Author: Fairozbanu

WHAT IS A NOVEL

The novel owes its existence to man’s interest in other men and the great panorama of human passion and action. Both the drama and the novel are compounded of the same material but in drama and the literary element is bound up with the elements of stage settings and interpretations through acting. So, Marion Crawford terms the novel as “Pocket theatre”. The novel may be defined as long narrative prose detailing the actions of fictitious people. Meredith calls it a ‘summing of actual life’. The novel combines narration and description, history and philosophy, poetry and fantasy, social criticism, and a particular view of life.

Elements of the Novel:

The novel has various elements.

  1. In the first place, it should have a plot. The novel deals with elements and actions and how these are presented is the plot.
  2. Secondly, the men and women who are involved in these elements and actions appear as characters in the novel.
  3. The third element is the dialogue the mean of interaction among the characters.
  4. The fourth element is the scene and the time of action because the characters must interact, do or suffer at some place or time.
  5. The fifth element is the style in which the narration is done.
  6. The Sixth Element is the view of life presented by the novelist.

The Plot:

The plot in a novel is the organization of incidents. The theme should have substantial value and human interest. It is primarily concerned with the things which make life strenuous, intense, and morally significant.

There are two types of plots – organic and episodic. In the first, the characters and events are well interwoven that no character or incident can be removed from the novel without causing damages to the whole. The plot and Jane Austen novels are examples. The second type of plot is loosely formed and characters and incidents have no essential bearing on each other. The picaresque novels of Fielding and even some of the novels of Dickens have episodic plots. How the various elements in the plot or organized to achieve a definite artistic purpose is called the structure. Unity in structure and plot is to be observed.

The Characterization:

Characterization is the act of presenting the characters alive and real to our imagination. The men and women in the novel must move through it like living beings they should remain in the readers’ memory after the novel is laid aside. There are two types of characterization – the direct or the analytic and the indirect or dramatic. In the analytical method, the novelist portrays his Characters from outside, dissects their passion, thoughts, and feelings, and even passes judgment upon them.

The Dialogue:

Dialogue is well managed, gives vividness, and actually to the plot and the characters. Dialogue reveals the passion and the emotion of the character and advises the movement of the plot. Dialogue should Constitute an organic element in the story. It should be natural, appropriate, and dramatic. It should be in keeping with the personality of the speaker.

The Time and Place of Action:

Time and place of action in a novel refer to the whole setting of the story, both social and material. They are novels of sea life, military life, industrial life of district life, and life of different classes of people. There are novels with a regional background; there are novels written in the historical background. whatever may be the setting, the novelist should master its details and then present a lively picture of it.

The novel is concerned with life and so the novelist’s view of life may be revealed in the novel. A novelist may make creative observations on human life. By the selection and organization of the material, and by the presentation of character and development of the plot, the novelist can show us what he thinks of life. However, the novelist should not indulge in propaganda or preaching. His philosophy is a part of the structure of the novel and should reveal itself through the interpretation of life, thought, character, and temper of the work as a whole.

The chief characteristics of Shakespearean novels

Must read two books by Paulo Coelho-2

ALL ABOUT AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Write in an autobiography the author writes the story of his own life and achievements. It is the successful presentation of personality. It takes its origin in the common human heart to express once-on achievement in the form of writing. The writer may give a full account of his life in detail or he may give only a few anecdotes or events from his life.

The great drawback of an autobiography is that it can never be complete because it comes to an end before the author’s death. Doctor Johnson preferred autobiography to biography saying that every man’s life is best written by himself. The writer of his own life has the full knowledge of the truth through sometimes he made disguise or suppress it in his writings. From the psychological viewpoint also an autobiography is preferable because the writer knows what are the motives, hopes, and omissions that prompted him to decisive moments in his life. Thus while biography is the product of second-hand knowledge, autobiography is the product of the first-hand experience. R.L. Stevenson says, “There is no truer sort of writing than what is to be found in autobiographies, and certainly none more entertaining”.

An autobiography is a candid narration of events in the author’s life. It may take the form of a confession, apology, self-scrutiny, or a mere delightful account. When it is a mere account of facts without reference to the author’s inner conflicts and motives it is an objective autobiography. When an autobiography reveals the character and inner struggle of the writer and the present a searching analysis of his moods, motives, and fancies, it is subjective. St. Augustine’s confession’s, the earliest example of an autobiography, belongs to the subjective kind. So also Rousseau’s ‘Confessions’ written in the 18th century. Three other important autobiographies appeared in the 18th century. Those of David Hume, Edward Gibbon, and Benjamin Franklin.

