Asura ...

Asura – The vanquished by Anand Neelkanthan  has been a delightful reading. Anand’s imagination and logical thinking throughout this book has been impressive and makes the story of  Ravana more believable and real than the story of Rama or Ramayana. All I hope is that this book (which comes under Fiction ategory)will not get the attention of the religious fanatics and caste pride bearers who with their limited/narrow mindset might get offended.

The book has 2 main characters one Ravana and another Bhadra and I found the narration of Shudra (low caste) Bhadra more appealing Bhadra -  the cook turned washer man , the common man’s story is what kept me hooked to the book. Anand has been brilliant in being able to link/connect the socio economic life of common man across the different ‘yug’ time period. “I am a non-entity – invisible, powerless and negligible. No epics will ever be written about me. I have suffered both Ravana and Rama – the hero and the villain or the villain and the hero. When the stories of great men are told, my voice maybe too feeble to be heard. Yet, spare me a moment and hear my story, for I am Bhadra, the Asura, and my life is the tale of the loser.”

Swami and Friends in Malgugi

Picked up ‘Swami and Friends’ By R.K Narayanswami from Library few days back. The Character Swami from  Malgudi days TV series was part of out growing up in 87-88, though at that point of time as 9-10 yr old I did not understand the Pre-Independence India set up completely but for RK Narayan's narratives highlighting social context and providing a feel for his characters through everyday life, a fictional town that stood for reality, brought out the humour and energy of ordinary life, and displayed compassionate humanism,  the Title or the Signature music ‘Ta na na tana na na naaaaa…’ RK Laxamanan’s cartoons and the young boy Swami and his adventures,  we just could think of missing the series. Picking up the book after almost 30 years of watching the TV series was going back to those old ‘Malgudi Days’

It was interesting to read in the introduction of the book the ‘Swami and Friends’ is the first novel written by Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanswami in year 1930 which was first published in year 1935 by the reputable English publisher Hamish Hamilton . What surprised me towards the end of the book was the cricket team and match and the enthusiasm which RKN has expressed so beautifully which made wonder – Cricket was a craze in 1930’s also, wonder why hockey became the National game of India ? :) Loved this book, a good read for children very simple  prose and diction but one will have to give them a good background of how things were in India before independence .  As RK Narayanaswami expressed his indebtedness to Graham Greene is inscribed on the inside cover of a copy of Swami and Friends Narayan presented to Greene: "But for you, Swami should be in the bottom of Thames now" could not have agreed more with him ….

Fedrick Forsyth -

Fedrick Forsyth - I had read my first Forsyth book almost a decade back - 'The Avenger' I think it was first time i was reading political thriller and I was captivated by the book – the characters of the book remained in my head for long, even though fictional but as good (and very close to )as true incidents, and later when I got to see more of Forsyth I did not pick any ….

2 weeks back I picked up one of the Forsyth book 'The Kill List' along with 2 other books , I just did not read – ‘The Kill List’. Last Thursday evening I picked up the book, knowing that weekend I can afford to be lazy and selfish and just shut myself with the book and that’s what happened --- the coincidence was the plot in the book where incidents lead to track ‘The Preacher’ and Charlie Hedbo incident … , another very good read (but I still feel Avenger was more and gripping )

Review very close to what I would have said about the book – " It's a high tech military tale about hunting down the bad guys...terrorists. It's strong on insider knowledge about the military, high tech espionage, and terrorist thinking. It's short on characterization which is the book's biggest weakness. Forsyth doesn't flesh out any of his protagonists. They all remain one dimensional but if you're looking for a fast moving, up to date political story look no further. I have little knowledge about such topics so I'm not a good judge but the story is all too believable."

Mockingbird - Gregory Peck -- Lessons learnt

Listening to a old Hindi Bollywood song ‘Mennu ishq da lagya rog – Dil hai ki manta nahi ‘ on a long drive back to Trivandrum – I told Anil ‘ Do you know this movie is copy of Roman Holidays -1950’s Hollywood movie ?’ And Anil said , that he is not surprised … And then I started off raving about Gregory Peck the Hero of this movie – About the character and the realistic ending the movie had .

