Absolution - Olaf Olafsson

It is very rare that you like a novel whose protagonist is a dislikable character. But, that alone isn't the reason why I do not think high about this book. It definitely readable but not one that require re-read. First novel in English, by the Icelandic writer, who is currently residing in the US. On his personal side, I understand he is the vice president of a large media and entertainment empire.

Petur Petursson, an icelandic emigre to the US lives his last days of life reminiscing the old days. On his part, he document his reminiscence in paper ( and later on tape! ), which posthumously gets to the attorney who decides to go through these pages. Peter ( as he changed his name to the anglicised world) suffers from the crime he supposed to have committed half a century ago , which caused him loose his once girlfriend and had to flee to US ( and from himself). Ever since, his life was directly or indirectly controlled by the guilt that he carried on himself. Unable to be a good husband, a good father to his children, he lived all his life on increasing his financial position, while at work and while running a successful enterprise.

Now living alone, divorced from his second wife, negotiated the separation contract to his advantage ( still convincing himself, that he has given more than what the family deserved) , continuously insulting and ridiculing his son , whenever they attempt to speak or reconcile with him. A Cambodian lady, living with him to take care of his errands, cook and nurse him, in company along with his collection of exotic wines, he lives an isolated life. His suspicion is that his wife and children ( especially his daughter) is plotting to see his death ( He even refuses to attend the funeral of his ex-wife, despite the pleading of his son to visit the mother in her death bed and to attend the funeral later). Because of which, he do not trust the assistant too, whom he depends on his daily routine, completely.

He had left his home town in Iceland, to pursue his study in Denmark, and to follow his love as she moved to Copenhagen. The days were the peak of the WWII, and like every European country, Denmark was also occupied by German soldiers. Though the love ( at least on his part) flourished in the initial months, the girl supposed to have found another friend and start spending more of her time with him. Vengeful, and plotting and even dreaming ( one dream sequence where he managed to kill him with a revolver in an isolated place, and leaving the blame to the Germans) of removing his perceived villain from the scene. As many Icelanders, he too decides to leave the mainland Europe to the safer havens, but not before making sure that his "enemy" has been done in , by informing the German soldiers about his involvement in the underground resistance movement. Though the 'informer' remain a secret, the guilt on him was immediate and was lasting till his days to grave.

A "Crime and Punishment" type of novel, but much plain and simple. While the central character is strong, the rest of the plot did not have any moment of stickiness.

 

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Absolution

 

Olaf Olafsson

 

Anchor Publishers

272 Pages

 

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Book Reporter

My Autobiography - Dickie Bird

Sports scene is full of heroes and people with some eccentric characters. They always create enough interest even after their retirement. Most of them make 'hay while the sun shine' by publishing their memoirs, even before their retirement. However, it is seldom that people from the supporting function gets so much attention. Harold 'Dicky' Bird was one such character. One of the most celebrated umpires of modern cricket, he was one of the stars of the game. His retirement from the international cricket umpiring was an huge affair. Of course, we have some interesting characters in the umpiring field, these days in New Zealander, Billi Bowden, Australian Darryl Harper and West Indian Steve Buckner. But it was with Dicky Bird and his compatriot David Shepard the umpiring came into lime light.

Born to a miner in Barnsley, Dicky Bird started as a footballer like all the youngsters. An accident caused knee problem prevented his football career, and continued his focus in the next passion, cricket. His introduction to Barnsley club wasn't all that impressive. The batting coach had a look at the skinny boy came into nets and promptly send him back , almost ending his cricketing dreams. However, a kind man took pity on the weeping young boy and bowled for him to bat for the rest of the evening. Along with the celebrated Yorkshiremen, Dickie was also inducted into the Barnsley Club and later to the Yorkshire Club to play for county. He had reasonable success there in the company of Freddy Trueman, Geoff Boycott and few other English players. The star studded Yorkshire team prevented him with enough appearances in the county matches, keeping him at the 12th man slot. Whenever the stars were called for the country duty, he get the chance which he made use, only to relinquish the place to the returning players. Once, even after scoring a match winning 181 against Glamorgan, he had to sit out of the next match, to pave way to the regulars. All these events, and being the 12th man in the side made him to switch the side to Leicester, which he still believes as the gravest mistake he did in his life. He continued his not so good life at Leicester for 4 to 5 years, before taking up assignment to coach college teams, which took him to far of places like South Africa and Nigeria.

The coaching stint also did not last long, before he finally decided to take up umpiring as a full time job. Since, then he did not have to look back. Considered as one of the best umpires in the modern times, he held the distinction of standing over 66 tests and 90 odd one day internationals, including the initial three world cup finals. Respected world over, both by the crowd and the players, Dickie Bird talks about some of his interesting stories in his inimitable humour. One of my favorite is when England was playing Australia , Allan Lamb comes out to bat carrying his mobile phone in his pocket. Instead of taking guard, he came over to the square leg where Dickie was standing and promptly handed over the phone, instructing to take any calls which come, as he is expecting some important calls. As expected, the phone rang and . To his surprise, none other than Ian Botham was at the other end. Came the instruction crips and clear, "Tell that Lamby to play the shots or get out".

His memoirs gives us insight to many such interesting characters in the world cricket, known to us. There are many English players of his era comes in the discussion so are some of the known international players across the continents. Dickie Bird also spend whole lot of pages to the unsung heroes of the cricket. The Groundsmen is one of such team. He covers various groundsmen across England, and shos his admiration to their work. Groundsmen are one such team who are always at the receiving end.

For the fans of cricket, this one interesting book. However, as an autobiography, one can not call this as a good work. It is easy reading, it does keep your interest alive with stories and incidents concerned with your heroes.

Before I end this, I will also give you one more incident narrated by Dickie Bird elsewhere ( not in this book, I guess in an article called 'from the pavilion end')..

"Bomber" Wells, a spin bowler and great character, played for Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire. He used to bat at No.11 since one couldn't bat any lower. Of him, They used to paraphrase Compton's famous words describing and equally inept runner;

"When he shouts 'YES' for a run, it is merely the basis for further negotiations!"

Incidentally, Compton was no better. John Warr said, of Compton "He was the only person who would call you for a run and wish you luck at the same time." Anyway, when Wells played for Gloucs, he had an equally horrendous runner as the No.10. During a county match, horror of horrors.......both got injured. *Both* opted for runners when it was their turn to bat. Bomber played a ball on the off, called for a run, forgot he had a runner and ran himself. Ditto at the other end. In the melee, someone decided that a second run was on. Now we had *all four* running. Due to the confusion and constant shouts of "YES" "NO", eventually, *all* of them ran to the same end. Note - at this point in time, the entire ground is rolling on the floor laughing their behinds out. One of the fielders - brave lad - stops laughing for a minute, picks the ball and throws down the wicket at the other end. Umpire Alec Skelding looks very seriously at the four and calmly informs them "One of you b*****s is out. I don't know which. *You* decide and inform the bloody scorers!".

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My Autobiography ( 1997 )

Harold Dennis Bird ( Dickie Bird) with Keith Lodge

Coronet Books

479 Pages

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Hopscotch - Julio Cortazar

Hopscotch , as the writer tells us is many novels in one book. The beginning of the books gives the reader the various options of reading. One way is to read conventionally, from chapter 1 to chapter 56. The story ends there, and the remaining chapters are extendable pages. The other option is to read the book as per the table given by the writer himself ( that is the way he wanted to you to read the book), starting from chapter 73 and then following the direction at the end of each chapter. You can also invent your own ways of reading, either odd numbered chapters or even numbered ..etc. It gives you a possibility of multiple reading.

