Thursday 23 August 2012

Theme Quiz 5/5 - The Final One


As always the top 5 get 12, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points. This is the last quiz so make it count! Fill in your answers at:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHRsbFpoVHduME5LOHUzOTNCRzk5cWc6MQ#gid=0

Identify the novel from its first line:

1. "It was a dark and stormy night"

2. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

3. "Who is John Galt? "

4. "The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call "out there.""

5. "When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Bookathon Theme 4/5 - Crossword

Today we have for you a Crossword .. Not only does the fastest finisher get a special prize but the points on offer are 20, 16 and 12 (for the top 3 finishers). Hope you have fun doing this! Fill in your answers at:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEk3RzFhVW1XcjAtMW5mZDdGSUZ4U3c6MQ#gid=0


Tuesday 21 August 2012

Theme Quiz 3/5

We are back after a gap of 3 days. Today we bring to you plot lines. All you need to do is guess the book we are they referring to! Fill in your responses:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFpQZEdkMXdrbFdPQmU5ZTBYOGJwdmc6MQ#gid=0

1. This classic traces the life story of a poor orphan boy who gets a sudden windfall of fortune and goes off to the big city only to find later that all his hopes were misplaced. The book is famous for its unique characters ranging from an eccentric old lady and an escaped convict to a heartless young girl and a lovable brother-in-law.

2. A young Indian boy whose father owns a zoo, survives the sinking of a ship and is trapped on a lifeboat with a tiger, and from before and while on the lifeboat, explores issues of spirituality.

3. A doctor turns scientist after losing his wife to a rare form of cancer. His life falls apart when he discovers that the same form of non hereditary cancer affects his daughter as well. The scientist has to fight against many other people along with cancer to save his dear daughter’s life.

4. This could be a tweet from a character of this book: Found this awesome girl but it all ended in Room 101 :(

5. This could be a tweet from a character of this book: The world outside our village is quite pretty, if only this damned ring wasn't around my neck ...

Fun Facts on Authors

Charles Dickens :
His most famous story, A Christmas Carol, became more popular than his other classics, such as Oliver Twist, though it received less attention from literary critics than some of the other Dickens’s novels. Dickens, at age 31, wrote the short novel in 6 weeks and rushed it to be published before Christmas. The book was out December 19, 1843—the same year that the first Christmas card on record was sent. A Christmas Carol was Dickens’s first unserialized work. Most of the characters were based on people he knew personally, including Ebenezer Scrooge—based on Ebenezer Scroggie, a counselor at Edinburgh. Within its first year of publication, A Christmas Carol sold 15,000 copies and inspired the production of about 10 stage dramas.

Jane Austen:
July 1814, when Sir Walter Scott’s first novel Waverly was published, Jane Austen was a bit jealous. She wrote the following in a letter to her niece.
“Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones.—It is not fair.—He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking the bread out of other people’s mouths.—I do not like him, and do not mean to like Waverly if I can help it—but fear I must.”
Ironically, today Jane Austen is a much more popular author than her contemporary Sir Walter Scott.

John Keats:
John Keats was only about 5 feet tall—nevertheless, by the time he died at age 24, he was a literary giant, surpassing any other 24-year old English writer. We can only wonder if Keats were to live to be an old man if his popularity today would exceed that of Shakespeare.

John Milton:
John Milton composed the greatest epic in the English language Paradise Lost after he was blind (between 1658 and 1664). He claimed that he received nightly divine inspiration, and during the day he composed his epic. Paradise Lost is packed with biblical and mythological allusions—attesting to Milton’s vast knowledge and incredible memory.

J.K.Rowling:
Harry Potter sold about 400 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 65 languages.
Though before the book's popularity, Joanne Rowling had some difficulty finding a publisher that believed her book could amount to anything. Finally Bloomsburry Press agreed to publish the first edition of Harry Potter, but only printed 500 copies for the first edition for fear of them not selling. Also the publisher requested that the author would not use her first name (Joanne) but rather her initials to make it less obvious that the author is a woman assuming that the book's main audience young boys would not want to read a wizard book written by a woman. Since Joanne Rowling did not have a middle name, she chose K for Kathleen.

Leo Tolstoy:

  "Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly"
· Tolstoy was very sceptical about his writing jobs, including "War and Peace". In 1871 he sent a letter to a friend: "I am so happy.. that I won't right trifles like "War and Peace" any more!
· He always wore a miniature portrait of JJ Rousseau instead of a cross on his neck
· Leo Tolstoy's wife had to copy out War and Peace seven times by hand because typewriters and printers didn't exist yet

Friday 17 August 2012

Bookathon 2012 - Theme Quiz 2/5

Post your answers here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDlxUjRidzNRbi1KRlJBbjM3WHRBYlE6MQ#gid=0

We will publish the leaderboard after this quiz. The Bookathon takes a break for 3 days now. Questions on Theme 3 will be put up on Tuesday (21st August).

