tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331661112024-03-13T19:29:34.892+05:30BrainDrainbraindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-45825234195040916782014-02-16T10:59:00.000+05:302014-02-16T11:00:16.454+05:30Sorrow of the Snows - Upendra Nath Ashk <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PsrqxEtPxbQ/UwBMGL4Hx3I/AAAAAAAADDI/epS7WufYsKA/s1600/sorrow+of+the+snows.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FHDk6CByTGY/UwBMT7j6yPI/AAAAAAAADDQ/WPGHykxG9aE/s1600/sorrow..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FHDk6CByTGY/UwBMT7j6yPI/AAAAAAAADDQ/WPGHykxG9aE/s1600/sorrow..jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hasandin's life is in two 'avtars'. During the season, when tourists flocks the valleys of Kashmir, he works as a guide, renting his horses to the visitors and trekkers. During the off season, he is a simple peasant labourer. He leads a normal life with his family and the horses , with an only intention of saving some money to afford a grand wedding of his son at the Shrine of Baba Pamdin, with whose help, he wife had borne him a son. During season, he goes to the bus stand, with his three horses accompanied by his son and nephew, after offering the morning namaz, in anticipation of his clients and with a hope of making a a good fortune at the mercy of a generous customer . As expected in any such cases, he has to struggle his way through forces of evil and opposition within his own quarters. The fellow horse-laden guides who stoop to any tactics to win the customers, the police authorities whose only intent is to steal from the meager earnings of these poor guides, and the customers who refuse to pay the agreed sum under one pretext or other. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This tale of sorrow and pathos talks about one another such incident. When he met Khanna Sahib at the bus stand and been selected to take him to Gulmarg, Khilanmarg, Afrabat and to the frozen lake of Al-Pathar, his heart was filed with joy, calculating the potential money he would make in the next couple of days from the wealthy tourist. It did not take long to realise the true nature of his customer. Khanna Sahib, a shrewd businessman from Delhi, was all cunning and stingy. At the end of the eventful trip, he not only refuse to pay for the tour and service, but accused Hasandin of stealing his Camera, sending him into the Police Station, where he was asked to pay a large sum to secure his release. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A simple story of pathos in the common man where the nature, authorities, the clients and the colleagues adds to his daily struggle to live. Despite the initial hopes and anticipation, every thing in the end conspires against his poor , innocent existence. The only solace is in the hands of the almighty. Written in 1957, 'Pathar - al - Pathar', made Upendra Nath Ashk as one of the leading writers on Hindi Literature. His writing, with simple and elegant prose, the crisp characterisation, the background imagery of the place and history, the influence of the religious beliefs and the ability of the villager to submit to the Gods for all his fortunes are very typical of the Indian writers. As we experienced in the writings of the post independent literature, this too reflects the exploitation, the inequality, the inefficiency of the systems to provide justice to the masses of the nation, through a passionate, yet detached, powerful narration.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Upendranath Ashk, a controversial figure in Indian Literature, had written numerous books in Hindi as well as Urdu. Many of his books are available in translation. This too a part satirical , part anecdotal narrative with sly humour ( hard hitting, but does not make one laugh or smile as the drama that unfolds in pathos) reflects his ability to bring the nuances of the daily life. The religion sans politics plays a key role here. The shrine of Baba, an abode for downloading all his sorrows, a guiding force whom he trust to be his savior ( despite the cunning methods of the caretakers to loot the visitors), Baba's popularity among believers of all faiths, reflects the strengths of the social harmony that existed once in the valley, before the trouble erupted. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Translation was effective, but not without blemishes. Many a places, the unevenness was felt while reading. Thinking in Hindi and translating from Hindi to English ( as against thinking in English - or the target language - and translating as English from Hindi ) , a common handicap I see in any translation from Indian Language to English is rampant in this translation too. It is difficult to preserve the lyrical and structural beauty of Urdu and Hindi sentences to English, without loosing some of those fragrance, and that was evident in this case as well. However, any attempt to bring the Indian Literature to a wider audience is a laudable effort. </div>
----------------------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sorrows-Snows-Upendra-Nath-Ashk/dp/9350291177">Sorrow of the Snows </a>( 1957) <br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upendranath_Ashk">Upendra Nath Ashk</a> ( translated from Hindi by Jai Ratan)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.harpercollins.co.in/BookDetail.asp?Book_Code=2819">Harper Perenniel </a><br />
<br />
133 Pages<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17449857308588272#.UwBG1hDUOE0">Taylor & Francis</a> (not free) </div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-57452415752226586672014-02-15T18:00:00.000+05:302014-02-15T18:01:39.392+05:30Gandhi and Anarchy - C Sankaran Nair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LMNitEQDWZA/Uv9cI3JJ3QI/AAAAAAAADC4/FRr6ruD1vgU/s1600/gandhi+and+anarchyjpeg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LMNitEQDWZA/Uv9cI3JJ3QI/AAAAAAAADC4/FRr6ruD1vgU/s1600/gandhi+and+anarchyjpeg.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The role of Gandhi in the Indian Independent and its strive for self rule has been unquestioned and most of the generations post 1947 had been grown with these images engraved in them through the text books and stories. Hence by and large, he has been portrayed as 'RIGHTEOUS' man and the father of the nation, a role model of many many leaders to follow. Hence, it is difficult to accept criticism and voice of dissent against such a person. Not that it is not there, but are relatively rare and go largely unnoticed. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There had been voices of dissent during his life time, but among the followers and the Indian National Congress community, that lead the independent struggle in the forefront , these voices are quelled. Subhash Chandra Bose, who split from Indian National Congress and started his own Army, seeking association with the Japanese to fight for Indian independence, the revolutionary youths of the 30s - Chandrasekhar 'Azad' , Bhagat Singh and the rest -did continue to inspire the young blood, The Communists however small and insignificant they were in the national politics, and a few Feudal elite, who always watched his actions with contempt, did not really manage to make any dent in his Himalayan popularity and his leadership. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His active role in Indian Politics commenced with his return from South Africa in 1915 ,where he did his initial experimentation with Civil disobedience and Non-violent struggle for rights for Indians and the blacks. Within few years, he rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress, a role he continue to hold until death, and announced a nation wide strike and disobedience in order to achieve 'swaraj' ( freedom) from the British. As we knew the years after the World War 1 did see major political and religious turmoil across the world. Indian politics and the freedom struggle too, rejuvenated during these years with the leadership of Gandhi. The Jalianwalla Bagh incident, the Khilafat agitation, The Civil disobedience movement lead by Gandhi, the declaration of 'Swaraj', the rejection of Montegu-Chemsford mission, the violence that sprout across the country resulting in the cancellation of the non-cooperation movement and the three 'Anti-Violence Fast' of Gandhi etc made the early 20s of the last century a significant period of Indian history.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chettur C Sankaran Nair, a barrister by profession, elected President of Indian National Congress during 1897 held at Amraoti, writes his strong views against the political strategy and the ideology of Gandhi in a book written and published in the year 1922. This for all probability, could be the first book that was critical of Gandhi's views and his political leadership. The date of the publication is important to be noted. This is written during these troubled days of Indian Politics and not, as the historians have the privilege of, after the repercussions and implications of these actions are proven. It is also interesting to note how strongly the people felt at that time, and was willing to voice their dissent in open. Nearly 9 decades thence, we have the advantage of the history to evaluate Gandhi for his action and can form our judgement supported by results. Hence, these criticism, for now, seems to have been done in haste and prejudiced. But Sankaran Nair, do bring out a few significant observation on the character and the principles of the man destined to lead India to independence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Largely attacking Gandhi's non-cooperation movements and his principles on education, swaraj and civil disobedience, Sankaran Nair looks at each of these elements through his strong view points.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The struggle for Indian Home Rule which was started with the inauguration of the Indian National Congress has many difficulties to encounter, has strong and powerful opponents and has received many checks. But its strongest opponent is Mr. Gandhi and perhaps the most severe check it has received is the adoption by the National Congress at his instance in Calcutta and Nagpur of the so-called-Nonviolent Non-co-operation.</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
starts Sankaran Nair in his preface. He adds, "<i><b>Non-co-operation as advocated by Mr. Gandhi may be a weapon to be used when constitutional methods have failed to achieve our purpose."</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While attacking his philosophy , Sankaran Nair has some interesting observations to make. He says Gandhi "<i><b> belongs to a class of thought which has attracted some of the noblest minds in this world, but in applying his the gospel of life to politics, he has shown himself a babe and his interference has been generally mischievous."</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mr. Gandhi's emotional outbursts, fasting, penances, "Sanyasi waist cloth", may carry away the emotional masses, women and students. But whether this wave of emotionalism submerged the men above named I would not care to guess.</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Further on his clever religious philosophy, Sankaran Nair observes that "<i><b>The severe simplicity and austerity of Mr.Gandhi's life combined with his appeal to the principle of ' Ahimsa( non-injury )inherited from Buddists and now ingrained in Hindu life, has secured him the support of the Hindu masses and particularly vegetarians. His support of the caste system has won over the higher classes and the reactionary elements of Hindu society to his side."</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gandhi was also against most of the modern advancement of the humanities such as Education, Doctors, Industry, Railways, Lawyers. In one of his writings Gandhi demands.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"India's salvation consists in unlearning what she has learnt during the past fifty years. The railways, telegraphs, hospitals, lawyers, doctors, and such like have all to go, and so called upper classes have to learn to live consciously and religiously and deliberately the simple peasant life, knowing it to be a life giving true happiness".</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sankaran Nair refutes his arguments with his thoughts.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
His tirade against machinery and mill industries on account of the evils he has witnessed in the West, is due to his ignorance ; a little knowledge in his case has proved a dangerous thing. It is this feeling which hassled him to advocate the universal use of spinning wheel in India. This might be useful as a cottage or home industry. It might find work for some who would otherwise be idle. But he is living in a fool's paradise if he considers it a substitute for or will supplant, machinery.</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gandhi according to Sankaran Nair carries one of the orthodox religious and caste believes. Quoting Gandhi's words - " <i><b>Varanashram (caste system) is inherent in human nature and Hinduism has simply reduced it to a science. It does attach by birth. A man cannot change his Varna by choice. Prohibition against intermarriage and inter dining is essential for a rapid evolution of the soul.</b></i>' - Sankaran Nair assesses that, "<i><b>It is this caste system which has brought about the conquest of India by the Mahomedans and the Englishmen, both of whom were always supported by the lower castes against the higher. It is responsible for the large conversions to •Christianity and Mahomedanism."</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Moving from the philosophy of Gandhi to the issues of the era, he examines each of the elements that constituted Gandhi's political agenda during the time. On the 'Khilafat Movement' he says, "<i>The real truth of course is that in the case of the Khilafat agitation Mr. Gandhi and some of its most active and prominent leaders want to use the agitation to destroy the Government and not to effect a real settlement of the question</i>". Gandhi and the political leadership of Indian National Congress wanted to use the the general dissent in the Muslim community to their advantage combining the forces in their fight against the British. However, on the other hand, "<b><i>Mahomedan fury against the British Government ( was only) for its failure to support Mahomedan interests in the West</i></b>.", and not necessarily to do with the swaraj struggle as it was described to be.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As it turned to be, the Khilafat agitation turned violent at many places across India, and widespread riots, killing of Hindus, looting and forced conversion took place at many places. The Malegaon incidents, the Malabar Rebellion ( Mapla Riots of 1921) and other gruesome incidents were later corrected in the history books as independent struggle, underplaying the religious agenda. Gandhi, however supported these incidents saying "you are not aware that the Moplas justify their action on the ground that at such a critical juncture, when they are engaged in a war against the English, their neighbours not only do not help them or observe neutrality, but aid and assist the English in every possible way."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ridiculing Gandhi's call for swaraj and his promise in the 1920 Lahore Congress that he will obtain 'Swaraj' before the end of the year, Sankaran Nair observed that there is no proper planning and preparation on how to gain 'swaraj' and how to run the country post 'swaraj'. He says, most of Gandhi's ideas are too week and too premature to run such a nation, by his under developed ideas of swaraj.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gandhi's vision of swaraj is quoted as :</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<i>Swaraj means full Dominion status. The scheme of such swaraj shall be framed by representatives duly elected in terms of the Congress constitution. That means four anna franchise. Every Indian adult, male or female, paying four annas and signing the Congress creed will be entitled to be placed on the electoral list. These would elect delegates who would frame Swaraj constitution. This shall be given effect to without any change by the British Parliament."</i></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But 'swaraj' was a dream, not to materialise in any near future ( as we know it now). Sankaran Nair ridiculed - "<b><i>Thus Swaraj was to come on September 1-1921, October 31-1921, December 13-1921. At the Congress in December, 1921, Mr. Gandhi gave up fixing any date for the attainment of Swaraj."</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Similarly, the civil disobedient movement of the Non-Cooperation Movement also had its own pitfalls. While most of his demands were based on his belief in the 'ahimsa' principle, the workers and general public not necessarily imbibed the same principles in their action. Wide spread violence across the country was reported ( a huge list of incidents given as annexure) forcing Gandhi to withdraw the agitation and he had gone for indefinite fasting at least on three occasion. An idea marred by poor execution. His call for non-cooperation "i<b><i>nvolving the community in chaos, disorder and possibly violence. The country has had only a vear's training in his (Mr. Gandhi) counsels of non-violent resistance— far loo short a period for his countrymen to imbibe his spirit, in a manner worthy of his teaching."</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For instance, the boycott of schools and colleges have not succeeded and even persons, of known and undoubted loyalty to the cause, complain that the action of Congress workers has caused more harm than good. They concentrated too much on the disruption of existing institutions and less on the creation and maintenance of new one on " national " lines. They forgot that a student cannot be left idle in the street and that, if the Congress must call him out, it can only be after it has provided for him a good substitute.</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The whole movement of non-cooperation had to be called off in the end as "<i><b> he under-rated the forces of evil, and that he was obliged to pause and consider how best to meet the situation</b></i>."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He also question Gandhi and Congress in the way they handled the Punjab issue ( Jalianwala Bagh ) and the boycott call of foreign goods ( he narrates an incident where the dresses were pulled off the ladies humiliating and molesting in public, the boycott of Lawyers and other institutions, which are all come from immaturity and improper understanding. Or in other words about the general anarchy the whole movement caused. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chettur Sankaran Nair lived long enough to see the outcome of these agitations, but he died much before the country received its independence. His words probably were harsh and venomous at times. He might have been prejudiced and by the time the book was written, he was already knighted and was cooperating with the regime, not giving up the idea of independence. Hence his views and methods were radically different from that of Gandhi ("<i><b> for the simple reason that I believe that Mr. Gandhi is honest in his self hypnotisation. I believe he does not really know what he is doing")</b></i> . That displeasure, probably resulted in this book. This book, however, is significant in the history of Indian independent, which provide and alternate view of some of the incidents, which otherwise was known to us through the official statements. This also shows light, albeit critically, to the life of Gandhi in his early years of Indian Politics. Gandhi himself would have progressed from these days both in his strategy as well as personal leadership, learned from the mistakes and experiences. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nearly half of the book is in the forms of appendix , to substantiate his points and to give weight to his arguments. The note made by Anne Besant, on her visit to Calicut during the Malabar Rebellion, the address of the Viceroy to the nation and Gandhi's self defense at the court were some of the best among the many that were compiled and included at the end. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I would not say, this book is not compelling enough to shake the confidence of a man on Gandhi or on his personal life principles. But it does give the glimpses of the century long independent struggle and few pitfalls in its execution. It also give a non-conditioned ( by time and influenced by out come) view of the history. I am glad that I read this book.</div>
----------------------------------------------------------<br />
Gandhi and Anarchy ( 1922) <br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Sankaran_Nair">C.Sankaran Nair</a><br />
<br />
Tagore & Co , Madras<br />
<br />
