It Can't Be You: Prem Rao

Image Credit: betweenthelines

My Indian books phase continues. I just finished reading Prem Rao’s “It Can’t Be You,” for the book club. Termed as a psychological thriller, the book was a good read from start to finish. Here is a summary of the story:

When Colonel Belliappa, Indian Army (Retd), a highly decorated war hero is found dying one night frothing at the mouth in anguish, there is no one else at home. Other than his immediate family, his wife, his daughter and son. Did he, who killed so many, kill himself to bury something dreadful from his past? Or, was he killed?

It Can’t Be You is written around this incident, which takes place right at the beginning of the book. After the reader is taken through the shock and disbelief of the Colonel’s death, the book floats into the family’s past. Rao divides the book into various chapters dedicated to exploring the personality of each family member. Beginning with Belliappa himself, it goes on to his daughter Shefali, son Pritam and lastly his second wife Elena. They all speak in their own voices, each having their own thoughts. It is interesting to note that of all the primary people who are involved in the story, it is Dinaz who is not given a voice. She is seen only through Belliappa or Belli as he is known, a filtered shadow of what she might have been.

Without doubt, Belli’s is the most fascinating and gripping character. He is by turns charming and devilish, suave and evil. He has several dark shades to him, ranging from gray to a bottomless black, which nobody is able to decipher. One of his colleagues, Colonel Sinha, says,

“The trouble with people like you, Belli…is that you would like the war to go on forever. You revel in fighting every day.”

Indeed, if Belli is not fighting in a war, he is fighting his own demons. We discover that he is a jealous and possessive husband, a domineering father and a soldier who is twisted enough to mutilate several of his captives. On the contrary, poor Dinaz seems too good to be true. She puts up with all his mood swings and meaningless tantrums till the very end, only because he had “been seen by more doctors than anyone else,” all of whom continued to remain clueless about the cause of his suffering, going no further than attributing it to trauma from war.

Belli’s twists and turns keep us engrossed, while Pritam and Shefali add color with their own problems in life. Shefali started out as a strong personality who reminded me a little bit of the character of Hanna from the eponymous movie. But just as I thought she was a focused character, she got lost in the romance with Rashid. Or so it seemed. She has more substance to her than meets the eye and we discover it as we read along.

Pritam comes with all the insecurities, cocksureness and foibles of youth of his age. I can see a Pritam in the crowds of youngsters his age clustered around a hookah in a Café Coffee Day or the many “lounge” bars.

Quite a lot of psychological thinking has gone into Rao’s character sketches and it’s impressive. What didn’t curry favor with me are a few revelations towards the end, which was too action packed for my liking. I thought it could have doubled its shock value by being simpler. Also, at times there are too many repetitions of a fact that has been mentioned before. For instance, we read at least four or five times that Mukesh is Pritam’s closest friend and that they were together in boarding school.

Of course, these are not flaws enough to mask the enjoyment of the book. For a debutant, Rao’s work is commendable and he maintains an even pace that sustains our interest throughout. More than investigating the Colonel's death with the help of the police or detectives, Rao delves into the murky depths of the people around him to dig out motives, which is a different approach to a crime novel.

But it's Belli that stayed with me. I must confess I am most intrigued by him and almost attracted to him for the sheer force of his personality. If there is a modern Dr Jekyll and Hyde, it’s him.

Verdict: Entertaining and interesting

Rating: 3.2/5

Unpolished Gem: Alice Pung

Image Credit: Collins Books Whitford City

For some time in the excitement of discovering a nice library I had neglected my personal collection of unread books. So now I thought I must alternate between one personal book and one library book. That’s how I chose Alice Pung’s “Unpolished Gem” from my shelf. Here is the summary of the book from the cover –

With a home grown accent and an imported heritage, Alice Pung grew up straddling two worlds. By the time she was born, her family had already made the perilous journey from revolutionary China and the killing fields of Cambodia to their new home in a prosperous Australian suburb. But even as Alice dives headfirst into life in the only country she’s even known, she also understands her father’s wonder at the magical workings of escalators, her grandmother’s fervent blessings for the generosity of Father Government, and her mother’s determination to toil every hour of the day and night. Warm-spirited and wonderfully wise, Unpolished Gem is a vibrant, irreverent portrait of the foreigner’s fumbles, the everyday successes and the bittersweet bonds that hold one small family together in a big new country.

