The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley, 2024

Rating: 3/5

WHEN A GOOD IDEA ISN’T ENOUGH!

This book has been widely positioned as a clever blend of science fiction, humour and romance. In practice, I found that it delivers none of these in sufficient measure, and each element feels only partially realised. The science fiction is more conceptual than detailed, the humour is sparse and understated rather than genuinely funny, and the romance, while central, never quite achieves the emotional depth it seems to aim for. The result is a book that feels like it is constantly hinting at something richer and more engaging, but rarely getting there.

At its core, the story follows an unnamed narrator who is recruited into a mysterious government programme and assigned to act as a “bridge” for a historical figure transported into the present day. She is the daughter of a British man and a Cambodian immigrant — this is supposed to be significant, as the historical figures are immigrants in a way, but the comparison does not really land. Much of the narrative unfolds through her perspective as she navigates this unusual role, balancing bureaucratic expectations with the practical and emotional realities of integrating someone from the past into modern life. Without getting into specifics, the setup is intriguing and offers ample room for tension. However, the storytelling makes it difficult to stay fully invested in the characters or their arcs.

There are some enjoyable aspects of the book, such as its attention to everyday detail, particularly around food and domestic routines. These, along with differing gender and moral lenses, are used as markers of adjustment and connection. These moments hint at warmth and intimacy but rarely build into something more memorable.

Ultimately, the novel seems less interested in its premise and more focused on themes of institutional control, moral compromise and the gradual awakening of individual conscience. These are worthwhile ideas, but the execution does not make them compelling. The science fiction framework, in particular, feels both thin and oddly opaque — insufficiently detailed to be convincing, yet convoluted enough to be confusing. By the time the narrative reaches its conclusion, I found myself unclear on the mechanics of the plot, but given that I had become somewhat disengaged from its outcome, I didn’t really care.

Pros: Interesting central premise, thoughtful themes around institutions and control

Cons: Underdeveloped science fiction elements, uneven blend of genres, difficult to stay fully engaged

 

Starter Villain, John Scalzi, 2023

Rating: 5/5

Starter Villain is my first John Scalzi book and it turned out to be a gleefully unhinged outing. On the face of it, the story is about Charlie Fitzer, a divorced substitute teacher scraping by, who suddenly finds himself the unexpected heir to his estranged uncle’s empire. Only, this empire doesn’t involve businesses or stocks or real estate—it involves lairs, minions, and a seat at the table of the world’s supervillains. From there, the plot barrels forward, embracing every madcap possibility it can conjure, all the while keeping the reader hooked with a blend of dry wit and satire.

To call the book a madcap ride would almost undersell it. There’s a point where the protagonist sums up his predicament: “Instead I’m here on an island in the Caribbean, being told I need to talk to the dolphins in the middle of a labor action about some whales that might have torpedoes, armed by a secret society of villains who want access to a storeroom full of objects probably looted from the victims of the friggin’ Nazis and who are maybe willing to blow up my volcano lair to get it.” That single sentence works as a synopsis of the book’s spirit.

The novel also carries a sly undercurrent of satire. Beneath the jokes is a commentary on modern greed, corporate hierarchies, and the absurd lengths humans will go for power. Scalzi makes sure the barbs land even as you’re laughing. Yes, it’s lightweight in parts, but it feels intentional – Scalzi isn’t trying to write a grim epic, but a sparkling, escapist caper. If you are looking for a book that sets out to entertain above all else, this one does the job.

Pros: Madcap imagination, witty, sharp humour

Cons: Some readers may find this silly

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Jesse Sutanto, 2023

Rating: 3/5

I picked up Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers as a palate cleanser after some heavier, more intense reads. The quirky title and promise of a cozy mystery with a dash of humour caught my attention. I was intrigued by the premise: an elderly Chinese tea shop owner stumbling upon a dead body and taking it upon herself to solve the crime. It seemed refreshingly different from the books I’d recently read — a lighter, more playful take on the murder mystery genre. Plus, the idea of a sassy, meddling senior citizen acting as an amateur sleuth sounded like a fun twist.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is its charming protagonist. Vera Wong is a delightful character—nosy, opinionated, and utterly endearing. Her habit of dispensing unfiltered, maternal advice (and food and tea) to everyone she meets is both amusing and oddly heartwarming. The novel also shines in its depiction of found family. As Vera cozies up to the suspects — Riki, Oliver, Julia, and Sana — what begins as suspicion gradually transforms into friendship. The group’s growing bond adds warmth , making the story feel more like a character-driven drama than a whodunit. The book also offers gentle but thoughtful commentary on loneliness, immigrant experiences, and generational disconnect.

However, despite these positives, the book ultimately fell a bit flat for me, warranting a 3/5 rating. While the mystery element is what drew me in, it ended up feeling secondary to the relationships and tea-time bonding. The investigation itself is simplistic and lacks the tension or twists that make a mystery gripping. Vera’s sleuthing relies more on charm and intuition than genuine detective work, making the “solving” of the crime feel almost incidental. Additionally, the writing style, while breezy and accessible, often veers into being overly sweet and sentimental. The characters’ emotional arcs, though touching, felt predictable and saccharine, with conflicts tied up too neatly.