286 Pages<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-43991091043456489912014-01-31T22:49:00.000+05:302014-01-31T22:50:25.739+05:30Thousand Cranes - Yasunari Kawabata<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2K3jHcbhoUE/Uuvasagk8mI/AAAAAAAADCM/g7j8Tft4dX8/s1600/thousand+cranes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2K3jHcbhoUE/Uuvasagk8mI/AAAAAAAADCM/g7j8Tft4dX8/s1600/thousand+cranes.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Its time to read Kawabata again, revisit all those previously read works again to reiterate my belief and to refresh the memories. I did read snow country last month, and now "thousand cranes". The rest of the works will be in line for a re-read. I carry a fond memory of reading Kawabata ages ago. The entire process of re-reading begun after "Beauty and Sadness", which to me was very ordinary. As a reader you grow over the years and the taste become more polished or finer and many of the books you liked earlier, fails to impress me any more. However, both my second reads of Kawabata , not only restored the faith, but was able to appreciate them with the inherited wisdom of experience. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A short novel of guilt, love, seduction and deception, in the backdrops of tea ceremonies and shattered dreams and plans ( and the precious tea cups, symbolically). Twenty five year of Kikuji, trying to fight the past of the memories and guilt as well as the cunning plans of his fathers mistresses to have their control over him. Kikuji inherited his father vast wealth, post his death. A well respected man, with finesse tastes, collector of ceremonial cups for the Tea functions, and also some one managed more than one mistress while he was alive. This short novel begins with one of his father's mistress Chikako, inviting him for a tea ceremony, only to realise that the pretext behind this was an ulterior motive of a potential match-making. Cleverly positioning Inamura Yukiko, along with him during the function to play the role of a collaborator. Spoiling her manipulations by arriving at the function was Mrs.Ota, another mistress of his father, with whom he spent majority of his days, and her daughter Fumiko arriving at the function uninvited. The game of one-upmanship between the mistresses continue as they fight their way to his life. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kikuji has to endure and carry the guilt of his fathers past, through his mistresses. The girl with the thousand crane kerchief ( he remembers Inamura girl though this symbol and not through her face or character) and the daughter of Mrs Ota ( who is much more prudent and possesses self control), are representative of the new generation and can understand the conflict and difficulties Kikuji is trying to overcome. The real tussle is between the mistresses. One who did not win his fathers favours in bed but was mostly used as an accomplice, and the other, probably younger and better looking who continued to enjoy the favours until the death are now vying to extend their control over the son. Chikako, ugly with a large birth mark spread across half of her breast ( a distant memory remained with Kikuji, which he happens to witness as a young boy) with her poisonous , manipulative acts of taking control and the other by trying to lure the young one into her fold by seduction, and committing suicide out of guilt. The two girls and Kikuji had to face the consequences of the designs of the rivalry, which distance them from one another instead of making alliances and prospective marriage.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The rituals and culture play a major part in Kawabata's works. The concept of thousand cranes ( though not directly referred here) is a Japanese tradition of folding 1000 origami cranes for getting their wishes fulfilled. The 'tea ceremony' again so much of part of the Japanese psyche, which we see in the book going through a deterioration from generations to the next. An event, once very close to his fathers heart, a pride and prestige, a symbol of aristocracy with well preserved and maintained vessels and utensils, are to Kikuji and the new generations are mere curios. One can sense his unhappiness in being forced to participate. The function he would like to conduct in his house, is as a respect to his father, a respect to the past, and not something for the current. These cultural and traditional undercurrents along with the landscape, be it the snow peaked mountains, the flourishing valleys or the changing seasons. The book will have to be absorbed including these vivid and marvelous settings. There are strong undercurrent of traditions and social stigma in all of his works. Hence the mere story of love and deception, seduction and manipulation, guilt and conscience has a different meaning and values in his novels. Under a calm narrative of simple tale, lies the turbulent currents attributed to these subtleties. Which is why he is one of the masters of 20th century literature. </div>
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Cranes-Yasunari-Kawabata/dp/0679762655">Thousand Cranes </a>( 1952 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunari_Kawabata">Yasunari Kawabata</a> ( translated from Japanese by Edward G.Seidensticker 1958 )<br />
<br />
Penguin Classics<br />
<br />
91 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Cranes">Wiki</a>, <a href="http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/kawabata/1000.htm">Complete Review</a>, </div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-83152520296924461632014-01-29T23:04:00.002+05:302014-01-29T23:05:00.541+05:30The View from Castle Rock - Alice Munro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZAOyVnFf2o/Uuk6nTdGJyI/AAAAAAAADB8/7kY_0nLQSl4/s1600/castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZAOyVnFf2o/Uuk6nTdGJyI/AAAAAAAADB8/7kY_0nLQSl4/s1600/castle.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Typically, I read the newly crowned Nobel Laureate, during November or December, if they aren't in my familiarity zone. I did not have to do that for a Saramago or a Llosa or Mo Yan as they weren't new to me when they were chosen for the award. But as for the current laureate, I haven't read any book of Alice Munro, barring a couple of stories published in New Yorker. For various reasons, the customary reading (of Nobel Winner) has split into the new year, and on a collective suggestion and a group reading choice, The View from the Castle Rock, was decided. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Being the first writer known only for writing 'short stories', to be a Nobel Laureate, it did attract a higher attention and expectation. The inside Cover specifically mentioned it as 'stories'. The book, however, is a progressive narrative of her own family, spanning over three centuries and two continents. As they say, one can always look at sources closed to us for inspiration, hence the vast number of 'autobiographical' or 'semi-autobiographical' writing in literature field . Alice Munro does exactly that, looking back at her family's history , from her great great grandfather to her step mother in a captivating, touching collection of stories. The book read like a novel to me, than a collection of short stories. A seamless narrative , chronologically progressed, albeit not in continuous sequences, leaving gaps in the story, space and time. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From the small Islands of Scotland, Alice starts her tales, of survival, of migration to greener pastures, intricacies of family connections and incidents and anecdotes. Set in two parts, part one, the family's journey from Ettrick Valley in Scotland to North America, and part two in the new lands and the later generations of her family. I personally liked the initial parts The back yard search for the clues and stories about the ancestors, few prolific ones, and the threading of these various anecdotes into a seamlessly woven story form was marvelous. I am not as enthused in the later part ( especially towards the end) , where the narration tends to be a bit disjointed. A bit of triviality takes over. The later part has a lot more personal experiences and more autobiographical in nature. The first part is more adventurous, the quest for hints and connecting dots, bringing few interesting characters of the Islands. The plan and the dream of the new land, the metaphorical "View from the Castle Rock" to the new world. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is one of my first reading of Munro and I was talking about this being a progressive stories as in novel vis-a-vis a collection of short stories. I argued that a random reading of one of the stories in the middle, probably will have a lesser impact, as against reading these stories as a collective. I was told that she tends to play along these lines and the narration often breaches the boundaries of the novel and short story. Characters , places and events apparently pops up repeatedly in the other collections as well. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I would look at the two parts separately. Part one, largely based on the snippets of information she gathered during her visits and from various mentions in the old documents. She stich together a compelling story, enriched with beautiful imagery, characterisation ( build up from the data available) and fixing the missing links. This part which has more fictional element is fabulous, and a creation of a worthy hand. The second part, largely autobiographical and contemplative has lesser amount of fictional element, but more of internalisation of her own life and observations. The energy of her ancestors is derived into the later part, but these two remain different and in contrast in many aspects.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The terrain and the place has a large part of participation in her stories. These stories are all of limited scale and scope. Largely around relationships, confined within the family or short extensions in a few cases. There is a sense of intimacy, a closeness, a dependency of mutual existence. The gradual demo graphical and geographical changes in the landscape , minute observations of the changes in the living conditions et all are carefully handled through the stories. Beautiful passages, meditative, emotionally deep story telling and fabulous control over language makes this a great read. </div>
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/View-Castle-Rock-Stories/dp/0739339818">The View from Castle Rock</a> ( 2006 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Munro">Alice Munro</a><br />
<br />
Vintage Books <br />
<br />
349 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_View_from_Castle_Rock">Wiki</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/nov/05/fiction.features">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/books/review/Scott.t.html?_r=1&">NY Times</a>, <a href="http://www.quillandquire.com/reviews/review.cfm?review_id=5218">Quill & Quire</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-36211422074223005192014-01-28T21:29:00.001+05:302014-01-28T21:41:06.615+05:30A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammed Hanif<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX98Gsi6y-I/UufUDNAb90I/AAAAAAAADBw/VzS_nccbp8c/s1600/case+of+exploding+mangoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX98Gsi6y-I/UufUDNAb90I/AAAAAAAADBw/VzS_nccbp8c/s1600/case+of+exploding+mangoes.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictator_novel">Dictator novels</a>, as a genre begun probably with Asturias, 'The President'. It is, however, came into prominence as a genre in the late sixties and early seventies with the a flurry of novels ( 10 novels written by 10 prominent writers ) from some of the leading writers in the Latin America. The political systems and the vibrant literature scene gave us some of the best novels of the 20th century. Garica Marquez's Autumn of the Patriarch, Alejo Carpenter's Reasons of the State, Roa Bastos' 'I the Supreme' were some of the highlights of this series. Mario Vargas Llosa's "Feast of the Goat' published late in the 2000, was one of the last of the series belonging to the Dictator fiction group. Most of the Latin America, by then was returning to democracy. 90s and the new millennium saw a similar influx of such novels from Africa ( Snakepit from Moses Isegawa for example) and a few from Europe ( Inquisitor's manual of Antonio Lobo Antunes, few of the works from Saramago, Kadare) came during the same time. Asia, by far was lagging here, not because of the lack of dictatorship in these part of the world, but most of the writers were limited themselves to writing anti-establishment novels , but not something that can be classified as a 'dictator novel'. Mohammed Hanif's fictionals attempt on the death of General Zia Ul-Huq of Pakistan, to me, is one that can considered to be one that can be kept along with the earlier mentioned books. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gen Zia, the military ruler of Pakistan for over 11 years after a coup that dethroned a democratically elected regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was killed in an air crash on the 17th of August 1988. The flight carrying him and 11 of his top brass of military leaders along with the US Ambassador, disappeared from the control radar soon after take off from Bahawalpur in Punjab after his inspection of a tank parade. There are various <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theories_about_the_death_of_Zia-ul-Haq">conspiracy theories</a> that went around for a while, but none were clearly established. The case is closed with no clear evidence, apart from few murmur in the local circuit.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mohammed Hanif, rebuilding the days preceding the events with his own version. Building through the eyes of the narrator, Ali Shigri, a junior officer in the Pakistani Airforce Academy, he cleverly threads the story around the hidden fortress of the country's dreaded president, military and intelligent nexus and their internal struggle for supremacy. Ali Shigri's father, an erstwhile colonel with the Pakistan Army, involved in leading the country's engagements in the Afghan War, where his country and the CIA supporting the Mujahideens of Afghan, managed to send the Soviets packing. However, he was found hanging from the ceiling fan, on one morning, a case which was concluded as suicide, left Ali convinced that this has involvement of some of the high authorities in the regime. Seeking his revenge for his fathers death Ali, joining the Air force Academy, training under an American Instructor.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hanif Mohammed, try to explore the possible angles to the conspiracy theories, by expanding various simultaneous threads, culminating on the final event, with no possible conclusions. His attempt is not to establish the truth behind the conspiracy theory, but to take the readers through the journey of possibilities, and the inner life and political power struggles within the regime. The brutal force of the Military and the Intelligentia, the looming threat on the leader, the secret and definite plots to eliminate potential threats within the regime, the constant distrust among the top leaders, the larger global interest and manipulations by the World Power, the isolation of the rulers and the ruled, the vast gulf between the make belief and the real issues at the ground level ( Gen Zia, experience one by himself while attempting a disguise , but not before the alert spy network tracked him and put him back at ease) and the idiosyncrasies of the leader himself are something that get the readers hooked to this book.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most of the description and narrative conforms to the general believes, of any regime. Torture chambers, inhuman treatment, the propagandists, putting up the show of solidarity and national interest in front of the leader and the visiting dignitaries, the cruel business interests of the corporates, the general distrust , the portrayal of the leader as someone with his own ridiculous habits and mannerisms, the peep into his domestic life ( an object of terror to the nation turns to be a voiceless, powerless husband) and many similar scenes that one is familiar with such books do appear aplenty. Running in two parallel threads, one focusing on the General and his paranoia about his safety ( Code Red protection) and his constant fear of the attempt on his life and the episode focussing on the narrator Ali Shigri, his capture, interrogation, torture, solitary confinement and subsequent release, thanks to a change of handle of ISI by a clever move by the General Zia ( in an attempt to remove the power of one of his potential conspirator). The section on General Zia in general was funny, often ridiculous, caricaturing him as close to a clown in some places. However, the other thread was more profound and with a lot more intensity.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I seems to have liked the book, probably because my initial expectation was very low. The book is partly political satire, and partly a murder mystery and on conspiracy theory. The subject is a bit tricky as he has to introduce fictional characters to the real life people. It has to ride the fictional path, but abiding to the real life events and characters. The risk of drawing parallels of the fictional characters to the real life characters ( the ISI chief Kiyani in the book, is probably one such, but in the novel he joins the ill-fated team in their last journey) always a possibility. The writing is brisk and precise. The pacing is a bit uneven, probably because of the dual threads that run parallelly. Impressive read.</div>
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Case-Exploding-Mangoes-Mohammed-Hanif/dp/0307388182">A Case of Exploding Mangoes </a>( 2008)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Hanif">Mohammed Hanif</a><br />
<br />
Random House<br />
<br />
377 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Case_of_Exploding_Mangoes">Wiki</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/books/review/Macfarlane-t.html?_r=0">NY Times</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/31/fiction2">The Guardian</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-57637330896242782732014-01-27T22:01:00.000+05:302014-01-27T22:02:51.136+05:30The Infatuations - Javier Marias<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjw7j4knHZQ/UuaJpj2HDII/AAAAAAAADBc/pSrAe5Xjw7E/s1600/theinfatuations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjw7j4knHZQ/UuaJpj2HDII/AAAAAAAADBc/pSrAe5Xjw7E/s1600/theinfatuations.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's a reader's superstition, to begin the new year with a weighty book, that set the new year of reading on. I have been lucky in the 3 previous years having started the year with some brilliant books/writers. Jose Saramago in 2013, Laszlo Krasznahorkai in 2012 and Roberto Bolano in 2011. This year begun with Javier Marias, and it puts me at ease with the outcome. 'All souls' was the only other book I've read before and I was always wanting to read more of Marias. Regularly in the speculation for the next Nobel Winner, the general praise for the writer and this book in particular, made my anticipation high even before the start of the read. I should say, I am rewarded for my selection.<br />
<br />
It's those trivial and chance encounters in life, that reveals a great deal of personal realizations to you. Many things happen in life without we giving enough attention to it. They become a news item, a conversation in a gathering and soon forgotten. However, some of such have a larger impact in one's life involuntarily. As destiny drives us, you become part of these chance encounters, and its repercussions.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maria Dolz, middle aged woman, works with a local publication, used to seeing an elegant couple having break fast in the Cafe she frequent. Then one day, she stops seeing them in their usual place. The curiosity did not last long, as she discovered from the news paper about the murder of the husband, a wealthy man named Miguel Desverne. She offers her condolences to the wife Louisa Alday, out of courtesy, where she meets Miguel's best friend, and Luisa's new possible companion, a very handsome man, called Diaz Varela. No marks for guessing, of Maria's infatuations and a steamy affair with Dias Varela, soon after the encounter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The questions that now arise for Maria is what is Dias Varela's relationship with Louisa and to Maria herself. In a spurt of jealousy, Maria build her own possibilities and scenarios of Dias Verla's relationship and her interests and the potential benefits to both. The question moves towards the potential hand of Dias Varela, in the death of Miguel and her own part in the whole affair. As the questions of love, hate, sex, life, friendship and death is the theme Javier Marias examines after the initial pages of setting up the plot. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As these questions are asked and the possibilities are opened in front of Maria, as she inadvertently being part of the whole scheme, with no possible escape, she tries to find answers to various aspects of life and death. And slowly and steadily, a rather silly murder by an addict turns to a cleverly planned and executed crime. Now the larger question of the rights and wrongs of the death. What if the deceased himself had planned for his death, and arranged everything in advance. What is the involvement of his close friend in helping him in executing his desire. When will one decide to stop fighting the illness and decided to call it quits ? Would you take your family into confidence before you decide on your fate or would you let them make believe in a random murder. Who is guilty and who is innocent ? What is the guilt shared by Maria herself ? Is she, now being aware of the crime, responsible to inform the wife and the authorities ? Does she have the physical proofs or the moral rights ? Javier Marias, leaves us with more questions and many possible answers threading the paths of existentialism, spiritual and philosophical encounters. It confronts us, disturbs us and shakes the fundamental beliefs. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dias Varela, cites literary examples from Balzac's 'Colonel Chabert ', Shakespeare's Macbeth and Dumas' 'three musketeers' in justifying the events. In Balzac's novel, the dead soldier returns to haunt the survivors (including his wife) as the dead Miguel continue to haunt Varela. Varela quotes from Dumas' "A thief can give back the thing he stole, a slanderer can acknowledge his calumny,The trouble with murder is that it's always too late and you cannot restore to the world the person you killed.". However, taking refuge in Dumas' again, he chorus the words <i>"A murder, nothing more.".</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Marias is a master with his words. The narrative is built slowly, and before you blink, you are in the thick of the things, often participating in the crime by yourselves. A typical murder mystery, given a new meaning by his intelligence and masterly creativity. This book is not intend to stir you in your seats, wanting you to get to the end of the mystery. The plot by itself is slow and does not necessarily give a definite answer, but a possibility. <b><i> "The truth is never clear, it's always a tangled mess. Even when you get to the bottom of it."</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His character leaves us with these thoughts, which in a way summarises my reading experience:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"It’s a novel, and once you’ve finished a novel, what happened in it is of little importance and soon forgotten. What matter are the possibilities and ideas that the novel’s imaginary plot communicates to us and infuses us with, a plot that we recall far more vividly than real events and to which we pay far more attention.”</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fabulous book, very intense albeit slow and deliberate, very engaging and thoughtful making it a great reading. </div>