Realistic – That is what I would associate Gregory Peck with – ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’  that is the first movie I saw of Gregory Peck , and I saw the movie after reading the book. Movie was very close to the book and showed the American social set up of then 1930’s. ‘The primary themes of To Kill a Mockingbird involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence.Harper Lee also addresses issues of class, courage, compassion, and gender roles in the American Deep South. The book is widely taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice.’

What I realized after reading the book was the Development USA made both in terms of Economical and Human / Sociological through all these years, not that everything is absolutely perfect in that country, but it is one of the most Developed countries in the world. I don’t know much about the History of the USA but my limited knowledge is that there were indigenous  people and these groups are generally believed to have been isolated from peoples of the "Old World" until the coming of Europeans in the 10th century from Norway and with the Voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492. There were oppression, suppression, natives were chased out or killed, or they surrendered, but now as a country with all the differences(race, beliefs, regions); they are one and work together for the Development of the country. For thousands of people from other countries of the world, USA  along with few other Developed  countries - is one country of ‘Hope and opportunities’  …. And then I think of the small baby step India has been making towards development since 1940’s, and now the focus is all about ‘Going back to Culture and Tradition’  than being a ‘Developed Nation’.

Now let me come back to Gregory Peck , Hollywood and Bollywood … The next Peck movie I saw was “Roman Holiday” very light hearted romantic movie which had a very realistic ending . Again parts of the movie were shot on locations around Rome of 1950’s – in 50-60 years the country and people has changed – India (Bollywood) takes ‘Inspiration’ from the old movie and gives it a fascinating fairy tale story ending, but never gets inspired to see how things have changed in the life and country of the people who were portrayed in the Original English movie …. Instead we take credit and feel proud of our glorious History and culture and blame the Conquers and emperors and British for all the caste/religion/region divisions… and then happily sing and take pride  ‘Phir bhi Dil hai Hidustani’ & ‘ India Wale’ ….

The book  To Kill a Mockingbird   is widely taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice. Despite its themes, To Kill a Mockingbird has been subject to campaigns for removal from public classrooms, often challenged for its use of racial epithets. In 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one "every adult should read before they die".  On the other hand  in India we have now school Textbooks written by people who are guided more by their personal beliefs/fantasies  than actual fact, books which are  and I quote ‘not historically correct but are hilarious and scary ‘  ..  I can only hope that people  in India get inspired by good (Indian) books and can ensue that the children understand and are sensitized to differences (of all kinds) around ...  

PS :italics text reference taken from Wiki.

Where Girls Dare

Where Girls Dare – Read this book and loved it .  ‘Where Girls Dare is a hilarious and entertaining story of what happens when fifty-two lady cadets (LCs) train alongside four hundred Gentleman Cadets (GCs); some of whom believe that girls in the army is a bad idea.’

Laughed a lot like ‘pagal’ reading this book. Though termed ‘fictional’ is definitely well ‘inspired ‘from real life experiences in OTA (Officers Training Academy).  . Bhavna Chauhan style of writing is very simple, conversational and you can identify easily with the characters and the experience of ladies at the Army training academy. Recommend highly for good relax read. 

Romantic afternoon

Many people have many idea of a romantic day or evening. Reaching at a st/age of life when most of my time goes running and screaming after my children, guess I almost forgot about romance or a romantic day out – wherever you go you have to take your children with you :) -- in a restaurant, most of the time goes to feed the little one or attending to his demands (lest he creates a scene) , long drives are good only when both of them get tired and sleep off  but by the time I am also tired and sleepy, movie was never a option for a romantic outing, drinking wine yes, but again it can happen only when children get their share of grape juice or lemonade and are sent to sleep, and usually it gets late , so in short time getting some quite time to talk, eat, drink is hard to get and I have stopped thinking about it …

So one afternoon we have a quite nice lunch at home, simple plain rice, sambar , sabzi, a little boiled tapioca and fish curry satisfied Anil and me decided to pick up our books while Ezekiel decided to watch TV , after few minutes of reading along with Eze, I decided to lie down with Anil who was reading his book … keeping my head on his shoulder , my one hand across him both of us read our book quietly , peacefully …. And did not realise when I slept off , when I woke up in between Ezekiel was also sleeping between Anil and me, and Anil was still reading his book , I smiled at him and slept again, getting up in the evening making some tea and snacks and talking …..  That was one nice afternoon indeed , so simple and no hastle arrangement :) 

