Of Mice and Men

Author: John Steinbeck
Genre: Classic!

There are some stories that give you a “Phataak” on your head and once you are done reading it you just stare randomly in space for two minutes (Most of the time this is the effect after writing an exam!), but this is the good phataak (and not the one you get after watching Mars Attacks).

This is the story of two friends George and Lennie, workers who move from farm to farm because of Lennie and his condition. It is about a friendship that makes you stretch the limits to protect someone you hold dear. It is almost magical how gentle yet deep is the author’s manner of addressing poverty, racism, loneliness, companionship and love for a friend. You are rarely overwhelmed except at the end when you realize only 120 pages have managed to suck you in that world.

You are fortunate if you have read the book, even more so if you haven’t, simply because you can now read a book that is so gentle and yet so alive in its stillness.

Junoon

Director: Shyam Benegal
Cast: Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Nafisa Ali….All Jabardast logan.
Genre: Refer to Director!

It was one of those days that you get really lucky. Otherwise who even notices CCC channel. This is a spectacular movie to make a debut in the ‘Watched’ of my silly little ‘Watchedandread’.

Junoon is the story of the women of a British Family in North India, set in the time of the 1857 War of Independence. Miriam (Jennifer Kapoor) is the wife of Tom Alter (who else?) and they have a beautiful daughter Ruth (Nafisa Ali) and there is also Miriam’s mother in the picture. During an attack on a church Tom Alter is killed, leaving the women helpless and nowhere to go as all Firangi homes and establishments have been destroyed. Lalaji (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) a friend of Tom Alter’s hides them in his house for a while. Javed Khan (Shashi Kapoor) is a pathan married to Begum( really I don’t think there was another name …Shabana Azmi) and is friends with Anwar (Naseeruddin Shah) who was a soldier in the British Army but turns into a revolutionary having been witness to several atrocities by the rulers.

The freedom fighters then discover that the women are hiding in Lala’s house and Javed takes them to his house because he has been in an obsessive sort of love with Ruth for a long time. He says he wants to marry her and for obvious reasons Miriam is against it. They make a deal that if the Indians take over Delhi then he may marry Ruth….well I think history can give you the end.

The movie has the most beautiful performances I have seen. Shabana Azmi as the hurt wife, Naseeruddin Shah with his impatience at Javed falling in love at such an inopportune time and his soul stirring speeches , Nafisa Ali also does well…all she has to do is look gorgeous and how! All fantastic.

The stars however are Shashi and Jennifer Kapoor. I even saw 36, Chowringee lane by accident-channel-surfing and I cried. She was remarkable as the aging, lonely convent school teacher. Here she is outstanding as the protective mother and as a vulnerable woman. The only person better looking than Nafisa Ali was possibly Shashi Kapoor and he is fabulous as the proud pathan, helplessly in love. You hate him when he is insensitive with his wife, you are proud of him when he goes into battle after losing a dear one, you are in awe of him when he does not exploit the women when he has every chance to.

The movie is so interesting because it raises such a conflict in your mind, one the one hand you are angry with them for exploiting us for centuries, and on the other you want to protect the women . As a character says in the movie, which ever side you are on in a war, it is hell for women.

The houses, the furniture, the clothes, the language are dripping with elegance. It is a movie that has Sharafat at its center. The lighting gets a little too real; the night sequences are really practically blacked out.

Once the movie was over I couldn’t help but miss the long intense discussions that Subs and Koms would have about love, romance, heroism…. while I drift into thoughts of wondering where they got the jewelery and clothes from and if I could ever own furniture like that.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Author: Kim Edwards
Genre: Extreme senti, Fiction
Publisher: Penguin

I picked this book from the ‘Crossword Recommends’ section. The situation was tense, I felt sorry for the book, she had to follow ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, and I was wondering…should I have bought more ‘Peanuts’? Every thing was going wrong…I picked the book because of the cover, the last time that happened was with ‘Almost Single’ and I remember how that turned out.

The book was dreadfully dull in the start; I would lie in bed, the sofa, the floor on my parents’ room hoping that the place would change how it read. I even screamed ‘why are you doing this to me?’ Lakshmi is at home, I would ask her “Please ve! Do something”.. of course my pain gave her joy beyond my capacity to describe …see all this drama is because I can’t stop reading a book and move to another, paapam the book will feel bad. Then slowly it got better and from the middle to the later parts it got really good.

The book is the story of a doctor who gives up his baby girl Phoebe at birth because she is born with Down’s syndrome, to protect his wife from the trauma of having a sick child. The book is about how it changes everything for his wife Norah, Caroline the woman who became Phoebe’s mother, Paul her twin, and haunts him for the rest of his life. The book spans 25 years and no one remains what they are at the beginning of the book. Also the book is centered on how it is never the intention behind the action, but the consequence that counts.

