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Opinion: J.D. Vance’s book ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ was a con job. Don’t let it slide

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The selection of J.D. Vance on Monday as Donald Trump’s running mate is a direct result of the political media’s failure to understand class in America. For his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance was venerated by many journalists and book critics as a powerful voice representing long-overlooked Americans. But he’s no working-class hero.

Vance portrayed this group — 35% of Americans , by the way — as tragic victims of alcoholism, drug abuse, laziness and their own self-destructive moral failings. Journalists ran with that, bringing their own stereotypes to depict the working class as angry, uneducated white men driven by economic insecurity and racist nostalgia to support Trump’s retrogressive campaign.

Trump picks Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author, as running mate

J.D. Vance, the Ohio senator and author of the acclaimed memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ will be the Republican vice presidential nominee, former President Trump announces.

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This distortion, in turn, widened a real divide by alienating many Americans, fueling support for Trump and even veneration of Vance.

Lauded by David Brooks as the interpreter of some mythical “working-class honor code” that could illuminate the motivations of the core Trump voter, Vance was praised in reviews in the New York Times , the Washington Post and a host of other publications, and he became the go-to guy on the working-class perspective. CNN hired him as a political pundit.

This was no better than the “parachute journalism” of upper-middle-class reporters who would visit an Appalachian tavern for one afternoon and then presume to tell the nation what the working class was thinking.

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So who actually is the working class? Consistent data has shown that, in the words of the Center for American Progress, “Black, Hispanic, and other workers of color make up 45 percent of the working class, while non-Hispanic white workers comprise the remaining 55 percent. Nearly half of the working class is women, and 8 percent have disabilities.” Media portrayals that equate this group with uneducated white men elide most of the people who actually fit the definition.

A few contemporary reports called out Vance’s misrepresentations and the media’s fallacious thinking. In October 2016, writing for the Guardian, journalist Sarah Smarsh pointed out that exit polls and surveys showed that Trump supporters had a higher median income — $72,000 — than supporters of Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Vance himself, she reported, had been raised in a middle-class household. By ignoring such realities, Smarsh argued, “Media makers cast the white working class as a monolith and imply an old, treacherous story convenient to capitalism: that the poor are dangerous idiots.”

Another journalist, Elizabeth Catte , also notably called out national media misrepresentations, including in her 2018 book, “What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia.” It should have been required reading as a reality check for anyone who heard Vance on TV or read his book.

A brilliant work like Stephanie Land ’s 2019 memoir, “Maid,” became the basis of a Netflix series, but even as journalists praised the book, they failed to feature her as a pundit. Kerri Arsenault’s “Mill Town,” a memoir-history of a small town in Maine, was reviewed, but again, her expertise didn’t appear in mainstream political commentary. Worst of all, when historian Steven Stoll’s masterful history of Appalachia, “Ramp Hollow,” was published in 2017, the New York Times allowed Vance himself to review it; he criticized Stoll’s “polemical” views of the market economy and dismissed the author as “earnest.”

The voices of Black historians were largely ignored, because Black voters of a certain kind were being ignored. Historian Blair LM Kelley published “Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class” last fall, linking the Black working class to America’s history of slavery. It received scant media attention. Joe William Trotter’s “ Workers on Arrival: Black Labor in the Making of America ” suffered a similar fate, although it earned academic awards.

Ironically, before he abandoned his distrust of Trump and joined the right-wing-fringe circus, even Vance thought the media had gotten it wrong in various ways.

The news media must not fail the working class again. The stakes are too high. Trump has made clear his desire to dismantle the authority of the federal government, turn social policy over to Christian nationalists and take away any regulation of industries that contribute to climate change or that devastate communities and land through extractive practices such as fracking.

But I’m not optimistic that critics and journalists have learned much since the debacle of 2016.

When Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “Demon Copperhead” came out in October 2022, I described the book’s perspective as pitying toward the people of Appalachia while also intimating that “falling into drug abuse, rejecting education, and ‘clinging’ to their ways are moral choices that keep them in their dire circumstances. Appalachia becomes the region of the damned.”

But “Demon Copperhead” received near-universal rave reviews and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

The privileged class learned all the wrong lessons from Vance’s book, if they learned anything from it. I hope more journalists will do better now that he and Trump are headed for the ballot as a package deal.

Lorraine Berry is a writer and critic in Eugene, Ore. @BerryFLW

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Assamese Book Review is a weekly book recommendation podcast series that includes the best Assamese books in print. Handpicked and curated by our presenter, Bijit Borthakur, a bibliophile and teacher of English literature. Each weekly episode comes with a personal rating and a note about the book selected. He uses a scale of 5 in the increments of 1. He includes a book in the show only when it scores at least 3 marks in his rating system. If included, he starts the rating from 3 and higher. 3 ★★★ = satisfying read. 4 ★★★★=the reviewer loved reading it. 5 ★★★★★=best possible

Assamese Book Review - the Best of Assamese Literature Bijit Borthakur

Assamese book review: satapatra (an anthology of modern assamese lyrics selected, arranged, and annotated by late jajneswar sarma) first edition: 1937.

Satapatra (an anthology of modern Assamese lyrics selected, arranged, and annotated by late Jajneswar Sarma) First edition: 1937 Fifth edition with a new foreword by Prabhat Bora: 2020  Published by Bijit Borthakur on behalf of The Book Nook , Nagaon, Assam. Our Rating: ★★★★★ (best possible) If you wish to buy the books reviewed or any other Assamese books or if you have a question or a comment, remember, we are just a phone call away! Contact Us: 8638537656(Call/ WhatsApp) Bijit Borthakur N.B.P. Road,Amolapatty,Nagaon -782003 Assam(India) or E-mail us at [email protected]

What is Podcasting ?

Today's episode: What is Podcasting? How to Start a Podcast in India: The basics.  After five episodes of podcasting the present series, we have a few tips you need to know about how to start a podcast, the easy way. ~Microphones Mentioned~ *Boya BYM1 Omnidirectional Lavalier Condenser Microphone with 20ft Audio Cable *Maono AU-100 Condenser Clip-On Lavalier Microphone with 6 Meters Audio Cable *Maono AU-A04 USB Condenser Microphone Kit *Maono AU-902 USB Condenser Podcast Microphone, with Dual Volume Control, Mute Button, Monitor Headphone Jack If you wish to buy the books reviewed or any other Assamese books or if you have a question or a comment, remember, we are just a phone call away! Contact Us: 8638537656(Call/ WhatsApp) Bijit Borthakur N.B.P. Road,Amolapatty,Nagaon -782003 Assam(India) or  E-mail us at [email protected]

• 11 OCT 2020

Assamese Book Review:Nikolai,Vodka Aiyahont (an autobiographical novel written by Shyamanta Phukan)

Today’s book Nikolai,Vodka Aiyahont(an autobiographical novel written by Shyamanta Phukan and published by Lawyer's Book Stall ,Panbazar, Guwahati. Our Rating: ★★★★★ (best possible) If you wish to buy the books reviewed or any other Assamese books or if you have a question or a comment, remember, we are just a phone call away! Contact Us: 8638537656(Call/ WhatsApp) Bijit Borthakur N.B.P. Road,Amolapatty,Nagaon -782003 Assam(India) or E-mail us at [email protected]

• 11 SEPT 2020

Assamese Book Review : Ekhan Premor Upanyash (An autobiographical novel written by Ajit Barua)

Today’s book: Ekhan Premor Upanyash: An autobiographical novel written by Ajit Barua & published by Kotha Publishers, Guwahati . Our Rating: ★★★★★ (best possible) If you wish to buy the books reviewed or any other Assamese books or if you have a question or a comment, remember, we are just a phone call away! Contact Us: 8638537656(Call/ WhatsApp) Bijit Borthakur N.B.P. Road,Amolapatty,Nagaon -782003 Assam(India) or  E-mail us at [email protected]

• 27 AUG 2020

Assamese Book Review - Lost Luggage

Today's book: Lost Luggage (A collection of a few portraits from the memory of yesteryears written  by Dr. Hiren Gohain & published by M/s Jyoti Prakashan, Guwahati ) Our Rating: ★★★★★ (best possible) If you wish to buy the books reviewed or any other Assamese books or if you have a question or a comment, remember, we are just a phone call away! Contact Us: 8638537656(Call/ WhatsApp) Bijit Borthakur N.B.P. Road,Amolapatty,Nagaon -782003 Assam(India) or  E-mail us at [email protected]

• 18 AUG 2020

Assamese Book Review -Bewaris Las Aru Anya Galpa

Today's book: Bewaris Las Aru Anya Galpa (An Anthology Assamese Short Stories by Dr.Pranavjyoti Deka and published by Bandhav, Guwahati) Our Rating: ★★★★ (the reviewer loved reading it.) If you wish to buy the books reviewed or any other Assamese books or if you have a question or a comment, remember, we are just a phone call away! Contact Us: 8638537656(Call/ WhatsApp) Bijit Borthakur N.B.P. Road,Amolapatty,Nagaon -782003 Assam(India) or email us at [email protected]

• © Bijit Borthakur

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Book Review | Diverse shades of Assamese Identity through its history, cuisine and culture

With a mix of journalistic and academic approaches, the author creates a readable and enjoyable work that goes beyond the well-known facets of Assam, presenting a nuanced and inclusive portrayal of the Assamese people

In Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty’s second book The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community , she explores the many aspects of Assamese identity, from how we look to our history, language, culture, and politics. Starting with the fundamental question, ‘Aami kun? Who are we?’ The author takes us on a journey, helping us to understand what makes someone’s Assamese identity, ranging from physical appearance and historical roots to language, cultural practices, and contemporary politics.

