While the Light Lasts and Other Stories

It starts with a tale of despair that defines romance in The House of Dreams. Written in her early years, the signature style is so subtle that it might only be realized in hindsight. Surely not the best of her creations, it could really be her path to lesser fame had not a novelist friend came to her aid with encouraging directions. That it was required for the budding author was acknowledged by Christie when she paid her respect to Philpotts while already established in a literary career. It is followed by The Actress, a thrillingly fascinating narrative that is short but crisp. This drama is intensely psychological, revealing the inherent cowardice that is exploited to stage the apparently vicious trap. Thrills continues in The Edge, which befits the title in varied ways as the frustrated dame fights the desperate wife in a battle of nerves with a fatal climax that is deceptively tragic. Each piece has afterword which gives a little bit of perspective to the works. The following features Poirot in the mystery with title Christmas Adventure, which is though a reread, but the title was different while the charm similarly satiating. The Lonely God is romance weaved in mystery that blesses the same with the delightful Heavenly appeal. The twist in the tale was predictable yet satisfactorily welcome as the long lost artist meets the lost love at the feet of the Deity with apparently a dearth of worshipers but still standing supreme with the sacrifices that a God can only offer. Disappointment will be in store while reading Manx Gold but the afterword will be more than a satisfactory justification of its apparent vague treasure chase. Written for attracting tourists for the Isle of Man, the clues are strewn in the text for its readers to detect. Within a Wall is a black romance with a crooked sense of desire. While the silent lover seeks love in helping the needy, the calm companion longs the same in possesiveness. The touch of cunning returns with Poirot in unravelling The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest that contained a murdered body, hidden apparently in a room full of guests and their attendees. Being the original to 'The Mystery of the Spanish Chest', perspective played the vital pivot to identify the criminal while evidences supported the hypothesis. Guilt and comfort play a black tale in While the Light Lasts, where the apparent relief to the anxious heart paints a tragedy that lies hidden from the coarser eyes. It seemed to reflect a certain status conscious author giving vent to her ambitious nature camouflaged in a manner, which is both convenient and elegant.

Uncle Fred: An Omnibus

Uncle Fred, spreading sweetness and light, had been one of P.G. Wodehouse's endearing creations whose exploits will leave the readers rocking in laughter through each and every chapter. Called upon to solve the most intricate of problems, be it counselling the eccentric Earl of Emsworth on the safety of his beloved sow, the Empress of Blandings, from the impending clutches of the ill-tempered Duke of Dunstable Alaric or helping his nephew Pongo evading burly creditors or making the wedding bells ring for four pairs of hearts by a series of perilously precarious twists, through his genius of playing confidence trick. Infact sometimes he takes upon himself to become the match maker, and a breaker all at the same time based on what his futuristic vision predicts. The omnibus edition contains the novels

• Uncle Fred in the Springtime
• Uncle Dynamite
• Cocktail Time

A most refreshing volume, Uncle Fred remains an outstanding creation of Wodehouse whose tricks, though leaves the victims in a baffled state of mind, but the absence of malice makes him nothing less than lovable and I sincerely long for an uncle of this class.

The Great Physicists from Galileo to Einstein

Truly a biography of physics is this book, with the signature style of humble humour that characterizes Gamow in all his greatness. Starting from the birth of science in the ages before Galileo, he sketches the evolution past Einstein and thus maintains a balance in justifying the name of the book which focuses mainly on physics and the way it was shaped by the masters through the ages with a hint to what the future might hold on the science. With accompanying anecdotes to the serious science, the tough theories could never seem more fun to understand. Definitely, it will not be a layman's book if the term is defined strictly but if we remember the basics of the secondary level, the book will not just be adorable but enticing to take up physics to solve the fascinating mysteries that surrounds it in its various dimensions. With illustrations as delightful as the text itself, the book will remain a classic in the genre of popular physics along with biography category though the term is more reserved for the living world. But, after going through the essays, physics will surely be felt as throbbing and as lively as life itself. In this book, the teacher in Gamow has excelled while the storyteller in him has marvelled to give the readers a literary treasure blended with science. Gamow never got a Nobel in physics, but after going through several of his literary works, my only question to the nominators, had he ever been considered for the Prize in literature?

