The truth about history…

 

 

‘The Dresden atrocity, tremendously expensive and meticulously planned, was so meaningless, finally, that only one person on the entire planet got any benefit from it. I am that person…’

 

—Kurt Vonnegut

 

History is written by the victors. Whether be it in ancient history or World War II. Dresden, the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ was raised to dust by the Allied Forces and was not even recorded in the Air Force history?

 

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five has been on ‘to be read’ list since forever…since the time I didn’t even know it’s about the Dresden bombing. I started reading the graphic novel since I thought it’s the best way to decide whether I would land up reading the actual book or not. The above introduction was enough for me to rush through the novel only to turn back and pause on pages, again and again, to see its richness in detail.

 

Illustrated by Spanish graphic novelist and illustrator, Albert Monteys and written by Ryan North for the graphic adaptation, this book is a keeper for World War II readers. The Dresden illustrated before and post the bombing were the two stark images I kept going back to and the one in which Billy Pilgrim is sitting on the horse carriage while going through the ruins. Hauntingly beautiful, it just makes me want to read the novel all that more.

 

Book: Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Ryan Norths and Albert Monteys (Graphic Adaptation)

Publisher: Archaia

Will be published in: 15 September 2020

 

I received an advance copy on #NetGalley from #BOOMStudios

Advertisement

A gourmand’s delight

Dodin-Bouffant : Gourmet Extraordinaire by Mathieu Burniat

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this is the fastest I’ve read any book. Wafting through the pages, dipping in and out of the beautiful food descriptions and preparations with a neat little love story tied to it.

A graphic rendition to Marcel Rouff’s 1924 book called The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Mathieu Burnait’s adaptation is heartening read which makes you worry, cry, squeal in delight, make your heart race and leaves you with an ooooooo in the end.

A must-read for anyone who enjoys food, loves reading about food or even holds French gastronomy in the slightest of regard. I can just think a list of people who would love to read it.

#DodinBouffantGourmetExtraordinaire #NetGalley

View all my reviews

Embroideries – A graphic novel

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just what the back cover promised – Sex and The City, Middle Eastern style.

An afternoon tea party where conversation veers from sex, love and marriage between a group of women is bound to be intriguing, funny and catty.

A quick read for a lazy Sunday evening, Marjane Satrapi and her exquisite illustrations are a refreshing delight.

Lighter than Persepolis, the book offers a quick window to the repressed world on the outside and the liberated ideology on the inside.

View all my reviews

Difference between Anarchy and Chaos

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Coming from a leftist state, anarchy is usually a rule of the game. When this novel became popular in Calcutta for every student movement you had the V for Vendetta anonymous masks on hoard of students.

Intrigued I always wanted to know more about the book but couldn’t really get myself to go buy it. So when a friend shared it with at a recent book meet, I just knew I had to read it now. Something which I thought would be easy to go through, took me a week. I kept re-reading, making connects letting everything sink in.

Suitable for every political regime whether it allows freedom of thought or not, this novel clearly distinguishes between anarchy and chaos and brilliantly builds on it.

View all my reviews