Chief characteristic of an autobiography:

  • Truth should be the Hallmark of an autobiography. facts should not be perverted. A true picture of the writer’s personality should emerge from the autobiography. Gandhiji’s autobiography is the best example in this respect.
  • Courage and frankness are the essential virtues of a good writer of an autobiography. The writer should not be secretive and reluctant. Bertrand Russell’s three-volume autobiography is noted for these qualities.
  • The author of an autobiography should be objective in dealing with contemporary events and personalities. Autobiographies of Gibbon and Nehru are good examples of this kind.
  • The author should not be verbose in his description or narration.
  • Self-consciousness is the very essence of an autobiography. An autobiography should not aim at self-effacement as in the autobiography of T.E. Lawrence. Similarly, the author of an autobiography should not indulge in self-clarification.
  • The style should be interesting and even entertaining. A natural felicity of expression and flashes of humor and wit are essential attributes of an autobiography.

Some difficulties an autobiographer faces:

  • He is likely to forget the impressions and emotions connected with the events that happened in the distant past. Sometimes there may be embarrassing episodes he would like to hide or reveal only partially.
  • It is difficult for anyone to be entirely objective while dealing with contemporary persons and events that have affected his personal life and happiness.
  • An autobiographer is likely to omit the details of daily life that are common. This may lead to some falsification.

WHAT IS LITERATURE https://eduindex.org/2021/07/22/what-is-literature/

ADVANTAGES OF EBOOKS https://eduindex.org/2021/07/22/advantages-of-e-books/

SHORT STORIES WITHIN NOVELS – PART 2

As we already read about the secret to living happily from The Alchemist book by Paulo Coelho. Today we will look at two different stories from different books.

THE KITE RUNNER BY KHALID HOSSEINI

It was a dark little tale about a man who found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife’s slain body in his arms.

This story must give you goosebumps but, the real conclusion is when Amir the protagonist and the narrator of the book The Kite Runner wrote this story and shared it with his friend Hassan, who is a servant’s boy of Amir’s family. Hassan was shocked and impressed with Amir’s story but, he asked why he has to kill his own wife, instead of he can shed tears by cutting onions?

MORAL: When you have to choose something… Choose wisely.

VERONICA DECIDES TO DIE BY PAULO COELHO:

Zedka started to narrate a story to Veronica.

A powerful wizard, who wanted to destroy an entire kingdom, placed a magic potion in the well from which all the inhabitants drank. Whoever drank that water would go mad.

The following morning, the whole population drank from the well and they all went mad, apart from the king and his family, who had a well set aside for them alone, which the magician had not managed to poison.
The king was worried and tried to control the population by issuing a series of edicts governing security and public health.
The policemen and inspectors, however, had also drunk the poisoned water, and they thought the king’s decisions were absurd and resolved to take no notice of them.

When the inhabitants of the kingdom heard these decrees, they became convinced that the king had gone mad and was now giving nonsensical orders. They marched on the castle and called for his abdication.

In despair the king prepared to step down from the throne, but the queen stopped him, saying:
‘Let us go and drink from the communal well. Then we will be the same as them.’

The king and the queen drank the water of madness and immediately began talking nonsense.
Their subjects repented at once; now that the king was displaying such wisdom, why not allow him to continue ruling the country?

After drinking water from the poisonous well all became mad and equal. The country continued to live in peace although its inhabitants behaved very differently from those of its neighbors. And the king was able to govern until the end of his days.

Zedka asked veronica: Do you know what exists outside beyond the walls of this asylum?

Veronica said People who have all drunk from the same well.

MORAL: Zedka and Veronica both are patients in the asylum. Through this story, Zedka symbolically tells that people think they are civilized and normal. But, when they encounter some strange people they started to divide the borders and make them as a patient.

SHORT STORIES WITHIN NOVELS https://eduindex.org/2021/07/24/short-stories-within-novels/

THE GOTHIC NOVEL https://eduindex.org/2021/07/21/the-gothic-novel/

SHORT STORIES WITHIN NOVELS:

A story within a story is referred to as an embedded narrative. The embedded narrative is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story within the first one. Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes called Nested Stories. These stories mostly exist in a book to enlighten people. Sometimes the author himself wrote some short stories which are really motivating and alluring, then he might include them in his novels. In the other case, the author pushes himself to write short stories which will be suitable within his/her novels.

We all love stories, especially short stories. So, we will look at some stories within stories or stories within novels or dramas one by one as parts of segments.

THE ALCHEMIST: BY PAULO COELHO

The shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

“Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.

“The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

“‘Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something,’ said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. ‘As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.’