Alice’s story begins in a refugee camp where her father and mother live for a year. They are soon offered a chance to move to Australia or Canada and not knowing anything about either of the countries, her father randomly chooses the former. Alice is born a month after they shift. Thus begins her journey through three different worlds and cultures – Vietnamese, Chinese and Australian.

Alice has a protected childhood and a typically Asian upbringing. Despite living in a Western atmosphere, she is a timid and shy child who doesn’t have many friends. Through Alice we not only learn of the lives of migrants but we also get an uncanny picture of Asian culture with all its quirks. There is a basic mistrust of everything foreign. White people are referred to as “white ghosts” and Alice’s father would always caution her,

“You never know,” my father would say shaking his head, “what kind of people are out there.”

Alice would have to think twice about chatting to a boy over the phone, let alone meeting him. Asian wisdom from her mother would prevent Alice from having her privacy when it came to friends of the opposite sex,

“Boys should not talk too much…Boys who have too many words are no good…People talk…Boys talk to you, you talk to boys, and people talk.”

Cheap deals and bargains were opportunities not meant to be passed. Alice’s mother was not one to let go of a bargain if there ever was one, including buying 20 bars of chocolate just because they were priced low. Many small details such as these make up a very true portrait of Asian beliefs and systems that are prevalent even today all over Asia including India.

While Alice’s family clings firmly to their traditions and beliefs, Alice tries to adapt herself more to the country. She yearns to go on a date, speak confidently to others her age and generally have thoughts of her own. But independence is not a virtue in her family’s eyes. Her mother laments that,

“She is filled with foreign thoughts and she thinks these foreigners have all the answers!”

The book shows the disconnect that occurs between individual and society, individual and family and individual and self. Alice embodies all three. The tug between wanting to respect family norms and wanting to accept aspects of the culture of the country that she is staying in, which creates a rift between her and her self. This constant battle coupled with the pressure of passing exams so that she can go to university takes a toll on Alice, benumbing her from inside.

Migrant experiences are varied and different. Alice alternatively swings between happiness and depression and frustration. Written in a language that combines her mother’s typically Chinese expressions and her own good English, Unpolished Gem is a small peek into the complex world of people who have to adapt. Not just to the country they have come to but to their own selves as they change over time.

Verdict: A quick read that is laced with humor and insights into migrant life

Rating: 3.5/5

Versedays: October by Robert Frost

Image Credit: spectrumservice

October poetry continues this week on Versedays. This time we have chosen Robert Frost's "October" for its atmospheric imagery that conjures up a sharp fall morning even for people like me who haven't experienced one yet. The underlining feeling in Frost's poem, as far as I can see, is that of fleeting time. Since the days are short during this period, Frost beseeches Time to go slowly and "make the day seem to us less brief." Time is one of the most favored subjects of poetry and most of them wish time would go slower. Don't we all?

October

by

Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

My Name is Gauhar Jaan!: Vikram Sampath

Image Credit: simplybooks

I am still in my Indian books phase and I am enjoying it. I am also going for my very first book club discussion soon and that’s another reason why I read Vikram Sampath’s “My Name is Gauhar Jaan!” I am pretty excited about the meeting and I am looking forward to it since the author himself is going to be present! But Gauhar Jaan is not an easy subject to discuss, a fact made evident in Sampath’s novel. Here is an introduction to the book, before I go into my review:

Born as Eileen Angelina Yeoward, an Armenian Christian who later converted to Islam, Gauhar Jaan was a naturally gifted musician with a wide repertoire. One of the earliest women artistes who seized opportunity that came with the advent of recording technology, hers was the first Indian voice to be recorded in 1902. In her illustrious career she cut close to 600 records.

The book traces the story of her life with all its attendant myths, legends and folklore, some of which are recorded, some apocryphal; as well as the times during which she lived and made exquisite music.

I was immediately pulled in by this enticing snippet that was presented on the book jacket. The book begins with Gauhar’s birth in 19th century India, a time of intermarriages, when it was a matter of pride to have an Englishman as your husband although “both parties knew that impermanence was inherent in the relationship." So it is that Hardy Hemmings “picked up a young, gentle and petite Indian lady,” named Rukmani as his wife. Years later, Rukmani’s daughter Victoria married an Armenian gentleman named Robert and Angelina was born to them. While navigating the sharp curves that life threw at them, Victoria and Angelina had to convert to Islam and thus were renamed as Badi Malka Jaan and Gauhar Jaan respectively.