Mr Tompkins Explores the Atom

This time, it is for Mr Tompkins to explore the curious world of atoms. The peculiarity of the quantum world had been revealed to the naive amateur student of physics in the earlier volume and the adventure to the uncertain world continues, thanks to his physicist father-in-law's lectures. The lectures seems to give the audience nightmares, which is very much apparent as not only does Mr Tompkins fall a prey for it, but so does his wife who had accompanied him to one of them! But sometimes, the father-in-law takes pity on our protagonist and asks him not to attend some of the difficult ones but the physics lover will not be the sufferer as the book contains all the lectures including the one that Mr Tompkins skipped. Science couldn't have been explained in more simpler terms! It is humorous, the tone is humble, the content is just magnificent. With the illustration by the author himself, as the regular illustrator abandons his post, the appeal of the volume seems to increase more as the author seems to keep the drawings, some of them, adapted from originals, as perfect as possible.

Mr Tompkins in Wonderland

This is the 1st in the series centering Mr Tompkins, who takes peek into the world of science, during his off hours of serving as a bank clerk.
His understanding of science sometimes leads to dreams that takes him to lands where the scientific constants are trimmed so that he could realize what happens in the microscopic world of which he could only grossly comprehend at most. But this only helps the reader, who are also benefitted to understand the complicated yet unavoidable philosophy that led to the birth of relativity, replacing the classical notions of space and time and quantum mechanics, replacing the classical notions of certainty in measurement. Consisting of a series of dreams and lectures, the marvels of physics could never be better revealed. Readers with basic understanding of physics will undoubtedly find a great appeal to the intricacies of nature which is explained in easy terms laced with humour that overcomes the difficulty of understanding and inspires confidence to study the subject in detail.

Mr Tompkins Learns the Facts of Life

At a very early age, I was introduced to the character, Mr Tompkins by my father. Well, from then onwards, I became the fan of both the protagonist of the series and the creator. The illustrations that were sketched by Gamow added to the enticement. Science could never have been more thrillingly humorous as when one sees it through the eyes of Mr Tompkins. Ever since I had become enthralled by the intricacies of the Mother Nature and the science She offers.
So, when I took this up, the 3rd in the series, motivated by my recent endeavour with The Body by Bill Bryson (certainly this is in no way related specifically with his body but the medical mystery of the human body, in general), the adventures seem not to have aged much in appeal.
These brought back nostalgic scientific memories. Maybe, it was due to my upgraded view of science the insights seem clearer. As the clerk, Mr Tomkins had shifted his interest from physics after his 1st couple sets of adventures, the readers stood to benefit. Blood, gene and brain were opened to them for investigation as was some rudimentary logic of digital computing. Added to this is a chapter to summarise how energy is harnessed by plants deriving from the solar source and channelled through the multitude of sinks which make up the living and breathing earth. The inquisitive reader can locate several pointers to direct their interest for the future while being glued to the literary wealth of the series.

Dadur Keerti

Like the other Sanjib Chattopadhyay classics, these are also a collection of homely stories for the young  minds. Based on the central character of Dadu or the grand old grandfather of the house, the stories fleet from subject to subject. Sometimes it is about the searching for a home for his brother in Dadur Bagan, sometimes about the loss of the loved ones depicted in Dadur K(n)athal that affects the rich and the poor alike. Some are about the rodents in the house in which makes life miserable but when they are caught and are on the verge of getting thrashed, the apparent unhappiness of the hapless creatures makes the soul miserable still. Dadur I(n)dur, Dadur Dwitiyo I(n)dur are both of such category. Some stories are pure comic like Dadur D(n)ad(n)adano B(n)aat, where the new set of false teeth comes in way, not only while eating but also between justice in remarkably funny way. I had read all these stories in my childhood as part of some other collection of the author, but to collect these again seemed to bring back cherished memories of the youth. Some stories are understandably not in chronological sequence of the plots as are Dadur Shesh Khawa that narrates the tragic mishap of the house cat which apparently came to the family as described in the following Dadur Biral, as are some of the details that seems a bit confusing, but on the whole, the entire volume is a fantastic mould of sorrow, humour and hope.

Chadmabeshi

I had seen the movie, both the Bengali and the Hindi version, so I was actually biased about its humour. Also, as I was going through it I could actually visualize the events which actually showed how cleverly the theme was adopted. But having said that, one thing is certain, the directors of either versions, especially the Bengali filmmaker had trimmed the script to perfection which allowed it to become a masterpiece. But the book itself, though had a humorously thrilling finish and witty dialogues but is not overly enjoying. This is chiefly because of a laboriously lengthy descriptions at places and loquacious dialogues which could have better been avoided. So excitement during purchase actually did not remain much after the initial few chapters but smiles will return during the climactic sequences.

