Deluged With Books Cafe

On the morning of November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up. * She opens her eyes under the bright fluorescent lights of Villette, a famous and much-feared lunatic asylum, much to her horror. In the wake of her overdose, she was told her heart was badly damaged and she only has a few days to live. Amidst confused feelings of gratitude, the opposite happens to her. Inside the asylum, she is confronted by the idiosyncrasies of fellow patients, their stories and lamentations and, unwittingly, something slowly unfolds within her under the heightened awareness of losing time; her own growing self-discovery, unbidden emotions in flux, a fragile seed of hope to almost live.

"But, you may say, we asked you to speak about women and fiction--what has that got to do with a room of one's own?" I should have read this eons ago. Didn't Virginia Woolf just cut right to the heart of it with these first words? Then she preceded to tell us readers a most wonderful message about writing, about women, and the importance of a fixed income and a space. By this extended essay, she speaks not only to women (and women authors) of her time but even of today as it is still relevant and applicable. Here she discussed about exploring the chances and the advantages of being independent and of pursuing creativity entailed from a little freedom. Years ago, I bought a tattered secondhand copy of  A Room of One's Own  and its condition was a testament enough of it being well read. I say, everyone must read this book! A lot may categorize this as a voice of feminism, but, for me, it is that and a lot more. It is a book worthy to be read again and agai...

Witch stories most often capture my interest. This one, though, is nothing I expected which could turn out a good thing. I say it was a good surprise. The heroine, Athena, is quite elusive. Apart from the collected conversations of people acquainted with her, we never really know who she is. We only get to read her thoughts through second hand accounts and there's the uncertainty if some are more accurate than not. She has been called many names, influenced others with her spiritual beliefs and sought much knowledge about the feminine power, but who exactly is she? That is what makes this an intriguing tale.

It is a story about a girl, about love, universe, magic and power. For the last several months, the book   has been sitting on our book shelf unnoticed and despite my longtime desire to read it, the mood hasn't struck me. It's just as well, reading it now was probably the best time ever because it broke my heart into pieces. In the beginning, I cannot help feeling like it's something I've read before (cue The Witch of Portobello ) but as Brida's story unfolded it ventured into just the right amount of magic realism, weaving the spiritual aspects of mind to the mundane things we do everyday (go to work, study at school, have a date, enjoy a cup of coffee). The book is mostly subtle in its transition, a bit contained and more reflective, and that is its appeal; not repelling doubtful readers at once and at the same time curbing those magic/witch enthusiasts. Just as how a Teacher relays the traditional lessons to Brida, so is the book, that the power and f...