From here we take a sharp turn too, into the rich and intricate world of Hindustani (classical Indian) music. Sampath opens the doors to the music scene in India at that time, where it was considered an honor to be invited to be part of a musical gathering, where music was revered as a divine gift. At the same time, music was also an element that divided as well as unified society. Being a famous ‘tawaif’ or courtesan well versed in music, which Gauhar Jaan was, meant power, position and wealth.

“It is interesting to note that only the names of tawaifs figure among the women tax-payers of the times, proving that they were the only female property owners of those days. Thus, at time when most women in India were illiterate, the tawaifs were accomplished in the fine arts and were skilled poets, authors, musicians and dancers themselves.”

Yet paradoxically, it also meant living on the margins of mainstream society, in a different world, coping with the inherent loneliness that comes with roosting on a pedestal. Although tawaifs were invited for performances by kings, Nawabs and other royal personalities, society as a whole shunned them, especially people from “respectable” families.

Music is also seductive in more ways than one. Gauhar Jaan’s lush songs, expertly sung with feeling and charm, made her a much sought after musician and woman. Gauhar’s life was molded by her music and by the people that were attracted to her like moths to a flame. But sadly, the moths remained unharmed. Gauhar’s vulnerable and trusting personality got her entangled in various relationships. While they lasted, she experienced some of the happiest times in her life. But just as soon, one after another, none of the men in whom Gauhar had placed her trust upheld her love. Outwardly, even as Gauhar shone in her performances, inwardly she crumbled with insecurities as she grew older.

There is also the other side of Gauhar’s personality, which Sampath brings alive through small snippets and anecdotes. One of my favorites was the passage that described Gauhar whooshing past the streets of Calcutta in a six horse drawn carriage. Once the Governor’s entourage passed by hers and thinking that it belonged to royalty, the Governor doffed his hat and bowed. But when he learnt that it was only Gauhar, he slapped a fine of Rs. 1000 ($20) on her because commoners were not allowed to ride in a six-horse carriage.

“But Gauhar was not the one to care about such authoritarian dictates. She continued to flout the rule, pay the thousand rupee fine, and yet go on with her evening rides. Such was her spirit!”

Another story that showed Gauhar’s hedonistic lifestyle and arrogant attitude was the way she celebrated the wedding of her pet cat. It is alleged that she hosted a party for the entire city of Calcutta that cost her Rs. 20,000 (a little over $400).

Such stories not only make the book an entertaining read but also provide an insight into the different layers of Gauhar’s personality. She was large hearted enough to teach youngsters purely for the love of teaching and she was a shrewd businesswoman who kept her repertoire of songs in flux depending on her audience. Her sharp assessment of her audience ensured that she sang those songs that appealed most to them.

Apart from an understanding of Gauhar, Sampath’s painstaking research is evident in his detailed descriptions of the cities in which Gauhar lived, the milieu and the times that she was a part of. I now have a wonderful picture of 19th century Calcutta with its colorful people comprised of “Jews, Armenians and Portuguese” and of its crowded market places and narrow lanes.

Last but not the least is the music that pervades through My Name is Gauhar Jaan. Sampath takes us through the history of Indian music and its multifarious components. Even for someone like me who is not a fan of this genre of music, the facts that he presented were intriguing.
My Name is Gauhar Jaan, thus, is a meticulously researched book. But at times, I felt this was also a small shortcoming. Certain details could perhaps have been avoided, like the exact reproductions of court rulings for instance or expansive elaborations of the intricacies of ragas. I felt it derailed the smooth flow of the book and submerged its soul, even if only for a while.

But Gauhar is not one to be submerged for long. Her spirit rises above such small diversions, filling the book with her fiery self. The latter half of the book is the part I loved the best, because it is here that Sampath’s writing shines through as he heartrendingly portrays Gauhar’s wane with time. As I listened to Gauhar’s songs on the CD that helpfully comes with Sampath’s book, I could not help but feel a tug at my heart for this woman who lived her life surrounded by admirers and yet felt the chill of loneliness for the most part of her life until the end. The statement she makes at the end of each song, “My Name is Gauhar Jaan!” is almost like an assertion that says, “Don’t forget me!” And we shall not.