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Infatuations-Vintage-International-Javier-Marias/dp/0307950735/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=">The Infatuations</a> ( 2012)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javier_Marias">Javier Marias </a> ( translated from Spanish by Margeret Jull Costa 2013)<br />
<br />
Hanish Hamilton<br />
<br />
346 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/mar/01/the-infatuations-javier-marias-review">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/08/12/209565333/addictive-infatuations-takes-a-metaphysical-look-at-crime">NPR</a>, <a href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/09/the-infatuations-by-javier-marias.html">Paste Magazine</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/books/review/the-infatuations-by-javier-marias.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1">NY Times</a>, <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/javier-mariass-the-infatuations-is-a-cerebral-mystery/article14444775/">The Globe and Mail</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-71120733586061207172013-12-31T21:42:00.000+05:302014-02-07T11:05:27.267+05:30Shah of Shahs - Ryszard Kapuściński <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tfJ4ukGEnow/UsLsRDrE6TI/AAAAAAAADAc/oiUvdB-lRnI/s1600/Shah+of+Shahs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tfJ4ukGEnow/UsLsRDrE6TI/AAAAAAAADAc/oiUvdB-lRnI/s200/Shah+of+Shahs.jpeg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Shut in his hotel room, being the only guest in the entire hotel, with the outside world completely in chaos, the city of Tehran under the control of the revolutionary forces, with the rumors of the escape of Shah, the ruler of Iran, Ryszard Kapuściński, spreads out few photographs, and few notes that he collected or written, to rebuild the story of a country of the poeple of Iran, as the country witnesses one of the significant days of their history ( and of the world) , the 1979 Islamic revolution of Iran. Iran, a country in the world news ever since the beginning of the 20th century ( probably before that as well), continued to be the in the discussion well into the new millennium. Kapuscinski's book on the Shah and the last days of his regime, goes beyond what is obvious to the very basic realities of Iran, or any country that goes through such strong and violent reaction against their oppressing leaders.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Iran for decades, have been in the news often for reasons not in line with the western world's perspectives and prejudices. Their relationship with the western world was always in turbulent waters since the beginning of the 20th century. Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar dynasty, was overthrown in 1925 by Reza Shah Pehlavi ( initially a soldier in the army of Qajars). Qajars were aligned to the British, who used Iranian borders to launch their attack on the newly formed Soviet Union after the Bolshevik revolution, trying to destabilise the communist regime. Soviet Union responded by attacking the Iran and annexed some of the provinces, and later provided support to Reza Shah Pehlavi through the Cossak Regiment, who seized power and became the Shah of Iran in 1925. However, his regime could not withstand the World War II turmoil after an Anglo-Soviet invasion, for his alleged alliance with Germany. The invading powers forced Reza Shah to relinquish his powers and replaced him with his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1941.A Rule, the last of the regime by Shahs, ended in the Islamic Revolution in 1979.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1951 saw the next big turmoil in the history of Iran, when Muhammad Mussadeq, the elected President of the country, made a move that angered the big powers of the world. He nationalized the Oil. In an obvious reaction , the World powers managed to over throw the Government, forcing Shah to remove the President and imprison him. Mussadeq was soon declared 'persona non grata' and managed to remove his existence from all walk of life. Mohammad Raza, however lost the ground with his own people. The general resentment and a wrong step irking the anger of the clergy, paved the way for his downfall, resulting in the 1979 revolution in Iran.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All these are available in various notes, reports, books and history texts. We can form our own interpretation and judgement based own your continent, your social and political shifts and religious believes. What makes reading Kapuscinski's book different ( not only this but the rest as well) is his insights, and his extended knowledge and his comparative analysis gained through his experience. While he does not sound to be judgmental, his ability to put across the various aspect from the eyes of those who are at the receiving end, makes the book a great read. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unlike the other two books I read, this is not a reportage and commentary of his observation, but a reflection of his contemplative thoughts. There is no action oriented sequences of the events, but largely follows through random notes and photographs, and his collection of ideas through various meetings. With each of them providing the catalytic trigger, he examines the events and social conditions that culminated in the elimination of the existing regime, and the formation of the Islamic Republic under the guidance of the Shiite clergy, lead by Ayatollah Khomeini. The looks at the Shiite life style, the conflict with the rest of the Islamic sects over 14 centuries, the ethnic tribes suffered various invasion forced to live under oppression for many centuries, the conversion of Zoroastrian believes to that of Shia from the religious angle, to the power of oil and while the country has abundance of wealth through the "liquid gold', the population in the villages continue to use dried cow dung as fuel, the manipulation of the Western powers in the politics of the region with the eye on the oil, the struggle of a Shia state surrounded by Sunni populated countries, the sociological significance of the Iranian people largely formed due to these external factors and similar other topics which usually does not figure in the historical texts make it a worth while read.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kapuscinski is one of my favourite writers. Despite being a journalist, he seems to be able to get across his thoughts and ideas beyond the lens of a typical paperman. And the method of delivery differs each time. While this book is very informative and insightful, personally I liked the 'Soccer War' and 'Imperium' more.</div>
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shah-Shahs-Ryszard-Kapuscinski/dp/0679738010">Shah of Shahs</a> ( 1982)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryszard_Kapu%C5%9Bci%C5%84ski">Ryszard Kapuściński </a>( translated from Polish by William R Brand & Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand 1985)<br />
<br />
Penguin Books<br />
<br />
152 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.themillions.com/2004/07/my-review-of-shah-of-shahs-by-ryszard.html"> The Millions</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_of_Shahs">Wiki</a> , <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/best-book-about-iran-election-070909">Esquire</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-84755915371857614812013-12-29T11:50:00.000+05:302013-12-29T11:50:41.996+05:30Choma's Drum - Kota Shivaram Karanth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ticfj9cA8Ic/Ur--wS7u6fI/AAAAAAAADAM/tXihBAqEYA4/s1600/chomante+thudi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ticfj9cA8Ic/Ur--wS7u6fI/AAAAAAAADAM/tXihBAqEYA4/s1600/chomante+thudi.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the classics from the Kannada literature, Chomana Dudi ( or Choma's Drum as translated to English) is one of the major works of Kota Shivarama Karanth. Written in the 50s, this again covers the often discussed and dealt the subject of caste system. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Choma belongs to the Mari caste , a lower class, untouchable, limited to the job of a bonded-labourer of the Village chief. Widowed, with five children to feed, he typical to people of his type, work hard at the fields of his boss, spent half of what he earns at the 'toddy shop' and spent the remaining to his family, which is now put together by the smart hands of the young Belli, 10 year old daughter, who grows to the responsibility of maintaining the house affairs. Choma harbors a dream of owning or renting his own farm where he wants to cultivate paddy and other crops, for a potential escape from the hand to mouth existence. Two bullocks, which he found abandoned in the forest years ago are now grown and strong, adds to the hopes and dreams of being a farmer himself. There are other suitors for his bullocks, with attractive offers, and threats, but Choma is not wiling to let go of them. The orthodox social system prevents Choma from getting his land for he being in the low class. The Christian missionaries offer him support, but he is reluctant to join the pastor's community.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To pay off his debt, Choma had to send his elderly sons to the Coffee Estates in the distant hills. They did not manage to pay off the debt, but one succumbs to cholera and the other desert the community and join Christianity to marry his lover, leaving his family and the estate. Now the girl had to go to the estate and work her way out to pay the debt, which she manages by allowing to be abused by the estate manager and the owner himself. She returns back clearing off the debt, but loosing herself. Choma also looses his young son, drowned in the river, in front of a watching crowd who refuses to save him for being an untouchable. Lost and defeated time and again, Choma find his daughter in a compromising position with the estate manager. He kicks her out of the house, set the bullocks free in the forest, shut himself inside vigorously beats his drums until his life escapes him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Choma is destined to fail from the beginning. The life beats him time and again. One after the other his family members are lost. His girl, the one he loved the most and only person he respected or feared is also managed defeat him.There are others like the estate manager who loot them with increasing the debt and interest. To the society he is a low class, his dreams and hopes have no standing in their life. Even the sympathetic land lord had to adhere to the social norms ( his aged mother make sarcastic comments about the low-class), there are promises of freedom from this by accepting the ways of the Christ, but Choma is not ok to leave his 'GODs' and the other deities. Choma continue to cherish his dream of owning a piece of land. There are government offer for a piece of land, but he does not know the way of getting it done. He realises that his status being a low class, will come in between him and his dream. He even contemplates joining the Christianity just to fulfill his dream.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Drum, plays the role of symbolic oracle. For him, the only way to express his inner most feelings, anguish, anger, joy or sadness is through his drum. The drum represent his vocal output, which is curbed by his social stature being an untouchable. The novel starts with the drum beats, listened by those returning back to their homes from the village festival. One of them remarks, "It's Choma again, and it looks like he had a drink too much today". The echoes of his self expression, is ridiculed as the naughtiness of a drunkard. The drum is omnipresent, as much as the part of his physical extension. It remained so, until the beats stopped, for the drum and Choma.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Karanth writes in simple language, befitting the protagonist of his tale. The narration is straight forwards which become profound as it progresses. There are some touching moments and brilliant passages towards the end. He doesn't take the propagandist stand, but does it through his characters. Probably a bit dated for today's generation, but interesting and absorbing read.</div>
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chomas-Drum-K-Shivaram-Karanth/dp/0856554669">Choma's Drum</a> ( 1958)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaram_Karanth">Kota Shivaram Karanth</a> ( translated from Kannada by P N Moodithaya & Gopakumar in 2007)<br />
<br />
Green Books<br />
<br />
108 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chomana_Dudi">Wiki</a>,<a href="http://www.ourkarnataka.com/books/ch0mana_dhudi.htm"> Our Karnataka, </a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-2447272580910751102013-12-28T22:18:00.004+05:302013-12-28T22:19:08.296+05:30A Sport and a Pastime - James Salter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dVkm1vOeNU8/Ur7-zK2RVmI/AAAAAAAAC_8/SDjHjojlqkw/s1600/Sport+and+a+Pastime.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dVkm1vOeNU8/Ur7-zK2RVmI/AAAAAAAAC_8/SDjHjojlqkw/s200/Sport+and+a+Pastime.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thirty four year old American Photographer, the nameless narrator, staying in a small town Autun in the interior France, in a borrowed house of his friends, a couple staying in more urbane Paris surroundings in the early sixties. The quest to experience the real France as his stated motive behind this action. It is here he acquaint a young American Philip Dean, a Yale University dropout, wandering the French towns and villages. A young 18 year old French Beauty, Anne-Marie in his company. Inspired by love affair, he recollect their love life, through the words of Dean, the girl, his observations and his imaginations. The lusty, sensual bilingual affair of intimate love, with abundance of sexual exploits boasted by the young man as he and his girlfriend drive to and stay at various towns and villages of France. The affair, destined to end with the departure of the young boy back to the US, live through these upheaval move from strength to strength as the narration progresses,.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While it looks like a vigorous sexual encounters of two young adults, by a voyeuristic narrator, one has to shift the focus from Philip Dean and Ann-Marie, to the narrator himself. A man of self doubt, and a failure with the opposite sex, His act of narration of someone else' sexual life is coming out of his own inability. He does not hide that fact ;<i><b>"I am not telling the truth about Dean, I am inventing him. I am creating him out of my own inadequacies, you must always remember that"</b></i>. Thus, his imagination of his incapability become the output of his narration. Thus he focuses his efforts on creating those aspects of his life, through the invented characters of his story. One, to overcome his impotency and the other, the need of experiencing the rural France both being fulfilled through his heard, learnt, exaggerated, fabricated, modified, imagined story. And when he does that, he does it with the precision of his photographic profession, with details to the minutest aspects. It is like entering a world that is created by the young lovers, opened it to us by the narrator, and reader immersed in this world with the narrator. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Books of erotic in nature or those with explicit scenes of sex gets me bored with it in a short time. The language is usually sick and the use of common terms and repetition makes the reading more laborious than entertaining. I haven't seen many of the mainstream writers, in the literary side, doing a decent job at this, often bordering around ridiculous pornographic writings. James Salter, managed this part pretty well, with not many moments of wrinkling the brows in disgust. Even the most graphical scenes were written with elegant restrain most of the times ( there are a few exception to this where I found the writing is cheap and pedestrian). Barring this, the writing has been of very high standard. The poise, the detailing of aspects, the inventive creativity of the narrator, the appropriate pacing of chapters, and the bi-lingual and multi cultural environment among the rest were brilliant. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the introduction Reynolds Price, brings our attention to the days of publication of D H Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' by Grove's press in the US and the controversy it created. This book, probably would have been as scandalous as the previous one for its openness. The impact after 45 years of it original publication may not be as big, and do feel a bit dated for today's sensibilities. Also, this by no means a major literary achievement and I probably may not go back to this book ever. James Salter's name was in discussion for a while and this was the first I could manage to get. Probably there are better books that I should look for as I can see he is a prolific writer of style.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Sport-Pastime-Novel/dp/0374530505">A Sport and a Pastime</a> ( 1967)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Salter">James Salter</a><br />
<br />
Farrar,Straus & Giruox<br />
<br />
186 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/04/11/an-interview-with-james-salter/">Interview with James Salter</a>, <a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/tag/a-sport-and-a-pastime/">Paris Review</a>, <a href="http://www.swans.com/library/art14/mdolin37.html">Swans Commentary</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/09/07/reviews/salter-sport.html">NY Times</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sport_and_a_Pastime">Wiki</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-88981057781357760732013-12-28T13:14:00.000+05:302014-02-05T18:18:31.488+05:30Chess - Stefan Zweig<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkIfwu4CCa0/Ur6A0Y3dlBI/AAAAAAAAC_s/UVvtV_Dly8A/s1600/chess.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkIfwu4CCa0/Ur6A0Y3dlBI/AAAAAAAAC_s/UVvtV_Dly8A/s200/chess.jpeg" height="200" width="146" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>'... a human being, an intellectual human being who constantly bends the entire force of his mind on the ridiculous task of forcing a wooden king into the corner of a wooden board, and does it without going mad!'</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
During his final days in Brazil, staying in exile, days before ending his life, Stefan Zweig completed his last work of fiction, sent it across to his American Publisher. A short but brilliantly conceived and presented short novel, went on to become a masterpiece.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The travelers in the cruise ship from New York to Buenos Aires, have a dignitary among them, the reigning world chess Champion, Mirko Czentovic. The all encompassing, never lost any game of the mind, not known for being friendly or social and usually remained in his own quarters. However, the narrator( nameless) and his friends had other ideas. The long, boring journey can be made a bit entertaining, if they manage to lure the champion for a game of chess. The early attempt to bring him to a discussion or conversation failed, and a direct attempt was put at bay by the champion asking for an exorbitant amount of money for a game ( only one he reminded). There was some one wiling to fund the money, in the form of a Scottish Millionaire. The one against many was abandoned as there was not sufficient boards , and as an alternate, they decided to join force against the champion. The first game was lost, as expected even before the group of men realised. One more board was set up, and the game was moving towards a similar end, when an old gentleman, a doctor, intervened and manipulated the way out to a draw, with his clear predictions of the moves in advance. The equation is now changed, as there is someone to stand up to the champion. They immediately wanted to set up a dual again, but the old man was reluctant. He hasn't touched a chess board for 2--25 years and did not think he can ever do it again. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr B, as he is known, an Austrian, belonged to a family of physicist and financial consultants of the Monarchs who ruled Austria. The family, who had the the possession of the documents and information of the wealthy and mighty of the Austrian elite, thus became the target of the Nazi authorities who conquered the tiny Austrian empire. HE was arrested and was put under a solitary cell ( shut in a hotel room, converted as a detention center by the Nazis) without any contact to the rest of the world, except for the occasional interrogation. As is known, the solitary confinement can break down the resistance of any individual and the case wasn't different for him. his ability to withstand and resist the interrogation was at the brink of break down. The need for something to get his attention to succeeded after few months when he managed to slip his hand to the coat pocket of a Nazi Officer ( during an endless wait for interrogation in the adjacent room) and brought out a small book. Hidden in his trousers, he sneaked the book into his room, only to realise that this contain the record and commentary of the 150 chess world championship matches. Savoring whatever was available, setting up the square patterns in his blanket, playing with imaginary pieces, he mastered all the games, and started playing matches against himself . So much was the obsession, it broke down all his sanity, ending up in an asylum, to recuperate. The game of chess aboard the vessel, brought back the days of detention and his trouble past.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The game of chess was agreed upon and despite his ability to play the game physically, the challenger managed to defeat the champion, as is expected in such tales. The game is growing back on him and the days of obsessive, self destructive days and the symptoms of the dark history of insanity resurfaced, as warned by the doctors who treated him earlier. The rematch is now getting into an act of self destruction and personal sabotage as the reigning champion witness the changes in his opponent. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Stefan Zweig, brings out this subtlety of human psychological conditions in this beautiful tale. The game of chess is also a game of survival, a game of resistance to the oppressors. The board is same and the strength of the army is the same at the beginning. The fight is played in the mind, and executed on the board ( interestingly, the champion, undefeated since the age of 15, can not play blind fold, he need a physical representation in the form of a board) , while his opponent is played all along in mind, never to touch the board). The collective conscience of the crowd against the might of the champion can also be referred to the conditions of this country. The duality of the individual under extreme conditions when he plays with himself ( White 'I' and Black 'I'), the psychological conflict and anguish, resulting in the mental conditions that put him in the hospital, Zweig, interestingly uses multiple narrative technique, with the unnamed narrator giving way to a third voice to describe the early days of prodigal grown of the Chess Champion from an orphan from Yougoslavia to a legend, and a first person narrative of the detention days under the Nazi's recounted by the challenger. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The book is written in 1942, when the second world war as at its peak. The references can be made to the prevailing conditions of world . The arrogant, unfriendly and brutal leader ( for Germany) is being challenged by the powerless, but ambitious minnows , with the help of a mysterious support ( the Allied forces). Fairly simple sounding narrative, but the writing is loaded and deep. Similar to a chess game, it is progressed move by move, psychic and dramatic , towards a check-mate. Another stunning little book.</div>