A Thief in the Night

A short story collection featuring A J Raffles and his friend and accomplice, Bunny Manders who narrates some of their exploits and follows it up with an epilogue arranged as

• Out of Paradise
• The Chest of Silver
• The Rest Cure
• The Criminologists' Club
• The Field of Philippi
• A Bad Night
• A Trap to Catch a Cracksman
• The Spoils of Sacrilege
• The Raffles Relics
• The Last Word

All these pieces except the last two depicts the duo as amateur burglars with Raffles being the genius in the trade and Bunny his devoted follower who at times shows doubt at the dedication at the apparent spontaneous acts of his friend which is ultimately revealed as well thought improvisations of the master artist. The final pieces are at a later date when they are at their career's dusk and tragedy has struck and are thus a bit disjointed than the rest both in time and perspective but not in class. The crimes will however make the readers sometimes be sorry for the victims. Inspite of this the interesting part is that, an entire collection which depicts a character doing crimes, is never felt evil, rather the reader will enjoy the artful way these crimes are committed though the description might be a bit unnecessary lengthy at places. A novel character undoubtedly, this might be a revelation for readers of crime fictions who are more accustomed to look into the other side of narratives.

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXX

I'd read Hemen Ray many a times and so picked this book up in the Bookfair to add up to the collection and also was curious to know how he write for adult. You might not believe me, he seems to had surpassed his own class while writing these social dramas that adorns this volume. This contains a basket of short stories collected under the title S(n)idurchupree which contains the social tensions depicted in Kshudiramer Keerti, the curious drama Chor, the tragic twist in Porarmukhi, the comic Khuror Khamkheyal, the cruelty of the selfish in Golap Phool, the blessed revenge of the natural outcast in Shiuli which altogether brings out the varied hues of the Bengali middle class.

But the gem of the collection is the novel Aleyar Alo which, through a series of twists and turns is a unique tragedy that is class apart from all other Hemen classics that I have read so far. Bordering chiefly on widow marriage at a time it was considered short of a miracle, the story has more than just a conventional sequence which points to disturbing consequences that are not far from reality.

Hemendrakumar is a natural writer of adventures. Here, his naturalness has vented its spirit into an entirely new direction where the essence of adventure permeates into ordinary life giving them an entirely new dimension and perspective. Recommended not for the children this promises enjoyment to mature minds.

Rambharosar Motorgari

The miserly hardfisted Rambharosa Agarwal, an affluent businessman of Herbertgunj wants to lead a life of piling money but for his wife and son who want to have their own family car. Their insistence gets the better of him and he agrees to purchase one. Happy at the prospects, Suresh, the son, immediately gets some catalogues and shows his dad. But hearing the price of the vehicles that runs in lakhs, Rambharosa is shell shocked. But as he had already promised, Rambharosa cannot take back his word. So he gets hold of an agent to buy a second hand car. With his bare minimum budget of just 10000, what happens next is a hilarious comedy full of merriment and fun. Though somewhat predictable at times, but the best thing of the story is its fast paced refreshing humour with its comically colourful characters that freshens up the mind while enlivening the reading moments.

The Great Tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The versatility of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be felt in the pages of this book that comprises stories penned  by the creator of Holmes and Challenger some of which equals if not surpasses his more popular titles. Categorised  as the following the stories are a treasure trove of adventure, fun, terror, history and much more:

• Tales of the Ring
1. The Croxley Master
2. The Lord of Falconbridge
3. The Fall of Lord Barrymore
4. The Crime of the Brigadier
5. The King of the Foxes
6. The Bully of Brocas Court

• Tales of Pirates

7. Captain Sharkey: How the Governor of Saint Kitt's came Home
8. The Dealings of Captain Sharkey with Stephen Craddock
9. The Blighting of Sharkey
10. How Copley Banks slew Captain Sharkey
11. The “Slapping Sal”
12. A Pirate of the land (One Crowded Hour)

• Tales of Blue Water

13. The Striped Chest
14. The Captain of the “Polestar”
15. The Fiend of the Cooperage
16. Jelland’s Voyage
17. J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement

• Tales of Terror

18. Horror of the Heights
19. The Leather Funnel
20. The New Catacomb
21. The Case of lady Shannox
22. The Terror of Blue John Gap
23. The Brazilian Cat

• Tales of Twilight and the Unseen

24. The Brown Hand
25. The usher of Lea House School
26. B.24
27. The Great Keinplatz Experiment
28. A literary Mosaic
29. Playing with Fire
30. The Ring of Thoth
31. The Los Amigos Fiasco
32. How It Happened
33. Lon No. 249
34. “De Profundis”
35. The Lift

