E Singh – Google

It was one of those slow moving, small town, wife and mother gone missing mysteries. The weather in the series is rainy and chill. It's calm, the pace is slow. Overall I loved how the series was made, the photography, the art, the sweaters that the characters were wearing. The story might seem for some a bit dragged and confusing, even the end. You need to focus to understand what's happening. This was a 6 episode Netflix series based on a true story in Chile. Originally in Spanish, it has also an English version. I wasn't aware with the original case before watching, so I reviewed it as series (not on how well it matched the true story).

It was just amazing from beginning to end. Cried the whole time but loved it. Reminded me of The Perfect Storm with the amount that I cried. Definitely 5 stars because it's a masterpiece and a movie you don't often find! I'm amazed how I just found out about it in 2022. Bless all those who perished. I'm happy this movie at least was a tribute to these men, telling about their struggle. Not like their government which is pathetic. 😑

"Banquet on the Dead" is a detective fiction story written by the Indian writer Sharath Komarraju. I bought it at a bookshop at a mall because I was looking for a not so thick, easy to finish book written by an Indian author in English. My previous attempt to read a book by an unknown (to me) author was not a good experience as the writing seem to be a mess and full of mistakes. I approached "Banquet on the Dead" a bit skeptically but from the first page onwards I loved the style that it was written in (short, clear and well thought of/edited sentences), great humor and a clear story/ problem to focus on. This was a classical crime novel written in a Agatha Christie's or Sherlock Holmes' type of way where a senior detective Nagarajan and a an older man - Hamid Pasha (who was an ex con) try to solve the drowning (murder?) case of an old and wealthy grandma. They dive deep into the family business and question each and every family member. The story is well balanced between descriptions of only necessary people and places and dialogues, as every, crime novel is written in an 'interrogation' style. You can picture the scenes easily because they are so much like the TV show 'Crime Patrol". Sharath Komarraju's work was quite interesting and easy to read. I can imagine a big number of readers being able to read and enjoy it. While it might seem sometimes too 'easy and simplistic', I think this story was perfect in a way that it was implemented. An excerpt from page 127: "Kamala's eyes blazed, and her voice broke. 'You know, sir,' she said, 'that is the problem with this house. People don't talk. People don't think about things. They don't solve things. They ignore them. They think that each incident in life is a one-off, and if you could gloss over one, you could gloss over all the others. They don't realize that everything is connected, that resentment builds over time if it is not nipped, that once hate topples over a little idiosyncrasies become huge fighting points; that people can be brought to a level where they would be ready to kill you because they don't like the way you smile or the way you tie your hair." This was an excerpt that I just loved. The characters communicate some important truths and express valid points when it comes to the dynamics of a large joint family. Everyone who has lived in one, could relate.

It was just outstanding! The first episode was nearly traumatizing and I haven't seen anything this gripping before! It was so real I was actually crying. It had me go ogling weather it really happened and it it and I just couldn't believe it and I'm so sorry for the victims! After the fire at the Bazar de la Charité was loads of drama that followed. There was love, beautiful dresses, erotic scenes, beautiful actors and even giliottine with all the gripping suspense and perfect story telling. It was a masterpiece in my opinion. I really loved it!

It's Russian crime series and I loved it so much. It's a bit rough at times but very natural and very Russian. It's very creative and unusual, full of nostalgia. When I started watching I thought it's going to be something average but as the series went on it started to become more and more engaging and surprisingly very good! I think that perhaps the dark humor and culture are a bit specific to Russia but those interested will love it!