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Madhuri

Madhuri

  • Mumbai, India
  • member since Thursday, August 30 2007

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  • Latin American and Latin Caribbean Discussion Group

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Madhuri’s last login was 2 hours ago. show recent activity »

Random books from my shelf

     
 
 
 

Public Notes

  • Joe M

    Joe M says

    Hi Madhuri,
    I think that it's great that you are getting into film. Believe me, it opens up a whole new universe--I think the best movies, like any other artistic expression, have a way of creating a world and sucking you right into it. Befitting my inner personality, I tend to be drawn especially towards movies that are intense emotionally or tragic, movies that explore existential or spiritual themes, or in some way capture what I feel is some core truth about life. Watching a fluffy romantic comedy, I hate to say, is like nails on a chalkboard to me more often than not--oh well, at least I know my limitations. :) I love the usual suspects (Scorsese, Kubrick, Hitchcock) and Hollywood classics, but also a wide smattering of other stuff. Here's a few favorites that are especially close to my heart:

    "Ikiru" ("To Live") by Akira Kurosawa
    "Au Hasard Balthazar" ("By Chance Balthazar") by Robert Bresson
    "The Red Shoes" and "Black Narcissus" by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
    "Once Upon a Time in America" by Sergio Leone
    "Vivre Sa Vie" ("My Life to Live" or "[She] Lives Her Life") by Jean-Luc Godard
    "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
    "Passion of Joan of Arc" (silent movie) by Carl Dreyer
    "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" by Sam Peckinpah (this might be more of a guy's movie :) )

    and there's so many more...Werner Herzog, Jean Renoir (I would be interested in what you think of Renoir's "The River", which I believe was the first movie to be filmed in location in India), John Cassavetes, Yasujiro Ozu, Tarkovsky, Parajanov...

    Best, Joe

    posted 9 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Joe M

    Joe M says

    Dear Madhuri,
    I haven't gotten to Saramago yet (it actually might take awhile; I am prioritizing reading short-length books right now, due to work schedule), but I will let you know once I have started. Yes, it looks interesting.
    I love movies...I have heard of Flixster, though didn't know what it was about exactly. Maybe I'll check it out...though between my addictions to Shelfari and Facebook (are you on Facebook? let me know and if you are okay with it, I will send you an invite on that medium as well), I'm reluctant to have another addiction on top of those! :) In the meantime, tell me what other films/directors you love...

    I would love to visit India, who knows--stranger things have happened. I am sure it is a lovely country, with terrific people (as is usually the case in most places I've been). Maybe someday I'll get to see Igatpuri Tal in person, and get to take a picture by the waterside... :)

    Australia sounds lovely! I have several friends who have been there (sometimes for extended periods of time), though I have never been...it seems like a big destination for work-related travel, across many different professions...
    Best, Joe

    posted 10 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Joe M

    Joe M says

    Dear Madhuri,
    Thank you for your response. Yes, Penguin is a great resource for me, too (another heavyweight for me is Vintage--don't know how available that is in India). I will definitely check out Kierkegaard at some point, then. Also, you may be pleased to know, that your shelf has already begun to exert an influence...because we have a book swap currently in the cafeteria of the hospital where I work (terrific idea, whoever thought of it!), and I saw a Jose Saramago book today that I picked up based on your ratings of his work; I got "The Stone Raft". My book queue is so hopelessly long by this point...

    Yes, I would love to share more about our respective countries. Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state. I would say the best thing about living where I live is that it lies in ready proximity to a number of great places--within Rhode Island itself is Newport and Block Island, which are great places in the summertime, and Providence our capital is a decent town with enough to do; Boston lies about an hour away; Cape Cod in Massachusetts, also about an hour away; to the south lies Connecticut (where I was born and raised) and NYC (maybe about 3-4 hours).

    I was telling Bibliophile! from Cochin that I would love to be able to visit India someday. One of my best friends who lives in NYC is of Indian-Finnish heritage...her name is "Siita" ("Sita" is Indian but the additional 'i' gives it a Finnish twist), and we have talked about taking a trip out there together. Hmm, I think I can understand why you would love California and not be so fond of Texas. I doubt I would be happy living down in Texas, and I have a good friend who does lives down there for work purposes primarily and she confirms my suspicions when we talk. It sounds like you travel a lot! There are so many beautiful places in this world to see...

    Best, Joe

    posted 2 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Bibliophile!

    Bibliophile! says

    I heartily recommend Daniel Clowes' "Like a velvet Glove Cast In Iron". It's a graphic novel. I read it in one sitting. Great art. The story is eerie and weird. Teeming with strange characters (who would be at home in a Lynch movie). I just loved it. Also started reading Osamu Tezuka's 8 vol. graphic novel Buddha, which seems very promising.

    posted 2 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Joe M

    Joe M says

    Hi Madhuri!
    I was looking further at your shelf--lots of good stuff! Just a few random thoughts I wanted to share...