Not only with various reading of chapters , Cortazar is also experimenting with telling two stories in one chapter ( no 34) , alternating lines corresponds to two separate threads. Thus, it makes a difficult and challenging reading experience. This complexity, this style and the often felt frustration while reading is makes this a worthwhile reading exercise.

Cortazar, in one interview says "The general idea behind Hopscotch, you see, is the proof of a failure and the hope of a victory. But the book doesn't propose any solution; it simply limits itself to showing the possible paths one can take to knock down the wall, to see what's on the other side."

Horacio Oliveira is a wannabe writer, intellectual living in Paris. He along with his Lover ( Lucia , called La Maga ) and circle of friends from the same fraternity ( they call themselves 'The Club'), spent their evenings drinking, smoking and listening to Jazz discussing various intellectual points. Oliveira, the most recent but the most influential of the lot has been living with La Maga for several months. Things changes after the return of La Maga's son Racamadour, after La Maga fails to pay his monthly expenses for his stay in Belgium. Racamadour has been ill and instead of treating him at the hospital , she decides to take care of him at home. Arrival of Racamadour, brings troubles to the relationship, and Oliveira frequents another girl Pola as his new found love, while the Club continue to meet and discuss topics of literary, art and philosophy. Death of Racamadour, changes the life of La Maga and one day she leave the flat. Oliveira's attempt to find her fails as various news of her returning to Montevideo or the news of unidentified corpse in the Seine shakes him up .

The second part of the novel follows Oliveira to Buenos Aires. After a failed attempt to find La Maga in Montevideo, he returns to his homeland, befriends Monola Traveler. Traveler and his wife Talita, works in the circus as administrators, helps him find a job there after a failed attempts to be a fabric seller. Later the team move to administer a mental asylum. the image and memory of La Maga continue to haunt Oliveira, and the visions of her coupled with the images of Talita causes enough despair to Oliveira taking him to the brink of committing suicide.

The entire novel is fragmented images of Oliveira. For all this book is referred as a hypertext. Alternating between first person and third person narrative as appropriate, looking from various character angle, the book as you read gives you various perspective of narration. The game of hopscotch with the characters, and with the readers.

Written during the time of experimental writing ( 1960s has brought out some of the most outstanding literature from the Latin America), Cortazar too does one of the most complex and significant novel of that era. While the book demand multiple reading, I am still at loss of words to describe the book. All I can say was this is one fantastic book.

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Hopscotch ( 1963 )

Julio Cortazar ( translated from Spanish by Gregory Rabassa )

Pantheon Books

564 Pages

Rs 650
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Further read : Powers Review, Complete-review.com, The Electronics Labrynth

The Government inspector ( Play) & Five stories - Nikolai Gogol

Chanced upon an old book published by Raduga Publishers (when the erstwhile USSR had an influence in these parts of the world ), with a relative of mine. Interesting combination of one of the famous play ( The Government inspector) and five of the popular short stories of one of the most popular writer in the 19th century Russia, Nikolai Gogol ( along with Pushkin and  Checkov ).

The Government Inspector, written in 1834, is supposed to be written after an anecdote by Pushkin, takes on the St.Petersburg aristocracy and the government machinery in general under the Tsar's rule.  After the first performance of this play in 1836, the Tsar Nicolas I, supposed to have commented "Hmm, what a play! Gets at everyone, and most of all at me!"

A remote town bureaucracy, is shaken one day by the news that a government officer under disguise is arriving in the town. The clandestine operation, the feared, is to witness and report the corruption and wrong doings of the officials to St.Petersburg. The who and who, of the bureaucracy under the leadership of the local mayor had an emergency meeting to take the necessary steps, to welcome the unknown visitor. This includes, hiding their petty crimes of corruption, cleaning up of the town, making sure that the prominent places like the jail, the school, the local hospital , the court etc are in clean and presentable.

Soon, it was reported by two local land owners ( Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky) that the local inn have a distinguished guest, with suspicious behaviour. They have concluded that , he is the inspector, and a delegation under the leadership of the Mayor goes to receive him. The guest, Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov, a St.Petersburg clerk is having a tough time with the inn-keeper, for not having paid any money for this stay and food so far. The inn-keeper refuses to feed him and threatens to take action. To this scene comes the Mayor and team. On Mayor's insistence Khlestakov, agrees to stay in the house of the Mayor as his official guest. Having realised that he was mistaken for some senior official, he decides to play along and make merry. In the brief time in the house, he manages to collect a large sum of money from various people, flirts with the Mayor's wife and daughter ( promising to marry her) , and fled the place taking the best horses available.

The five short stories collectively called as "St.Petersburg Stories". Like the play above, here too, Gogol focussed his satire on the St,Petersburg society.   Nevsky Prospekt talks about the glitter and glamour of uptown St Petersburg and the temptation of two youths. Piskareve, a young artist, falls in love with a beauty who turns out to be a prostitute. He commits suicide in the end. While Pirogov, the lieutenant survives his life after his love with a German immigrant, only to be despatched by her husband.  Second story 'The Nose' is  absurd and funny. Collegiate Assessor Kovalev, realises one morning, that he has lost his nose. The place where it belonged, is now empty and ugly. His attempts to find out and get the nose back in its place is the event of the story. Kovalev, has seen the nose walking on the streets and he failed to collect him and get him on its original place. His attempt to put an advertisement in the herald was rejected, for the fear of public by the editor, his attempt to file a complaint at the authorities was also failed. In the meanwhile, his barber finds the nose, in his soup the same morning. He was unable to recollect any incident while shaving him the previous morning. 

The Great coat and the Portrait are the best of the stories.  Akaky Akakievich Bushmachkin, is a short man, and is the target for his colleagues jeer and ridicule. All day he sits at one place in the office and copy papers. His only materialistic need is to have a new coat. His existing coat is so old and worn out, that the threads are not able to hold together. his tailor refuses to fix the coat saying any attempts to correct this will only make things worse. He suggest that a new coat be made.  So, he starve and collect money from his meagre earning and finally the coat is made. His happiness was short lived as he was robbed of his coat. His desperate attempt to seek help from the authorities failed as "the important personage" was not willing to listen. Despair and cold lead to his death. Poprischin, of Diary of a madman , is like the characters of the other stories, is poor and insignificant. But he wonders why there is so much unjust in this world. Why is all the good things goes only to the generals, he asks. This in fact is the crux of Gogol's writing. Gogol, looks at things from the poor man's angle and uses his writings to ask the questions to the society and the authorities.

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The Government Inspector & Five Short Stories ( 1834-1840)

Nikolai Gogol  ( translated from Russian by Christopher English & Gordon McDougall )

Raduga Publishers , Moscow

318 Pages

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Go Tell It On The Mountain - James Baldwin

"The Word was fulfilled one morning, before she was awake. Many of the stories her mother told meant nothing to Florence; she knew them for what they were, tales told by an old black woman in a cabin in the evening to distract her children from cold and hunger. But the story of this day she was never to forget; it was a day for which she lived. There was a great running and shouting, said her mother, and as she opened her eyes to the light of that day, so bright and cold, she was certain that the judgement trumpet had sounded. Bathsheba shouted ," Rise up , rise up , Sister Rachel, and see God's deliverance ! He has brought us out of Egypt, just like he promised, and we are free at last !'

