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Reading Progress 2023
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Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: “To spend time with her mother was to get a running commentary on the contents of her mind – an incessant barrage of thoughts and sub-thoughts and random observations, each in itself insignificant but cumulatively overwhelming.”
Paul Murray has written probably one of the most earnest tragicomic books ever. At more than 600 pages, the book pickles each of it's characters in thoughts, events and opinions that the second time round you know what they might do.
Dickie's car sales business is on a decline and the middle class family is facing financial troubles just around the time his daughter Cass has to go to college. Cass, with her manipulative friend, Elaine is going through the discovery phase with boyfriends, rebellion and sexual experimentation. Her mother Emelda, a true beauty, who finds herself in an unhappy marriage spending more than they could earn, is at first glance a caricature. Till you know her brought up. There is the kid brother PJ whose world between video games and spotting squirrels is genuinely trying to help his family get out of crisis.
Downward spirals are a plenty in Irish work - but the style of the book and the creative genius sets this book apart. By the time you read the brilliant set piece of the last part, the parts and sentences you dismissed as "meaningless" started to take new shape. In that sense, this book reminded me of Julian Barnes's brilliant Sense of an ending.
The book surprisingly is laugh out loud at places in the most unexpected manner. Like when a playboy tries a trick married women to sleep with him or how a poetry teacher's face book page and personal life lead to a poem that is mostly erotica. This is a book that understands human relations too well and does not hesitate to show characters in their vulnerable imperfections.
Definitely can understand why this is a favorite at this year's booker.
Mod
Rating: 2/5
Review: The thing about classics read much later is the loss of relevance and context. This book written in 1915 as a template of war/spy adventure has evolved so much with the likes of Ian Fleming and John Le Carre that a prototype is more a museum item.
Richard Hannay is bored in London after his stint in Rhodesia and just when he is about to give up, a neighbor who fakes his own death seeks asylum after stumbling onto an international spy ring. When he gets killed, Hannay is on the run from both police and the dangerous network who have access to monoplanes(!). Of course the international spies can't identify their quarry even if he shaves off his beard or wears a coat. This dumbing down of diabolical villains was a let down.
Also, luck plays a huge role in the adventure. The Kind of people who the on-the-run hero runs into are either too significant, too gullible or too naïve. This departure from an intelligent hero or rather not needing the same was tough to digest. First person narrative has it's own limitations.
Classic that gets sterotyped as boring.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: “I had not lost my faith—I still have not—but I had lost my belief in the exact ways I had been brought up to follow my faith in. It did not make sense any more—this intense hatred and violence being practiced in the name of a religion that stood for peace, this endless nitpicking bureaucratic intolerance being practiced in the name of a God whose most common attributes, as I had been told from the time I was an infant, were mercy and forgiveness!”
This coming from a militant bride in a camp in Syria is the fine balance that the book is able to establish - especially in times we live in. Tabish Khair has handled some really tough plots, but this book was raw and real unflinching from the consequence of choices.
Ameena and Jamila are in high school in London from two very different families but both essentially muslim. While Jamila is the devout one with hijab and mild serious orientation, Ameena is courting boys and smoking cigarettes. Jamila's branded unquestioning faith helps Ameena recover from a breakup and soon the two girls are attending mosque discussions. They come across a charismatic internet influencer Hejjiye who is on the lookout for brides for the Syrian jihadis. When developments in London increases the gap between Hejjiye's strict Islam and their parent's diluted Islam, and the disinformation between western media, it makes them run away to Syria.
The next section set in the orphanage run by Hejjiye in Syria almost reads like a documentary with almost no stereotyping - just people with extremely strong convictions. The slow change in Jamila's beliefs is shown very well with minor episodes. When two Kurdish women soldiers are taken prisoners Jamila is suddenly rethinking her choices. Of course, the story gets much bigger and dramatic after Ameena comes back.
The core of the book is compassion towards all it's characters. From the POV of Jamila, every influence of her's loves Islam including the peace loving family, revolutionary Kurds, Ameena in her own way and of Hassan and the other Jihadis. And so the realisation that the religion doesn't have anything to do with the actions of it's characters. The subtext speaks louder. The only nitpick was the lack of flow despite some very clever reveals to keep you hooked.
Definitely worth a read
Mod
Rating: 5/5
RevieW: What a cracker of a book! On reflection, In thriller as a genre, what scares you the most is the unknown. This book with more fear driven conjectures than solid resolutions ticks all the boxes. This timely book set in Bengaluru, exploring the mindset of a family man bought up in village is a study of human nature.
Venkataramana who yields to his peers and becomes "Venkat" considers himself a liberal man who is reasonably successful and happy with his wife Viji and daughter Rekha. When one day some goons turn up at their door in search of his daughter who is in his village, the next four sleepless days with so many twists makes us question what we know for certain (of the narrator too). The events, rather than coherently building up to a story, opens new doors and unsettles Venkat and you.
There are so many subtexts in the seemingly simple narrative. One category is the more macro themes around caste, prejudices, influences of ideas such as naxalism, political hooliganism and cut throat journalism. On the other hand is the domestic casual patriarchy, sexism, adolescent rebellion and an unsaid angst of getting used to changing times. Does a man who grew up in a conservative patriarchal household with secrets adapt to being a liberal city dwelling family man? Isn't this the story of most people who have now become the working class?