In the book, Pisharoty emphasizes the uniqueness of the Assamese community, not only in its composition of tribal and non-tribal sub-groups but also in the binding force of cultural practices rather than linguistic unity. This observation sheds light on the historical language wars in Assam and challenges policymakers’ lack of understanding of the region’s peculiarities. The author also traces the origins of the Assamese people, exploring the physiognomy of an Assamese and the impact of migration on the community’s formation.

Author Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty writes in the book ‘ Biological taxonomy compartmentalizes the world population into three basic races: Caucasian (white), Mongoloid (Asian), and Negroid (black), aside from the later addition, Australoid. Who do the Assamese—located at a junction of Indian and East Asian civilisations—find their physical affinity with? Where lies their kinship? Well, it is here that the story of the Assamese community becomes complex and layered, like a bloom which has a set of petals that are of not the same shape and size, colour and texture.

Take my immediate family. My eyes are narrow and small, the cheekbones are high; so are my mother’s. My sister and my brother’s eyes are relatively bigger, cheekbones high. My nose, like my father’s, is thin and sharp. Akin to my mother, my sister’s nose is broad and thick. ‘You look like your father and your sister, like your mother,’ I have grown up hearing that remark from friends and neighbours, relatives. We, as a family, are owners of skin colours that stretch from  boga   (fair) to   mitha-boronia   (wheatish). In my neighbourhood itself, if I walk a few doors away from ours, there is a friend’s family evenly divided in skin tones, from   dhok dhok ke boga   (very fair) to   ketur kola   (dark as night). Are they an anomaly? Their hair too differs, from Maggie curls to wavy. Are these differences a clue to the distinctiveness of my community? Incorporating all these variations, have we not become   Axomiya _, the Assamese, an amalgam of people under one broad umbrella?_

The fact that there was an admixture of groups of people from diverse racial stocks settling down side by side in the Brahmaputra Valley over centuries and in course of time most of them metamorphosed into a formulation only reaffirms to me that there is no typical Assamese look. There cannot be. There are no archetypical Assamese eyes, like the Bengali eyes; there is no stock hair type in Assamese women like that of the crimped, wavy variety that most Malayali women flaunt. There is no set notion about what an Assamese man looks like as there is about a Punjabi man—strapping, well-built. From eyes—big to the tiniest; nose—sharpest to the most levelled, thinnest to the broadest; from  dhok dhok ke boga   to   ketur kola   skin tones; from curly hair to the glossiest silky head; from thin to the broadest lips; from high cheekbones to rounded cheeks; from thick, stocky bodies to lanky, tall beings, there are Assamese of every form. Sharp physical variations are found even within a single family. How exactly do we define one’s lineage?’

The narrative spans from the ancient history of Assam, revealing the Aryanization process and the adoption of Hinduism by a diverse community with various religious practices. The book precisely highlights the historical challenge of immigration, a significant factor in Assam’s politics. Pisharoty offers insights into lesser-known aspects, such as traditional war weaves and diverse forms of folk music like “jikir.” The book “The Assamese” goes beyond politics and history, providing a comprehensive exploration of Assam’s rich tradition in literature, music, dance, cinema, crafts, and cuisine.

A sole chapter in the book is dedicated to Assamese cuisine, challenging the stereotype that associates Eastern food habits solely with Bengali cuisine. Pisharoty introduces readers to unique culinary elements such as khaar, tenga, titta , and the affinity for fermented foods. The author tells us her anecdotes and conversations in this exploration, making it both informative and relatable.  The book offers a valuable perspective on Assam’s cultural richness and the delicate balance between tradition and modernity.

A celebrated journalist and author Sangeeta Baruah Pisharoty’s introspection, driven by questions of identity and belonging, adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative. The author successfully balances academic research with lived experiences, creating a strong narrative that resonates with readers, particularly those who share similar reflections on identity.

The appendix, featuring voices of intellectuals, journalists, filmmakers, lawyers, and others, provides a diverse and polyphonic perspective on what it means to be Assamese. This inclusive approach reflects the true essence of a community that harmoniously coexists with its diversity. The book also presents a balanced and inclusive portrait, showcasing the diversity within the Assamese community.

With a mix of journalistic and academic approaches, the author creates a readable and enjoyable work that goes beyond the well-known facets of Assam, presenting a nuanced and inclusive portrayal of the Assamese people. In The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community , Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty accomplishes the ambitious task of condensing a comprehensive understanding of Assamese identity into a single book. This book serves as a valuable resource for both non-Assamese readers seeking insights into Assam’s culture and those within the community wanting to reconnect with their roots.

Book: The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community by Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty Publisher:   Aleph Book Company Price **:** Rs 999

The author is a Bengaluru-based management professional, literary critic, and curator. He can be reached at [email protected] . Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views_.

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'The Assamese' book review: An insider's insight

Communities are people. They are not abstractions. They are not rhetoric. They are human beings,” begins the first chapter of The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community. And, what could be more apt? Because, here are about 450 pages to understand a culture, which is representative of ‘Bharat’ in the east. Authored by Delhi-based writer Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, the book is a blueprint to understanding the Assamese people.

Over the last decade, conversations and discussions on Northeast India have begun gaining attention. Many senior leaders of the ruling BJP have been making frequent trips to the region announcing and delivering on many commitments, piquing the interest of the mainland about the diverse cultures and ways of life of those living in the erstwhile overlooked region of the country. The Assamese is Sangeeta’s attempt to delve deeper and offer an insider's insight into Assam, and she does a remarkable job putting together a comprehensive study of its people. Her writing style is a mix of reportage and storytelling. She adds her own expansive research, along with the words of many giants who have documented or written on the state.

As advocated by the title, the book is an important lesson in the lifestyle, customs, food, culture, habits, practices, language and faith of the Assamese people. But it is also has more than a few lessons on writing engagingly, particularly when it is non-fiction. The Assamese is a smooth read. The information comes at you with ease. The author ensures that you are not overwhelmed with details, without compromising on the facts. It is interesting to note how the author makes it a point to coyly slide in Joi Aai Axom (Glory to Mother Assam) whenever required, strategically.

The book also touches upon many contemporary issues, but a detailed analysis of the ongoing projects in the state, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, is missing. There are, of course, glimpses of it, but a little more focus on the infrastructure initiatives, the complexities of religion and language that are deeply engrained in the minds of the people and how the PM has been attempting to understand it tactfully would have been an insightful addition.

Read Sangeeta’s compelling work to get a glimpse of Assam and its people. Read it also to experience how you can find similarities and differences with fellow Indians, wherever you come from in the country, language barriers notwithstanding. Sangeetha shows how it is the connections that bind is together; a sentiment that has been captured evocatively in the words of Assamese poet-hero Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwal: ‘Of so many hills and plains/ Of the waters of a hundred streams/ I flow, taking all in my path/ To be one with the Brahmaputra’.

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What to know about 'Hillbilly Elegy,' JD Vance's memoir-turned-Ron Howard film

Before JD Vance became Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 presidential election, he was an Ohio senator, lawyer and a bestselling author.

Vance achieved literary recognization with the publication of his 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book, which reflects on the circumstances of Vance’s family and the community in which he grew up, sparked discussions about the complexities of poverty in Appalachia and Rust Belt communities.

Read on for more about Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”

What is 'Hillbilly Elegy'?

“Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” is a 2016 memoir written by JD Vance.

Vance’s memoir examines the socio-economic situation of white working-class people by holding up a mirror to his connection to the Appalachian communities where his mother and her family lived.

The book includes Vance's recollection of the early struggles of his childhood, which were marked by his mother’s addiction and family violence. Vance recalls being left in the care of his grandparents, where his grandmother inspired him to rise above his circumstances. The book tracks Vance's journey as he joins the Marine Corps, studies at Ohio State University, and eventually attends Yale Law School.