Verdict: An interesting sketch of the life and times of not only a musician but also of British India.

Rating: 3.7/5

Versedays: Clown in the Moon by Dylan Thomas

Image Credit: Birdy

Versedays is back! I had actually forgotten about it because I hadn't been very active on the blog. I missed the presence of poetry and my fellow bloggers also said that they were waiting for Versedays. So here it is. This week I have chosen Dylan Thomas, the famous Welsh poet who immortalized the phrase, "Do not go gently into the night..." I chose him because I wanted to begin with a famous poet born in October. And for the first Versedays in a long time I chose this beautiful poem, by Dylan Thomas born on 27th October, with haunting imagery called "Clown in the Moon."

Since I am not too good at interpretation of poetry, I read up others' interpretations. The voice in the poem is that of a clown on the moon. He represents the mask of happiness that people wear in life and he says that if he were to take it off and land on earth, the world as we know it 'would crumble.' Here is a very lucid interpretation of the poem for those who would like to understand it further.

Clown in the Moon

by

Dylan Thomas

My tears are like the quiet drift
Of petals from some magic rose;
And all my grief flows from the rift
Of unremembered skies and snows.

I think, that if I touched the earth,
It would crumble;
It is so sad and beautiful,
So tremulously like a dream.

Her Fearful Symmetry: Audrey Niffenegger

Image Credit: The Vibe

I remember reading Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife long ago and being enchanted by it. So when Her Fearful Symmetry became a bestseller I wasn’t surprised. The theme was otherworldly again just like her previous book and all I needed to see was if it was as impressive. Before I go into my review, here is a brief about the novel –

When Elspeth Noblin dies she leaves her beautiful flat overlooking Highgate Cemetery to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina Poole, on the condition that their mother is never allowed to cross the threshold. But until the solicitor’s letter falls through the door of their suburban American home, neither Julia nor Valentina knew their aunt existed. The twins hope that in London their own, separate lives can finally begin but they have no idea that they have been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt’s mysterious and elusive lover, who lives below them and works in the cemetery itself.

Ghosts. Death. A Cemetery. Some secrets. The perfect ingredients for a spooky tale, I thought when I read the synopsis of Niffenegger’s novel. Well, I wasn’t too off the mark, but the spookiness is not in terms of restless ghosts haunting people setting off bloodcurdling screams. It is the doings of people who are very much alive that weaves an atmosphere of silent horror in the novel.

When Julia and Valentina first arrive in London, they enjoy the stillness of the apartment, the beautiful but morose setting and the freedom to explore the city together. Then the story takes a turn for the darkly comic when we learn that Elspeth’s ghost is still in the apartment. The twins realize this after a series of funny incidents and eventually Elspeth is able to communicate with them and with Robert using an Ouija board. It is here that the relatively light tone of the novel twists into one of phantasmagoric horror.

Power is an omnipresent force in the story. Between the twins we see that Julia is the more dominant sister who takes care of Valentina. But the latter feels stifled by Julia’s controlling demeanor. She yearns to get away from their forced sameness and find her individuality. And Niffenegger’s way of spelling out thoughts told and untold, add vigor to feelings expressed. One of the passages where Julia questions Valentina when she comes home late from dinner with Robert is a great example –

Valentina shrugged. “It’s not like I have a curfew. And you aren’t my mom. And even if you were my mom, I’m twenty-one years old.” So whatcha gonna do about it, huh, Julia?
“It’s common courtesy to let me know when you’re coming home, otherwise I worry.” I’m more than Mom. You can’t just go off on your own.
“That’s not my problem. You knew where I was and who I was with.” You don’t own me.
“You went out for dinner. Dinner doesn’t last until 2 a.m.!” What were you doing for seven hours?
“I went out on a date and none of this is any of your business!” Let go of me!
“It is! What do you mean?” We don’t have secrets from each other ever.
“Don’t you think it’s time we started having our own lives?” Oh, God, just let go, Julia.

Valentina’s desire to break away from her sister’s control is just the chink that Elspeth needed. Elspeth’s presence is felt in the form cold draughts by everyone in the apartment. As the novel progresses and Elspeth grows stronger, we feel the chill. The atmosphere grows ominous and cold as we learn of things to come. In a bizarrely horrifying sequence of events, shaded by deep overtones of Faust and Frankenstein, the novel had me riveted till the last page.