The characters of Viji and Rekha are written well. Viji's transformation from the new bride in an arranged marriage to the practical parent is so subtly suggested. Also her sharp comments that could be innocent or loaded as per the context keeps you (and Venkat) wondering. Rekha who challenges her dad at every opportunity and her secretiveness from the POV of the father haunts you. You are never sure what is the family dynamic in the household.
Vivek Shanbagh has already established himself as the voice of new Indian novels. With Srinath Perur's translation that still keeps it Indian, I found the flavor of reading a regional book. Ex: Pouring Ghee in the fire instead of changing it to adding fuel to fire is a smart translation.
A book that will be as discussed as Ghachar Ghochor.
Mod
Rating: 2/5
Review: “He was not innocent in the sense of being blameless, but in the sense of being oblivious to the greater, probably utter, catastrophe into which the, yes, artless graciousness of bringing the school and lessons would draw them all.”
This was a book that, the foreboding of things to happen serves as a distraction from what the author wants to focus on. I felt let down by the book for taking such a powerful topic of Eugenics in history that resulted in the displacement of an entire island and failing to make it a horror and not putting up a resistance.
I am not sure the author was confident enough writing the black and mixed race inhabitants of the Island whose day to day life was anything but normal. A man who paints the relics on the inside of a tree, a lady who talks with the ghost of her dad, a special child and feral dogs. What would it take to make them lead boring lives so that the injustice of it all comes to the fore.
I felt Matthew Diamond was probably the best written. The teacher who had an internal revulsion for the inhabitants and yet suffering from white guilt trying to make amends for bringing the island to the attention of Eugenics committee. Ethan hunt the painting prodigy who is "saved" from the island seems too taken by happenings in his own life. Like his affair with another Islander which ultimately gets him into trouble.
I felt distracted through most of the book waiting for the inevitable. The author's prose which was a bit high handed did not help either.
Glad this got into shortlist which will help more people understand the violent and shameful history of nations (and science). But, I think this is not the best book in the shortlist.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: “It is a lot like inflating a blimp with a bicycle pump. Anybody can do it. All it takes is time."
How good it would have been to attend a writing masterclass of Mr.Vonnegut. Sound advice delivered with oodles of common sense and a great sense of humor. Except the book is hearsay and while the intent is to convey what Kurt delivered, it soon becomes an added commentary on Vonnegut's outlook on life.
The first part of the book where it was structured around his lectures - the failures before publishing, keeping it simple, the art of repetition, the use of visual markers for communication (Breakfast of champions) and use of humor - were inspiring. Whether the book is for any writer or a writer who loves Vonnegut is debatable. The author adds her own interpretations and quotes from his many book.
The practical advice of revision and editing is something everyone who has put pen to paper would know. The first draft detachment that Mr.Vonnegut insists on or having a secondary income due to uncertainty are probably the closest it comes to reality. His own rejections that the author supports with archived letters and communications explains the points.
The parts around Vonnegut's sexism, his family and depression were made relevant, but it seemed more like a thesis. Not to take away anything, but there were times when I felt the author was just using Vonnegut to write her own book.
If and when I decide to put pen to paper (or keyboard), this is the book I will want by my side. Recommend the book summary for writers who are not readers.
Mod
RAting: 4/5
Review: Murder by Other means, the second book in the dispatcher series is a much more cerebral thriller than the first one. Maybe because we have evil genius villians or there is little less of chance - this book you root for the heroes to crack.
How do you commit murder in a world where 99.9% of victims come back to life? While this is being exploited for all sorts of crazy gigs including bank robbery, thrill junkies and business deals - Tony Valdez has just found himself in trouble with the cops when one of the bank robbers is murdered. Followed by this are a few inexplicable suicides which have lower probability.
The book does invoke a trope of an powerful external help but then that is a acceptable in a weird plot like this. I felt the police partner is a bit unexplored. To be read in series since it has a lot of spoilers for the first book.
Fun series.
Mod
RAting: 4/5
Review: "Certainty was to curiosity what the sun was to the wings of Icarus. Where one shone forcefully, the other couldn't survive. With certainty came arrogance; with arrogance, blindness; with blindness, darkness; and with darkness, more certainty. This he called, the converse nature of convictions.”
The chaos of the confused. As I was reading this book, I so wanted to be in a classroom again where you were anything but certain and ideas could flow through questions and debates. Ms.Shafak gives words to complex emotions while painting Istanbul in purple.
The book starts of with Peri, a middle aged mother, getting robbed at a signal with her daughter watching and she chasing the perpetrator to recover her pride. A polaroid from a forgotten time falls out of her purse during the process that opens a wormhole to her time at Oxford. Alternating between the "now", a dinner party of the capitalist hypocrites of Istanbul and "then" the polar childhood between a religious mother and a faithless father - the book plays with words and philosophies that strike a chord.