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chess-Penguin-Mini-Modern-Classics/dp/0141196300">Chess </a>( 1942)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Zweig">Stefan Zweig</a> ( translated from German by Anthea Bell in 2006)<br />
<br />
Penguin Modern Classics<br />
<br />
83 Pages<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://acommonreader.org/review-chess-stefan-zweig/">A Common Reader</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Game">Wiki</a>, </div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-76638102859603790992013-12-23T19:59:00.002+05:302013-12-23T20:00:34.236+05:30The New York Trilogy - Paul Auster<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzfH-ZU1s7s/UrhIWFauc8I/AAAAAAAAC_I/pBetsvNyVdc/s1600/new+york+trilogy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzfH-ZU1s7s/UrhIWFauc8I/AAAAAAAAC_I/pBetsvNyVdc/s200/new+york+trilogy.jpeg" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you have to read Paul Aster, read his New York Trilogy, was the advise I received from many friends, and here I am. Probably I should have been elated of getting into the writing of another fabulous writer, but not entirely so. I am some what cold shouldered at the end of reading, not because the book wasn't good. The writing and styling is very good, the structure and the story telling is also decent. I did like the last of the stories very well. However, something was missing for me. I know I shouldn't read it like any investigative thriller, nor as a mystery fiction as in the typical genre books. There as literary references, and probably styling around the previous generation of writers. There is also a clever ploy of bringing in a character called Paul Aster, the detective and not the writer narrator, as a character in one of the story. This also leaves a very noir-film like experience in the end. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first one, where a detective novel writer, intrigued by a misplaced call ( wrong number dialled for Paul Aster the private detective) , trapped into a never ending chain of events taking him into the brink of madness. There is a lot of character interplay. Daniel Quinn, imposter as Paul Aster the detective, who in his earlier life ( a poet of par excellence, quit serious writing after the death of his wife and son), takes up the role of the detective, observing the movements of Peter Stillmann the senior, on behalf of the fiancee of Peter Stilmann the junior. In the turn of the events, he meet Paul Aster the writer, not the detective as the caller on the phone mentioned. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ghost, the second story is again on a 'private eye' Blue, working for Brown, asked to investigate a man called Black , for their client White (and the place/ street is Orange, a gimmick very confusing at the start and boring as it progresses ). Writing his report periodically for Brown for which White is expected to pay. As in the case of the previous tale, the line of sensibility is lost and the frustration and monotonous profile of the job is enough for him to loose his restrain and make him confront Black, his target.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Locked room, ( reference to the old styled 'locked room mystery'), is about a writer, work on the creative out put of his friend, who went missing. He not only publishes the works of his friend, but replaces him in the family, falling in love with his wife and moving in with her. The situation turns bad after he was entrusted to write the biography of his friend, now a literary sensation after the publication of his works. Confronted with the reality of his ineffectiveness as a writer, the uneasiness of the reference of his name with the wife adds to the difficulties. The potential threat of the return, the anonymous letters, the eventual rendezvous ( not in the real sense), adds to the final twist of the tale.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am probably missing some thing here. There must be some connect , however subtle, between these stories. Also, there must be some thing about the New York as a city in the settings. This is not a typical detective story, but mostly on observation of the observer; the pursuer and not the pursued. In all of these stories, the protagonist, some what trapped in his own choices and circumstances, unable to shackle free, making decisions of of helplessness and frustration, taking them to a level of mental break down. It is also looks at writing and writing process, as every one of the stories are about writing as well. I am not sure if this has anything to do with the post modernist writing ( probably its too old already) with its deep condescending of outwardly trivial plots and subjects. Also, we can see a lot of playfulness of Aster as a writer, with the complex structural exposition, the jumbling up of names, the tricky use of color as name. One can understand the playful mood of the writer with all these intricacies which can leave him with high creative satisfaction, and how much of it is parted to the reader, is probably a different story. Having said that, I will , in all possibility, go back to the book again and see if I can spot any missing points.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-New-York-Trilogy-Contemporary/dp/0140131558">The New York Trilogy </a>(1985/86/87)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Auster">Paul Aster</a><br />
<br />
Faber & Faber <br />
<br />
314 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.polaris.nova.edu/~alford/articles/ausidentity.html">Polaris</a>, <a href="http://www.bluecricket.com/auster/articles/dawson.html">Bluecricket.com</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Trilogy">Wiki</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-82668015749165721992013-12-22T16:37:00.000+05:302013-12-22T16:37:55.216+05:30Nostalgia -Mircea Cărtărescu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaXJh6sbnWg/UrbHJs2GJpI/AAAAAAAAC-0/3Yxc0UHPRKY/s1600/Nostalgia.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaXJh6sbnWg/UrbHJs2GJpI/AAAAAAAAC-0/3Yxc0UHPRKY/s1600/Nostalgia.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I finished reading this book about three weeks ago. Unlike the other books, where I could summon up my overall impression in a couple of days, this book seems to be taking a lot of time. On one hand, I see this an ordinary childhood reminiscence with some clever passages. In the same moment, I am somewhat fascinated by this writer. His way of telling stories, the way of weaving all of them together, the ordinary, trivial, childish and young adult affairs has some character in it. Some thing that is very impressive in his writing. I went back and read the first chapter again, and it the effect was phenomenal, stupendous writing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, the 5 disconnected stories that is called a novel, has something missing from the collective impact of a novel. Probably this is not a complete novel in its traditional way, making me feel less 'complete' after reading this. There is no clear fabric of a story through out. There is no intriguing plots or something to look forward to as a finale. The writer himself confirms ( in the afterword) that 'This is a fractalic and holographic novel, in which each part reflects all others", but not very convincing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Presented in three parts, Prologue in the form of the Roulette Player, the main part Nostalgia, and the epilogue 'the architect', with the centre part Nostalgia in three stories takes up the larger part of the book. A brilliant introduction by Andrei Codrescu ( whose book I bought a week ago) and an afterword by Julian Semilian ( who translated the book) to give us the glimpses of the writing of Carterescu and the Romanian Literature in general. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The narrator, starts his reminiscence with his memories of the a game of Russian roulette, played in an underground operation, where the dare devil protagonist, put his own life at ransom, in a game of luck with death. Starting at one, adding one pellet after other in the subsequent events, he attempts to shoot himself, against a diminishing probability of survival. After every successful game show, fainting at the end of the gunshot, he up his odds with all six bullets inside the magazine, only to be saved by a 'heavenly intervention'. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most of the stories are set in the dark and gloomy suburbs of Bucharest, the daily life and core of the young Romanians, where the childhood and young memories are revisited. Mentardy was a bit underwhelming and though a beautiful love story, twins wsa also not all that great, One of the best pieces of writing is in REM,the third of the nostalgia part, where a middle aged woman, recounting her childhood days as a young 12 year old girl, to her young college student boyfriend. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His prose and style is fabulous. The way the words and sentences formed with careful deliberation, the way the sentences, paragraphs, chapters and book is structured, The clever way of creating an subtle connect between the three chapters ( in nostalgia part) , in reverse order of the age and time creating an overall impact in the reading. Stunning details, vivid imagery, very moving and surrealistic portrayal of young loves, dreams and frustration, Cartarescu is brilliant in his writing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is the first book of Carterescu translated into English. the first part of his autobiography is now available in English, which is already receiving rave reviews. From a shear writing and styling point of view this is very very impressive, but a bit under whelming as a novel.</div>
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-Directions-Paperbook-Mircea-Cartarescu/dp/0811215881">Nostalgia </a>(1989/93)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mircea_C%C4%83rt%C4%83rescu">Mircea Cărtărescu</a> ( translated from Romanian by Julian Semilian 2005) <br />
<br />
New Direction <br />
<br />
322 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostalgia_%28novel%29">Wiki </a>, <a href="http://www.romania-insider.com/book-insider-nostalgia-by-mircea-cartarescu/3013/">Romania Insider</a>, <a href="http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/cartarescu/nostalgia.htm">Complete Review</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-35679366970945956992013-12-15T20:23:00.002+05:302013-12-15T20:23:59.982+05:30Serious Men - Manu Joseph<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k96la6veqX4/Uq3BqNY7f8I/AAAAAAAAC-Y/p_Mxh54nC38/s1600/serious+men.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k96la6veqX4/Uq3BqNY7f8I/AAAAAAAAC-Y/p_Mxh54nC38/s200/serious+men.jpeg" width="128" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Caste and the untouchability were a major theme in the for most part of the twentieth century Indian Literature. From Malayalam ( until the sixties), Kannada( to the seventies ), Tamil, Telugu and any other language the doyens of Indian writing toyed with this single theme for a long time. The times have changed and there is significant improvement in the social structure. The collective bargain power of the caste politics is now gathering momentum, but the issues related to upper and lower class, untouchability and other taboos are relatively lesser known in the modern India ( at least in the Metro space). Manu Joseph, in his award winning debut novel, attempt to chew the same Brahmin versus the rest, representing power versus the ruled, rich and poor story camouflaged under a funny satire. The book, won the year 2010 Hindu Fiction award as well as the American Pen Open Book award in 2011 and heralded as the new and different voice in the Indian English Writing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The story weave around Ayyan Mani, a Tamil Speaking Dalit, born to a sweeper from a lower class, living in the infamous Mumbai slums, working as a secretary to the eccentric, Nobel contender scientist , heading the Institute of Theory and Research . Eavesdropping the conversations of his superior, Ayyan manages to gather sufficient knowledge on scientific aspect to impress the others. A smart guy, he plays trick with the world, by promoting his half-deaf son as some extraordinary genius, with some clever maneuvers ( such as asking questions beyond the child's comprehension, sniffing out the Inter-school quiz questions and creating a havoc, by some play act) and manipulation of the press. The politicians ( especially the minister from the Dalit community) , takes up the action by adding their bit of excitement about the Dalit Genius from the slums. The ploy was getting out of control and to a point where Ayyan Mani is not able to retract. At the Institute front, the moronic, dictatorship of the Arvind Acharya, is taken a turn with the arrival of young attractive female researcher. The mission to outer space to collect sample of extra terrestrial particles, and establish the presence of living organisms gathers enough opposition, but Acharya has his powerful supporters in the Ministry. The mission, and the study of the collected samples by the female researcher, and her subsequent revenge on Acharya ( a sleazy love affair that shatters both the lives) for his betrayal and the final filmy showdown is the book is all about.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The outrageous humor, clever one liners, invented quotes, the make belief characterisation expected from a satire is all there. I often laughed out loud as I went through the book. Its very funny and he take pot shots at many things in one go. The urban system, the scientific research community, the quest for extra terrestrial intelligence, the political system, the great Indian caste system, the brahminical hierarchy , the religious and education nexus ( the Malayalee School principal, trying to woo Ayyan to convert into Christianity), the Ambedkar and the dalits ( with the mass conversion to Buddhism, but his wife refuse to accept any other Gods but that of the Hindu deities, which they worshipped for generations), the press ( paid news and the sensation that they need), the slum dwellers, the power politics of the Research Institute, the peons and secretaries in Offices ( who are having a ball of a time with the "clash of the Brahmins") etc etc. Every one is treated in a caricature form, often very superficial lacking individuality ( sa representation of various aspect of Society). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, there are at least a few places, where the jovial mood of the writer is turned very sensitive and sublime. These parts of the writing were very good , especially the Ayyan mani and his wife, the interactions between Arvind Acharya and his wife and a couple more similar instances were top class. What is also interesting to note is the keen observation of the writer on various people and style into their minutest detail , albeit they are limited to physical in nature. What was disappointing to me was that there is no real insight, and apart from the two parallel plots, there is no substance in the tale, that is convincing. In the end, it was yet another easy, funny and fast read. Luckily, the cinematic finish is done with a few pages, leaving the action sequence to be detailed by the reader himself. That was very appropriate and clever. </div>
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Serious-Men-Novel-Manu-Joseph/dp/0393338592">Serious Men</a> ( 2010)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Joseph">Manu Joseph </a> <br />
<br />
Harper Collins <br />
<br />
326 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-shivani/manu-joseph-india_b_674544.html">Huffington Post ( Interview) </a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/books/review/Harshaw-t.html?_r=0">NY Times</a>, <a href="http://mumbaiboss.com/2010/06/21/book-review-serious-men-by-manu-joseph/">Mumbai Boss</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/nov/02/manu-joseph-india-serious-men">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/serious-men-by-manu-joseph-1996797.html">Independent </a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-30085353089282561902013-12-08T18:40:00.000+05:302013-12-08T18:43:04.667+05:30A Brief History of Smile - Angus Trumble<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GqOW1DzAzWw/UqRvSZMRLlI/AAAAAAAAC-E/yjJkJmWs1yY/s1600/smile.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GqOW1DzAzWw/UqRvSZMRLlI/AAAAAAAAC-E/yjJkJmWs1yY/s1600/smile.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There isn't a day without one seeing a quote related to smile in the social media or in your mail box, being shared by one of your friend. It is also said that one of the most used symbol in communication, these days, are the yellow circle with two dots and a curved line, appropriately called a 'smiley'. The flexing of the facial muscles ( apparently 12 of them) which are below the nose and above the jaw, is supposed to be one of the 'strongest non-verbal communication' in the world, transcending regional, cultural and linguistic barriers. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Amgus Trumble, an Australian, living in the US as a curator of art, discusses the topic of smile, starting from his area of expertise, moving to sculptures, religion, social , health & beauty and literary settings. Having invited to address a convention of dentist, he thought about the dentists observation of the teeth with regards to beauty. A discussion, triggered his interest in the subject of smile, resulting in this entertaining book. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Being an art curator, his immediate reaction begins with the form of his convenience and expertise. Starting his discussion with the representation of smile or smirk in the paintings of 18th century Dutch and Flemish masters ( Frans Hals's Laughing Cavalier ) , the discussion moves to one of the most celebrated and discussed smile of the world: that of Monalisa. Categorizing smiles into six varieties, 'decorum, lewdness, desire,mirth,wisdom and deceit' detailing the aspect of various observations on smile, Trumble smiles his way through our mind. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Darwin's theory on the smile of the new born baby, the use of black paints on the teeth by the Geisha, the blissful smile of Buddha ( there is no mention of the 'laughing Buddha' statues), the Cambodian sculpture of Jayavarman VII the God-king, the use of lipstick and lip liners as enhancement methods, the dental improvement to the smile, the 'need' of smile in the photography, various use of smile words for a pleasant photograph ( Cheese is the most popular, but "lesbian" - yes photographer Cecil Beaton , "money"-in Australia, "patata" meaning potato in Spain, fax by Czechs and the Japanese use of the English word "whisky" ), the various etymology of smile through many many languages and culture ( myle, smale, smyl, smylle, smyll, smill, smoyle , smoile ...) are covered with his characteristic humor and witty anecdotes. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This isn't a scientific book or a sociological book in the lines of Desmond Morris', and not necessarily the most comprehensive study on this subject. It did trigger a larger internal discussion within me, reflecting on various other representation of smile and related aspect within the eastern cultural and art forms. The facial paintings of Kathakali artists ( elaborated red colored enhancement for the lip giving a permanent smiling expression) , the 'sad/happy dual of theatrical masks, the thin line separating a smile and a laugh, among various other things. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A quick fast read, with some interesting facts and more curious observations. From the seductive smile of a prostitute, the deceit , the smirk and the grin ( with a negative connotation to it) , with or without the display of the teeth ( with reference to<a href="http://blog.triblive.com/thisjustin/2013/09/22/no-cheese-why-are-people-so-serious-in-old-photos/#axzz2mt7Pg9DM">The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility of 1703</a>) , the upward curve of the lips ( apparently only 67% of the people curve their lips while smiling) , the changes in the eyes ( the twinkle) , the grin from animals ( cats, dogs and primates) and many more such smiley aspects makes this an informative book.</div>
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Smile-Angus-Trumble/dp/0465087795">A Brief History of Smile </a>( 2004)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://angustrumble.blogspot.in/">Angus Trumble </a><br />
<br />
Basic Books <br />
<br />
