The Alchemy of Desire: Tarun Tejpal

Fiction

Verdict: Read it!

I enjoy Tarun Tejpal as an author. For whatever has happened in his personal life (and I won't comment on this) I enjoy him immensely as a writer. The combination of his skill weaving a story and his very unique plot lines make him a very interesting proposition every single book. The Alchemy of Desire was no different.  It actually took me a very long time to sit down and write this after I finished reading it because I needed a very long time to digest what had happened in the novel. 

The story line revolves around a couple who had a very passionate physical relationship that lasted for years and years. Then one day they hit a bump in the road and lost all desire for each other. The story mixes together the slow unravelling of their relationship (which you come to suspect was only about physical passion) with memories that the protagonist painfully indulges in on a regular basis. The story ends after she leaves and he is left to putter about in a house they built together with only his memories. It's a fantastically painful exercise to read. But I do think that was the point. For whatever reason when a couple finds themselves at a point of no return/repair, the ending will be painful. There will be maudlin reminiscing, there will be a painful actual separation point, and there will be shared dreams and goals that will wither away and only be reminders going forward of what was lost.

The difficult part of this novel is that most people in attached relationships secretly harbor at least a little fear of their partner/spouse becoming bored of them on some capacity. Of losing desire or simply finding themselves moving different directions in life. Tejpal does an excellent job of setting the stage in the beginning of the book on just how active and important their physcial connection together was that it's like watching a slow motion train wreck coming. You want to look away but you just cant because you want to witness the entire sequence.  After going through a divorce after a long term marriage, I could identify with many of the feelings and physical events that happened in the book, even if not exact replicas. I guess that made it even harder to read. Thinking about it in the context of my current relationship made it terrifying and suffocating all in one. 

It's a power house of a book, but not in the usual sense. It will leave you thoughtful and possibly depressed for a while. But going through the experience of reading it will be worth your time, that's guaranteed. 

Read it!

~Becky~ 

Woman at Point Zero : Nawal El Saadawi

Non-Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This book came to my attention through either a book list or the suggested reads in the newspaper - I can't quite remember now. Either which way, it was an interesting read. The author takes us through the story of a woman, Firdaus, in prison who has been there for a long time and is on her way to execution. A Psychiatrist goes to the prison to meet her and is met with silence. The woman refuses to speak. After a short while, she begins to share her story and the audience comes to understand that her story isn't a simple one. Sometimes women resort to the only recourse they can when they are abused, and are held accountable for it though the ethics of it are grey. 

The story is a bit slow sometimes, but I got the feeling that was intentional. It's almost like the woman is taking back the small amount of control that she can by controlling the story. You can see dignity there and power. She understands she is going to die and has accepted the verdict.  

The Middle East has a long and complicated history with women's equality. Iran has recently again become regressive, and the Taliban, inspite of numerous promises in Afghanistan has again steadily marched back towards the dark ages for women. This isn't a new story nor is it one that is rare. But the poignancy with which the story is displayed - with a woman in jail awaiting death - relays the helpless and futile situtaions women find themselves in clearly. Sometimes the only choice is to die, either by your oppressor's hand or by the governments if you defend yourself. It's a terrible place to be in. 

Read it.

~Becky~

Catalyst: Chandramouli Venkatesan

Non Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This book was given to me by a colleague I both enjoy working with and admire professionally. It's always heartening when people give me books because I very very much enjoy them. 

Catalyst I guess could fall into the self help or business advice catagory - the line is a bit grey. I'm not a huge fan of self help types, but that depends on how it's done. This book is a collection of advices on things that people should do to get ahead, and then twisting those decisions/actions slightly to get much more output for what is essentially the same idea. As with most self help/business books, it isn't rocket science. But books like this are valuable becaues they reiterate and re center ideas that you know you should be acting upon but don't for a variety of reasons. The hard part of these advices isn't reading them. You'll probably think yes, of course, that makes sense while reading. Actually implementing them and turning them into habitual behaviors is a lot harder and takes discipline.

For this reason, I'll be reading this book again. There are very few books that I read twice. But continually re-centering valuable ideas helps enact them and remind you about priorities. This book is valuable to anyone in the corporate world - or anyone in any sector looking to get their shit together and maximize the resources and opportunities in front of them. 

Read it!

~Becky~

Four Strokes of Luck: Perumal Murugan

Fiction

Verdict: Read it

As I've mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoy reading Perumal Murugan works. Four Strokes of Luck has been no different. It's a simple story about simple people, but the beauty in reading Murugan's work is the artwork he does of weaving language into a beautiful thing.  

Murugan has the ability to portray Tamil people and culture in a way that is easy to understand. You feel like you can relate to the characters, though most likely for me I actually can't. But I feel like I can. That, ladies and gentlemen, is story telling at it's finest. Not all simple stories have the ability to keep my interest and enjoyment, this one did. I won't go into the plot of the book because it's a short one and I most likely wouldn't do justice. But in this humble opinion, Perumal Murugan is well worth reading.

Read it!