“The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

“‘Well,’ asked the wise man, ‘did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?’

“The boy was embarrassed and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

“‘Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,’ said the wise man. ‘You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.’

“Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

“‘But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?’ asked the wise man.

“Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

“‘Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,’ said the wisest of wise men. ‘The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.’”

Through this story author express, that one should follow his dreams and must take care of his responsibilities also. That’s the secret of happiness.

The Alchemist

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THE DETECTIVE NOVELS https://eduindex.org/2021/07/21/the-detective-novels/

MUST-READ TWO BOOKS BY PAULO COELHO – 2

Paulo Coelho wrote many best-selling books most of which are popular all around the world. And translated in various languages. One of his masterpieces is Alchemist. All of his works are related to self-help and motivational genres.

Book: Veronica Decides To Die

Veronica is a young woman who commits suicide due to being full of emptiness in her life. While she waiting for death after taking a lot of sleeping pills she fainted and found herself in an asylum alive. But Doctor said that she has only a few days to live due to a heart condition caused by the overdose. Her presence there affects all of the mental hospital’s patients, especially Zedka, who has clinical depression; Mari, who has panic attacks; and Eduard, who has schizophrenia, and with whom Veronika falls in love. At least she wants to live or not is the key base of this novel.

Why you should read this book: 

This one is not a boring plot, book content moves slow still does not let you drop the idea to read it. And this contains good vocabulary which is worth recommending to every reader. If you ever tried or at least thought once to end your life read this one it will make you believe in Miracle. 

Book Quotes:

People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.

You are someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. 

You have two choices, to control your mind or to let your mind control you.

Note: This book is also adapted as a film by Emily Young in 2009. 

Book: The Spy

Mata Hari, the beautiful woman, the dancer, the courtesan, and the spy. She was the center of attraction wherever she goes… As a dancer she delighted her audiences, as a courtesan, she bewitched the richest and powerful men of the era. But is she really a spy? 

Why you should read this one:

This book is based on real events. Mata Hari is a real person who is accused of espionage and executed.

On the back cover, it says, “Fiction.” But, I would rather love to say it’s a historical work. 

When a man sleeps with many women, do we care to say any terms? So, I can’t criticize Mata Hari for being a courtesan. 

In this work, I can visualize how men treated women as an object during those time. They gave preference for outer appearance. They wanted their wife to be loyal. But, those rules aren’t for them. And those things made my heart shrunk.

Book Quotes:

I decided to be who I always dreamed of. And the price of a dream is always high.

When we don’t know where life is taking us, we are never lost. 

At this moment, I look back at my life and realize that memory is a river, one that always runs backward.

Recommendations:

I don’t recommend both of these books to children especially if you are younger than sixteen. One book contains intimate scenes and another one contains sexual harassment scenes. Thus I would like to recommend these to elder readers who are more than sixteen.

TWO MUST-READ BOOKS OF PAULO COELHO https://eduindex.org/2021/07/18/two-must-read-books-of-paulo-coelho/

BOOK REVIEW: THE DA VINCI CODE https://eduindex.org/2021/07/19/book-review-the-da-vinci-code/

THE CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF A SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY:

Shakespeare wrote eleven tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, etc… But, there are some chiefly Characters in Shakespearean tragedies. That’s what we are going to draught down one by one.

  1. Shakespeare’s tragedies are based on stories and incidents taken from history or legends. Some of the stories are borrowed from previous playwrights. He has recreated these stories giving them a sense of unity and ordering them into closely-knit plots. The essence of a Shakespearean tragedy is that action issues from character and plot. Generally, two groups of people and ideas are brought face to face leading to conflict. In a Shakespearean tragedy, the plot is composed of several parts like Exposition, Conflict, Crisis, Denouement, and Catastrophe. He did not observe the unities always.
  2. In a Shakespearean tragedy, the suffering of the hero is exceptional. A hero is a man of a high estates like Hamlet or King Lear. The hero identifies himself with a dominant passion from which he cannot deliver himself and which finally works out his destruction.
  3. Every tragic hero suffers from a ‘tragic flaw’ that leads him to the tragic end. Like, Othello
  4. The essence of a Shakespearean tragedy is conflict. The catastrophe rises out of the unsolved conflict. The conflict releases energy in the form of uncontrollable spiritual forces causing a violent disturbance in the moral order of the world. Thus, a Shakespearean tragedy in its final analysis is highly spiritual.
  5. There is a kind of fatality and inevitability in Shakespearean tragedy. All calamities come from a character in action. We feel helpless of man before the force he release. the tragic hero striking at himself. The hero’s character involves his fate.
  6. Shakespearean tragedy is not pessimistic. It gives us an insight into the possibilities of the human soul.
  7. Shakespeare presents abnormal states of mind like insanity, hallucination, and somnambulism in some of his tragedies like King Lear and Macbeth. Eg, supernatural agents like King Lear and Macbeth. Ghost’s in Macbeth.
  8. Shakespeare introduces accidents, chances, and prophecies in his tragedies. The most well-known among these are the incidents of the handkerchief in Othello and the witches in Macbeth.
  9. Shakespeare presents a moral world order in his tragedies. His concern was with the conflict causes a commotion in the moral world. Shakespeare’s tragedies show the successful emergence of good is destroyed but it survives. Thus, the tragedy is a presentation of ‘morality in emergence’. As Dowden says it is true that good can survive only at the expense of so much of the virtuous force of the world still it is well to be assured that evil, even at the expense of good can be subdued, such an assurance buoys us above despair.
  10. There is no poetic Justice in Shakespearean tragedies. But evil characters do not prosper. Iago goes away with a stern warning. Shakespeare was concerned with a stern warning. Shakespeare was concerned with the moral and spiritual order of the world and so his art refuses to recognize individual punishment or reward.