“In many parts of the world you were what you said and what you did and, also, what you read; in Turkey, as in all countries haunted by questions of identity, you were, primarily, what you rejected. It seemed that the more people went on about an author, the less likely it was that they had read their books.”
Elif Shafak's Istanbul is not as nefarious as Pamuk's and not as angry as Ravi Hage's, but comes out more as a victim of middling - between the European influence and the cultural past. It seems to changes shape based on the situation - like when the story starts escalating, the casual sexism and hypocrisy gets replaced by terror attacks and break-ins. The escalation of Peri's story seems intertwined with what is happening in one night over the dinner.
The biggest high is the God debate. Be it Peri's God Diary or Shirin's atheistic monologues or Mona's passionate defence of her Allah, attempting to define God keeps you mid rapture. The portrayal of Azur as Evil or a trouble maker all through was maybe not as justified. Interestingly Azur from Persian is the root word of "Asura" in Sanskrit which means demon.
I felt the ending was a bit rushed - like the page count came in the way of a much more poignant discussion and closure. But then, like in life, sometimes all you get is half a chance. Loved the book and the way it made me think. Elif Shafak to me is a genius.
“God was a maze without a map, a circle without a Centre; the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that never seemed to fit together. If only she could solve this mystery, she could bring meaning to senselessness, reason to madness, order to chaos, and perhaps, too, she could learn to be happy.”
“Early on she learned that there was no fight more hurtful than a family fight, and no family fight more hurtful than one over God.”
As i read the arguments which touched upon Gaza and the plight of women or the generalization based on religion, I could not help the gruesome images of the genocide in Gaza popping in my head. Hope this stops soon.
Mod
Rating: 5/5
Review: “You can’t understand command till you’ve had it. It’s the loneliest, most oppressive job in the whole world. It’s a nightmare, unless you’re an ox. You’re forever teetering along a tiny path of correct decisions and good luck that meanders through an infinite gloom of possible mistakes.”
What great storytelling! This book is almost a bildungsroman of a Navy officer where the narrative is completely controlled by the author.
Caine, like it's biblical cursed counterpart, is a dilapidated carrier designated a mine sweeper but mostly gathering dust in the harbour. It's officers have become lazy and given up on basic naval discipline like tucking their shirts or being presentable. When young Willie Keith gets assigned to the ship, he is already head over heels in love with a bar singer and he just wanted to not get into the army.
The people on the ship are a colorful assortment who are aware of their disarray. When new captain Kweeg comes onboard with a set of disciplines, it is seen as a welcome improvement. But soon, the crew seems to suspect the degree of actions. Over the next one year, with war calling, with many episodes, captain Kweeg's actions are built up towards an escalation between his orders and the crew's dissent.
The mutiny, in the midst of a typhoon, is in fact without drama a polite reaction which could have gone unnoticed. The courtmartial trial that follows and the susbsequent reactions are well rounded. The POV of Willie Keith from a seaman to the first in command to captains brings it one full circle.
If the book became a cult book, it is because of the way it challenges authority without putting them in the wrong. Today, with a war raging, the book seems more detatched from crimes and actions and reads more as a commentary on the non-questioning culture. Having brought up in an environment of questioning as disrespect, I could relate to the many facets of the book. Loved the points made by the lawyer in defence of unquestioning authority.
Great book.
Mod
Mod
Thanks Gorab. Congratulations to you too! This year there are atleast 4-5 books that you have recommended/loaned - so thank you for that!
Mod
Rating: 5/5
Review: This book was recommended to me after I wrote a long review on "Empire of Pain" dealing with the Sackler dynasty. As I was reading this riveting investigative piece, I could not help think this is a slap in the face for the great Make In India story. The books rips apart the cultural aspects of "chalta hai" and "Continuous Improvement" extending it to rampant corruption, criminal intent and ineffective central bodies.
Generic drugs are considered a boon for affordable healthcare where branded and patented drug's approved "knock-offs" are priced at almost 20-30% of the cost. This has been made possible by process reengineering in countries like India and China. Born out of Gandhian principles, the noble medicine-for-all attracted companies like Wockhardt and Ranbaxy to make it a hugely profitable enterprise cutting corners.
The investigative starts with the corner pieces of the puzzle and puts together a bomb. One narrative with a couple of conscientious employees at Ranbaxy stumbling onto data inconsistencies, One of doctors finding the generic drugs lacking efficacy as branded drugs, One of plant inspection audits and their methods and underlining the entire thing, the FDA processes and commentary on the loop holes. The book is relentless and bold as it stacks up allegations backed by data making a damning case of greed and lack of ethics.
I read a review which downplayed the entire article as a means to downcast Indian manufacturing. I don't think so. Having worked across manufacturing, I am aware of the difficulty in implementing GMP practices and how audits are delegated to separate teams. Instead of audits becoming validation of the processes - they become a process in itself making up SOPs, checklists and paper trails. So, when the shock of the FDA was being explained, I ended up reflecting back on the entire GMP journey losing essence.
Also, the continuing presence of drugs banned all over the world still available in India, is a concern that borders on negligence. With unchecked self medication and "knowledgeable pharmacists" - we are growing into a country of careless pill poppers. With an almost absent Tort action landscape in India and poor awareness of customer rights - we continue to ignore the cost of poor quality that impacts primarily the economically weaker segments.
