Keat's House in Rome

Was really thrilled to visit Keat's house in Rome. Byron and Shelley had also stayed there at some point. And I heard that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was actually a result of a competition among them to write the scariest story. So incredible to be there, see the library and the view from the window and try and imagine the lives of these writers so many years ago.

Keat's Bedroom (he actually died here)

The library 

View from his window, would have been quite different while he lived.

Me feeling incredibly excited to be there.

Book Review: The Immortals of Meluha by Amish

So when I was in India this December I saw that Amish's books were on every best seller list. My curiosity was mostly aroused because it was based on Shiva. I am a sucker for mythology and love contemporary interpretations and fresh approaches to the myths and legends, that were a huge part of my childhood.

I think what was really disappointing was that the book was not well-written. There is a certain pleasure that one gleans from beautifully constructed sentences and intelligent writing. I think the actual story is interesting, but I wish it was better told. Also, the big "secrets" were really quite predictable and easy to guess. (even in the second book!)

The other thing that I had a problem with was the context of the setting. I enjoy fantasy and science fiction as genres and I also relish historical fiction. This book was neither here not there! Yes, it is set in ancient India but the world the characters inhabit is not true to that time period. Of course I understand the power of the imagination and artistic license. But this weird blend of using mythological characters in a historical setting, with a complete disregard for historical authenticity really irked me.

I have been reading a lot of historical fiction and some of my favorite authors, like Indu Sunderesan and Conn Iggulden, list the historical facts at the end of their books. These form the foundation on the basis of which they let their imagination soar, albeit after tremendous research. In The Immortals of Meluha, there was no such thing because I guess it is a work of fantasy. I understand the fact that he wanted to recreate the story of Shiva, as a man who became a God, because of his karma. I think that is an engaging concept. But why place him in the setting of ancient India, referring to historical events, without pertaining to any of the known facts of that era?


Yes, it is a  quick and entertaining read. I read it on my flight from India to the U.S. And I do want to know what happens to Shiva. I just wish that there was more to it, but there really isn't.

Book Review: Sonia Faleiro's Beautiful Thing

Sonia Faleiro's Beautiful Thing is a work of non-fiction based on the lives and experiences of Bombay's bar dancers. Probably owing to the fact that Sonia Faleiro is a reporter, her voice as a narrator renders the Bombay dance bar world as is, without really letting her judgements color it. At the same time she is not just a detached observer. One can see the real friendships she forms, as well her thoughts and feelings regarding different people and scenarios but in a subtle way. Sonia is not over opinionated, nor condescending, nor does she over-sentimentalize the the Bombay dance bar world.

The book is really disturbing, more so because it is a work of non-fiction. What really struck me is the sense of false optimism that the bar girls adopt. They choose to keep themselves detached from the horror of their own plight in order to cope with it. Priya, a bar dancer, and her friend Poonam are raped my five men and she calls that night "Bhagwaan ki dua" (God's blessing) because another girl faced much worse. They accept the fickleness of the men who pretend to care for them, their lovers and "husbands," who exploit them, take their earnings and beat them. Priya says, "everyone drinks! everyone beats!" They are strong women, often smart and clever but they almost refuse to believe what they know to be true, with almost a warped sense of optimism.

The life of the bar dancers has its own set of rules which the girls are all familiar with and it gives them some  financial security even though it is rooted in their exploitation. But the girls feel that they are the ones who have the power over their "kustomers." Leela, the protagonist of the book, who is hedonistic and determined and easy to fall in love with says, "I don't dance for them, they dance for me."

Once the dance bars in Bombay are banned in September 2005, one sees the decline in the lives and fortunes of these girls and life becomes a struggle for survival, even far more grim.

The book is really sensitively written and is a riveting read but really disturbing. It is scary that numerous girls have been through this, and continue to go through it. It also offered a look into the lives of hijras (eunuchs) and the close connection between the hijras, bar dancers and the Bombay underworld.

I am really glad Sonia wrote this book. There are some stories that really need to be told. This was one of them.

Indu Sunderesan's The Shadow Princess

This book is set in the Mughal times and is a portrait of Jahanara, the daughter of emperor Shah Jahan who is famous for building the Taj Mahal, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The book begins with the death of Mumtaz and the shift of her power and responsibilities to her daughter Jahanara, who is devoted to her father and supports him through his subequent depression and withdrawal from court life. The book is perfectly titled "The Shadow Princess" as the princess realizes that she and her sister will be forever shadowed by the memory of their mother. Even today, everyone remembers Mumtaz Mahal because of the Taj, the most beautiful monument ever made purely for love.

Jahanara and Shah Jahan (http://www.exoticindiaart.com)

The book offers an interesting glimpse into the politics of the Mughal court life. The young princes vie for the throne, trying to prove themselves to their father. The sisters have their own power struggle for the control of the zenana, and their love for the same courtier, Mirza Najabat Khan. Each pledges their loyalty to one of the brothers realizing that their power will be determined by whoever ascends the throne after their father. The women yield a different kind of power, shaping loyalties, veiled in secrecy and taking lovers.