TWO MUST READ BOOKS BY PAULO COELHO https://eduindex.org/2021/07/18/two-must-read-books-of-paulo-coelho/

BOOK REVIEW: THE GIRL WHO SAVED THE KING OF SWEDEN https://eduindex.org/2021/07/19/book-review-the-girl-who-saved-the-king-of-sweden/

THE SCIENCE FICTION

With the rapid development of science and technology, science fiction has became popular in the modern times. The essence of fiction is the presentation of conflict in the human drama. Science fiction deals with conflict that arises out of the impact of scientific discoveries on the future life of humanity.

The writer of science fiction must be well-versed in the modern scientific knowledge to enable him to create a credible science story. Through in science fiction the element of fantasy dominates, the science fiction writers do not commit errors regarding scientific discoveries, facts and possibilities.

Types of science fiction:

There are two types of science fiction.

  • The first type is based on known facts of science leading to the development of new possiblities as in Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘The Sands of Mars’ which deals with the conditions encountered by the explorers on Mars.
  • The second type is science fantasy which is very popular today. It introduces any kind of assumptions, realistic or imaginary, which are necessary for the story. The strongest element in science fiction is imagination which often goes beyond credibility or rational understanding as in Bradbury’s ‘Martian Chronicles’.

Modern science fiction combines elements of scientific facts with fantasy. Most common themes in modern science fiction are the following:

  1. Space Travel, journey to other worlds and encounter with extra-terrestrial beings.
  2. Travelling in time past or future.
  3. Biological and psychological changes brought about by the appreciation of science in human beings and other species of life.
  4. Extraordinary powers acquired by man through the use of technology or abnormal mental powers possessed by some persons.

Science fiction began to acquire importance in the latter part of the 19th century with the fictional writings of Jules Verne and H.G Wells. Some of the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley’s novel ‘Frankenstein’ had anticipated the coming of science fiction. However, it was Jules Verne’s novels such as ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ and ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ that set the trend. Science fiction achieved greater popularity with the writings of H.G Wells who wrote such classics as ‘The War of the Worlds’ and ‘The Time Machine’.

Modern science fiction presents most of the important technological achievements of the age — radar, rockets, medicines and robots, electronic brain, space vehicle, satellites, medicines and drugs with fantastic effects etc. Such materials are used with great imagination to create an exotic and weird effect.

The most outstanding science fiction writers since the sixties have been Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Asimov was a prolific writer of science fiction. His novels of the Foundation Saga and the series of ‘Robot’ novels have become classics. Two other outstanding novels of Asimov are ‘Extra-Terrastrials’ and ‘The Gods Themselves’.

The science fiction presents not only a fantastic world of wonders but, also a world more or less scientifically accurate. Most science fiction writings conform to the general principles of novel writing. They stimulate our imagination, satisfy our curiosity and lift us to a world of intense make-believe.

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BOOK REVIEW: 1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL https://eduindex.org/2021/07/18/book-review-1984-by-george-orwell/

Advantages of E-books

Ebooks are an affordable option for many avid readers. Ebooks are the travel-friendly, comfortable, cheapest option and you can read them anytime anywhere. But, there is a misconception about ebooks, some readers Don’t consider Ebooks as books. Indeed it’s not real books. We can’t feel ebooks as the real ones. It’s merely a device with copies. but, there is a lot of advantages in ebooks if we think of an optimistic person.

