Falling Behind

I am running short of time :(
Falling behind schedule.
So many books to read and even more to write about.
I think I am going to stop writing long pieces. Four lines on a book - that way, I guess I can keep up. Like people who do twitter reviews.

State of Wonder - Ann Patchett

State of Wonder is a big novel. A seemingly easy-to-read prose, but not really simple, or straightforward. For a long time, I was reluctant to write anything about this book for I have never felt so conflicted about deciding whether a book is good or not and this one made me go back and forth in my feelings. And I think that itself is a good thing about a book.

State of Wonder appears to be a combination of medical mystery and thriller – and to an extent it can afford to be in that category. The story begins with an American researcher, Marina Singh, going to Brazil looking for information about her colleague, Anders Eckman, who seems to have died under mysterious circumstances. She works for a pharmaceutical company that is funding her former teacher and mentor, a legendary researcher Dr. Annick Swenson working somewhere deep in the amazon forests. Dr. Swenson prefers to work without any interference from the company, claiming to be at the threshold of discovering a miracle drug.

In addition to finding details about her missing colleague, Marina is also expected to convince the researcher to share her discovery details.

The book starts well with good pace and well-written, clear prose. The reader is hooked on early wanting to know what happens next. Marina Singh is a complex character: she is highly intelligent, loyal, self-absorbed with a troubled past. She is likeable despite her flaws. What starts as a highly intriguing plot slowly wanders away into paths that readers do not expect – not necessarily a great thing. There are unnecessary minor characters whose sole purpose is to introduce a mood of mystery into the story temporarily. They simply peter out without any role to play.

The second half deals with the other main character Dr. Swenson and the topic of her research. Cold and calculating, a no-nonsense old lady whose focus is only on getting a result out of her research, Dr. Swenson seems like a villain without really being one. Unfortunately, this character felt very two-dimensional despite the best efforts from the writer. This is also the time when one begins to wonder what is the writer trying to achieve. At one point I was horrified that the protagonist seemed to have completely abandoned her purpose of the visit and got pulled into other issues – just like the author who seemed to have strayed away from the main plot.

Yet, I cannot really say with conviction that I don’t like this book. There are other things for example, questions on moral, ethical values of a scientific researcher, the obligation to the society in large, the dilemma Marina faces when it comes to preserving the cultural identity and sanctity of the tribes, that are raised and discussed during the narration of the story. These are thought-provoking and necessary, but the author fails to interweave them seamlessly into the main story.

Overall, the book left me slightly dissatisfied yet contemplating on the themes and questions raised. I appreciate the thought process behind it, but not so much of the execution.

I would rate this 3.0/5

MugiDa YuDDha (ಮುಗಿದ ಯುದ್ಧ) – Dr. K Shivarama Karanth

MugiDa Yuddha is many stories within a story – probably that is how mega novels are written, but I felt this was almost a deliberate style followed in this particular book.

The book is about the life and times of the protagonist Achyuta Raya, no doubt, but it is also about the socio-economic conditions in the villages of India during pre-second world war. The hardships and the dependency of poor people on uncertain factors such as rains, and on the unscrupulous money-lenders/rich, manipulative zamindars and traders are depicted extensively in the story. The book talks about teachers and their impact on the society or lack of it. There aren’t really villains in this saga – the culprit is the situation itself.

Although it is a bleak picture of the times of the past, it also paints wonderful and positive picture of the resilience of the people, especially the womenfolk. Most often than not, it is the women characters that come across strong, purposeful (Achyuta Raya’s mother and sister) and independent in thinking (Subbi the maid supporting Achyuta’s household)

What I liked the most about the book is that the author portrays the characters sensitively, without really judging anyone based on their morality. There isn’t anything right or wrong in the decisions taken by them – they are mostly the victims of their circumstances. The writing is highly descriptive, flows like a calm river that can just go on and on, however, it is never boring. Readers ought to keep one thing in mind, this book may not interest those who are not familiar with the geographical area (since there is not much of ‘action’ happening in the rural backdrop).

This book stayed with me much longer after I had finished it. It could also be because my roots are in these villages too.

I would rate this book 3.5/5.0

The Oxford Murders – Guillermo Martinez

The Oxford Murders is a translated novel, originally written in Spanish by the Argentinian writer Guillermo Martinez. The book was a huge success and was translated to English (by Sonia Soto).