The personal and the political clash in Jahanara's life as she strives to shoulder her responsibilities but has a secret liaison with Mirza Najabat Khan. There are also hints of an incestuous relationship with her father, though in the book they are accrued to a rumor started by her sister Roshanara, in order to ruin Jahanara's reputation. Even though she sacrifices much of her personal life, she makes some strong choices and retains her power and position despite the vacillations of court life.

The beautiful Taj Mahal

Parallel to her story is Shah Jahan's undertaking of building the Taj Mahal. Interestingly, his inspiration for the white tomb comes from the tomb Mehrunissa built for her father. (Mehrunissa, popularly known as Nur Jahan was his step mother and caused him to be exiled and hunted by his father till the time he seized power and banished her from his kingdom). It is ironic that despite his enmity with her, it was her idea and creativity that inspired the Taj which became a wonder of the world and immortalized Shah Jahan.

Overall the book is an engaging read. It is a political thriller, a love story, a portrait of the Mughal royal family and a wonderful piece of historical fiction. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be reading Indu Sunderesan's "The Twentieth Wife" which is based on the life of Nur Jahan.

2011 Reading

My goal for 2011 was to read a lot more. I think I succeeded in that, even though I failed the 100+ Book Challenge. I got to 44! (Still better than the twenty something books I read in 2010).

I also noticed that I picked up a lot of books that were between 600-800 pages because I just love long, lengthy novels that have a chance to really develop.

I absolutely loved the Gothic Reading Challenge and read many more than the 5 I had planned to read. Though I didn't pick up any works that were gruesome, I enjoyed the the dark undertones and well as the haunting quality of the books. I still prefer the Classic Gothic novels like Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to the more Contemporary Gothic works, though I do have a soft spot for vampire fiction!

The other genre that I absolutely fell in love with was Historical Fiction. Again I had signed up to read 5 books but exceeded this number. I particularly enjoyed Conn Iggulden's Wolf of the Plains and am still in the midst of The Conqueror Series. The other book that really resonated with me with Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecstacy. These books brought to life  historical eras and characters, rekindling my interest in history and drawing me into the fascinating world of the past.

The last challenge I had signed up for was the South Asian Reading Challenge at the expert level, hoping to read 15 books. I usually read a lot of South Asian writing but this year in my excitement to explore other genres, I ended up neglecting this challenge, reading only 6 books. My favorite of this challenge and also one of my favorites of the year was Indu Sunderesan's The Shadow Princess.

I also devoured fantasies this year, re-reading the Harry Potter series just as the last movie was released. I went on to read Terry Good kind's Sword of the Truth series which consisted of 11 books, one of the best reads this year. The other series I enjoyed was Christopher Paolin's Inheritance series, the last book of which I completed in the beginning of 2012.

All in all it was a fabulous reading year. For 2012 I decided not to sign up for any reading challenges. There are already a lot of books that I know I want to read. Besides that I will be looking at other bloggers' recommendations and explore new authors and genres and also read more books by the authors whose works I have grown to love.

Sabella Tsiopani's "The Perfect Peahen"

I recently came across some illustrations done by Sabella Tsiopani for her self-published children's book "The Perfect Peahen" on her blog. They are stunning! Vibrantly beautiful, poetic and just a visual treat. I love the bright colors, the geometric shapes and the textured quality of the illustrations. I hope to order the book soon even though it is a children's book.

I also love the fact that it is about a peahen, rather than a peacock. Besides the fact that I am a little bit biased towards the female sex, I also feel that peacocks always steal the glory!

These are three of my favorite images ( from her blog):

  

I really wanted to enlarge them so they filled my entire computer screen and just look at them!

The Luxury of Book Stores

Browsing though book stores is something I have always taken for granted.

I can spend hours browsing, though it is always hard not to end up buying a few books. In California on weekend mornings (on the rare occasions I was not not teaching class) I would always go to the Barnes & Noble which was attached to a Starbucks. Then I'd walk with my coffee and look at the books that were on sale. Right across the street was Borders.

Recently all the Borders have shut down and I was horrified to discover that the Barnes shut down too. Yes you can order from Amazon but I really, terribly miss the experience of just walking though aisles of new books, the smell of fresh paper and the sound of rustling pages. Not to mention that if a new book comes out you can't go buy it that second!

So I am in Delhi right now and almost every market has a book store. Every time I go shopping, I slip into a book store. My favorites are Bahrisons in Khan Market and Full Circle in G.K. I also like going to Midlands in Aurobindo Market, while my mom runs errands. But basically every single market seems to have a book store. In fact, I went to watch a movie yesterday and I saw a small outlet of Spell &Bound, the new store in SDA market, INSIDE the movie theater! Isn't that awesome?

Basically I can't get enough of all the book stores in Delhi! It is just such a luxury! I am making the most of them while I am here, before I go back and forget what it feels like, once I am back in the Bay.