CHEAP AS CHIPS:

It’s highly affordable, there are a lot of books which can be bought as PDF, MOBI files, DOCX and many formats if we want. And kindle is one of the best options on my list. Once you get your hands on kindle it’s not easy to leave it aside. Because kindle is specially made for ebook readers and who feels that you can’t read real books due to some eye problems. You can give it a try to the kindle app and device. Kindle app is free of cost, but you have to purchase the books on amazon.in some times on amazon, free copies will be available for some limited books you can download if you like to… and mostly classics might be available there. So, if you never read in kindle. This might be a perfect time to try it. Kindle device is not free still it’s affordable. Otherwise, you can use PDF readers or kindle apps also.

CUSTOMIZATION:

There is a lot of customized features when it comes to ebooks. While we are reading real books like paperbacks we can’t change anything we have to read it as it has in the paper. But, when it comes to ebooks. We can change fonts, sizes, Dark mode, light mode, colors of the fonts, colors of the background, alignments, we can look at word counts, we can track our reading speed and we can even take notes without any worries. That the book would be damaged. If it is a real book some people don’t even use pencils. but In e-books, we can change even the highlighter’s colors. And these features are grateful for the readers.

ALL THE TIME:

We can’t read paperbacks at night times. It will damage our eyes. Even mobiles will damage our eyes. But, the kindle is specially made to reduce the effects of UV rays from screening lights. Thus, it is easy to use at night. And especially you need a light source to read paperbacks. But, you can read e-books even though the theme of the screen is in dark mode. So, you can read whenever you want without any necessary sources. All you need is a device with full battery charged and a required wifi connection proceed to download.

HANDY:

E-books are highly Travel-friendly devices. You can read anytime anywhere without real books. If we carry real books we need bags and other belongings. But when it comes to reading e-books, we can read them even on buses or banks. We carry our mobile all the time, wherever we go, thus, e-books can save our time While wasting our time somewhere else wasting like standing in a queue.

However, we can’t say Ebooks are better than paperbacks. E-books also have their disadvantages. but, the positive aspects are worth following upon.

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START YOUR OWN BUSINESS PART-2 https://eduindex.org/2021/07/16/start-your-own-business-part-2/

WHAT IS LITERATURE

Literature is one of the fine arts like music and painting. It is fundamentally, an Expression of life through the medium of language. Literature is composed of books that are of great human interest due to their subject matter and mode of presentation.

In Literature, form and the pleasure that form gives are of great importance. The writer is provoked by an urge for self-expression. Literature reflects an interest in the world of reality as well as imagination and our love of form and order. Matthew Arnold one of the prominent writers defined literature as a criticism of life.

We can find four distinct elements in all good Literature which are:

  1. The intellectual element
  2. The emotional element
  3. The element of imagination and fancy
  4. The element of composition and style or (The technical element)

Literary productions can be classified into five categories from the point of view of their subjects or themes:

  1. Literature of purely personal experience.
  2. Literature dealing with the common questions of life, death, Destiny, and God.
  3. Literature dealing with the social world order and its activities.
  4. Literature dealing with nature and man’s relationship with the external world.
  5. Literature deals with Literature and Art’s themselves.

How Literature came into existence:

The study of Literature begins with the reading of books which gradually leads to a familiarity with authors. Every great book has something fresh and original to say and it says this freshly and originally. As Plato says the foundation of all good and lasting work is entire sincerity to oneself and to the truth of things one perceives in life. The purpose of studying literature may be pleasure or acquirement of knowledge and insight or both. In any case, the Readers business is to enter into the spirit of the work and to penetrate the vital forces of the author’s personality.

Features of Literature:

Another important aspect of Literature is style. Literature uses language in various molds. The great writer modifies the language to his purposes and molds it according to his peculiarities. Thus the style of the author is the product of his personality; it is also a record of his artistic, spiritual and intellectual growth.
A proper study of Literature involves the study of its history, the biography of the author, and the ethos of the ages and society in which it is produced. Thus Literature becomes a supplement to the study of history. While history tells us about the externals of a people’s civilization, Literature gives us an insight into their mental, spiritual and moral condition.

Literature helps us to know more about the life of the people and the period of the time. It gives us an enormous study of the works and the mentality of the author and the author reflects the visions of the people. Thus, it expresses the emotional aspects which are locked inside the person and it provokes agony in the paper. However, Literature is a fine art that provides inner knowledge and enlightens people all over the world in different languages.

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THE GOTHIC NOVEL

During the later half of the 18th century, there was a revival of interest in the life and art of medieval times. The gothic novel arose out of this new zeal for medieval life and fashions.

