The Undomestic Goddess

The Undomestic Goddess
  - Sophie Kinsella

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On a virtual reading group that I am a member of, several people highly recommended Sophie Kinsella. Further endorsement from a cousin, and favorable goodreads reviews, interested me into ordering this book.

It is a quick, breezy read, with some endearing characters and entertaining situations. Though I did find it humorous in parts, there was much in the story that made me (or the feminist in me) cringe. The primary source of humor in this story is the lack of domestic skills in the female protagonist – who is a high flying attorney in one of the best law firms. Now, had it been a man, this would not have been portrayed as an amusing possibility, but an acceptable (and expected) fact. Why is the lack of housekeeping abilities a hilarious abnormality in case of a career woman?

An even greater folly was the later depiction of behavior of the leading lady, who is described as one of the finest legal brains in the country, and can therefore be presumed to possess a certain amount of intelligence and composure. If she cannot take a stand and fight for for herself in face of obvious and malicious injustice, how could she have fought any legal battles with a reasonable conviction? She also behaves like a naïve teenager, going this way and that, when faced with the prospect of making important life choices. The latter may be viewed as a flaw in character development, or as an overly forced dramatization of the end on the author’s part.

Even though it came with high recommendations, and it was a decent fun read, I am not particularly impressed. Perhaps this is not a good specimen of her work, and I should try the Shopaholic books, but I do not think I am going to buy them. However, I think it is more likely that the genre - chick-lit romance - doesn’t work for me. I would rate this at 2.5, but since giving half a star is not possible, making it a 3.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

  - Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the charming tale of an author, Juliet, whose chance correspondence with residents of Guernsey, blossom into something truly beautiful - her interactions with this warm, brave and closely-knit community not only give her the idea for a new book that she has been looking for, but also provide her a new purpose and direction in life.

The story is presented as a series of letters exchanged amongst Juliet, her publisher, agent, and friends, and the people of Guernsey. The fine art of letter-writing is now lost, but there is something enchanting about those long-format letters describing one’s feelings or thoughts, or the events happening in one’s part of the world. Which is what makes this book full of warmth and subtle humor, utterly delightful. Although the book is set in an era just after the WWII, and covers quite a bit of the war and Nazi occupation of the islands in the back history, it chooses not to focus on the horrors of the war, but the courage and resilience of the people. This is a story of people who are trying to recover and rebuild their lives in the aftermath of devastation.

It is a book-lover’s delight, because the one unifying thread bringing all the characters in this story together is their love for reading; some had already found their passion for the written word, while others discovered it in the times of adversity. It depicts how reading help them go through these tough times, it describes the joy of a book-lover deprived of reading material on finding a new book, and it shows how a shared passion can bind a group of people together and give them courage and hope.

For all that is wonderful, it is not without faults. It felt a little too sweet at times, and some of the characters sounded too good to be true. The protagonist Juliet seemed to be kind of shallow in the beginning, but this improves as the book progresses; overall I liked her character – warm and impulsive. And it was a bit strange to see the well-articulated letters from some of the people who did not seem very well educated (though that may be the effect of prolific reading). I also think that there are factual inaccuracies about the era it is set in (eg, a book tour in 1946, in a war-torn England?).

However, my gripes are fewer compared to the positives I saw. In all, I found it to be a sensitive, feel-good book.

I had first read this as a Reader’s Digest condensed book edition (I have read a few of the RD condensed books and liked them, though there are people who absolutely detest those). This was one story which really touched me, and I had wanted to read it in full ever since.

Girl With A Pearl Earring

Girl with a Pearl Earring

  - Tracy Chevalier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Dutch painter Vermeer is known for creating extraordinary paintings from ordinary day-to-day life. However, he painted a very limited number of paintings (34 or 35 in all), painting 2-3 canvases a year. This rarity of his works, coupled with the fact that very little verifiable information is available about his life, make him a great enigma. Further adding to the intrigue, the identity of the model for his fascinating painting “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” has never been established. Having an artistic interest myself, I have also admired this particular painting of his. Hence, when I heard of Tracy Chevalier’s (fictional) account of this unknown girl, who has enchanted millions of people through a few centuries, my curiosity was understandably piqued.

