Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Kasanova oleh Meor Shariman

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Sebuah novel yang bertemakan kisah cinta; seperti yang dijumpai di dalam kebanyakan novel Melayu yang pernah dibaca and dimiliki.

Cerita bermula dari kisah seorang gadis bernama Zuraida yang baru tamat pengajiannya dalam bidang komunikasi dari universiti dan sedang menghabiskan masa di bandaraya sementara tinggal bersama kakaknya yang seorang.
Zuraida seorang gadis yang kuat imamnya dan berdikari; namun sepertimana gadis biasa, dia juga turut mempunyai fantasi terhadap bakal teman hidupnya yang dibayangkan bagai seorang putera.

Diperkenalkan pula Eddie, model lelaki berbangsa kacukan yang amat tampan dan bergaya; yang mampu menawan hati setiap gadis yang ditemuinya. Eddie memang bangga dengan rupa warasnya dan tidak pernah keraguan untuk menggunakannya dalam memenangi hati dan tubuh setiap gadis yang diminatinya.
Sebagai seorang yang optimis dan bebas pendiriannya, Eddie tidak mementingkan komitmen dan cuma menggunakan gadis-gadis yang ditawannya untuk memuaskan nafsunya sahaja di mana gadis-gadis tersebut akan ditinggalkan dan disisihkan selepas mencapai matlamatnya.

Rozana merupakan seorang gadis yang pendiam dan konservatif; namun dia tewas di tangan Eddie dan kehilangan maruah tubuhnya apabila dia tertipu dengan janji manis Eddie dan menyerahkan tubuhnya kepada lelaki tersebut; justeru meragut maruahnya sekali. Rozana masih menagih cinta daripada lelaki yang disangkanya bakal menjadi suami tercinta tidak dapat menerima apabila perangai lelaki tersebut berubah dalam sekelip mata selepas asmara pada malam tersebut.
Rozana terus merayu kepada Eddie supaya kembali kepadanya; namun dihina berkali-kali sehinggakan gadis tersebut merana dan di kala itu, Rozana merancang untuk membalas dendam terhadap lelaki itu; dan bersumpah akan membuatkannya lebih sengsara daripada kepahitan yang dialaminya.

Eddie yang memang tak berbelas kasihan akhirnya menemui nasibnya apabila mengenali Zuraida; gadis yang menyebabkan Eddie jatuh cinta buat kali pertama dan pada pandangan pertama apabila mereka bertemu.
Eddie mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menawan hati tersebut dan tidak kecewa apabila Zuraida turut membalas cintanya.
Namun, ketika cinta mereka tengah berputik, Rozana pula muncul dan menceritakan kisah kasanova Eddie yang membuatkan Zuraida jijik dengan perbuatan Eddie; sekaligus membaling segala kebaikannya keluar daripada hatinya.

Eddie amat dukacita dengan perubahan Zuraida dan cuba dengan payah untuk memenangi kepercayaan dan cinta gadis idamannya itu.
Akhirnya, Zuraida menerimanya apabila Rozana yang enggan melihat Eddie dan Zuraida yang tidak bersalah merana semata-mata untuk memuaskan dendamnya dan dia yang membantu dalam mengeratkan hubungan mereka ke atas pelamin di mana mereka akhirnya disatukan sebagai suami isteri yang sah manakala Rozana pula menemui teman hidupnya.

Cerita ini memang sebuah kisah cinta yang tak lari daripada plot yang biasa tapi cukup romantis untuk menambat hati pembaca.
Lagipun, apalah salahnya untuk ditawan oleh sebuah lagi kisah dramatis tentang kuasa cinta yang begitu agung dan mampu mencairkan hati setiap peminat kisah cinta, bukankah begitu?

Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (translated by Moss Roberts)

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I knew I just have to have this book the first time I set my eyes upon it in the bookshop and boy, did I not regret it anymore!

This book is a novel-based telling of the chronological events in the history of the period of the Three Kingdoms. It was written in a fact-based form but also with the style of a story-telling as in a novel that we read anywhere.
The introduction of all the characters was done in a factual-style and a fashionable manner where they were all introduced through their given name, middle name/style and the description of their physical appearance.

Of course, this cannot be compared to the historical textbook on the sequence in Three Kingdoms but this novel is definitely following very closely to the events.
It started from the Han Kingdom and the Yellow Turban Revolution led by Zhang Jiao and introduced a young Cao Cao with his father who was the minister at that time to the downfall following the death of the Emperor and how the throne was succeeded by a son which was undeserving; resulting in a revolution and thus invoked the greed and ambition in his serving ministers.
As most were eyeing the throne and the weaker Emperor Xian, it then led to battles to wipe out the revolution around the country.

The climax of the story is the battle of the Red Cliff, which was so famously discussed among the fans and was even made into a movie by John Woo.
This battle was said to be unofficial initiation of the separation into the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu; where Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan are the respective rulers.

Amidst the numerous characters introduced in the book (trust me, there is way too many characters that it becomes confusing and difficult to keep track; especially if you are a novice at the events of the Three Kingdoms!), my personal favorite is none other than the wise and suave Civil advisor in the form of Zhu-Ge Liang; styled Kong Ming who was assisting Liu Bei.
He was also known as the Sleeping Dragon and agreed to help Liu Bei following the latter's visit to him for three times and Zhu-Ge Liang was said to be touched by his sincerity and was also in awe of Liu Bei's nobility.
The reason I love this character is his wisdom (as in Merlin's wisdom). Despite him staying in an isolated area and spending most of his time hibernating in his nest, it was amazing how much he knew about battles and strategies as he continues to throw out one after another of his baffling strategies in countering his enemies; especially Cao Cao whose army clearly outnumbered that of Liu Bei's and even Sun Quan's.

His Eight strategem, his acquisition of the arrows from Cao Cao, his plans of attack to defeat Cao Cao's troop and how he escape unharmed each time was truly the most interesting and climatic read for me; and thank goodness the novel had not one nor two but several chapters dedicated to Zhu-Ge Liang's tales of wisdom.

This is truly a recommended book for all Three Kingdom's fans and I enjoyed every bit of it!!

Friday, July 10, 2009

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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What can I say, this is after all, a classic novel and one that most have heard of, if not read it before in their lifetime.

I enjoyed the story told from childhood and how they fight against the racial discrimination in their conservative community.

It was definitely not just a simple story of the children growing up; as they tell their story but it also shares on the elements of love and values of life in a community which believes in the majority rights and only in what they believe.
It was a difficult place to grow up in but they had the guide of their strict father who was also a lawyer who fought not only for money but also for justice.

He led the family into the target of the town's fury when he took up the case to defend a black man who was accused of raping one of the townsmen's daughter.
Knowing that there is no chance of the black man being freed in this town of white men, he fought will all his might as he know that the black man is innocent and he may have lost the case but he won his children's support and in implanting the right values and attitude in his growing children.

It was a touching novel; once which I shall always remember with the vivid descriptions by the narrators who were the proud children of the just lawyer.

Quote: Lawyers, I suppose, were once children