Harper Collins published the book, which appeared on the New York Times best-seller list.

Why was 'Hillbilly Elegy' criticized?

Since its release, Vance’s book has received both praise and criticism.

The New York Times review of the book described the memoir as airing Vance’s “frustration with the nonworking white poor” while preaching “a message of tough love and personal responsibility.”

“President Obama believes poverty, though it may have a cultural component, is largely a structural problem, one the government can play a large role in fixing,” The New York Times wrote in its book review. “Mr. Vance, a conservative, takes a far dimmer view.”

In 2016, The Guardian panned Vance's memoir for its attribution of the economic conditions and disadvantages of the white working-class people to their own actions and decisions. In 2019 , The New York Times reported that a group called Y’ALL (Young Appalachian Leaders and Learners) protested Vance’s appearance at the 2018 Appalachian Studies Association conference.

Is 'Hillbilly Elegy' a true story?

“Hillbilly Elegy” is a memoir written by JD Vance and recounts the events and experiences of his own life. The book details his family’s struggles with poverty, addiction and instability, and, ultimately, his journey out.

When was 'Hillbilly Elegy' made into a movie?

In 2020, “Hillbilly Elegy” was made into a film directed by Ron Howard.

The movie features Amy Adams as JD’s mother, Beverly Vance, Glenn Close as JD’s grandmother, and Gabriel Basso as JD Vance. Freida Pinto also appears in the film as Usha Chilukuri Vance, JD Vance's wife .

How to watch 'Hillbilly Elegy'

“Hillbilly Elegy” is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.

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An excerpt from Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty’s The Assamese:   A Portrait of a Community

From its linguistic heritage, folklore, cultural expressions, to its political history, journalist sangeeta barooah pisharoty delves into the rich tapestry of assam’s diverse cultures and people in her new book, the assamese: a portrait of a community.

Published - November 07, 2023 05:04 pm IST

Representational file image | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

‘SILY SIKEN’ AND THE ‘X’ FACTOR: THE HISTORY OF ASSAMESE LANGUAGE

On a summer day in 1973, then Assam chief minister Sarat Chandra Sinha visited our tiny town. The occasion had nothing to do with my birth later that evening but it turned out that it had everything to do with the name I would be known by.

Sinha, known to my family, was in Golaghat town of Upper Assam to inaugurate a music school donated by my grandmother in memory of her husband Maheswar Barooah. Since I too happened to be born later that evening, he named me Sangeeta, constructed around the ‘Sangeet’ School he inaugurated. Since then, I have a recurrent problem at hand which I am sure he too had; something akin to the issue that Satyakams, the Sangamitras, the Sanjoys of Assam have or, for that matter, any Assamese whose first name starts with or contains the English alphabet ‘s’. The problem is associated also with those who carry the Assamese surnames Das, Saikia, Sarma, Sarania, Sabhapandit, Sonowal, etc.

Such categories of Assamese forenames and surnames have an inbuilt ‘X’ factor. The consequence of this is that such name-holders pronounce their names in two dissimilar ways across two languages. For those outside Assam, I am S-angeeta (pronounced the way ‘s’ is in English), while being X-ongita for Assamese speakers in keeping with its guttural pronunciation in the vernacular.

This peculiar X pronunciation exists in Assamese because the three commonly used xo alphabets in the language have no correspondent pronunciation in English or Hindi. By the same logic, in transliteration from English to Assamese, the word Assam itself becomes Axom or Oxom when spoken/written in the Assamese language/script. 

Since the Mongoloid and Tibeto-Burman stock of languages spoken in Assam also don’t have the pronunciation xo in them, those who speak such languages by birth often replace it with the nearest pronunciation: ho. Thus, my name may sound like Ho-ngeeta (same as ‘h’ in English) in Assam too.

In phonological terminology, the x or xo is the voiceless guttural velar fricative, arguably a feature that makes Assamese the most distinct amongst the languages spoken in eastern India, or in any Modern Indo-Aryan (MIA) language. Such a pronunciation cannot be found in Sanskrit, or the Magadhi Prakrit from which Assamese is considered to have sprung, along with its sister languages Bengali and Odia.

Turning a finer lens on this particular pronunciation, represented by three alphabets—talupiya xo (শ), modoniya xo (ষ), and dontiya xo (স) in written Assamese—is, therefore, essential here to better comprehend the origin of the language, and its antiquity. To get a better idea of the language, one would also have to draw in the similarities in pronunciation of certain consonants between Assamese and some Indo-European languages. Assamese has, anyway, been termed the easternmost of the Indo-European languages by linguists.

The story goes that after examining Aryan languages like Sanskrit and Persian vis-à-vis the European languages, say, Greek and Celtic, etc., linguists worldwide had arrived at the conclusion that there was a mother language of all of these tongues which they termed Indo-European or Indo-German. Out of that language emerged seven more tongues: Celtic, Teutonic, Lithu-Slav, Latin, Greek, Iranian, and Sanskrit. Most scholars have also opined that Central Asia was the cradle of the Aryans, though some locate their origin in Southern Russia.

Anyhow, with the migration of people from that stretch of land in batches, the language carried by them began to change, simply because a language is never static. Aryan migrants are, therefore, typically divided into two linguistic groups based on those changes that they might have absorbed during their relocation to different corners of the world.

Those who replaced the sound sh (श) with ka (क), such as in Greek, Latin, and Celtic and Teutonic languages, are believed to have migrated towards the west. Those who did the opposite, replacing ka with sh, are believed to have settled in India, Persia, Afghanistan, etc. and thereby became the Indians of Aryan origin, Iranians, Albanians, Tracians, and Slavs. An oftcited example of this change in pronunciation is the Sanskrit word shatam (meaning hundred in English) which is centum in Latin. And it is here that the story of the Assamese language (and also Bengali to an extent) becomes interesting. Assamese linguist Debananda Bharali had pointed out in his 1912 book Axomiya Bhaxar Moulik Bisar (The Basic Tenets of Assamese Language) that certain Assamese words follow the norms noted in the first language group, meaning Latin, Greek, etc. For instance, the Sanskrit shyam  becomes kaam (kaam sorai, a bird) in Assamese; the Sanskrit word dansha becomes Daak, as in snake bite (xape dake) in Assamese. The Greeks call it dankam. This discovery had led Bharali to argue, ‘Such examples in Assamese language could only indicate that even before those who spoke the “centum” language, such as the Greeks, had left their original land, a group of people may have gone out, that was during the Indo-German language period itself, and might have entered the eastern frontiers of India. And, some within that lot are still holding on to their original pronunciation.’

Bharali, a self-taught linguist, offered a number of such words in Assamese in that book, aside from also arguing that ‘k’ in European languages became ‘p’ in Sanskrit but didn’t do so in Assamese. For example, pongu (lame) in Sanskrit is kunga in Assamese; purva (the easterly winds) is kuruwa in Assamese.

There are examples in Assamese which flout yet another norm, that of the Sanskrit ‘d’ becoming ‘j’ in Greek. The Sanskrit word for the Assamese jah is dah. Even Assamese words like ‘boga’ (the colour white, baga in Bengali) have no similarities with Sanskrit but rather with old Slavonic ‘bondo’. Also the word ‘botor’ (weather) in Assamese is ‘wetter’ in German; ‘selek’ (lick in Assamese) is similar to the Icelandic ‘sleikja’ and German ‘schlecken’; the word ‘suka’ (sharp in Assamese) is similar to Old Slavonic ‘socha’. The word ‘uruli’, meaning ululation, contains the Latin equivalent ululo, meaning to howl, and olu-luzo (howl) in Greek. The Assamese word axuro (asura in Sanskrit) is ahura in Zend Avesta, meaning god.

The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community;  Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, Aleph Book Company, ₹999

Excerpted with permission from Aleph Book Company

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So begins journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty's enquiry into the diverse cultures and peoples of Assam. Her book looks in detail at all the varying aspects of the land and its people-the astonishingly diverse physical appearance of the Assamese and what it reveals about their origins; the multiple kingdoms and rulers of the region from antiquity onwards, of whom the Ahoms are the

best known; the Assamese language and its rich linguistic provenance; the folk beliefs and celebrations of Assamese culture, such as the three Bihu festivals, which cut across boundaries of caste and religion; the significance of the mighty Brahmaputra, the Red River, in the lives of the people; the quintessential food, drink, and cooking techniques to be found across the region; the many

Full of colourful anecdotes and unforgettable pen portraits, The Assamese is the first major attempt to provide a comprehensive and nuanced portrait of one of India's oldest and most distinctive communities.