It remained on my TBR list for several years, primarily because it’s price has always been very high, but at last I found a used copy at a reasonable cost. I was actually surprised to find that it is rather a slim volume. Only about 250 pages, with well-spaced lines, and cohesive plot with a good pace, make it a quick, enjoyable read. Though I didn’t quite understand what made it quite the raze it became, when it came out.

In her story, the author has provided quite a plausible explanation of the identity of the unknown model, and how Vermeer came to paint her. She has wonderful described the town of Delft in the seventeenth century, and the way of life there at the time – you can almost visualize the sights and sounds of the market, the streets, the homes. The lives of the privileged and the poor are beautifully captured and contrasted through the inclusion of the heroine (Griet) in Vermeer’s household. Told in the first person narrative, the book spans the two-year duration of Griet’s stay in Vermeer’s house, and focusses on the dynamics of her relationships with other members, and the tensions stirred by her presence. The presence of Vermeer is, of course, integral to the story, but I felt that it was more of a background presence; this is essentially Griet’s story – her thoughts, desires and inner turmoil make up the crux of the story.

In recent times, I read several books that make an attempt at poetic prose by describing an emotion or impression using a disjoint kind of sensation. Usually I like it, but at the time I started reading it, I wasn’t up for reading another of them. So, when this book started on similar lines – describing voices in terms of textures (bright as polished brass, or, low and dark like wood), I was a little unruffled. However, it did not continue for long in the same vein, and the narrative took hold soon enough.

The story depicts Griet’s strong attraction towards Vermeer, right from their first meeting, which appears to be quite irrational, given her young age and class divide. It may start as awe or fascination, and gradually evolve into attraction, but “love at first sight” kind of description here is rather far-fetched. In contrast, the painter is intrigued by her, and is later protective of her; but I thought that any romantic inclination on his end, if any, were appreciably understated. His feelings towards her may have been platonic, finding a connection through shared artistic sensibilities.

What bothered me most was the behavior of the second daughter Cornelia – could a child of 7 or 8 be so vicious, and continue to be so for a long period of time, for no apparent reason but hate? Another disconcerting fact was that Griet is exceptionally perceptive – she is always able to discern the thoughts and feelings of other people, usually when seeing them for the first time.

I have mixed feelings about the way things happen. On one hand, I kept waiting for something dramatic to happen (the book description indicated a tumultuous affair between the artist and his model, or was my reading of the blurb incorrect?). On the other hand, I appreciated the subtlety with which the author illustrated the chain of events. I particularly liked the epilogue – when the author brings the story to a closure, depicting how the entire experience matures Griet into a practical, level-headed woman from the dreamy, impetuous girl that she was.

A fast, breezy read. I would rate it 3.5, but in this case I decided to err on the side of generosity and rated it at 4 stars.

Song of the Cuckoo Bird

Song of the Cuckoo Bird

  - Amulya Malladi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the books I picked on Goodreads recommendation (where the system generates suggestion on the basis of your past history). My opinion about this book is ambivalent - it was a decent read, but I am not certain if I liked it very much.

The main protagonist of the story is Kokila, who comes to an ashram at a young age, expected to spend a short time, but ends up staying forever, for reasons of her choice, as well as those beyond her control. The ashram is headed by a female guru and managed by her father, and becomes a haven for the rejected of the world. The book relates the stories of several characters – Kokila, other residents, and people involved in their lives – spanning many decades.

The narrative flows smooth, and each story is interesting in itself, exploring the questions of human nature and faith. Each of the characters has a unique tale, and their relationships and dynamics build up quite a tension. The initial setting with it’s different threads held a lot of potential, but these did not come together to create a single whole. The stories start with a promise, but then either fizzle out, or settle into the regular humdrum. Take for example, the lead character Kokila – at the young age of 11, she takes an exceptional decision to stay in the Ashram, but her later life is quite ordinary, even selfish.

