The Company of Women by Khushwant Singh – A Book Review

 Claim to Fame : Khushwant Singh has been the editor of 'The Illustrated Weekly' and the author of various novels including ‘Train to Pakistan’ and his autobiography ‘Truth, Love and a little Malice’. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 which he returned after the attack of the Sikhs at the Golden Temple. His books 'The History of the Sikhs' is much acclaimed. Later he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

There were 2 reasons for me to pick up this book for a read.

• I wanted something lighter to read after having read the hard hitting and duly affecting novel ‘Disgrace’ by J.M.Coetzee
• As an ode to the lively author who passed away recently on 20th Mar 2014, at the age of 99, just a year short of his century.

Mohan Kumar, the protagonist, is a highly educated individual having immense business acumen. He is the eyeball candy, the Casanova of Delhi’s upper class social circuit. But alas, he is neither so lucky nor successful in his marriage. Having married into the family of one of the wealthiest business tycoons in Delhi, he gradually falls in the pits of his nagging wife and bears the brunt of her disrespectful family. This inevitably ends in separation and divorce in spite of having 2 wonderful kids from their wedlock.

            The novel is the journey of Mohans' sexual escapades, the unending journey of his libido. What started as a incognizant push into the lusty fires during his college days in America, makes him succumb to his effusive libido post his separation with his wife as he advertises for women, not proposing for marriage but to accompany him for a short duration, to share his bed on a contractual basis. As the cliche goes ‘He lives his life between his legs’.

            There is nothing much to write about the plain and unimaginative writing. I should have read the foreword and stopped there because that is the most truthful part of the book. The book is nothing more than a retiring 83 year old man’s nonsensical ostentation of his sexual fantasies, of placing him as the hero at the altars of his virile sex drive, of having the ‘Oh, wow, you have the longest’ THINGY. It is the rejoicing in fiction of the incapability in real life.

            The writing is truly amateurish and unimaginative. It almost feels like reading a Nancy Friday erotica. Sorry, but I guess I picked the wrong book to celebrate this distinguished personality’s colorful life. I guess ‘Train to Pakistan’ would have been an apt choice.

My rating        :           * * * * * * * * * * - 2/10

Khushwant Singh

Disgrace by J.M.Coetzee – A book review

Claim to fame :

• Disgrace is the winner of the Nobel prize in literature 2003 and winner of the 1999 Booker prize. Disgrace is now also a movie featuring John Malkovich.
• Another one of his books, ‘Life & Times of Michael K’ has won the 1983 Booker prize and his book ‘Summertime’ was shortlisted for the 2009 Booker prize.

Disgrace - The Novel

            I am at a loss as to where to begin the praise. Is it the fact that such a context can be thought of that needs to be applauded more or the bold and intricate manner in which it has been sketched? Coetzee’s characters breathe and you feel the warmth of their breath. They are up, close, they touch you, mock you excite you, pull you down, their words reverberate in your ears, their hapless emotions trespass your mind, and their immaculate realism surprises you.

            David Lurie, a Communications professor at the Cape Technical University in South Africa, is 52, married twice, divorced twice with a distantly living grown up girl from his first marriage as the only person in the name of family. He is happily sorted and settled in his life.

            But a man has needs. Bodily needs. More so, a lonely man who has had no difficulties in the past. As long as he derives the pleasures through the payment gateway, everything is fine, but the abrupt dissociation from his favorite girl throws his settled life off balance. This results in an affair with a student of his who is less than half his age. When the word is out, it disrupts the entire balance of his life and he is in no mood to give any justification to anyone. He knows neither he nor she has wronged, but more importantly he knows that subjects like these are beyond the common comprehension of people and there is no point in making an attempt. He quits, forsakes everything in his current life and moves to the countryside, to his daughter Lucy’s dwelling.

            He is almost coming to terms with the slow and seemingly meaningless country life when a robbery and rape shakes his life yet again and invariably his daughter’s too. What pains him more than the horrific crime is the inane acceptance of it by Lucy. Why? Demeaning himself through a self imposed punishment for his disgrace in the city though he doesn’t hold himself responsible, he finds it overwhelming and impossible to comprehend Lucy’s reactions towards the incident, the entire matter of fact attitude shown by not only her but all around. And not only the incident, but the entire shameless, blunt and flamboyant display of power surrounding her farm, the effusive helplessness overexposed by Lucy is killing him, driving him crazy and to top it all, he is strictly restrained from doing anything about it. Lucy’s credence, he feels is not only stupid, but disastrous and suicidal. Why does she refuse to punish the wrong doers when he has so easily and readily punished himself? The worst part is that he cannot ease the pain; not off her, not off himself.

            The writing is so beautiful and bold that you feel the obstinacy, the angst, the helplessness, the pain and sorrow of both the lead characters though in completely different ways. You might just end up abhorring and ridiculing Lucy for her docile and meek mannerism. But, on second thoughts, you realize there is no right or wrong. What is escapism for some may be just treading on a peaceful path. What might look like foolish acceptance and cowardice might be the most befitting thing to do, might just be facing the circumstance and standing tall.

            

            Just like everyone claims to understand the Mahatma’s doctrines, teach them, preach them but when it comes to it, fail to act on them, follow them.