The plot revolves around two mathematicians (an Argentinian student who has just landed in Oxford and a highly acclaimed mathematician who works in the university) who are forced to look at strange symbols, probably from an unknown mathematical series, as clues to a murder. They will have to solve it before it becomes a series of murders just like the aforementioned math series.

The story is light and well written – holds the interest of a reader (me, despite being the math-hater) – and can be read as a break from heavier subjects/books. The story is narrated from the perspective of the student (the protagonist). The two main characters are developed well. The same cannot be said of the others. On the mystery front, it is not on a firm ground, and although the end has an unanticipated twist, one doesn’t really feel satisfied with the climax leading to the ending. There are, of course, plot holes and unanswered questions about characters, yet it does not diminish the story completely.

I read the book on a plane and I thought it was engrossing and entertaining enough to manage the boring lay-over time in the airport.

Not a book for hard-core murder/mystery fans, I’d say. If one is looking for some light read, with a fresh premise, this is the book.

I would rate it a decent 3.0/5.0

The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz

This is a self-help book, a non-fiction category that I had borrowed from the library.

The premise of the book appears fairly simple: the author advises us to follow four rules in life to live a happy, fulfilling life.

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
2. Do Not Take Anything Personally
3. Do Not Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best

Generally, in most self-help books the life experiences of writers are boiled down to succinct points with useful examples and explanations. And to many cynics (including me) these pearls of wisdom may seem obvious, even trite, but there is no denying that they are important.

However, this is a difficult book to prod through not because it is complex in nature, but mainly because it is incomprehensible and a tad boring in many parts. When I say incomprehensible, I mean to say some of the ideas do not make sense – I felt the author made it unnecessarily complicated just to make it appear exotic. I was looking forward to a lot of personal stories of the writer that connects the reader to the situations and the application of these rules to overcome any obstacles. I was also looking for a more no-nonsense approach towards the explanations. Neither happened here.

I am disappointed to say I finished the book with great difficulty, often doubting myself of being close-minded, but the more I think of the book now, the less impressed I am with it.

I would rate it just 1.5/5.0

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - A Graphic Novel

This graphic novel is meant for young adults, an effort to spur their interest in classics. This book is published by Campfire, a unit of Kalyani Navyug Media (essentially an Indian venture). To be honest, we bought this book to be given as a gift to somebody, but I changed my mind in the last minute and decided to keep it for myself :P

The story is not new to me, having seen it in all formats (novel, tv series, movie), but I was curious to know how it would pan out in a graphic novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The script is extremely well written – crisp, and not too complex so as to keep the young readers engaged. To be able to cover a novel like Pride and Prejudice and do justice to the original is no small feat, and Laurence Sach – a UK based writer/theatre lecturer – has successfully managed to achieve this.

The illustrations, however, are a slight disappointment. The drawings of the characters are inconsistent (even a little ugly in some places), and hugely influenced by the existing formats (movies/tv series). At one point, I even found an image of a real photo in one of the panels.

Despite this I would heartily recommend this book for all book lovers, young and old, simply because of the prose.

I would rate this book a good 3.5/5.0

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

I have not read any other books by Junot Diaz but I definitely plan to. He is an amazing writer and rightly deserved the Pulitzer Prize for this book.

Another borrowed book from the library, I found it difficult to put it down once I got past the initial few pages. The book interweaves the history of Dominican Republic during the violent era of dictatorship (under the dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1950s) with the stories of the individuals (a family affected by the atrocities of dictatorship). The story is told from the perspective of three characters, although the omniscient narrator is present throughout the book.

Oscar Wao is an overweight Dominican who mainly does two things in life: falling in love with beautiful women and writing sci-fi and fantasy books (“the next Tolkien”) and fails fantastically at both. The other main characters in the book are Oscar Wao’s sister Lola, their once-beautiful, domineering mother, and their grandmother named La Inca. Wao’s luck seems to be clouded by a powerful fuku (curse) that the family is burdened with, which is also linked to the evil eye of the dictator.

