BOOK DETAILS:
Book Title: Riding by Cassia Cassitas
Category: Adult fiction, 254 pages
Genre: Parenting & Relationship / Special Needs
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release date: April 2015
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Amidst
real events and landscapes, men and women like us wander the cities we inhabit,
rehearsing happier lives in the pages of this motivational narrative. From each
one, destiny took a part to make them perfect.
When
he is born, Andre propels his mother's life in a new direction. His father, an
executive who organizes Olympic competitions around the world and doesn't know
when to come back home, strives to make him a wordly citizen. Cycling, his life
acquires purpose: becoming an Olympic para-athlete.
Together
with his friends, he experiences disappointments and new beginnings. A doctor
that builds robots, the daughter of a lonely teenager, and a retired athlete
teach André how to overcome his limits and live his dream.
Set
in Curitiba with breaks in Los Angeles, Seoul, Johannesburg and Soweto,
Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, the narrative ends in
2012, in Rio de Janeiro.
As a
tribute to all those who choose to sign the next episodes of their lives, this
book is about overcoming one’s self amid achievements, obstacles, love and
heroism, written behind the scenes of life.
BOOK
REVIEW:
Riding – a book that made me want to read the original version (the one
before translation)
The
book is not the usual novel /novelette/ or an anthology. It is, for want of a
better word, different. At first, it seemed like a journal entry, with each
entry dated and read about a particular character and their relation to a
common theme. Then I thought it was a collection of short stories that
described the behind the scenes of Olympics and lives of athletes. Only after
about a quarter of the book did I realise that it was a unique book. And while I
was half way through, it finally hit me that this is a work that has been
translated to English. It is enjoyable, nevertheless.
The
stories of Mario, Elizabeth and Andre are written with good phrasing and with
messages given subtly. I really loved the vague and ambiguous mention of Paralympics
and the actual connection with the stories. They are taking place over three
decades and each event is significant (which is why you shouldn’t skim this
book or skip pages even though it does seem a bit off point at times). But it
really is a small book. You wouldn’t feel like skipping pages once you get past
the translated words and delve into the story.
True
to its words, the summary is a short account of what you could expect from the
actual story. The characters (even the nameless ones that are not mentioned
clearly) have such a depth that the reader is left pleasantly surprised. The book
takes you across continents and makes sure you are always expecting the next
vivid visuals that the author is going to come up with. Though sometimes the
descriptions are too elaborate, if you do like books that talk about life in
various places and the nativity, you would love this book.
Riding
is not only an inspirational read. It is an emotional read, it gives a whole
lot of information and it would appeal to a wide range of audience from
children to adults. Riding is not a book restricted to only a particular
person. It has a flavour for every type of reader. Just don’t be misled by
noting the basic points given in the summary or the mistaken assumption that it
is an exaggeration. Riding is truly a readers’ delight. My only peeve was that
the translation is broken in a few places and this made me feel that somehow
such works should be read in the original language they were written in. (not
happening in the near future for this particular reviewer, but still!)
There
are times when every book lover has to choose between reading a book at a go
and rushing to the end, or reading it a few pages at a time, savouring the
pleasure of the written word. The book that makes the reader consider these
options would either be too bad that it had to be finished quickly or could
only be read a few pages at a time, or it would be too good, making the reader
want to rush and see how it ends or slowly let the contents seep in by reading
it in parts. Riding falls in the ‘too good’ category. Riding would not
disappoint you. Go enjoy the ride!
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
"In
my mind, words came in strides. They aligned themselves in arguments that were
ready for combat after rebelling themselves - and that was just inkling. Were
was my certainty to support the new image? And where were my emotions, with
their brushes to bring color to life?"
Born
in the interior of the state of Paraná, Cassia Cassitas accumulated various
degrees throughout her carreer in Information Technology. The author of three
novels, her texts convey ideas accumulated amidst the smell of coffee plantations,
shoe factories, and the technology of the 20th century. These texts deal with
life-altering episodes, in a path lit by a harmonious blend of memories and
imagination.
PRICE:
$12.29 for paperback.
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