Monday, December 24, 2012

In The Mirror


                               BOOK REVIEW: A Whole Summer Long By  Aditi Krishnakumar



Much before the emergence of the new era of Indian writing – there was a person who undoubtedly was the uncrowned Empress of Indian paperback industry. Shobhaa De. The passion she showed in her novels is unparallel and unseen long. And, they were not books merely to be read rashly during a journey, but the taste could have been cherished long after.  But later, precisely after 2004, the rash-read genre books meant for Wheelers overcrowded the shelves.

A Whole Summer Long 
Far from being in the genre of De’s and neither in the 100 bucks, Aditi, in her debut novel attempted a mint-fresh genre of her own. Not market-driven, she has honestly tried to cater the long-starved intellect minds of India.  Based on the backdrop of a Tamil Brahmin family, “A Whole Summer Long” revolves around newlywed Sowmya. The plot is simple. The character sketching is excellent.

But what steals the show is the intrinsic humor in the whole story. Be it in the dialogues or narratives, the writer intelligently mixed humor of class. The humor never went down as slapstic. It was inherent throughout.
Very true the course she is pursuing – the writer is in love with English Literature.  The sentence construction is excellent. The vocabulary she used is apt. the character introduction and carrying is perfect. And, not in a single place she faltered with the technicalities of writing a story. And, this deserves kudos.

A special mention required for the naming of the chapters. Most of the names are taken from the creations of John Keats. She has rightfully matched the contents and the names of the chapters.

The story has a pace of its own. It starts slowly but refreshingly. The characters took time to evolve. But, as the plot progresses, the pace borders on the verge of becoming slow. Though it does not literally test the patience, given the plush humor associated, it traverses on the line of “boredom”.

Most of the dialogues, conversations and narratives are allegoric and dramatic. The characters throughout speak in an unworldly dramatic manner. Though it brings humor but it distances the characters from being known. And, also, fails to capture the right emotions at times. The style, though unique, was unable to create a gripping momentum.

But, it is excellent as a debut attempt. The detailing of the narratives and character sketching is awesome. The mood maintained throughout the book is perfect. 
The book in all gives a pleasure. It touches the sensibilities and humor with a class apart. And this brings the hope of many new possibilities. May be from the same author. May be from others who refrained of taking this risk on debut.



Saturday, December 15, 2012

Book Review


                  14th Feb: A Love Story

“Absence does to love what wind does to fire; it blows out the weaker ones and rekindles the deeper ones”. 14th February: A Love Story justifies this well-known saying in portraying the life of a person who identifies his true love after going through a phase of distress and disappointment.
The title “14th February: A Love Story” sets the tone for an intriguing love story. The protagonist of this story is the only son of a middle-class family based in Chennai. He is studious and intelligent and is living a dream life, topping his board examinations, studying at IIT and getting to the magical paradise of America for a bright future.

14Th Feb: A Love Story
The only thing that has eluded him in this journey is true love, for which he craves for. And when he thinks he has met the woman of his dreams and has got everything in life, his world collapses, as he is condemned as an introvert, predictable and a boring guy and his partner leaves him. This incident changes his life forever and becomes depressed. Consequently he heads back to his hometown leaving behind his dreamland making him realize the tough realities of life. Now having returned from USA he finds himself mercilessly condemned and ridiculed by his fellowmen. The mentality of the commoners pushes him into further depression and becomes a recluse.
Here comes the final twist in the tale, when the utterly distressed, betrayed guy finds an angel appearing in his life. Her arrival slowly transforms him and provides him with new vigor in leading a new life. He falls in love with her on Valentine’s Day, as he waits for his angel; he realizes the value of this true love, the love that will last forever.
The author has sensibly staged the plot on the backdrop of hard realities of life. The theme of love has been expertly dealt with various incidents including separations and union. His coming back to India makes the story a bit predictable. Also the lack of pace is quite clearly evident in the opening half of the story when the narrator is going through his childhood days. It gains pace only when the story reaches its climax. But the string of events somewhat brings a compactness about the story.
Whatever, the story bears a feel good factor which prevails right from the beginning till the end and soothes the mind of the reader like any other love story does.
                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                           Argha Ghosh 

The review is published from the diary of an young avid reader. He has taken the pleasure of reviewing this lovely book. :)

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

In The Mirror


                      BOOK REVIEW : Mom and I Love a Terrotist by Leema Dhar

Starting from the year 2004 – the year when Indian paperback industry was finally out of the ICU holding the strong hands of Mr. Bhagat, it has long 8 years. And, the number of shelves at the bookstores containing Indian writing has been exponentially increasing. The curve showing the growth in sales is ticking up steeply. But, the ‘literary’ minds have been complaining since long. They complain about presence and absence of two very things in every new-era Indian writers. The presence is of ‘redundancy’ and absence is of ‘maturity’. And, the generalization went such an extent that a new Indian author book drove a sigh “one more IIM ?.. huh!!”

And, when the severity of the issue was gaining ground – a chunk of young authors came as saviors. If I am not too wrong, Leema is the youngest among all.

The story revolves around a girl and her single mom on the picturesque island of Andamans. The story peeps through the eerie juncture of teenage and maturity. The moment-of-truth when the peppy-flashy world crushes down to the harsh-grey reality.  The moment when a tender mind is bereft to depression by the gore realism.  And, the realism is symbolically presented in the black stranger. The extremity of darkness in real world can be compared to the throttling shock a delicate mind undergoes when it witnesses a stranger sharing her mom’s bed. And, then turning the pages of her dear mother’s uncanny past. The book is a journey through the nook and corner of a teenage psyche.

The author very sensibly staged the plot on the back-drop of a real massacre. The issue of extremist movement has been dealt with care and sensibility.  The struggle and the sacrifice for the proletariats are very loosely touched upon. Though, the main plot is miles away from this issue, the story through the eyes of her mother could have delved deep a bit more on this. It could have signified and justified her sacrifice and pride in a broader sense.


Mom and I love a Terrorist by Leema Dhar
The story has a sweet pace of its own. The characters evolve slowly through the plot in a definite manner. But the subplots seem to be blatant and dull compared to the main plot. The college friends of the protagonist are seen-them-before sort of. Which college movie missed a playboy hunk, a slutty expose-it-all girl or a possessive friend? – All of them have got it. And, the characters seem too loud and out of place for a matured plot like this.

The boat-maker for whom the protagonist fell for is introduced in a fantastic way. He was tall, dark, well-built with a mystic aura. But, on the course - he has been over-mystified. The character remained obscured for long. A letter to part-away is romantic in true sense. But, it was prevalent mostly in the black-and-white movies of the early 60s. And, this behavior from a matured guy – is like a stone to digest.  Though the author has endorsed platonic love throughout , the creation of bond between the protagonist and her lover remains half-baked.

The epilogue touching all lives in the story briefing their where-abouts is really fine. Finally, it is a brave attempt from the pen of a young writer. And, the maturity shown in unfolding the mystery keeping the thrill intact and touching upon romance of relationship and nature is done with sheer mastery and deserve kudos.

 Whatever, the show-stealer is the island of Andamans . The thrashing of cold-waves on the shore- the distant lights blinking in the sea – the cool breeze – is bound to fill your mind with utter tenderness and glee of teenage nostalgia.