The language is fluid, and the storytelling is effortless. The bleakness of the story is only manageable because of the wonderful humour that is present throughout the book. There is a liberal usage of Spanish sentences in the book throughout, so much so that it was annoying – every time I was forced to stop reading and do a google translation. After a point, I quit in frustration: the translation part, not the reading.

What I loved the most was the extensive footnotes, which becomes part of the storytelling. After a point, I looked forward to the footnotes – they are the window to the country’s bloody history and the perpetrators of the violence. The footnotes at some point stopped becoming just factual information, they also ended up becoming part of the story itself.

A must read for people who enjoy political, social commentary along with a well-crafted story.

I would give it a 4.0/5.0

The Englishman's Cameo - Madhulika Liddle

Talk about finding a wonderful writer by chance. This is the second time it has happened to me. (First was Annie E Proulx via her book Shipping News.)

I was reading an online interview of a writer in an article posted on twitter and she happened to mention Madhulika Liddle as one of the influences on her own writing. She had heaped praises and I found that other tweeters also had mentioned how much they had enjoyed Liddle’s books. The name stuck in my head. Later, when I was browsing through my online library book lists, I found a book from Madhulika Liddle and I decided to borrow it. I am glad I did so.

The Englishman’s Cameo is a debut novel from Madhulika Liddle. In this detective story set in the 17th century Mughal era, we find the young nobleman Muzaffar Jung trying to help his friend who has been accused of murdering a rich businessman. Jung stumbles from one mystery to the other and in the end, all ends well.

I loved the story. The writing is very lyrical and engaging; the writer effortlessly creates the milieu with careful and detailed descriptions of the rich, decadent Mughal era. I liked the way she evokes the images of a bygone era with the details of the food, clothes, jewellery. I could have read on and on. The characters were well developed; intriguing people with a hint of enough baggage of the past such as, Jung’s intelligent sister who is almost old enough to be his mother, Jung’s boatman friend, and a mention of the long-lost love; I wanted to know more and more about them. Since this is the first book, I am guessing she developed them further – Muzaffar Jung continues his adventures in the next few novels and short stories.

Despite all these positives, the very mystery solving process falls pretty short of expectations. There is nothing gripping in terms of the suspense or the mystery per se. If one was expecting something on the lines of Agatha Christie stories, one would be greatly disappointed. Yet I am willing to try the next few books from this author. Now that is a first for me.

Though I would love to recommend this book highly, I rate this 3.5/5.0 purely because it does not do enough justice to its genre.

To do or not to

I wonder if I should add an image of the book cover along with the post I write on a particular book.

I remember a couple of years ago, I was shocked to discover that the same book could have multiple cover designs - what opinion I form of the book could be completely different from other readers all because of a different design. Now come to think of it, it makes sense even to myself to remember what I read long ago.

A good idea. Yes. Considering I am the sole reader of my blog (bit sad actually but I shall wallow in misery some other day) I can do ABSOLUTELY whatever I want! (the only good part)

The Bridges of Madison County – Robert James Waller

I had heard so much about the book and the movie that I was prepared to be disappointed. I was lucky; I didn’t have to worry about such a probability. Of course books get hyped, and movies even more so, but this book manages to scrape through, although, only by the skin of its teeth. I can’t say the same about the movie: I have not seen it.

Can anybody fall in love, deeply and instantly with a stranger? Can it be reciprocated with the same fervour if not more? Can two people feel the bond so strongly that they want to spend the rest of their lives together after having spent just four days with each other? Possible. Probable? I don’t know, considering both of them have already spent a major part of their lives elsewhere, with other people. But that is what remarkable love stories are made of, and Bridges of Madison County is a through and through love story.

Set in Madison County, Iowa, the story is about two such people – Robert Kincaid, a photographer who is working on a NatGeo project, and Francesca Johnson, a house-wife whose life seems to have come to a standstill. They fall in love the moment they set their eyes on each other and later discover they were the meant to be together. However, real life considerations and social obligations are equally strong and the affair remains as a beautiful experience for the rest of their lives.

The book is high on romance and the character Robert Kincaid, if ever there was a man like that, is a memorable one. I am on the fence when it comes to this story – the cynical in me shakes her head – the romance is too fantastic to be believable, yet, there is something charming about how desperate they are to be together and how impossible it all is.

