7 must-read books as opposed to MPH's 100 must-read titles

7 must read titles, guarenteed a more value-for-money, satisfactory read than MPH's 100 recommended titles as in www.mph.com.my
All titles arranged not accordingly.

1. Life of Pi (Phi) by Yann Martel, Canongate.
(Winner of the MAN Book Prize 2002): After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitery lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi (Phi), as in Piscine Molitor Patel, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg, later eaten by the hyena), a female Orang Utan (also eaten)...and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker caught by the hunter Thirsty Unnamed. Incredibly humourous and grounbreaking with a selection of simple words and direct phrases. Even though it might sound untrue (it is in fact a true story), it renews our faith towards life and reassures us things will eventually turn out fine by its own.

2. Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks, Time Warner Books.
Typical Sparks' writing which will bring you to tears at one moment and have you laughing at the next. Personally I liked his memoirs better than his romances, and I sincerely admire how he can get the point across with such simple and concise sentences. (To Soon Khen particularly) If you're thinking of living the American dream, read this, and reconsider. Nevertheless, another reassurance of things will turn out fine by its own.

3. The Terminal Man by Sir Alfred Mehran, Corgi.
Sir Alfred has been living in the departure lounge of Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for 16 years. He arrived at Charles de Gaulle on 8th August 1988 (8.8.88) intending to take a plane to London - amazingly 16 years later he is still there waiting for his flight. Fearing arrest as an illegal immigrant if he left the terminal building, he has spent the last decade and a half waiting 'for my identity' while lawyers and government officials argued about his case. Spielberg paid 1 mil. to Sir Alfred, get his signature, and turned his memoir into a light, humourous and worst, untrue, bias film, The Terminal. This book reminds me of how uncomfortable my hangover in Amsterdam for 5 hours can be, and again unveil to us how different people from all over the world can be, even though they speak English (or French), wears Marks and Spencer, and flies British Airways. Everybody has a story to tell, and this is especially true for Sir Alfred.

4. The Pianist by Wladysaw Szpilman, Phoenix
The first film (based on this book) without a single word of French to win the Palme D'or 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Amazingly, Szpilman describes the whole extermination of Jews by Nazis calmly, as if witnessing a play on stage or watching CNN. There was no trace of anger in his words, but I can't fail to notice how his description tend to shock and stupefy me. Szpilman is indeed lucky to be born in a relatiely wealthy Jewish family, have dozens of non-Jewish friends and have the opportunity to meet Capt. Wilm Hosenfeld before the war came to an end. A very-honest description of Poland in WW2, a modest Jew's experiences fed by his survival instincts, and a courageous, yet brief and unhelpful salvation of a Jew by a member of the Jew-killing party.

5. The Sky is Crazy: Tales From A Trolley Dolly by Yvonne Lee
I might be influenced by my passion towards the airlnes to be able to like this book, but it's breathtaking anyhow. From serving meals to discussing the mile high club (wikipedia this word), Yvonne never fails to amaze me, this time, with a wide selection of vocabs presented in a carnivorously funny way. At the end of the day, you'll realise why First Class to London is 7 times more expensive than Economy Class, and how should a First Class passenger behave, even though you broke your bank for this ticket.

6. Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier, HarperCollins
A reconstruct of 17th century Netherlands with painter Jan. Vermeer. Historically inaccurate. A milder, heterosexual version of Brokeback Mountain with the female (or girl with the pearl earring) confronting the blunt, work-crazy and submissive Jan. Vermeer. Might arouses boredom at some part, but the whole novel will construct itself at the end.

7. Nicholas by Goscinny and Sempe, Phaidon
(An excerpt): I wasn't too pleased when Mum told me one of her friends was coming to tea and bringing her little girl. I don't like girls. They're soppy, they only play at dolls and going shopping, and they're always crying. Well, I suppose I sometimes cry myself, but only for something serious like when the sitting room vase got broken and Dad told me off and it wasn't fair because I didn't do it on purpose and anyway it was an ugly vase and I know Dad doesn't like me to play football in the house but it was raining outside. Reminds me of how children can be so children all the time, and I yearn to be like them as well. Imagine no responsibilities and you get to say "I'm running away from home and I'm never coming back if you're not buying that iPod for me!" all the time, and not get slapped or punished afterwards.


Postscript: Notice Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx was not included. Brokeback Mountain is a short story, and when published, it's produced along with other short stories, which is, occasionally, unbearably boring due to the Wyoming slangs Annie tried to put in for the character's dialogues. Nevertheless, Brokeback Mountain itself is a good read and it is as powerful as the movie itself.

pessoa

Yann Martel dan adik beradik sparks sah-sah tak value for money.

Blues_guy

Originally posted by pessoa at 27-6-2006 15:55
Yann Martel dan adik beradik sparks sah-sah tak value for money.

I was at an airport bookstore last week and almost bought Martel's book sebab aku terbaca a good review about it. Aku tak jadi beli sebab aku rasa harga macam mahal (nak compare harga kat bookstore KL dulu..). And also I had a half-read Nicholas Evans book in my bag (enough for me to kill time in the flight..)

Kenapa kau tak rekomen Life of Pi tu, pessoa?

limau_nipis

i think this is similar to:

1001 books you must read before you die

pessoa

Originally posted by Blues_guy at 27-6-2006 09:29 PM


I was at an airport bookstore last week and almost bought Martel's book sebab aku terbaca a good review about it. Aku tak jadi beli sebab aku rasa harga macam mahal (nak compare harga kat books ...

Sebab tak best.

Tapi kalau kau suka cerita yg 'cute-cute' macam The Alchemist mungkin kau akan suka Pi.

Greenbottle3

life of pi is actually quite a good read....

here's what i wrote in my blog a long time ago...

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Ramadhan Read
As usual.... I'm very poor at keeping my promise... just like new year's resolutions ...before the first month is out I break every one of them....

I promised to reread AlQuran translation and finish the 揟ravel of Ibn Jubayr