• Print length 482 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Aleph Book Company
• Publication date 5 November 2023
• Reading age 18 years and up
• Dimensions 22.86 x 15.24 x 2.77 cm
• ISBN-10 9391047769
• ISBN-13 978-9391047764
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aleph Book Company; First Edition (5 November 2023); Aleph Book Company
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 482 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9391047769
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9391047764
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 730 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.86 x 15.24 x 2.77 cm
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India
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What Is Project 2025, and Why Is Trump Disavowing It?

The Biden campaign has attacked Donald J. Trump’s ties to the conservative policy plan that would amass power in the executive branch, though it is not his official platform.

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By Simon J. Levien

Donald J. Trump has gone to great lengths to distance himself from Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals for a future Republican administration that has outraged Democrats. He has claimed he knows nothing about it or the people involved in creating it.

Mr. Trump himself was not behind the project. But some of his allies were.

The document, its origins and the interplay between it and the Trump campaign have made for one of the most hotly debated questions of the 2024 race.

Here is what to know about Project 2025, and who is behind it.

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 was spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and like-minded conservative groups before Mr. Trump officially entered the 2024 race. The Heritage Foundation is a think tank that has shaped the personnel and policies of Republican administrations since the Reagan presidency.

The project was intended as a buffet of options for the Trump administration or any other Republican presidency. It’s the latest installment in the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership series, which has compiled conservative policy proposals every few years since 1981. But no previous study has been as sweeping in its recommendations — or as widely discussed.

Kevin Roberts, the head of the Heritage Foundation, which began putting together the latest document in 2022, said he thought the American government would embrace a more conservative era, one that he hoped Republicans would usher in.

“We are in the process of the second American Revolution,” Mr. Roberts said on Real America’s Voice, a right-wing cable channel, in early July, adding pointedly that the revolt “will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

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What is 'Hillbilly Elegy'? Everything to know about VP candidate JD Vance's book

Former President Donald Trump selected Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance on Monday to be his 2024 vice-presidential running mate.

Vance, who grew up in Jackson, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohio, skyrocketed to fame as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book later turned into a movie of the same name that was released in 2020.

Here's what to know about "Hillbilly Elegy."

Is JD Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy' based on a true story? What is it about?

Yes. Vance described a childhood consumed by poverty and abuse in "Hillbilly Elegy," his  best-selling 2016 memoir . Vance's mother struggled with drug addiction, so he spent many of his formative years with his grandmother – known to him as Mamaw. The book, which has 4.3/5 stars out of over 96,000 ratings on Amazon, also touches on his journey to a Yale Law School degree that opened doors for him in Silicon Valley.

"Hillbilly Elegy" later turned into a  Netflix feature film of the same name.

What to know about 'Hillbilly Elegy,' the movie

The movie inspired by Vance's book released to Netflix in 2020. Directed by Ron Howard, it stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close. Vance's character is played by Gabriel Basso. Owen Asztalos also plays the younger version of him.

The IMDB description says, "An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown , where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future."

The film, which is rated R, received a 6.7/10 on IMDB and 25% on Rotten Tomatoes .

Where was 'Hillbilly Elegy' filmed?

According to Decider , "Hillbilly Elegy" was partially filmed in Vance's hometown of Middletown, Ohio, as well as Atlanta and Clayton, Georgia.

Who is JD Vance's mother?

Vance's parents are Donald Bowman and Bev Vance. The two divorced when he was a toddler, according to Politico . In the movie, Bev Vance's character is played by Amy Adams.

Where can I watch 'Hillbilly Elegy'

The film is available to stream on Netflix.

Where is Middletown, Ohio?

Middletown is located in Ohio's Butler and Warren counties, the southwest portion of the state. It's part of the Greater Cincinnati area.

Who is JD Vance? Vice presidential candidate has multiple ties to Columbus

'Hillbilly Elegy' trailer

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Was J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy Really a True Story? All About the VP Candidate's Controversial Memoir

"It’s full of untruths, intentionally manipulative stories," said an Appalachian scholar. Here's why the book was so controversial

Stephanie Keith/Getty, Amazon

With the news that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has tapped Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate, the senator’s 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is back in the news.

The memoir is billed as “the true story of what a social, regional and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.” While it hit No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was later adapted into a Ron Howard-directed Netflix film starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close , many critics — particularly those who live in or hail from Appalachia — questioned the accuracy of some of its claims. 

“ Elegy is little more than a list of myths about welfare queens repackaged as a primer on the White working class,” said a New Republic story , at the time. “Vance’s central argument is that hillbillies themselves are to blame for their troubles.”

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“We spend our way to the poorhouse,” Vance writes in the book. “We buy giant TVs and iPads. Our children wear nice clothes thanks to high-interest credit cards and payday loans. We purchase homes we don’t need, refinance them for more spending money and declare bankruptcy, often leaving them full of garbage in our wake. Thrift is inimical to our being.”

In his review of the film for the Associated Press , Jake Coyle noted that explanation was attractive to many readers, especially coming as it did during Trump's first presidential campaign. “The 2016 book came at the moment many were searching for explanations for the political shift taking place across Appalachia and the Rust Belt," he wrote.

In another review of the film adaptation , Vulture writer Sarah Jones wrote, "The book is poverty porn wrapped in a right-wing message about the cultural pathologies of the region. In Vance’s Appalachia, poverty and immorality intertwine. Success happens to hardworking people, and structural explanations for poverty receive glancing attention when he chooses to mention them at all.”

“This region is huge, and there’s all kinds of people here; people of different classes, races, ethnicities, genders, etc.,” Dr. Anna Rachel Terman, professor of sociology of Appalachia, diversity in Appalachia and women in Appalachia at Ohio University told Southeast Ohio magazine in 2020 . “Distilling our understanding of the region down to one person’s story is problematic because that larger diversity is not reflected.”   

But there’s more to the issue than its factual merit, according to Silas House , who talked to Politico about the book in 2020. House, an Appalachian author himself and the Appalachian Studies chair at Berea College in Kentucky, said he looks at Hillbilly Elegy as “not a memoir but a treatise that traffics in ugly stereotypes and tropes, less a way to explain the political rise of Trump than the actual start of the political rise of Vance.”

“I think that if it had just been a memoir, it would be a powerful piece of writing, and it would be his own proof," he explained. "But the problem is, it is woven through with dog whistles about class and race, gender. And if your ears are attuned to those dog whistles, you know exactly what he’s saying. If you’re not, then it can read like a heartwarming rags-to-riches story.”

House also pointed out that the “intentionally manipulative stories” in the book are so damaging because they offer generalizations that play into harmful stereotypes.

One scene in the book describes Vance’s uncles as “drunks who fight everybody and they beat their wives.” He also calls them “the embodiment of the Appalachian man.” But in House's view, that characterization was “deeply troubling" and more representative of the stereotypes perpetuated by the media than of actual Appalachian men. 

Critics have also noted that Vance’s packaging of the memoir as “an Appalachian narrative” is a bit of a misnomer, because his family moved away from the Appalachian region two generations before Vance was born. “Lots of times in the book when he’s talking about Appalachia, it’s almost like he’s never been to Appalachia,” House pointed out. “This is a Rust Belt story, but Appalachian stories, Appalachian literature, is its own genre.”

“If you read the book, you realize that hardly any of it is set in Appalachia,” he added. “He’s saying, I guess, that generationally you can’t escape Appalachia, because here he is, his grandparents left there when they were very young, his mother never lived there, he never lived there, and suddenly, after the book came out, he’s on every news show as the representative of a region that he barely knows.” 

According to Vulture's Sarah Jones, the book’s very title gave away its author's agenda: “Vance… is a hero by virtue of his escape. The deceased do not give elegies for themselves. Survivors do that. And so Vance can speak for the hillbilly because he no longer is one; because he went to Yale, the stereotype of the uncouth White reprobate no longer applies.”

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20 assamese books you must read in 2024 [full list].

20 Assamese Books You Must Read Before You Die | Assamese Popular Books You Should Not Miss 

Have you read these 20 assamese books.

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20 books remind us of the rich Assamese literary heritage

1 asimat jar heral seema অসীমত যাৰ হেৰাল সীমা.