Gothic Novel:

The Gothic novels of the period sought to satisfy the reader’s craving for mystery and violent emotion and for stories set in remote times and places, depicting ghosts, portents, and demonic forces at work.

Themes of the Gothic Novel:

  • Generally, the central theme of the Gothic novel is romantic love. A somber, restless villain is the central figure.
  • The innocent, beautiful heroine probably imprisoned in a castle wants to be rescued by her lover.
  • The scene is placed in a castle or the dark cloisters of a ruined Abbey equipped with frightening secret passages and private chambers.

Structure of the Gothic novel:

Supernatural events, physical violence, and mental anguish are part of the thematic structure of the Gothic novel. Wild and desolate nature provides the background. The central sentiment of the Gothic novel is melancholy. The Gothic novel was, thus, a conscious protest against the rational and realistic creed of the earlier period.

The father of Gothic novel:

Horace Walpole is called the father of the Gothic novel. His “The Castle Of Otranto” published in 1764, set the trend. He used a medieval setting for this novel. There is death murder, intrigue, and villainy in the novel. The Castle looms large as a sinister symbol until a ghost throws it down.

Ann Radcliffe

Ann Radcliffe continued the gothic tradition in several novels. Her best work is ‘The Mysterious Of Udolpho’ published in 1794. It shows an extravagant spectacle of Gothic elements like the somber castle of Udolpho with its sliding panels, secret passages, and supernatural sounds. Her other important novel is “The Italian.” Her method way to arouse terror and curiosity by apparently supernatural events which are finally explained as natural events.

Some other Gothic novels:

  • Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
  • The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Why they are famous:

The plot and content of the gothic novels will be Scary and mysterious. The book contains several allusions and assumptions. The plot always seems creepy to the readers. And during that era, people needed some drama and unrealistic elements in their life to boost up the experience of reading time. When some novels started to fire up the process of Gothic literary forms, more authors started to write on this theme. Even, some well know authors who are famous for their humorous works and romance works started to write Gothic to follow the trend and current affairs.

However, People love unrealistic dramas and fiction, especially Gothic elements. Thus, Gothic novels will always entertain their readers with the plots and beautiful narration of dark aesthetics.

THE DETECTIVE NOVELS

The Detective novel is one in which the story and plot are woven around an initial crime or murder the secret of which is solved by an investigator or detective. He does it by logical assembling and evidence as known as clues.

The Major themes of the Detective novels are:

  • The plot will always begin with a murder or a mysterious case.
  • The case will be superior and unfamiliar to the police
  • So that, they seek the knowledge of detectives to solve the mystery behind the case.
  • The detective will be curious and different from the rest of the characters portrayed in the novel
  • The wrongly accused suspect at whom circumstantial evidence points
  • The villain will be the mysterious element of the novel
  • The startling and unexpected denouement

It was Edgar Allen Poe who launched this literary form with his story “The Murder in the Rue Morgue” in 1841. In the later 19th century, in England, Wilkie Collins preferred the art of the Detective novel with the publication of his “Moonstone” the first full-length detective novel in English. The first full-length detective novel in America was Anna Katherine Green’s “The Leavenworth Case” published in 1878.

In 1887 Sherlock Holmes series by Conan Doyle began to appear and continued up to 1927. His creation of Sherlock Holmes was, however, is the greatest achievement.
The exploits of this sharp sleuth and his companion in adventure and chronicler, Dr. Watson, soon catapulted Doyle to international status. A prolific writer, he has written 4 novels and 56 short stories. Sherlock Holmes series ruled detective novels from all over the world. And which is still cherished by the readers, movie lovers. Many authors adapted the Sherlock Holmes series and created some different versions taken this as a root base.

Detective novels in different ages:

After 1920 a series of novels known for their haunting suspense and artistic structure by Agatha Christie appeared. Hercule Poirot is the detective in her Novels. Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the queen of crime. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and 6 novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Initial causes of it’s wide spread:

The spread of paperbacks and the establishment of book clubs helped the growth and development of the detective novel after the fifties.

Why Detective Novels are so popular:

It satisfies the “puzzle-solving” element of traditional puzzles.
It allows us to invoke our imagination
Be gripped by the suspense of a who done it.
Making the puzzle even more fascinating and the desire to reach the “goal” stronger.

What we learn from them:

Mysteries Often Make Children Central Characters and they can relate to the characters better than they can with other stories. By choosing to read mystery books that are youth-focused, you are helping them become more engaged and interested in the story. Detective novels also help adults to look forward to the mysteries of life inside the books. The stories will be mind-blowing and adults and elder people also will fall into them.

Detective fiction will continue to attract the readers as long as man’s fascination for mystery and suspense does not disappear.