To me, the problem seemed that none of the story is extraordinary, and none of the characters is very captivating. In fact, I did not find much that was redeemable in any of the characters. With all the build-up, I kept expecting something remarkable to happen, and was disappointed to reach the end without

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 
  - J. K. Rowling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you have read and enjoyed the Harry Potter series, you can't miss this book – love it or hate it. I found it reasonably engrossing, though it is definitely not in the same league as the earlier series. The content on the magical side felt weaker, but it compensated by exploring a troubled parent-child relationship in a wonderful manner. It also explores the strain placed on a young child’s shoulder by his/her parents’ fame or notoriety.

The premise is interesting, however, I would have preferred to read something on similar lines, though not a continuation of HP. Essentially, it is not the eighth book in the Harry Potter series – the content, as well as the tone and treatment is very different. In a way, it is a good thing, since any addition to a (nearly) perfect thing will only make it less perfect.

For all it’s apparent size, it is quite a short read. I was able to finish it one evening/night after work. I borrowed it from a colleague, and when I returned it the next day, he was rather shocked and actually asked me if I had changed my mind about reading it!

Scion of Ikshvaku

Scion of Ikshvaku
- Amish Tripathi

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Amish started off well, but it appears that he ran out of his well-known imagination midway through. And this made me dislike an otherwise interesting and imaginative story.

Some of the deviations from the story as we know it, were quite interesting, such as old existing enmity between Dashratha and Ravana, and portrayal of Manthara as a shrewd businesswoman. However, quite a few of them strained imagination, specifically the depiction of Rama as an unwanted, unloved son.

Incorporating the deplorable "Nirbhaya" incident in Delhi to support the idea of Ram's dedication to law above all else, was highly insensitive and vulgar. I thought he could have come up with some other, better reason for Manthara's hatred towards Ram. And I wonder if he confused Ramayana and Mahabharat – he ended up matching Draupadi's swayamvar onto that of Sita – where Ram shoots an arrow through a fish’s eye while looking at the reflection. If an author wants to present the facts (can they be called facts?) from an epic in a different manner, I’m all for it, but borrowing from another source (and an equally well-known one at that) is unpardonable.

Bad editing in first work(s) of an author can be excused (at least I can), especially if it is counter-balanced by an imaginative story or good content. And you expect an improve in subsequent works, both in readability and in content – hence I had a higher expectation from this series though I found the third book in the Shiva trilogy quite average. But this book failed so miserably on both accounts, that I cannot bring myself to read the book 2 (Sita) or any subsequent works of his.

The Shadow of the Wind

The Shadow of the Wind
  - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

You adore some books for their beautiful language, and love some for their amazing plot. What do you call one that combines both in a magnificent work? - The Shadow of the Wind!! It is the best work of fiction I have come across in a while, and whatever I write about it cannot do justice to the sentiments it invoked.

The book starts off with a scene that embodies the stuff that a book-lover’s dreams are made of – the hero Daniel (then a mere boy, all of ten years old) is introduced by his father to ‘The Cemetery of Forgotten Books’ – an ancient, mysterious place that is a labyrinth of passages, tunnels and bridges, housing rows upon rows of bookshelves, full of books rescued from libraries and bookshops that had closed down. The books are living souls, forgotten by time, and this magical place is their secret sanctuary, until they find a new reader’s love.

“In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book that you see here has been somebody's best friend.”

This is a book about books, and a story within a story.  On his first visit, Daniel is allowed to choose a book to make his own and cherish forever. The book titled “The Shadow of the Wind” is written by an unknown writer named Julian Carax; it makes a deep impression on his young mind, and the insatiable curiosity and passion it ignites in him marks the course of his entire life from there on. He makes it his life’s mission to find and read other books by this author, and to learn about the fate of the author himself. However, Daniel finds that rarely anyone has heard of the author, and his books are impossible to find. As the events progress, Daniel collects bitter and sweet experiences of life – love and heart-break, fear and friendship, and grows up from a boy into a young man. As he proceeds with his quest to unravel the mystery surrounding Julian, he uncovers stories of/from people who had been a close part of Julian’s life, but each tale leads him into a new mystery. His search inadvertently sets off a sequence of disastrous events, and he himself gets entrenched into a web of things that he has no knowledge about.