The prose is pretty okay – it does not sweep you off your feet – in some places, it is quite ordinary. It is the story that carries the book upon its shoulder.

I can say I did enjoy the book. I didn’t fall in love with it though.

McCarthy’s Bar - Pete McCarthy

I have developed a taste for the travelogues and McCarthy’s Bar by Pete McCarthy certainly ranks high among the travel writing books that I have read so far. Irish, quirky, funny and touching in the way many situations were described, this book was a difficult beginning. The reasons are many – It jumps right into the travel documentation, the cultural references are not easy to understand for a non-British, non-European reader, and I feel I had not prepared myself to put in an effort to understand and absorb it. After a few pages it was a merry ride across the Irish coast along with the author.

The book is about the author (half-British and half-Irish) tracing the Irish coast looking for the stone ruins of the past (his favourite hobby) and stopping at any pub that is named after his own. He finds the country rising up to meet the demands of tourism and the resulting consequences of that haphazard growth is not too much to his liking. In addition to the native Irish who are wonderful if not slightly eccentric, he also meets others – many British, Germans and other Europeans – who have traded their city lives to be at the country side, to live at their own pace. The commentary on the social changes (more accepting of the outsiders), cultural transformations (exchanging Irish architecture of stone and wood for UPVC, pyrex glass windows), and on food is delightful and sharp. There are references to religion and its heavy impact on Irish life, also a hilarious account of a religious trip that the author took on a whim. It is an extremely well-written book.

I would highly recommend it for its humour, pithy observations about people, and a country at large.

After the Quake - Haruki Murakami

Although Murakami isn’t my ‘favourite’ writer, I find him highly original and hence, respect. I usually enjoy his stories, with some exceptions of course; one thing is for sure, the stories are always bizarre. I have always been a fan of short stories and prefer reading a collection of short stories or anthologies over a novel. These collections give freedom to the reader to start and end wherever they want to.

One of the few quirks in my reading life is that I prefer to start reading newspapers or magazines from the middle or the last few pages. It somehow makes the whole process very enjoyable. I seldom use this approach to short stories though. I don’t know why. Probably that is why it is a quirk and nothing else.

Back to the book, ‘After the Quake’: I did flit from one story to another like I usually do in a magazine. I had a good time too. The six short stories in this collection involve the earthquake that shook Kobe, Japan, during the year 1995. Not the center in each of the story but always lurking in and around – never letting the reader forget about it either.

‘UFO in Kushiro’ – is a story of a woman leaving her husband and going back to live with her parents because she feels living with him is like living with air; no depth, no emotions. It is a baffling story – I wanted to know more about the woman and why she felt the way she felt about her husband. The story doesn’t really give much information on that.

‘Landscape with Flatiron’ – depicts two people, a man and a girl, who have left their respective homes and what bothers them in life. The girl is afraid she cannot feel anything anymore. The man is afraid of dying alone. This had an eerie atmosphere all through. The cold night and the bonfire on beach was the most arresting imagery that stayed much after the book was over.

‘Super Frog Saves Tokyo’ – a giant frog and a loan recovery agent get together to save Tokyo from a giant, evil worm. The whole story is surreal with an unreliable narrator (the recovery agent). I totally enjoyed the story.

‘All God’s Children can Dance’ – I was so bored with the story that I cannot even remember clearly what it was about.

‘Thailand’ – a woman goes to Thailand combining work and leisure together. Her chauffeur is a mysterious Japanese man who seems to have an answer to a problem that she doesn’t know she has. Loved it.

‘Honey Pie’ – more normal than the rest, this is a love story that had had a break and seem to find a closure. Again, I enjoyed the story mainly because it just made realise how the author tenderly paints a picture of the human emotions.

It is a strange book as most of his books are, but that does not take away the fun from the reading.

Daughters of Cain - Colin Dexter

Colin Dexter is a successful crime writer known for his series of novels based on the capabilities of a Detective Chief Inspector Morse. I had not read his books earlier so when a friend offered to lend a book, I was more than happy to try it out.

The Daughters of Cain is a whodunnit mystery where, an Oxford professor Felix McClure is found stabbed to death on a Sunday morning with no traces of the murder weapon nor any evidence of a murderer. Many suspects emerge over the course of the time, however, no evidence to pin it on.