Slavery is banned, and the back people are 'liberated'.  However, there is no change in their living condition. The community is still isolated and have their own world of living. The white man is still an evil. Their livelihood is still depended on the work provided by the white folks. The year is 1935, and it is half a century past the the declaration and the situation is not improved greatly. Some of the people moved up ( those subject of this novel), migrating from the hard affected South to the 'greener pastures' of the North, without any great difference.

I had not heard his name until recently and after reading this book, I will definitely put him along with the other Black American Writers I have read. This book was published in 1953, his first book. Spanning over a day and a night mass, this emotional, spiritual and partly gospel book takes us through the emotional liberation of three elders and a spiritual awakening of the young John Grimes. John Grimes,  goes through the spiritual baptism on a Saturday night mass, lasting the whole night. The atmosphere is so powerful that his parents and aunt who kneel next to him in the prayer, goes through the process of redemption. Their sinful(?) pasts, their history hidden beneath the surface for a long time and their internal anger and fear, all come out of the closet. One after other they recounts and re-validate their life against the spiritual and moral measures of the church and goes through the process of cleansing. John Grimes, on whose 14th birthday, when the mass is organised, collapses at the end and goes through delirious fits and visions. However, he seeks the help of the God to take him through and emerge as blessed.

The crux of the narrative is the second part which belongs to Gabriel, Elizabeth and Florence. Florence, is the first to rebel the household. Decided to leave the house and ailing mother in custody of Gabriel, she moves to New York. While her life hasn't been all that great, she maintains her contact with the family. Gabriel, after the death of the mother was living with Deborah, elder to him, who in her younger ages was raped by a group of white men, was his emotional and moral support, through the troubled years. After the death of his wife he moves to New York, and marry Elizabeth, who already have a son from Richard. Richard, a nice young man was accused falsely, commits suicide on his return from the Police. As their life is , the relationship is also as fragile, as you see in the first part. Gabriel, always angry make his family suffers from his moods. John, who carry a perpetual hatred for his step-father. Gabriel's own son in Elizabeth, Roy, constantly gets to fistfights at the neighbourhood and comeback with stab injuries. Gabriel himself had a son in one of the young lady, where he used to work. But his own prejudice and the circumstances, prevent him to accept them into his life, sending the pregnant lady away to the north and to eventual death.

The final pages, rich and complex in narrative is on John going through his trance. Baldwin uses some fantastic writing here as John experiences divine vision and prophetic words, and seeking the help of this friends and dears, he comes out successfully. However, as the mass ended, and the tears dried from reconciliation with the God, they return back to their lives, to their fragile relationships, to the world of irony and poverty.

There is a constant undercurrent of 'rage'. This rage is so into their daily system, that it comes out against their own folks, on themselves. Some of the folks turns anti social element, while the rest take refuge in the Jesus. The spurting of churches and masses through out the black community is an effort to direct this towards prayers. However, there is no escape. The constant struggle between the temptation and redemption is route in their culture. Every individual fights this battle. The self doubt on sinning, the inability to fight the temptation ( both sexual and social ) , the rage within, and the redemption , all goes hand in hand. On this day of salvation, every one has to goes through the torments of their sins. Everyone of them have to re-live their life in front of the altar. 

James Baldwin writes a profound story. Very powerful and hard. Without being vocal and rough and violent, he is able to get the portray the anger very effectively. The language is beautiful, the style and structure is not of a novice. There are many references to the ancient text and situations, and my limited understanding of those, might have hampered by reading to a certain extent.

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Go Tell in on the Mountain ( 1953 )

James Baldwin

Penguin Modern Classics

256 Pages

Rs350

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Read More : Shigekuni , Wiki

Not Not While the Giro - James Kelman

Considered as one of the leading exponent of Working class literature, James Kelman's first collection of short stories, published in 1983 was a huge success. Stories about these working class people, who live an abandoned life in rented cottages and the dreaded factories. The work in the day time at stupid conditioned, the evening usually spent in the pub over a pint, some gambling. The concerns of every one is the same. The hand to mouth kind of living, no luxury whatsoever. Most of them live out of the weekly unemployment money they receive or the meagre wages, spending the money in first couple of days on 'pint' , on gambling ( dog races, horses, on cards, on pool table) often defaulting on the rents, living last few days starving.

Most of them are alone, living in small cottages, along with co workers , isolated from the near and dear. Few occasions of being near to the fairer sex, they are often confused and does not know how to proceed ( Stories like 'Ten  guitar, the hitch hiker and Jim Dandy').

This collection has some fantastic stories. Not Not while the Giro the story carries the name of the collection, is the best for me. Over the perennial wait for the Giro ( the unemployment benefit), the lavish living over the weekend, the struggle for the last 4 days, before the next payout. But he never stopped to dream of his life out of this. He is not happy with the free money, he has his on dreams and plans

    Seriously, I am fed up with being fed up. What do I wish

             I shall not entertain day dreams
             I shall not fantasise
             I shall endeavor to make things work

The situation is so bad, that there is a scene, where he suck his own thumb, hoping for some traces of nicotine taste.

Acid, a one paragraph, half a page story talks about an accident in a chemical factory, where a young worker falls into a tank of acid, screaming for help before he succumb to death. There is nothing can be done to save him, when an old man comes over using a mopping stick to push the still floating head the remaining down to the acid, who happens to be the father of the dead.

In the house of old women, we see three young men in a newly rented house, fighting over small comforts and see the deterioration of the friendship. Jim Dandy, contrary to his image seems to be struggling with himself when the opportunity arise. Nice to be nice is one story took ages for me to complete. Written completely in the local dialect, had be reading it for four hours. 'Ten Guitars', 'The hitchhiker' and 'Double or clear plus a tenner' are other important stories.

There is an undercurrent of anger, by the writer while the up front is detached. The society, in general and the authorities in particular aren't in sympathy with them. Though they do not rebel against the system, they do so in the ways and means they are familiar with.

James Kelman uses the swear language liberally in his writing. I was amazed at my first reading of this writer ( A Disaffection) on the number of four letter words per page. I heard form othere too that the initial reaction for them wasn't any different. But as you get used to his style and his writing background, you starts appreciating this writer. In this collection too, the people are the working class, and they have the right to speak the language and Kelman uses it to its best effects.

Acclaimed collection of short stories, one of the first to be published by Kelman, who later went on to win the Booker in 1994.

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Not Not While the Giro ( 1983 )

James Kelman

Vintage

207 Pages

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Links - Nuruddin Farah

"All you can get from me is war.

If you want peace, go away from my Country"
                                              - Sayyid Mohammed Abdulle Hassan

His name has been in prominence in the Nobel discussions for a while, and there had been few rave reviews about his books. While, I could not get the more famous works of him, I did manage to find this book in India. In this recent novel written in 2004 ( knots , written in 2007 is the last novel) , Farah once again look at his country after the US peace keeping forces withdrew from Mogadiscio.

Jeebleh, an exiled Somali man returns to his homeland, to pay homage and make peace with the spirit of his mother ( and with himself). Like every expatriates, he is also haunted by the image of his homeland and cant stay away from his own past linked to this place. An incident which almost brought him near death in NY street ( taxi driven by a Somali driver run over him) could have acted as a catalyst to bring him to his home country. He has also heard of the abduction of the niece of his close friend Bile, and wanted to help him in whatever way possible.

