Leglessbird Reading guide

Kafka on the Shore (Vintage International) (buy from Amazon) by Haruki Murakami
Type: Fiction
Author: 村上春樹 Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3
Book introduction:
A 15 year old boy leaves home to escape his fate, his father predicted that this 15 year old boy is going to kill his father, and mate with his sister and mother. He embarks on a strange journey and slowly, all the predictions slowly come true in the most bizarre way.

My review:
Haruki is one of the most internationally reknown Japanese writers, and his fictions stretch readers' imagination to the wildest extend, the strange association of events and storylines never stop to amaze me. In Kafka on the shore, the 3 seemingly unrelated storylines merge in the unexpected way. Though the young man in the story couldn't escape his fate, he comes out stronger as a result. Haruki often like to include sex in his fiction, but actually, strange as it may seem, in a non-sexual way, it seems detached.

The Da Vinci Code (buy from Amazon) by Dan Brown
Type: Fiction
Author: Dan Brown
My rating: 4
Book introduction:
The curator of The Louvre Museum, Paris was murdered inside Louvre and he left behind bizarre clues at his own murder scene. The Harvard Symbologist Robert Langdon who happened to be in Paris was called in late at night to assist in solving the murder. He was deeply puzzled why he was asked to assist.

A beautiful French Cryptologist, Sophie Neveu warned Robert that he was in great danger. As they slowly unfold the secret left behind by the curator, they realised all the clues lead to Da Vinci and a two-thousand year old secret society called The Priory of Sion that Da Vinci was once the grand master. Robert and Sophie were about to revealed a secret so big that it would rock the very foundation of the Church as we know it.

My review:
The Da Vinci code is an very interesting fiction piecing a lot of the historical facts together and turned into a conspircy theory. A conspircy so deep and important that the church would do anything to stop it from being revealed. True or not, it is your pick. It is a very intense story and once you start reading the book, you can't put it down until you have read the whole book! True or not, the book raised many many questions about the bible and its accuracy, and it will definitely raise your interest in Da Vinci, his work and the secret society Priory of Sion (Issac Newton, Victor Hugo were also once the grand master of the society).

Veronika Decides to Die (buy from Amazon) by Paulo Coelho
Posted by Joanna
Type: Fiction
Author: Paulo Coelho
My rating: 5

Book introduction:
This is another excellent book by Paulo Coelho. Don?t be misled by the title ? this is not some dark fiction about Veronika committing suicide. In fact after reading it, one will appreciate living even more. It is very thought-provoking. Coelho uses the characters at Villete, an asylum to which go they escape from soulless routine and conformity, to convey his message. To quote:

"Each human being is unique, each with their own qualities, instincts, forms of pleasure, and desire for adventure. However, society always imposes on us a collective way of behaving, and people never stop to wonder why they should behave like that....You're someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. And that, in my view, is a serious illness." -Dr. Igor

My review:
The book is short, which makes it more incredible how it gives you many profound insights. Whether you?re ?normal? or experiencing some kind of quarter-life crisis like Veronika, I highly recommend this book.

Type: Fiction
Author: 片山恭一
My rating: 4

Book introduction:
Sakutaro and Aki are high school sweet heart. Aki died of leukemia. This is the story of Sakutaro and Aki as told by Sakutaro, how they fell deeply in love, how Aki became sick and passed away, what was the joint wish that was unfulfilled. How Sakutaro's grandfather's affection for another lady had inspired both Sakutaro and Aki...
ISBN 988201867X

My review:
A movie and a TV drama called Crying out love in the centre of the world 在世界中心呼喚愛 were made out of this book. Personally, I like both the book and the movie. But the movie is much better, more touching and they have added some clever tricks in the movie that made it more interesting.

Young 1st love that is separated by death is always so very sad and touching. Especially so if there is one last unfulfilled dying wish.

This book broke the best selling record set by 村上春樹 Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood 挪威的森林. It sold over 2.5Million copies in Japan.

Norwegian Wood (Vintage International Original) (buy from Amazon) by Haruki Murakami

Type: Fiction
Author: Haruki Murakami 村上春樹
My rating: 3

Book introduction:
A story of complex love relationships that have been further complicated by sex and by death of close friends, relatives or lovers. 渡边 is trying to figure out his relationship with 直子 and 绿子 of whom he loves both in very different way and for very different reasons and with very different history.

My review:
I feel kind of sad after reading this book. The helplessness of human when it comes to relationship and death. 渡边 the lead character is always torn between other characters, lost in what he should be doing and let life takes its own course and sometimes let desire takes over. In the end he takes a firmer stance and no longer letting desire to take over, but he was too late about 直子's situation and I think the ending implies he was able to make out something good of the 绿子's relationship.

New Grub Street (Penguin Classics) (buy from Amazon) by Bernard Bergonzi
Type: Fiction
Author: George Gissing
My rating: 4

Posted by irene
Book introduction:
Stories of the life of the literary man in 19th century in the UK. How they struggle, deal with love/failure and success in their career.

My review:
Though this book was first published in 1891, I find the story resonates in our current society. The conflicts in life are the same. The stories describes very deeply about the person's emotion and struggles. The contrast of the main characters provokes further thinking.

Digital Fortress (buy from Amazon) by Dan Brown
Type: Adventurous Fiction
Author: Dan Brown
My rating: 4
Book introduction:
National Security Agency (NSA) has received an unbreakable code and it is being held hostage as a result. It they cannot crack it, it will result in US intelligence service being completely cripple...

My review:
Another interesting novel from Dan Brown. I particularly like this plot involving encryption and trying break secret code. Though I must say I was a somewhat disappointed with the ending.

Deception Point (buy from Amazon) by Dan Brown
Type: Adventurous Fiction
Author: Dan Brown
My rating: 3

Posted by Dominic
Book introduction:
A shocking scientific discovery by NASA has such profound implication that it will be used as a political chip in the White house race...

My review:
I have read 3 other Dan Brown's novels, they are all very gripping, Deception Point's story somehow is now as intense and it doesn't have the same effect as the others - wanting to know what happen next! Nonetheless it is a very entertaining book for leisure reading.

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