Friday, February 23, 2007

Routines ...

When she was 8 years old, she said to herself, "I will become a doctor. I will help people in their most difficult times." She felt proud.

When she was 12 years old, she said to herself, "I should become an IAS officer. I like that job and all the perks that come with it." She felt proud.

When she was 15 years old, she said to herself, "I write well. I should consider journalism." She felt proud.

Years later, she stared at her business card. She was a software engineer ... just another software engineer, in just another IT company.

Her life was a reflection of a routine ... a routine set by seniors and elders, a routine imposed by the society. Its true the IT sector had a lot of opportunities. But were these opportunities for her? Did the IT job get the best out of her? Were her skills explored?

Questioning her past and her future ... She was not proud anymore.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Angels and Demons

Finaally ... I finished reading this book. I read this book over 2-3 weeks. I had a lot of interruptions and the book didnt keep me involved also.

I felt the book was just like 'Da Vinci Code' that I read last year. There was a mystery hidden in the book ... And I guessed the suspense half way down the book itself. One speech to the world and it was clear there was only one person who could benefit from the incidents happening in the book. What the hell!! At times I felt if there were more characters in the book, it could have helped retain the suspense a little longer.

I should appreciate the care and attention that Dan Brown has taken to explain even the smallest details of the architecture of the place. He can make you imagine the place, the incident like ... like... like he pictured it!! It is so perfect. Every church involved, every murder that happened, every sculpture that was described I have a mental image of it. Imagining the darkness and the killings makes this book a very good thriller.

Despite that, Dan Brown's writing is sooo similar ... even within the book. One killing is similar to the other. You can read one and sleep through the rest and you wouldnt have missed a thing. Although the treasure hunt style is impressive ... The Path of Illumination is meant only for Robert Langdon. So you dont have a role there to play either. I wish it were more engrossing ... making the reader guess rather than just reading that Robert found the angel!!

Overall, its not a book that would remain in my mind for long, but I can tick it off my 'To-Read' list.