That said, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers will likely appeal to many readers, especially those looking for a cozy, heartwarming read with a sprinkle of mystery. Fans of character-driven stories, particularly ones featuring quirky older protagonists, will enjoy Vera’s antics and her lovable meddling. The book’s themes of loneliness, redemption, and human connection give it a relatable emotional core. While I found the book a bit too sugary and simplistic for my taste, still, it offers a pleasant escape — like a cup of sweet, milky tea on a rainy afternoon: comforting, but not particularly memorable.

Pros: Charming protagonist, heartwarming, and gentle commentary on loneliness and connection

Cons: Simplistic mystery, predictable emotional arcs, and overly saccharine tone

Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, Shehan Karunatilaka, 2010

Rating: 4/5

I thoroughly enjoyed Karunatilaka's latest novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, for its zaniness and its sharp, humorous critique of Sri Lanka's political landscape in the 1980s. Given my enjoyment of his more recent work, my expectations for Chinaman, Karunatilaka's debut, were naturally high — a mix of mystery, humour, and cricket (which I follow avidly) promised a compelling read. And for the most part, the book delivers.

Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew is narrated by W.G. Karunasena, a washed-up journalist, as he embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of Pradeep Mathew, an enigmatic Sri Lankan cricketer with unmatched talent. The novel weaves together cricket, mystery, and social critique, as Karunasena explores the underbelly of match-fixing and political corruption within Sri Lankan cricket. Incidentally, a chinaman is a slower delivery bowled by a left-handed bowler to deceive the batter. 

Karunatilaka’s signature humor is on full display in Chinaman, offering a sharp and farcical commentary on Sri Lankan society and the political forces shaping its cricketing world. Through Karunasena's sarcastic observations, the novel skewers the absurdities of fame, the game's politics, and widespread corruption. While the humour is biting, the book does occasionally overstay its welcome. Some sections feel repetitive, and the plot's momentum falters at times, slowing down the story's overall pace.

The novel is laden with cricket references, which may overwhelm readers unfamiliar with the sport. Although cricket plays a central role in the narrative, those with little interest or knowledge of the game may find the terminology and depth of detail challenging. However, for cricket fans or those willing to immerse themselves in the lingo, Chinaman is an engaging and witty read, well worth the effort.

Pros: Witty, novel story

Cons: Drags occasionally, requires knowledge of cricket

The Financial Expert, R K Narayan, 1952

Rating: 3/5

Books like PG Wodehouse’s for example age very well despite the fact that the idyllic world that they are set in and societal norms that they refer to are completely unrecognisable today. And that is due to the romanticisation of any situation and the ample use of humour. I have always viewed RK Narayan as an Indian version of Wodehouse with his semi-rural South Indian locales, quaint characters and understated and wry humour. His world of Swamy, for example, has provided endless delight to me and I’m sure to generations of readers. However, The Financial Expert, frankly, was somewhat disappointing — the plot was too simplistic and the humour rare to find!

This book, like most of his other stories, is based in the fictional town of Malgudi in southern India with the characters and their milieu being similar to his usual ones. Margayya (literally the person who shows the way) is the resident financial expert who helps the villagers inveigle loans from the local co-operative bank but aspires for more wealth and respect from his fellow citizens. His journey towards that goal forms the crux of the novel and his long-suffering wife, his spoilt son Balu, and Dr. Pal, a bohemian author, play important roles in that journey.

Narayan has managed to imbue his central character of Margayya with multiple facets to his nature — greedy, miserly, pompous, sensitive, self-righteous yet one who appears simple at his core. His relationship with his wife is the one that Narayan has captured the best, he’s usually dismissive of her yet tender on occasions. Parts of the plot, like his engagement with his clients, his conflict with the co-operative bank officials, his encounter with the local priest, his hunt for a red lotus and his experience as a publisher have subtle humour and irony and are a delight to read. His writing is simple (perhaps a bit too simple at parts) and easy to read. However, the story and the writing does drag on for a significant part of the book. The beginning of the book is extremely promising with Margayya doling out advice to his customers under a banyan tree outside the co-operative bank but the narrative surprise peters out in the second half of the book.

Surprisingly, while this movie was adapted for an award-winning Kannada movie, it has not been recreated in any of the mainstream languages. Malgudi Days, Narayan’s collection of short stories, was made into an absolutely delightful TV show back in 1986. I will hope that the same is done with The Financial Expert!

Pros: Subtle humour, quaint characters and milieu

Cons: Second half was simplistic and dragged

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, Annie Lyons, 2020

Rating: 5/5

I found this book to be very similar to “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman — with an old, cantankerous protagonist who has lost the desire to live, a new neighbour that brings in a ray of hope, a poignant back-story interspersed with the main narrative, a writing style that’s simple yet touching and a cat as well.

