Fiza Pathan's Blog, page 3

Review-God's Pauper Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis by Nikos Kazantzakis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


BOOK : God's Pauper
Author : Nikos Kazantzakis


A flawless masterpiece about the devotion of a true devotee.....that is the story of God's Pauper written by Nikos Kazantzakis. The epic story of the life of one of the greatest Saints in the world is narrated in a very lucid & yet heart wrenching fashion that makes the reader one with the pain & passion of the man behind the Saint.

Being a very passionate believer & student of the Franciscan way of life, I find this book quite in keeping with not only history but also with the current ideas religious personalities have about the pain behind the total annihilation of the ego (flesh in the case of Saint Francs Of Assisi). Kazantzakis in a very simple way reveals to the reader not only the life of Saint Francis. The writer does us a favour infact which I shall be ever grateful to him as a reader.....he makes the life of this pauper very REAL ! We generally find the lives of most of the Christian saints highly above our normal dealings & therefore most of the time ignore their life histories as well as their writings which seem rather dogmatic....not in keeping with our practical mindset. Kazantzakis is aware of this failing & therefore, brings out the true side of Saint Francis Of Assisi.....the struggling man to become one with his creator. It is not the lofty saint that we encounter in this classic work but, the lowly man trapped by his love for God & the desires of his flesh which he wishes to overcome. The person that we witness in this narrative is the human being that signifies ALL of us with all our faults, yet wishing to love God in perfection sans faults & sinful ways.
This is not merely a religious document, but a mirror into the heart & mind of one of the greatest mystics of the Medieval Age in Europe. Infact, I would not be wrong if I stated that this novel is the life story of a revolutionary. Saint Francis of Assisi indeed was a revolutionary not only where his thinking was concerned but also his ideals on the way his society was progressing. Kazantzakis brings to us that revolutionary.

The story is narrated by St. Francis’ close comrade & fellow friar Brother Leo who although not all that divinely in tune with God (unlike his friend St. Francis) yet loves St. Francis to such an extent that he goes through the worst of situations to prove his loyalty & devotion. Brother Leo in this novel undergoes the hardships of whipping, self-torture, weather changes, sickness, hunger, thirst, mental turmoil etc., all because of his loyalty toward the person he considers to be quite sure about everything heavenly. More than just the narrator however, Brother Leo in this novel signifies…all our doubts…the scepticism that we are born with & in more than one way does he bring out his doubts. Through him, it is we who are questioning the authenticity of God & the divine call of St. Francis. Just like Brother Leo, we do not question because we think we are more than human….we question because WE ARE HUMAN & can a mere human become a saint ? Can a human give up the longings of the flesh ? Can a mere human overcome the impossible ?....these are questions posed to us & by us throughout the book.

The characters in this story may have been moulded in a different way by the author to not break the rhythm of the narrative….but they all did exist, this is history, this is fact. Not only was there the ever loyal but doubtful Brother Leo but there was also the loving Saint Clare who followed in St. Francis’ footsteps ; not only was there a devoted Lady Pica the mother of St. Francis but also the crafty Brother Elias who twists the rule of St. Francis to his own liking & for his own self glory. These were REAL people like you & me who lived during troubled times & yet were asking the same questions about God & humanity that we are asking today.

The author himself has stated in the novel that he has added many stories from his own imagination at times so as to link together certain intricate parts of the legend of this peculiar medieval saint. He does so to merge the myth with the truth to bring out the essence of St. Francis’ teachings.

The extraordinary part of the book is that, the wild passion of the human soul is dramatized to perfection that even if an atheist were to read this book, he would be pulled in with this tide of emotional outbursts. The maniacal side of the Saint is seen by us & also accepted by us maybe because we realize that he is one of us. His passion was for God whereas currently our passion may be for many other concerns like Democracy, elimination of corruption, feminism, Global warming , communalism……it could be anything, but we all have our own goals & our own personal barometers to assess whether we have achieved our goal. The fanatic following of the revolutionary ideals of perfect poverty, perfect chastity & perfect obedience by St. Francis reminds us of our own fanaticism to our own ideals. His extraordinary way of living…..his stigmata….his fasts……..his bleeding body……..his hunger…..his yearning for Saint Clara…….his semi blindness all shows a level of extreme that was revolutionary for its time & age. It was not accepted readily of course & he resented it much, but did not complain. His job was to show the passion of his devotion to the world, which he did……which we daydream about too…….to show our ‘different’ ideas to the world which wants us to conform with its own set rules. St. Francis in the novel & in real life never followed the bandwagon but was always standing apart & therefore went the distance.

