The Man who Never was

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1 by Umi Sakurai My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews A Man and his Cat tells the story of a soft-spoken elderly widower Fuyuki-san, and the cutest, sweetest, chonkiest of boys Fukumaru, as they deal with their own battles with loneliness, through each other's love and companionship. Now, seeing as how I'm probably going to end up like Fuyuki-san, (Sans the loving wife & kids), being a cat guy, the manga holds some amount of interest to me. Plus, the art style is adorable, comical and whimsical, while at the same time heartfelt and wholesome. Reading the day-to-day adventures of the Ojii-san and his cat, after a long tedious day, was like a cold balm on the forehead, a glass of chilled lemonade after spending all day in the sun. This, and the likes of [b: The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today|57032865|The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, Vol. 1|Hitsuji Yamada|https://i.gr-asset

Preacher, Volume 1: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis   My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Well, in case you had any doubt; it's official. Garth Ennis absolutely despises what others hold dear. He has already shat on heaps upon Superhero genre, through his disturbing interpretation of truth, justice and the American way in  The Boys . Now, let us turn our attention to his earlier classic, shitting upon everything religion, specifically Christianity. Nothing is holy, nothing is sacred, everything is depraved. So why would one go about reading Garth's interpretation of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit, where everything caters to the lowest denomination, and the worst stuff of nightmares you could think is put on screen? Well, the characters are mighty likeable, as well as the rapport the primary trio have with each other. Plus, there is a whole lot of gratuitous violence and fetichism for those who're into all that. Only thing I know is that, de

I Am Legend by Steve Niles My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews I Am Legend  by Richard Matheson was one of my earliest forays into Sci-fi. The book, the 1964 & 1971 adaptations as well. (Not the 2008 will smith version which was forgettable). I suppose every dude has, at one point or another, pondered the hypothetical scenario when the world has ended, and they have to survive the fall of civilization much the Ron Swanson way. By building a bunker fortress, stacked with food and other necessities, armed to the teeth, ready to face the unknown from outside, Robinson Crusoe style. That, and which animal they think they can take in a fight. The original 1954 version doesn't hold up when it comes to the origins of the vampiric pandemic, or the science surrounding their hemophilic traits. But the reason it has continued to endure in popular imagination, is not because of the surface level premise, which is shared by most works about the zombie apocalypse. Rather, it's t

The World's Worst Assistant by Sona Movsesian My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Going into this, one might wonder, why does this Indian looking guy, sounding guy care about a book, written by the assistant of a semi-retired talk show host, who is, by the viewership at least, not even at the top of the list. That’s because the host is Conan O’Brien, and the assistant is his wing man/ work sibling Sona Movsesian (Sorry Andy).  Now, like most viewers of my pedigree, I came to know of Conan’s particular brand of entertainment through…YouTube, ding, ding. Even back then, what set him apart from his contemporaries was how earnest and organic entertainer, especially when it comes to off the cuff bits and his engaging interaction with fans and strangers. And let’s face it, no one can work a crowd with little or no prep time like Conan, the guy has just that much charisma. And despite being known as having a somewhat risqué

Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews Readers find different meanings in the books that they indulge in. You, me and the average joe, would chance upon Robert Browning ode to a hero's tale, and take away from it the determination of our protagonist Roland to undertake the perilous and insurmountable quest, his perseverance in face of ever dangerous obstacles, his resilience at the prospect of failure and ultimate death, as well as the burning sense of duty as well as loyalty to his fallen comrades which drives him forwards, whatever the end might hold.   Stephen King read the work, took away that, and much more, using it as the template to craft the rich and enthralling world of Roland Deschain and the Dark Tower.  Like most general readers, the reason I picked up this poem was upon learning how it served as inspiration to Mr. King's acclaimed series. Yet even then I wa

Kabuliwallah: Stories by Rabindranath Tagore My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Perhaps there is no other name which the Indians can instantly associate with the most beloved and acclaimed literary master Rabindranath Tagore, than the phrase Kabuliwallah. Even those who haven't read the story know of its premise, as it's one of those works that is deeply ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist. Like many of his other stories, such as  Mashi ,  ചാരുലത Charulatha , and  Chokher Bali , there is this underlying sense of melancholy and feeling of loss which pervades much of Tagore's works. The simple story of the innocent bond between the young girl and the Kabuliwallah is touching to say the least. A man who is living thousands of kilometers away from his own family and young daughter for his livelihood, finds some comfort in the innocent love of this stranger girl. In just a few scenes, Tagore is able to weave for us

The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, Vol. 1 by Hitsuji Yamada My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews My procrastination has once again prevented me from writing down thoughts in regard to this wonderfully wholesome slice of life manga which I read months ago. One thing I love about manga is how, the number of subjects covered is so expensive, one can almost always find a story which caters to your particular tastes. Even if those tastes are particularly macabre. I’m reminded of the many works under the Psychological/ Tragedy/ Mature tags, where several acts which can be considered as an affront to nature are put on page. But enough of that; we’re talking about cats. And  ‘Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu’  is the type of manga that scratches the particular mental itch to satiate the cat lover in me. While there have been several other titles featuring cats as protagonists or glorified mascots, the anthropomorphizing o

ഓട്ടോറിക്ഷക്കാരൻ്റെ ഭാര്യ | Autorikshawkkarante Bharya by M. Mukundan My rating: 3 of 5 stars In a series of short stories, M. Mukundan, the eminent writer of Mayyazhi, paints for us the day to day, slice of life fictionalized tales of the people in everyday lives. The tales he composed range from OK, to good, to head scratching, to thought inducing, a full cornucopia. But sad to say, there isn’t much meat to these stories, a collected anthology from the stories he’d penned in various news publications. Mukundan himself seems the most soulful and engaging, when delving into the semi fictional tales that he crafts about his beloved Mayyazhi; with its colorful history and ever more colorful coterie of characters. Out of all the collections of stories which are printed here, the one which connected with me the most, is the one titled ‘Malayali Daivangal’ (Malayali Gods). The tale is about a French tourist couple that come to visit Mayyazhi and Kerala