• Tales of Long Ago

36. The Last of the Legions
37. The Last Galley
38. Through the Veils
39. The coming of the Huns
40. The Contest
41. The First Cargo
42. An Iconoclast
43. Giant Maximin
44. The Red Star
45. The Silver Mirror
46. The Home-Coming
47. A Point of Contact

The author's fascination for the pugilists and their game and his inclination towards the paranormals are expressed in the volumes in some of the most fantastic stories of the genre that sometimes mixes both with an unique blend. But this does not prevent him to tell science fictions with the similar classic touch. Again, devoid of paranormals, some of the tales of terror are so chilling that it will match a horror story based on the supernaturals. But his mastery seemed at its supreme with the anecdotes of historical fictions that depicts the cruel yet brave world of a time long ago when the earth was defined by the adventures of her heroins and heroes. The cruelty of Captain Sharkey and his downfall (a bit confusing as two different stories hints at two different ways) is depicted in the stories of the seas and other stories also fills in with adventures of sailors each stranger than the other. Humour also finds place in some of the most fun filled misadventures that makes them more refreshing.

Diary of a Pilgrimage

I do not know how to express what I felt going thru this excellent narration that can be considered as a guide to the heart of a German town along with a priceless piece of English humour. Truly a literary wonder it brings forth the true artist in Jerome K Jerome whose use of playful exaggeration of the most normal events makes them appealingly enjoyable. A journey to a German town Oberammergau by two friends to watch the Passion Play could not have been made more interesting than what Jerome has done which also describes the Play and the actors in the simplest of ways devoid of any artificiality yet complete with every detail sketched with the true feelings of the fascinated beholder. Interspersed with his signature style of humour, Jerome has excelled himself than his more popular fiction. Centering on the heart rendering Passion Play, the travelogue that consists of train rides, boat rides is poetically perfect.

Kolaboti

Kolabotoi had been the protagonist in several of Moti Nandi's materpieces but as far as I remember and believe, those are mainly sports oriented. But this is just awesome in the way Kolaboti and her family are introduced. The grave yet loving grandfather Rajshekhar, his son, the soft hearted still bachelor lawyer and a gourmet Satyashekhar, the fun loving college goer Kolaboti with her cricketing skills, all combined, presents episodes of comic and thrill that overcomes the tragedies of life and takes on life with the same sporting style of the noble game of traditional cricket. Also, belonging chiefly to the category of book for the young it borders on the young adult category where a sublime touch of romance makes it a fascinating read for all ages. Refraining myself from telling more lest it turns to a spoiler my suggestion to the readers is to breeze along this easy paced piece to enjoy the beauty of life spent sportingly with style.

Kanchangarher Kokilsir

The terrifying master of Mathematics is himself terrified of his own voice. As remarkable as it may sound that is what had happened to the angry arrogant Sir of Kanchangarh Boys' School that keeps him literally dumbfounded as whenever he tries to speak there seems to be a risk of his voice being punctuated by a cuckoo blurting out notes at random. As he is trying to recover from the shock, it seems he is not the only one with a problem. The closed ones are crestfallen. Several doctors fail to diagnose the cause of the disease and infact one of them sets off a chain of events leading to another hilarious episode. The headmaster is also at a confusion to find students failing miserably by the question set by this veteran Sir. Added to this is the surprise visit of the strangest of inspectors. But the solution to all seems quite at hand. As the logical mind seems to grasp the root of the problem the message is loud and clear. The author styles a unique way to convey the joy of spreading joy among folks. A story for the young but it will surely be as good to the others.

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXVIII

With a collection of short adaptations for the young, non-fictions, humourous accounts, eerie tales and detective short stories, the main attractions are the article and historical anecdote sections. Mining from old ‘Mouchak’ volumes, several collaborators have put forward their sincere efforts in the making of this compilation who are acknowledged by Gita Dutta, the editor at the very beginning. Most of the articles contains references to the original publications of the pieces. The collection is categorized as