The novel finally is a revelation into our own hearts & minds……..what is our real mission in life ? To conform to something that is not right or to change the rules….even if it takes us to the brink of insanity…..or sainthood!




View all my reviews

The bane of exams-in a lighter vein

FIGHT TO THE FINISH.........BOARDS ARE ON THE HEAD (to put it in a very lame Mumbai way) & all my students are going crazy. The only person who is calm......is of course me......I do not have to give the exam after all....he-he-he-he.....Oh I love to see the tortured looks on their faces, it brings back such fond memories of the time I was giving the 10th standard board exam.......I wanted the ground to open up & me to be sucked into it !!!........especially on the day we had (can't bear to even type it).....Maths (YUCK !!!!) Maths was always Greek to me & during the exam time, it almost became a mix of Greek & Tamil languages I am not familiar with......everyone seemed to be carefree that year (2005) except me, I wanted to sink into the Arabian sea (our school was bang opposite the alleged sea)......if not the Bay Of Bengal, although water is water you know & yet if you have taught Geography (they way they teach it in Mumbai) you know that the water is not the same water that you used to think was water !!! That December was a horrible one, we celebrated Christmas as if it was Good Friday.....we did not even get a Christmas tree as Younger Uncle that year lost the old Christmas tree in a Colaba cab somewhere near Mulund......we had to make do with the chocolate fudge & some stale cheese cake which smelt a lot like the Bandra gutters. That time none of the cats I knew were even born....I had only a single male cat back then whose name was Kevin & I was adopted by a cock which I named Plato. Exams....exams.....exams......but one thing is for sure, this too shall pass......unless.....that 21st of December ??? Well I don't mind, I will die a graduate with a professional degree.....! (Yeah I was born nuts)

CLASSICS-Why children should be encouraged to read them

In my school we were always given an option during the library period. Either we could read a fiction book (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Princess Diaries, Harry Potter,etc) from the selection on the table next to the giant chart of South America or we could stand in a line & enter the inner part of the library where we could choose a classic to read (all abridged).

Being a person of a very unusual temperament, I used to go for the fiction collection. Later on after we were banned from the library because we were in the librarians words , "Evil under the sun", I started to ask my Younger Uncle for books & he presented me with classics. At first I made a wry face & bellowed like a bull but then I turned a page...that got me rolling alright. Then on I realized that, my mind was getting broader & I could ace my English papers with ease.....why ? because I was reading classics.

Classics are those books which have been written by the some of the best authors in the world. These stories or novels were excellent beyond words & so in time, they were hailed as classics, meaning something that will last for all time. There are a variety of great authors who have written stories that have not only been good but have been popular for many generations. The saying goes that we become what we read & if we read good literature...well....we rock !

Classics can be a century old, two centuries old or even a story come from the B.C. period. They are amazing & very informative. Some marvellous classic authors are :

1) Lewis Carroll

2) Charles Dickens

3) Jules Verne

4) H. G. Wells

5) Rudyard Kipling

6) Johanna Spyri

7) Homer & many - many more

Classics can be read over & over again & can improve your vocabulary in a weeks time of reading. Some great classics are :

1) Around The World In Eighty Days

2) Oliver Twist

3) David Copperfield

4) Time Machine

5) Treasure Island

6) Little Women

7) Heidi

8) The Invisible Man

9) Dracula

10) Anne Of Green Gables

11) What Katy Did ?

12) Journey To The Center Of The Earth

13) Kim

14) Black Beauty

15) Dr. Dolittle

16) The Wizard Of Oz

17) Moby Dick

18) The Secret Garden

19) Ivanhoe

20) The Black Arrow & many more

So, what are you waiting for, grab a classic & get on with your reading. If you want more options, google it or find it on Amazon.