            This is my first Coetzee book and I am already a huge fan!

J. M. Coetzee

Family Album by Penelope Lively – A book review

Family Album by Penelope Lively – A book review

Claim to Fame – Family Album was shortlisted for the Costa Awards 2009

Family Album - The Novel

Finally done with! Completed! 261 pages only but it seems like it’s taken me eternity to read this one (The fact that my mind was distraught due to sundry reasons could be behind this eternal consumption of time and the book or the authoress is not to blame)

            A big family - six children, mother father and an au pair. At Allersmead, a gigantic Victorian house from the pre First World War period, the reins of the household is in the hands of the lady of the house. Allison, an unflaggingly happy person believes strongly in family values and bonding. Her untiring resolve to raise a family and not the passion for love making is the reason for the number of children that there are. In spite of an aloof husband; a writer who chooses to spend not only his time but purposefully his life in his study writing on uncommon topics, Allison makes every effort to weave a quilt of happiness and family ties with the varied shapes, egos and personalities of her growing children.

            As the children grow up bearing stronger wings and turn by turn leave the Allersmead nest, they find themselves placed in different parts of the globe, quite successful in their chosen paths except for Paul. However, their distance from Allersmead is almost equivalent to the growing distance they feel from the family values, the togetherness values imbibed by their mother. This life that they have created for themselves bears no resemblance to their growing up days.

            And then there is this devastating secret, which is capable of destroying all family ties. A secret of the elders – who knows? Who doesn't? Should it be known? At what cost?

            An easy read by Penelope Lively. While, in the characters of Gina and Paul, I felt the author has been successful in injecting a riveting liveliness, the others seem a wee bit drab. At times in the novel, and more so when you have known what you to you ought to have known, a certain amount of dullness creeps in. Though every now and then the strong penning of emotions of the characters and the wittiness of the author goads you to carry on, overall, I felt it was an okay read.

My rating : * * * * * * * * * * (5/10)

Penelope Lively

Highway - A film by Imtiaz Ali - A review

Highway - A movie review (*****)

Story and Direction : Imtiaz Ali

Cast : Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt

Music : AR Rahman

Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

“Jahan se tum mujhe laaye ho, mai wahan waapas nahi jaana chahti, jahan tum le jaa rahe ho, mai wahan jaana nahi chahti, lekin ye jo safar hai, abhi hai, ye raasta, mai chahti hu ke ye kabhi khatam na ho”

Freedom! What does it mean? Like all words and emotions today, freedom is subjective. Are we free? Are you? Am I? Can I drop these clothes of responsibility and wander with my naked thoughts away to the mountains where my heart belongs, where I find peace? Can I live my passion and just spend my time writing – maybe for nothing? How much money is enough? Am I crazy if I am not like you? Should I be scorned and loathed if my thoughts of normalcy go against your safe and cushioned and veiled life made up of the amalgamation of endless and varied impositions since birth? Should I be punished if I be myself? Am I obliged to laugh at every joke of yours when you trespass the sanctity of my mind every now and then? Do you bother to see beyond my hollow smile, the pain in ripples?

Sometimes (Most of the times) we are so cluttered up and accustomed to our imposed lives that we know not what freedom is and day after day we live a life without a life! The protagonist Veera (Alia Bhatt) is one such person till she gets pushed over the edge and finds herself being kidnapped.

In captivity, she finds freedom. In the angst and hatred of her kidnapper, she finds simplicity and love. She becomes aware the other side of her which was subdued till now and had never emerged before. She realizes that she can talk, can express, feel, laugh freely, can live, can irritate!

Her kidnapper, Mahavir (Randeep Hooda) is an angry man, his anger being against the rich, the powerful, against what he saw and experienced as a child, experiences even now as an adult.  Deep inside, he is just a child gone the wrong way, driven away from his mother, to the point of no return. In Veera, he sees glimpses of the unconditional love, the acceptance, his forgotten and buried childhood.

Powerful and mature performances! Alia Bhat is not a star, she is an ACTRESS! Hats off!! 11 out of 10. Her madness in the film is loud and clear. Her painstaking innocence breathes a new life in Veera. I would love to see her in more roles like these. Randeep Hooda is undoubtedly a great actor of his league. This is one of those movies that I wanted to watch because of the director Imtiaz Ali, but came home impressed with the performances of the actors.

Imtiaz Ali has got the pulse of each character and has squeezed the best from his team. A thoughtful story creatively and soulfully directed. No nonsense! If you don’t go home with a heavy heart and thoughts in your mind about the way you are living, then…..something is wrong.

AR Rahmans’ ingenuity and Irshad Kamils’ ode work wonders. The rustic and folk oriented ‘Patakha Guddi’ is a lyrical masterpiece. You will love the ‘Wanna Mashup’ song in the movie watching Veera gyrating on the road making crazy moves.

The only thing I felt as an unnecessary imposition in the film was the sexual abuse angle – somehow clichéd. While watching the film and after it, I felt there was a little more needed – what, where, how, I don’t know – but a little more of something! Overall, a must watch film.

Take the right turn....DON’T MISS THE HIGHWAY!