“It’s a story of love, of hatred, and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind.”

The way the plot unfolds is simply delightful - many inter-woven tales with a multi-layered mystery – you peel one layer, only to find another one underneath. The manner in which Daniel’s life starts taking a parallel course to that of Julian, and eventually becomes closely intertwined is marvelous. The suspense builds up gradually and steadily, and these stories keep one engaged and intrigued. The revelation is not sudden as is typical of suspense thrillers, rather it also builds up as a story and tapers down to tie up all the threads. Though I feel that this was somewhat long-drawn, and could have been crisper.

The imagery is rich and vivid, wonderfully conveying the feel of fascinating buildings and squares of Barcelona, as well as the despair of the war-torn city. The prose is lyrical and the language enchanting, and all of this comes together to create a wonderful feeling of magical realism. It is a treasure house of phrases and quotes – the kind that you can keep turning in your mind again and again and still be captivated by their beauty.

“In my schoolboy reveries, we were always two fugitives riding on the spine of a book, eager to escape into worlds of fiction and secondhand dreams.”

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.”

“The moment you stop to think about whether you love someone, you've already stopped loving that person forever.”

“There are few reasons for telling the truth, but for lying the number is infinite.”

 “A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept.”

 “. . .sometimes one feels freer speaking to a stranger than to people one knows. Why is that?" “Probably because a stranger sees us the way we are, not as he wishes to think we are.”

“Presents are made for the pleasure of who gives them, not the merits of who receives them.”

The nurse knew that those who really love, love in silence, with deeds and not with words.”

“In this world the only opinion that holds court is prejudice.”

To be honest, I had guessed the suspense or the suspect quite early on, but I kept hovering between certainty and uncertainty of my guess. But the point is that even if you get it right, it doesn’t really matter, because what is important is the story, which will keep you hooked. I can speak for myself – I found it impossible to put down, and one Saturday when I didn’t have other pressing demands (like work ;-)), I read almost non-stop for 8 hours.

I feel that it is a great example of story-telling, it sways your thoughts in one direction or other, and you may turn out to be right or wrong. At some point, I had even anticipated paranormal elements. Another thing I loved about the book is that the underlying stories are an integral part of the whole – unlike several other books I have come across in recent times, where the sub-plots are either deliberate red-herrings or dead-ends.

To sum up: a fast-paced narrative, wonderful plot, beautiful language, sprinkled with subtle humor throughout – a thoroughly enjoyable read!

The Silkworm

The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2)

-          Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)

I finished reading The Silkworm in two days (and one of them a working day 😃). Of course, being a murder mystery, it kept me hooked till the murderer was revealed, but I have to confess that I didn't quite like it.

I had fairly liked the first book in the Cormoran Strike series (The Cuckoo’s Calling). It was a clean mystery, somewhat reminiscent of Agatha Christie - even though it was a bit slow, and I felt as if Rowling created deliberate red herrings. But I had hoped to find improvement in the sequels. In that respect, this one was better in terms of narrative, as there weren't as many deliberately misleading threads. But - it was too gruesome for me ☹️. Thrillers and mysteries have been my favorite genre, but I have given up on reading the contemporary works in this area, because they usually derive their thrill from psychopathic elements. And this goes right into that territory, deep into it. I also can't shake off the feeling that (as with the first book) this was longer than it should have been

I was also disappointed to find her perpetuating stereotypes. The female characters are almost all stereotyped, and the one that isn't - Robin - just drives this point further by over-stressing that she is not like other girls (There are more, but a mention of them would make this review a big spoiler.) Frankly, that was not what I expected from the creator of Hermione Granger. And the male characters are portrayed in the same clichéd style too – the brilliant, moody and down-in-the-dump detective, and the shallow and jealous fiancé.