Reading is fun & reading classics is extra fun.
Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories

Alice Adventures In Wonderland-in a lighter vein

OBSESSION.......my students are obsessed with Lewis Carroll all of a sudden. They are reading 'Alice Adventures In Wonderland'...OVER & OVER & OVER AGAIN !!! I admit, its entirely my fault, I think I made the literature poem of 'You Are Old Father William' so damn interesting that now they all want to write their own version of the Alice story. One has already started.....he is a 3rd grader.....his version is titled 'Alice's Adventures In South India Along With Rajnikanth'. Now.......I informed him as a dutiful teacher that it is not possible.....no title can exceed more than six words, so he will have to change his title.
There is a 7th grader also at it, but in a different way......he is FILMING his version where I am Alice & Mumbai is wonderland as well as the Motherland! My mother finds all this rather silly while Younger Uncle is all game & wants to play the role of the Mad Hatter. He has even invited the kids to watch the Disney movie on our T.V this Saturday.....with popcorn & ice cream......(I am going to die....that day is my salad eating day.
Younger Aunt is waiting to play the role of the mad cook who is obsessed with pepper & sprays it on everything & everyone in sight while we have all decided to keep mother as the Queen Of Hearts........who goes on saying : OFF WITH THEIR HEADS.....but this time, mother will be shouting : OFF WITH YOUR MARKS IN LITERATURE !!! Younger Uncle has warned me next time not to teach so well that my students go overboard.
Right now, Younger Aunt is preparing a weird sort of tea that is making all of us in the house sneeze & cough. We asked her what it is & she said it is Masala Tea. We then asked her why was she making it........she said...well that's another story.
S.O.S. Animals And Other Stories

Musings-in a lighter vein

DRUNKARD IN THE NIGHT……..last night as usual, I spent my time outside my house on the front step with Lopez the cat & Brownie the cat reading. It was around 3 o’clock in the morning when I saw him. He was about the same age as me with a lot of matted hair that made him look like a city version of Mowgli….but he was dead drunk. Lopez the cat on seeing him was unmoved (cats are like that, they think they are like gods….can’t blame them as they were worshiped on a large scale at an earlier date by the Egyptians) & so was Brownie. Being with cats most of the time, I too was unmoved & kept on reading about a story of a moving coffin…….when suddenly the blasted drunkard was right infront of my gate ……staring straight at me. You would think now that I would be scared stiff & flee like a fat jelly fish back into my house along with the puss cats……but your wrong….for I have spent 23 years of my lifetime at night outside & I have seen that there is nothing to be afraid of in the night than fear itself ; besides…I was too comfortable to get up. The drunkard like those fiendish women crazy villains you see in Bollywood movies tried to talk me in to open the gate. It was then that Lucifer came for his midnight supper (the largest male bat of my fruit tree) & sat upside down on my left arm tearing a bit at my flesh as I fed him his favourite orange pieces……..that poor drunkard ran for his life screaming that I was a demon from the pit & dropped his bottle of neat whisky in the bargain. I know where he stays as his folks are account holders with Younger Uncle…….I will return it to him right now, but first I must see if the centipedes have had their breakfast.Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories

On Vampires-in a lighter vein

EDWARD CULLEN........the character from the Twilight series is now a hot favorite at tuitions. Every kid who is coming to this house is talking about the vampire. One even wrote a composition on the blood sucking creature (the topic was 'My Greatest Fantasy'). Mother is demanding to know who 'Cullen' is while Younger Uncle wants to know where we put the mosquito repellent (???) Some of the 8th grade
girls want me to write a book on vampires.....I asked them what category :

1) The Blood Sucking Kind

2) The Political Blood Sucking Kind

They said I could do a sort of blending & mixing which made Younger Uncle feel quite nauseated (he hates anything that sucks blood). After they left, the family & I sat in our hall & contemplated the plight of vampires & dal curry mixed in blood (the latter was a gross contribution from Younger Aunt's sordid imagination). We would have contemplated more on the matter but then.....the 6th graders walked in......they had apparently a very important science topic to study.......'THE LIFE OF A LEECH'..........it then occurred to Younger Uncle a dazzling (but gross) idea for a vampire story.......it would be an Indian politician who was bitten by a vampire leech (trust Younger Uncle to think of this one) & who followed the movements of another politician & fell in love with her & bit her too....changing her into a vampire leech & both of them sucked the blood & money of the poor income tax paying (& non-paying) nation where they had to fight a battle with giant Social Workers who were actually mosquitoes (the dengue kind....he told me that the malaria kind could appear in the next series)........eek !

