Back and hoping to stay

 To all of you who came here the last few months and drew a blank. My apologies. Blame it on publishing!

When I published a book, I crossed some faint invisible line in my head. I stopped being just a Reader who could devour the printed word and pronounce a judgement. or rather, go on the journey of reading and then talk of it with the same innocence that I could earlier. Some thing had changed. The way I looked at books had changed so had the way I now read them. I also found my self strangely inhibited trying to record my experience and hence this dry spell on this blog.

Now,I have  resolved many things. I discovered my joy of reading was undiminished, my experience of reading enriched. I may have become more sympathetic towards the writer in some ways but I have become more demanding in others. i also feel that I have now regained the language to describe my encounter with books and that has brought me back.

if you are back and reading this, thank you for the support. Coming up soon, a journey with a  really wonderful, recent  read.

Warmth
Maya  

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

I was too late in reading this one. And I almost did not read it. For the in the first page the narrator says ,’I am a carer’ and I was a bit repulsed, thinking- hospitals beds and lingering sickness. However I finished the page and then the book didn't let me go. I am glad I stayed till the end of the page. Otherwise I would've missed one of the best reading experiences of my biblio-life.

So , if this book is not about hospital and illness then what is it  about?  It’s about childhood and memories of childhood,  about friendships and betrayals,about moving on and about love. That’s what Ishiguro makes you think until he reveals what’s  beneath all this –a  horrific ,terrible truth that the characters know , yet do not and have to grow up to embrace it.

This is the story of Kathy, our narrator, Ruth and Tommy growing up in a  dystopian contemporary England. And through Kathy we  hear their stories and discover this terrible future that awaits them outside their school.

Ishiguro of course delivers his story beautifully, slipping in bits of the truth like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. You file them away impatiently- yes, yes , but tell me what happened the them? Then when the penny drops, you hiss with an in drawn breath and all of a sudden you have tumultuous reaction as you deal with this revelation, which you realize you kind of knew all along and with  the story of the lives of the people you had been steeped in.

In the end, I was not and still not sure what I am carrying around with me- the sorrow of the relationships or the import of this terrible truth.

Finally? Never let this book go. And that says it all.

Em and the big Hoom- Jerry Pinto

This was one of the books that I have had few starts and stops before actually getting down to talking about it.  Anyway, here is it.

First- the narrative- gripping. I couldn’t put the book down; I read it between moving houses between cities. That should  tell you.

What stands out- the language. It is so bright it shimmers off the page. I have yet to find another Indian writer  who has managed to use the language so effortlessly, so elegantly, so effectively. I savoured the words and the phrases.

Then there is Em- who is ‘mad’ and a ‘mudd-dha’. Her words. But thorough the words of her son, the narrator, we find a woman who is sharp, clever and witty . That Pinto shows us the woman behind the illness is this novel’s strength.

Hoom is the kind of man every woman is looking for . Solid, dependable, in love with his wife long after her mind is lost to her illness. Unlike Rochester.

Of the kids, we hear a little from the girl and everything from the boy. He is angry with his mother for denying him a normal family, fearful that he would fail when it will become his lot to care of her, fearing that his genes may betray him, sorrowful that he cannot protect her from the cruel mocking eyes of the world, suspicious that she might perhaps be using her illness, helpless that he cannot take away her pain and always loving her

This is a brilliantly written book about a hardly talked about illness; the story of the afflicted, of the family dealing with the afflicted and the toll it takes on their lives.

Icing of the top- In spite of the nature of the issue dealt in the book, a sudden startling bit of humour appears in a dark comedy kind of way.

But- yes, there is a but. This book reads like a memoir.  So , in the end it is just a telling of lives- and I want to ask- where’s the story you promised me? Why has nothing changed for the boy? The family? Where’s the ah-ha moment? What’s my take away?

Am I the only person asking this?

The Lost River- On the Trail of Sarasvati- Michel Danino

I finished this book a while ago but I had to go away and think about how and what I was going to say(write) about the experience of reading it.