1. Connect:


 2. This irritating cartoon strip (well that is in our opinion!) was a part of one of the more innovative promotional campaigns in India. Appearing prominently in a newspaper much before the release of the movie, it generally featured 2 unnamed protagonists discussing inane things with one of the 2 being the butt of the joke in each strip. Name this strip.

3. Connect:

4. This comic’s title (as well as the name of the main character) is derived from the nickname given to the author by his sons. The comic is set in an unnamed coastal village in Norway and takes place in the middle ages. The main character regularly raids England and sometimes France. One continuing gag involves his extremely poor personal hygiene; for example, his annual bath is a time of national merriment and celebrations. For a brief time, the strip even had its own brand of sponsored soda. It is generally recalled as one of the funniest flops of the marketing industry. Name the comic.

5. Who is the uncle of the kids shown below:

Asterix - 9 Quick Facts


1. Asterix the Gaul was called Asterix by his creator Albert Uderzo so he would appear at the start of an encyclopaedia of comics. Some 325 million copies of the 33 Asterix comic albums have been sold worldwide, with translations into languages as diverse as Urdu, Arabic and even Latin.

2. The first Asterix adventure, Asterix the Gaul, appeared in a magazine called Pilote and from then on, 32 other official Asterix comics have been published. Rene Goscinny wrote the books while Albert Uderzo illustrated them until the death of Goscinny aged 51. Uderzo then carried on the series. As well as the comic books, there have been many spin-offs including movie books, game books, Dogmatix books etc. Asterix is so popular, he even has his own theme park and movies.

3. Albert Uderzo is colour blind. He gets professionals to colour his drawings which is why some character's hair keeps changing etc. His eye has since improved and he has coloured some of the later books covers. He was born with two extra fingers which were surgically removed when he was still very young.

4. The first French satellite which was launched in 1965 was named Asterix-1 in honour of Asterix.

5. During the campaign for Paris to host the 1992 Summer Olympics Asterix appeared in many posters over the Eiffel Tower.

6. Asterix and Obelix appeared on the cover of Time Magazine for a special edition on France.

7. The animated series Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears also concerns an oppressed group in possession of a magic potion capable of conferring superhuman strength and agility.

8. The 2006 FIFA World Cup final between France and Italy was depicted as a fight between Roman legions and Gaul villagers in newspapers.

9. Humour in Asterix is typically French, often centering on puns, caricatures, and tongue-in-cheek stereotypes of contemporary European nations and French regions. Much of the humour in the initial Asterix books was French-specific, which delayed the translation of the book into other languages due to the risk of losing the native essence of the story.

Source: http://www.oxfordbookstore.com/dotcom/oxford/archives/in_our_good_books/asterix_fun_facts.htm

Thursday 16 August 2012

The Hunger Games - A Review


Set in a dystopian country ruled by the oppressive Capitol, this is the story of Katniss Everdeen, a young girl from one of the 12 Districts, and the 'Hunger Games'. The Hunger Games are an annual event started by the Capitol to remind the Districts that they are at its mercy. One young boy and girl are chosen from each district, and made to fight to the death until only one survives. The story takes us through a variety of emotions, hope, disappointment, sorrow, joy, anguish, love, desperation and determination. The trials that Katniss faces and the author's realistic depiction of the Capitol's politics and dependence on the Games make it an unusual story worth reading. To quote the Guardian's review, " It's a great book and Suzanne Collins makes it hard to put down". 

Review by Anupam Francis (PGP 2012 - 2014)

Bookathon 2012 - Theme Quiz 1/5

We have 5 questions on 5 different genres. Submit your answers at:

Everyday the first 5 correct entries will get 12, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points. The top 2 after 5 days will win!

1. Connect these pictures to a popular book series (just one name will do!).


 
2.  If you were carrying the map (shown below) where would you be?



3. Raju, A Dancer, Famine, Fast, Redemption ..  Elements of which famous Indian novel also made into a successful film?

4. This author added the prefix 'De' to his name to sound more aristocratic. His most famous novel was actually titled: The Life and Strange Surprizing ________________, of York, Mariner ..... Who are we talking about?