226 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2004-03-01-smile_x.htm">USA Today</a>, <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/24/1082719676134.html">The Age</a>, <a href="http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=2677">Meta Psychology</a>, <a href="http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=8664">Spirituality and Practice</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-42283779588951409732013-12-07T18:18:00.006+05:302013-12-07T18:19:27.560+05:30Varamo - César Aira<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WIvpVTyPhTI/UqMYwPNZXMI/AAAAAAAAC90/Mt1DR5-8Fxc/s1600/varamo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WIvpVTyPhTI/UqMYwPNZXMI/AAAAAAAAC90/Mt1DR5-8Fxc/s200/varamo.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A chain of event, started with a Government employee in the city of Colon in Panama, receiving two counterfeit 100 Peso notes from the ministry for payment, resulting in a creation of one of the most acclaimed piece of literary work in the history of Central America. The protagonist, Varamo, leaves the office with the two counterfeit bills, returning home to his half mad, paranoid mother, work in his lab for a short time ( embalming frogs) , setting out to his favorite cafe, encountering a conspiracy to seize power, few other trivialities, sharing the table with three publishers (of pirated books) who advise him to write a book, before where he is subjected to hallucinatory visions in the dark solitary night of Colon streets, returning home by midnight to create one of the masterpieces of the Central America's literary history , "The Song of the Virgin Boy" ( a name summarizes his story). At the outset a series of disjointed actions, insignificant and trivial at times, building up to an extra ordinary result. A trigger in the form of counterfeit bills, a result of a literary masterwork, in the middle a series of regular daily chain of events. Aira's allegory and his clever plot maneuver of unrelated events over an evening might have its own significance. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Events are set in a Panamanian City of Colon in the year 1923. Varamo, 50 year old civil servant, living with his Chinese mother, not married. His love life is nothing to talk about. A small glimpse of which is part of the events that unfold during the evening. The initiation to write, probably would have come from the meeting with the publishers at the Cafe. It seems, Colon is the center of the thriving black market fiction. One of the editors asserts , "In barbaric lands like the Americas, writers produce their best work before learning the craft, and nine times out of ten, their first book was their strongest, as well as being, in general, the only one they wrote". They nudge him to write offering him unheard of money ( equal to his monthly salary) . "It shouldn't take more than three or four minutes to fill up a page, if you concentrate. That's twenty pages an hour. In four or five hours you could finish off a decent little book". From then every thing seems to be working in favour of his writing. He wanted to write about embalming ( frogs legs) . His walk in the streets of Colon until midnight. "For him everything was writerly now". The rest is history , as they say.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There aren't many books available in English by Cesar Aira until recently ( he has written more than 50 books in Spanish and only 7 of them are available in English now). This being my first entry into the world of his writing, I was perplexed and a bit confused in the end. My attempt to find rationale and precipitate my impression on what was going on here was very inconclusive. I reached out to a few who are familiar with his style and writing, and I was told to take it easy and they prescribed the remedy in the form of more books of Aira. The advise to me was,not to fathom the depth of one book, as one starts to appreciate and understand this writer over a collective of his fictional works. Now, that will be my next course of action. There is a lot of discussion about his style of writing. The experimental , avant-garde fiction, with the concept of 'fleeing forward' improvisation which this book supposed to be an example. The </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
An allegory on the writers inspiration and creation. Where does the trigger of artistic creativity come from, and between the trigger and the result, what affects the creative process. I think Aira, reflects our conscience to this aspect in a clever articulation of events. I will need to acquaint with his writing for comprehending this little piece of work.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Varamo-C%C3%A9sar-Aira/dp/0811217418">Varamo </a> ( 2002)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Aira">César Aira </a>( translated from Spanish by Chris Andrews in 2012)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ndbooks.com/book/varamo">New Direction Books </a><br />
<br />
89 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://wordswithoutborders.org/book-review/cesar-airas-varamo">Wordswithoutborders</a> ,<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/books/review/varamo-a-novel-by-cesar-aira.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1386417839-BjapySNeI43Z2f2Jl3VXGA"> NY Times</a>, <a href="http://www.themillions.com/2012/03/fleeing-forward-on-cesar-airas-varamo.html">The Millions</a>, </div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-1413158791061418072013-12-07T16:24:00.001+05:302013-12-07T16:25:57.278+05:30Uncentering the Earth - William T Vollmann<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhkUMoCQHv0/UqL9YcLNqGI/AAAAAAAAC9k/zab7jB58yCs/s1600/Uncentering+the+earth.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhkUMoCQHv0/UqL9YcLNqGI/AAAAAAAAC9k/zab7jB58yCs/s200/Uncentering+the+earth.jpeg" width="124" /></a></div>
“He was a scholar of Polish birth<br />
who stopped the sun and moved the earth.”<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus">Nicolaus Copernicus</a>, born in Poland, worked for the church for over 40 years, died in 1543 supposedly after suffering from a stroke. His earth shattering contribution to the scientific world saw light the same year, in Nuremberg , in the form of the book ""The Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres", which declared that earth revolved around the Sun and the center of Universe is not Earth as the world was made to believe. This, considering the time and era was significant . A belief of over 2000 years, supported and upheld by the church, was shaken by someone from their own ranks. The magnitude of this declaration has to be understood, that this was done even before the invention of Telescopes ( which came in nearly 100 years later) and the theory of gravitational forces ( almost 200 years later). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the significant breakthrough in the science is the shift from Geo-Centric Universe to Helio-Centric universe. The triumph of scientific truth over 'religious truth', did not happen without its own martyrs and other sufferers. The 'golden words' of Ptolemy, which ruled the world of astronomy for over a millennium, had to give way to the new discoveries and thinking by some of the master minds in the Europe. Copernicus, a clergy by profession, did work with the available knowledge, with significant credit to Ptolemy himself ( he was remarkably close and accurate in many other aspect) to shift the center away from earth to 'some place near the sun'. Others followed him later advanced this, Kepler ( with his theory on planetary motions) , Galileo ( new discoveries with the invention of telescope) , Tyco Brahe (with geo-helio centric system of compromise) and Giordano Bruno ( burnt alive) to name a few.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was no mean achievement. The religious community was very strong and organized. However wrong was their decree, it was forced and followed. A geo-centric universe, which suited their thinking was thus the dictate and law. Copernicus, did understand this power and the control of church and the dangers he is getting into. Thus, he did not publish his writing until his death, the first copy reaching him on his death bed, and thus did not see his theory gaining acceptance among many radical thinkers. What is remarkable is the accuracy of many of his calculations. One should keep in mind that these feats were achieved even before the invention of Telescope and Newton's Law of Gravitational Forces. Both of these significantly helped to help in the progression of the Copernican theory of helio-centric universe.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While on this subject, it is interesting to compare with the progress in astronomy in India in early days. It was said that '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryabhata">Aryabhata'</a>( 5ht Century AD) and other South Indian Mathematicians and astronomers are already working with a Sun-Centric universe. While there were difference of opinion, unlike their counterparts in the west, they were not subjected to torture of extermination by the religious or ruling powers. But, it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos">Aristarchus</a>, 3rd Century BC, who supposed to have proposed a Sun - Centric universe at first.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Volmann split his book in the same sequence as the book of Copernicus. Examining each volume ( six of them), calling each of them as his 'exegesis', he derive comparison to Ptolemy ( Almagest - the bible for Geo Centric Universe) and Aristotle's efforts ( who believed that the earth was a sphere , observing the eclipses) and the importance of Copernicus's results. The approach is not scientific and he does not bombard the reader with difficult mathematical formulas. Coming from the literary profession, the approach has been in the same line. Having said that, whenever he attempts to bring in few scientific and mathematical calculations or theorem, it is not sounding very convincing. But on the whole, he manages to re-create the works of Copernicus, to the new readers by appropriately summarizing the text, by clearly referencing this to the prevailing decree , by reflecting upon the impact of these revelations in the world that are both ancient and current with the help of expert commentators.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
People looking for the biography of Copernicus, or the history of scientific progress of the world will find this book inadequate. This is mostly set up as a commentary on the book that shook the world, through the writing of one of the well known writer in English. Books on science by non-scientist are curious to read. One, they tend to
be speaking the language that is relevant and appropriate to those not
qualified to understand the nuances of the subject. If the attempt is by
someone who is known for his literary works, the expectation is rather
high. William Vollmann's book on Copernicus, the commentary on the
Copernicus's "<i>On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres</i>" is thus
did create the initial interest as a reader. The attempt to focus on
his work rather than the person, did impact my enthusiasm, to some
extent, but Vollmann did manage to get through pretty good in the end.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Uncentering-Earth-Copernicus-Revolutions-Discoveries/dp/0393059693">Uncentering the Earth</a> ( 2006)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Vollmann">William T.Vollman </a><br />
<br />
Phoenix <br />
<br />
295 Pages<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.universetoday.com/495/book-review-uncentering-the-earth/">Universe Today</a>,<a href="http://www.bookslut.com/nonfiction/2006_02_007819.php"> Bookslut</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/books/review/26sobel.html?_r=0">NY Times</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-13542318300671923682013-12-01T19:10:00.000+05:302013-12-01T19:10:31.987+05:30Thirst for Love - Yukio Mishima<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aoOhv3WZHsw/Ups76Um8HaI/AAAAAAAAC9U/BXEyPCrdIMk/s1600/thirst+for+Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aoOhv3WZHsw/Ups76Um8HaI/AAAAAAAAC9U/BXEyPCrdIMk/s200/thirst+for+Love.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The last three Japanese books I've been reading ( in the past 2 months) were all about obsessive love, revenge born out of love. Tanizaki's Quicksand, Kawabata's 'beauty and sadness' and now this one from Mishima. Amongst the three, I should say this was better than the rest. What is admirable in all three is the way sensuality and a subject as this can be treated without being vulgar and in a rather simple effective narrative. However, these are not necessary the pick from their treasure of literary works. Thirst of Love is about the love affair of a young widow from a wealthy family with a young naive gardener which turns ugly after he fails to reciprocate and take catastrophic turn. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Etsuko's unhappy married life comes to an end after her husband dies fighting a long battle with typhoid. The marriage, already under strain for his relationship with other women, and his disinterest in Etsuko. However, like a faithful wife, she spent the last days of her husband with him in the hospital. She was moved in with her father-in-law post her widowhood, enduring the old man's sexual advances. On the other side, her infatuations with Saburo, the gardener wasn't physical, largely limited to buying him gifts and watching him from close quarters. However, Saburo, is attracted with the maid Miyo, whom he manages to impregnate with a child. Etsuko, who manages to keep her romantic liaison hidden , now tortured with jealousy and anger, and plot her revenge trying to separate Saburo and Miyo and even eliminate Saburo, in the end.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A simple story of love and obsession, made into a little gem by Mishima with some fine piece of writing. The hospital scene, written in monologue ( diary entry) through the words of Etsuko, is breath taking. Mishima's ability to get under the skin of his characters, the build up of slow expose of the character, the hidden infatuation turning into the strong feeling of vengeance and act of thoughtlessness is fabulous. Saburo, on his part is always submissive and helpless under the advance of his lords. His reactions and responses, befitting someone of lower strata of the social standing. He controls his reaction, when Miyo was sent to her family. The rest of the extended family, while hearing the rumours about the affair, add it to their daily gossip ( which include the father-in-laws relationship to the daughter in law) but largely sympathetic to the widow.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What Mishma has done well is to transcend the ordinary story of sexual torment and jealousy into a delicate mental status of a lonely young widow, suffering from the failed love affair. From the numbness that enveloped her, from the unhappy marriage, the death of her husband, the submission to the sexual pleasures of the father in law, she find herself deeply engulfed in a strong feeling of passion and obsession. A relief, for which she was willing to to any extreme, ending in the catastrophe to every one around her. Interestingly, the narration follow the same mood of the lead character, starting slow and dull, but gathering pace in the same way, culminating in the action packed ending. The writing is fuild and lyrical and mesmerising at places. Apart from the temple festival sequence, not many references to the cultural and social life of Japanese, which we find in the novels of Kawabata. Yukio Mishima is a master, and this novel, not necessarily his best, is another important work reflective of his style.</div>
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirst-Love-Yukio-Mishima/dp/0375705074">Thirst for Love</a> ( 1950)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima">Yukio Mishima</a> ( translated from Japanese by Alfred H Marks 1969) <br />
<br />
Vintage Books <br />
<br />
200 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirst_for_Love">Wiki</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-15898033782679027092013-11-20T12:08:00.000+05:302013-11-20T12:08:45.649+05:30ആലാഹയുടെ പെണ്മക്കൾ - Sara Joseph<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-hr2K1uiQg/UoxYMgryR9I/AAAAAAAAC9A/YPhmNQhU1-g/s1600/Aalahayude_Penmakkal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-hr2K1uiQg/UoxYMgryR9I/AAAAAAAAC9A/YPhmNQhU1-g/s200/Aalahayude_Penmakkal.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Urbanisation needs people to who work the dirty things behind the 'every thing is good clean and shining' life of the city dwellers. These people, who work non-stop in the background, live in the hidden quarters, work at odd hours, are the necessity of any growing city . Forced to live outside the city limits, their land and their life is encroached and driven away by the ever expanding need of the city, forced to shift themselves away, as the city grow. Sara Joseph in her short novel write about these marginalised people, whose culture, language, voice, thoughts and life are encroached by the pretentious mass of urbanised, mainstream population.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Invasion through out the history had those who control and those who suffer. The economics, religion, and physical and organised power always played a key role in colonisation and control. The invading power , however, need the service of these sidelined populace for their daily affair. The exterior brilliance of the society needed the dirt and filth to be cleared. Thus, every city, every social setting has people who are termed and identified to be the 'cleaners' for long time. These people, scavengers, the washerwomen, the cart pullers, the maids , gardners, security agents are 'housed' just outside the social strata. They have to be available at a calls length, but not within their 'identifiable community'. Sara Joseph, reflects our conscience to these people and their life in the mid 20th century Thrissur.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kookanchira, in the outskirts of Trissur, was once the dumping ground of abandoned bodies and carcasses, before the group of people, scavengers and other low life settled in. Annie, now eight years, is born in this place among the other low class, after her family moved into this place. Her father had abandoned the family, leaving her and her mother among many aunts , the aging grand mother and a crippled uncle suffering from TB, bed ridden, spitting blood. His whereabouts are not known and the family is resigned to the fact that he is not to be expected. Kookanchira is infamous for its past glory, its criminals ( the gang of 14 rowdies), the other people of ill-repute. Even at school, a place for progressive thoughts and teaching, students from Kookanchira is looked upon with disgust and contempt. Annie, through her childish eyes, witnesses the slow but definite changes that takes place in her outskirts. The place, where many houses stood, was being taken by the rich from the city, producing documents from authorities to show ownership of the property. The fights and the resistance, can easily be soaked wet by alcohol, by brute force, by the might of authority or the ruling class. Hence, the place, which was once a grave yard, a place of wandering ghosts, of numerous legends is now become history. So is the history of kookanchira, a history of the place is the history of its people. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the attributes of colonisation, or invasion, of encroachment is the structural destruction of what existed. The culture, the way of living and the language in particular. It was so from the early days of invasion. The Spaniards and Portuguese in the South America, the English all over the world. It is the same within the country by the rich over the poor. Brahminism, dictated the standards, the structure and the style of language (sanskritisation) and the way of living and thinking. What is followed by the upper class people become the norms of the society. However, those sidelined and marginalised community, find their own identity through their language, their rituals and customs and even physical appearance. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sara Joseph uses the language to an outstanding effort. The identity of the people is in their language. Language is the character here. The legends, the folklore, the politics, the daily life of the inhabitants unveiled through the natural progression of language. The language of the elite, is viable only for Annie's uncle, who is always bed-ridden. Annie, complains that she cant understand her uncle when he speaks in this language. This uniqueness in the narrative is that it often hard to understand ( even those who speak Malayalam) and makes it all the more difficult for translation. This is a hold no bar way of communicating. The idioms, the ample use of foul and unparliamentary language, the care a damn attitude for grammatical correctness the referential contexts and the other 'characteristics' of their spoken words make this an enriching reading experience.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the focus is shifted to the narrative, one should not take the attention away from the story telling. Sara Joseph, cleverly weave the story, of the families shifting fortune, and through them the society that they belong and the larger population and the changing social and political scene of Kerala. A family of 7 women ( mother, grand mother and five aunts), a young girl and an invalid bed ridden male of past fury of rebelliousness, under one roof. Apart from the sporadic interjections, the voices are all of the women. Its the women who moves the daily score, with men busying themselves with alcohol or quarrel. Their might and demonstration of power are restricted to the public arena, but the control in the real sense ( despite a few beating they suffer after an alcohol induced reaction) is with the women folks. For Annie, her uncle is some one who is beyond her world. She know he taks about profound things, but have no connection with the world they live in. Its through her grand mother ( and her stories) she know the worldly wisdom. The men of her town, the women, the religion ( her grand mother is switched to Syrian sect while her mother remained Roman Catholic) , the authorities, the money lenders, whores, the neighbours and the ancestors are opened to her world through these womanly conversations and experiences. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sara Joseph, uses these varied facets of story telling to some great effect. The language, the sociao political structure, the worlds of women, the perils of the new capitalists system, the issues of growing urbanisation, the prevailing caste struggles, the rich and political nexus combining their might against the unorganised, low class into a memorable little book with her insightful narrative. Brilliant in both style and technique, very refreshing reading experience.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.in/Aalahayude-Penmakkal-Sara-Joseph/dp/812261096X"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ആലാഹയുടെ പെണ്മക്കൾ</span></a> ( 1999)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Joseph_%28author%29">Sara Joseph</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://onlinestore.dcbooks.com/books/aalahayude-penmakkal">D C Books </a><br />
