Category: Books

  • First Proof

    Penguin – Compilation

    I’m a few years late in reading this, so it’s no longer ‘new’ writing. But that doesn’t take away much from a decent collection of fiction and non-fiction. A book which can be read from both ends (Fiction and Non fiction start from opposite ends) and consists of 17 works of fiction (including a trippy graphic one) and 13 works of non fiction. I liked the former, and not just because of my reading preferences.
    A few of the non fiction works are particularly relevant now – Nirupama Subramanian’s piece on the LTTE supremo Prabhakaran, and Saba Naqvi Bhaumik’s, Edna Fernandes’ and Smita Gupta’s works on the nature of contemporary Indian politics. Also worth mentioning is ‘Boarding School’ by Andre Beteille.
    My favourite fiction work would easily be ‘Kopjes at Serengeti’ by Arun John, and his awesome description in the ‘Notes on Contributors’. Indrajit Hazra’s Post-mortem is an interesting tale, so are the stories by Rana Dasgupta and Mita Ghose.
    I do believe that an anthology with more ‘breadth” (kinds of themes and writings) is possible, perhaps Penguin is doing it in the following volumes. (this is an annual project)

  • Video Night in Kathmandu

    Pico Iyer

    Set in the mid 80’s, Pico’s travel writing worked on two levels for me – one, in terms of his destinations, and the other, in terms of time. Right from the first page, with his interpretation of the Rambo phenomenon in Asia, his sharp wit makes this book a great read.
    He uses individual characters in different places (India, China, Tibet, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, HongKong, Japan, Philippines) to describe the place’s character. In some cases, the stereotypes are reinforced, but in a lot of others, he manages to fit in and yet observe objectively.
    He discusses the influence of the West on the East and tries to show each of the places he has visited have reacted to it – some by shunning it, some by completely absorbing it, and some by adapting it and making it their own.
    I felt that throughout the book he stayed true to his observations, though the perspective was tinged with a favouritism for the east.

  • The Better Man

    Anita Nair

    This is Anita Nair’s first novel, and quite a good start. I could identify with it quite a bit, probably because of the Kerala setting, and therefore the familiarity with the kind of characters that appear in the background.
    Having said that, the protagonist is quite a universal character. Mukundan, a retired government official, retires to his village and his childhood home, not by choice, but by the machinations of fate.
    This is the story of how he faces the ghosts of his past, and understands that his fragile character is not equipped to deal with them. The same character which tends to fix the blame on external entities when it’s not able to fulfill the desires of the present, and the aspirations of the future.
    This is also the story of ‘One-screw-loose’ Bhasi, ostensibly a house painter, but one with the ability to heal the human mind.
    The story is about human nature, its selfishness, the games that the mind plays on itself and the redemption that happens when it faces its own inabilities and conquers them.

  • Paths of Glory

    Jeffrey Archer

    Every time I start an Archer book, I expect to be entertained and to be made to think, and it always happens so. This one is no different. I simply loved the humour that Archer retains throughout the book.
    But it is a bit different in on another front. It is based on a true story, but one as nail biting as the works of fiction that Archer has written in the past.
    Set in an age of adventure and explorations, when men had not yet reached the South Pole and the Himalayas, it is the story of George Mallory, a gifted man with an extraordinary dream, and if you were to acknowledge that he fulfilled his dream, another equally great name would be taken off history books. A wonderful tale that is as much about Mallory’s love for Ruth- his wife and the only woman he’s ever loved, as it is about his dream.
    After I read this book, I began to wonder how many such Mallory s exist in the annals of history, or just hidden behind the names that actually appear. Must read! Trivia: Mallory’s close associate Finch, who is a prominent character in the book, is the father of Peter Finch, the first actor to win an Academy Award posthumously. The second happens to be Heath Ledger, for The Joker, an all time favourite character.
    Speaking of trivia, do read the ‘Post 1924’ section at the end of the book. The last entry is bound to put a smile on your face. 🙂

  • The Grass Crown

    Colleen Mc Cullough

    Quite a superb sequel to “The First Man in Rome” with an expanded set of characters and perhaps a canvass larger than its predecessor.
    Centered around the war against Italia, the growing rift between two towering personalities and former friends, and the depths to which a person’s ego can lead him, this book also sets up Julius Caesar perfectly, illustrating his character wonderfully.
    Gaius Marius, in search of his seventh consulship (which others have deemed impossible), with a fervour that finally derails his brilliant mind; Sulla, seeking his first consulship and the greatness that he believes is deservedly his, only to come up against Marius; the young Caesar, watching, learning, and becoming increasingly sure of his destiny; Rome, a state like no other, becoming the playground of men whose fanatical belief in themselves have caused them to make a mockery of the society they lived in. Power, by whatever means necessary.
    And now, to get myself a copy of “Fortune’s Favourites”