He was welcomed at the makeshift airport by a sight of random killing of a young boy for sport, by three unruly youth. Al-Laafe, an unknown man was sent to pick him up from the airport by someone ( again unknown t him). It was obvious that some one is tracking him in his journey and he can feel their presence through out his stay.

Once you are in Somalia, you cant stay out of what is happening, around you. You get dragged into the quagmire of clan rivalry without you realising it. He offended his own clan elders, acted against the religious belief, by saving a dog from a mad boy. Someone sneaked into his hotel room, only to be killed by the hotel securities, and he always found himself being followed and watched from close quarters.

"Truth was one of the first casualties of the war" says his friend. As he realises that there aren't anyone you can trust, there are no friends, "we don't think of 'friends' anymore. We rely on our clansmen...sharing ancestral blood.".. "Times were when we knew who was bad and who was good. Such distinctions are now blurred. We are at best good badmen or bad badmen".

His pursuit for finding out about his mother and the two kidnapped kids is what the book is all about. He does manage to do what he came here for ( to make peace with the spirit of his mother), and the revenge he schemed secretly.

The book does bring out the bitter truth of the war, the American Soldiers in Mogadiscio, the money in play through UN relief funds, other international agencies and their operatives in Somalia, the misappropriation of the goods shipped in for the Somalis , the stolen cars market , the human organ trafficking ... The business interests of keeping the clan rivalry on.. Farah does some tough talk here. That is what this book all about. Very loosely held incidents and weak plot, unconvincing most of the part.

Many of my friends were talking about the poetic language used in his novels( while talking about secrets and maps), but not this one. It had pretty hard and plain language. It did have few political and social analysis, but far from being poetic. The fact that the book was written originally in English by Farah, could possibly have hampered his free use of language ( and the help of translators).

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Links (2004)

Nuruddin Farah

Riverhead Books

336 Pages

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Further Read: Guardian , Penguin

The Successor - Ismail Kadare

In 1981, Mehmet Shehu, the prime minister and the designated successor of Enver Hoxha , the dictator of Albania, dies in mysterious circumstances. He was found dead by a gun shot, in his house, supposedly committed suicide. It was unclear whether it was a suicide or murder, and was a news for the rest of the world for some time.

Ismail Kadare's book 'The Successor', is based on this event and its aftermaths. He play along the line of speculation of suicide or murder, looking at the events through the eyes of various stake holders. Successor, recently fallen out of favour with 'the Guide ( supreme leader of Albania), after the engagement of his daughter to one of the rich families of Tirana, thus tainted as a traitor, foreign agent and a bourgeois.

Kadare looks at this event from various perspective, trying to understand the motives and the effects of the same. After the initial rumours the political and civil society of Tirana is hoping to hear from the Guide, to formally come out with explanation. Guide on his part, keep the suspense on, giving indications of clearing the deceased of his committed crime and re-instating his past glory. The family of the Successor was bundled into a van and was taken away to internal exile. The others in the polit-bureau are not spared. The next in line, whom the rest is expected to be named as new Successor, was also trapped by some clever manipulations by the Guide. With more people biting the dust, the Guide himself seems to be not in control. He is ailing, with diabetes and loss of vision.

Kadare, in his typical satirical style, manages to bring out the fear and paranoia affected the society, effectively. None, including the Guide is not away from that. The Successor himself speak from his grave ( post the death of Hoxha), talking about the fate of Albania. The end pages have some fantastic writing by Kadare.

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The Successor

Ismail Kadare ( translated from the French of Tedi Papavrami by David Bellos)

Arcade Publishing, New York.

207 Pages

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Other reviews: Complete Review, Guardian , Wordswithoutborders , The monthly

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka

84 year old Nikolai, recently widowed, announces to his daughter that he is planning to marry a 36 year old Ukrainian lady. Apart from the other domestic support and help he is expecting, she is intelligent and can discuss Nietzsche and other intellectuals with him; also the honourable mention was her large bosom ( to the discomfort of the daughters). It is not as simple. One, he is just been widowed and it is not easy to get the daughters to agree with him. More importantly, the lady herself is married and she has to obtain the divorce certificate from her current husband, an intelligent man who is a director of a technical school. Nikolai, an exile from Ukraine over half a century is also been thrilled by rescuing another family from the hopeless state of affairs in that country. For Valentina to remain in Britain, she needs to obtain a visa and the only way to get one is to marry someone of this country.

Things soon progresses and without the involvement of the daughters, they get married.  Young voluptuous lady, soon gets into her real motives. She continue to torment the old man for her petty needs, buying various attractions of the west for them , including cars of various make. The inability of the old man to go along the demand makes her angry and to physical abuse, including locking up in room.

The sisters now get together and plan to rescue the father from the mess. They approach the authorities to deport her back, to get the marriage null and void, to make sure that there is protection for the old man.. but to no great effect. However, the situation improves after an incident in a hospital and they manages to get the lady out of the house, but the threat and exploitation continue. With some smart maneuver they manages to get the divorce and her deportation orders.

The old man , an engineer wanting to write a book on the evolution of tractors ( thus the name of this book) manages to complete the book and present it to the husband of Valentina, whom he befriends. The extract of the book being written is given at various chapters of this book.

Two sparring daughters ( over the distribution of wealth after the death of their mother) get together to rescue their father fro the clutches of a cunning and manipulating Ukraininan lady, while trying to understand their own past and roots in history.

Often witty, and easy flowing, the book will have your attention till the end. However, beyond that cheap thrill of 'what next' this book is pretty hollow. The description of tractors and the family history during their days under World War II does not seems to be getting along with the main theme.

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A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

Marina Lewycka

Penguin Books

326 Pages

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Read More : Complete-review

The Inquisitor's Manual - Antonio Lobo Antunes

There are certain books, when finished leave you in a state of void. You need time to sink it in and realise.  They continue to haunt you for a while by their sheer brilliance.  This one is one such book. I have been pondering over it ever since I have finished it - a good ten days back. I have completed another two in the meanwhile.

His name have been going round during the Nobel speculation of last year. Honestly, I haven't heard his name before that. The book, I could get hold of was this ( after some mention about this in dictator novels). I must say, this writer has amazed me with his style, language and ability to create an atmosphere of brilliance in writing.

This is not a traditional novel. The story does not flow in sequence, not does it comply to any of the norms of story telling. As the name suggest, its a collection on events, reminiscence, and history unearthing the story to the reader. Circling around Francesco, a minister in the Salazar's regime which ruled Portugal over 50 years, the story looks at the events that followed the fall of the regime and a socialist government is taken control.  Francesco, in his farm house far from Lisbon, where he conducted his official duty, where he received the who and who of the regime, including the regular visit of Salazar himself, accompanied by the militia. Now, the place is deserted, he sending away all the support staffs from his house.

The story is build very slowly, through various people going through their association with Francesco , often getting into their own life rather than that of Francesco ( their past, present and dreams). The unknown narrator, of present day, prepares his manual with interviews , rhetorics  of individuals who are revealed gradually to the reader as his son, his foster daughter, his maid, mistresses, his wife, his driver and others.