<br />
152 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://samyukta.info/site/node/63">Samyukta</a> , <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalahayude_Penmakkal">Wiki </a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-80813995880565169882013-11-03T22:10:00.000+05:302013-11-03T22:10:55.504+05:30Four Major Plays ( A Doll House, The Wild duck, Hedda Gabler, The Master builder) - Henrik Ibsen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_Ow3f_6EPg/UnZ7MbUTbEI/AAAAAAAAC8g/tQr4R5Mcu84/s1600/ibsen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_Ow3f_6EPg/UnZ7MbUTbEI/AAAAAAAAC8g/tQr4R5Mcu84/s200/ibsen.jpeg" width="113" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PUOqXHBlaOk/UnZ6jEyLlFI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/dTbe5A173xc/s1600/Ibsen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My reading has many gaps, and insufficient reading plays and drama are one of the glaring short coming. To claim to have read a minimum understanding of this genre, it can't be achieved with out getting into the world of Ibsen. The master playwright of the late 19th century, is one of the foremost if not the best writers of this medium and his plays continue to attract crowd in the theater for their contemporary relevance and values. This collection comprising of his four major plays is thus a great step to my attempt to familiarise with Ibsen and enhance my pursuit into this area of literature. Written at various points of his illustrious writing career, this not only bring some of the best of his writing, but are also representative of his progression as a writer. The Doll House written in 1872 while he was in Italy, begins the collection and ending with The Master Builder, which was written in 1892.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A Doll house, for its revolutionary ending, which send ripples to the moralistic, conservative European society, where the lead character abandons her husband and their two children, for pastures of her dream to discover herself. So much was the controversy, that Ibsen had to re-write the ending for the adaptation in German Theaters. He called it disgrace to the original play and a 'barbaric outage'. The play starts with Laura, wife of Torvald Helmer, a mother of two, returns from her Christmas shopping, Torvald is now appointed as the manager of the Bank and he expected to take charge pretty soon, bringing all the difficulties related to finance and blossoming a dream of better living. Torvald is what you call it as an ideal man. Perfect husband loving and caring, respected in society, with a job to envy for, a person hold high moral. When every thing seems to be in perfect setting, what is the cause of concern? It was Nils Krogstad, who apparently working in the same bank in a low rank, a man with a shady past in the eyes of moralistic society, is threatened by dismissal by Torvald, to help Mrs Linden, Nora's friend. Krogstad is not a bad man, he has broken the law once, but is now trying to inch his way back to the social stream. The dismissal will further damage his reputation and his attempt to redeem himself and thus he fight back. Nora, has borrowed some money from Krogstad, towards the medical expenses of her husband in the past. A deal, where she forged the signature of her ailing father, a deal she kept secret from her husband. "<i>If need be, I shall fight as though for my life to keep my little place in the bank. . . . It's not only for the money: that matters least to me. It's something else</i>", assures Krogstad to Nora. The money affair is something Nora kept to herself for a long time and she saves money to pay back. Opening her secrets to her friend Nora asserts she had to save her husband by taking him to Italy and she is saving every penny to repay the debt, "When Torvald gave me money for clothes and so on, I never used more than half of it; I always bought the simplest things." The threat from Krogstad is serious and fearing the status of her husband ( if a scandal breaks out), she pleads and tries all that she could to restrain her husband from dismissing Krogstad. As expected this has to explode, and when the final moment comes, Nora is ready and prepared. Despite her husbands harsh words, she was prepared to save him from the bad names by killing herself. It was then Nora realised that she was wrong, and her place in the household of Torvald is not that of a woman of equal strength, but that of a play thing, a doll. Her inner conflict and realisation was so strong when she says to Torvald '<i>You have never loved me. You only thought it amusing to be in love with me</i>', before leaving him and the children. A phenomenal play, and there is no wonder about its ever growing popularity. A new adaptation of this ( the first being in 1923) with Ben Kingsly in the lead is expected in 2014, </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Wild Duck, is very disturbing and intriguing play. Gregers Werle is back home after many years of self-imposed exile, on a day when his father is throwing a dinner. His mother is passed away long back, carrying a suspicion that her husband is having some relationship with other women, a suspicion Gregers continue to carry. He realises some of the back ground of his fathers growth in stature is also to do with his ill treatment of one of his friend and business partner, Lieutenant Ekdal, who is now doing few copying jobs for his father. It was also revealed to him that Ekdal's son and his classmate Hjalmar is married to Gina, who was once his fathers associate. Refusing to live in the same house with his father, he decided to pursue a life of his own, rejecting the offer to divide the property into two halves by his father. His father is known to have an affair with the care taker of the house, Mrs. Sørby , which on a later scenes she confirms. Deciding to pursue this matter further, Gregers, leaves home and take shelter in the household of Ekdals. A complex household with an external calmness, wants Gregers to expose his father. He invites Hjalmar for a walk, and supposedly reveals the secret of his father to him. Hjalmar, returns home drunk, confronts his wife. Mrs. Sørby's arrival with a letter from Gregers father, declaring pension for Lieutenant Ekdal, which later extended to Hjalmar's daughter, increases his suspicion on his wife and his daughter. Dejected, he returns to his friends to drinking, In a tragic end, Hjalmar's daughter, in a symbolic gesture sacrifices herself by shooting herself ( instead of the wild duck) to the shock. A very sophisticated play, where the written text hide a lot more than what it reveals. There are many scholarly readings, symbolising the 'wild duck' and the attic where Hedwig and her grand father, spent the day. Gregers is driven by idealism and his hatred towards his father. His attempt to reveal the truth to his friend, is largely directed towards his father, but his meddling of the affairs of Ekdal's family had destructive effect. The father might have done two crimes towards the Ekdal's , by impregnating the servant Gina and then marrying her off to Hjalmar, and sent the elder Ekdals to prison for his own wrong doing. Trying to rectify the guilt of his father, the step further by completely destroyed the Ekdals. Father did amends by restoring the Ekdals to some level of comfort by offering job to the elderly man, and by setting up a studio for the son. In an attempt to settle the score with his father for the death of his mother, the real victims happened to be the Ekdals and a young girl.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hedda Gabler, probably isn't as grand as the other two. A young couple returns to their new house in Oslo, after six month honeymoon, which apparently did not go all well. George Tesman, is an academic and is interested in research of old manuscripts. Hedda returns in bad humour and she did not hide her displeasure in her interactions with Aunt Julie, who dropped in to welcome them. Mrs. Elvsted, a friend of Hedda, arrives soon after announcing the return of Eilert Lovborg, to the town recovering from the alcoholism that saw him off for more than two years. Mrs.Elvsted makes a mention of her liking of Lovborg, despite being a married woman, but is aware that Lovborg did have a girlfriend and a possible break of that resulted in his notorious behaviour. Hedda wants to invite Lovborg to their place, and gets George to send the letter requesting his visit. Judge Brack, who came in and in the conversations let Tesman know that the new book published by Lovborg has been a huge success and there is a potential threat to George's dream of becoming the professor at the University. By now, it is clear to the readers that the long lost love of Lovborg is Hedda, which Hedda cut off by threatening to shoot him. Lovborg comes in with a manuscript of the new book, a continuation of his best seller, and wanted George to read them. Hedda, cleverly manages to send both her husband and Lovborg to a party thrown by Judge Brack. George return with the manuscript saying it was found abandoned in the pavement after Lovborg lost them, after an altercation post reckless drinking. However, Lovborg had a different story to tell, he did not loose it but shred the manuscript into thousand pieces. Hedda did not reveal her possession of the manuscript, instead send him to his possible suicide. He burns the manuscripts in an attempt to protect her husbands interest, but Mrs.Elvsted and George tries to rebuild the manuscripts from the notes written by Lovborg which Mrs.Elvstd possess. In the meanwhile Judge Brack returns with the news of the death of Lovborg, and identifies the pistol used by him belongs to Hedda. He also informs Hedda, while there might be circumstantial evidence that saves Hedda from influencing suicide, only he can keep the secret from falling into the ears of the Police. Realising she has fallen into the hands of the Judge, Hedda goes into the next room and shoot herself. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hedda comes out as a highly manipulative individual. We observe she continue to use her father's surname and not changed it to Tesman, post her marriage. Clarifiying this Ibsen wrote, "My intention in giving it this name was to indicate that Hedda as a personality is to be regarded rather as her father's daughter than her husband's wife". Hedda as a character is for drama in the true sense. Depending upon the interpretation ( apparently there was a version in an Australian production where Hedda is portrayed by a male), she can be portrayed as a victim of circumstances, a ideal feminist, a cruel manipulative villain or a devout heroine working towards the betterment of her husband. It provides ample moments of character twists, and dramatic moments. Trapped in the constricts of the family after her wedding, Hedda is already bored and is in look out for options to shake herself free from the imposed clutches. She makes her intention clear to the judge that she wants a friend, not necessarily a lover, beyond her husband whose interests limits to his academic pursuit. Despite her rejection, she continue to have her sympathy for Lovborg and could not come into terms with Mrs.Elvsted's advances towards him. It is from this she manipulated the intricate threads of dependencies, to send both her husband and Lovborg to the party, waiting for their return in her room. It was this control she wanted over destiny, of hers her husbands and the rest, she pushed Lovborg towards committing suicide. It was the same thoughts that lead her to her own death, when she realised that her life will now depends on the Judge Brack, who guided by his profession, could make in roads to the machinations of a intelligent mind. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The master builder, written in 1892, the first play after Ibsen's return to Norway, talks about the eventual fall of a master buider. A young 24 year old woman shows up dressed in mountain attire, with no change clothes, in the house of a middle aged builder of repute. Demanding the promise he made to her ten years ago, when he built a church tower in her home town, during which he supposed to have forced himself on the young girl calling her his princess and promising to return in ten years and build her a castle in the air. A story he did not remember or as expectedly ridiculed, but the young lady Hilda, manages to impose the story upon him through her seductive charm and flirt. Vulnerable, having an unremarkable married life with Aline, Master builder Soleness, fallen prey to her charm and was easy being manipulative. On the other hand, Soleness, worried for his place, as the young generations trying to advance in every aspect. To continue leading the front, he has recruited young architect under his wings, and refuses place and time for his personal growth as an independent architect. The arrival of the young women, saw him dismissing the young man from his clutches, allowing him to find a path for himself. We understand that he is building a new house on the land which once belonged to his wife and where they lost their kids around 13 years ago in a fire. Despite knowing his suffering form Acrophobia, Hilda encourages him to climb on the tower to the topmost to inaugurate the new house, as he has done in the past. As he climbs up to the ascend he looses foot and falls to eventual death amidst the large group of people gathered to see the new house.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Arguably a play which has the maximum autobiographical elements of Ibsen's life. The old architect, threatened by the young generation, an unhappy married life, a flirtatious affair with young women. He himself talked about his short lived affair with a young apprentice, who was later known for tis behaviour. He added, she did not use me, but I used her in my play. To me this play works in three planes. One the flirtatious middle aged mind easily vulnerable to the charms and manipulations of the young woman. The second the insecurities or the mid-life crisis that every professional undergo, as he watch the younger generation, threatening to take over from him and a fragile family life whose foundations were shaken with the death of the children. The mother soon withdraw to her own reclusive self, with blocking the two way communication, limiting to mundane daily grind. Ibsen brings all these three elements together with a brilliant proportion, adding his own personal experiences and inhibitions. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Four remarkable plays of Ibsen, selected from his later stages of his writing career, arguably the best representation of Ibsen. Non-absurdist, realistic plays taking on social issues and deep understanding of the inner thoughts and actions of the characters. Marvelous..</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Major-Plays-Signet-Classics/dp/0451530225/ref=la_B000AQ4LFE_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383492154&sr=1-2">Four Major Plays </a>- A Doll House (1879), The Wild duck (1884), Hedda Gabler (1890), The Master builder (1892) <br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Ibsen"> Henrik Ibsen</a> ( translated from Norwegian by Rolfe Fjelde in 1965)<br />
<br />
Signet Classic <br />
<br />
384 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
Doll House : <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/aug/10/dolls-house-henrik-ibsen-relevant">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://ucblibrary3.berkeley.edu/goldman/Writings/Drama/doll.html">UCB, </a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Doll%27s_House">Wiki</a><br />
The Wild Duck :<a href="http://www.ibsenvoyages.com/e-texts/the-realist-cycle/the-second-group/realism-wild-duck/"> Ibsen Voyages</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Duck">wiki</a><br />
Hedda Gabler : <a href="http://www.shmoop.com/hedda-gabler/">Shmoop</a> , <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedda_Gabler">Wiki</a><br />
The Master Builder : <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/dec/04/ibsen-master-builder-toril-moi">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://www.ibsenvoyages.com/e-texts/the-realist-cycle/the-third-group/master-builder/">Ibsen Voyages</a>,<a href="http://voices.yahoo.com/the-master-builder-henrik-ibsen-7592736.html"> Yahoo.com</a> , <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_Builder">Wiki</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-68877153783584013432013-11-03T12:18:00.004+05:302013-11-03T12:19:23.219+05:30Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh - Mo Yan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IS8pMr4SNgA/UnXxZbGuW4I/AAAAAAAAC8I/56AfuihKcY0/s1600/Shifu.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IS8pMr4SNgA/UnXxZbGuW4I/AAAAAAAAC8I/56AfuihKcY0/s200/Shifu.jpeg" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last years ( 2012) Nobel Laureate Mo Yan goes back to his childhood days in the province, to the days of poverty and hunger the days of cultural revolution t the early days of one family one child policy, in this collection of carefully chosen eight short stories. 1960s , Mo Yan says, is <i>"one of China's most bizarre period. On one hand, those years saw the country in the grip of economic stagnation and individual deprivation. The people struggled to keep death from their door, with little to eat and rags for clothes ; on the other hand, it was a time for intense political passion</i>". He talked about people surviving by eating coal. "<i>The more I ate, the better the stuff tasted, until it seemed absolutely delicious"</i>. These collection of stories are reflective of the time which Mo Yan experienced as a young boy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The title story talked about a factory worker laid off from job, barely a month before his retirement. Known for his exemplary work, a role model to the rest, even he could not survive the axe, as the bad economic situation, caused the authorities to shut down the factory. All the sweet words that flew and the promises that were given, as Ding Shikou soon to find out, had no meaning. Forced to find a way to live, Shikou takes the help of his friend to transform a abandoned chassis of a bus into some thing called a 'lover's cottage', which he rents out on a fee to young lovers seeking privacy and seclusion. While it gave him economic freedom, as the business grew to greater heights during the 'season', Shikou looses his conscience and self esteem, resulting in his hallucinatory visions of 'visitors' to his cottage.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Man and the beast, reflect upon the plight of a soldier who fought Japanese and was captured and taken as prisoner to Japan. Visiting the island of Hokkaido, the nameless narrator, recounts the story of his grand father and his exploits in the lush valleys and hills adjoining the Sapporo Sea. Remembering his grand dad's words of his time in Japan, the heroic story of resistance of his grand mother, his uncles and aunts against the enemy, the ten years of solitary life in the mountains before his return to China and the accusation of his rape of a Japanese woman as per the police records ( <i>grand father never actually had intercourse with that women, so the furry baby described in Japanese historical materials, is not related to him. But even having a young uncle who is half Japanese would be no disgrace to our family, and could in fact considered our glory</i>, says the narrator) the grand son tries to get the records right and restore the glory of his family. "<i>One must honour the Truth</i>".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Soaring, is a fantastic story with a touch of magical realism. Forty year old, badly pockmarked Hong Xi marries to a beautiful YanYan, in exchange for his sister to Yanyan's brother, a mute. However, the marriage wasn't one he hoped for, as the bride took off from his house and jumped and flew over the village, from one tree to the other, free like a bird to escape the marriage, refusing to come down despite the plea from him and the villagers, until she was brought down by the village policeman's rifle. Iron Child is an ironical story about a young boy living by eating pieces of iron, during the "great leap forward" campaign, in possible satire on over industrialisation while the country is in famine. "Cure" on the other hand is too visually compelling, forced to witness the mass execution by the authorities, a young boy and his father waits below the bridge for falling bodies to extract the 'gall' from the corpse as a cure for his ailing grand mother. 'Love story', about a city educated young girl forced to labour at the farm collectives, having a affair with a younger boy. "Abandoned Child" is about female infanticide, a larger social and political issue due to the strict one family one son policy. A story relevant in the present day India ( especially Haryana and Punjab and to a lesser extend Tamil Nadu), trying to get the attention of the people to one of the most 'disturbing' trends in the modern era. Restricted to having one child per family, young people abandon or murder new born babies, if they are born with any defects or if they are girls ( preference to male child).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