This mirror to the Indian Pharma industry is a wake up call that is meant to make you feel unsettled. Maybe we need a curated response to feel some lesson has been learnt.
Mod
Rating: 3/5
Review: I can't help feel i would have appreciated the book more had it not been shortlisted. It comes across as a rather underwhelming coping of grief by distraction and bottling up. Is it realistic - sure, but is it something that gets you invested - not so much.
The story revolves around a family that has lost the mother. The father (Pa) with his three daughters tries to find his means of coping taking support from extended family and friends and his own love for squash. He takes his daughter Gopi under his wings and the story then centers around her. The dynamics of the family gets reduced to consolation or contemplation.
Coming to the squash court - I found the expression of grief through the sport a bit vague. Except for one episode involving the father and daughter on the court, it seemed more like a moving on with Ged and getting of a new racquet from her sister's earning. Also the status of her equation with Ged or Pa's dynamics with Ged's mother is an all new development which may or may not be related to grief.
Also, the short size of the book constraints the author from exploring the dynamics a bit more. Like how is the grief of the sisters adding to the family situation or how the coping mechanisms contrasting. I also didn't understand the later development involving uncle/aunt when Gopi expresses her concern about her Pa.
Not to belittle personal grief, but the scale and size of the storyline maybe did not create enough impact (in comparison to books that tore you apart - like Prophet Song or Pearl).
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: This is Consulting 101 for new and aspiring consultants to read. My first half year in consulting went in understanding the aspects mentioned in the book and the anxiety associated with navingating a firm. While there are definitely no silver bullets, there are indeed some cardinal sins as consultants which any good org drills into it's consultants from day 1.
Mckinsey is definitely one of the most comprehensive and rigorous training ground when it comes to consulting especially on strategy consulting. The best part about the book is that it tries to simplify rather than complicate and not preach with jargons. When you have a need to quickly comprehend an industry or the company as an outsider and come up with solutions you need the structured approach and tools prescribed in this book.
Concepts like MECE, Interviewing, Brainstorming and preparing the audience for steercoms, while may seem common sensical, are sidestepping professional landmines in consulting. The other life lesson on handling work like balance and avoiding burnout are still work in progress and a lot has changed since the book was written.
My two cents to add to what was already covered:
* Covet your personal space (physical and mental) when on projects. It is easy to yield to all consuming work and then feel drained out.
* Life as weekend husband/wife is not for everyone - so enjoy it early in your career or before your major life events.
* Always wear impeccable clothing and groom yourself like you are being judged. Power dressing is called that for a reason
* Always carry a good pen and a notepad of some use even in today's time of smart phones.
* When you spend more time at client location than with your peers it is very easy to lose sense of belonging. Don't forget it's the client>>firm>>you.
Recommend to any consultant.
Mod
Rating: 2/5
Review:It is easier to pack a book with twists when you undersell the intelligence of the main characters. This book made me ambivalent that I didn't foresee where the book was headed. I picked this for the author without knowing Colter Shaw was.
The book starts off as an industrial espionage with complex nuclear technology and this reward hunter who smartly gets off from a sticky position. In parallel we see a man getting parole and getting himself a gun. Soon the book changes shape into a family squabble and an engineer Alice Parker is running away with her daughter away from her husband. And Colter Shaw is now supposed to locate them and make them safe.
As a thriller, the book does keep you hooked, like a action movie. So much so that it felt the author was thinking of movie rights with extremely well choreographed action sequences and even a very nice equation between Colter Shaw and the adolescent. There are a few tossed in facts and trivia which are interesting.
To be honest, I found a hero as a "survivalist" too unconventional. I am not sure it worked for me though I understand Jack Reacher could have been an inspiration. Quick read nonetheless.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Reivew: Loitering with Intent is a near perfect balance of inventive, witty and verve. Muriel Sparks creates one of the most likeable characters in Fleur Talbot and writes a meta book on art and writing with a motely bunch of characters that are comically flawed.
Fleur is a young struggling writer living in a rented room hiding from the landlord. And yet she enjoys the wonder of being an artist and a woman in the twentieth century. She takes up a job as secretary to Sir Quentin Oliver, described as a psychological Jack the Ripper, who also heads the Autobiographical association. In quite a "novel" plot, Sir Quentin Oliver ghost alters the autobiographies of it's members and uses it to his own financial gain.
He makes a mistake when he robs Fleur's first novel which strangely seems to be the script of what is to happen to the characters in real. A bit Oscar Wildeish but it is said in a non-creepy fun manner that is filled with quirks. To make facts stranger than fiction, Ms. Sparks goes all in. For example, Fleur's friend Dottie is the wife of her lover who is gay. The wild writing is just the tip of the iceberg since there is a lot more skill at play - like when to reveal twists or how to write an unreliable character. Quentin Oliver's mother Edwina is a fun character as well.
The book sure demonstrates what a capable author Muriel Sparks is. It has been on my TBR for long and no better time to finish it than when the booker prize for the year is announced.
