh Mother of Antop Hill!

40 years gone, awaiting 50

Oh mother, protect your people, protect your city

I take leave of you dear city

Adieu !

The Reflected Face-Anil surya

The man of terrible oath, Devavrata the eight son of king shantanu by the holy Goddess Ganga came to know as Bhishma after his vow of lifelong celibacy. He was blessed with wish-long life (ichcha mrithyu) and had sworn to serve the ruling king. He was the grandsire of both the pandavas and the kauravas. An unparallel archer and warrior, who posses all the qualities of a king gave up his claim to the throne for his father. This made Mahabharata the story of his sacrifices too.

 Bhishma in his previous birth was one among the eight vasus. He was cursed by sage vashista for the theft of Kamdhenu, thus Prabhasa, the protagonist took birth in the world of men as Bhishma. However Vashista softened the curse to the extent that he would be one of the most illustrious men of his time and will be remembered till the end of all heavenly creations. 

                                             

Bhishma means he of the terrible oath, he sacrificed his ‘crown prince’ title and himself the pleasure of conjugal love, so that his father could marry a fisher women. Thus he was granted with the boon of ichcha mrithyu. Bhishma once abducted the princess of kasha as bride for his half brother. This ended in a battle between Bhishma and Parasuram and the defeat of Parasuram. Amba the eldest princess later became the reason for Bhishma’s death.

        

Bhishma was one of the greatest devotees of lord Krishna himself. He was a true kshatriya as well as a disciplined ascetic-a rare combination. He never unnecessarily exhibited passion and anger. A symbol of truth and duty; he was the guardian of sathya and dharma. Bhishma in all sense was a true human being. But that was how Vashista’s curse was supposed to unfold. Bhishma’s human birth was destined to be marked with suffering and that was how his life transpired right till the last movement, even his death.

                 

Bhishma was one of the greatest Bramacharis of all time, which made him an invincible warrior of the era. He was also highly skilled in political science. He had all the good qualities of an excellent king. Bhishma posses all the knowledge of tactical formation of the military in those days and only some warriors like Krishna, Drona, Arjuna and Karna could be compared to the vast knowledge that Bhishma had. He always walked in the right path of dharma. After the war, he gave and meaningful instructions to yudhisthira on statesmanship and the duties of a king.

                            

Bhishma was the true son of bharata and one of the greatest men ever lived on earth. He is a great example of devotion and sacrifice. His name itself is an honor to him, Bhishma which means severe because he took a vow to remain celibate for life and pithamah which means grandfather which combined means great grandsire and Acharya which means the perfect teacher. When Bhishma fell down pierced with arrow. Ganga herself came to satisfy her son’s thirst.