So , why this book? The title of course. If you grew up in India, Sarsvati is hard to ignore. She creeps in mantras and during pujas and makes an appearance at the Triveni  Sangam. But where is she, you ask when the Sangam is explained to you and you are told of a red river running underground. And from that day on, you have wondered.

Then you read Danino's book.
Danino brings to life Sarsvati's story, drawing from history, geography, mythology, ancient texts and archaeological evidence. The narrative is gripping and you are riveted. When you put the book down because the day demands it, you are wondering what happens next.  You can see the river gushing through  the land, hear the chanting of the sages on it's banks and watch the cities bustling around it.

He presents multiple perspectives and theories that abound on the river and it's life and death and leaves to decide for yourself- almost. His personal stand is visible of course.

So the book is not at all boring? Not really. Like all books, it does drag in places and sometimes you glaze over the excessive data and information. Then you realize that he needs to say all that to take a stand. Or for you to take one.

Verdict- an enjoyable read for a history buff, a necessary one for indologists.

Bitch Goddess for Dummies- Maya Sharma Sriram - A Guest Blog

Okay, so yes this is my book and I have  a guest blogger reviewing it for me.
Disclaimer:
I have to admit , however there is bound to be an insider bias even now . The blogger is related to me

Scene: Pizza hut.  My friends  and I are talking about my mom’s book.

Friend: So, what is your mom’s book about?

Me: It’s the story of a woman who is trying to undergo a transformation, and she embarking on a process of self discovery. It’s all about how important it is to be yourself and not try and be something you’re not. You know, accept yourself.

My friends: wow! It sounds beautiful.

Then:

What is it called?

(pause)

Me: …”Bitch Goddess for Dummies”?

That is basically how “bitch goddess” goes too, a little self-mocking, a little tongue-in-cheek, really fun and cute. The story is a pretty simple one-Mira Iyer wants to become a Bitch Goddess, but how will she? She’s a wimp, and a responsible, sensible one at that (oh, the horror). So she decides to transform herself. She starts with a makeover and then changes the way she behaves too. She learns from and tries to defeat the ideal Bitch Goddess- her bête noir, Sanya,  the perfect woman. But things threaten to go too far once she falls for smooth Rohan and later ends up having to face her past and estranged family. What will happen to Mira now, with her life like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt and engulf her in the heat?

The novel isn’t a very serious one, and is clearly for fun value. If you’re looking for literary intensity, look elsewhere. This book is written for all the girls (and guys) who just wanna have a good time. The narrative is fast paced, but a little too much so in the middle, where one would really like to have a bit of emphasis on character rather than action and story. The language is good and as far as I can see it has no spelling errors; the writing is good.

The author has managed to pick up the mood and style of a chick lit really well and gives it her own, slightly smoother edge. The comedy is tongue-in-cheek and light. The issues in the story more often than not are sartorial. Talking about the clothes, they’re all tasteful and really cool.  The novel doesn’t have any of the clichés that everyone finds in chick lit these days.  The best thing is that the story is not a romance, but the story of a woman who is discovering herself, with romance as a subplot. The women in the story are all very strong role models and none of the characters, male or female are stereotypes, they all have a unique dimension or perspective. The story more or less laughs at itself. The funny Bitch Goddess rules are the funnest part. This book is on a low-steamy sex scene and absolutely-no-mush diet. The  book invites laughter, so on a low-key day, go ahead and pick it up, it’s the perfect recipe and has been proven to keep you riveted till the last page.   

Vishaka Sriram

The Lover's Dictionary - David Levithan

I thought I would capture this reading experience as it occurs. An experiment to see if the quality of retelling changes or suffers.


What made me pick this book up - (other than the obligatory recommendations and reviews.)

 When you are always searching for the next book to read while your mind still on the one you just finished, 'newness' always excites. This one caught me with it's form. And the for a logophile like me, that's double delight. So  I am eagerly waiting to  devour it.

So now I am a little into the book. It is breathtaking  what he has done with words, with the meanings of the words he has chosen to tell his story with, the way he so beautifully tacks them on to 'love' , 'desire', 'togetherness 'and 'heartache.' All this while keeping the story going.

