November Reading – Part 2

Continued from previous post …

5. ACD Shorts: The Man with the Watches by Arthur Conan Doyle

Just like another one of ACD shorts about the missing train … this is about the event of passengers who disappear and appear in a running train. 3 Passengers disappear from a running train and a dead one appears in their place. The curious thing about the dead man is that no one saw him enter the train and he had several watches with him. Several theories (some of them quite outlandish) are proposed but none satisfies nor convinces the people in England who are stumped by the mystery. 

The mystery is only resolved when a man writes after several years about his involvement in the event and how it all happened. The explanations are fairly simple and straightforward but interesting nevertheless.

6. PKD Shorts: Roog by Philip K Dick

This was yet another strange story with Dogs and something called Roog. Frankly, I was unable to make head or tail of this tale. I am usually comfortable with PKD shorts but this one was a complete bouncer.

7. Novel: Collision of Dimensions by M V Ravi Shanker 

A very interesting premise and back cover read prompted me to check with the publishers and I got a copy for review. It is a different kind of experience reading a 500 page well written novel and expectations were high when I started this one.

Reading a 500+ page novel is not easy and when u realize that it is not written well; it is painful to read till the end. I have said earlier that I don't abandon novels so easily but the author owes a responsibility to the reader. I would not recommend this to anyone.  

The author as well as the publisher had a best-seller in hand … all they had to do was put in some efforts by having a better cover design and a better marketing campaign AND get a co-author to write the whole novel in a better manner. The story telling needs ample improvement.

Full review posted last month.

8. ACD Shorts: The Japanned Box by Arthur Conan Doyle

A man with a past with a beautiful wife who is no more is looked upon with suspicion by the members of his household for his habits of retiring to his study room which has a peculiar japanned box. They hear some strange female voices emanating from the room at times causing them to worry about the otherwise spotless character of their master.

The mystery when unraveled brings forth the secret of a devoted man.

9. PKD Shorts: The Little Movement by Philip K Dick

A very interesting premise with an equally interesting climax

What if a particular toy you brought home for your kid had a hidden agenda and was part of a huge conspiracy against the human race. So when a toy conspires against the human race using the kids as the innocently strategic partner in their world domination plans … who would come to rescue?

10. ACD Shorts: The Black Doctor by Arthur Conan Doyle

A doctor arrives in a locality and gradually gains prominence and earns a good reputation. A bachelor for a long time; he eventually falls in love with a lady. But things go wrong and the girl's brother is against the relationship.

One fine morning, under strange circumstances, the Doctor is found dead and the suspect is of course the girl's brother who was seen in the vicinity of the house the very night of murder.

The real course of events that occurred that night startles everyone … when revealed in the court of law by a most unlikely witness.

To Be Continued …