Kevein Books and Reviews

On the Quai at Smyrna is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway. The story succeeds in bringing forward a few horrific scenes from the battlefield. It is staged against the time of 1920 and there a war is going on between two European nations: Turkey and Greek. Probably Hemingway saw the deadly scenes as he was an ambulance driver in Italy during the WWI and later he worked also as a war correspondent. But this story, Hemingway is narrating he heard from one of his officer friends. The irony of the story lies in the people present on and around the battle-affected field. There are children, women, cattle; and of course soldiers. The soldiers perform duty at the harbor and on the pier grief-stricken women and children scream aloud at midnight and when the searchlight is made thrown at them they tend to keep quiet. One time a Turkish officer came to him and complained about the offensive remarks he received from a non-Turkish soldier. The officer knew that was nearly impos...

Bhabhji’s House is a short story by Ruskin Bond featured in the book ‘Rusty Comes Home’.  The story is set against the newly settling Delhi of 1950s post-independence, and focuses on the values and the chores that take place on a daily basis in a traditional joint family. Rusty is more of like a wanderer; he has no permanent place to live in Delhi; thus, one day he walks down from Connaught Place to Rajauri Garden, covering around eight miles, and reaches the home of his friend, Kamal. He begins living there with him, in his big home, and the family that live there is huge. Through the story one point has been made clear that no one can live smoothly in a joint family where cots are snatched away at the crack of the day to place in the garden only to be re-laid at dusk; a number of children wailing and prancing around toughens the concentration on anything the person is doing, and above all women will never obey the senior lady and the senior lady will never cease to lament the...

Most Beautiful by Ruskin Bond is a short story covered in the Rusty series book: Rusty Comes Home. The basic theme of the story highlights the bitter truth about this world that it is cruel and unforgiving to weak and mentally-challenged people. One day the narrator sees some young urchins pelting stones and making fun of a deformed and mentally-challenged boy not older than thirteen. Unable to withstand the suffering of that boy, the narrator intervenes angrily and saves him, since the boy is unable to speak up properly thus on the basis of gestures he takes him to his home. A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties opens the door and understands the situation beforehand. She thanks him and says that Suresh, the boy, is the only child of their and his father is rather disappointed with him. When father comes, he cares nothing much about the boy but appreciates the narrator’s efforts. After some days the narrator becomes a frequent visitor of their home and often takes the boy out ...

Indian Camp by Ernest Hemingway is a classic short story underlining the importance of rites of passage in humans’ lives, such as childbirth, fear of death, pain, life experiences, and so on. The story features Hemingway’s favourite character that often appears in his short stories: Nick Adam, most of these stories have been featured in ‘Our Time’ collection and bear resemblance to the events that occurred in his own life. By title it may sound that it is a military or war story. In fact, an initiation story. Doctor Adams is being called to an Indian camp to help a woman deliver a baby. Well before dawn doctor Adams along with his brother, George, and his son Nick, cross the Michigan Lake with two Indian natives. The woman lying in a lower bunker bed has been suffering terrific labour pain for two days, and isn’t able to deliver the baby. There Adams finds that the baby is in breech position; hence he operates on the woman with a non-surgical knife, without any anaesthetic....

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright by Ruskin Bond is a novella loosely based on the theme of conserving wild animals and nature from the realms of greedy human being. A young boy named Rakesh insists Ruskin Bond to narrate a story full of wild animals and forests. Bond agrees but on a term that the end of the story will be provided by the boy himself. Then, Bond narrates a story of a senile tiger that lives in the jungle situated near the river Ganges. Since the towns and farming have been begun around the river banks by clearing the forest, the population of the wild animals shrinks drastically. Poachers and hunters stalk lions, tigers and leopards to display their skin on the walls of their homes as well as to sell in the market. It is sad to note that to fulfill his void ego man kills the innocent animals of jungles. All the tigers of this jungle have been hunted by ferocious hunters, but this tiger has gained great experience in sensing the man and his intentions, thus he knows how to ...

‘Sisters’ is an exciting novel by Shobha De. It tells an absorbing and thrilling story of two sisters Mikki (Mallika) and her half-sister Alisha. Alisha was born of Hiralal and his mistress Leelaben. It is also the story of violence and wide conspiracy that is hatched by Ramanbhai, a long and well-trusted man (servant) of the Hiralal Industries. His conspiracy is exposed by the end of the novel when two sisters, Mikki and Alisha who hate and despise each other in the beginning of the novel, have started liking and doting on each other. It is also the story of the illicit relationships between Hiralal and Leelaben, Mikki and Navin, Mikki and Binny, Alisha and Navin, and Alisha and Dr. Kurien. Shobha De exposes the illicit relations and affairs as well as liaisons among the so called upper class people and the business community. This novel contains sex and sensuality sometimes accompanied by violence. Sex is a divine gift; it cannot be separated from the human life. Sex is the m...

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a beautifully written book about a young boy called August. Because of the boy’s facial deformity he is often being ignored by others, laughed at, ridiculed, stared at every second, and judged by appearance. All this when he is barely ten years old. The agony which he undergoes every time while dealing with all this ugly stuff, makes this tale an extraordinary one. While narrating the little boy’s plight of facial deformity, other issues like bullying, body shaming, parenting and lot of other important issues are dealt with a lot of sensitivity. While the story revolves around Auggie's life, the author has beautifully brought in the different perspectives of the people around. The way the language differs with each character's narration is mesmerizing; one can almost hear each of their voices. The book is wonderfully written, using simple words and doling out valuable lessons. Readers may go on an emotional roller coaster while reading th...