Books in '15 | Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of those latest and popular American novels. Sounded like a love story, I gave it a try.

Narrative was good, keeping things interesting, as should happen in a romance book. Double POVs are great for a love story. Even though it cuts on the thrill part where one is oblivious to the inner feelings of the other guy or girl, this one gives insight into what people on the either side are feeling.

A stupid Asian boy, in spite of his inner disapproval of how the girl looked, eventually ends up falling in love with the troubled red haired girl. Together, they experience their first love. They fear their time together is short. Still they give it a shot. Even if first love seldom lasts, it's still worth it.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, it's my favourite poem. I liked Eleanor's theory that Shakespeare is only making fun of Romeo and Juliet. I know the story but haven't yet read the original piece. Someday I will find out if she's right.

All that's there in a love story is the way the emotions and feelings are expressed; this one is done in sort of a poetic style: And Eleanor disintegrated....what a way to express that instantaneous feeling, way to go man - oops, the author is a woman.

Sometimes though it's overly done:... wanting to eat Park's face and all, isn't Eleanor too horny for her age. Or maybe that's how it happens in America. Doesn't matter, such things are cherished in a love story.

The thing about Eleanor's stepfather is disturbing. What's the deal with him anyway, I wonder. And why does Eleanor's family has to put up with that man, some of the things left unexplained.

Not so bad an ending. It could have been better

View all my reviews

Comments

LIFE AND LIES #17 | Fancy a Haircut

Snip-snip, clip-clip Despite its monotonicity, the sound has a certain ring to it. If I concentrate a bit harder, it almost sounds like a well-placed tune. Or maybe I have been listening to it for too long. Nevertheless, the sound has a sense of power because it remains upbeat in spite of the consistent murmur. Then it pauses. A brief silence follows. The boy at the start of the line scuttles to the most demanded chair in the room, to fill the momentous vacancy. A sense of relief is evident on his face. Following this, a wave ripples throughout the line. Everyone takes a few steps ahead and then comes to a stop. Another down, three more to go , I count. The snapping of scissors resumes. The murmur follows suit. My legs ache. I had jogged all the way to the barbershop, after taking a hasty lunch. There, to my dismay, a long queue was already in place. Patiently, I stood at the end. Awaiting my turn, I had spent the past hours shifting my weight from one leg to other, taking se...

LIFE AND LIES #67 | The Shortest Story

Dedicated to a friend of mine who is no longer in this world. ********************************* A friend had died. Still, the world Hadn't come to a stop. Perhaps, it should have. Because I gave my presentation Smiling from ear to ear. And later at night, I drank to my fill To honour him. Because life is too fricking short, But at times, Feels too bloody long. If you google 'Shortest Short Story' You'll get the following result: "For sale: Baby shoes, never worn." Popularly attributed to Ernest Hemingway. Ernest, I'm sorry But I ended up writing Something similar myself. "Hang in there, my friend. He did." I'm not proud of what I wrote. It is what it is. "Who is this about," my friend asked after reading my poem. "He was my batchmate in school," I replied. "He committed suicide yesterday by hanging." "Why? What happened?" "Nobody knows. He had cut himself off from everyone." "Was he i...

LIFE AND LIES #77 | The English Teacher

When we are young, the world is full of possibilities. We can do anything, and become anything. We antagonise anyone who even hints at thinking otherwise about us. It's probably why most of us have a story to tell where the villain was a school teacher. Even I do. I don’t remember exactly how I ended up in the Headmaster’s cabin that day. All I remember is that back then I blamed my House Master for it. It wasn’t just me who had bunked the STD XII Pre-Board exams. There were many. But he made a scapegoat out of me. And the moment, I set foot inside the cabin, I received a big slap from the Headmaster. My ears rang. But that wasn’t the worst thing that happened that day. The Headmaster instructed him to call my father. Tell him to come or his son would be rusticated. I wasn’t a notorious student. I was good in my studies and had no disciplinary complaints against me. Had this incident not occurred, I would have completed my schooling in a few months with a clean record. My fat...

Life and Lies of M R Maiti

Search This Blog