Lucknow Boy by Vinod Mehta

Lucknow Boy: A Memoir by Vinod Mehta
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Read a review of this book by a fellow reader- Shruti Rao.

It seemed so well put that i am simply copy-pasting her review here-

"If reading books was a sexual act, this book, at its best is fingering. Mostly, it's a peck on your cheek from the author, who's always got one eye trained on the mirror behind you, checking out himself.

Still, for the anecdotes, irreverence and never letting it stutter, three stars."

Perfect!


View all my reviews

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Primarily- The Lowland is about three characters- Subhash, Udayan and Gauri. While the story of Lowland is deep and layered, its premise can find similarity in the 1981 Yash Chopra classic- Silsila.

However, what makes The Lowland a brilliant book- for me- are two things- 1) The writers ability to understand each and every character that makes an appearance in the narrative and 2) The manner in which each characters thoughts, desires, actions and conflicts are articulated in the book.

By setting the story's beginning and hence the back drop in the 1950's Calcutta with its volatile Naxalite movement, the author gives this tale of human distress and survival, a well intended dramatic uplift that enhances its experience.

In a tale like this where there isn't any place for edge of the seat thrills or time ticking page turners, the hold that the author has is impeccable. And this appears to come from a sincerity with which she knows her characters.

At times, the manner in which they behave infuriates you, you want to scream at them for being so rigid. At other times you can't help be proud for the actions they have taken or choices they have made. The damage that life has done to them is believable, the manner in which they cope seems commendable.

All in all as you turn each page and know more of them, you realize how they have become a large part of you.

However, as the book comes to an end and you sit stunned- drowned & immersed- you realize that all through this while... a large part of you has been turned over to them!!!

Do Read.

The Oath of the Vayuputras by Amish

Absolute let down!!

After having devoured Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of Nagas I was eagerly awaiting The Oath of the Vayuputras by Amish.

I had preordered the copy and was ticking off days until the book reached me. As such you can imagine my heartbreak when the book turned out to be a lame and listless conclusion to the explosive Trilogy.

In this book, I was expecting Shiva- having gathered all the information he needed- to emerge on the world stage as the- Mahadev- the super god! I was expecting the introduction of the Vayuputra's to be some kind of critical revelation to the plot that would be detrimental to the climax. I was expecting Shiva to be far more proactive and far less vulnerable then he had so far been. I was expecting the climax to live up to the hype that the prequels had built up!

Alas... none of the above happened!! 

It was unbelievable how the trajectory of the thrill just kept on falling as the end approached. A cloud of doom enveloped the narrative and all the combative spirit simply trickled out, leaving a dull and morose end to what could have been an explosive parting shot.

Ah! Disappointed.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Fabulous!

The book is a magnificent, passionate and absorbing “rant” of a teenager- Holden Caulfield- who is genuinely opinionated, angry, lost, confused and headstrong as most teenagers are!

It’s a story spanning over approximately 3-4 days of Holden’s life. The intensity of the writing is such that it draws us so close to Holden that we seem to undergo these series of emotions. From initially being fond of him, we begin to get amused by him and then get angry at him to finally empathizing with him.

The language is most noteworthy here for had the language been articulate, it would not have seemed like a ramble of a teenager. It thus is endearing to see the language be true to the character.

Every character serves a purpose and makes for an interesting revelation taking forward Holden’s story and us along with it!

However, if the reader has had an extremely smooth and “clear” teenage phase then there is every possibility of the book seeming cumbersome and pointless!!

I loved it!

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The thing about 'classics' is that they not only tell you a beautiful story but also acquaint you with so much wisdom that the entire experience leaves you... spellbound!

The 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel is one such book and it could not have had a more apt name for itself. For it is indeed a 'life-time' that you live through within the pages of this book. And just like the book, this is no ordinary life!

It is a life full of adventure and endurance- a life where the human spirit triumphs over all hardships on account of its sheer grit and innocence.

Everything about this book is adventurous...Starting from the very name of the central character- which is- Piscine Molitor Patel!! A gujrati boy staying with his parents in Pondichery. His father too is no engineer, doctor or an accountant but is the owner and manager of a Zoo!!!

If all this was not intriguing enough to make you pick the book then wait till you hear the plot- Piscine aka Pi and his family decide to migrate to Cannada along with their entourage of zoo animals. However, on their voyage to Cannada, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, their ship- SINKS...taking everyone and everything to the bottom of the ocean apart from  our beloved Pi, a life boat and- as his companions by accident- a Zebra, a Hyena and....a adult Bengal Tiger!!! Oh!... and none of these four legged creatures are pets mind you!!

From here on begins the life we are to endure and experiencein every way that Pi did! Right there in the middle of the wide ghastly sea, on the tiny lifeboat with all those freaking animals!!

It is the perfect case of – Survival of the fittest! The only issue being that we are going to be rooting for the weakest!!