    I'm curious, how did you come to be interested in the philosopher Kierkegard? I was reading the description of some of his books in the bookstore, and it looks fascinating. I believe reading his work might be an insightful experience for me. I work as a clinical psychologist, and I am currently interested in how works of philosophy have informed current psychotherapeutic approaches.

    I see you are planning to read "The Magic Mountain"--it's on my "plan to read" shelf as well, though it's an ambitious undertaking, so not at the front of the queue just yet.
    I read Mann's "Buddenbrooks" (another long novel--the one that put him on the literary map, I believe) earlier this year, and though I was skeptical whether I would like it, it ended up blowing me away. I couldn't believe that anybody could write a work with such advanced psychological insight into human personality, while still only in their early-20s. If I hadn't known, I would have guessed that the author would have had to be at least in their 50s or older.

    The Ingmar Bergman book sounds interesting...do you like his movies (or perhaps other films)? I am quite a movie fan. I've seen quite a bit of Bergman, some multiple times, though mostly when I was in college (eons ago :) ). I had recently re-watched his so-called "Winter trilogy" (i.e., Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light, and The Silence) on DVD, which was great to revisit after so many years.

    I am very interested in India and its culture, and would love to hear more about life there sometime. I believe Mumbai is on the Western coast and is a sort of financial center, is it not? Finally, the picture of you by the waterside is terrific! Where is that?

    Best, Joe

    posted 2 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Joe M

    Joe M says

    Dear Madhuri,
    Thank you for your kind acceptance! I certainly look forward to corresponding with you. Shelfari has been a sheer joy so far--I have been introduced to some wonderful people on this site--people with great tastes who have really expanded my horizons and helped me grow as a reader and as a person...though being on Shelfari certainly points out all the books you haven't read yet and wish you had the time to read and probably never will!! Anyway, I will look forward to looking at your shelf and checking out what is most highly rated there. I certainly do read my friends' reviews and take note of their ratings...If you see anything on my shelf that is of interest, don't hesitate to post to me about it...will write more soon.
    Best, Joe

    posted 2 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Bibliophile!

    Bibliophile! says

    Death in the Andes was my first Llosa and I loved it (Aunt Julia is even better). I read it long back. I don't remember much of it now. Sebald has been on my reading list for a while. I own both Austerlitz and Vertigo. Haven't been able to read them yet. I am reading Clive James' Cultural Amnesia which is so-so. It's good in parts. Also Bridge on the Drina which is unputdownable. Finished reading Charu Nivedita's Zero Degree (which was disappointing) and A case of exploding mangoes (which I liked). Also looking forward to reading (and seeing, I have the DVD) Persepolis (and a few other graphic novels). Promises to be a good week!:)

    posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Bibliophile!

    Bibliophile! says

    Hullo! Long time. What are you reading? Anything interesting?

    posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Subhasree

    Subhasree says

    I just finished Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck ....... was my first Steinbeck ...... and I loved it ........ it's such a perfect book ....... after that I got hold of a copy of Unaccustomed Earth ....... I think that will be my next ....... though I have a lot on my "I'm reading" list :)

    posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Madhuri

    Madhuri says

    So what's next on your read-list?

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • Madhuri

    Madhuri says

    Hi. I have read Portrait of Sepia - it was a pretty good read. Even I am dabbling with some Latin-American lit for the time - finished Death of the Andes recently and now sieving through Marquez's Autumn of the Patriarch. Not the best book to read on a flight (as I found to my dismay!), but very clever book if you read it on land when awake :)

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • Subhasree

    Subhasree says

    Hi,

    I finished Portrait in Sepia ......... it was quite nice ......... such a simple narrative, yet it held your attention the whole time ......... what are you reading now?

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • Subhasree

    Subhasree says

    HI,

    sorry for this late reply ....... I did buy the two books but haven't got a chance to start them as yet ......... Potrait in Sepia was on my list for a long, long time ....... can't wait to get into it ........... finished The Lost Steps yesterday ......... guess am too lost in it to start anything new :) ............. how about you? .......... what's new on your side?

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Subhasree

    Subhasree says

    I kind of liked his language ........ though it dragged too muh in the middle and the ending was quite predictable .....

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Subhasree

    Subhasree says

    didn't like Alchemy of desire at all?

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
  • meenalsmith

    meenalsmith says

    you have a gud collection

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Bibliophile!

    Bibliophile! says

    No I haven't read Rulfo's short stories. Pedro Paramo is without doubt the most poetic book I've read. Even in the English translation the rhythms of the prose is evident. As for Joseph Roth I haven't read him. I will try and read him soon.

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )


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