The characters are so intimately etched that you feel like you are watching them. The language is simple but full of meaning, yet you have to put in some effort in remaining with the book.

At one point Caroline says
“….I felt like I was writing to a void that is why I could express myself so freely”.
I am in perennial quest for my void.

It would make a really nice movie, the kind that you have never heard of and you accidentally catch it while surfing channels, and makes for great rainy Saturday afternoon viewing.

The Old Man and the Sea

Author : Ernest Hemingway
Genre : Never mind that, read it, read it, oh please read it. Short story otherwise.

Thank you Harshu for making me read it.

It is the story of a fisherman and his experience when he finds the biggest catch of his life. Of course it is much more than that but we live in a world of “In a nutshell” and that would be the worlds most basic and disrespectful ‘nutshell’ I have put it in.

The book is beautiful because the old man respects his prey. The awe that the fish inspires in him when he first sees it, the patience he exhibits when he knows the fish is hooked but waits for it to come to him on his own terms, his hunger, frustration and when he almost gives up saying “ He is my brother, I don’t care who kills who.”
I don’t want to tell you what happens after or after the after.

I have read some pages twice or thrice, only to remember because I really want to remember.

I loved it enough to have the guts to share some passages with my SD-5 maddies, because I was sure they would laugh at me if they thought I was being silly. Well they didn’t so here goes.

“He remembered the time he had hooked one of a pair of marlin. The male fish always let the female feed first and the hooked fish, the female made a wild, panic stricken, despairing fight that soon exhausted her, and all the time the male stayed with her, crossing the line and circling with her on the surface. He had stayed so close that the old man was afraid he would cut the tail which was sharp as a scythe and almost of that size and shape. When the old man had gaffed her and clubbed her, holding the rapier bill with its sand paper edge and clubbing her across the top of her head until her colour turned to a colour almost like the backing of mirrors, and then with the boy’s aid, hoisted her abroad, the male fish had stayed by the boat. Then, while the old man was clearing the lines and preparing the harpoon, the male jumped high into the air beside the boat to see where the female was and then went down deep, his lavender wings , spread wide and all his wide lavender stripes showing. He was beautiful, the old man remembered, and he had stayed.”

Or

“You did not kill a fish only to keep alive or to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?”

Definitely in the treasure chest.

PS: Let’s keep Sanjay Leela Bhansali away from this one. He will have an opulent red and orange sea with Amitabh as the old man and Salman as the fish, maybe even singing, “Dekho Shark Aaaya, shark nazar aaya!”

Money Changers

Author: Arthur Hailey
Genre: Ekdum jhakas fiction

After all that deep India-ness I thought thoda mainstream mangta. This book comes recommended by the Linus. The story is set around banking (no that does not equal boring!).

The book is set in the 1970s and is a full-to pot boiler. Good guys, bad guys, middle class, rich people (that was all Hindi movie style), now Hollywood style there is the mafia , prison, the fixation of prison and homosexuality (In those days it was “losing manhood” and “could be cured!”) , embezzlement, all in all good reading.

As in all Arthur Hailey novels there is some basic insight into the industry, but in this book it to a lesser degree than in say Hotel or Airport. There is some talk about credit cards and ATMs, which were probably just beginning to emerge at that time, so they are described with a degree of ‘coolness’ as probably our generations’ Mission Impossible and ‘This message will self destruct in 5 seconds’ type stuff.

The best part of the book is how gripping it is, the kind that you want to know what comes next, so you end up reading when you eat, in the auto, when you are supposed to study for an upcoming exam, well you know what I mean. And when it is over you have the energy to want to go punch someone or something (like when you watch Die Hard).

Good fun.

ALMOST SINGLE

Author: Advaita Kala
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Isn’t the name a dead give away. Fluffy Female Fiction if you please.

You know when some one asks you how some new book/movie/show/restaurant and you don’t want to be mean and arrogant about it, you look away , crinkle your nose and open your mouth to say something but all that comes out is a sound faintly resembling “Eh”…well “Eh!”

This book is so new, so original, so out-of-the-box, so unique, so novel a novel that its not. The story line will give you an indication of what I’m talking about. Single chubby woman at thirty, two girl friends, the ever so present gay guy friend, the incorriglible-unreasonable-amma whose main ambition in life is to bully her daughter into getting married, sleazy boss, the suddenly tapkao-ed good looking- well settled- eligible guy, and the gorgeous competitor. You got it dude…it is a shameless copy of Bridget Jones Diary (Even if you have seen the movie several times, you should read that book…hilarious).

If the author expects us to be contemporary enough to sympathize with the characters, then she should have been smart enough to know that our stupid selves would accidentally be acquainted with the original. More irritating clichés- all gay guys are only in professions such as wedding planning, interior designing etc., women cannot hold their drink , the single aim of all single women is to be with someone…ok even if some of this may be true it has ceased to be interesting reading.

