15 Sunday Mar 2020
In Pretty Woman, he simplifies his complex job by saying ‘I buy big companies, then break them into smaller companies and sell them” She asks, “And that’s all it takes to make you a millionaire??” (or somewhere along these lines)
Jason simplifies his life as a voracious appetite for diving into troubled waters (read businesses or startups) and getting a kick out of smoothening the choppy waves. He makes it sound simple , magical and ‘Heck, I can do it too’ Continue reading
06 Saturday May 2017
Posted in Classics, Constructive Criticism: Book reviews
Tags
book review, campus politics, current Indian politics, Daphne du Maurier, Gothic, power hungry sociopath, pscyhological thriller, suspense
“Why do you follow Aldo? What makes you believe in him?”
“We have no one else we can follow.” Cesare replied.
Hallmark of a classic is that it remains relevant across time. This book isn’t Daphne’s best, but it is startling in its eerie & hideous parallels with today’s India. See if you can spot’em.
Premise: The tale is narrated by Beo and largely fixated on Aldo. The story itself has inbuilt parallels between Gothic fantasy and modern Rome. Tourist guide Beo chances upon the murder of a tramp, who turns out to be his old nanny Martha. Seeking her murderer and filled with nostalgia, Beo returns to his hometown Ruffano, but incognito. Here, he meets a ghost resurrected from his childhood.
Aldo is a Professor. But demure, benign or modest? Not he! Aldo is a power monger, a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur.
‘He who ceases to see anything great in God will find it nowhere. He must either deny it or create it.’
· His dream – to recreate the chariot ride of the sinister Duke Claudio. Continue reading
18 Sunday Sep 2016
A cluster of 10 stories tilting between the real and unreal, with myriad characters in an ever changing multilayered society. The range captures the frailties, moods and impulses of human behavior.
That’s what the gist of the blurb says. I agree in part.
4 stories impressed me, namely Lallan, The Slap, The Nest and Touch. These should’ve been placed at the beginning of the collection to hook the readers, instead of inserting them midways and towards the end.
Lallan & The Nest have a parallel between the human-animal world that explores human psyche well and throws up believable, relatable characters. Slap & Touch have a mellow tone and an unhurried pace Continue reading
11 Sunday Sep 2016
Posted in Constructive Criticism: Book reviews
Tags
book review, civilians as soldiers, Daesh attack, IIT Powai, military, reliance on technology, social isolation, Tales Pensieve, teamwork
Twitter review: When Indian civilian Davids take on a Goliath Daesh …
Story & setting: Aadi is poised pretty on the corporate ladder, when his world gets nuked into darkness by a terrorist attack. Out of a desperate survival instinct, he & his community carve out a collective defense system, which soon snowballs into an aggressive counterattack upon the insurgents.
Aadi gets to re-live his long cherished dream to join the military instead of the corporate world. The crisis allows him to flex muscles, engage in mental games with the enemy as also delegate jobs to unlikely & untrained candidates including security guard, maid, autodriver, gardener etc. In the process, he rediscovers a soldier-leader within himself who relishes and thrives on the leadership Continue reading
22 Monday Aug 2016
Indians don’t marry individuals – they marry families. What happens when the existing cultural rift is sorely tested by criminal rituals?
‘Love forever@ Rajpath’ is a cross cultural love story between Shalu and Kartik. She’s modern, progressive, extrovert. He’s orthodox, shy, introvert. She’s Sindhi. He’s Bihari – and never the twain shall meet.
The duo have widely differing opinions on culture, diet habits, dowry and caste. However, whilst the couple iron out the wrinkles, trouble brews as soon as families get involved.
Shalu (autobiographical shades of the author?) an employee in Govt. organization and Kartik fall in love through a series of official tours, conversations and competitive exams. Just when marital utopia awaits …disaster erupts from totally unexpected quarters.
Trapped between loyalty and love, Kartik reaches breakpoint as he finds himself dealing with near death, forced marriage and criminal litigation by his own fiancée. Her insistence on proceeding with the case is the last nail in their relationship’s coffin – or is it?
***
My Q to author: What is significance of Rajpath in the title?
Her answer: Setting of the story is the Govt organization. Since most offices in Delhi are located on Rajpath, hence it features prominently in title as both protagonists are in ministry.
My Q: Why did you choose ministry as occupation for the protagonists? Was it familiar ground for you or was it vital to the plot?
Her answer: I am also an Officer (She is Deputy Director of Govt. of India), so I had information on the posts’ nomenclature which was important to the story.
***
Personally, I thought making Shalu a Govt official ensured her active role in rebelling against the horrifying rituals. A layperson may not possess insiders’ knowledge or the legal knowhow to deal with her fiance’s abduction into enforced marriage.
Cons: The crucial social stigma of Zabaria shaadi comes a tad late in the story. In consequence, much text is spent on the blossoming romance between 2 apparently mismatched people.
A possible twist could have been added, if ***SPOILER ALERT*** Kartik’s marriage was already solemnized by the time of his rescue. It would have ensured a more challenging ethical, legal and social dilemma for the couple. ***SPOILER ENDS***
Pros: A hitherto undiscovered world of ministry officials and their inbuilt gender competition opens up. The forbidden topic of male slavery forms the crux of the plot. The language is simple and uncomplicated. Characters are human, flawed and believable. The cover pic is unpretentious, clean and evokes curiosity.
Pages: 220
Price: Rs 195/- (I got a free copy for review)
Publication: Shrishti
Genre: Fiction