Fear, in all its forms, is another factor that permeates the novel from beginning to end. Valentina is afraid of Julia, Martin who is obsessive-compulsive fears everything so much that he is unable to step out of his apartment and Robert is scared that he is disintegrating after Elspeth’s death.

Apart from these characters in the novel, death itself is almost like a living, breathing person. Elspeth, though dead, makes her presence significantly felt as she hangs around her apartment. The twins soon become aware of her but it’s Valentina who has a closer connection with Elspeth. Life, we see, is not just confined to the living but also to the dead. The cemetery itself had a life of its own as Robert knew.

Robert loved to watch the seasons evolve in Highgate. The cemetery was never without some green; many of the plants and trees had symbolized eternal life to the Victorians…At night stone and snow reflected back moonlight…

Niffenegger maintains the pace relentlessly. London becomes the perfect setting for a novel of gloom such as this with its equally damp and dreary weather. Combined with beautiful writing, Niffenegger spins a yarn that is peopled with odd beings, peculiar behaviors and abnormal occurrences, which perhaps belong more to the realm of the chimerical. Yet, Her Fearful Symmetry is a tale of morality, life after death, the burning desire to be alive and the misuse of power and of secrets. For those willing to believe, the dead continues to live and given a chance would kill to be alive.

Verdict: Gripping read. Let your imagination run wild.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest : Stieg Larsson

Image Credit: Penguin

I have slackened my reading pace these past few weeks. Every day brings with it draining challenges, and at the end of a long day, the only thing I look forward to is sleep. Not to read. But to sleep. Ah, life and the changes it brings. Or rather, life is just the way it is. The changes we bring to ourselves, rather. We all love punishing ourselves and then convince ourselves that it's the only way to move forward in life.

So, I am done. I finished the last of the Millennium trilogy - Stieg Larsson's epic The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I wasn't very impressed with the first, liked the second and now hate the third. As I had said in my review of The Girl Who Played With Fire, that book clicked because of Lisbeth Salander. She is an intriguing heroine, and this third book failed because of Lisbeth Salander. Why so? Because there is very little of her. Hornet's Nest begins from where Fire ended - and we are treated to the last saga between Zalachenko and Salander. Very soon though it is over, and then it's a long-drawn out dreary tale that delves deep into the Swedish secret police, Sapo and a special section that was created within Sapo to handle this dynamite called Zalachenko. This was the part that bored me the most. I found this section the least credible - and there is a re-enactment of Blomkvist as the man who women can't keep their hands off. Salander is restricted to a hospital bed for some 400 odd pages, I think this is where the book becomes flat. As flat as stale beer. As flat as a hacked computer.

A new love interest is added here, but not one that seems to be etched in detail, but rather one that seems to be added on for some extra masala. As a reader, I still don't understand Blomkvist as the lady killer - although he does turn out to be a pretty good friend to Salander. The only point where Hornet's Nest picks up is towards the end when a neat little courtroom drama is enacted. And there is a sub-plot involving Erica Berger that was shoddy beyond belief. Other sub-plots including Salander's half-brother's chase just gets lost for long periods while we reading boooooooooooooring details of Sapo. I mean...this is Sweden, and Sapo is not the CIA. Just how interested can I be in knowing the inner workings of this organization? And I could be dumb, but I wasn't sure why Zalachenko was so important in the first place. Yeah, he was a former Russian spy, but it didn't seem enough justification. Let me not bore you, dear reader, with my rant. I am now one of the proud souls to have finished all 3 of this Series - and let me tell you, I have been here, read this. And fallen in love with Blomkvist. (duh).

Verdict : A disappointing end. Boring and insufferable. 

Rating: 1/5

Give a Book!

Image Credits: Above image from simongraygiveabook, image below from The Guardian

“I could escape for so long as I was reading.” The famous playwright Simon Gray said it perfectly. The Give a Book project was begun in memory of Gray, who died in 2008, where books are given away to people who love reading but are too ill or old to procure books themselves. It’s an innovative scheme where they facilitate, through donations, the gift of books to charities like Maggie’s Centres and Age Concern. We at LWS are happy to spread the word and assist the Give a Book concern in procuring more books in order to help those folks out there. More details about the foundation can be found on their website and also in this Telegraph article.

Do visit Give a Book and spread the word through your blogs as well!

