Abhijeet Pratap

I have read Wuthering Heights a few times and found its rich language and imagery amazing. However, one thing that looked odd about it was that its characters are so lacking in terms of sense of humour. The story seems to be happening in a very different realm than reality. Even the central character seems to be walking blindfolded; he keeps knocking against the walls throughout the story without no light or sense of direction. The flow is nice and if you like reading gothic novels and horror comics then you will love it. Some readers will find it boring because the author does not offer any relief till the end. Tragedy after tragedy and there is no sign of light till Heathcliff is dead at the end. Moreover, you can expect these images to haunt you for some days after having read the novel. The settings are just so macabre, suffocating and sick. Heathcliff's death is like a cup of water at the end of a desert. One the other hand, the novel is a psychological masterpiece which experienced readers will be able to enjoy. To enjoy the novel, you must also try to think over the psychological aspects of its characterisation and settings. Reading the novel is like completing a challenge and things will start falling in place when you try reading backwards from the end. It is not a straightforward story and most readers will find it difficult to connect the dots. The author is clever and makes the novel stand out in some areas. Heathcliff is more of a mask than a real man and so is Catherine. If the author offered some comic relief in the middle or at regular intervals, the book would have been even interesting. The influence of the times when Emily Bronte wrote the book can be felt clearly in the settings and characters. If you love reading about intense emotions, then read Wuthering Heights to know what suppressed love can become. However, do not expect the kind of satisfaction you derive from reading modern romantic novels.

Wonderful book! I had a hard copy some years ago which I regret I lost. Reading Othello can offer you matchless insights into male conscience and psychology. Above all, it helps you understand the meaning of personal relationships in the context of social dynamics and how these things shape our world. Othello's love for Desdemona was real but not as real as Desdemona's for Othello. In a world, where men dominate and a man believes another man rather than his own woman, a wife's love finds it difficult to obtain meaning and value. Iago is a villain who represents the poisonous male dominated society and how the venom it has nurtured for generations is still its nemesis. Women have continued to sacrifice themselves for their men for generations but men could still not return the same love or worship women as they worship their men. Shakespeare proves that Desdemona's love wins but if only Othello had retained his love for her and not felt troubled or unsettled by Iago's treacheries, his life would have become heaven. The tragic drama is a splendid work by Shakespeare and helps you peep into a world where a woman's love is still struggling to find meaning. Shakespeare's characters are amazing and so are his works but the theme of this drama is just matchless and so is the author's candid treatment of the topic. It all begins at a point where a war is over and the winner takes home a beautiful wife as a trophy but keeps judging himself all his life for if he ever deserved her. Shakespeare has poured all his love into the drama for his readers to show how love for love can change the world.

One of the most interesting essays written by George Orwell, 'A Hanging' at a first glance appears as the description of a minor event in the author's life in Burma. At a deeper level, the essay uncovers the brutalities of British Raj in the small Asian country. Orwell portrays a convict's hanging and the events associated with it. He disentangles the complex web of British imperialism in Burma. A convict accepts death with calm demeanour leaving Orwell perplexed and excited. The hindu convict walked to the hanging spot like a king surrounded by his pages and others shiver when he chants his lord's name 'Ram, Ram, Ram' before being hanged. You will come across a lot of action captured in very few words. Orwell has treated the event with balanced precision and lets readers investigate the events of the day from various angles.