The story is interesting and the writing egged me further on to find out what happens next however, somewhere half way through the novel, it was beginning to get tiresome. The length definitely needed editing. 

Another thing I noticed about the character development: it seemed like the author enjoyed fleshing out the characters and then suddenly lost interest. I would have loved to know more about Julia Stevens – one of the key characters in the story. There was also a tiny little love story that died before it had even formed well. Inspector Morse is an interesting character no doubt, but I felt he seemed to have given up on life (based on the story line, of course). Was this what the author intended? I don't know, it felt like I had reached the end of the series. I found out later it was the almost the end. (he wrote two more books after this novel in the Morse series)

I would have voted for this highly had the length been taken care of. Still, it isn’t a bad book at all. A light read that is needed especially when one is too tired to deal with serious stuff in life.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri by James Michener

A war novella, the Bridges at Toko-Ri is based on the US-North Korea war in the 1950s. It focuses on the US naval efforts to destroy the said Bridge Toko-Ri so as to debilitate the enemy forces. The central theme of the story deals with the many moods of the soldiers involved in the war as well as the civilians affected by it.

The story revolves around an American lawyer who has signed up with the US navy to fight against the North Koreans. He is reluctant, afraid and worried about his family and how the war will impact his choices. Yet, when faced with the do-or-die situation, he is brave and fights to win. There are many characters - war heroes - who are larger than life and stay that way and then there are people who make fighting a war a personal issue, justifying the means and the loss of lives.

Overall, it is a well-written story; certain portions did affect me emotionally. The writing is crisp in most places – many of the jargons though difficult to understand, do not really come in the way of understanding the story. The writer was a soldier himself with first experience of war during his tenure.

This is an old story (published during 1953 talking about the 1950 US war with N. Korea) but it also reminded me how far removed we are from such situations. We are indeed blessed to have that safety from the cruelties of war.

2018 - The Usual Post-it

This year I am planning to read 40 books. I could not reach my reading goal last year (18/52); it was the lowest count in the last three years. Still, I plan to keep a lofty goal of forty so that I can read more than last year.

I also plan to read more of Kannada books and I have already finished one. This time, I am also thinking of maintaining a list of quarterly goals. I was inspired by a book blogger who speaks of these. Considering a month is already gone in this quarter, this is my quarterly goal list:

1. Read a book every week – I am not sure if the second half of the year will give me enough time to read (with other personal goals in place during that period), so I want to read as many books as possible this quarter. One a week will ensure some form of discipline. If I manage to read more, I will consider myself a lucky one.
2. Write every day – I want to make sure that by the end of this quarter, I definitely want to finish a report on healthcare that I have been meaning to do for my personal use and COMPLETE the first draft of the novella I have been sitting on.
3. Finish my financial and legal work – small little obstacles that have grown over the years and suddenly I realise I am going to be in trouble if I don’t resolve them right away. 

I am going to track these goals every week to see how I am faring.

2018 - A New Year and New Books

New year began with a Kannada book called 'Anudinada Antaragange' ('ಅನುದಿನದ ಅಂತರಗಂಗೆ') by Pratibhaa Nanda Kumar.

I had not heard about this Kannada poet earlier nor had I read any of her poems or books. A friend gave me this book – a memoir – from this poet saying it was something I had to read. She mentioned she found the poet and her life quite inspiring. Curious, I started and soon I was hooked.

Before I mention anything about the book, a background on the author based on her book and a quick research on the internet: Pratibhaa Nanda Kumar is a Bangalore based poet, journalist and a playwright. She is also a documentary film maker. She is well-known for her feminist views and path breaking poetry. She wrote for the well-known ‘Lankesh Patrike’ that was known for its radical views.

Anudinada Antaragange is not a proper memoir, in the sense, it does not really deal with all aspects of her life, but focuses mainly on her internal struggles with her self-image, and her constant search for emotional security and love. Many people move in and out of her life and the only constant seems to be her love for writing and her children. The writing is crisp and bold interspersed with poems. The poems ring true; they touch you in unexpected ways. They paint a tortuous yet beautiful picture.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It has intrigued me enough to look for her poetry and other writings. My next trip to Bangalore will definitely include a trip to the bookshop.