I was supposed to record as I read, but I have returned after the complete read. because

devour (v)
I ended up gorging on this book, completely, quickly and yet, many times came back to

savour (v)
many sentences and paragraphs - like this one - " and every now and then, when everything else is air and liquid, desire solidifies, and the body is the magnet that draws its weight."

Gamut (n)
I was amazed at how simply , lucidly and elegantly Levithan covered the whole range, from hesitancy to desire to love to heartbreak

Urban ( adj)
of an urban , contemporary relationship

Superlative ( adj)
One of the best love stories that I have read in a long time.
 Verdict ( n)
A book that is clever funny, poignant and brilliantly written, and finely plotted to. Keeps you involved at several levels- in the choice of his words, in his narrative style, in the plot and in the emotional connect.

Read. Please. You'll thank me for it
Maya

.

Death comes to Pemberley- P.D.James

This book works at two levels- as a murder mystery and as a sequel or as I prefer to think of it, a revisit to old, familiar and much -loved characters. So, my response will also be on two levels.

As a murder mystery- This is a P.D. James after all. So naturally all the elements are in place. Mention worthy- the fact that this is a story set in Victorian England and she has made sure that reasons and motives fit the climate of that time. The mystery it self , however is not dazzlingly brilliant or breathtaking in it's cleverness.It works and it is interesting

Where the book scores is in taking the readers back to the lives of Bennetts,  Darcys and Bingleys. James has remained true to the characters. She has tried to recreate Austen's style of writing, and succeed at least in the opening line- as much as it possible for somebody to- Let's be fair-Austen is a tough act to follow.
Every Austen fan must have imagined life after Jane and Lizzy get married. James gives us one possible life- we get a lot of Darcy- a gentler Darcy, a mature Liz and more confident Georgiana who incidentally gets her own romance.
Lizzy and Darcy's lives, their minds get as much space in the novel as the murder. We also met Colonel Fitzwilliam and other familiar characters.
True to tradition. it is Lydia and Wickham who cause the upset that sets the story moving.
The plot moves cleverly ; James has used all the traits Austen established to her advantage. The additional characters she has created blend in seamlessly into the story. There is never a wrong foot here.
The resolution is also very satisfying.
Read it- if you are an Austen fan. Read it if you want a good mystery with all you favourite characters in it. Read it if you like Victorian murder mysteries.
Caveat- judged only a whodunit- there have been better.

The Woman Who Died A Lot- Jasper Fforde

I read somewhere about how a writer should never review books because they are ever going to be unbiased. That was why I was missing all this while- I was away thinking about it. I still haven't made up my mind about that but I had this need to talk about this book s, so here I am. This is not a review then , folks.

I am a Jasper Fforde fan. Okay, a Thursday Next and Nursery Crime fan. I didn't like Shades of Grey, I admit.
So it was with a lot of anticipation that I started this book. I don't know , may be it is my fault. May be my Diminishing Marginal Utility Curve for Thursday Next dipped below the x-axis. if that is not the explanation then I am sorry, this book falls short of the standard set by the earlier books.
I missed the inside jokes about the writing process, the funny and brilliant observations about genres and characters, the pace, the way the books are usually structured at two levels and a lot of other things
The book was almost tedious in places , the plot dragged a bit and after some time I really didn't care what happened to Thursday or Landen or Friday or anything at all. More for old times sake than anything else I finished the book and heaved a sigh of relief that it was over.
It was like saying goodbye to a dear old valued friend.

Disgrace- J M Coetzee

 The social order in South Africa is changing and you can pick it up even on a holiday. There is talk of danger, the unease is openly displayed and stories are told, retold and passed around.  There ‘race’ is not politically incorrect and nobody is hiding the anger or the fear.

But it took Coetzee Disgrace for me to really understand what was happening there- the extent of it, the politics of it and the weight of its history.

It is superfluous to talk of Coetzee narrative skills, his insights and his brilliant characters- so let’s consider them said.

Disgrace begins with the story of the sexually active professor of  Romantic Poetry David Lurie.  He has an affair with a student, an affair with strong over- tones of Lolita, an affair doomed to go wrong. It does and he is summoned to face a committee of inquiry. He admits his guilt but refuse to apologize for it and he is forced to resign.