Burnt Shadows: Kamila Shamsie

Image Credit: Penguin Books India

Novels spanning decades, following family histories definitely catch my attention. So when I picked up Kamila Shamsie’s “Burnt Shadows,” I expected a rich story and more. Here is a glimpse into what the novel is about –

Hiroko Tanaka loses her soon-to-be fiancé, Konrad Weiss, in the Nagasaki bombing of 1945. Shattered in more ways than one, she travels to Delhi to seek out Konrad’s family, to treasure any links to Konrad she might find. Hiroko though falls in love with Sajjad, an employee at Konrad’s sister Elizabeth’s house. From Delhi, Shamsie takes us to Pakistan, Afghanistan and New York, as we follow two families and their lives.

The faint whiff of romance hangs perpetually throughout Burnt Shadows, which contains few people but many places and many emotions. Konrad and Hiroko’s union is shortlived as within the opening pages, the German dies an untimely death. Theirs is a friendly, open relationship. Quite the opposite of the relationship between Konrad’s sister and her husband James. We meet them soon, as Hiroko lands in Delhi and is taken in by Konrad’s family for a few days on account of her ill health. Shamsie gives us peeks into a romance turned sour over the years, through Elizabeth’s short, wistful reminiscences.

“Elizabeth looked at his jaw. There was still a spot of blood there. For a moment all she wanted to do was lean in and place her mouth against his skin, feel the tingle of aftershave against her lips and hear him sigh in satisfaction and relief as he used to do during their early married life when some expression of physical desire was Elizabeth’s signal that whatever squabble had sprung up between them was now ended.”

Against this crumbling marriage that reflects the dying embers of the British Empire at the time, Shamsie brings new hopes and desires in the form of Hiroko and Sajjad. Though considered a near impossible union by James and Elizabeth due to the vast differences in culture and geography, Hiroko and Sajjad defy all assumptions and get married. But they are united by different things. Since Sajjad’s family is torn by the ongoing Partition of India and Hiroko has already undergone a partition under different circumstances, they haven’t seen each other in their “true world(s),” which anyway “doesn’t exist anymore,” for either of them. Sajjad defines the undercurrent of their attraction beautifully,

“I have to learn how to live in a new world. With new rules. As you have had to do. No, as you are doing. Perhaps it would be less lonely for both of us to have a companion. Some constancy is comforting during change.”

Such brilliant writing and elaboration of thoughts dominate Shamsie’s novel and these are the same tools she uses to leap over time and space smoothly. We are rapidly introduced to Hiroko and Sajjad’s son Raza and then later on Henry, James and Elizabeth’s son and even Henry’s daughter Kim. Not only are we given an inside look into their marriages, friendships and parental roles but also into their individual characteristics.

Apart from this, Shamsie also tackles politics, particularly that of the US with the rest of the globe, which was a bit too deep for me to grasp completely. A lack of interest in politics did not help me in furthering my understanding of this aspect of the novel as well.

As you can see Shamsie’s canvas is huge, but the book is a slow read. Without much of an ending to speak of, Burnt Shadows becomes a simmering pot of travesties crossed by these people and by the entire world itself. Case in point is the way the 9/11 tragedy is softly dropped in the background of conversations to heighten its impact on people in the novel as well as the world.

Shamsie’s writing must be lauded for techniques such as these, which provoke the shrewd reader into thinking. I am afraid I am not shrewd enough for this book so after a point it began to drag. It was only Shamsie’s superb wordage that sustained me till the end, as I stumbled through her worlds without a map.

Verdict: Read it for the wonderful language

Rating: 3/5

Foundation: Isaac Asimov

Image Credit: Critter.org

I had always been loath to read the particular genre of Science-Fiction [or the more popular Sci-fi for short]. However, a couple of Asimov’s “Foundation” novels (presented to me some time ago by a good friend), collecting dust in my book cupboard, caught my attention the other day. 

In an attempt to rouse myself of a self-imposed inertia and to read "something different" than the usual fare of fiction/non-fiction/magazines/newspapers - I forced myself to pick up one of these books. It is also possible that the not-so-recent marathon session of watching all the seven Star Wars movies may have aroused a wee bit of my interest in SciFi.

The title of one of the books said "Foundation", I assumed that this would be the first in the "Foundation series" - it is not. Turns out, "Prelude to the Foundation" is the first book in this series. I guess it is at this point 

I must confess that this post is not entirely a review about the book but more about why so many people (read mostly guys) are addicted to SciFi literature/comics and of course the inevitable movies. I am going to share some of my theories here which will be interspersed with the promised book review.