Now, dispossessed of his stature, lying in the hospital bed, being controlled/abused by the nurse ( "Wee wee, Senhor Francisco, time for wee-wee, you dont want to wet your nice clean pyjamas, do you, Senhor Francisco?" ) , he is no more the once feared cruel ( who sent his team to kill his estranged wife and her lover) individual. As his daughter recounts " my father without any majesty, whom no one consulted on how to run the country, whom no one asked "And what Minister, should we do about Europe at this time? "


The power and arrogance of the landowner, his brutal rise and fall. His disappointment over the failure to become the successor of Salazar, the fear and torture of the people under the dictatorship, his lack of class ( often ridiculed by the people of higher society), his eccentric choices of mistresses (a girl half his age who wasn't pretty, or even cute, or even very clean, a girl you wouldn't even notice if you passed her in the street, a bit dumpy, a bit awkward, a bit lethargic, I can't imagine what the man saw in her, if at least she were intelligent or charming, but she wasn't, she was a bashful dishrag, a frightful blob... ) and the funny way of lovemaking .. Antonio Antunes makes a powerful story of a dictatorship through the example of the minister.

Book is often funny.. very subtle dark humour at most places and occasional silly ones ( the soldiers taking positions and shooting in the directions of clouds, because a rain drop had fallen on the face of Salazar). While tragic in nature, the writing has a detached style in it and it does not get to the reader as open as it is. On the negative side, I found most people reminisce in the same way, bitter and sarcastic. There are clever use of repetitive sentences, abruptly ended hanging sentences through out the book, including the ending of the novel

how can I say this, how can I make it clear, please tell my idiotic son that I may not have been but that, tell him that I may have made mistake but that,
tell my idiotic son, do you hear, tell my idotic son

please don't forget to tell my idotic son that in spite of everything I

Unique writing style, rich in vocabulary, deep and engrossing novel.. fantastic..


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The Inquisitors Manual ( 1996)

Antonio Lobo Antunes ( translated from Portuguese  by Richard Zenith )

Grove Press

435 Pages

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Zen and the Art of Falling in Love - Charlotte Kasl

Could not find more apt book to read on a Valentine month. But it wasn't worth the effort. Once again, I was fooled by the title and the blurb , which said " ....draws upon a range of spiritual traditions - from Christianity to Buddhism - to reveal how we can forge lasting , meaningful relashionships...". So was the credentials of the author.

Zen and the Art of Falling in Love, as the title suggest is a guide to all those seeking relationship. However, there isn't anything spiritual about it apart from the initial pages. The book divided into 6 parts, and only the first part that really deal with the spiritual and religious aspect of life and love. For me that was the only interesting part of the whole reading. There are lot of references to the Buddist and Sufi way of living with lot many anecdotes and stories. The rest of the part follows the typical 'how to' guides of dating , engagement , first encounter, love at first sight kind of discussion. The book is intended to the western and American audience, hence there is little that make sense to this part of the world. Here there is still a strong influence of the family and society on the individuals life and their partners. Some of the inhibitions of the western individuals may not be applicable here to the same degree of relevance.

To retain the spiritual nature of the work ,there are quotes from the verses of Khalil Jibran and Jalaluddin Rumi, through out this book. However, that alone does not make the book a better read. May be I am the wrong reader for this kind of books.

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Zen and the Art of Falling in Love ( 1999 )

Charlotte Kasl

Bantom Books

268 Pages

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The Girls of Riyadh - Rajaa Alsanea

Tale of Four friends of Saudi upper class families, doing their graduation at University and Medical school between Riyadh and US. Each story is the same , one girl after other falling in love with the first male coming on their way, only to be a victim of rejection at the end. The location shifts from Riyadh, to Jeddah to Paris , London , Chicago or San Francisco going through the same set of events.

In every girl there is a rebel inside. One who is against the injustice of the society against women, but forced to live within the structure of the social and religious set up. Once they are out of this limits, most of them are open and free, only to be returning to the same just before landing at the Riyadh airport. Watching Hollywood thrillers, listening to western music , filling their bedrooms with the posters of their idols. Fast cars, designer dress, the rendezvous at Cafes not known to the contemporary Saudi women are a part of the regular affair to these people. 

The men, especially young men are generally weak. While they wanted the adventurous life as in case of the any other men around the world., however, when it comes to taking decisions on their own,  they succumb to the decision of the family.

It does have some novel way of story telling. Each chapter is written as an internet posting on a yahoo group, released every week to the subscribers. Every chapter begins with a commentary on the readers response and the reply by the unnamed narrator.

Banned in Saudi Arabia immediately after the publication in Arabic, this book had an immediate international acclaim. Apart from the curiosity raised because of the controversy it created, this book has no literary value. The translator Marylin Booth caused another controversy charging the publisher and the author, interfering with her translation.

A teenage fiction, of love and despair. The fact that it has come out of the closed society of Saudi Arabia is the only differentiating fact about this book. Otherwise, this is a 'Chetan Bhagat' type of story from a different land. Plain and superficial , very ordinary.

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The Girls of Riyadh ( 2005)

Rajaa Alsanea ( translated from Arabic by Marylin Booth and Rajaa Alsanea)

Penguin Books

304 Pages

Rs 295

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More Read : Complete-Review , Guadian

The Black Swan - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Most of the events in our history are happened with we being aware of it. Take the earthquake which devastated Haiti, the tsunami that washed the shores of many countries, the evolution of computers and digital world ( against the prediction of CEO of IBM, stating there sould be demand for 5 computers in the world), the fall of stock market in 1987 or the latest year ago, the dotcom bubble bust.. you can name numerous examples from history. Nassim Nicholas Taleb's new book, continuation from his popular 'fooled by randomness' looks at the follies behind the forecasts and predictions and the use of mathematical and scientific methods in arriving these predictions.

He says the analyst using various data and statistical models are no better in predicting that the taxi driver on the street, who does it out of his intuition. While one can rely on the common practice of tools, the other does not have one to fall back on. The end result is more or less the same. As we look back in the history, none of the events which caused permanent changes in the human life was ever predicted. We use the data from these events to forecast the future, only to be fooled by yet another event. He call these as 'black swan'.

The methods of statistical analysis are also questioned. He classifies them into mediocristan and extremistan. Looking at the samples of average wealth of the cross section of people, can tilt the measurement in absurdly higher numbers if Bill Gates was one of the sample chosen.

Taleb, looking at the unpredictable, highly probable events which can cause maximum impact ( like the Sep11 attack) with the current methods. He is highly critical of the Gaussian tools and the bell curve , which is deployed heavily by the current set of analysts.

Human as a species, uses methods of various nature to help us with justifying the predictions. We use narratives as one tool to explain one that is not understood by us, we look for confirmations from peers, look at silent evidences all to add value to the predictions. But the truth remain that, as a species we cant predict.

This book is about these unpredictable, random events in every day life which have lasting impact on our life. Our inability to understand and plan for the events, and how it is important to be prepared for the 'black-swan'. Funny, well written most of the part, this book can be an eye opener to look at the events with a different angle.

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The Black Swan ( 2007 )

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Penguin Books

366 Pages

Rs 395

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A Disaffection - James Kelman

Patrick Doyle is bored in life. Frustrated with his work as a teacher in the local school, he wanted to leave it all and go for a trip to the south. An alcoholic, to the level of self destruction, he does not have much of life outside the school and the pub. Staying alone, with rare visits to his parents ( forced to watch the telly with nothing to talk to them) and his elder brother ( married with two kids whom he adore) to a an occasional coffee , he has no social circle. Already twenty nine, un-married, with no girl friend , he is an outsider to the society. However, he relishes a silent on way infatuation to his colleague Allison, who is married and supposedly leading an unhappy family life.