He moves in with his daughter who is running a farm. They become victims of a violent and horrific attack, an attack with sinister implications. Coetzee explores the issues that are at the heart of south Africa’s socio-cultural-political climate of south Africa yet the story remains the tale, the journey and the struggle of a single man.

A brilliant book. It will leave you with a sense of discomfort, many questions and like all great writing many insights too.

©Maya

The Sense of an Ending- Julian Barnes

This is the book of the year. And that says it all. I could well end my entry here. But there is, I think, some unspoken rule, that demands elaboration and substantiation. so, superfluous as it may be, I shall try.

This is not a book really. It is an experience. You open the first page and let yourself in and allow the book to happen to you. Like many worthwhile experiences, you find joy, heartache, discoveries, regrets, acceptances and finally realisation.

An unexpected legacy takes Tony Webster back to his past, right up to his school-days, when he first met Adrian. Now, Tony discovers the a past that brings him new knowledge not only of his friends but also himself.
Barnes writes easily, deftly and with insight.

The book leaves you wondering about your own memories of your past.

There is only one reason to read it- it's a master piece and most likely a definitive work in the continuum of the curve of Fiction.

Mister Pip- Lloyd Jones

Let me admit this and get it out of the way- I didn't finish the book and this time the fault is mine. I abandoned the book purely because I  was too chicken to  see it through. Even though the book was compellingly told with interesting characters and an original voice.
Briefly- Matilda is a young girl in the tropical island of  Bougainville. Mr Watts is the only white person in the island. His black wife calls her self Sheba and the couple have a strange daily ritual which entails him pulling a wooden platform on which she stands. An act that puzzles the whole island and the reader- we discover the answer in the end. But I digress for this quaint ritual has little bearing on the course of  the story.
The story- Mr Watts becomes the self- appointed teacher of the village school and the only book he as is Dickens' Great Expectations. Pip enters their world and acquires a life of his own. So real does he become the when civil war comes, the solders come looking for Mr Pip. Yes, Civil war is the menace that threatens this little idyll and it is a menace that comes to pass. There is a lot of loss, of  varying  kinds and degrees.As they fight this threat from outside , the islanders have to also deal with the threat that Dickens and Watts bring by the way of questions and new beliefs to the young students that oppose the ideas of the old. Of course, Pip's life does mirror ,in some small  manner Matilda's
I skipped and peeked- so I  know  how the book  ends. But I am more interested in hearing from  somebody who finished the whole book.

This is a must read - for even though I abandoned the book, the book didn't let go off me. I pick it up and flick  page or too and I wait for the day when I stop[ being  a wimp long enough to actually finish it.

The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto- Mario Vergas Llosa

I can't make up my mind about this book. I am staring at it and trying to decide- did I like or didn't I. Let me get the things I am sure about out of the way- Llosa is a genius and I don't like erotica. But  this book cannot be dismissed as just erotica. This book is many things but before we get to that-

The eponymous ( I always wanted to use that word) Rigoberto is an aesthete and an erotomaniac who spends his days as an insurance executive and the nights fantasising about his separated second wife, Lucrecia. whom he still loves passionately. Hi s son Fonchito sets about trying to unite them.Fonchito- innocent boy or a fiend. Fonchito is obsessed with  the Viennese painter Egon Schiele and uses Lucrecia and her maid Justiniana.Very soon you discover that something occurred , something unforgivable between the boy and the step-mother that caused the separation It is never told to you and you are left wondering till  the end.

There are enough erotic scenes described in the book except the one that you desperately want to know about. Yet all that you know is that it happened and in Lucrecia's bed. and you are not sure who was the seducer and who was seduced. Does the boy know what he is saying and doing or is unaware? You never find out.

The couple however do unite and much remains unresolved, much unspoken and others hinted at. As Rigoberto asks in the end- In spite of everything, we are a happy family , are we not and I couldn't decide whether they were or not.

And this is layered with the many letters Rigoberto writes on art, sexuality and sports. and the anonymous letters that are exchanged between the couple. These make the reading rich, funny and erudite.

Now you  see why I can't make up my mind. I would love to know what other readers feel/think.
Oh and just for record- Llosa won the Nobel in 2010.