·        Galpo

§  Ati-Chalaker Kahini

§  Rip Van Winkle

§  Chobir Guptadhan

§  A(n)dhar Raater Atihi

§  Batabi Lebur Kirti

§  Jujur Bhoe

§  Parvat-Dahan

§  Surya Devatar Purohit

§  Bagher Chokh

§  Buno Galpo

§  Jayatu Jayanta

§  Bahadurer NIrbasan

§  The Outcasts of Poker-Flat

§  Kistimat

§  Dulur Bulu

§  Raktapanja

§  Kaler Kabale

§  Agantuk

§  Romanchika

§  Bajle B(n)ashi Kache Ashi

§  Bank Dakati

§  Agantuk

§  Jagrata Hritpinda

§  Jesa Deoge Tesa Paoge

§  Chelebelar Ekdin

·        Prabandha

§  Amar ‘Mouchak’

§  Natun Banglar Natun Kobi

§  Jagannathdever Guptakatha

§  Hollywoode Takar Pahar

§  Kalo Ghushir Bahaduri

·        Aitihasik Upakhyan

§  Rakta Patharer S(n)ataru

§  Mriganayan Mahishmardini

Another very interesting aspect that can be seen is that Hemendra had narrated tragedies in such a way that children can accept it without compromising on the seriousness of the events. He conveys his intense abhorrence to historical wrongs but these seem incomplete as basically being anecdotes for the young readers, the author has kept the references at a bare minimum.

The World of Nagaraj

Nagaraj belonged to the elite Kabir street family and so didn’t have to care for a living. Infact he didn’t have a care in the world except writing his masterpiece on Narada. But life was soon to change when Tim, his nephew came to live with him forever. Social confusions seem to get in his way but his meek nature prevented to find a solution and so he remained only the silent spectator to the drama of life that revolved around him. Contrary to his ways of life, his wife though doted on the nephew but wished to be strict. But her wise means were easily foiled by her husband who had proper sense but lacked the courage to use it. To make matters worse sometimes the stubborn brother visited him and made his life even more miserable. Then came the daughter-in-law with her harmonium that seemed to create enough noise for Nagaraj to change his daily routine. There are also a few more characters of varied prominence including the Talkative Man who really breathed more fun to the already humourous mood of the narrative. But amidst all the chaos the focus to write about the great sage never became blurred and he tried every avenue to write his manuscript on Narada who was his idol. The entire pace of the story is perfect throughout but for the closing chapter that seemed a bit abrupt. The humorous perspective is most prominent but it adds a bit of sober romance that heightens its appeal more.

Bhuteder Niie Goppo

Sieving thru the bookself searching for something different, suddenly this one caught the eyes. Standing in a forgotten corner was my childhood's happy companion whose contents run as

• Raat Jakhan Barota

• Kustir Pyanch

• Nishi Kabrej
• Kogramer Madhupandit
• Dui Paloan
• Purano Jinish
• Nayanchand
Though these are for the children, yet they brought a sense of nostalgia and fun devoid of malice. Chiefly belonging to the ghost genre but some are exceptions that are no less entertaining. This, for a change, brought some fond moments back once more.

Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant

Consisting of two stories, Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant and its second part Picnice Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant the nostalgia of the movie is brought back with some memorable dialogues. This had been one of the first instances when characters from a movie or more correctly real life characters had been used in stories. A tribute to the one of the most unforgettable comedy pair of Bengali cinema, the stories are woven on the fabric of humour. Containing the element of mystery, the stories follow the smart Bhanu with his clumsy yet devoted aide Jahar chasing lost ladies and questionable identities. But it seems that all they manage most of the time is getting themselves entangled in the most improbable confusions and misunderstandings. As the fun continues the sleuth remains undeterred to their ultimate aim. The old world romance and the absence of obscenity and malice make the stories as enjoyable as it can be. Surprised by the title in the bookfair this selection seems to be one of the evergreens that will remain a favourite for all times.

The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories

The collection contains a bunch of Christie stories that are not all detective fiction but related to crime in one way or the other. The classic Christie touch is predominant in Song of Sixpence and The Second Gong, the last featuring the "irreproachably dressed" private eye Hercule Poirot. Each is a murder mystery which is solved by the pro and involves the obvious clue cleverly hidden by the masterly literature. The Mystery of the Blue Jar and The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl are fascinating narratives where humour and suspense intersperse to offer the timely reliefs among the short thrillers. The Fourth Man is a tale of the supernaturals and so are The Red Signal and S.O.S. though in the later two suspense and detection plays the upper hand. Where There's a Will is a thrilling revelation of exploitation of the human psychology but its apt climax assures no gain to the evil. But nothing compares to the spine- chilling Accident and the terrifying revelation of Philomel Cottage. The opening anecdote of The Witness for the Prosecution is a mix of mystery, thrill and suspense which combine to keep it different than the rest.