When the "Foundation" begins we see the great psychohistorian Hari Seldon living on Trantor - the Capital planet of the Galactic Empire and Gaal Dornick, another student-mathematician has arrived to learn under him – later he is supposed to have become very close to Hari Seldon

Hari Seldon is primarily a mathematician and has developed the particular type of mathematics called “Psychohistory”. Apparently psychohistory is capable of predicting the future of the Galactic Empire.    

The story goes on these lines - Hari Seldon manages to provoke the authorities and have his tribe of people (read his followers) sent to a remote planet, Terminus, which has absolutely no mine-able metals (so any type of industry is out) in its crust. And the assignment of this group of people is ostensibly to document "All of the Knowledge in the world" in what they call Encyclopedia Galatica (EG). Hari’s people are supposed to do this because Hari Seldon being the great Psycho-historian that he is - has been able to accurately predict the coming of "Dark ages" in the galaxy which is going to last - hold your breath – thirty thousand years!

During these dark ages, the Galactic Empire will lose control over all of the planets and little kingdoms will arise throughout the Milky Way – yes, the story is set in our own galaxy :)

And this EG is supposed to shorten the "Dark ages".

In my opinion this is where the underlying appeal lays – “Possibilities”. Imagine if our earth is one of these outlaying planet who has lost touch with the empire at the epicenter of our galaxy...  

For the reclusive optimists, (apparently most SciFi fans are), there are possibilities of “See! We are not alone” and “anything’s possible now” – all positive and happy and nice. And for the pessimists (again reclusive) it would be “See! We are not alone” and “we are doomed to be destroyed/overpowered/studied under microscope...” The unknown always holds a certain charm, also no way of controlling our actions. And to this end Hari Selden ensures that there are NO psychohistorians on Terminus. IF, “he” can predict so can other psychohistorians, right?

So all these highly intelligent people nicely supplied with nuclear power for their power/energy needs work away at the mega-project of EG. They also diligently work at their farms – they got to eat something right? Now that their basic needs are met – what next?

It is at this point, that I wondered – what about music and art? How come there is absolutely no mention of music and art in this novel? The closest thing that finds mention of an art form is ‘dance’ as part of a “ritual” to crown a young king on one of the neighboring planets; where civilization has crumbled and people “have gone back to oil and coal!” 

The description of dance/ritual in this novel is clearly a mockery of our own rituals on earth because the implied message is “rituals” are blind practices followed without any real scientific basis or benefit to them – hence useless and not worth participating in.  

So, does this mean in Asimov’s interpretation – Art and music is only for lesser minds whereas science is for superior minds? 

When the galactic empire falls, as predicted, after a certain period of decadence and other smaller kingdoms risen around Terminus, also as predicted - all the neighboring kingdoms, unaware that Terminus does NOT have any natural resources to speak off – plan to attack it and take control of it. So they send their respective envoys to “check out” if it is worth invading.

This leads to a series of crisis for Terminus known as “Seldon crises”. From this point on the novel turns into a pure political thriller with science playing a peripheral role rather than a central one – how the political leaders of this small planet initially avoid these attacks and and over several hundred years, eventually become the “lead” planet in their part of the world – forms the rest of the story. 

Interestingly, very small thanks to all knowledge they have in gaining superiority over their neighboring planets. Instead it is the cunning-thinking of certain individuals in power that saves the day for this planet.

So, in summary, I found this novel to be more instructive in politics than in scientific possibilities – except maybe space-travel, which is sort of a given in this book. 

However, the question I would like answered most is not about science itself but about human nature itself – IF it were possible to further develop psychohistory to be able to predict the future of individuals – would you choose to know your future? Let me know your thoughts...    

Although not the typical type of read I pick up, this novel did work my grey cells a lot – about possibilities and if I were in a certain situation what would my choices be? I was quite surprised to find myself delving deeply into philosophical/moral discussions with myself while reading this book. Maybe all these SciFi buffs are not nerds are all but really intelligent, philosophically aware people! 

I may still find it difficult to read through another SciFi novel, I have, however, developed a new found respect for SciFi nerds :)

Verdict: Give it a shot, you may surprise yourself

Rating: 2.7