Yann Martel- through his detailed descriptions and lucid narrative- takes us on this bizarre escapade where many a times we don't just feel as though being with Pi but feel as though we are him ourselves! As Pi struggles to survive on the lifeboat, as he suffers through with fear and bears the pain from hunger and rain... we feel it too! As the number of his companions begin to dwindle with only him and the tiger now left to- literally- sail through the ordeal, we feel their transformation and sense their need for each other despite being- a man and a beast!

It is no exaggeration but I did almost feel sea sick and had nightmares of myself marooned on the boat while reading the book. On innumerable occasions I could feel my toes cringing as if they had been wet for hours!! That is the power of Martel's writing through this tale.

The best part about this story was how it brings to light- without being explicit- the similarities between various lives!! Whether the 'Life' is that of a man, a tiger, a fish or a bird... the need to survive and the reaction to fear are so similar amongst all of us at a very core level. It is a fact that gets revealed to us through events in the story and makes us marvel at the nature we live in.

While on the level of experience and story telling the book excels brilliantly, another advantage that one gets out of it is the knowledge that it ends up providing! From the behavioral patterns of animals in the zoo as compared to their natural habitat to getting familiar with the instincts of a Hyena and the Bengal Tiger to hunting d Dorados in the sea to the surviving with Meerkats on an island...The book is many times like an encyclopedia  without being preachy! Reading this is almost like watching the NatGeo channel!! Its fun!

There are times when one may feel an overdose of repetition or long patches  of avoidable description but then life at sea while being adventurous can also be mundane and dull. And since we are living that life with Pi... the feeling of fatigue and boredom that we might experience at certain points in the book goes very well with what Pi could be feeling then.

And then if all this was not enough comes the smacking climax! Oh I shall give nothing away but the manner in which it makes us reflect on everything that happened so far, almost wanting us to restart the book and read the first few pages is- Oh well- Minds d blowing!

Should I say more?

Must read.

Mumbai Fables by Gyan Prakash

Mumbai Fables by Gyan Prakash is a narrative on the history of the much exploited metropolis of Mumbai. It is an informative read that throws light on the events that have shaped Mumbai from the scattered seven islands that it once was to the throbbing chaos of human life and struggle it today has become. 

The language of the book  gives it a scientific and text book like feel making some parts cumbersome and tedious to get through. It could well be that the writer has deliberately done so to highlight the factual and researched nature of the book. 

Having said that the book does not reveal much of what was already not out there in a very large public domain. 


However for the uninitiated and especially those who inhabit the city it is a matter of great necessity to be aware of the life this city has lived. From 1408 when Vasco Da Gama first came here to the Portuguese rule to Mumbai being gifted by Portuguese to the British to the post colonial times from the leftist textile-mill-age to Bal Thakeray's- Saffron Sena rage!... its like leafing through the scars and stains the rulers of Mumbai have given her. 

I liked it only for the information on Mumbai it refreshed in me... the same however can be done on wikipedia too!

Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss

The only two self help books i have managed to complete and enjoy are "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne and another one that i read 15 years back when i was in my tenth standard. The reason for this being that the theories to get over your mental blocks are more or less the same. It is largely in the manner that they are presented makes for an interesting read. Of course, some self help books no matter how mundane can simply hit a chord in you on account of your mind-set at the time you leaf through them.

Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss was a book suggested to me by my sister a year and half back. The cover and the synopsis of the book did not attract me then and it was thus lying on my shelf all this time. However, it was when i received a letter full of praise for the book from our family astrologer and dear friend Mr. Kalyani, that i went back to it. I was gripped right away and have been recommending it ever since i finished reading the book- in two days!!

The book is a narration by noted psychiatrist- Dr. Weiss about his experiences when his patient- Catherine- came to him a few years back to get cured. After the usual talk and medicines failed to help Catherine get over her anxieties, nightmares and other insecurities, she was initiated by the Doctor into hypnosis and Past Life Regression Therapy. It was then that was exposed to the Doctor not only a very vital but a very schintilating facet of all our human lives and souls- the meta physics!

In the book, every time Catherine is exiting a past life of hers, she happens to be transported onto a 'plane/ level' where she meets the 'Masters'. These Masters through Catherine narrate the nuggets of lives' secrets and code breakers. The manner in which the book is written leaves no doubt in their authenticity, giving them a credibility and thus relevance of a very high stature. On absorbing the information that they bring to us, it becomes easier- as i felt- to work around many a demons that haunt and nag us through our daily existence.

I have loved reading this book and would recommend it to all those disturbed and restless. Allow me to quote a stanza from the book before i conclude. 

This is what a Master tells Dr. Weiss through Catherine in one of their many sessions-

"Patience and timing…everything comes when it must come. A life cannot be rushed, cannot be worked on a schedule as so many people want it to be. We must simply accept what comes to us at a given point of time and not ask for more. But life is endless, so we never die; we were never really born*. We just pass through phases. There is no end. Humans have many dimensions. But time is not as we see time but rather in lessons that are learnt"

* This refers to the fact which we learn on reading the book- It tells us how 'we' are our soul which is and has been going from one body to another. It shall keep doing so until it goes back to the universe where it came from. It was always there, it'll always be there. Our bodies and of those around us are mere carriers of each soul. Whatever is incomplete now, will be completed…may be through the next body that the soul takes. Its not 'our' life… its the destiny of that soul!