The Master of Petersburg - J.M.Coetzee

Every body has to read a Coetzee. Once I decided that, I went in search of one. I picked the Master of Petersburg because it's about a writer, Dostoevsky, none less. No, it's not a biography, nothing could be further than that. Coetzee, I quote the blurb here, 'dares to imagine the life of  Dostoevsky.'
No, not the whole life, the events that unfold after sudden death of his stepson.

A few pages of reading and the book reached out and grabbed me with such force that I had to stop every few pages just to breathe. The  overwhelming reaction made me record as I wrote. And here is some of that:




This is one of those books which needs to be recorded as the journey of it's reading unfolds. You'll see why.



Page 45- I have to stop and gasp for breath. Coetzee has wound around me silken bonds , so effortlessly and skillfully , of deep emotions and sly thoughts and I notice only now when the bonds begin to chaff. I have to go away and sort Fyodor's emotions towards his son. his son's death, to his landlady and his grief. There is much for me to feel and much more to think.

Page 98- I have to stop again. Nothing has happened yet much has happened in the last 53 pages. His son comes to life to me, and so does Fyodor. I can'/t be sure I like him but I can reach out and feel his grief and his need for - I don' t know what to call it, closure seems so tame to the richness of his emotions- but for now, closure will have to do. I feel for the ring at the end of my nose , through which Coetzee has strung this rope with with which he leads me through this maze of his making.

Then Nechaev appears, his son begins to take shape , the daughter of the landlady, the Finnish comrade of Nechaev and even the police- you are no longer sure who is right and who is wrong and what really happened the day the stepson died . Fydor, you are increasingly convinced is the product of pre-revolutionary idea and  you buy Coetzee 's  idea of how great literature can be born out of a tormented mind.
And walk away with a feeling that Coetzee might well be as much a genius as Dostoevsky.

Read it- It should be required reading for everybody who worships at the alter of  the BOOK.

Pligrim's India- ed. Arundhathi Subramanium

I bought this book to gift to a seeker, a pilgrim I wasn't going to read it, really. But the book seduced me into picking it up, by it's promise of translations from ancient texts and also just lying there on my center table, throwing me sly beckoning looks.

I succumbed and picked it up and was drawn into its many journeys, multiple quests and myriad voices.  The pieces are so carefully and beautifully selected- thanks Arundhati with a satisfying mix of prose and poetry ancient and contemporary.

I was hooked from the first piece - Jerry Pinto's visit to the Kumbh Mela and traveled into Kabir's poetry, Khasi folk tale. and more. There are visits to Dargha, churches, Sikh sacred destinations and the original fire temple. There are the famous shrines and road side destinations And of course the foreign seeker and the one who tries to find it with chemical help. The book is as secular as it is possible for a search for the divine can get. That is the strength of this book.

The writing is uniformly good and the translations are satisfying. They don't leave you with the half- satisfied feeling of having missed the main spice in a iconic dish that many translations often do. Again, another thanks to the editor

Of course , not all the journeys were satisfying. Some accounts  was a little too dry to keep me fully interested and the one about  the meeting with Sankaracharya of Kanchi a little too superficial to be satisfying.

But the sum is bigger than the parts. And more satisfying. And left me with questions about my own quest for the sacred. Namely- maybe it's time to start one.

A must for everybody who wondered about spiritual India.

Pomegranate Soup - Marsha Mehran

This was a book I read after a long hiatus. What can I say except what a perfect book to come back to reading with.
A book that warms you on cold wintry nights.
Marjan, Bahar and Layla escape the terrors of  Iran into the unpronounceable Irish town of Ballinacroagh . There Marjan starts her Babylon Cafe. There she serves the local exotic dishes seasoned with mysterious spices that hint of hope , dreams and other forbidden pleasures. There snakes in this paradise  and the sisters have to deal with them.

This is an evocative narrative that is filled with the fragrance of the Marjan's cooking, the lushness of Layla's burgeoning beauty yet shadowed by the dark despair that follows Bahar.