5. Connect to an author (hint: think non-fiction).
 

Friday 10 August 2012

Love Story - A Review


Have you ever heard of a movie being adapted into a novel...it’s usually the other way round isn’t it, well, not this time. ‘Love Story’ was originally written by ‘Erich Segal’ as a screenplay for a movie and then adapted into a novel at the request of the producers to be released on Valentine’s Day 1970! 

Since then it has been translated into 30 languages and is one of the most loved love stories.
The book has one of the best opening lines, guaranteed to hook you-
"What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful. And Brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And the Beatles. And me." 

Love Story is about a young couple, very different from each other from very different backgrounds, yet who are drawn to each other and despite all odds their love brings them together. The book tracks their lives from the time they meet in college, get married, and are just beginning their lives together when tragedy strikes. Then begins their struggle as things go from bad to worse yet their love keeps them together, finally culminating in a bitter-sweet ending.

Love Story is a beautiful, heart-rending romantic story which tracks the relationship between not only the two protagonists but also between them and their parents. 
Erich Segal has a brilliant style – which can be very funny and vey touching at the same time - he makes you feel so connected to the story that it becomes more of an experience than a reading.

The classic quote from the book sums up the essence of the story-
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

(As unputdownable as it is, reading this book will also make you crave for its sequel, ‘Oliver’s Story’)

Review by Smita Singh (PGP 2012 - 2014)

Friday 3 August 2012

Classic Literature at Bookrack

This post gives short reviews of some of the best pieces of class literature we have at Bookrack.
1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: You may have heard of the movie; this book is regarded as one of the original non-fiction novel. In 1959 the NY Times published an account of a murder of farmer and his family in Kansas. Capote was intrigued by this and went onto investigate with the help of his friend Harper Lee. The book is part thriller (exloring the crime in detail), examines the psyche of the killers and exlpores the effect of the crime on the community. Easy to read, this book (as one reivewer on Amazon puts it): "Capote's prose is mesmerizing. His descriptions of Holcomb and its inhabitants are vivid and lively. His research is impeccable, presented flawlessly, lushly, sweeping the reader away on waves of vibrant language.....it's really hard to stop reading about this unfortunate family and their motiveless, pathetic murderers. This book made me sad, it made me shiver; but I'm glad I read it."
2. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: At the outset this classic is about a bunch of boys stuck on an island trying to live out their life. Seeds of a thrilling adventure you would think? Not quite so .. The kids on the island set up a society and slowly degenerate into uncontrollable savages in absence of any adult supervision. the book explores the very psyche of humans and published after world war 2 it presents a chilling picture of the tendency of violence and cruelty that seems to be inherent in us right from our childhood. Included in the TIME's list of top 100 books this is a must read for any literature lover.
3. Vanity Fair by William Thackeray: Amazon puts it nicely: "No one is better equipped in the struggle for wealth and worldly success than the alluring and ruthless Becky Sharp, who defies her impoverished background to clamber up the class ladder. Her sentimental companion Amelia, however, longs only for caddish soldier George. As the two heroines make their way through the tawdry glamour of Regency society, battles—military and domestic—are fought, fortunes made and lost. The one steadfast and honourable figure in this corrupt world is Dobbin with his devotion to Amelia, bringing pathos and depth to Thackeray's gloriously satirical epic of love and social adventure."
4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Mary Shelley wrote this novel in 1818 and she had started writing it when she was only 18 years old. Spending a cold wet summer with her future husband Percy Shelley in Switzerland, the conditions were ripe for Mary to write a novel inspired by the occult (there was a lot of interest in this topic in Europe at that time). From wikipedia: "Major critics have praised the "aesthetic and moral" relevance of the novel and in more recent years the novel has become a popular subject for psychoanalytic and feminist criticism. The novel today is generally considered to be a landmark work of romantic and gothic literature, as well as science fiction."
5. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: This novella is like having your favourite dessert. Quick to eat but the pleasure is ah so good! From Amazon: "A masterpiece of twentieth-century writing, Heart of Darkness exposes the tenuous fabric that holds "civilization" together and the brutal horror at the center of European colonialism. Conrad's crowning achievement recounts Marlow's physical and psychological journey deep into the heart of the Belgian Congo in search of the mysterious trader Kurtz." The book builds up slowly and is a wonderful example of how an excellent author creates an atmosphere to complement what he is trying to communicate.
6. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: In our opinion this is probably one of the best novels on love and what it takes to win someone who has stolen your heart! It is the story of the fiery Bathsheba, the three men who fall her and how one of them finally get her after many twists. The characters are deeply sketched out, the descriptions of English countryside will transport you there itself and the ending will leave you feeling all warm and happy. What more could one want!