'Shen Garden' is one of the story which stand out and is my pick from this collection. The most recent story of the book, this is a poignant account of a middle aged couple ( either divorced or separated for a long time), coming to terms with their life's dreams and compromises. Story starts with two middle aged man and woman, sitting in the bakery, having referential, trivial one sided conversations. We can gather that they are not together and the relation is already cracked. Both will move their own way in the evening ( a reference of an eight 'O clock train) not likely to meet again. Its all of a sudden she demands "I'd like to visit Shen Garden". Shen Garden might be the symbolic of their good times. Its a place where they wish to be together. As we understand from his expression, Shen Garden is not in Beijing, but in Zheijiang province . Nonetheless, they set out for the garden, the Yuanming garden in Beijing. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>'This isn't my Shen Garden' she said. "You're wrong, this is your Shen Garden". He felt like a stage performer. In a tone of voice pregnant with meaning, he added, 'Of course, it's my Shen Garden too. It's our Shen Garden.</i>"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The royal gardens of China are an attraction by themselves. Having visited many, I can vouch for their effect and impact on the visitors. A place of calmness and serenity among the hubbubs of the crowded city life, the rich vegetation and green surroundings. When they entered the garden it was raining and the place was deserted. The rain lashed on them and their life. The weather is changing, it rained out and the rainbow is in the horizon, swinging the mood of the couple. She was hopping around like a girl and shouting and the joy was infectious. Mo Yan writes,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>"Without being aware of it, they had drawn close together, as they gazed intimately into each other's eyes. No evasions or sidesteps, no hesitation or wavering; first their hands joined naturally, and then they fell just as naturally into each other's arms. They kissed."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mo Yan derives the characters and his subject from his childhood days( except may be Shen Garden). The intense fragrance of the province in the sixties is visible in each of the tale. The hardship, the ability to look at them and laugh ( as the title story reminds us) and the resilience, which are characteristics of the people comes out strongly through these stories. Its a clever mix, of some hard hitting social issues , few fantastical stories, a fabulous love story. Mo Yan, writes beautifully and they are rich in imagery and deep in content. Even a preachy story like 'abandoned child' has the elements of a good story telling. The translation is smooth and the selection is well thought out. May not be the best of Mo Yan, but are very important and reflective of the resources of this writer , the world recognised through the Nobel Prize. </div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shifu-Youll-Do-Anything-Laugh/dp/1611457351">Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh</a>(2001 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Yan">Mo Yan</a> ( translated from Chinese by Howard Goldblatt in 2001)<br />
<br />
Arcade Publishing <br />
<br />
224 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://newint.org/columns/media/books/2002/05/01/shifu-youll-do-anything-for-a-laugh/">New internationalist</a>,<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/books/mo-yan-mines-a-deep-well-of-material-in-china.html?_r=0"> NY Times</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-45559655247710192922013-10-27T22:27:00.001+05:302013-10-27T22:29:22.333+05:30Satantango - László Krasznahorkai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TnplZCi8W60/Um1FL7DshVI/AAAAAAAAC7c/o_6CNl1Rdw0/s1600/Satantango.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TnplZCi8W60/Um1FL7DshVI/AAAAAAAAC7c/o_6CNl1Rdw0/s200/Satantango.jpeg" width="143" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Almost two year ago, I finished reading 'Melancholy of Resistance' and was in awe of this writer. The book wasn't easy to get into, for its long sentences, the super slow narration and the general bleakness of the subject. He has an uncanny knack of creating the eery atmosphere around which grows into you, and will constantly keep you disturbed until you finish reading ( and even after you closed the book). The break down of the system, the near apocalyptic events, the town/village caught in the whirlpool of the event and the general feeling of something else is behind all these occurrences who is omnipresent but invisible. Bela Tarr's adaptation followed the writer to the precise. His first ever novel is now available ( well, over an year now released in 2012) which supposed to have established Laszlo Krasznahorkai as one of the leading writers of the world in the current generation. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Satantango, has the similar voice and surroundings as in the case of Melancholy of resistance. The same isolated town/village, the slow uncovering of events , the helpless inhabitants being guided by unknown force, lead to their sad end, the collapse of the system, the visible decay of everything under the sun as well as the imminent disaster that is expected to befall at any time. The same eeriness, the same uneasiness the same helplessness which I am familiar seems to have originated from here. If it was the mysterious circus company that was haunting the people in 'melancholy' , it was the arrival of Irimias, whom people thought is dead already, to their hamlet causing all that trouble. The 'estate' where a dozen or so families live (includes a mechanic, a headmaster, a doctor, and a couple of village whores), is a farmers collective, which is in clear decay. As few smart people are prepared to receive whatever compensation they can obtain for their cattle and move to places where they can re-build their life leaving the rest of the peasants to their fate, the cunning, devilish charm of Irimias, casts his spell on them. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In an awesomely beautiful opening the book starts with the signs of imminent danger. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"One morning near the end of October not long before the first drops of the mercilessly long autumn rains began to fall on the cracked and saline soil on the western side of the estate (later the stinking yellow sea of mud would render footpaths impassable and put the town too beyond reach) Futaki woke to hear bells"</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The novel starts with a plot be few inhabitants to escape with the money they have, but the plan was shelved with a news of the expected arrival of Irimias to the estate. There seems to be the intelligentsia at work with a clear plan to quell this movement ( as we witness in the meeting of Irimias and Petrina with the State Security in the initial chapter). They are apprehensive of his motive but are , at the same time, hoping that he will come to their rescue, as he had done once before, prior to his absence( as people thought of him as dead). As one after other vying to get on the better side of him, offering themselves under his mercy to find a way out of this place, Irimias does what he is assigned to perform, despite few occasional moments of self doubt. As he arrives at the estate after a long walk in the rain ( the rain is omnipresent through out the events, not as a witness, but as a catalyst), to an exhausted crowd of drunken and fallen peasants, after 'stantango' a treacherous nonstop dance orgy, with the news of the death of the young girl Esti, driven to suicide by the estate people themselves. In a remarkable chapter ( Heavenly vision or Hallucination) we witness the resurrection of the dead child ( exactly on the third day of her death) causing all sorts of visions of apocalypse to the trio ( Irimias, Petrina and the young brother of Esti, who joins them on their pursuit). Though Irimias reject the vision - <i>“It doesn’t matter what we saw just now, it still means nothing, Heaven? Hell? The afterlife? All nonsense.”</i> - the other two aren't very convinced. In the meanwhile, guilty as accused for the girls death, the villagers give all their savings, before setting off to the Manor, for further instruction. With all their money in possession, Irimias and Petrina, leaves for town to appraise the authorities, and to plot and scheme larger things :“the network, that enormous spider web, as woven and patented by me, Irimiás.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book has the typical style of Krasznahorkai, long sentences, no paragraph breaks and descriptive narrative style with extreme slow action. His ability to get into the characters thoughts emotions to the minutest details. Split into two parts of six chapters each ( I to VI ascend in the part 1 and VI to I descend in the part 2) the first one awaiting the arrival of the devil ( or the prophet depending on how you want to look at it) and the other on the aftermaths of the arrival of Irimias and Pertina. Krasznahorkai does not give any clear indications or references to the overall moralistic view of the book. It can be a bit confusing, and mind boggling at times. One can deduce their own interpretations or assumptions as he deem fit. The writer himself does not give any further explanation as he says this in an interview, “<i>The reader must content themselves with these lone concrete, but vague, indications, quite simply because what I describe…can happen anywhere."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The book was written and published before the fall of the communist regime in Hungary. There are suggestions that this might have targeted on the decay of the system and the clever manipulation of the individuals by the authoritarian system. Any direct references would have made the book shelved under cold storage, and hence the setting has to be clever with a symbolic or fantastic place. Irimias and Petrina ( the henchman) represents the devilish arms of the state trying to subjugate the hapless citizens. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The book published long ago ( in 1985) , is also made into a 7hr 40 minute long movie by Bela Tarr. The movie notorious for its overall length, shot in black and white, deploys mostly long shots ( of 14-15 minutes each) is considered as one of the great movies ever produced. Someone joked that for a change the reading of the book will take lesser time than to watch the movie. At times, it is easy to see that his novels are written with this in mind. It progresses from one frame to the other with clear visual and characteristic elaboration at each frame ( page or chapter). The writing is stunning and breathtaking at many places. The narration is brisk, despite the slow actions that emerge. The rain itself plays out a major part in the events ( 'fall at once, in one sack full') and the estate is 'stinking yellow sea of mud' due to this. His characterisation is impeccable, the novelistic vision is intact, the perspective is complete from every characters point of view. One of the best writers on the contemporary literature, with a unique style and narrative voice. Outstanding writer and brilliant piece of literature.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Satantango-L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3-Krasznahorkai/dp/0811217345">Satantango</a> ( 1985 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3_Krasznahorkai">László Krasznahorkai</a> ( translated from Hungarian by Georges Szirtes in 2012)<br />
<br />
Atlantic Books <br />
<br />
276 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/jul/11/when-devil-danced-hungary/?page=2">NY Books</a>, <a href="http://wordswithoutborders.org/book-review/laszlo-krasznahorkais-satantango">Words without Borders</a>, <a href="http://www.bookslut.com/fiction/2012_03_018817.php">Bookslut</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/09/satantango-laszlo-krasznahorkai-review">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/index.php?id=6662">Three percent</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/books/review/laszlo-krasznahorkais-satantango.html?_r=1&">NY Times</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-57247263318852248892013-10-26T19:31:00.000+05:302013-10-27T10:12:19.129+05:30Music Criticism: Principles and Practice - R Satyanarayana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rp0Pw1EvDe8/UmvK0F4IEwI/AAAAAAAAC7M/PkaG2xdVBfQ/s1600/Music+Criticism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rp0Pw1EvDe8/UmvK0F4IEwI/AAAAAAAAC7M/PkaG2xdVBfQ/s200/Music+Criticism.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been following the south Indian Carnatic classical music for a while. For the past 7-8 years, I am attempting to writer some of my concert experiences in a blog, more as a reference than being a critical review. Because I have no formal training in the music, all that I could do was to cover the superficial aspect of the concert from a 'rasika's point of view, than to do an in depth critical and analytical view of the music that was presented to the public. I had a correspondence with one of the leading artist in Bangalore, around 6 months back, and while discussing on the subject of concert review, he said, this form of hasn't been explored to the fullest with the current generation of writers and press. We were to discuss this aspect at length, but it hadn't been materialised until now. In the meanwhile, this book was recommended to read.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
R Satyanarayana, a leading musicologist with a number of highly acclaimed books and lectures under his name, is also a musician, a Veena exponent. His articles on various aspect of music has been very popular. He has been awarded by the <a href="http://neelanjana.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/profrsatyanarayana-gets-sangeeta-nataka-academy-award/">Sangeetha Nataka Academy</a> in 2009 among various other recognition. His scholarly research and publications are largely on the aspect of creativity in music and the interpretation of various schools of music and his study of umpteen manuscripts. However, in this book, he decided to look at the aspect of music criticism for a detailed study.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The book, as the title says, is divided into two parts ( or three with a study of a composition at length). the initial part looks the music criticism in its principles and the key aspects of music criticism. The second part is largely a collection of critical essays on music by some of the stalwarts in the scene, which provide the testimony of the theoretical aspect that was discussed in part one. The second part ends with a critical analysis of a composition ( SrI subrahmaNyAya namastE in kAmbOji by Muddusvami Dikshita').</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Art Experience</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"The primary concern of the music critic is understanding and explaining, interpreting or commenting upon musical experience". Experience for a grown up person a complex and multilayered, says Satyanarayana. It is dynamic to multiple factors. It has both conscious and subconscious state or the describable and undescribable content. The knowledge or awareness element is derived from sensory sources. These are then structured into definite patterns shaping their awareness. All conscious experiences are referential, its either external or internal. This experience is objective..from 'object to sensory organs, to the mind and to the soul is the progress of the perceptive experience. However, art experience if non-referential. Art experience results form 'contemplation' ( charvana) of the imaginative situation created by the artist. Artist contribute his power of creative activity. The listener ( connoisseur ) offers his share of imaginative contemplation , sympathetic understanding and feeling which are akin to the artist ( sa-hrdaya) and reproduces the art product within himself, before sharing his experience with the rest of the world. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sri Satyanarayana, uses a vast of references from the ancient texts and scriptures and establish the connection of art experience and aesthetic value associated with art. He compares the tradition both in the Indian context and western context. While the western form of aesthetics are largely taken as beauty, the Indians use a much more complex word ' rasa' to describe the same. Aesthetic experience is conditioned by both objective and subjective elements. Moreover, aesthetic elements focusses on the feelings and emotion rather than reasoning and intellection. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The most important responsibility and duty of the art critic is to develop, propagate and sustain good taste in the arts in the members of his society. Taste may be defined as a faculty of mind by which it perceive beauty. While taste can widely differ from person to person, it may be possible to enunciate some fundamental criteria for good taste for the art in general. The ideal of art experience that the artist's practice of the art and the connoisseur's response to it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Art Criticism</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Criticism can be defined as a skill involved in evaluating , reviewing or judging the quality of a literary or artistic work which includes the implicit and explicit interpretation of the meaning and value of such art form. There fore aesthetics, art philosophy and art criticism together constitutes one single system of thought. A critic can improve the scope and quality of his criticism by exposing himself continuously to the aesthetic experience of his choice.It helps him to develop insight into the nature of the art as well as to the working mind of the artist. A work of art is significant in many ways, it is a reflection of aesthetic ideals, concepts and imaginations of its author, the representation of the cultural milieu of its time and the social demand and aspirations of the society. Art criticism is always contemporary and relevant. Art criticism ( for that matter the art form itself) can not escape from the 'cultivated' versus 'mass' conflict.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>History of art and Music criticism in the West and India</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Moving on from here, he discusses the aspects of music criticism in the West and in India. The music criticism in the Europe begun with the raise of new world of creative composers, in the 17th century. Germany, once the breeding ground for composers were again lead the way in the musical criticism. Germany produced numerous journals on music in the last quarter of 18th century, which not only published the new compositions of Mozart, Haydn and Beethovan, but also the first criticism on them. In the later centuries, the field of music criticism improved over the years shifting from the romanticism to the aesthetics and creative techniques. This period also produced the "composer - critics" in the field. Composers like Wagner, who wrote critical essays mostly for boosting or defending his own compositions. Tchaikovsky was the music critique for Gazette of Moscow. As is the case today, there were conflicts between the critic versus the artist /composor. For eg comments like' the immoral profession of music criticism should be abolished" ( by Wagner himself) were regular against the critics. Many literary bigwigs of Europe were also noted for their music criticism. Play Wright George Bernard Shaw produced some excellent , often witty, critical essays on music.. Anatole France and Roman Roland were few other writers who contributed to the music criticism scene. In the US, this was caught up in the second half of the 19th century and for now, they surpass the Europe and other parts of the world as the centre of musicological and historiographical scholarship.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In India, the art criticism can be linked to as early as the time of Bharatamuni. He is the earliest known authority on the model of art criticism. His writing ( naatyashaastra) covered all aspects of the performing art and was the pioneering effort in this aspect. On the subject of music, the first known writing is the 'Sangeetha Ratnakara (AD 1230) of Shaarangadeva, describing the qualities of the composer, the performer and the percussion artists. Various other writings in Sanskrit and other Indian Languages covers various aspects of the music, dance and craft forms over the years. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u><br />Musical Forms</u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Musical form is central to all music activities - composition, performance and experience. The process of musical criticism there for consists of analysis of the musical form and its structure. Art is created when form emerge out of symbols signifying beauty under trained and rational workman. Indian music by and large are textual , comprising of word ( pada), tone(swara) and duration (taala). They are lyrical or poetic based compositions. Few forms like mallari, jatiswara and rare cases thillana are without meaningful words ( they use unintelligent syllable for rhythmic pattern). As a consequence there are very few instrumental compositions in Carnatic music. In the recent past a few instrumental performers are trying to experiment with this aspect, creating compositions suiting their style while adherence to the grammar of the raaga or scale ( the western styled notes popularised by Madurai Mani Iyer, the 'raagapravaaham' seen in the concerts of violin duo Ganesh and Kumaresh are few examples, apart from the mallari usually played by Nagaswaram vidwans).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The music forms of Carnatic music can be summarised into 16 style : geetham, swarajathi, jatiswara ( without saahitya) , varnam, kriti, devarnama, ugabhoga-vachana,padam, javali, pallavi, ashtapadi, daru, tarangam,tillana,raagamalika and shlOka. In this the kriti, which typically written and performed in 'pallavi', 'anupallavi' and 'charanam' (PAC) format contributes to the majority part of the concert. From the musical form we move to the presentation form as the artist choose to align and structure his repertoire to be presented to the audience within the stipulated ( stated or assumed) time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>The Music critic </u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The criticism is the process of translating and grading the aesthetic experience, in line with its impact it created in the critics mind. The musicians task is to create with music and the critics role is to re-create the same experience with words. Critic means to judge, but in the real sense he functions in the role of an interpreter. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He continue to describe the role of a critic and the need to be truthful to the music and not the performer. A music critic faces many a problem as the art form unlike painting, sculpture or architecture are not fixed in time or space. A music that is delivered ( especially to Indian music) can not be repeated exactly. While we can record and listen the same again, it can not reproduce the same ambience, same state of mind and same cohesion of all that contributed to the experience in the same way. Hence memory plays an important part in the perception and appreciation of the performance. There for the concept, principle and rules of aesthetics vary for music over other forms of art. There is also this subjective-objective dilemma. While criticism is largely subjective ( based on the aesthetic experience), under the guiding principle, it is important to have a balance of subjective and objective element. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sri Satyanarayana says ( in detail) the moral obligation of the critic should be, first and foremost, to the music itself, followed by the listener, the composer and then the performer. He also list down the qualification of a music critic. </div>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>he should possess a knowledge of technical and theoretical principles of music</li>