The book deals with the life of octogenarian Eudora Honeysett as she contemplates the final years of her life. Unlike her peers, she’s not scared about death and she would rather go early than approach it slowly and painfully. Her life then gets upended by the entry of Rose Trewidney, a loveable precocious child, and her family and a new friendship with Stanley Marcham, who’s only a few years younger than her. Her back-story incorporating her mother and her younger sister forms the concluding part of each chapter

The book is poignant in parts, and funny and hopeful in others — a bitter-sweet journey as Dora thinks about her past, explores her feelings about death and revels in her new relationships. It is also an emotional commentary about death. “We are living longer but not better”, as one of the characters in the book puts it, took me back to one of the best books that I’ve read recently, “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. 

Overall, this is a very enjoyable book to read — it would have been even more enjoyable had I not read Backman’s book first!

Pros: Funny & poignant, easy-to-read

Cons: Very similar to "A Man Called Ove"

A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman, 2012

Rating: 5/5

There are several things to like about this book. To start off with, the chapter titles. Titles such as “A Man Called Ove Buys a Computer That is Not a Computer” cannot but fail to bring a smile to the reader’s lips. Two, the writing style. Backman writes simply (despite the fact that flashbacks are interspersed with the present narrative) and humorously. While I read the English translation of the original Swedish book, the reading pleasure was not diminished one bit. And finally, the bitter-sweet and heart-warming aspect of the book. The main characters are well fleshed out and despite their shortcomings, one tends to root for them.

The book is the story of, of course, a man called Ove. He’s 59, extremely grumpy, hates change, has lost his job because of age, and is uncomfortable with modern technology, bureaucrats, and even coffee machines. He hates people who trade their Swedish cars for an Audi or a BMW. But Ove has several redeeming characteristics too. He is honest as when he returns a lost wallet at the age of 9, he has high principles and sticks to them, and has abiding love for his wife, Sonja. Mainly, while he will never admit it, he has a soft heart as shown by his interactions with his Iranian neighbour Parveneh and her children, with his friend turned foe Rune, with some local youth, and with a cat that he has been made to adopt.

This book is somewhat similar to The Rosie Project (which was published a year later) – it’s about a slightly dysfunctional man and his wife who are poles apart, and the gradual changes brought about in him. The one issue I had about the book though was that it was a bit too trite. Backman tries to tick a lot of boxes for Ove including his acceptance of foreigners and homosexuality and the ending is a bit too glib with all the pieces falling neatly in place. And like The Rosie Project, it does get soppy at times.

An enjoyable sidenote is the blog that catapulted Backman to fame well before his books did. It’s a humorous and wry complaint and is a poignant take on parenting. You can find it here: https://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a14203785/i_loved_this_piece_of_writing_from_a_dad_blog

Pros: Funny and well-written, heart-warming, lovely chapter titles

Cons: A bit trite and soppy

Leave it to Smith, PG Wodehouse, 1923

Rating: 5/5

Leave it to Psmith is the "comfort book" -- the creme custard (for me) of books -- that I always turn to when I need to brighten my mood. I must have read this book from cover to cover at least half a dozen times and parts of it umpteen times. It's amazing to think that I feel this about a book written a hundred years ago!

I love PG Wodehouse's brand of humour and I rank the Psmith books and the Blandings Castle ones ahead of the Jeeves and Wooster series. Leave it to Psmith brings the first two together and has a cornucopia of characters that gather together at Blandings Castle, some of them who are imposters and many who are trying to steal Lady Constance's necklace. Besides Psmith who is looking for a change in his profession and is willing to do anything Provided It Has Nothing To Do With Fish, there is the bone-headed Lord Emsworth - master of the castle, his  imperious sister Lady Constance, his vacant son Feddie, the suspicious secretary Baxter, the crooked Smooth Lizzie and Eddie, the cheerful Eve, some of Psmith's and Eve's friends and the list goes on. There are several sub-plots within the main plot, quite a few of which include romantic entanglements. The book proceeds at a laugh-aloud, leisurely yet madcap pace and all the umpteen threads are neatly disentangled at the end.

It is said that "brevity is the soul of wit". Wodehouse clearly does not believe in that -- he often uses several words where one would suffice and a paragraph or two where a sentence would have been enough, and that's what makes his writing brilliant! Characters do not turn, they "spin on their axis". They do not slouch but "droop like a wet sock, as was his habit when he had nothing to prop his spine against". He takes about twenty lines at the start of the book to essentially say that Lord Emsworth was sad because he had mislaid his glasses.

I've often laughed aloud while reading this book and if there is a bemused person sitting next to me, I invariably ask him or her to read the page that I am on. Sometimes, that person fails to find the humour, so clearly, PG Wodehouse is not for everyone. But for me, this is my #1 fiction read of all times!

Pros: Evergreen, laugh-aloud, a "comfort book"

Cons: The Wodehousian style of humour is not for everyone