Sherlock

T.V shows, these days, as I see it, are beginning to get too monotonous, with the same love stories and problems of complexed people, who have nothing better to do other than think about their lovers, because they seem to have been relieved of all responsibilities that may concern them with the actual world and its problems. Either its this or, its going to be silly vampire or zombie shows. I’m not exactly the type of

person who you would find following shows on T.V religiously, but I can surely appreciate a good one. Even the comedy these days seems to have lost the touch it used to have. But criticizing contemporary T.V shows is not the aim of this post.

I’m sure many of you are already aware of the British T.V series, ‘Sherlock’, that have been airing since 2010, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the renowned detective and Martin Freeman as his faithful companion, Dr.Watson. It is usually the case that one watches the motion picture only after being inspired by the book. But  in my case, it was quite the opposite. A cousin of mine introduced me to this drama, and from there I decided venture reading the 1600 page novel, although I must admit, I have not yet finished the book. It is pleasing to see that the official E-Book, of the Sherlock Holmes detective series is available on the internet, completely free of charge.

The drama is actually a depiction of the 19th century Sherlock Holmes, moulded spectacularly into a 21st century ‘consulting detective’ who solves crimes with his partner Dr.Watson. He refers to himself as  a consulting detective as he prefers not to be associated with the local police force, which he does not think very highly of. The Scotland Yard, when perplexed by a crime to the extent that no solution seems to be present, seeks his help which he provides only when he finds the case ‘interesting’ enough.

Benedict Cumberbatch is the the sort of figure one might have on mind when thinking of Sherlock. A tall and lean body with hawk like facial features comprising of a sharp nose and bright, curios eyes, which cease to neglect any detail in the surroundings. He lives at 221 Baker  Street in a modest flat with Dr.Watson, who blogs about Sherlock’s experiences as a detective in solving intricate cases, when all other sources fail to be of any use. Martin Freeman, too, is the sort of person one would have in mind when thinking of Dr.Watson. Or maybe watching the drama makes the mind think that these figures accurately depict  the character, whatever the case may be, it is without doubt that all leading actors have remarkable talent in acting.

The way in which the whole story line has been transformed from a 19th century to a 21st century scenario, is phenomenal. Although the basic theme of every episode is in harmony with the one that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself  created, several aspects have been altered to compensate for the change in the era in which the actual story was based. This has been done in a manner that has made no compromise on the quality of the story, and the viewer ceases to lose interest. For example, in the book Dr.Watson writes memoirs of his experiences with Sherlock in his complex crime cases, while in the drama he blogs about it. Instead of letters, there are text messages. In the book, Sherlock is depicted as a drug addict, as he finds his mind under excessive pressure when nothing to challenge

it is at hand, thus he drugs himself to escape the suffering, however in the T.V series, he makes use of nicotine patches, for the same purpose (however they may have been other reasons for making this change as well 😉  )
The drama comes in seasons which comprise of three episodes, each about 90 minutes long, in which one case is solved. Up till now there have been two seasons and the third one is expected to be released next year. I will not go on to spoil the drama for my readers but I will strongly recommend watching this series. Do watch it and let me know if you share my enthusiasm!

Light Reading

Often comes the time when one does not wish to burden the mind with heavy books containing intricate plots and backgrounds that require a keen concentration by the reader, rather something to ease the mind and sooth the nerves. Such an objective cannot be achieved by reading a Tom Clancy action novel, or perhaps even a Dan Brown thriller, but something that goes slowly, brightens one up with lively yet subtle humor and never fails to lose the interest of the reader. Reading a book of this sort, is what is usually called Light Reading. Now, everyone has their own preference in light reading, because the requirement of nerves and mind to relax differs from person to person, but I think I will be doing a disfavor to my readers by not letting them know of my personal favorite light reading material. This material happens to be the work of the renowned British writer, P.G Wodehouse. Now, I’m sure many of you must already have heard this name and read many of his literary masterpieces, but for those who have yet to discover the wonders that his books have to offer, I will simply say that his books are based on typical British humor, and they never fail to cheer me up, even on a rainy day.

The expressions that the writer makes use of, his singular tone, full of sarcasm and vigor, and the amusing interaction between his cleverly made characters are sure to bring a smile to the face of even the grimmest of people. In contrast to today’s comedy, many a times wrongfully called so, P.G Wodehouse’s books go on to show that one need not necessarily slip off a banana peel on the pavement to entertain an audience but that the subtle humor which is hidden in every sentence easily serves the purpose, rather in manner much more praiseworthy.

