Y.S. Stephen - Reader | Casual Observer

I like The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is a book that deals with a long-term problem faced by every human. It starts from when we master walking to when we are no longer able to do so. The struggle with human nature is a daily occurrence. Striving to rise above our selfish impulses or sacrifice temporary desires to help another is part of life demands. Every human wants to be the hero of his own story. But there is also a side of humans that want to hurt others, self-sabotage, do away with obstacles no matter what it takes... all in the bid to get what we want. This constant fight is at the root of existence and one of the subjects of Tara Gilboy's new book, Unwritten . In Unwritten , we see fairytale characters escape from an unfinished manuscript written by a writer named Gertrude Winters. Ms Winters' characters are on the run from a villain that seeks to capture and draw them back into the story. But the escapees ar...

There is an allure about a person who undergoes rigorous discipline to achieve something most people consider "great" . Stories of people almost working themselves to death to achieve abundant riches are always inspiring to many . Today, going through hardship to master a skill is one way to garner respect - it doesn't even matter whether you enjoy the practice or not . For many, toil and pain matter more than the love of the process. Hardship, it seems, have some kind of value in itself. Those who enjoy their work process are sometimes viewed as freaks, unserious people with no appreciation for the value of hard work. We see such as missing something essential. We believe they will never succeed at anything in the long term because they haven't paid the "price" or suffered enough .  However , when it comes down to it, I have found that a person of discipline mostly defers to a person motivated by love . Those who love their ...

A Little Piece Of Her tries to educate on the evils of female genital mutilation using a story of a Chinese man and a Congolese woman trying to make their relationship work. Apart from the awkwardness of interracial relations in Congo, the book also takes a cursory look at politics and the way expatriate investors view and interact with their local employees and vice versa. A Little Piece Of Her is an ode to the courage of countless people swimming against the tide of exploitation, racial discrimination, and sexism. It also shows how insidious the practice of female genital mutilation is and the outdated thinking behind it. It reveals the progress being made and highlights ways to help combat it. A Little Piece Of Her is an educational comic that hid its message in a solid story setting. The art is okay but the dialogue is one of the best things about it. This is a book with a powerful message and a solution. Many thanks to Europe Comics for review copy.

Most of us worry about getting old. Yet this anxiety is more acute when we hit our middle-age. Old-age worries often come unbidden. Seeing our bodies unable to shrug off pain like it used to bring dark thoughts that zero in on our mortality. Despite what we see on our screens, death is a human reality. There is no drug or cream against growing old.  Hank and Molly The relationship between the fears of old age and the actions it fosters is at the root of Upgrade Soul , a graphic novel by Ezra Claytan Daniels . In the book, we see how Hank and Molly pledge their wealth to an experimental experiment that reverses ageing . The consequence of this action and the ethical question it raises are what the book tries to grapple with. Upgrade Soul does not bother moralising about the right and wrong of scientific ethics . What it does best is reveal the depth of fear humans have about their legacy in the face of death. It also shows that mentally putting yourself...

Reader Come Home by Maryanne Wolf focuses on the relationship between reading and technology. It reveals how much the recent changes in technology have impacted the way we read and comprehend words. Skimming is a much more common form of reading today. The sheer speed of modern life has taken away the enjoyment that comes from reading in between the lines, discerning complex plot lines, and picking up clues left by authors. Deep reading, a kind of reading that goes beyond entertainment - the kind that empowers people is receding. This loss is making readers more open to sensationalism, deception and manipulation. And this has affected the way authors write as well. Since most people now want to get to the point quicker, writers are writing in small chunks. Longer works with complicated sentences go unread in libraries and online. Disturbingly, Maryanne Wolf encapsulated the process of reading degradation into three steps: “First, we simplify. Second, we process the i...

A person with joy on his or her face early in the morning is a person looking forward to something. It doesn't matter whether that thing is out there somewhere or within.

When it comes to reading, I have found non-fiction is a lazier form of absorbing wisdom. Whether you are reading essays or self-help books, everything you need to learn is spelt out for you. Fiction is a bit more sophisticated in that, like a mole in a hole, you have to dig out what you need. Aside from kindergarten stories, no fiction will leave precious gems on the surface for you to pick up. Also, some tales have no to wisdom to impart, no point to make. Hence, reading fiction is a more complex exercise than reading non-fiction. As societies around the world modernise, leadership seem to have less use for riddles, fables, or stories. It is rare to see one of our so-called "thought leaders" advocating a work of fiction. Most books in our recommended lists are limited to a few genres in the non-fiction section. This stagnation of the mind is one of the things I have noticed since I started reading fiction again in the past months. It was cha...

When the acolytes of a god approach a band of thieves to secure an artefact, the signs of a potential apocalypse starts showing itself. Aside from the thieves being betrayed from within, there is a small matter of a company of a dragon and an assassin who are also after the artefact. Adding to that is the presence of a mysterious being who can read minds, thus manipulating anyone that comes in contact with it. All these pointing to the beginning of absolute chaos. Chimera: The Righteous and the Lost is full of strange characters with hidden motives. Aside from the themes of power and betrayal, there is a constant undertone of religion and its influence in this book, but it is not deep enough to warrant philosophical thought. The art of Chimera pleasant to the eyes. The dialogue is smooth and believable. Also, the plot is well-weaved and the ending kept me gasping for more. Many thanks to Comicker Press for review copy.

PERSONALITY Wing is a fictional character in oshihiro Togashi's manga - Hunter x Hunter . He is a young man with an unusual combination of casual, shabby appearance and a forgetful trait who is nonetheless serious and strict with his craft as well as his students. Wing's laid-back demeanour comes far back from his time with his mentor, Biscuit Krueger, who noted his laziness and lack of interest in learning. HIS PHILOSOPHY Biscuit Krueger's methodical approach to teaching paid off as it made Wing well-versed in the art and craft of nen. Like his mentor, Wing developed a taste for strict discipline and rigorous approach to learning. Wing's disdain for winning at the expense of rigour is shown when his student, Zushi, wanted to use a dangerous technique he was not ready for, in order to defeat a much powerful opponent. Wing stops him and later takes his student aside, saying: "It's okay to want to win. But you mustn't lose sight of what really ...