Mod
Rating: 3/5
Review: Did I understand how it processed its emotions? No. But I don’t understand how I process my emotions, either.”
The latest installment of Murderbot diaries is not as gripping as the best book in the series nor does it raise interesting points like it did in the previous books. So has the book reached that point where it's focus is going to be on action than ideas? I hope not.
The book starts off where network effect ended - in the middle of an action sequence fighting infected agribots. But murderbot is not fully ok and it seems to have episodes of lapse in concentration. Only good news is ART, the university and couple of his humans are there with him. When they get to know about another faction of the inhabitants who have moved to a remote part of the planet without contact and they need to be rescued. The corporation Barish-Estanza could not take over the planet, they want to colonise it's inhabitants as cheap labour and rebind them into a contract and they have more secunits with them.
There is almost an equivalent of existential angst in Secunit and the middle portions of negotiations seemed a lot like fiction emulating reality about who controls the narrative. BE and the university try to win over the people and this part made me lose my interest. By the time the action starts - it was much more toned down as compared to the previous book and you almost know what Secunit and ART will do to defeat secunits.
The element of awe has worn away and this series has become more of a franchise.
Mod
Rating: 5/5
Review: “Why make yourself miserable saying things like, "Why do we have such bad luck? What has God done to us? What have we done to deserve this?" - all of which, if you understand reality and take it completely into your heart, are irrelevant and unsolvable. They are just things that nobody can know. Your situation is just an accident of life.”
“We have found it of paramount importance that in order to progress we must recognize our ignorance and leave room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty—some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain.”
Way back in my teens I got hold of "Surely You must be joking, Dr.Feynman" and it changed my perspective on science and physicists. Buoyed by Mr.Feynman's curiosity and sense of humour, that was a book I would have recommended to everyone I met as a safe reco. This book, after almost 20 years, made me fall in love with this man's philosophy yet again!
The first part of the book deals with Dr.Feynman's childhood and the relationship with his first wife Arline. The chapters brim with his intelligence and curiosity. Later, when Arline falls sick, we see a very human struggle to accept the situation for a logical brain which makes him endearing. There we get to hear through Arline "What do you care what others think?" so many times that you think it started defining his personality.
The second part of letters to his family members when he travelled or one letter about him were entertaining and made you miss that medium. The next section is a detailed investigation of the failure of Challenger shuttle of which Feynman was drafted into a commission. Root cause analysis 101, this episode which was a case study in engineering. However Feynman's curiosity and unwillingness to put up with red tapes stands out in this narrative.
The audacity of the man would sure have made him a risk on any commission. The investigation at NASA and his candid stance on the behind the scenes politics makes him out to be the ideal role model. Not to mention, the humor he manages to bring into a tense investigation.
This is a definite read for those who have read and enjoyed "Surely You..". To savor a bit more of the crazy workings of a brilliant mind.
Mod
Raring: 4/5
Review: Much like a seasonal quartet, the book adapts the storyline to the post covid era where now Dispatchers have to convince patients that it might not be worth it. I read the book written by Scalzi during the covid (Kaiju Preservation Society) which talked about the need for hope. This book comes back into the pseudo philosophical realm of death and greed.
The police job which was offered to him is on hold thanks to the pandemic. When Tony Valdez is called into the hospital ER where his friend and fellow dispatcher tried to commit suicide since he wasn't sure his place is safe anymore. Tony dispatches him in a new concept (Could have been tried in book 2?) and finds himself in the middle of FBI investigation in search of his friend. The book gets interesting with cryptocurrencies and billionaires who control the market.
I found this storyline much more racy compared to book two and found out to my surprise, the author portrays the hero as someone who can value things like friendship and integrity. And just like that I thought of Philip Marlowe by Raymond chandler who was an odd one in the older value system.
This series is a find.
Mod
Rating: 5/5
Review: I am normally very skeptical of one sided truths since you know there is always the other side. However, this is one of those books that hits you hard given the current circumstances of massacre in Gaza. Written in the construct of a son coming to terms with his father's loss and trying to understand his father's ideology and politics - the book connects with most readers trying to make sense of their parents in their middle ages.
The familial dynamic between the father and the son is made sense of with a lot of sensitivity. Even when he realizes he has taken the side of his mom - a woman who is exasperated by her husband's idealism - he does not assign blame. Midway through the book I felt the parallel stopped adding additional value to the relationship but more so to the history. There is regret but there is no hatred.
The book was humbling in it's coverage of Palestinian history. I did not know the role of Jordon nor was I aware of the deception of the English army. The history capsule brings out the magnitude of the injustice that gives today's situation an all new gravitas. His father and the narrator are cut out of the same cloth believing change is possible through legal measures and continue at it despite the abject hopelessness.
A lot to admire in this book and definitely a book I would highly recommend.
Mod
Rating: 2/5
Reivew: I remember watching this as a serial when in school and someone told me this is not for kids. Obviously that made it a must know - but sadly there was no means. After so many years, when I finally read the book it was underwhelming.
The basic gist of the story is about the fate of two people Meenakshi and Sundaresan who are, without warning, hit with truth bombs and societal ostracization. Meenakshi, the daughter of a daasi saint, jumps into the river since she does not know who her father is. Sundaresan, the son of a Deekshatar (high brahmin) jumps into the water to rescue her.
