Book Review: The Shadow Lines

THE SHADOW LINES

A Novel by “Amitav Ghosh”

‘The Shadow Lines’ is novel written by one of the well known and celebrated Indian author Mr. Amitav Ghosh. This novel is “Sahitya Akademy Award” winner which is very much prestigious award in Indian literature. And this recognition by Sahitya Akademy led me to read the book.

This book is released in way back in 1988. Amitav Ghosh has really distinctive style of writing. His novel doesn’t have the big glamor, romanticism, heroism or drama like others. But it is more intense, sensitive, moving and more close to human emotions. The book is about a boy and his world through is eyes and his imagination. It is about his uncle who teaches him to travel the world through his imagination. It’s about his grandmother and struggle through her life after husband’s demise to raise her son without taking anyone’s help. It is about boy’s cousin Ila, his love interest who invariably brakes his heart. And it is about many such people. But more importantly is based on the backdrop of riots in Calcutta and post-partition Dhaka in 60’s, as well as in London in 60’s and in wartime of 1939 in London.

The author manage to shape up the book as a web of memories of a person, he starts describing from one point which led him to various situations. His interpretation not time or place bound, he keeps on moving in past and present or from Calcutta, to London or Dhaka. It is like solving a puzzle, he is arranging the pieces one by one and after some time he comes back to point where he started from and rearrange and start other side of it. It deals with relationship, history, myths, politics, humor and many things.

As the name Shadow Line suggest the author builds story builds the story around the lines drawn between people and nations. Which has been drawn by some unfortunate circumstances or by someone else or the character in the novel themselves draw it; but they could not wipe it away nor could they get accustomed to it. So there comes agitation invariably in nations or relationships of individual.

In simple words the book is remarkable and brilliant. It would move every sensible man. If I have to rate the book I will give it 10 out of 10. The book will find top spot in anyone’s personal collection.

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Movie Review: "Godfather Part - 1"

The Godfather – Part 1 (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Writers: Mario Puzo (novel)
Release Date: 24 March 1972 (USA)

Genre: Drama | Thriller

Actors:

Marlon Brando ...as Don Vito Corleone

Al Pacino ...as Michael Corleone

James Caan ...as Santino 'Sonny' Corleone

Richard S. Castellano ...as Peter Clemenza,

Robert Duvall ...as Tom Hagen

This supposed to be the best movie made ever and after watching the movie I won’t disagree. I wanted to see this movie for so long as every time any gangster movie releases, people say it has been inspired by “Godfather”. But somehow or other I couldn’t watch it till today. What trigger me to go fetch this DVD from library is hindi movie “Sarkar” which is brilliantly enacted by Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. And it is said that “Sarkar” is heavily inspired by “Godfather”. So I thought if inspired movie is so good then the original has to be outstanding and I can say after watching this movie it is outstanding and brilliant movie made ever.

What makes this movie the best is brilliant script, brilliant direction and above all perfect casting. Each and every actor outperformed his role. I was watching this movie after 36 years after it released. But it still feels so fresh and contemporary. After watching this movie I realized that almost every gangster movie I watched has been inspired by “Godfather” some way or the other. So it can be said as a bible for gangster movie.

I don’t whats up with these gangster movies which we love, we know whatever they are doing is illegal, wrong not ethical but we still get involved in these movies. And above all we start liking these characters. I think what we like is the Power or Control these people posses there arrogance is attractive for people. Everyone of us secretly has a desire to posses a power to control whole world. That’s what this movie shows the main character Don Vito Carleone posses the power and contacts. There are people to catch every word out of his mouth. He controls people around him like puppet. And that’s why movie poster has puppet strings.

This movie is a story of a Don for whom most important things are control and his family. It is a story of falling of Don Vito Carleon and emerging of his son as Don which he never expected or wanted to be in his business. The movie is about his rivalry with other families (read gang). He don’t take money for favors he does for people he want there loyalty for him. It is a story of a Don who even though mafia king works on ethics, his refusal to get involve in drugs even though it involve big money or dire consequences otherwise. He chose other option and so if other family wants to do the drugs Don Carleone has to die. And that’s what other family tries, they attack him. And this trying time Don’e youngest son has to get involve in the family business to save his father although he was reluctant to get involve earlier.

Every scene and all the actor is brilliant in this movie but highlights of it is acting of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Then there is scene in which right hand of Don carleon is strangled is outstanding. And with so lively expressions. And there are some dialogues which can not be forgotten ever, like “I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse” and “It's not personal. This is business”.

All I can say in the end is Don’t miss this movie. I am going to fetch the DVD of other two parts as soon as possible. As for Rating for this movie it gets 10/10.

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How to find out if you are overweight or not

How to know if you are overweight?

Now a days your personality decides the shape of your career and for personality development you need to be in good shape. And this is true not only for girls but also for boys. You can’t be underweight, nor you can be overweight.

We already aware now, how to know if we are underweight. Similarly it is important to know if you are overweight that can be synonymous to Fat in some cases but not always. Don’t always believe your eyes for that because we know now that girls feel they are fat all the time.

But there is a sure shot way to know if you are overweight or not, that is with the help of “Body Mass Index or BMI”. And to derive the BMI you need to know your height in meters and your weight in kg. Once you know that just put the values in following formula and calculate.

BMI = Weight (kg)/Height (m²)

When you get the answer after calculation, compare the answer with this,

If your answer is,
18.5 to 25 ----- normal

25 to 30 -------- Overweight

30 to 35 --------- Obese class I

35 to 40 --------- Obese Class II

40 to 45 --------- Severally Obese

45 to 50 --------- Morbidly Obese

50 to 60 --------- Super Obese

Above 60 -------- Hyper Obese

BMI is frequently used to assess how much an individual's body weight departs from what is normal or desirable for a person of his or her height.

So just calculate your BMI and find out if you are overweight or not, If you found out that you are overweight and you want to lose weight then consult your doctor asap.

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How to know if you are underweight

How to if you are underweight?

Everyone I meet tells me that I am underweight, of course it is not a rocket science, I can look myself in mirror and tell that I am underweight. But I never understood, what is the normal weight? If I start working on my weight how will I come to know that I am not underweight anymore. So I consult the doctor not only to know how to gain weight but also to know what is the norms of weights for human beings.

So I came to know about the “body mass index” (BMI) which is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height. BMI is calculated as the individual's body weight divided by the square of their height. In normal words it means what your should be as per your height. And it can be calculate by everyone. Just put your weight and height in following formula and then compare the answer with the “Body Mass Index” table.

BMI = Weight (kg)/Height(m²)

If your answer is,
Less than 16.5 ---- severely underweight
16.5 to 18.5 ---- underweight
18.5 to 25 ----- normal

BMI is frequently used to assess how much an individual's body weight departs from what is normal or desirable for a person of his or her height.

So just calculate your BMI and find out if you are underweight or not, I found out I am underweight and I am working on it now.