During my book shopping spree, I came across a very famous book, Schindler's List. I had heard a lot about this book, but anywhere I asked for this book, could never find it. This time as soon as I saw the book, I knew I had to buy it.
A few years back, I was reading Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf". The only reason I picked up the book was to find out the reason as to what good reason can Hitler give to brutally and inhumanly kill people belonging to one particular religion. I had read around 100 pages or so, when I just could'nt bring myself to read further. So my quest to know the answer was still not fulfilled.
Reading Schindler's list moved my soul. The book written by Thomas Keneally tells the true story of Oskar Schindler who inspite of being a German, saved more than thousand jews from the gas chambers. Oskar runs a factory in Krakow, which makes army mess kits, and later on polishing the insides of artillery shells, and for this he hires jews to work in his factory. In an atmosphere where WW II is looming large, Oskar bribes the SS officials to ensure that his factory runs without problems.
The book magnificiently describes the jews being taken away to Ghettos, and concentration camps. The author gives such a vivid account of the incident, that one can easily imagine the horror, fear that the jews must have gone though at that point of time. One incident truly shakes me, is when an old women and her daughter have to hide from the SS men who are taking all the jews to the capms. She takes the help of her neighbour who had promised to hide them in the cavaity of the wall in her house. When time comes the lady goes with her daughter to hide at the neighbour's place, but there was only room for one. She pleads with the neighbour to let both of them hide, but she refuses to hide the other. Thinking that its best to save her daughter, she goes back to her house crying and praying.
Schindler's factory was running in huge profits since the WW II had begun. He now needed more labourers to keep up with the demands of the army. Since all jews were now being transported to Auschwitz concentration camps, Schindler shifts his factory to Moravia. The only way he can take jews with him is if he shows them as "skilled workers", and ensures that this way he can save as many jews as possible. Inspite of being a war profiteer, he pays huge amount of bribe to the officials for each jew taken by him.
It's these "skilled" jews that comprise of Schindler's list who are saved from Auschwitz and other concentration camps. In another incident Schindler goes to Auschwitz to save as many women and children by bribing the official with diamonds. Any jew who wanted to live and escape the horror, knew the only way was to be in the "Schindler's List".
As the war ends, the book shows that now its time for Schindler to hide, since he is a German. He along with his wife, leaves the factory. He is given a letter by the workers saying that he is not a criminal. As a parting gift, the workers give him a gold ring with an inscription saying"WHOEVER SAVES ONE LIFE, SAVES THE WORLD ENTIRE'. A small token for all the lives he has saved.
Oskar Schindler later moves to Argentina, where he is a farmer. His last days are spent in poverty. It is during these times that the survivors send him money. As his health fails, on October 9 , 1974 Schindler passes away. According to his will, he is buried in Jerusalem.
Even after the book finishes, it leaves me completely shocked. Just the thought of the brutalities that these people faced leaves me speechless. How any ruler can think of completely finishing one sect of people, still is out of my logic. This book describes the fear the jews at camps live in, not knowing what will kill them, the illness at the camps or the bullet?
It is people like Oskar Schindler that keep our faith in humanity alive. Risking his own life , he saved 1200 jews without any ulterior motive in mind. I sincerely believe that no person's library is complete without this book. It hepls us in keeping the 'U' before 'I' attitude alive, the true Schindler's spirit alive.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game.
There is not a single Sidney Sheldon's book that I have not read..I fell in love with his style when I read his "Tell me your Dreams". He simply was an author class apart.. Recently I picked up a new book, Sidney Sheldon's Mistress Of The Game, by Tilly Bagshawe. This book is a sequel to Master of the Game written by the master himself in 1982.
Like me and millions of female readers, the author too is a huge fan of Sheldon, and she was approached to write the sequel to the book Master of the Game. One of the major reasons why Sheldon has always been a hit specially with women readers was because all his heroines were strong and successful, all this added in a gripping suspense story which makes any of the Sheldon books hard to keep down.
Since this book is not written by Sheldon himself, I had my doubts if it could come close to his style of writing, after all its not easy to fit in Sheldon's shoes. But after reading the first page I was sure that this book is no less either. It does not disappoint in any department, be it story, suspense, or romance.
The book begings with the female protagonist Lexi Templeton receiving a letter from her aunt Eve Blackwell on her wedding day. The letter contains a secret which if found out can destroy her life, marriage and her most loved , her company Kruger-Brent Ltd. The story then goes back in the past where we meet Robbie, Lexi's brother who has a tough time coming to terms with his sexuality, Peter Templeton, Lexi's father, who is depressed, and turns to alcohol after the death of his beloved wife. Max Webser, Eve's son,who is a puppet in Eve's hands, wants the company just for himself, with only Lexi in his way to achieve his goal. All these characters are caught in web of deceit, love and power. The reader clings to every word, with an ending which leaves the reader fumbling for words.
Tilly Bagshawe could not have done a much better justice to the master story-teller. Not for a minute this looks like a book not written by Sidney Sheldon. Had Sheldon been alive today, he would have truly loved this book, even proud. For all die-hard Sidney Sheldon fans, this is a must buy book. It certainly deserves a place in the bookshelves amongst all the other Sheldon's best.
Like me and millions of female readers, the author too is a huge fan of Sheldon, and she was approached to write the sequel to the book Master of the Game. One of the major reasons why Sheldon has always been a hit specially with women readers was because all his heroines were strong and successful, all this added in a gripping suspense story which makes any of the Sheldon books hard to keep down.
Since this book is not written by Sheldon himself, I had my doubts if it could come close to his style of writing, after all its not easy to fit in Sheldon's shoes. But after reading the first page I was sure that this book is no less either. It does not disappoint in any department, be it story, suspense, or romance.
The book begings with the female protagonist Lexi Templeton receiving a letter from her aunt Eve Blackwell on her wedding day. The letter contains a secret which if found out can destroy her life, marriage and her most loved , her company Kruger-Brent Ltd. The story then goes back in the past where we meet Robbie, Lexi's brother who has a tough time coming to terms with his sexuality, Peter Templeton, Lexi's father, who is depressed, and turns to alcohol after the death of his beloved wife. Max Webser, Eve's son,who is a puppet in Eve's hands, wants the company just for himself, with only Lexi in his way to achieve his goal. All these characters are caught in web of deceit, love and power. The reader clings to every word, with an ending which leaves the reader fumbling for words.
Tilly Bagshawe could not have done a much better justice to the master story-teller. Not for a minute this looks like a book not written by Sidney Sheldon. Had Sheldon been alive today, he would have truly loved this book, even proud. For all die-hard Sidney Sheldon fans, this is a must buy book. It certainly deserves a place in the bookshelves amongst all the other Sheldon's best.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