Patrick feels himself as a victim of the hypocrisy of the society. He goes through the routine of predictable life. The working class pubs, take-home dinners, lonely weekends. The only solace is the two pipes he finds in front of the pub, which he brings home and plays to drown his sorrow and frustration. Finding himself entrapped in this society, he goes through the thoughts of suicide and of going for a long journey down south ( in the pretext of meeting his old friend). The imminent transfer of his job to a suburban school adds to the feeling of rejection and victimisation within him.

Very depressing novel, the clever use of language and the often funny Scottish dialect is one reprieve from the negative mood through out ( highest count of F words per page). This book was short listed for the Booker price ( he won Booker in 2004 for a later novel). Very powerful, detached narrative, rarely straying from the theme, portraying the inner turmoil of a troubled youth.

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A Disaffection (1989)

James Kelman

Vintage

337 Pages

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Read More : Glasgow Guardian , Interview with James Kelman at Barcelona Review

The Gift of Rain - Tan Twan Eng

Philip Hutton, 72, leading a solitary life in Penang, had a visitor from Japan. Michiko, an old lady arrived in search of the story ( is that really so) of her lover Endo, died during the last days of Japanese occupation of Malaysia. Philip, a son of Chinese mother and a British Aristocrat during the hay days of British Rule of the island, was a student of Aikido ( a Japanese Martial Art) with Endo-San. Michiko, wanted to know every thing about Endo, also expressed her desire to visit his final resting place. The story of his association with Endo-san is the story of Philip, the story of Penang during the turbulent years.

Philip's mother died early in his life. His early life ( the story begins when he is 16) is of isolation, of ridicule by friends, Not accepted by the whites as well as the Chinese students. He is rebel in the family of Huttons ( 2 elder brothers, one sister and his father). The crisis of identity makes him a loner within the family. The family business is doing well and his father and his siblings are on a vacation to England, which he refuses to undertake. These six months changed his life forever. Endo, who has rented the nearby  island from his father, accepted Philip as his disciple teaching him Aikido. The relationship with his sensei, has also given him a new way of life. He started appreciating all those he missed in life. New friends, a new realisation about his own family , both on his fathers side as well as his mothers. An invitation from his maternal grandfather, gets him close to his mothers community and their ways. His father and siblings were pleasantly surprised to see the changes in his. He is not only matured physically and mentally, but was also more warm and inclusive in the family.

Endo-san is not here in Penang , for teaching him. He is an emissary of the emperor of Japan. As the second in command of the Japanese Embassy, he is bound by the rule and need of his superiors. Using the knowledge of Philip, he explores and report the places within Penang for their intelligence. The good days are over,as Japan does make advances into Malaysia. His elder brother joins the British Navy and leaves for Singapore, while his close friend Kon, joins the local resistance organisation. During the grand party organised by his father, on the successful completion of the training of William, Endo-san reveals the intention of Japanese to attack Malaysia, to the shock of Philip.

The occupation begin, as the Britishers abandon the island to the safer havens of Singapore. The Huttons refuses to leave, deciding to stay along with the local population in their fortune. Soon, the massacre and torture of the natives began, with more and more of local Chinese are running away to the jungles or the villages. The streets are abandoned, and the Japanese Soldiers are on the rampage. Philip is tormented by the love for his family, the unwritten rule of obeying to your sensei and his sense of patriotism. Unable to choose the path and with none to guide him, he decides to collaborate with the Japanese, on a condition of protection for his family and their business.

He was soon criticised as a traitor and a collaborator. People started keeping away from him, which sooner changed to anger and threats. His close people including those of his family members were turned against him. How, alienated and disturbed by the atrocities of the Japanese, to which he was a participant or a witness, he wanted to make amends. Using his influence within the ruling systems, he started warning those rebel and fighting forces about the imminent strike by the Japanese, and giving list of targeted names in advance, thus facilitating their escape or reduction of damage. Though this was known to a limited set of people, he was eventually identified and was caught for treason. He managed to escape the death, through the sacrifice of his father and the intervention of Endo. But the tarnish on his name was to remain for ever as a collaborator. US had dropped atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the remaining Japanese soldiers in Penang, had surrendered to the returned British Soldiers.

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Philip has to live through all these. Loss of his entire family, both the fathers side and his mothers, death of his sensei, his friend and his father. Only to prove the fears and words of the 'soothsayer' who predicted destruction of the family through him. Which, of course was known to the family as well as his Sensei.

"You should not blame yourself. You have the ability to bring all of life's disparate elements into a cohesive whole. Guilt is an invention of the Westerners and their religion".
"Guilt is a human attribute"
"We Chinese are more pragmatic. It was your aunt's and your sister's fate. Nothing more".

This book is of internal conflicts. For Philip, every thing was of dual existence and of wrong choices. He was a Chinese boy at the British circles and a  British among the locals.  His reconciliation with the realities, initiated by Endo-San and by his Grand Father was the initial changes at the young age of 16. Soon, the war put another question. The interest of nation and the interest of family. The choice of going against the Sensei or the anger of his people. Despite the warning of his people of his alleged working for Japanese invasion, (I'm quite certain that my 'Japanese friend' isn't 'one of them'. All those things you've heard are merely rumours) he had to remain close to his Sensei, to continue the association from their earlier life , which is the only reason for him arriving all the way from Japan to the small Island of Penang,  and to be with him.

The novel is in two part. The first, is prior to the world war and the occupation of Malaysia. This is where he is trying to understand himself and his people. His meeting with the grand father and the numerous stories that was told to him about China, his ancestors and his parents. This is where he is also been in contact with Endo-san, accepting as his disciple and learning the art of Aikido. Second half is the war and the destruction of Penang, his people ( where every one of his family members are killed), his attempt to redeem himself by saving many lives. Very slowly paced first half with stories and anecdotes as against a fast paced action packed gory second half.

Very well written book, short listed for Booker in 2007. Cunning characterisation and the events , clever use of oriental philosophical approach and taking refuge in the destiny. Good start of my reading in the new year.


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The Gift of Rain

Tan Twan Eng

Myrmidon Books

447 Pages

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More read :  Complete Review , Guardian , Interview with the author,

The year of the hare - Arto Paasilinna

Vatanen, working for a local magazine in Helsinki, is not happy with his life. On returning from his work with his friend on the eventful day, his companion driving the vehicle, hits a hare on the highway. Vatanen, gets off and goes after the injured animal, finds him and nurse him. Angry colleague, drives off, in despair, not finding his friend. Instead of returning to the hotel and continue the life, Vatanen decides to travel in the opposite direction with the hare. Not particularly happy with his work - "The magazine succeeded, but not by transmitting information -- by diluting it, muffling its significance, cooking it into chatty entertainment. What a profession ! " - ,not happy with the family ( the wife reacts to the news with the usual "tell him, he will have it on his return", type) and his inability to be a successful in social order ( the only luxury he has is the boat on mortgage), he decided to give up all. Thus starts the eventful new  open, carefree, exploratory life.