The girl with a dragon tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The murder/ disappearance of Hariet Vanger has happened 30 years back. Her body of course has not been found and the case is now closed- Not for her uncle though. The aging and retired industrialist- Henrick Vanger has made it, his life’s mission to find the culprit and make him pay. For this purpose he finds and baits- Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist who is at a magnificently low point in his life. Mikael has been convicted of libel against industrial magnet Hennerstorm and thus is sentenced to serve 3 months in prison within a year. The magazine- Millennium- that Mikael started with his best friend and occasional lover- Erika Berger- is in a bad shape after the verdict against Mikael. In short, he is extremely down and out!

Henrick Vanger calls on Mikael and signs a contract of one year with him, as a result of which Mikael is to find the killer! At the end of the year whether Mikael succeeds or not, assuming he tried his best, Vanger is to give him substantial evidence to nail Hennerstorm on account of whom Mikael is in the dumps as of now!

Thus begins the plot and it gets intriguing for there are plenty of characters. A supposed murder has happened on the island thirty years back but no body has been found and there are plenty of suspects. Each one bizarre and suspicious! As Mikael goes around digging the already dug up tracks, never seen before skeletons begin to stumble out. The truth gets gory and spine chilling. The question that Mikael asks Henrick at one point sums it perfectly. He asks, “A year back when you chose me to uncover the truth, you did not expect the truth to be painless did you?”

Larrson writes a very gripping narrative and i must say it is well translated by Reg Keeland. The reader is compelled to turn the page to find out what follows. At times the novel gets too descriptive. There are times when you begin to wonder why am I being told about this person? How is it relevant to the story? But the beauty of Larrson’s writing is that it all comes together. Of course many details are too elaborately laid out but that I believe is his style!

I however did have a few issues with the plot! Primarily a financial journalist chosen to solve a murder mystery, I felt, was too contrived. Of course over the course it is justified but why a resourceful industrialist who is obsessed with a case for over 30 years will find and trust a financial journalist about whom he knows as much as the Pvt. Investigator has reported is a fact I found hard to digest! That is a major hiccup for me and hence I find it important to mention it here. That apart it was a fairly thick book that did not seem that thick. Will definitely read the second book of the Millennium Trilogy.

I TOO HAD A DREAM: SYNOPSIS & EXCERPTS

Verghese Kurien belonged to an illustrious family wherein his father was a civil surgeon in British, Cochin and his mother too was highly educated. Kurien had completed his graduation in B.Sc and wanted to obtain his masters in metallurgy and physics. He applied for the British Scholarships that enabled the student to go abroad and complete their masters. Despite having a comfortable job in TISCO at the age of 23, Kurien was adamant of studying further and that too from abroad. However there came the first glitch- The government selected him to grant scholarship but on one condition- He had to pursue a masters in Dairy Farming and not in metallurgy or nuclear physics!!...for that was the need of the government! Kurien agreed for he wanted to get away from TISCO and thought he would take up a side course in metallurgy and physics while pursuing his obligations in dairy farming!!

As he came back from US on completing his dairy farming course he already had a job that promised to pay Rs. 1000/- a month...in the year 1948!

However the government reminded him that according to the bond that granted him scholarship he had to work for the government for at least the next three years! and thus he was posted in a remote dusty village called Anand in Gujrat.

Thus this reluctant young man began his journey in the 1948 believing that he will fulfill the bond and leave for better pastures...he had no idea of the pastures that he was going to create right there in Anand....and dedicate his entire life to the farmers of Gujrat and Kaira Co-operatives and the soon the to the whole of India, making India the largest milk producer in the WORLD.
EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK (also see excerpts on http://shockaday.blogspot.com )

"When our country fought for freedom from the British it evolved leadership of quality that any nation anywhere in the world would be proud of. Leaders with calibre and nobility of purpose from different states of India. It is dismaying to see that we no longer have that uplifting nobility and are producing increasingly inferior leaders."

"While integrity and loyalty are core values there are other values too that are integral to achieve success in any field. For example, the leader must first set an example and then explain to others in what way the change is going to take place."

"What is the primary job of the manager? To bring in and groom the right people on the team. Once this is done, to groom the successor most appropriate for the institution."

"If you are paid less than what you are worth than you might get respect but if you get much more than what you are worth than you'll definately not get respect(of colleagues/ staff)."

"Our greatest national resource is our people and we have more often than not neglected this. Whether intentionally or not, we have created an illusion that everything is in the hands of the government."

"Great change takes place through sometimes small, even invisible steps"

"When employees begin to believe that the institution exists for them rather then they exist for the purpose and ideals for which the institution was built, then clearly, that institution has mutated into bureaucracy."

GOOD BOOK...GREAT STORY...MUST READ...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.