Hmmm......I finally managed to finish reading a book. For most of you guys, it must be quite a routine stuff. But for me its quite an acheivement b'cos for the past so many months I used to start reading a book and leave it somewhere in the middle(Gopal would understand what I am trying to say!). I have no idea why I did that...I used to feel half way through that I should read something else and there you go....that book went into the oblivion and you would find a new book in my hand. The result....I never managed to finish reading a single one of them. Of course, Five Point Someone is an exception. But then I consider that more as a TV serial or a teen movie than a novel.
But on Saturday, I went to Crossword and bought three novels:
- Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
- To Sir With Love (E.R.Braithwaite)
- One night at a Call Centre (Chetan Bhagat)

This time I had decided that I will start with one of the books and will not give up till I finish that. After a little bit of pondering on which one to begin first, I choose "To Sir with Love". I managed to finish it in less than 2 days....hmm.....you can't measure how happy I feel at the end of it.

I am no voracious reader to critic a book but among all the books that I have managed to read, this one should rate as one of the better ones.

The story is autobiographical. It is the story of Ricardo Braithwaite(known as Rick).Rick is a Negro, born and bought up in British Guinea, the only British colony in South America.

The story begins like this : Rick has joined Greenslade school in the East of London as a teacher. This is Rick's first teaching assignment. He is not there out of his choice but out of compulsion. Rick has studied engineering in US and has worked for British Air Force for six years. After the post-war demobilisation, he applies to many big companies but is turned down by each and every one of them. The reason for rejection is not the lack of qualification but the color of his skin. Rick feels totally disintegrated and broken.

During his six years in the Air Force, he never realized that he was a black but after being back in the civilian life, this realisation struck him a hard blow. Out of no choice, Rick decided to try teaching, for the profession was in desperate need of educated men and women. He successfully negotiated an interview, but then found himself posted to one of the worst schools in the East End of London. He was further dismayed to discover that his students were an unruly, disruptive group of 15-year-olds.

Rick displays great aptitude as a teacher, but he is aware that there are lessons that he too must learn, particularly with reference to humility and patience. Unsurprisingly, it is the unruly students who soon begin to teach him the lessons.

To Sir With Love portrays the triumph over adversity concerning one highly unusual man's eight-month-long experience of an inner-city school that enables him to grow and occasions some of the people he comes into contact with to put their prejudices on hold.