He sets off with the hare through out the country side, selling the only possession he has ( the boat) for money. Meeting various people, doing odd jobs for various government agencies, living in the wilderness, often with the hare as the only company.  He and the hare gets the curious attention of people he meet. He also ended up in the Police Station on complaint by a resident, only to be befriending the Superintend, and ending up in the task force fighting the forest fire. He travels up north staying at various villages and the forest, doing assignment, living closure to the nature. The novel ends with a vengeful chase by Vatanen on a wild bear, across the snow which lasted days. During the successful chase, he crosses the border to the Soviet Union, and ends up getting arrested after the military Officer congratulating him on his triumph over the bear. He was charged for spying into USSR, and was deported to Finland on charges of 22 various counts.

Typical to many of the urban breed, Vatanen  is also fed up with the life he is leading, and the accident was the turning point in his life. As it happens to many, there are moments in life, that alter the direction forever. Vatanen, instead of choosing to return to the familiar, decided to pursue what is in the offing, exploring the new ways of life in the new open world.

The catalyst, of course, was the hare. The journey now begin, through the interiors of Finland , away from the civilization, at a pace set by himself, meeting various people, experiencing the reaction of varied kind ( the police station on a complaint by a resident, the taxi driver helping with the food for the animal, the official who gives him the authorisation letter to retain the hare on, the retired army man at the fishing, the chase of the bear across the borders), doing odd jobs at different parts of the country, travelling to the northern Finland with hare in his company. Usually content, the one time when the vengeance took over, he went on a hot pursuit of the bear across the borders.

There is a subtle humour through the narrative. At certain places, it become bit loud and obvious ( the bishop who shoot himself on the leg trying to kill the hare, etc). Vatanen is also get enough sympathy from the readers. Short

Beautifully written book. You may not call this a literary masterpiece, but a superbly told story make you want to read more of these kind.

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The Year of the Hare

Arto Paasilinna ( Translated from Finnish by Herbert Lomas)

Peter Owen Publications

135 Pages

Rs 360

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Further Read : Complete-Review

By Line - V K N

Published soon after his demise, in 2004, this is a collection of stories and various articles written in periodicals during the last decade of 20th century. Most of the writings are his political commentary over the national issues, mainly focussing on the Indian Naitonal Congress and the then ruling BJP and the government. Attired with his usual sense of humour, he observes the news events through his inimitable style.

There are a large junk of articles on the sports, covering cricket, tennis and some of the regional athletics events. Even here, it is the news beyond the obvious is interesting him. The social , economical and political issues are commented upon through the style and writing known from VKN. Being, set in the period of 1990s, one will have to have a fair idea of the socio-political scene of the country to appreciate these writings. While it has all the characteristic style of VKN - multi lingual writing, the contrived translation which he is famous for, and the satiric humour are in abundance - it is not as great a read, compared to his novels.

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By Line ( ബൈ ലൈന്‍ )

VKN

Current Books

168 Pages

Rs 80

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By Night in Chile - Roberto Bolaño

Roberto Bolano has been getting considerable admiration in the English speaking world, after his translations are made available, in the past few years. There are comparisons of him to Marquez and Borges in stature. 2666, the book released last year in English, posthumously, was a huge success, with rave reviews around the globe. I too, did buy the copy of 2666, along with the rest of the world, but haven't summed up enough courage to start reading the mammoth book ( 800 pages only). Instead , decided to start of with a shorter one as an appetizer to the literary world of Bolano.

I haven't seen or read any other novel which is written in one paragraph. 130 pages of this monologue, is in one non-stop paragraph. Sebastian Urrutia Lacroix, a Chilean priest, member of Opes Dei ( right-wing orthodox Christian group), a failed poet and a literary critic, on his death bed ( or so he believes) recounts his life, during the course of the night.

"I am dying now. But I still have many things to say" , begins, Urrutia, taking the readers through multiple disjointed often dreamy sequences of the important events of literary and political importance, witnessed by him. After the initial pages where he talks about his life and the introductions to the church ,

"At the age of fourteen, I entered the seminary, and when I came out again, much later on, my mother kissed my hand and called me Father..... I protested , saying Don't call me Father, mother, I am your son.."

His acquaintance with the literary world was through the literary critic, called Farewell (with homosexual tendencies) , at whose villa, he was introduced the greats like Pablo Neruda and other established and upcoming poets and writers of Chile. The discussions with Farewell ranged from the poets and novelists of Chile and Argentina to the Artists and Paintings of the modern Europe.

"What use are books, they are shadows, nothing but shadows. And I : like the shadows you have been watching ? Farewell: Quite. And I: There is a very interesting book by Plato on precisely that subject. Farewell : Dont be an idiot. And I: What are those shadows telling you, Farewell, what is it ? Farewell: They are telling me about multiplicity of reading. And I : Multiple, perhaps, but thoroughly mediocre and miserable".

A starving Guatemalan painter in the Paris suburb, the German writer and the representative of the nation in Paris, Ernst Jünger comes in the thoughts among many real and imaginary characters of Chile. He was also selected by the Opes Dei, to take a tour of Europe and study about the preservation of Churches and report back, during which he meets various priest across multiple countries, practising falconry to get rid of the pigeon, whose dropping can cause considerable damage to the architecture.

After the death Allende and the fall of socialist Goverment, General Pinochet took over the control of the country. Urrutia, was entrusted with the mission of taking secret classes to the Military junta, about the nuances of communism. His association with a wannabe writer Maria Canvales, who , with her American husband hosts extravagant parties at their residence participated by 'who is who' of the Chilean literary world. However, these parties did not last long after the fall of the regime and the revelation of the basement torture and interrogation camp conducted by the American for the Junta.

Fitting to the presentation of the novel ( a single paragraph), these thoughts and rants are continuous and jumping from one incident to other with no chronological sequence or structure. Even during these delirious rants, he is aware of the importance of silences..

''Yes, one's silences, because silences rise to heaven too, and God hears them, and only God understands and judges them, so one must be very careful with one's silences.'' His own silences, he adds, ''are immaculate.''

I thought, Sebastián Urrutia Lacroix is an anti-ego of what Bolano is (I've seen reports that Urrutia Lacroix is modeled on a real figure, the priest and right-wing literary critic José Miguel Ibañez Langlois) . A right wing orthodox, collaborating with the Pinochet Regime, ranting over the various political and literary icons of Chile and Europe.

This novel is beyond the delirious rant of a dying man. It is more complex than that and Bolano, is not spending time discussing his personal side of the story. His target is elsewhere, could be the pretentious academia of literary world, or the establishment with their secret interrogation cells, where you unknowingly being part of. With the narrator going through his memoirs over the history of Chile , the quest for wizened youth linger.. "I can picture the wizened youth's face. I cannot actually see him, but he is there in my mind's eye." and "Where is the wizened youth? Why has he gone away? And little by little the truth begins to rise like a dead body."

This book demand a second read , may be after getting familiarised with Bolano. This may not be the best of Bolano, but an important book and a fantastic introduction to an outstanding writer.

I haven't read a novel in one paragraph ! And of course, the end was great : " And then the storm of shit begins."

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By Night in Chile
Roberto Bolaño ( translated from Spanish by Chris Andrews )
The Harvill Press
130 Pages
Rs 600 ( phew !!)