WHERE TO GET FREE E BOOKS

Not everything is free in this world. Which means “something must be free.” Like that no books are free but some e-books can. You can read a lot of books from some legit websites and apps.

PDFDRIVE.COM

Pdfdrive.com is a worldwide legit website. There are more than millions of books on that website. Pdfdrive.com has every kind of book like, fiction, non-fiction, self-help, Drama, romance, science-fiction, fantasy, and much more. You can find books there from Shakespeare’s dramas to Paulo Coelho’s recent best-selling novel, The Archer. You can even search in your own native language like Tamizh, English, French, German most of the famous books will be available there.

So, how to download them? Simple all files will be available in PDF modes. So, you just have to search the book on that website if it appears you have to click that book column and then the PDF column. The file will be downloaded. All you have to do is having a PDF reader apps on your device. And start reading. Voila.

Google

We all know google is a multi-purpose search engine. We can watch videos, fill up forms, search for something that we want to know, download music, movies, songs, and images. And most of us never know we can download E-books too in our Google. Google has a lot of books available within it. Especially, in PDF forms. All you have to do is just type the “name of the book” and the “author” then type “book pdf download” or you can type as “book name” and “author name” then “. Pdf file” or “Book name” and the “author’s name” then “.pdf”

For example:

  • The Secret by Rhonda Byrne book Pdf Download
  • The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.pdf
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.pdf

If you search in these types, if it’s available, you will get some pdf results on the front page itself.

Playstore:

Playstore is well known for its Apps. And it has a lot of Ebook apps more than 100’s of them. You can just simply type and search the application and download it to use if you feel comfortable with it.

For Example:

  • “Free Ebooks apps”
  • “Free Ebooks reading apps”

You can simply type like this and you will get a lot of results. But, the main thing is these apps don’t have every book we would like to read. Mostly there will be books that are published before the twentieth century. So, you can have a good classic reading hour and some other famous books like detective novels and classic romances.

Amazon.in

Amazon.in is an app and a legit online shopping website. Which is successfully operating all over the world. Yes, you can download some free Ebooks on Amazon too… The well-known famous app for readers is Kindle. This app is linked with Amazon, if you want to purchase any books from kindle it will direct you to an amazon app that’s where you can place the order and can read in kindle.

Sometimes some new authors fix their books on amazon for free download. Thus, people will try to read it. We can use that opportunity for ourselves. Just type free ebooks at amazon you will get to know what are ebooks are available as of that moment. And definitely, there will be a lot of classics for no cost on amazon.

If you are an avid reader kindly make use of it. If you are an amateur, take this as an opportunity to develop your reading habit.

BOOK REVIEW: THE DA VINCI CODE

The Da Vinci Code is written by the famous author Dan Brown. He has a separate fan base who loves science fiction and thriller novels. He wrote many sci-fi books like Angels and Demon, The Deception point, Inferno, Origin, Digital fortress. All are well known among avid readers and some books are also adapted as movies too…

Book Plot:

Jaques saunière the curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. He wrote Robert Langdon’s name on the floor before he died. Harvard Professor Robert Langdon devoted himself to ancient histories, Languages, symbology, cultures as well as forbidden mysteries. He was falsely accused of murdering the curator, because, there is his name on the floor. So, the cops get him to investigate him.
Before Jaques saunière dies, he left a series of baffling codes. Which must be solved soon unless an ancient historical truth will be lost forever.
At that moment Sophie Neveu, a French cryptologist came to help Langdon from the situation. Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu were stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Da Vinci’s Monalisa and The Virgin Mary, the upcoming mysteries unfold an enormous history which Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu have to find them. They both followed Jaques Saunière’s Clues closely and they started to reveal the mysteries one by one.
Why does Jaques Saunière have to write Robert Langdon’s name on the floor when he even doesn’t know him? Why Sophie Neveu has to help Robert Langdon and what are the mysteries that they need to hunt soon? Are the questions that the book contains.

About the book:

The plot and the Facts about the history and the ancient societies are beyond perfect…
In the beginning, I thought it’s the same thriller as every book. Yes, it is a thriller. it is the same with the cold-blooded murder, a mastermind villain and various right and left hands to help him, betrayal, false accusations, twists, and turns, etc… But, I loved the details about the ancient society, about the historical events and facts. I love hidden histories and if you too love them and didn’t yet read this one… Give it a try and you will never regret it.

Who can read it?

  • The language is legit. And the content of the book won’t be comfortable for children.
  • If you are a believer… I don’t recommend this to you. It has some breathtaking history about religionism.
  • If you are an adult and would love to read thrillers and mysteries. You must try this one it’s breathtaking.