What irked me the most was the least effort it took to break secrets guarded for years. I mean, everyone knew it all along and continued to ignore the facts, hoping it will go away. If it was so easy, why subject the characters to so much pointlessness?
The setting of the book, at the time of Daasis, is one of maximum caste oppression and patriarchy. That I understand as the reality of the times. However, the characters written with honorable intentions, set the wrong type of "strong". Women are always ready to sacrifice and the men are mostly leering or protecting the women. A man's point of view was most evident in assigning the motives for each women - centered on the men.
Meh.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: 3.5 stars rounded to 4. Maratha history is not widely translated into English and hence not so known to a lot of people. The author has chosen, a probable footnote, in the history, the murder of Peshwa Narayanrao and the chief justice who wanted to do his duty, no matter the cost to himself or the kingdom.
To set the context, the book starts with history 3 peshwas ago with the Nizam's aim to capture the strong maratha kingdom. There is the uncle and commander Raghunathrao who harbors wishes to be the peshwa and is openly challenging any Peshwa and always upto schemes without compromising loyalty. What seems to be puzzling is the absolute regard he is held in by the ruling Peshwas and at the same time held in house arrest whenever he is upto no good.
So, when the book starts with Raghunathrao's coronation where the chief justice of the kingdom stands up to share the investigation results of the murder of the earlier Peshwa, you have a solid premise. The book takes it's time to come to the investigation, but is in a rush to cover the history of succession, sometimes crossing years over a full stop. I did feel the author tries to give motives to dialogues which, at times is jarring, but then once the core story starts, feels more familiar.
I loved the last chapter which alternates between the now and "near future" to give closure to the story. At the end of a dramatic expose you expect actions and repercussions - but nothing really happened. Real life seldom is.
A good crisp book.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: “You never know beforehand what people are capable of, you have to wait, give it time, it's time that rules, time is our gambling partner on the other side of the table and it holds all the cards of the deck in its hand, we have to guess the winning cards of life, our lives.”
In Plato's Republic, there is a story called Ring of Gyges that narrates the rise to power by Gyges with the help of a magical ring that grants it's wearer invisibility. The philosophical narrative considers whether an intelligent person would remain moral if he did not fear being caught or punished - that formed the principle of ethics! This book elevates the philosophy by turning an entire city (almost) blind and watching people burn.
Jose Saramago's book reduces humans to their vilest essence and is a depressing book to read, especially given the memories of Covid 19. The book starts off with a traffic jam where one of the drivers at the signal suddenly turns blind - bright white light as opposed to the darkness of the actual blind. This snowballs into an epidemic with more and more people he comes in contact with become blind and the Government is forced to quarantine them in an abandoned mental asylum. Inexplicably, the doctor's wife accompanies them and still possesses her sight.
The events that happen are unsettling. How self preservation kicks in that turns people into animals.This is not a book that builds it's characters. Rather it peels the layers of the characters till they are all reduced to their dirty worst - both outside and inside. The book slowly builds up tempo along the way. The book does not shy away from painting imagery (in a book with blind people) of people stepping on shit or rape at gun point. At some point you start wondering if there is any light.
Once they get out of the asylum and roam around the abandoned city, while the situation hasn't improved too much, you still start getting hope. Like enjoying the rain after being pickled in filth or when two people find love. One of the most visceral imagery is of the church where the Gods and statues have their eyes shut - which makes a fantastic allegory.
This is a book I am glad I did not read during the lockdown years!
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: “You never know beforehand what people are capable of, you have to wait, give it time, it's time that rules, time is our gambling partner on the other side of the table and it holds all the cards of the deck in its hand, we have to guess the winning cards of life, our lives.”
In Plato's Republic, there is a story called Ring of Gyges that narrates the rise to power by Gyges with the help of a magical ring that grants it's wearer invisibility. The philosophical narrative considers whether an intelligent person would remain moral if he did not fear being caught or punished - that formed the principle of ethics! This book elevates the philosophy by turning an entire city (almost) blind and watching people burn.
Jose Saramago's book reduces humans to their vilest essence and is a depressing book to read, especially given the memories of Covid 19. The book starts off with a traffic jam where one of the drivers at the signal suddenly turns blind - bright white light as opposed to the darkness of the actual blind. This snowballs into an epidemic with more and more people he comes in contact with become blind and the Government is forced to quarantine them in an abandoned mental asylum. Inexplicably, the doctor's wife accompanies them and still possesses her sight.
The events that happen are unsettling. How self preservation kicks in that turns people into animals.This is not a book that builds it's characters. Rather it peels the layers of the characters till they are all reduced to their dirty worst - both outside and inside. The book slowly builds up tempo along the way. The book does not shy away from painting imagery (in a book with blind people) of people stepping on shit or rape at gun point. At some point you start wondering if there is any light.
Once they get out of the asylum and roam around the abandoned city, while the situation hasn't improved too much, you still start getting hope. Like enjoying the rain after being pickled in filth or when two people find love. One of the most visceral imagery is of the church where the Gods and statues have their eyes shut - which makes a fantastic allegory.
