Books

BOOK REVIEW

                             

THE THIRD PILLAR

-Raghuram Rajan

The Third Pillar is a reflection on the current status of the world as seen through the three pillars of society—the market, the state, and the community. It emphasises on how to get the right balance between them again so that society continues to prosper.

According to the author Raghuram Rajan, the first two have accelerated ahead of the third, frequently working together. It is the neglected third pillar, the community – the social aspects of society – that he wishes to reintroduce into the debate. It is interesting to note that while the first two now dominate the community, they first emerged from it.

The central question in this book is how we restore the balance between the three pillars in the face of ongoing disruptions in technological change. The initial chapters of “The Third Pillar” are brimming with vivid examples of how strong local communities support human flourishing in ways that are sometimes disregarded. The neighborhood where we live is the “third pillar” of the title. All too frequently, economists view their field as the interaction between markets and the state and leave touchy social matters to others.

In short, The Third Pillar is truly a paragon , a book that will go down in history as a classic because it provides a thoughtful, convincing, and sympathetic explanation of the factors that have brought about such a radical transformation in our lives.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

– Agatha Christie

Central theme: The central theme of And Then There Were None is the connection between legal and moral guilt. The killer (Justice Wargrave) is fascinated by the type of crimes, or sins, which cannot be punished by the law, and he takes the task of punishment upon himself. The book revolves around the essential component of justice, which is presented intricately by Agatha Christie. Mr. Justice Wargrave, a justice fanatic, believes that the members invited on the Soldier Island off the Devon coast have to be punished and eventually killed for the crimes that they have committed. Wargrave’s notion about justice is so complicated that, in the name of justice, he ultimately commits a sin that is much more vulnerable than the other characters in the story.

Summary: Ten strangers are invited on Soldier Island, an isolated rock off the Devon Coast by a mysterious “U.N Owen” through a mysterious invitation. A framed copy of the old nursery rhyme “Ten Little Soldiers” hangs in every room of the mansion. Each of the ten victims – eight guests plus the island’s two caretakers – is killed in a manner which reflects the lines of the rhyme. Firstly, Marston finishes his drink and promptly dies of cyanide poisoning. Mrs. Rogers is found dead in her bed, and by lunchtime, General MacArthur has also died from a heavy blow to the head. When they gradually realize that murders are occurring accordingly as described in the poem, terror mounts. One by one, the guests fall prey to death. Who has choreographed the masterplan? Who will be alive to tell the tale? The answers to these questions get entangled as one goes on to read the book.

Most liked feature: In my opinion, this is another classic detective fiction written by Agatha Christie. I was on pins and needles while reading the book, since it is unpredictable to guess the killer. I would recommend it to almost anyone irrespective of the age. And Then There Were None is truly a masterpiece and a treasure box from Agatha Christie filled with suspense throughout.

A.B.C MURDERS

Author              –     Agatha Christie          

Published on      –    6^th January 1936

Genre                –    Mystery, Crime and Detective Fiction

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap.

The book ‘ABC MURDERS’ is special in its form as she has combined first-person narrative and third-person narrative. The A.B.C Murders is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie which features Hercule Poirot, the protagonist, Arthur Hastings, the companion-chronicler of Poirot and Chief Inspector Japp who helps them with the case.

THE PLOT: A serial killer is on the loose. Hercule Poirot receives three letters one after the other written by Mr. ABC in which the murderer notifies the time and dares Poirot to find him. The murder is being carried out in alphabetical order – Alice Ascher in Andover, Betty Barnard in Bexhill and Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston. After the third murder, the police see Alexander Bonaparte Cust with blood in his hands and arrest him. Who is the serial killer? Is Alexander the real murderer? Is Mr. ABC right about Poirot’s capability of solving the case? These questions would be untangled as one goes on to read the book.

The wit, intelligence and the perspicacity of Hercule Poirot is just remarkable. Arthur Hastings, the companion-chronicler of Hercule Poirot plays a vital role in solving the cases and makes the case easy. Although there are a lot of characters involved in the story, they make the story very interesting and enthralling. In the “Alphabet Murders” (A.B.C Murders), Chief Inspector Japp has the tendency to jump into conclusions very quickly and accepts simple .solutions to cases. He sometimes accuses Poirot of “making things difficult” but later realises his mistake. However, his active role in the cases rightly justifies his post. In my opinion, this is one of the classic detective fictions written by Agatha Christie. Unlike other Agatha Christie novels, this deals with multiple point of views. This book is just apt for people of all ages. I was on the edge of my seat when I read this book. It can be really enjoyed by people to whom the climax is of utmost importance. In this book too, he proves that he is indeed one of the greatest detectives of all times. In short, it is a must-read book from Agatha Christie featuring Hercule Poirot.