Pick it up- You'll love not only the three sisters and the townspeople , you'll also be tempted to try the recipes from Marjan's kitchen.
A perfect book-club selection
   

The Bastard of Istanbul - Eli Shafak

 It was the title that was the first draw. Eli Shafak was the second. The blurb was the ratification.
The first twenty or maybe even  thirty pages charmed me. I liked the characters , enjoyed the rebellion, the anarchy and  then- the book lost me.  Everything seemed pointless and the story seemed to go off and try and be many things and the whole thing keeping it together was this horrible secret in the family's past.

I don't know- all  I felt was a disappointment. Especially since I love Istanbul and I had liked the characters, at least in the beginning.

A Short History of the Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka

Okay, I admit it. I was lured by the title. and the reviews on the title.
The book? I knew rather than felt that I was in the presence of good writing. That this part might be funny and that one poignant.

But first the story- sisters Vera and Nadezhda  have to save their octegenarian dad or rather his wealth from the scheming Valentino who has a son and impressive.. er.. personality. And to do that, the sisters have to bury their feud and face the secrets from their  brutal past.

Back to the book-The characters were definitely well- etched and idiosyncratic but I just couldn't get into the book. I rarely use this word but frankly I was just bored. This in spite of the good writing, some good tune of phrases and interesting twists.
You know what- I think I am trying too hard and I am going to stop.

Last word- The book had a lot going for it, but didn't work for me. I am sorry but there you are.

The Help- Kathryn Stockett

In her accompanying essay, Stockett,who grew up with her own black maid, writes she often wondered what it was to Black in America in the 60s. That the question this book attempts to answer.

Three women, an older Black maid, a younger belligerent one and a white idealist fresh college graduate get together to write the story of being Black Maids to white families in 60s Mississippi. They come to he story with their own reasons, sorrows , joys,  and courage. tremendous courage. Three voices, all strong and unique build this hear warming tale. You share their fear of discovery and celebrate their gentle victories. 

Kathryn Stockett tells a good story with her strong  writing. capturing beautifully the racial divide form both sides. And how personal kindness and love exists along macroscopic hatred and intolerance. 

It may not be the best novel to be written about this theme but its definitely a warm, well plotted page turner. In other words  a complete novel.. It's no wonder it made the New York T mes best seller list. 

Age of Innocence- Edith Wharton



Luminous. There doesn't seem a better way to describe tis book. A lambency seeps over the events, the narrative,  the characters, their quiet joys and sorrows and theie love.

Briefly-the year is 1870 . The place - upper crust new york. Newland Archer is engaged to  May Welland. Then he meets her exotic cousin, the countess Ellen Olenski. Needless to say, Archer falls in love with the cousin and is torn by the social codes and his love.

Wharton writes with a sharp pen; she chooses carefully the moments when she removes the veneer off her characters to reveal their motives and true nature. And we learn that the characters are not as innocent, not as noble or not as brave as they same.

The whole mood of the novel is gentle- the joys, the sorrows, the love , the sacrifices and their triumphs. Even after you close the last page, the novel still holds you in a gentle yet lingering grip that is not so easily shaken off.

Read it. This is a Pulitzer well deserved.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand- Helen Simonson



I put this book down after a few chapters but returned to it because I couldn't get rid of a niggling feeling that i was missing something and I am glad I did.
 
This book is a comedy of manners , without Austen's biting wit and a gentle mockery of the British aristocracy, without Wodehouse's panache. But the reader gets the feeling that  Summerland doesn't aim it to be any of these. So what we have is a gentle love story, with  gentle ironies and gentle insight. All so gentle that you have to be on the watch for them or they will slip past you.

A little about the story- Major Pettigrew is a British gentleman in the tradition of British Gentlemen that we have read about- he is all  about honour, courtesy , doing the right thing , hunting and the perfectly brewed  cup of tea get together. Summerland explores life in modern day English village through their romance. The setting may  be provincial but the themes the universal ones of bigotry, racism, class conflict, family pressures and duties and  love.

The characters are fresh and so are the situations but perhaps the sheer ness'gentleness' of the novel slows and wears the reader down.  Persist- it's the same gentle humour, conflict and irony make it a charming read.

Maya