This is a book I am glad I did not read during the lockdown years!
Mod
Rating: 2/5
Review: “Certain stories are hard to bear, as are certain things we’ve lived or observed or fumbled or explored with great care.”
Despite best intentions and flawed characters - this book by Jhumpa Lahiri on settlers in Italy fails to evoke the same pathos you felt in her other books. What does home mean if you constantly long for someplace else where you belong, she asks.
Set in Rome, a city that is straddled with it’s past more than the today, the 9 stories bring in many characters who feel alienated. Whether it is an African help who gets shot point blank by two kids her son’s age or a tourist who gets mugged on the streets or a migrant family who are bullied out of the settlement, the book seems to be filled with anger.
Is this all there is to Rome you ask? What did not work for me is the lack of attempt to connect the characters with the reader. I mean, why does a husband who cheated on his wife given more perspective than the wife or a woman who walked out on her family the one narrating her bad experiences with the city? Human, yes - but the choice of narrators in the context of alienation did not work for me.
I don't know if something got lost in translation, but surely the prose was far too dry to my liking. Not the book if you are starting with Ms.Lahiri.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: "For much of my adult life as a working professional, I thought I was collecting stories about how women see Shah Rukh Khan and his films. In fact, I was collecting narratives of how they saw themselves and those around them. Because none of us know Shah Rukh, and none of us hope to; fantasies are not meant to be tarnished by reality. We made him up and he happily participated in the myth we had created."
I knew narratives are a powerful way to make sense of the societal condition. But how powerful, I did not realise, till I read Shrayana putting together her work for over a decade to show a mirror to the society we live in that has normalised inequality of women. Through stories of women from different strata of the economy in North, linked by their fandom of Shah Rukh, the book tries to present a case backed by supporting data, on the insufficiency of the women empowerment reforms that have happened since 1990s.
Shah rukh khan's early roles in Hindi cinema as the boy next door or the anti-hero with a lot of shades of gray is far from the ideal man. How these women perceived him better than their boyfriends/marriages tells the state of the men. SRK became a metaphor for longing and wishing this would change. The romantic element of DDLJ and KKHH and DTPH gave women an ideal man who helped in the kitchen, was vulnerable and would go to any extent for love. Indian men, job markets and society was not catching up at the same pace resulting in marginalisation that continues till this day.
The stats around the dialogues for women in movies or the employment gap across different categories of society with affirmative action gives you points to think. Towards the end, after discussing the stories of the women, the author almost rants nonstop with data and on arguments people would make to say things aren't all bad but they really are. The book however does not try to structure a solution or recommendations - not that it is necessary, just would have made it more potent.
One unintended point that disproves the hypothesis of SRK is that he did two high adrenaline macho films this year which limited women to side characters. Maybe he became a projection and hopefully men brought up on SRK end up being better than the heroes of the earlier generation.
A commendable book for it's achievement and effort.
Mod
Rating: 3/5
Review: Not just history, but historical fiction too repeats itself, it seems. This book set in the Chozha dynasty in chaos, where women are used as pawns in the political strategy, narrates the rise of Kulothunga Chozan. Unlike the chess moves where the pawns can compete to be the queen, here more than the fair share of women do not want their destiny determined by men.
The book starts with princess Amrutha from Iranian dynasty coming to marry the chola king Athirajendran. She is received by Abhayarajan who is her friend's husband and the king's cousin/right hand. The book then details the sorry state of affairs of the dynasty where enemies are pawning off princesses or openly poisoning people. There is also a left vs right war happening where the traders are getting plotted against and killed. The political uncertainity takes a while to sink in.
On the other side are the women - Amrutha whose horoscope will enable a strong king, Ilavazhagi - the chera princess in barter, Madhu the doctor who is being traded by her father for politics. There is also an aunt who is trying to control the outcome of who the Chozha king should marry. Which leaves the men, who have easy access to eavesdrop anywhere and carry out plots - Narayanan (reminds you of Vandhiyathevan), Abhayarajan and his advisors.
This reimagination is ok from a story standpoint. The best parts of the book are the descriptions of natural scenery or man made sculptures. Dhivakar sir flaunts his command on language. What did not work is the complexity that has been handled and the almost pointlessness of the enemies. We are made to believe the winners are good because they respect women - which may or may not be true given the number of political marriages in the period. The multicultural characters speaking in tamil maybe convenient - but there is homogeniety in their acts and practices.
Decent quick read.
Mod
Rating: 5/5
Review: Recoed by one of my friends, this family drama/historical fiction book was a surprising hit with me.
The book starts in 2000s where a US aspiring brahmin boy Ananthu visits his great granddad after his mother passes away. He finds his grandfather's brother is aloof from him and his great grandfather Kalyanam. When the conflict results in an irreconcilible drama, Kalyanam decides to reveal his story.
Kalyanam's story is based in a lot of research. It talks about a man who joined Rajaji in his salt satyagraha, a ringside view to the political revolution that was happening, the why and how of it. The bonds formed during this phase becomes lifelong with a beautiful bond with Meenakshi and Swaminathan family. Given the era of child marriage, the book also explains the innocence of the bride and groom. There is the pre-partition development which impacts them in a way that is devastating. The book then concludes in a convincing manner.