 P.G Wodehouse was brought up by aunts and butlers in his childhood, so any reader of his works will not fail to notice the major part these characters play in his novels. My personal favorite is the Jeeves-Wooster series, in which Bertram Wooster narrates many of his experiences with his faithful and highly intellectual butler, Jeeves. Wooster is depicted as a person who is not much appreciated in society as he is not considered to be the among the brightest of people, and often finds himself amidst a problem to which no solution is clear. In all such situation his Butler, whose mental capacities are much in contrast to those of Mr.Wooster, never fails to come up with a brilliant plan to solve the problem. The novels contain a narration of Mr.Wooster’s experiences

 in such problems, and as I mentioned before the singular tone in which he narrates it never fails to brighten me up.

Another aspect of these books, that I find rather amusing is the difference in taste of clothing between Mr.Wooster and his butler. Mr.Wooster often gets piqued at his butler for not appreciating his taste in clothing, but in the end always has to accept defeat when Jeeves brilliantly solves another problem and Mr.Wooster realizes that he owes him this much. And the story often ends up with those articles of clothing either burned or given away somehow. Bertram’s relation with his aunts is rather interesting as well, considering how they look down upon him as a dim witted, fathead, other that one of his aunts, who happens to be his favorite, Aunt Dahlia. There are many other things that I admire about these books, but finding them out on your own will serve as a greater enjoyment. My favorite novels include The Inimitable Jeeves, Carry On Jeeves, Frozen Assets and many others. Do give his books a read and let me know if you like them, which I’m sure you will.

Happy Reading!

Dan Brown’s Inferno

 Dan Brown’s latest masterpiece that has occupied people of all ages, from May 14th onwards is, the Inferno. I failed to justify my claim of being a true Dan Brown fan as I could not initiate my exciting journey into the intricate plot and mysteries of Dan Brown’s world, on the 14th of May as my final examinations, ending on the 15th of May, prevented me from doing so. However I did not hesitate to obtain a copy from the nearest book store. Looking at the copy lying on my table for a whole day, unread and untouched, truly pained me but my sense of duty towards my exams helped me keep firm, and I was relieved of this dreadful punishment after I came back from my last exam, when my summer vacations began and nobody stood between me and the book.

  After having read the Lost Symbol, I was saddened by the thought that I would no longer get the chance to enjoy Dan Brown’s writings anymore, until a few months back when read that a new book was on its way. Naturally, I found the book very absorbing and I was completely immersed in it for two complete days. The book is another in the Robert Langdon series, a renowned professor of iconology and symbology at Harvard University. It revolves around Robert’s attempts to unravel the mystery in which he finds himself after waking up in a hospital, far from where he last thought he was situated. He, along with a woman named Dr.Sienna Brooks, aims to prevent a wide scale disaster that is impending upon mankind. Mysterious dreams that he sees, a renowned painting by a well known painter named Dante, and a secret agency that is powerful beyond measure, all play a major role in the story.

  Now, I will not say more, as I may ruin an excellent couple of days of reading for those who still have yet to engross themselves in this phenomenal book. But I can definitely assure you that this book is a true page turner. The way the author manipulates the mind of the reader to think in the way which he wants you to think, is truly mind blowing. You’ll be certain about something you will have read at one page, and after a couple of chapters, the tables will be turned in such a way that you will not believe that what you had read previously was something other than what you had thought it to be. You will look for that page again, skimming through many chapters, and to your surprise, you will see that nothing was said that would direct you to think what you had thought, it was simply the power of manipulation that the author possesses which he used to, so effortlessly, take control over your mind. What I say may not make much sense at the moment for those who have yet to read the book, but I am sure that those who have, will agree with what I say. His capability of changing the scenario again and again with twists and turns in the story, is amazing and nothing is as it seems to be and after a while, the reader’s mind becomes cautious of what it should accept as truth. Another thing that any avid reader will not cease to notice, is the ability of the writer to end each and every single chapter, in a way that will ignite the flame of curiosity in the reader’s mind, and force him to read another chapter. The last few lines of any chapter are my favorite part, as they always contain something very interesting, and do not leave it to the reader to decide whether he wishes to continue or not. So these are the few aspects of The Inferno, that I truly admire, and I will be pleased to hear your views.