2 MAKAM মাকাম 

3 MIRI JIYORI  মিৰি জীয়ৰী

4 ANURADHAR DEKH অনুৰাধাৰ দেশ 

5 SANGLAT FENLA ছাংলট ফেনলা

6 AGHARI ATMAR KAHINI অঘৰী আত্মাৰ কাহিনী 

7 NIL PRAJAPATI নীল প্ৰজাপতি 

8 ANTARIP অন্তৰীপ  

9 SON HARINAR CHENKUR সোণ হৰিণৰ চেঁকুৰ 

10 YARUINGAM ইয়াৰুইঙ্গম

11 MERENG মেৰেং 

12 BARDOWANI বৰদোৱানী

13:-MORO EATA SAPON ASE মোৰো এটা সপোন আছে 

14:-SUGANDHI POKHILA সুগন্ধি পখিলা 

15 BHAKTA PRAHLAD ভক্ত প্ৰহ্লাদ 

16 MOUNA OUNTH MUKHAR HRIDAY মৌন ওঁঠ মুখৰ হৃদয় 

Also Read The Story Zubeen Garg And Hiren Bhattacharya Every Assamese Should Read

17 MAHARATHI মহাৰথী 

18 SAHEBPURAR BOROSHUN চাহেবপুৰাৰ বৰষুণ 

19 BURHI AAIR SADHU বুঢ়ী আইৰ সাধু 

20:-DEO LANGKHUI দেও লাংখুই 

Life Of A Driver Assamese Book 2023

Some classic Assamese books you should consider are:

• "Mamare Dhara Tarowal Aru Dukhan Upanyasa" by Indira Goswami
• "Juli" by Lakshmi Nandan Bora
• "Pothar Dhoroni" by Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
• "Pratipad" by Arupa Patangia Kalita

Prominent authors in Assamese literature include:

• Indira Goswami
• Lakshmi Nandan Bora
• Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
• Arupa Patangia Kalita
• Homen Borgohain

Yes, several Assamese books have been translated into English, making them accessible to a broader audience. For example:

• "The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker" by Indira Goswami
• "Blossoms in the Graveyard" by Arupa Patangia Kalita

Assamese books can be purchased from:

• Online bookstores like Amazon and Flipkart
• Local bookstores in Assam
• Specialized websites for regional literature

Common themes in Assamese literature include:

• Social issues and reforms
• Cultural and traditional narratives
• Historical events and their impacts
• Personal and emotional journeys

Contemporary Assamese authors to explore include:

• Anuradha Sharma Pujari
• Dhruba Hazarika

Yes, there are several literary festivals and events celebrating Assamese literature, such as:

• Guwahati Literary Festival
• North East Book Fair
• Assam Literature Festival

To learn more about Assamese literature, you can:

• Join literary groups or book clubs focused on Assamese literature
• Follow Assamese literature blogs and websites
• Attend literary festivals and events
• Explore Assamese literature courses and workshops

Yes, notable Assamese poetry collections include:

• "Sagar Dekhisa" by Debakanta Baruah
• "Duror Jatra" by Hiren Bhattacharyya

Must-read Assamese books for children include:

• "Burhi Aair Xadhu" (Grandmother’s Tales) by Lakshminath Bezbaroa
• "Xahityarathi" series by various authors focusing on Assamese folklore and stories for children
• Unknown Jun 20, 2021, 9:00:00 AM Love to read your posts
• J K Bharadwaj Jan 18, 2023, 1:36:00 AM Assamese Novel Pdf

What to Remember About ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ Netflix’s Controversial Adaptation of J.D. Vance’s Biography

Hillbilly Elegy

• 3 Fierce Glenn Close Performances to Stream on Netflix Right Now
• ‘Mank,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ & More Oscar Nominees on Netflix

Long before he’d become the vice presidential nominee on Donald Trump’s 2024 ticket, J.D. Vance was known for his bestselling 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis . The book was written by Vance and centered on his troubled upbringing in rural Kentucky and was later the subject of a star-studded, albeit controversial, adaptation in 2020.

Here’s what to remember about Hillbilly Elegy .

Before he was the Night Agent, Gabriel Basso starred as J.D. Vance.

Basso starred as the eventual senator in the adaptation of Hillbilly Elegy . He portrayed the college-aged version of the character, who had ambitions to go to Yale Law School but found his life constantly derailed by his drug-addled mother.

Basso would go on to become the star of Netflix’s hit action-thriller series The Night Agent , and he shared the screen with some big names for the film: Amy Adams played his mother Bev; Glenn Close played his grandmother and oft-primary caretaker Mamaw; and Freida Pinto played his girlfriend Usha.

Is it a true story?

Yes. Vance based the story of  Hillbilly Elegy upon his own upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, where he was raised from a young age after being born in Breathitt County, Kentucky. He wrote of his experience growing up amid abuse, alcoholism, and addiction in his family and how he managed to leave the situation to attend college at Ohio State University and, later, Yale Law.

The film was met with controversy right from the start.

Though Hillbilly Elegy would earn praise for the strong performances of its cast, particularly Adams and Close, it was also a major point of controversy.

Donald Trump Announces Vice Presidential Running Mate

Critics blasted Ron Howard’s adaptation of the film for several reasons, including elevating the material itself, which laments a “culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans” and argues there’s a “disintegration of this group.” Others critiqued that the film does little to examine the economic reasons for systemic poverty and instead “confirm[ed] a belief that those stuck within the cycle of generational poverty were stuck due to character flaws.” As one vocal critic said , “It’s a dangerous book because it’s a treatise in disguise.”

Reviews of the film were similarly scathing, with the pic earning just 25% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes .

Howard responded to the backlash by telling EW , “I do feel like they’re looking at political thematics that they may or may not agree with, that honestly aren’t really reflected or aren’t front-and-center in this story. What I saw was a family drama that could be very relatable. Yes, culturally specific, and if you’re fascinated by that, I hope you find it interesting. If you’re from the region, I hope you find it authentic, because that was our aim and effort. But I felt it was a bridge to understanding that we’re more alike than we are different.”

Hillbilly Elegy , streaming, Netflix

Hillbilly Elegy where to stream

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‘Hillbilly Elegy’ streaming: How to watch the movie based on JD Vance’s book

• Updated: Jul. 15, 2024, 3:42 p.m.
• | Published: Jul. 15, 2024, 3:12 p.m.

• Ben Flanagan | [email protected]

Former President Donald Trump has a running mate in the 2024 election : Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

The 39-year-old has earned recent fame after a successful bid for congress as well as his public loyalty for Trump. But Vance first landed on people’s radars with his memoir, the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was published in 2016 as Trump was first running for president.

You can find the book in your local libraries and bookstores (or online), but you may recall there was a 2020 film adaptation with some big Hollywood names attached. And if you want to get inside the mind of the possible future vice president, you can stream it right now.

What is ‘Hillbilly Elegy’?

Based on JD Vance’s bestseller, it follows a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student (based on Vance) on the verge of landing his dream job. A family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget, as he navigates the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. He’s also fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), who raised him, as he learns to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.

Directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13″) the film chronicles the highs and lows of a family’s three colorful generations through their unique struggle.

Who’s in the movie?

Actor Gabriel Basso plays JD Vance. Basso previously appeared in the films “Alabama Moon,” “Super 8,” and “The Kings of Summer.”

But the movie mostly focuses on the strong female leads. It stars Oscar nominees Amy Adams (as Beverly “Bev” Vance, JD’s mother) and Glenn Close (as Bonnie “Mamaw” Vance, JD’s grandmother).

Adams has six Academy award nominations for performances in “Junebug,” “Doubt,” “The Fighter,” “The Master,” “American Hustle” and “Vice.” Close has eight nominations for her work in “The World According to Garp,” “The Big Chill,” “The Natural,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Albert Nobbs,” “The Wife” and “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Sunny Mabrey (born in Gadsden, Alabama) stars as young Bonnie “Mamaw” Vance.

How can I stream ‘Hillbilly Elegy’?

The movie is currently streaming on Netflix .

Did critics like it?

No, not really. The movie has a 25% percent positive critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes . The consensus says, “With the form of an awards-season hopeful but the soul of a bland melodrama, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ strands some very fine actors in the not-so-deep South.” The Audience Score is higher, though, with more than 2,500 ratings giving it an average of 82%. But critics mostly took “Hillbilly Elegy” to the woodshed , trashing the modern exploration of the American Dream about three generations of an Appalachian family that still eked out the Oscar nom for Close.

Vanity Fair referred to it as “a Hollywood grotesque.” Vox opened with the headline, “Everything about Netflix’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ is awful.” “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Laughably Horrendous in Every Way,” said Collider .

So why the adverse reaction? AL.com’s Lawrence Specker wrote , “The book became a sensation and that sensation in turn generated a deep, slow-burning backlash worthy of a Hatfield-McCoy feud. Yes, the metaphor is an obvious and cheap stereotypical shot — but there was no way Howard’s project wasn’t going to be greeted with fusillades of rhetorical buckshot from one side or the other.”

It made Hollywood history, sort of...

Close joined a very short list of actors to earn both an Oscar nomination and a Razzie nomination for the same performance. In fact, Close marks only the third person to accomplish the feat, following Amy Irving in 1983′s “Yentl” and James Coco in 1981′s “Only When I Laugh.”

Oscar-winners are no stranger to the Razzies, formally known as the Golden Raspberry Awards. Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro, Faye Dunaway, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino and others have earned the distinction as Razzie nominees and/or winners, some even accepting their “award” in person . John Travolta even won Worst Actor for his work in two movies he filmed in Alabama .

