Unaccustomed Earth

I have a complicated relationship with Jhumpa Lahiri- which began with a TV review of the Namesake ( the movie). Since experience had taught me that the books are usually better than the movies, I bought the book and read it- but surprisingly found Mira Nair’s version the better narrative. However, Lahiri’s prose and character etching interested me and I gave her another shot with The Interpreter of Maladies. With a second sojourn, I thought I could safecly conclude that JL was over hyped and repetitive ( Bengali food, immigrants who all live in Cambridge, who are all PhDs – duh!!). Inspite of all the accolades the critics and close friends showered on her, I was really not looking forward to anymore of her books.
What first set me going the third time was when the HT Brunch decided to publish “Hell and Heaven” as a teaser to Unaccustomed Earth. Smart move I should say- to choose a really bold story as a prelude to the book - wonder if the earth is really unaccustomed to the events described in the story ( extramarital affair narrated by the daughter- wow!). - but I digress. I was pleasantly surprised at way JL handled the entire plot, the neat, well-developed characters, the attention to detail. That was over a month ago. The story caught my attention- but not enough to persuade me to buy the hardcover. Hence, I finally read the entire collection 2 weeks ago when a friend was kind enough to lend me his copy.

Put together, I felt the stories have an overlying theme of sadness, despair and loss of control. Even days after having finished reading the book, the characters and the stories continue to haunt me. [In hindsight, maybe I should have heeded Ravi’s advice to read them slowly] JL’s ability to gives life to the emotions and the subtle workings of the minds and hearts of her characters- is definitely much better than her earlier attempts with IOM and The Namesake. I also found the stories more ambitious in their attempt to capture complex relationships- but overall, one cannot deny that there is a very dark theme to the book- in each there is separation or loss of a loved one- none of the stories feature getting back to normal or happier lives. For some reason, I found that extremely disturbing- a fact that stops me from overtly praising the effort.

To be frank, I am unable to decide upon which stories I liked the best/disliked the most. I liked the title story where Ruma grappled with her emotions of dealing with her widowed father and his clandestine affair. It seemed to be the closest to reality and then there was Only goodness where JL has touched upon the evils of alcoholism and how helpless and uncontrollable it can make you. I thought that although really well- written, the ink was wasted on Hema &Kaushik when the end was brought about via a strange coincidence than the culmination of events described by the writer.

Overall, I think it is a riveting read- but keep it for the rainy days when your mind is too tired to do anything else and you have enough time to kill. Avoid reading it on the go or while working on a serious project at work- for all you know this will capture the lion’s shares of your mind and implant it with dark, foreboding thoughts.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Mitch Albom's books usually act as a balm to a restless soul.

I have always felt that people, at any point of time, are a product of the cumulative set of experiences that have accosted them in their life till then. The attitudes & behavior are outcomes of this baggage that we carry and potray. Albom's simple and easy to absorb books provide explanations for actions/thoughts that might have troubled you in your life. It further acts as a soothing agent to your open wounds.

In this book, Albom talks of some important lessons in life that are cherished in god's books.

Lesson 1. There are no random incidents in the lifespan of a person. All people we come into contact with or incidents that we face are never "unrelated" or "random".

Lesson 2. Sacrifice is never a waste. Sacrifice should never be a cause for remorse or blame or frustration later in life.
Its hard to place one's faith in this lesson. I always think of the people who are mutilated in war. They become invalids for life. Has the sacrifice for their nation gone a waste? Such a state dampens enthusiasm for life itself. Concepts of nation or sacrifice for a nation become weak in the face of a population that has just given you a pass courtesy your inability to match them limb to limb.

Lesson 3. Loyalty is an asset in god's court of law.
This almost seems like an archaic concept. I, however, view it as an answer for the question - How should man lead life? In order for a person not to lead a life of a sloth, one has to associate with certain aspects, principles that make one's life extra-ordinary. The concept of non-violence, united a vastly different population to fight for freedom. Imagine something like that in these materialistic times. In the story related, loyalty to a friend who has given up on life, over one's own anger, frustrations and circumstancial disloyalty has raised this ordinary person's life to an extra-ordinary one. I doubt if i could ever live up to such standards.