I was quite disappointed, and not sure if I want to read the next one in the series.

The Mountain of Light

The Mountain of Light

  - Indu Sundaresan

The first book by Indu Sundaresan that I read was ‘The Twentieth Wife’, and I was absolutely enthralled by it. I loved the sequel (The Feast of Roses) too. On a visit to Blossoms, I had been looking out for her collection of stories, ‘In the Convent of Little Flowers’; I didn’t find it, but I came upon ‘The Mountain of Light’. It belonged to the same genre (Historical fiction), and the subject – The Kohinoor (or Koh-i-Noor, as is described here) – appeared very interesting.

After I bought it, it kept on lying for almost two years (I was mostly in my non-reading phases during this time), before I started reading it on a flight. I finished about 105 pages in a single sitting on that short flight! The narrative kept me hooked, and at that point I didn’t regret buying it solely on the strength of the previous works I had read by the author. However, my conviction did not last the entire length of the book. It is undoubtedly a well written story, but I found it disappointing, and it failed to live up to the expectation I had from it.

The actual origins of the world’s most well-known diamond – the Kohinoor – are unknown; this book tells the story of the magnificent diamond from the time it reached into the possession of legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab to its passing into the hands (or crown) of the empress of Great Britain, Queen Victoria. The diamond is also said to have a curse – a man cannot safely wear it in a crown, which is why the Mughal emprerors had it embedded in the Peacock Throne, and Ranjit Singh wore it in an armlet. The promise – as you can imagine – is irresistible. And this is where this fails. I felt that the book is composed of four distinct tales, only loosely bound by the Kohinoor.

The first part of the book narrates the events that led to the acquisition of the diamond by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Shah Shuja, the exiled king of Afganistan, and his wife Wafa Begum, are imprisoned by the Maharaja – he rescued Shah Shuja from imprisonment in exchange for diamond, but later Wafa Begum is reluctant to hand him the diamond as promised. At last, they have to surrender it to the Maharaja, who retains it, as well as the vast Punjab empire, till his death. During this timeline, the story meanders into an account of Lord Auckland’s sisters, Emily and Fanny – which would have been very well, had it had a relevance to the events that take place later on.

The second story deals with the boy king Maharaja Dalip Singh, the heir of Ranjit Singh, whose empire is annexed by the British. He is raised under the guardianship of the British regent (John? Henry? Cant recall the name) and ultimately exiled to England. The author seems to have completely skirted the unpleasant part of the British takeover of Indian kingdoms, and portrayed the regent in a very compassionate light. While I was approaching this part, I was apprehensive about the traumatic details of British oppression, however I found the completely benevolent tone difficult to digest too. A large part of this story is devoted to the life and affairs of the regent, and again, has hardly any relevance to the central theme.

A third story captures the actual transfer of the diamond from India to London, and as expected, is considerably dramatized. A little too much, I would say.

Then we find the exiled prince (or self-proclaimed Maharaja), old and dying, in Paris. Interspersed are his reminiscences of his early life in Britain. His initial years are covered with a lot of excitement, and a grand life where he has the queen’s favor, though he also starts to get a first-hand experience of deep-rooted racism. How and when he got from that privileged life to the current destitute state, is either not mentioned, or I am unable to recall after a couple of months.

There is no doubt that each story is wonderfully told, in the same delightful style that I found so captivating in ‘The Twentieth Wife’ – great narration with a rich imagery of people and places. However, that is what it amounts to – a string of stories, where the primary character (the Kohinoor) makes only a few fleeting appearances. The author has clearly stated that several events have been a product of her own imagination, but here the imagination appears to have taken the predominant role. The entire tale that is meant to be a historic fiction, was more fiction than history, and felt like it (I didn’t feel that so much in the books on Noor-Jahan’s life). It would not have rankled, if these sub-plots had a role to play in the central story. It was as if the characters made an appearance, engaged you, and then fizzled out. Overall, a good read, but unsatisfying.