RELATED ARTICLES • al .com

Trump picks JD Vance as vice-presidential running mate Jul. 15, 2024, 2:17 p.m.

Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance? Why she left law firm after husband became Trump running mate Jul. 16, 2024, 7:34 a.m.

Close did not win either prize. Youn Yuh-jung (”Minari”) won the Oscar that year, while Maddie Ziegler (“Music”) brought home the coveted Razzie.

FILE - Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, right, points toward Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. Vance sharply criticized Trump during the 2016 election cycle, before changing course and embracing the former president. Vance is now one of Trump's fiercest allies and defenders and among those short-listed to be Trump's vice presidential pick. AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File) AP

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Of Borders and Betrayal

Makam is a lost town on the map of Upper Assam. Its name, meaning golden horse in Chinese, comes from the settlers brought here by the British to start tea gardens with the seeds and the expertise they brought with them from China. Some were slaves escaping cruel masters in search of a better life. They found love with local women, began to speak a lingo that was part Chinese, part Assamese, and invited their less fortunate relatives over from the Chinese mainland. Slowly, the small settlement became a regular Chinatown.

Chinatown Days , originally written in Assamese and called Makam after the town, is set against this background, in the days of the Sino-Indian war. Unable to tackle the threat of Chinese incursions, India turned on the Chinese within their grasprather in the same way America reacted to the resident Japanese during World War II.

Chowdhury tells her tale through the mask of the writer Arunabh Bora, who meets another w riter Lailin Tham, of mixed Chinese and Assamese descent. She defies him to tell her story of suffering. From that begins the tale of the Assamese Chinese, past and present. From Robert Bruces unearthing of tea in Assam and the arrival of Lailins ancestor, one thread goes forward, another back through Boras book, united by the plight and confusion of the Chinese who were first smuggled into Assam and then thrust out.

Chowdhury describes the customs and traditions of the Assamese Chinese, and the lives of the so-called tea tribes minutely. It is a vast canvas of a secure lifestyle that was suddenly shattered. Over 100 interviews went into the book, and Chowdhury found that few people were willing to talk about their experiences for fear of bringing the states wrath down on their heads all over again.

About 1,500 Assamese Chinese were arbitrarily deported. Officers turned up at all hours, telling residents that they were being moved for their own safety. Mei Lin, Leilins mother, was separated from her husband. On protesting that her surname was Barua and she was Assamese, she was accused of conspiring against the government. Told that they could return after the war, the displaced residents were not allowed to take any possessions with them. Groups of people from across Upper Assam, some of them not even Chinese, were bundled into a goods train and sent to a refugee camp in Deoli, Rajasthan. The week-long journey, in extreme heat and dire conditions, saw babies born and families separated, some forever. In Deoli, Yu Yu, a nine-year-old, collapsed from the heat. Thinking her dead, people buried her. Then, hearing her screams from underground, they dug her up again. But it was too late.

This could well have been non-fiction, but Chowdhury chose to turn her research into a harrowing novel. Many of the characters are based on real people, though they have been merged in several casesto protect the innocent from further depredations. Chowdhurys language is direct and colloquial, and the story flows through the lives of her characters.

The book, as Chowdhury says through her protagonist Bora, was a challenge. In it, she exposes the confusion, betrayal and aggression against India that still haunt the Chinese with Assamese roots, regardless of where

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Assamese nationalism

Through academically relevant and well-illustrated arguments, this volume does an admirable job of examining the issues relating to sovereignty in the context of assam..

Published : Sep 28, 2016 12:30 IST

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Chennai: 23/06/2016: The Hindu: Front Line: Book Review Column: Title: Unheeded Interland. Identity and Sovereignty in Northeast India. Author: Dilip Gogoi. Publlisher: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group Book publication release.

THE book under review is a rich and methodical collection of chapters presented with intentness on the subject of a sovereign Assam, an issue that has rarely taken into account the nuances of nationalism and sovereignty and the interconnectivity between sovereignty and Assamese nationality. The book has been arranged systematically into several sections. Section I sets the tone to uncover the origins, basis, implications and legitimacy of the claims for an Assamese national identity (page 6). The chapter raises several other interrelated questions, for instance, on the geopolitical realities of such claims (page 6). The disconcerted efforts to settle the impasse on the Assamese nationality question, examined against the backdrop of the armed insurrection of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), make the volume relevant for readers seeking answers to possible conflict-resolution mechanisms on the problem of sovereign ethnic homelands in Assam.

The theoretical avenues are presented in Section II titled “Situating the Debate: Interface of Sovereignty and Self-determination”. It begins with the philosophical underpinnings on sovereignty and self-determination discussed in detail in Chapters Two and Three. Ashild Kolas, in Chapter Two titled “Sovereignty at the frontiers”, discusses how the conventional notion and practices of absolute state sovereignty are being negotiated continuously in the context of globalisation, associated with new modes of governance and the global interconnectedness of trade, businesses and non-governmental organisations.

Nevertheless, the issue of sovereignty, as the chapter argues, is central to debates ranging from aboriginal politics—for instance, the contestation over minerals and sacred sites in relatively peaceful and developed Australia —to debates on secession in war-torn Sudan or the sovereignty debates in the frontiers, the hinterlands of north-eastern India, with “lucrative shadow economies and transnational underground networks” often challenging the sovereign state (page 22). Contestations over sovereignty in north-eastern India between state agents and parastate actors have been viewed using two parallel dimensions—political representation, which refers to the mechanisms of exclusion and protection of hill areas in response to their ethno-nationalist claims, and the monopoly of legitimate use of violence.

How far, then, can the origins of the idea of an Assamese nation or conformism be traced to ethnic proclivities and the contestations on sovereignty, nationality or self-determination? Some of the earliest vestiges of Assamese nationalist aspirations stemmed from early 20th century imaginings of an independent self-reliant Assamese nation, expressed through a number of writings (page 35).

Ambikagiri Roychoudhury’s exposition of the notion of the Assamese nation as jati in relation to the idea of India as a mahajati , or Asomiya Swaraj and Bhartiya Swaraj, in the Assamese weekly Chetana and Jnananath Bora’s writings during the 1930s published in Awahon illustrate the radical viewpoint of Assamese nationalists (page 35). Nationalist predilections, both radical and moderate, are premised on state sovereignty and the affirmation of the right to self-determination, most often espoused in territorial terms that reinforce the state as the epitome of sovereignty. The prevailing discourses on Assamese nationalism elucidate the discord between the civic and ethnic variants of nationalism defined by a common language, inheritance and culture of the Assamese-speaking people.

Assamese dissident nationalism construed in ethnic terms, therefore, came much before the rise of Indian civic nationalism, corresponding to homogeneity, a cardinal feature of development of an organic nation-state.

Chapter One briefly touches upon this debate while trying to draw a distinction between ethnic and civic nationalism in the context of the nationality question. However, as a cautionary note, as long as Assamese ethnic nationalism is accompanied by the politics of cultural standardisation across smaller multiple nations, where the attempt is to bring about ethnic homogeneity through language and cultural practices, ascribed not by blood or descent but by generational practices, the drawing of boundaries between civic and ethnic nationalism would seem to be futile. The complexities of applying the doctrines of territorial self-determination in the presence of a multiplicity of ethnic attributes and numerous smaller ethnic nations perhaps emerge out of these contradictions.

Rubul Patgiri’s chapter delves into these debates and the problems associated with applying the principles of self-determination in a multi-ethnic State like Assam, where different ethnic groups resisted the imposition of a nationalist project in Assam in the 1960s when the Assam Legislative Assembly passed the State Official Language Act, which made Assamese the sole official language.

Shubhrajeet Konwer’s chapter examines the contentious claims on territoriality and sovereignty made by the ULFA, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) demand for an independent Bodoland, and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) championing the cause for a Greater Nagaland. The chapter succinctly explains the collisions and changing relations between the ULFA and the other two groups, particularly the NSCN (I-M) since the late 2000s when the ULFA showed signs of forming an alliance with the latter group in the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, where the NSCN (I-M) had a strong presence and where the 28th Battalion of the ULFA had been proactive. The chapter also dwells on the role of extra-regional forces, perhaps pointing to the ULFA’s income-generating projects in Bangladesh and its operations from bases in Myanmar that undermine the security and stability of the north-eastern region.

On a different note, Uddipan Dutta writes about the importance of understanding the sovereignty issue by investigating how public discourse shaped by vernacular narratives influences the upsurge of nationalist imaginings. Dutta assesses three different texts written in the Assamese language that represent distinct discourses on the issue. The first, written by Parag Das, focusses on the geographic and ethnic differences between Assam and mainland India and is a reflection of the militant nationalist discourse. The second, by Kanaksen Deka, legitimises the rule of the Indian state and counteracts the claim of sovereign Assam, while the third, by Devabrata Sharma, questions both the legitimacy of the Indian state and the sovereignty claim of the ULFA and advocates decentralisation of power to the lowest level of administrative hierarchy.