Lesson 4. People pass away, but love does not die.
Love is an entity that overrides people in every imaginable way. One lives in memories of the small (till then seemingly unimportant) memories of times spent together, conversations, thoughts, just the comfort of sitting next to each other.. the list is endless. People whom you love always live in your heart and in your memories. They are just not present physically.

Lesson 5: People have a purpose in life, however, wasteful you feel your life has been
In the story that relates this lesson, the protagonist has this frustration and empty feeling as he feels he has wallowed away his life. After a promising start in the army and later as a salesman, the protagonist spent most of his time being a maintenance man in an amusement park. He became a fixture that just existed in time. It is revealed to him in heaven that his purpose in life was to keep children safe and happy. What i found most unnerving about the story is the thought - Did the sub-conscious thrust him into the role of a maintenance man in a penance for having burnt a little girl alive in his years during the war. ?

All in all, nice lessons in a nice & easy to read format. I feel, it can be read by all ages, though the impact on each age group would be different.

Even a person who does not have the habit of reading can read this book. Trust me, he/she will not put it down till it is finished

A must read book as far as i feel.

South of the Border, West of the Sun

This is a book by Haruki Murakami and translated into English by Philip Gabriel. Nice book. Good Book, recommended for one who actually thinks and emotes.

There is so much that an individual suppresses in the path of maturity and pragmatism. Impressions, thoughts, feelings, memories, that are not oft expressed, i guess, that never fall in a conventional box. Fleeting thoughts like, "i feel i can do wonders with my hands", referring to the ability to paint, or cut hair, that can never be expressed in as many words in an adult world and which, at times, rule unconsciously, either through trial or ruing a lost opportunity, a lifetime of choices, is one of the banes of this world of reality and pragmatism.

One wonders, what is it that encapsulates a relationship? What is it that chemistry that ties one to another? What is it that sustains the relationship without a partner spiritually not cheating the other? What is it about two people that brings them together? What is it about two souls where one can go on living a life independent of what the soul truly feels. But then, aren't all humans like that, prefects of dichotomy. Does one do what one truly wants? Again, can you actually articulate what you truly want? And even if you do, is that what you actually want? At the core of all this are the same, fleeting feelings, emotions that surface and topple over the facade of the real world.

What is it about First love that it evokes such strong nostalgic memories? Again.. First love, i stress, not infatuation, not the set of feelings that is over, once tasted.

The relational differences between the Hajime & Shimotomo-san , Izumi and Yukuki all capture different feelings, thoughts that i guess a lot of people undergo but lack the creativity to express in the years of dogged teaching to be in line with convention. The author Haruki Murakami has, i feel, done a wonderful job of capturing thoughts, feelings, emotions and that inner thought that, at times, even we are unaware of.

Tell me your dreams

Author - Sidney Sheldon

Multiple Personality Disorder is an oft abused topic by books and movies. This is another dish in that direction.

As any other Sidney Sheldon novel, this was pacy and a quick read. Lacked the content to have one savour the taste of the dish. Its more like read.. and its over. Well, most Sidney Sheldon novels are like that anyways. I felt, it lacked the juice in the courtroom drama and the psychiatric treatment as well. It lacked the specifics that make it believable. Its not the "been there.. experienced it" kind of a situation.

Overall a nice story and a nice read.

Shadow Family

This is a book by Miyuki Miyabe. I am turning into quite a fan of this author. This novel is the 3rd that i am reading of this author. Its an english translation done by Juliet Winters Carpenter of its Japanese original.

This story was amazing. Gave me a feeling akin to what i had after watching sixth sense.

The entire story revolves around a police interrogation to catch a murderer. A concept that is explored here is the increasing tendency of people to take to the internet. People in this story seemed to have formed a virtual family with a dad, mom and two children. All the characters doing a role-play of their part.

This makes one wonder about the psychology of such a person. Circumstances that have brought one to do something like this. Why is there an increasing tendency to take to the internet? Internet seems to be a place to give vent to your darkest thoughts & actions. I thought it was popular in the western countries because of the cultural emphasis on individualism. The popularity of the same in Japan or any asian culture is a bit perplexing considering that the cultural emphasis is on "family". But then why would someone try to draw an equivalent in a fantasy world?

It reminds me of a link Tushara sent sometime back about IBM employees conducting a strike in Second life. Now, Second Life is apparently a cyber city. Check out this link for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life