Review of The Devil Rides Out

This was the first time I came across a book by Dennis Wheatley & I am glad to say I was not disappointed.
The novel is intense & the plot is intriguing as well as a revelation. The book is a classic when it comes to the Thriller/Horror genre. The author has done full justice to the main theme of the novel which is, 'Black magic' or as a more informed person would put it, the dangers of the 'Left Hand'. The novel narrates in a very educative way, the mysteries of the Satanists who as we are well aware of have been in existence for many a century. It brings to our notice the peril behind a practitioner of the dreaded dark arts with an unusual twist in the narrative which confounds our rationality but, being informed of certain aspects of theosophy, theology, mysticism & the occult....we are able to fully comprehend. I admire the professionalism of the author with regards to his thorough research on the matter including his in depth study of the esoteric arts & ancient history. His advanced mind is portrayed through the personage of De Richleau who abhors every bit of the dark side to magic & mysticism. He is the real 'hero' if one may put it, of the novel who fights against the evil forces that threaten to bring the world on the brink of another war on a grand scale (the author here refers to the 'Great War' which we know today as the 'First World War')
The novel is fast paced & yet not inadequate in the knowledge it tries to bring to the limelight. It is a highly shocking novel about how a Jewish friend of De Richleau & Rex Van Ryn gets seriously & dangerously involved in the blasphemous activities of Satanists. There follows the fight for the very soul of the Jewish young man,Mr. Simon Aron between the diabolic Satanist Mocata & Simon's true friends who wish him to rid himself of all that is evil. The characters in the story are all risk takers including Mocata the villain himself (he in frustration almost tries to seize Simon during the daytime when Satanists are at their weakest) yet, they are all true men of their beliefs & interestingly enough, it is a well balanced & highly strong willed woman (Marie Lou) who saves one and all from a calamity worse that death.
What I most appreciate about this novel is the way the author through his various characters, educates the reader as to the reason to believe in the forces of darkness.....& he manages to convince us very well indeed. The author I have noticed has divided his characters based on their level of skepticism or knowledge of the mystical. Rex Van Ryn is highly skeptical but easy to convince as his knowledge about the esoteric arts is nil (his only interests in life being planes & women); Richard Eaton, another character is also highly skeptical & remains so for a great length of time because of his knowledge about many matters (he may not believe in Black Magic, but he is aware about the practices of Bhraminism, Buddhism & Taoism as mentioned in the book); His wife Marie Lou on the other hand due to her Russian background is quite a believer & is well informed about witches & vampires ; Simon Aron (who causes all the trouble in the first place) is a person ready to learn new subjects that can aid him personally (if not where his shares are concerned). The novel does not lose its grip on the reader & manages to convey its spine tingling fear across. We feel the 'evil' of the devil & long for the light of righteousness to prevail. The best part about the book is that....the reader may be from any intellectual background but the author through many authentic records makes the reader believe what HE wants the reader to believe.
Each chapter is well written & makes ones heart race. Two part of the novel which I want to highlight here are 'The Sabbat' & 'Within The Pentacle'. Both resonate with suspense & horror beyond words.....the most grotesque form of terror possible.....the scariest part of it is that, such things do take place & that is marrow chilling enough which is escalated with the authors excellent narrating skills. From the two chapters mentioned above...the one that made my blood run cold was 'The Sabbat' especially the image of 'The Goat Of Mendes' that was described to perfection by the author.
On a scholarly note, the book is also a good way for a materialistic person to contemplate on the works of great writers of Theology & Philosophy. Although I myself am very much a reader of the fantastic, I realized through the 'The Devil Rides Out' that there were many works I still needed to get my hands on & read. The information in the book is a guaranteeing antidote to a person who likes a bit of mind work in his fiction.
But there is a moral in this work of art.....as stated by Wheatley himself through the person of De Richleau....one must not delve into something one does not know about.....especially not Black Magic. I am of the opinion that this statement in the book is very much in keeping with the theme & also is a practical suggestion on the whole.....although at first, it sounded a lot like a warning.
To conclude, I must state that the book is a masterpiece in its own right & is a must for ever reader to possess. Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories

#Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories

I have written and published my new book "Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories", which is available for sale on Amazon, both as a paperback and kindle edition. It has also been published through Smashwords, in digital format.