<li>knowledge of history of music and music scholarship</li>
<li>general education coverving as many subjects as possible as cognate with music</li>
<li>able to think clearly and write lucidly</li>
<li>an insight into the workings of creative imagination</li>
<li>have an integrated philosophy of life of his own.</li>
<li>an endless curiosity and willingness to learn</li>
<li>should know his own limitations and limitations of his profession</li>
<li>a mythical superman ( who combines in himself at the same time the qualities of total absorption, yet distance, consonance with musician yet critical acumen)</li>
<li>avoid being a cultural broker, a mere translator, or a public relation agent</li>
<li>evolve an aesthetical theory of musical experience.</li>
<li>should not fall prey to temptations of money, influence and power.</li>
<li>insight into the creative states and mood of pre-expressional and expressional phases of the performer</li>
<li>more than livelihood, it must be a way of living, a commitment , a dedication</li>
<li>sensitive to the artistic values of the medium</li>
<li>must have a command of language adequate to express his ideas</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The second part of the book looks at the practice of music criticism in India, largely on the carnatic musical arena. Indian Musical criticism developed into the current state largely during the mid 20th century. The newspapers , as can be imagined, lead the way by publishing brave, venturesome critical reviews with little or no encouragement from the public or music fraternity. From the nascent stage of musical reviews , this has now grew multi folds with regular reviews in almost all the leading dailies and few limited musical journals ( shruthi magazine, for example). These reviews included portraits of the musician, critics on music criticism, views of the artist on music critic, reviews of the performance itself ( both live and recorded) and reviews of music books. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The rest of the pages is filled with notable reviews from the established critics in South India ( and a few from West as well, in which the essays of George Bernard Shaw were awesome) - Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra- appeared in various publications. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Critical essays of E Krishna Iyer, N R Bhuvarahan, BRC Iyengar and concert reviews of SVK, Subbudu, Ranee Kumar, S V Seshadri and Interviews of artist and critics 'Gowri Ramnarayanan', of artists T N Seshagopalan ( who was very critical on the critics) , K S Mahadevan a book criticism by Sulochana Pattabhiraman , On a music sabha ( Mysore V Subramanya on Chowdiah Memorial Hall) were few notable inclusion. The section concluded with a brilliant study of the music of Gangubhai Hangal by Sri R Satyanarayana himself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The last chapter is spent on the critical analysis of a musical composition. While we see lesser study in this aspect, with most of the musicians prefer to perform the well established compositions, I was wondering why wasn't there any serious study done in this aspect of the music criticism. The only critical, usually with admiration and praise, study of the new composers and their compositions are limited to the lecture demonstration by one of the performer, who uses this to sing and introduce the creative aspect ( historical background) of the composition, rather than the creative merits and demerits of the product. Sri Satyanarayana chose a well known composition of Muddusvai Dikshita, in kAmbOji ( Sri Subramanyaya Namaste) to introduce this aspect of critical stud</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A first of its kind book, dedicated to musical criticism is treasure for the likes of me. The highly informative and deep understanding of the aspect of art and music in the initial part is not only scholarly, but a very well thought out presentation. The second part is not as dense and elegant, but it provided ( some of them at least) a better understanding of the subject that was discussed in the part one. Despite the abundant use of Sanskrit words ( with English equivalent), inevitable due to the references to the ancient texts, this was very readable and easy to understand. The structure, the language used, the examples and references were appropriate. A few spelling errors that crept in could have been avoided. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A great reference to creative writers and those writing about arts in general and on carnatic music in particular. I am expected to do a better job with my writing armored with new understanding of this genre of writing.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
Music Criticism: Principles and Practice (2006 )<br />
<br />
R Satyanarayana<br />
<br />
<a href="http://rksrikantan.blogspot.in/2008/12/vidwan-rksrikantan-trust.html">Vidwan R K Srikantan Trust </a><br />
<br />
277 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/09/28/stories/2007092851020300.htm">The Hindu</a>,</div>
</div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-20374278007311878452013-10-25T18:42:00.001+05:302013-10-25T18:43:05.539+05:30Snow Country - Yasunari Kawabata<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9q9OP5qEPw/UmptfN0RJ0I/AAAAAAAAC68/g6Z89cG2kBI/s1600/Snow+Country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9q9OP5qEPw/UmptfN0RJ0I/AAAAAAAAC68/g6Z89cG2kBI/s1600/Snow+Country.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A couple of weeks back, I read one of his later works which did not impress me greatly. I remember the lasting impressions his other books ( Snow Country, Thousand Cranes, House of sleeping beauties) on me when I read them. That was a long long ago, and I started wondering why did that make such a lasting impact on me. One grow as a reader over the years and the tastes get refined and somewhat polished. While this seems to be a progression as a reader, on the negative side it prevents you from the enjoyment and entertainment you derive out of a work of literature. It was thus, I decided to go back to one of his works again to see if I over rate his works earlier. Now that I read the book again, I am quite happy and relieved ( ! ), and my previous impression is now reinstated. Not only I loved the second read, but it also gave me a lot more insight to the writer and his style. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Shimamura, a wealthy loner travels back to the west coast of Japan, to the small hot spring town. A small love affair, or his closeness to the geisha brought him back to this place within an year. As he takes the train back to the snow country, to revive himself, from his idle life. His previous acquaintance, Komako is assigned to him again as the geisha to be his companion during his stay. As the familiarity and companionship grew, Shimamura realises his inability to love her. The affair is destined to fail even before it began. He is a wealthy well to do man, and she is a geisha, expected to entertain guest who comes to the inn for a few days. The closure they become by togetherness the wider was the separation of the mind. From Komako's point the submission was complete, unconditional and possessive. Shimamura, wasn't committal, but was the one with fatherly tenderness. Over the days of his stay, he was rather attracted with the young protege of Komako, beautiful Yoko, who takes care of the sick man who probably is the fiancee of Komako, a topic she refuse to divulge in. Even here, despite her request to rescue her from this hell and take her to Tokyo, he is not able to decide. In a rather ambiguous ending, which we find in many other stories of Kawabata, this novel also ends in a disaster. Its rather the end of the affair, the end of his ability to stay afloat in his dreamy days( interesting metaphor of milky way is deployed by Kawabata). We are not to know whether Yoko is dead or alive, but we are aware that for Shimamura both Komoko and Yoko are dead as he was pushed aside and was made to stand as a impotent witness to the whole action that takes place.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The book has a strong connect with the local culture and the heritage. Some of which is not very clear to me and I'm not sure if some of the references ( not directly though) are incomprehensible to me ( or a bit lost in translation). The rich imagery, the vivid landscape, the amusing conversations and the rich traditional set up of the inn gives a fantastic background to the story. His lyrical writing, the short sentences ( a haiku in prose as some critics call it ) of heavily loaded conversations, rich cultural undertone and the control over the language makes this a wonderful wonderful read. The complex relationships with a man at the center and two women fighting it out in subtle maneuvers . Komako is all vocal and noisy around Simamura, who bores him after a while. Yoko on the other hand appears in all beauty and purity, uncorrupted and unpretentious. Komako is pushed to doing the job of geisha to support many who depends on her - her ailing music teacher, her sick friend. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Snow country is one of the greatest work of the Japanese Master and a shining example from Japanese literature. Its relevance , its style , its ambience of rich culture and tradition, its intrinsic strength derived through those beautiful imagery. Simple and flowing narrative which appears straight forward, hidden inside with such depth of human conditions and social complexities. The landscape and nature plays a big part in the tale. The plot and story is not very important, but the characterisation the interplay between them and the descriptive passages and the silences that build up the effect in the whole narration. Master piece !</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Country-Yasunari-Kawabata/dp/0679761047">Snow Country</a> (1952 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunari_Kawabata">Yasunari Kawabata</a> ( translated from Japanese by Edward G Siedensticker 1956) <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141192598,00.html">Penguin Classics </a><br />
<br />
188 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://japaneseliterature.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/snow-country/"> Japanese Literature</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Country">Wiki</a>, <a href="http://blogcritics.org/book-review-snow-country-by-yasunari/">Blog Critics</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-72649956192039906472013-10-19T18:30:00.000+05:302013-10-19T18:31:51.362+05:30It Rained All Night - Buddhadev Bose<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx8K1KQ4KPI/UmKB2uhM16I/AAAAAAAAC6g/lN5TrYzAFCE/s1600/it+rained+all+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx8K1KQ4KPI/UmKB2uhM16I/AAAAAAAAC6g/lN5TrYzAFCE/s200/it+rained+all+night.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book caught the attention of the public after the government banned it on its publication for obscenity. The authorities, not only destroyed the printed books, but also managed to remove the manuscript. It was much later, that the high court removed the ban on the book. Now, I did not know all these details upon buying the book. On my attempt to read many post Tagore Bengali writers, his name also figured and this was the first book that I could get my hands on. It is surprising that the book is banned for obscenity, as it does not dwell into any descriptive scenes or writing of pornographic nature that calls for ban for obscenity. I am reading the translation and have no idea of the original in Bengali, to comment on the ban. However, I can understand the furor it could have created in the 'externally' conservative and prejudiced Indian society. It explores the subject of extra-marital affair, infidelity and questions the fundamental believes of the institution called marriage. 50 years back, an explicit take on these subject, and in a way not condemning but sympathising with those suffocating within the constraints of family life. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>It’s over—it happened—there’s nothing more to say. I, Maloti Mukherji, someone’s wife, and someone’s mother—I did it. Did it with Jayanto. Jayanto wanted me, and I him … How did it happen? Easy. In fact I don’t know why it didn’t happen before—I’m surprised at my self-restraint, at Jayanto’s patience.'</i>.. starts the novel. Maloti and Nayonangshu (Anghshu) are married for over 14 years and are living in a Kolkata apartment with their daughter. Both are now into their thirties and the drift in their married life has culminated at the above sentence. Anghshu, a man of words, translator, writer and academic ( which he resigned for a better paying job at the advertising world), married Maloti, who was his student once upon a time. Highly polished man, in thoughts and manners, with friends in the high and intellectual circuit, who frequent his house. Maloti, whose admiration for his intellect , his social status and his attractive physical features ( good looking young man, whom her classmates competed to win over) , found herself disappointed with him as the time progresses. Her needs as a women and wife, the need of mind and the body to be cajoled and caressed, to have her desired addressed and met, found no reciprocation from her husband. As it can be expected, a friend of her husband, who one among the many who frequented their house, was the one who seems to have understood her and her needs. His moderate look, shabby dressing, a social status of not so great value , did not deter her from pursuing the relationship. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Angshu returns home late that night amidst pouring rain, only to find his wife in the bed post her misadventure with her lover. Her dress in disarray , 'saree' inadequately covering her body, her jacket and inner garments thrown around over 'his' bed. Man of wisdom ( or of cowardice) , he strategically move into the bathroom, giving her ample time to recover her modesty and regroup. The sleepless night that followed, with both husband and wife staring into the void, with rain lashing on the outside, each trying to find solace in their own reminiscence trying to justify their position. Alternating the narrative voice between the husband and wife, Buddhadev Bose travel through through their minds and their life with such sensitivity and empathy. Each persons point of view is so convincing, as the readers swing from one position to the other sympathising with both husband and wife.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Buddhadev Bose has done a tremendous job in treating this subject with utmost care and capacity. It is easy to get carried away, making it a tear-jerker or a silly writing on sexual infidelity. Instead, he portrayed the sensitive area of husband -wife relationship, the question of marital love and intimacy, the onslaught of desire and passion, the need of body and mind in any married life. These are the subject a conservative society of India refused to discuss for a long time ( Well, not in the early ages, but mostly towards the second half of last millennium ). While the situation is much improved of late, as a society, we are much reserved even today on matters related to such. Millions and millions of silent sufferers continue to live even in the modern days. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is not the then controversial theme, that is the real attraction in this book. It is the might of his pen, the smooth silky writing of restrained and sensitive portrayal of two tormented souls. The writing (translation included) is very balanced on both the sides, never once breach the lines of decency, yet retaining the sensuality as needed. No glorifying of the actions, nor being judgmental. The translation retained most of the fragrances of the Bengali Language. Fascinating short novel.</div>
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rained-All-Night-Buddhadeva-Bose/dp/0143067516">It Rained All Night</a> (1967 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhadeb_Bosu">Buddhadeva Bose</a> ( translated from Bengali by Clinton B Seely 1973) <br />
<br />
Penguin books<br />
<br />
138 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
</div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166111.post-61303897647241832232013-10-14T22:42:00.001+05:302013-10-14T22:43:01.779+05:30What Becomes - A L Kennedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p1WiIN1Y20s/UlwlSuZ3TyI/AAAAAAAAC6M/7z7RzD6GGHE/s1600/What+Becomes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p1WiIN1Y20s/UlwlSuZ3TyI/AAAAAAAAC6M/7z7RzD6GGHE/s1600/What+Becomes.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A L Kennedy's books aren't easy to get into. This is my third book and the result wasn't any different. That does not make it a bad book, on the contrary. Each of these stories are good, some very good. The twelve stories in this collection are something in common. They all follow the plight of individuals ( or couples) fighting their own separation from the other. Some imminent separation, some on the verge of isolation, some even being together has the hidden bridge of separation. All the characters are young/middle aged couple and picked straight out of the daily life. No stories, none whatsoever, has a pleasant ambiance, the gloom and sadness is the feeling in the air. Thus it makes a depressive read, however effective the narration is.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first story that bears the title of the book, reflects on a couple unable to recover from the loss of their child. Sitting in an isolated cinema hall, alone, Frank looks at the failing marriage with his wife. In an attempt ( final ?) to win her over he even makes a soup for her before her return from the workplace. The attempt however fails after he cut his finger resulting in blood stains all over the kitchen and the soup. Kennedy plays well with her writing here, trying to portray the failure of the relationship as every thing around them is deteriorating. "Wasp"s again about the imminent separation, albeit short . Its the day of the morning when he had to say good bye to his wife and two young sons, prior to his travel on business. But there is clear signals of the widening differences between them and the difference is clearly played through the children. "Edinburgh' again is a superb build up of an affair, coming to an sad end. An affair started at the grocery shop of Peter, took him through the realms of love, only to be disappointed in the end. Here we see a clever writing of Kennedy where she interestingly mix the voice of the mind to the voice of the body. A dual communication technique, one to the outer world and the other to oneself cleverly juxtaposed in the narration, giving it an unknown depth. Another interesting story of the collection is Sympathy. A writing almost flirting with pornography, about an accidental one night relationship in a hotel room. Mostly told in the form of conversations, despite their short lived romance, mostly sexual in nature, separate on a promise of a call and a meeting in near future, with both know is not for real and this rendezvous will end as abruptly as it started. In 'Saturday Tea Time' a young lady recovering in a 'floating tank' remembers the time of the young days where she had witnessed and was subjected to domestic violence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Each of these stories carry the same line. They are all melancholic, they are all makes one feel for those living it out. The voice here plays a big role, beyond the narration. It's beyond the written words, they are layered and have various undercurrents of humor, sadness and heart break in some form or other. She uses words cleverly, there are metaphors in abundance ( the wasp for example), philosophical undertones ( in Edinburgh, especially towards the end), and social observations. The characters of these stories are tied to their destiny and do not show any attempts to shackle out of them, rather they endure them with somewhat inner pleasure of a defeatist. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A L Kennedy is a brilliant writer, fabulous use of the words and clever mix of narrative techniques. These stories, while the overall gloomy ambiance is a bit depressive, do seek in with their sheer brilliance.</div>
------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Becomes-A-L-Kennedy/dp/B008SLZPKI">What Becomes </a>(2009 )<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._L._Kennedy">A L Kennedy</a><br />
<br />
Vintage books<br />
<br />
218 Pages<br />
-------------------------------------------<br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/08/what-becomes-al-kennedy-review">Guardian</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/6022451/What-Becomes-by-AL-Kennedy-review.html">Telegraph</a>,<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/books/review/Romm-t.html?_r=0"> N Y Times</a>, <a href="http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews/ALKennedyWhatBecomes.htm">Irish Times</a>, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/what-becomes-by-al-kennedy-1774901.html">Independent</a></div>
braindrainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338506497396255214noreply@blogger.com0