Book Review: Muna Madan & I am Malala

 

Book review

Key Points: 

ü  Introduction (title, author, place of publication: publisher, date of publication, number of pages, type of book-fiction, nonfiction etc)

ü  Author's background (who the author is and where s/he stands in the genre or field of inquiry adding his/her contribution in literature)

ü  Summary and plot

ü  Theme and writing style

ü  Writer's impression and evaluation of it/critique's opinion

Muna Madan : The Book Review

Title of the book: Muna Madan
Writer: Laxmi Prasad Devkota, (Maha Kavi)
Genre:  Semi-epic poem
Number of Pages: 40 pages.
Price: 100 NRS
Language: Nepali
Publication date: 1993 BS
Published by: Sajha Prakashan
Characters: Madan (the protagonist), Muna(Madan's wife), Madan's Mother, A Bhote(Tibetan Man)
Plot:
The plot of "Muna Madan" tells the tragic story of a man named Madan who leaves his wife, Muna, to go to Tibet to earn money. He falls ill on his return journey and is abandoned by his friends, who falsely report his death. Madan is rescued by a kind stranger, a Bhote but by the time he returns home, both his wife and mother have died from grief. He is left with nothing but his sorrow, realizing that money is worthless without his loved ones.
Theme: 
"Muna Madan" includes  the themes of materialism and human values and it highlights how Madan's pursuit of wealth leads to tragic loss, ultimately teaching him that money has no value without loved ones to share it with. It also carries the theme of the caste system. The Bhote who saves Madan is central to the book's message that "a man is great not by caste or race, but by a heart full of love and humanity."

Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: The central theme of leaving home and family to seek a better life abroad is a timeless and deeply relatable experience for many people, particularly in Nepal. The poem is written in a simple, colloquial style based on the jhyaure folk meter which makes it accessible to a wide audience,  Beyond being a love story, the book addresses important social issues like poverty, the negative impacts of unemployment, the value of humanity over caste or race, and the dangers of materialism.
Weaknesses: The plot is a bit predictable to a modern reader. The tragic ending is a classic trope. The friends who abandon Madan are portrayed as heartless.
Style:
The writing style of Muna Madan is known for its simplicity and accessibility. Devkota chose the jhyaure folk meter, which makes the poem feel very natural and easy to read for a wide audience. The language is conversational and direct, focusing on clear storytelling and emotional expression.
Wrap up:  "Muna Madan" tells the story of a man who leaves his family to seek wealth, only to return and finds that his loved ones have died in his absence. This tragic outcome serves as a powerful reminder that material possessions are worthless without the love and presence of family.  Above all, it is written in a poetic, narrative form, and is considered a masterpiece of Nepali literature.

Thank You !

 Book Review: I am Malala (Biography)

Characters:MalalaYousafzai, ZiauddinYousafzai, Tor PekaiYousafzai, KhushalYousafzai, Malka e-Noor, Rohul Amin, Benazir Bhutto.

Theme:  The Power of Education and Women’s Rights

“I Am Malala”, the story of the girl who stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban is an autobiographical book by MalalaYousafzai, co-written with Christina Lamb, published on 8^th  October 2013, by Weidenfeld& Nicolson in the UK and Little, Brown and Company in the US.

PLOT:

I AM MALALA mostly focuses on Malala herself, a Swet born young Pakistani activist on 12^th July, 1997 and presenting her as a great role model and author. She really provides a strong figure for any girl growing up in this hectic world.

The book covers five parts including five separate stories of her life.

Part One covers MalalaYousafzai's life "Before the Taliban". She describes her childhood home Swat Valley and how she lived with her father Ziauddin, her mother Toor Pekai and two younger brothers Khushal and Atal. Ziauddin, her father studied a Master's in English at Jehanzeb College and he opened more schools to provide free places in his schools to poor children.

Part Two, "The Valley of Death", details the rise of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Swat. It also describes the continuing War in North-West Pakistan, and the return of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan which culminated in her assassination.

Part Three is entitled "Three Bullets, Three Girls". By August 2009, the armies have fought off the Taliban in Swat, and the Yousafzai family return. Malala's school re-opens, and she visits Islamabad with school friends, meeting with Major General Athar Abbas and giving a public speech.

Part Four is named "Between Life and Death". One bullet travelled from Yousafzai's left eye to her shoulder, and her friends Shazia and Kainat were also non-fatally injured.

Part Five is titled with "A Second Life". Yousafzai woke up in Birmingham on 16 October. Yousafzai received 8000 cards and many presents. Yousafzai lives in Birmingham, though she misses Swat, and plans to continue her activism so she can be known not as "the girl who was shot by the Taliban" but as "the girl who fought for education".

The Nobel Peace Prize 2014-, she received “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children education.”

THEMES:  

Women's Rights, the Power of Education, Islam and its Interpretations, Goodness, Fame, Power, and the Importance of Role Models etc are the central themes the biography “ I am Malala” surrounded with.

CONCLUSION:

“I am Malala” is a beautiful, inspiring book in which the beautiful and brave Malala narrates the story of her life. The story is written in a simple language and it describes the various happenings in Pakistan since the partition in 1947.

 

 Thank You !