This collection brings together, a variety of bizarre Christmas stories never heard before. From creepy dark catacombs to a haunted winter wonderland, this treasury brings with it, a mystical side to Christmas and the birth of a legendary baby. Whether deep in a forest of India or back in time in Bethlehem, 'Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories' brings to its readers the holy, the Almighty, the haunted, the obsession, the innocent, the magical and the reason to celebrate.
Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories

Review of The Talkative Man

Talkative Man by R.K. Narayan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book : Talkative Man
Author : R.K. Narayan

This book of the 'Grand Old Man Of Malgudi' was written in 1983 but still shows the simple Indian town of Malgudi in its unique rustic setting which makes the book a very pleasant read. The author in this book seems to want to focus on characters rather than incidents which helps us to put ourselves in the places of the characters portrayed by R.K.Narayan. The novel is comparatively a short one. The author in the postscript himself states that he needed to finish the story itself with its suspense on page 116 & thoroughly justifies his action which appeals to the contemporary Indian reader. He also states that he wanted to focus on his characters in the story especially on the character of the fraud & cassanova Dr. Rann which the author does well enough for the reader to love & hate the character at the same time.

What intrigues me about this novel was the way the author has analysed his characters. There is an equal amount of action in this novel as well as drama in a very humorous form (very much like R.K.Narayan) to keep a reader wanting to know what will come next. There are the usual Malgudi characters in this story who as usual bring out the rich flavor of the book but also adds to its intricacy. I highly appreciated this work for the way it described the charisma of a born flirt & his Home Guard (equipped with pistol) wife Sasara.

The first mention that I want to make in regard to the literary value of this piece of art is, the role of protagonist.,ie.,the Talkative Man himself ! This personage has been appearing in most (if not all) of Narayan's literary attempts. He is never referred to by his real name at all except the pet name bestowed on him which is that of a very 'Talkative Man'. He is also called TM for short.....but never by his personal name. (except once where an old school friend refers to him as Madhu in this very book itself for the first time) the reason behind the non-usage of the name is plain & simple...Narayan wishes this intellectual character to remain sans emotion & sans opinion & what best way to create an impersonal character than by just not giving the character a name or any over ruling emotion. I can state this for, it is a truth that TM does not really have an emotional side to him at all. He is a rich person in his own right, who lives on the famous Kabir Street of Malgudi but does not like to be idle. He therefore spends his time as a freelance journalist, roaming about the streets of Malgudi for stories which he can post to his publishers. (somewhat like R.K.Narayan himself during his days as a journalist)TM has no family & is not married which again adds to his anonymity. He speaks a lot & carries tales of the residents to others, similar to the celestial sage Narada in Hinduism whom Narayan is most obsessed with. Yet, he is trusted by his friends & is genuinely a very helpful individual.

The second ingredient that was very remarkable in this Narayan edition was the person of the infamous Dr. Rann.Now, Dr. Rann has been described in detail in this manuscript but he does not speak much throughout the novel. His 'women' or the women in his life whom he had duped really tell us more about the character of Dr. Rann than Dr. Rann himself. He is the crux of the whole story & the reader will note that Dr. Rann's character is not only a novelty to Malgudi, but also to us himself. We cannot stop our curiosity about the man & his vague 'research' about futurology which seems as peculiar as the person professing it in question. Dr. Rann has some charm about him that endears him not only to TM but also to women.....be them his seniors or his juniors. He seems to know this trait about himself. He tries to avoid its complexes, yet can't do without it. this brings out a very human side of the character we involuntarily admire & laugh at.