Book Quotes:

Life is filled with secrets. You can’t learn them all at once.

Faith ― acceptance of which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.

History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books-books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?

Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire.

By its very nature, history is always a one-sided account.

Book Review: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

The Girl who saved the king of Sweden is written by Jonas Jonasson. His best-selling novel is the hundred years old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared.

Book plot:

Nombeko Mayeki is born a poor black girl in Soweto. She leaves the slums and in a twist of fate. She ran over a car but survives. this puts her into the employ of the engineer who ran her over, as a cleaner in South Africa’s secret nuclear weapons facility.
Nombeko is smart, brilliant and a fast learner. Even during her childhood, she is surrounded by uneducated people, still, she managed to teach herself how to read write, and calculate arithmetics. She even tells the answers of long multiplications within seconds. She learned English and poetry from a scholar who has 32 diamonds in his teeth. He is irresponsible about his life, but he is good at poetry and reading. First, he wanted to seduce Nombeko but, she stabbed his leg with her scissors and made him use a crane for more than several months. After that incident she always had her scissors wherever she goes, one night she came to know that person is dead and went to his home and grabbed all his diamonds then in the morning she left her native place.
In the custody of the engineer, she taught herself engineering arithmetics and science as well as learned Chinese from the other servent sisters. After fate made her escape from there. She went to Sweden but… Instead of antelope meat, one of the atomic bombs ended up inside her luggage.
Nombeko’s Ultimate wish is to live a normal and happy life with her own family and children. How does she gets rid of that nuclear weapon, what happened to her diamonds? how she lives her life normally and how she saves the king of Sweden- as it is said in the title of the book is the main plot of this book.

About the book:

This is one of the books that you never feel pathetic whenever a character dies. Cause, the whole book is written in a comical manner, and the author used a lot of anectode and funny incidents to make the book more alive.

Some facts about Jonas Jonasson’s books:

  • His storylines will be simple and understanding. Whatever the plot might be, it will have the question mark of what is going to happen at every end of the chapters in our minds.
  • Jonas Jonasson’s book themes will be similar to his other works. The cover itself tells you that the appearance of the books is similar to one and another.
  • Jonas Jonasson is a comedy writer. Who writes with a lot of anectodes and comical scenes. He is one of the authors who has the ability to make the funeral into a theatre.

Book Quotes:

It sure was an unjust world when certain people received an excess of certain things, while others got nothing.

The more I see of men, the more I like my dog.

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

Two must-read books of Paulo Coelho

Book: The Alchemist

Book Plot:

A Sheppard boy who wandered most of the places in Andalusia with his flock of sheep. Once he was sleeping in an abandoned church, he dreamed of going to the pyramid. He already had that dream once before. So in a place Tarifa he accidentally met a gypsy lady and she told that there in Egypt he will find his treasure. The followed story is about the adventure taken by the Sheppard boy to reach his Destiny.

About the Book:

  • Through this book, the author motivates us to listen to our hearts while we pursue our dreams. a philosophical fiction and Paulo Coelho gave him at best.
  • The Sheppard boy’s name is Santiago. But, the author never mentions his name except in the first line of the story. We must learn that trick from Paulo Coelho.
  • Paulo Coelho always concentrates on his story. No puns, no scribbles, no long narrations, no heroic entries, and especially no circumlocution. Just a plot and beautiful words to make it a novel. That’s why he is one of my favorite authors.

Quotes:

It is not what enters men’s evil mouths that’s evil… It is what comes out of their mouth that is.

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself

Book: The Archer

Book Plot:

Tetsuya, a man once famous for his prodigious gift with a bow and arrow but retired from public life. The boy who comes searching for him wants him to teach the way of the bow, and the archer illustrates the way of the bow and the tenets of life.

Quotes:

What is a master? I would say that he is not someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to do his best to discover the knowledge he already has in his soul.

The bow is life: the source of all energy. The arrow will leave one day. The target is a long way off. But the bow will stay with you, and you must know how to look after it.

Elegance is not the most comfortable of postures, but it is the best posture if the shot is to be perfect.

Why you must read these books:

  • Paulo Coelho is an inspirational person who never disappoints us through his books, he suffered a lot and searched the way out of his hell through philosophy, religion, and faith.
  • I don’t know why Paulo Coelho’s books come under the genre of fiction? For real, it is a self-motivational book. His words are simple his books are the only books that I read in a single sitting.
  • If you are a person who fears failure, rejection, and humiliation… You must read these books. After reading these books you will do something you love to do or you will at least think about what do you love to do.