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Further read : NY Times, Guardian

The Land of Green Plums - Herta Müller

As it was the case over last few years, this year too, the Nobel for Literature was a surprise selection. Over the regular names in discussion, a relatively lesser known writer ( in these parts of the world) was selected to be the recipient of the coveted award. Herta Muller, Romanian born German writer, "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed", said the committee , in its announcement.

There were no books available in India, until the last week of November. Having heard some rave review by people familiar with her writing, I was eager to get a copy for myself. I am not disappointed, but was not overwhelmed by this book.

Book talks about five youths under the Communist Regime of Ceausescu, living under constant fear. The narrator , an alter ego of the writer, looks at those days observing the oppressor and the sufferer through the same eyes. The policemen, the all enduring old people, holding on to their memories of glorious past ( of Hungary , Germany and else where) in an effort to remain sane, the collaborators, the mothers constantly complaining about their back pain, and communicating the real issues between the lines, the co-worker and friend who turns to be a traitor, the inspector and the dog with te same name, people waiting at the gate of the jail waiting for their beloved to return ( who is dead and buried long ago) etc to give us the gruesome picture of the society.

"When we don't speak, we become unbearable, and when we do, we make fools of ourselves" starts the book.

Lola, a village girl, studying translation in the university, who carries the peasant smell, was found dead , hanging in the toilet. Lola, was subjected to abuse by the men working in shift as well as the system. The party expels her posthumously, for bringing disrespect to the country and the party. Her dorm mate and fellow student ( the narrator ) gets on the wrong side of the regime. Along with her friends Edgar, Kurt, Georg she was tormented and was put under surveillance by the state, often interrogating them and accusing them being anti-social. They were sent to different parts of the country after their education on jobs, but soon find themselves loosing their job. While the interrogation and threat continued, the contemplate escape from the land.

"Because we were afraid, Edgar,Kurt,Georg, and I met every day. We sat together at a table, but our fear stayed locked within each of our heads. We laughed a lot, to hide it from each other. But fear always found an out. If you control you face, it slips into your voice. If you manage to keep a grip on your voice, it would slip through your fingers. It will pass through your skin and lie there. You can see it lying around on objects close by"

But for a society living under fear over the years, the emancipation is not immediate. The fear is so deep rooted, that even after successfully emigrating to the west, it remain with them..

"Edgar and I talked on the telephone, we didn't have enough money to visit each other. We didn't have enough voice for the telephone, either. We weren't in the habit of giving out our secrets over the phone, our tongues were tied by fear."

Interestingly, in her acceptance speech at the academy ( the famous hand kerchief speech), many instances from this book is talked. This book, thus could be the closest to her personally.

One morning I came to work and found my thick dictionaries lying on the floor of the hall outside my office. I opened the door; an engineer was sitting at my desk. He said: People are supposed to knock before they enter a room. This is my place, you have no business here"

My mother sat there locked up the whole day. The first hours she sat on his desk and cried. Then she paced up and down and began using the handkerchief that was wet with her tears to dust the furniture. After that she took the water bucket out of the corner and the towel off the hook on the wall and mopped the floor. I was horrified when she told me. How can you clean the office for him like that I asked. She said, without embarrassment: I was looking for some work to pass the time. And the office was so dirty. Good thing I took one of the large men's handkerchiefs with me.

One can not stop admiring the language and style. Many beautiful passages, often poetic. Short and simple writing. This is my first reading of Herta Muller and one can not judge the calibre of a writer from single book. Very good book, but not extra ordinary.

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The Land of Green Plums
Herta Müller ( Translated from German by Michael Hoffmann )

Granta Books, London

242 Pages

Rs 399

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Further read : Nobel Lecture , NY Times review

In the Name of Salomé - Julia Alvarez

Based on the life of Salomé Ureña, the national poet of Dominican Republic, during its independence from Spain, and her daughter Salome Camila , a scholar and professor in United States. The novel alternate between the life of the mother and the daughter, one from the birth through the years until the demise and the other starting at the early retirement in 1960 chronologically reversing to the time of her childhood, thus converging the tales at the birth ( so to say).

Dominican Republic has been through umpteen rulers since its initial independence from Spain. It was conquered by the neighbours at Haiti, fought independence and became a colony of Spain for the second time, got independence again in 1865, only to be ruled by various dictators ( Trujillo being the last and longest). Into this chaos is the patriotic poems of Urena, written under a pseudonym ( the secret code between the daughter and the seperated father) comes in, which become a rage among the people. The identity of Herminia revealed and Salome Uruna became the name of the household. Her influence did not diminish, even after the independence and a home rule was established. She was named as the national poet. Soon she marry the young dynamic Pancho , who is nine years younger to her ( member of the positivist movement) , who had fallen for her poems and wsa instrumental in getting her poems published under the auspices of 'Friends of the Nation'. The marriage lasted almost two decade wsan't a smooth ride. With Pancho constantly on the wrong side of the rulers, trying to establish the education system with his mentor and associating with various factions in the political power, had to live a life of being in exile or on look out. He manages to get out of the country on a scholarship to Paris, to pursue his study in medicine, while Salome takes charge of the upliftment of the education system opening the first school for girls. The life wsa on a dark side, with the ever demanding husband from Paris, and the news of his closeness with a French women coupled with her own deterioration of health owing to consumption ( as it was called for tuberculosis). Return of Pancho did not help things better, as the strain in the relationship and the physical condition worsen. Against the wishes of the doctors, Salome gets pregnant again with Camila, following whose birth signalled the eminent death of the once famous poet of the nation.

On the other side of the story, Camila herself is fighting the thought of her being the reason for her mothers untimely death. Her not so good relationship with her stepmother ( the nurse-assistant to Salome during her last years, whom Pancho marries soon after his wife's death), living in exile in Cuba and in the US, her life as an independent woman against constantly changing world around her were make her an interesting person. Her more than close relationship with an American Marion ( whom she taught Spanish during her initial days at the Vassar College), which oscillated between staying together and seperation at regular intervals. During 1960, she decided to retire from her high paying job and life in US, to come back to Cuba to help the new regime to establish the education system. Camila's detachment is with the countries she live in ( she refuses to stay in a decent accommodation, preferring to the attic ; not wanting to be part of the US culturally, deciding to return to Cuba before coming back to her country of birth towards the end of her life) , with the people she has relationship ( Marion , long lasting friend , the painter in Cuba, the White house attendant) , her family ( with her stepmother, her father , the siblings at various parts of the world) and herself ( with the self abandoning way of life).

While the narration is on the mother and daughter, the novel covers the entire family of Urena's ;  mother a famous writer, father, the President of the country ( albeit for 6 months) ,  a famous brother Pedro Henríquez Ureña ( A writer , critic ), daughter educationist and professor. This also covers various countries, Dominican Republic, Cuba ( in exile), France, Mexico, Argentina and US.

To write fiction based on real life people are challenging. On one hand , it has to do justice to the real events and personalities and on the other, it should satisfy the needs of fiction writing. One does not feel bogged down with the historical element and aspect while reading this book, nor does the characters come out and glorify themselves. Interestingly constructed, with one life progresses from childhood and the other from the retirement towards the childhood in reverse chronological order. The history of a turbulent country through the eyes of a poet and a scholar, looking from the feminine angle.

Beautifully written, introspective journey of two celebrated women of Dominican Republic.

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In the name of Salomé

Julia Alvarez

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

357 Pages

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More : Austin Chronicle, Penguin Review and Interview with Julia Alvarez , Julia Alvarez Official website