The activities of the characters are brisk just like TM himself & rather mysterious (like Dr. Rann & the librarian's grand daughter who meet at a Protestant Cemetery to court each other)
But the resemblance of these characters in our own selves is evident.
Humour is at its peak in this novel, although its short lived as the novel ends quite quickly. All in all however, a perfect read for a reader who enjoys his characters.




View all my reviewsS.O.S. Animals And Other Stories

Biographies and Autobiographies

In my school days I never used to read biographies or autobiographies . I used to find them pretty uninspiring & most of the time unconvincing for some reason. It was only in college that I started to read famous biographies official & unofficial as well as autobiographies. The first autobiography I read was ‘Mein Kamph’ by Adolf Hitler which nauseated me. However, the historical detail of the whole narrative interested me & therefore I took it upon myself to read a few more biographies & autobiographies for this purpose. The next book I came across was ‘Goodbye Shahzadi’ which was a political biography of the late Benazir Bhutto by Shyam Bhatia. She had at that point of time been recently assassinated & so all books based on her life were out in the market. I was most intrigued about the political scenario that led to the assassination of the leader that I purchased the book from Crosswords inspite of my apprehensions towards the genre that I was indulging myself in. Political issues are always a matter of debate, but what I genuinely liked about the book was the personality of the women it spoke about. I almost felt that I was empathising with her to a certain degree. That struck as odd as beyond historical facts, I normally never indulge myself into the emotional aspect of the material at hand….& yet this time, I did.

This encouraged me to pick an autobiography of Benazir Bhutto which again I found in the market titles as ‘Daughter Of The East’. I now knew that my interest in biographies was giving me a further understanding not only about history & politics but also about feelings & an insight into personalities that were foreign to my own way of analysing my environment. The complete metamorphosis took place when I was 19 years old & when I read the autobiography of T. Lobsang Rampa which was ‘The Third Eye’. This autobiography transformed my life & my field of study which has had an impact on me till this day. The oriental story of a Lama led me to comprehend history, philosophy as well as literature at the same time. I from that moment forward continued to read biographies till this day.

Biographies have a way of telling the story of a person’s life. It is always biased, for history in the form of the written word has always known to be biased. But, by reading such a genre, one gets to understand two personalities :
The person being written about
The author of the biography

Controversial features also are apparent especially regarding texts that have been penned before our time, yet they are unique in their own way…they tell a story in their own way which fascinates as well as educates. Autobiographies on the other hand are often one sided & more often than not, defensive in nature, but that’s always bound to be. Here however, I want to make special mention of an autobiography I read about one of my favourite guitar players, Dave Mustaine ‘Mustaine A Life In Metal’ which not only was candid but also very humorous.

Biographies as the old saying goes, teaches us about the lives of people of the past who have tried & either failed, given up or won. Our parents encourage us to read biographies to be inspired by the personalities spoken about at length. It's good in a way…..it depends on who we have stumbled upon however. I have a theory on this though. I am inclined to believe that biographies educate while autobiographies inspire. When I read ‘The Story Of My Life’ by Helen Keller, it inspired me to see beyond myself which has had an impact not only on my writings but also on my teaching which is remarkable (I do not easily get carried away by anyone or any event). My students say that I have got the mightiest number of biographies related to the ‘King Of Rock & Roll’….Elvis Presley, yet it is strange that the biography that really told me the truth about the singer was one written by his wife titled ‘Elvis & Me’. That proves that not only is a biography subjective but also the person reading it.

I have also known biographies to create ‘monsters’ as well as ‘angels’ (two of my 6th grade students picked a biography to read once. One read ‘Mandela’ by Ann Kramer while the other read ‘Confessions Of An Heiress’ by Paris Hilton which pretty much sums it up doesn’t it).

But biographies have been in print (or inked) long before we knew how to write a fast track novel. They have been the stuff our past leaders, painters, artists, scientists etc., have been reading to keep themselves going. Biographies & autobiographies are the way a human tells about humanity….personalized which may not be all that historically true….but its all about the heart of the matter, & I guess one has to take a que from the stalwarts to really know the meaning of a whole life.

So my idea is……to read as many biographies as possible…..to make a difference….to educate……& just to live the life of a person I can never be….or who knows ?