I loved the frame of the book to get into history where the story is only for resolving a conflict. Had it started in 1920s, i don't think it would have been as effective. There is a hook created that needs a resolution and hence you are able to put up with a nonagenarian rehashing his life. Vidya Subramaniam is an author I had not read before and found the writing a lot more nuanced. I am venturing a guess here that her books follow the construct of a good essay - context, conflict and resolution.
Grateful for a good read towards the fag end of the year when everyone is wrapping up.
Mod
Rating: 2/5
Review: Truman Capote's debut novel is more trauma (covered and induced in equal parts) than a work of art. As someone who needed to read other reviews to make sense of what I read, this book did not connect with me at all.
The book starts off with a boy in search of his father after his mother dies. In what seems like early form of Gothic, he reaches a mansion with odd ball characters that are shrouded in mystery and horror and he could not find his father. There is Randalph, the one with the stories and explanations, who is one of the most slippery characters ever depicted. Then there are an assortnment of characters that seem to be suffering a state of limbo.Told through seemingly unconnected anecdotes, each character essays themes of loneliness and abandonment.
I can't remember a single episode that made me go wow or connect with the author's other works. Maybe the surreal is not done right - the way David Mitchell did it in Number9Dream which had a similar theme.
Also, as a year ender book, this book tested my patience. I am giving it a benefit of doubt with the additional star.
Mod
Rating: 4/5
Review: Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book group for the ARC of the book.
This historical fiction set in 1942 US while the war was escalating in Germany cleverly tries to detail out the various biases at play.
Anne Lemire runs a column called “Rumor clinic” where she tracks down the source of rumors and exposes false propaganda and misinformation that might impact the war effort. As a Jewish family in a charged neighborhood she starts putting together a piece on anti-Semitic hate crimes and police corruption.
On the other hand Devon, an Irish FBI agent from an established family is tracking a murder of German jew at the ammunitions factory. There is a missing crate of rifles and a lot of big wigs trying to block the investigation.
When their paths cross with a bit of shared history, the story exposes multiple layers of bias in the society. There is one subtext of Jews vs Christians, one of Reds vs capitals and another of blacks and immigrants. There is organized misinformation and hate mongering with an objective to prevent war.
Based on true events in Boston, the book is written like a taut thriller. The only complaint is the ease of tracking complex plots by just asking or staking out. Maybe the character arcs of the protagonists was still partially developed.
Still a very engaging read. Also my last read of 2023.
The book will hit the stands in Feb 2024.
Mod
I have read 118 books last year of which 78% was fiction. 66% were audio books which also explained why I was able to finish so many. 22 books were rated 5 star by me with an average rating of 3.5 (which is also pretty good by my usual standards).
On the challenges - well and truly ahead on Non-Fiction books. Finished one short on both regional languages, award winners and bookerslam. This was also because of losing sight of the reading challenge altogether when life happened.
My top reads and books summarised here on my bookstagram page @Kaapipasterr
Indian Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Rumor Game (other topics)Loitering With Intent (other topics)
The McKinsey Way (other topics)
We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir (other topics)
"What Do You Care What Other People Think?": Further Adventures of a Curious Character (other topics)
More...
Rating: 4/5
Review: "You can't judge an internal injury by the size of the hole"
“Question: What is the opposite of faith?
Not disbelief. Too final, certain, closed. Itself is a kind of belief.
Doubt.”
What canvas of imagination and leaps of inspiration, it must have taken to produce such a book! It is not an easy book by any means and can make you feel really stupid. But I guess that is a common given for any Rushdie book. What makes this book different is the complexity.
In the first chapter we meet Gibreel and Saladin falling down from a blown up hijacked airplane and they survive. Their fortunes takes opposite turns in the town of London. In their born again new selves one is turning into a goat with horns and bad breath - arrested for being an illegal immigrant and the other is developing a halo and dreams up grandeur (or not) in faith. That would be oversimplifying. The book relentlessly builds characters and metamorphosizes the characters - not to mention the controversial alternate stories of Mahound, Ayesha and the Satanic verses. So there is a weird haze created in magical realism.
I found certain sections breathtakingly creative and some sections needlessly complex - and the inability to tell the difference at times. The metaphors and dissections on faith drove me to wikipedia (and gradesaver) to fully grasp. The parallels of good and bad converging at gray and the mental breakdowns make for unreliable plotlines - which I loved.
This is a self aware book that knows it's consequence. Towards the end of the book there is a movie which causes a religious turmoil and the author explicitly states that as the fate of any questions cast. He ventures further "It is not a blasphemy if you are not believer". In conjunction with the first quote - it explains the reaction to the book.
As for the art vs faith debate - I think the fatwa against the author is a crime and an over reaction. Having said that, I agree the book should be banned - much like nuclear disarmament for peace - than for it's content. I am also sure not many would have read this book to get offended.
Not my most coherent review, but then the same can be said about the author. An achievement. Thanks to Gorab for his precious copy.