What also contributes to the nationality debate is the issue of immigration, which occurred under particular historical conditions, its impact on citizenship and the Assamese nationality consciousness among the indigenous people of Assam, a subject of discussion in Section III of the book titled “Migration, Contested Citizenship and the Assamese Identity”.

Chandan Kumar Sharma’s chapter in this section entails a discussion on immigration of peasants, mostly Muslims from East Bengal, especially from the district of Mymensingh, to Assam in the late 19th century and in the first decade of the 20th century leading to about 40 per cent growth in the population in districts like Goalpara, Berpeta, Kamrup and Nagaon, including Mangaldai subdivision. During Partition in 1947 and the merger of East Bengal with Pakistan, the flow of Hindu immigrants was followed by an influx of poor, landless Muslim immigrants in the mid 1950s, and in the 1970s the separatist movement in East Pakistan forced lakhs of East Pakistani citizens to enter Assam as refugees (many of them failed to return to the newly created state in Bangladesh).

The chapter incorporates factual representations of census data and goes into the politics around the revision of the National Register of Citizens in Assam, the anti-foreigners agitation in the 1980s and the dissensions surrounding the Illegal Immigrants Detection Tribunal (IMDT) Act, 1983. Rumi Roy draws from scholarly foundations on the notion of citizenship and the construction of the identity of the migrant based on a distinctive citizenship regime and practices unfolded by the provisions laid down in the IMDT Act of 1983, which was finally scrapped by a Supreme Court judgment in July 2005.

Anti-immigrant sentiment was very much part of the process of political mobilisation led by student organisations and literary bodies in Assam. While elucidating the role of the All Assam Students’ Union, formed in 1967, and the Asom Sahitya Sabha, formed in 1917, in shaping nationalist consciousness, Protim Sharma, in the section titled “National Consciousness: The Role of Students and Literary Bodies”, recounts the formation of an Assamese ethnic identity and solidarity founded on linguistic nationalism, which percolated through the activities of student bodies and middle-class organisations in Assam. This proved to have strong ramifications.

As Sharma puts it: “The hegemonic attitude of the middle-class Assamese elite was responsible for the segregation and disintegration of the composite Assamese society, and this typical middle-class mentality of the Assamese elite got reflected in the activities of the Assamese student community [page 138].”

Ivy Dhar, in her chapter, historically analyses how language identity, which became a symbol of representation, assertion and politics of the Asom Sahitya Sabha largely in the post-Independence period, was challenged by the divergent ethnic identities of Assam.

The concluding part of the book, “Part IV: Civil Society, Indian state and conflict resolution”, seeks to probe, albeit tacitly, the implications of armed insurrections on human rights of non-combatants, and follows it with an analysis of the role of civil society as a facilitator in conflict resolution. For Dilip Gogoi and Uddipan Dutta, it is important to take note of the failure of the state in preventing human rights violations during counter-insurgency operations or “non-productive armed interventions” under the Unified Command in north-eastern India and Assam in particular, documented by extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths and secret killings.

Human rights

As supportive evidence, mostly collected from secondary sources, the chapter documents several incidents of human rights violations committed by the Unified Command. Among them, the mysterious killings of Ajit Mahanta, a resident of Tinsukia, in February 2006, and Dulen Baruah in Sibsagar in April 2008, and the mass graves at the ULFA camp in Lakhipathar near Digboi uncovered in December 1990. In a nutshell, the chapter reveals how state sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security concerns take precedence over human dignity and physical security in insurgency-ridden areas like India’s north-eastern region, which in a way fed into strong separatist feelings.

This is, however, just one side of the story. The chapter is visibly silent on the issue of random violence committed by insurgents, often aimed at generating fear, visibility, compliance and as acts of vengeance towards the non-combatant civilian population, which sometimes even surpass state atrocities. Insurgent violence is undeniably a disturbing feature that seriously needs to be addressed while assessing human rights abuses and conflict resolution in post-insurgency situations.

Truly, the horrors of gross human rights violations compel one to seek constructive ways to resolve protracted armed insurrections, including those witnessed by India’s north-eastern region. Akhil Ranjan Dutta’s essay brusquely highlights the role of ethnically based as well as trans-ethnic civil societies (representing various ethnic communities), for instance, the Asom Ganatantrik Nagarik Sangstha (Assam Democratic Citizens’ Association) in the 1990s, the People’s Consultative Group in the mid 2000s, and the Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan (United National Convention) in 2010, as a facilitator in the peace talks between the ULFA and the government of India. The final chapter in the book, titled “Postscript: Ending the Impasse and Reintegrating Northeast India”, by Dilip Gogoi, presents an alternative institutional design, which he labels the “Common Ethnic House”, a trans-ethnic federating unit within the broader framework of consociational democracy advocated by Arendt Lijphart.

Overall, while the arguments in the book are academically relevant and well illustrated, some of the chapters are repetitive and leave the reader in the dark with regard to subtlety of analysis or the provenance of the tools or the sources used. Despite these gaps, the book is a contribution to debates on sovereignty and nationality, and the author does an admirable job of examining the issue of sovereignty in the context of Assam, an unheeded hinterland. There is still the possibility of a future study by meticulous choice of particular case studies problematising sovereignty, nations and nationality from varying perspectives.

Pahi Saikia teaches Comparative Politics and International Relations at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati .

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Assamese literature

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• IndiaNetzone - Indian Literature - Assamese Literature

Assamese literature , body of writings in the Assamese language spoken chiefly in Assam state, India.

Probably the earliest text in a language that is incontestably Assamese is the Prahlada Charitra of the late 13th-century poet Hema Saraswati. Written in a heavily Sanskritized style, it tells the story, from the Vishnu-Purana , of how the mythical prince Prahlada’s faith in Vishnu saved him from destruction and restored the moral order. The first great Assamese poet was Madhava Kandali (14th century), who made the earliest translation of the Sanskrit Ramayana and wrote Devajit , a narrative on Krishna. The bhakti movement brought a great literary upsurge. The most famous Assamese poet of that period was Shankaradeva (1449–1568), whose many works of poetry and devotion are still read today and who inspired such poets as Madhavadeva (1489–1596) to write lyrics of great beauty. Peculiar to Assamese literature are the buranji s, chronicles written in a prose tradition taken to Assam by the Ahom people originally from what is now Yunnan, China. Assamese buranji s date from the 16th century, though the genre appears much earlier in the original Tai language of the Ahom.

One of the first plays to be written in the Assamese language was playwright and lexicographer Hemchandra Barua’s Kaniyar Kirtan (1861; “The Revels of an Opium Eater”), about opium addiction. His plays chiefly addressed social issues. Barua also wrote Bahire Rongsong Bhitare Kowabhaturi (1861; Fair Outside and Foul Within ). Probably the most outstanding among the early modern writers was Lakshminath Bezbarua (1868–1938), who founded a literary monthly, Jonaki (“Moonlight”), in 1889 and was responsible for infusing Assamese letters with 19th-century Romanticism , which had by then begun to fade from Western literature . Later 20th-century writers tried to remain faithful to the ideals expressed in Jonaki . The short story genre flourished in Assamese with notable practitioners such as Mahichandra Bora (1894–1965) and Holiram Deka (1901–63). The year 1940 marked a shift toward psychological narrative, but World War II effectively put an end to literary development in Assam.

When writers resumed after the war, there was a clear break from the past. Also evident among Assamese writers of this period was the influence of Western literature. Perhaps the area of most unexpected growth was the development of the novel . Noteworthy examples of this form include Bina Barua’s Jivanar Batat (1944; “On the Highway of Life”), Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya’s Ali (1960; “Mother”), and Debendra Nath Acharya’s Anya Yug Anya Purus (1970; “Another Decade Another Generation”). The short story remained a popular genre, although writers began to experiment with an aesthetic that reflected the contemporary world. By the start of the 21st century, other new forms of literature such as the travelogue, biography , and literary criticism had also taken hold in Assam.

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17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

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What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

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Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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Dictionary English - Assamese

Translations from dictionary english - assamese, definitions, grammar.

In Glosbe you will find translations from English into Assamese coming from various sources. The translations are sorted from the most common to the less popular. We make every effort to ensure that each expression has definitions or information about the inflection.

In context translations English - Assamese, translated sentences

Glosbe dictionaries are unique. In Glosbe you can check not only English or Assamese translations. We also offer usage examples showing dozens of translated sentences. You can see not only the translation of the phrase you are searching for, but also how it is translated depending on the context.