Kite Runner to Mountains echoed - Khaled Husseini

I picked up ‘Kite Runner’ from a book store near our office, when I was pregnant with Ezekiel. Till that point of time I had not heard about Husseini or Kite Runner, when my young colleague saw me picking up the book and reading the review -  said that she has read the book and it is a good one, but probably not a good time for me to read the book. I rarely buy books, and that day I just thought I will buy Kite Runner more out of curiosity to know a little about Afghanistan. I remember being part  school skit based on Tagore’s Story ‘Kabuliwalla’  the Pathan from Kabul selling dry fruits. And when in 10^th standard I had two classmates in K.V who had come from Kabul after all Indian delegates were asked to leave Kabul in 1989-90 and one of them Vandana who used to speak with her mother in one of the local dialect spoken in Kabul and it fascinated me …..

Coming back to Khaled Husseini  - I read ‘Kite Runner’, slowly and steadily -  and I liked the plot, the characters , though there were parts in the novel which were violent , but no where did I feel that it was out of proportion or out of way – I did almost cry reading some parts of the book , but liked his style of writing and the plot and the way he had described the life of people in Afghanistan never felt that he had left the country  as a child. But was rather impressed !  I checked with my friends if they had his second Book ‘The Thousand Splendid Suns’ but some how I could not pick the book, it was only after 3 years of reading the first book, that I picked up the second book ‘The thousand splendid suns’  from the library which turned out to be even better than ‘Kite Runner’ If Kite runner was about the lost childhood, then the Splendid sun was about  2 young  women’s  Lost hope and love and finding it back .Beautiful and realistic portrayal of life of women in Afghanistan’s tribal area and Kabul spanning from 60’s to early 2000. .... And very recently is 3^rd book ‘And the Mountains Echoed’ which was more about women who had left Afghanistan and found new home in Europe and America.  All three books absolute satisfying read But my personal favorite ‘ A Thousand Splendid Suns’ . All the books so realistic, so true  Khaled is definitely a very gifted  and sensitive writer ! 

Blue Umbrella - Ruskin Bond

Another Ruskin Bond story for children. Set in the hills of Garhwal, written in simple and heart warming language, it captures life in a village and its simple people, of their simple wishes, jealousy, friendship and sharing. Good story and lovely illustration – another must read for children from Bond.

Reading, Books & Enid Blyton

Few months back I took membership at a local library - its a small library but has good collection of old and new books. The first thing I checked out was the children’s section and was happy to see good collection of Enid Blyton Famous Five (FF), Secret Seven (SS), Nancy Drew collection. next to it was Tintin series, Asterix, Calvin & Hobbes  !! I was happy to see the collection and picked up few books.

Happy Singh ….

‘Above all – and I am repeating this because it is so important – don’t  be afraid  to be yourself and to be honest . If you write fearlessly and candidly you have to be prepared to pay the price’ – Khushwant Singh in Khuswantnama. He definitely was fearless, candid, simple writer, whose short stories I had read and studied as part of English curriculum, and whose column I remember reading in ‘Illustrated Weekly’ during my childhood days and ofcourse his jokes … 
The tribune  ‘Our well-loved Santa and Banta owe a lot to the bespectacled sardarji, with his untidy turban, sitting in a bulb and scrawling through sheets of paper every day: Khushwant Singh, of course. He made the Santa-Banta jokes popular indeed by carrying them as a tailpiece in his weekly columns and then compiling them in best-selling books that adorn the kiosks at bus stands and railway stations’

It was coincidence that just couple of days  before his death( on March 20^th) I read 2 of his books, and one was Khushwantnama his last book which got published last year when he was 98 years old  and I had noted down some of the things which I felt were worth noting down … tWhat I like about his writing is the simplicity , very simple language which anyone can understand and his honesty and his ability to make fun of himself … in his last book Khuswantnama - towards the end of the book he narrates his experience of undergoing ‘endoscopy’ few years back and I could stop laughing loudly for atleast 10 mins tears rolling down my cheeks, when my daughter came from her room asking what happened ….. such was his talent ….

Quoting Khushwant Singh on different topics which when I read I exclaimed ‘yes yes you are absolutely right Khuswant ji’ …