Not all is bad, the book is funny in parts (a ‘fairly’ frequently used Amz term), but what kept me going was how sensitive it was sometimes, touching even, like when she is alone in a bar waiting for someone and mentally categorises the people into different types, or the scene with her cousin on the train when she finds out that someone actually envies her singlehood. The reading is enjoyable when the reader is alone with the characters, but the scenes with friends – the chemistry is contrived, the humor is induced.

If you have not read in years and want to start again, you may consider this book. You will not be overwhelmed because it does not force you to think at all. Take me someplace new Advaita.

PS: Visit her website http://www.advaitakala.com/, I found it more interesting, especially tips on how to get your work published- here she is simple, clear and direct.

INSPITE OF THE GODS – THE STRANGE RISE OF MODERN INDIA

Author: Edward Luce
Genre: India (It is a whole new category, because there are so many people writing about it).Conventionally- Current Affairs
Publisher: Little, Brown

Logic, reason, judgment are always interesting conclusions. But can they always be arrived at? Well most times, Yes. Why do we need to know reason? Maybe because it will end the suspense. Yet another adventurer sets out on the quest to solve the puzzle that is India.

Previously, there used to be many debates and discussions on the social, political anomaly that India represents. ‘In Spite of the Gods’ describes the economic phenomenon that it represents and very interestingly ties together some social, cultural and historical aspects as well.

The book discusses some familiar topics such as the disparity in economic prosperity among some states, our civil service, the little-too-often mentioned Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty.

There are several interesting insights into topics dealing with Ambedkar and adoption of Buddhism by Dalits, I was intrigued by the analysis of the economic situation of Muslims in India, where it turns out that it is not about religion at all, but something as logical and basic as education of women. My favourite chapter is the ‘The Triangular Dance’ about India, China and US. It is probably because no other author’s work has ever induced me into reading about it!

What keeps you going however , if I may say so, is the author’s (sometimes amusing and sometimes adorable) confusion. He quotes several diplomats and journalists who try to explain why we are the way we are. How can a country of a billion people be a democracy? How can we flout laid down protocol in International relations because of a whim? Also, the westerners seem to be amazed at our abstractions and our obsession to the utopist theory than realistic practicality. Abstractions and theory are as rooted in Indian Foreign Service and its policy as it is in a term paper (if you have done an MBA , a term paper is always your consolidation unit).

Maybe we are not meant to be solved, maybe there is no reason behind why we are who we are, and maybe there are so many reasons that logic is irrelevant. Personally, I would say we are state of mind! That is the argument that most Indians intelligently use to describe things they have no intention of explaining.

A book is an investment. More speculative than any other and I will tell you why. Other than the minimal cost incurred, it is precious time away from people and the other important things that you will postpone doing anyway. A decent book is worth 4 movies and 3 episodes of your favorite show on TV, a bad book is punishable offense where you can punish the author by never acknowledging him/her again. A good book is a treasure, with learning as the dividend which will stay in your mind for as long you choose. This book is even better because it inspires you to read more and want to ‘learn’ (as Koms would say) more about your country.

Shantaram

Author: Gregory David Roberts
Genre: It is supposed to be true story….If it is, and then one man has had the adventure that 10 average lives may dream of.
Why is a book about an Australian who is a criminal, fugitive, junkie, smuggler, and gangster (well more adjectives would give the end away so I shall refrain for further description) called Shantaram? How has yet another lengthy novel about Mumbai captured the attention of so many readers across the world?

Shantaram is the story of a man on the run, who adopts and more importantly is adopted by Mumbai and the spirit of those who live in it. It is a gripping narrative of a man who had lived several lifetimes in a span of 3-4 years in places ranging from the slums and posh town side of Mumbai, a village in Maharashtra and even war stricken Afghanistan.

The strength of Shantaram lies in its characters. Prabaker and his smile, Karla and her beauty, Didier and his flamboyance, the mystery of Khader, the strength of Abdullah, Qasim and his wisdom, Lin and his stubborn confidence linger in your memory for a long time.

But the main character in the book remains Mumbai. Very few characters can be the background and the lead of a story without having to say a single word. The people, the places, the stories always make me want so much more of Mumbai. Like ‘Maximum City’ by Suketu Mehta , this book makes every one who has lived in Mumbai miss it, all who live in it swell in pride and all who have never been at least visit. The author does well to treat the city with the respect that is due. Also the pace and the wit keep you interested.

The book has its strengths, but does prove to be tiresome at times. Other than the obvious weakness – its length, the extensive soul searching discussions about good and evil, life, philosophy and society among people who have made a living off crime and exploitation only aggravates the irritation.

Should you the read the book….I would say yes…if you are ready to give it sometime. If you don’t, well I will be happy to recommend this author and his work when his collection of short stories is out!