Anthem: Ayn Rand

Author's working title for this novel was ego. My reading title would be "Discovery of I'. This short, metaphorical novel of Ayn Rand is champion of individualism. (And I believe is hidden critique of Socialism)

Characters in the novel live in unknown, mysterious world – totalitarian, socialist state, where will of society rules over individual. Collective good is always taken care without bothering about individual will i.e. utopian socialist state.

Book is written in monologue fashion, where we see world in eyes of central character. We have interesting names of characters as – 'Equality 7-301', 'Collective 8-009', 'Harmony 9-2642', 'Democracy 4-6998', 'Unanimity 7-3304'. These metaphors along with absence of "I" in complete dialogue make this book vocal critique of Socialism/Communism. The character calls himself "We" and other "They" (even when talking about single person). I was confused with this "We", "They" until the climax, where central character breaks shackles of "We" – the socialist regime.

Here are some excerpts from it –

I am. I think. I will.

My hands...My spirit...My sky...My forest...This earth of mine.

What must I say besides? These are the words. This is the answer.

I stand here on the summit of the mountain. I lift my head and I spread my arms. This, my body and spirit, this is the end of the quest. I wished to know the meaning of things. I am the meaning. I wished to find a warrant for things. I am the meaning. I wished to find a warrant for being. I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction.

Many words have been granted me, and some are wise, and some are false, but only three are holy: "I will it!"

Whatever road I take, the guiding star is within me; the guiding star and loadstone which point the way. They point but one direction. They point to me.

I know not if this earth on which I stand is the core of universe or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. I know and I care not. For I know what happiness is possible to me on earth. And my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose.

Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars.

I am a man. This miracle of me is mine to own and keep, and mine to guard, and mine to use, and mine to kneel before!

I do not surrender my treasures, not do I share them. The fortune of my spirit is not to be blown into coins of brass and flung to the winds as alms for the poor of the spirit. I guard my treasures: my thought, my will, my freedom. And the greatest of these is freedom.

Quotes from 'The Alchemist'

Some inspiring quotes from 'The Alchemist' (By Paulo Coelho)

• It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
• World's greatest lie - At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.
  
• When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.\
• Principle of favourability: When you play cards the first time, you are almost sure to win, it is called 'Beginner's luck'
• The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.\
• When you want something with all your heart, that's when you are closest to the soul of the world. It's always the positive force.
• Fear of suffering is worse that the suffering itself.
• Everyone seems to have clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
• Every search begins with the beginner's luck and every search ends with victor being severely test.
• Their is only one thing that makes dream impossible to achieve - the fear of failure.
  

And the best one,

"To realize one's destiny is person's only real obligation."

What men live by: Leo Tolstoy

This is my first interaction with Tolstoy. Every now and then I have heard of people saying Tolstoy: author of world's greatest novel – War and Peace.
Finally I have got it. My first Tolstoy's book!!

This one is very collection of few short stories, can be found at –
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6157

All the stories had a moral lesson, but the beauty of it was, all those were "Stories".
I think the simplicity with which Tolstoy put forward the best of lessons in life makes these stories special.

In one of the story, The Coffee House of Surat, we have people sitting in coffee house, each of them belonging to different religion. Each of  them is proud of their own religion and they get into debate, which is
the best?, until wise man amongst them settles the debate.

The other story, rather the most famous of them all, How much land does a man need?, is about greed.

The shortest of them all, Three questions - has the most impact.
How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time?
Who are the people I most need?
What affairs are the most important, and need my first attention?

And, of course the one with from which the book got its name, What men live by, is another one with three questions.
Learn what dwells in man?
Learn what is not given to man?
What men live by?

I am purposely not writing what answers does Tolstoy gives to these questions. Because then someone reading this will miss the beautiful character building of the stories.

This one is smallest of book and the name "Leo Tolstoy" is enough for anyone to pick it up..

Diary of Young Girl: Anne Frank

I first saw this book in my last year of engineering. I had found E-book of this and tried to read it, but wasn't accustomed to reading books on computer back then, hence left it half way through.

Now, after two and half years later, I came across this book again. And this time, it kept me engaged from start to end.

It is diary of 13 year old girl, a Jew girl who is hiding in secret place with her family, trying to save themselves from Nazis. Although the book is written on back drop of World War II, but its not at all a mere 'History' book. 

Its an account of a adolescent girls emotions, world seen through her eyes, in her own words.

Although she was with her family, there are times when she felt, she was all alone in the world. She thinks her sister is more smart, beautiful, hence, at times she is angry with her. A very typical of 13-14 year child. In such days her diary is her only companion.

There are references to religion, its importance (as felt and understood by her) . She was not able to understand why is she being subjected to such a torture because of Jewish origin.

Constant fear of getting caught, have made her lock herself in confined place for a long time of two years. And it is life threatening for her to step outside, probably that is the reason why her love for nature has increased. She wants to go out in the rain, want to see the sun rising, but she knows she can't...she can't step out of the house.

As a reader, we can feel her evolving and maturing with time.

The diary does not let you keep it aside, until all of a sudden you find some days missing.

It is an account of an adolescent girls mind, her ideas of life, her dreams, which the so called 'grown ups' shattered due to their fanaticism.