Translation memory for English - Assamese languages

The translated sentences you will find in Glosbe come from parallel corpora (large databases with translated texts). Translation memory is like having the support of thousands of translators available in a fraction of a second.

Pronunciation, recordings

Often the text alone is not enough. We also need to hear what the phrase or sentence sounds like. In Glosbe you will find not only translations from the English-Assamese dictionary, but also audio recordings and high-quality computer readers.

Picture dictionary

A picture is worth more than a thousand words. In addition to text translations, in Glosbe you will find pictures that present searched terms.

Automatic English - Assamese translator

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Statistics of the english - assamese dictionary, language english, language assamese.

Book in Assamese অসমীয়া

• বই ⇄ book

Book in Bengali বাংলা

• কলম  ⇄ book

Book in Bodo बड़ो

• বিশ্বাস ⇄ book

Book in Dogri डोगरी

• कताब ⇄ Book
• किताब ⇄ book

Book in Gujarati ગુજરાતી

• કરેલી શરતની નોંધ(પોથી) ⇄ book
• કોઇ સાહિત ્યિક કૃતિન ો અથવા બાઇબલનો મુખ્ય વિભ ાગ ⇄ book
• ચેક ⇄ book
• ચોપડી ⇄ book
• ટિકિટો ⇄ book
• દીવાસળીઓ ⇄ book
• પુસ્તક ⇄ book
• મંડળ કે સંસ્થાનું દફતર ⇄ book
• વેપારીનો હિસાબ ⇄ book
• સંગીતનાટિકાનાં ગીતોનું પુસ્તક ⇄ book
• સામયિક ⇄ book
• સાહિત્યિક કૃતિ ⇄ book
• હિસાબના ચોપડા ⇄ book

Book in Hindi हिन्दी

• आरोपित करना ⇄ book
• ग्रंथ ⇄ book
• दंज करना ⇄ book
• दर्ज करना ⇄ book
• पुस्तक ⇄ book
• पुस्तांकित करना ⇄ book
• बही ⇄ book
• माल बूक करना ⇄ book
• सुरक्षित करा लेना ⇄ book

Book in Kannada ಕನ್ನಡ

• ಕೃತಿ ⇄ book
• ಗ್ರಮ್ಥ ⇄ book
• ಪುಸ್ತಕ ⇄ book
• ಸಮ್ಪುಟ ⇄ book
• ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ⇄ book
• ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ⇄ book

Book in Kashmiri कॉशुर

• بُک کَرٕنۍ ⇄ book
• کِتاب ⇄ book
• کتاب ⇄ book

Book in Konkani कोंकणी

• बूक ⇄ book

Book in Maithili মৈথিলী

• किताप ⇄ book
• पोथी ⇄ book

Book in Malayalam മലയാളം

• ഗ്രന്ഥം ⇄ book
• പുസ്തകം ⇄ book

Book in Manipuri মৈতৈলোন্

• পুস্তক ⇄ book

Book in Marathi मराठी

• आरक्षण करणे ⇄ book
• नोंद करणे ⇄ book
• नोंदवणे ⇄ book
• पुस्तकखंड ⇄ book
• राखून ठेवणे ⇄ book
• लड ⇄ book
• वही ⇄ book

Book in Nepali नेपाली

Book in punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ.

• ਕਿਤਾਬ ⇄ book
• ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਸੀ ⇄ book
• ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਸੀ। ⇄ book

Book in Santali

• पुस्तकम् ⇄ book
• ᱯᱷᱮᱡᱚᱨ ⇄ book

Book in Sindhi سنڌي

• ڪتاب، ڪاغذن جو مجموعو، رسالو ⇄ Book
• ڪتاب ⇄ book

Book in Tamil தமிழ்

• நூல் ⇄ book
• புத்தகம் ⇄ book

Book in Telugu తెలుగు

• లెక్క పుస్తకములో దాఖలు చేసుకొనుట. ⇄ book
• పుస్తకం ⇄ book

Book in Urdu اُردُو

Book in english.

• book ⇄ adj. bookable.
• book ⇄ adj. 1. of or having to do with books. Ex. a book salesman, the book trade. 2. according to books; learned from books. Ex. book lore. 3. shown on books of account. Ex. a book loss of 10 cents a share of stock, a net book p
• book ⇄ book, noun, verb, adjective.
• book ⇄ expr. be in (someone's) bad books, be in disfavor with one. Ex. The Arminians ... at that time were in his bad books (W. Perry).
• book ⇄ expr. book in, a. to enter the arrival of an employee in a book. Ex. Wanted young lady, ... one able to book in (London Daily Chronicle). b. to register one's arrival. Ex. In any fleet garage at shift time, at any cashier's cage
• book ⇄ expr. book off, (British.) to record one's going off duty in a book. Ex. Tonight he drives his engine for the last time. Tomorrow he ""books off"" ... and the Line knows him no more (Observer).
• book ⇄ expr. books, the complete records of a business: especially records of business accounts. Ex. If you received the note from us, it must be entered in our books (Maria Edgeworth).
• book ⇄ expr. bring to book, a. to demand an explanation from. Ex. His employer brought him to book over the missing stock. b. to call to account; rebuke. Ex. We shall have to bring him to book about his poor standard of work. c.
• book ⇄ expr. by the book, a. by rule; accurately. Ex. He played the game carelessly and not by the book. b. with careful attention to prescribed detail. Ex. to work by the book.
• book ⇄ expr. close the books, a. to stop entering items in an account book to balance the account, draw up statements, or the like. Ex. The books were closed for the audit. b. (Figurative.) to bring anything to an end. Ex. After the cr
• book ⇄ expr. in one's book, (U.S. Informal.) in one's opinion or judgment. Ex. In my book, he's the best writer of fiction now living.
• book ⇄ expr. in one's good books, in favor with one; in one's good opinion. Ex. The new pupil wanted to be in the teacher's good books.
• book ⇄ expr. in the book, on record; known. Ex. He ... has amassed a total of 46 convictions for almost every con game in the book (Maclean's).
• book ⇄ expr. keep a book, to run a betting system, usually small and unlawful. Ex. The police raided the house where he was keeping a book.
• book ⇄ expr. keep books, to keep a record of business accounts. Ex. An accountant keeps books for the grocer.
• book ⇄ expr. like a book, with fullness or accuracy; completely. Ex. Good teachers know their students like a book.
• book ⇄ expr. make book, (U.S.) to take bets. Ex. I'll make book on him. If anybody in the world can save [it], he can (New Yorker).
• book ⇄ expr. on the books, enrolled on the official list, especially of students or members, or listed as part of a group of patients, clients, customers with charge account privileges, or the like. Ex. She ... continued on the books as an outpatient (H.
• book ⇄ expr. one for the book, something exceptional or extraordinary. Ex. Two half brothers in the same race is a rarity; three is one for the book (New Yorker).
• book ⇄ expr. suit one's book, to be favorable to one's aims. Ex. [She will] sell other nations down the river when it suits her book (Manchester Guardian Weekly).
• book ⇄ expr. the book, a. the Bible. Ex. ""Swear,"" added Enoch sternly, ""on the book,"" And on the book, half-frightened, Miriam swore (Tennyson). b. the telephone book. Ex. Give me a call soon; my name is in the book.
• book ⇄ expr. throw the book at, (U.S. Slang.) to punish to the full limit of the law. Ex. The judge threw the book at the man who had slugged a policeman.
• book ⇄ expr. without book, a. by memory; without reading; without notes. Ex. He ... speaks three or four languages word for word without book (Shakespeare). b. without authority. Ex. To show you that I do not speak wholly without book
• book ⇄ noun 1. written or printed sheets of paper bound together between covers. Ex. She read the first two chapters of her book. (SYN) volume. 2. blank sheets bound together. Ex. You can keep a record of what you spend in this book.
• book ⇄ v.i. to engage passage, a seat, a place, or other accommodation, beforehand. Ex. Sam Weller booked for them all (Dickens).
• book ⇄ v.t. 1. to make reservations to get tickets or to engage service. Ex. He has booked passage by air from New York to London. (SYN) reserve. 2. to make accommodations for. Ex. to book a passenger from New York to Boston on a plane

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Sunday 19 February 2017

First in assam (language and literature.

19 comments:

Hi, My name is Ashraf. I live in Delhi, but I keep visiting Guwahati every two months for our project related work. I am looking forward to get acquainted with a good scholar in Assamese language and literature, who can help in translating a Tamil classic (from English) to Assamese. The Govt of TN will also pay some honorarium for the same. Please contact me at [email protected] if you know of anyone. Thanks

Interested, if the work is not yet done

I read the Tamil epic "Cilappatikaram" in English.

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Very good website about all about assam

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