~Becky~

The Swap - Shuma Raha

Fiction

Verdict: Uncertain

I came across this novel in my favorite book store, as has happened with so many before. It looked vaguely interesting so I thought to give it a try. Afterall, spouse swapping isn't a common (talked about in public) topic, and I was curious how the author would approach it. India has a strange way of hiding or appearing to hide many topics and then flagrantly parading them out in public as if it's normal in the name of modernity. It's a little dissonant sometimes.

Anyhow. The book opens to a well off couple (obviously) who have a friend who knows someone who throws spouse swapping parties. The wife is already having an affair with another friend. She has a lot of guilt and has hidden it well. The couple is talked into participating in a party and follows the normal trajectory of many people who choose to have open relationships - it's not easy. The husband ends up falling in love with the wife's lover's wife and they have an arrangement like that for a long time until finally it feels too weird for the wife and she calls a halt to it. It makes one wonder what was her motivation for that affair in the first place. There's a lot of blame and bitterness throughout the book about expecations and fidelity, and in the end, the couple ends up working it out, to my surprise.  There was also a weird side not about a street boy who was helped by the wife. 

To say it was a whirwind book with some unexpected attitudes is a little underrated. The author made swapping seem....so....normal. Open relationships - normal. I also felt that she could have gotten much further into the relationship between the main husband and wife. They were almost like cookie cutter stereotypes. I get that it's easy for multiple audiences to identify with such characters, but when you're dealing with the essence of marriage and an intimate relationship, such characters fall flat. 

I still think this book is worth reading because it challenges an Indian audience with sexuality, marriage expectations, and intimacy. As I mentioned previously, highly charged subjects that aren't always approached openly. An honest look at the fallout of such choices also helps people to be informed and not romanticize them - Always a good idea.

Read it!

~Becky~

The Book of Gold Leaves - Mirza Waheed

Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This isn't the first book or even the 5th that I've read on some of the travesties that have occured and are still occuring in Kashmir. It never gets easier to read or digest.

The novel itself is an easy read. It's an easily identifiable version of Romeo and Juliet or Laila Majnu. As with most other content about Kashmiris, I found myself almost holding my breath for the inevitable tragedy that occurs just after the author makes you feel you know the character or right before the story ends. This book held true to that pattern. I still think that these types of books are worth reading. Not for the Romeo and Juliet vibe, but because the entire of Kashmir is littered with tragedies and one can't just avoid it because it's uncomfortable. Novels like this also give some of the social and personal context that affects individuals, not just military/country/general population. I also feel individual stories give a great deal of perspective that's not offered by media or official channels; it's often seen dramatically different from an individual perspective.  Experiences also can be vastly different depending on one's family, religious community, job, and social or economic status. To put it simply, it's a very complicated problem that is best understood from as many angles as possible. 

I've been living in India now for 12 years. I too have been caught up in the romantic idea of Kashmir and its beautiful scenery, as well as trying to untangle the complicated web of how it evolved into what is the scenario today. Obviously it's deeply interesting to me in a way that it might not be to others. 

Read it!

~Becky~

Le Divorce - Diane Johnson

Fiction

Verdict: Read it if you have an interest in France

I picked up this novel at a thrift store when I was in the US becaue I was bored and needed a novel and I became a bit obsessed with other people's divorces. This book didn't really solve either problem. 

The novel is about a young lady who moves to France to help her pregnant and deserted sister. She doesn't have a strong connection to France, nor any particularly compelling reason to go, besides it seems expected she will. It's then the usual story of expat adjustments, loving and hating a new country, and then becoming strangely unwilling to leave. For anyone who reads books of this sort or who has lived a life of this sort, it's a pretty text book case. I found myself unable to stay interested because at times it seemed that the author was overly invested in explaining French culture to her readers. While this is not a bad goal for another type of book, it's a pretty poor one for a novel.  Fortunately, there was no happily ever after at the end - like the sister gettng back together with her useless husband nor the protagonist having some happily ever after with her May December affair. There were so many different directions the author could have pursued or deep dove into but kept it very surface level. I'm not against having mundane, every day events in a plot line, but they should be contributing something to the theme. I just didn't feel that for this book. 

To be fair, I know nothing about Diane Johnson, and I try not to uselessly criticize, but I just couldn't get into this book. Perhaps if the reader is into French culture/Paris then this would be enjoyable as a time pass afternoon book. 

Meh.

~Becky~

Love in Chakiwara - Muhammad Khalid Akhtar

Fiction: Stort Stories

Verdict: Read it

I've spoken about how I'm a fan of short stories, especially those woven around each other. This was a delight to find. I haven't really read any Pakistani writers before. It was familiar, but gloriously nuanced in a different way than Indian writers.

Chakiwara is a small town, just like any other. It has a roster of odd characters, just like any quality small town. The author walks us through a series of just absurd enough stories. They're hilarious in a way that makes me green with envy. It takes a while to absorb and appreciate.

I won't go into the details of each of the stories, but if you're looking for an entry into Pakistani Urdu humor, you could find much worse places to dive in. Akhtar is a delight. 

Read it!

~Becky~

A Death in the Himalayas - Udayan Mukherjee

Fiction

Verdict: If you want an Indian version of Sherlock Holmes

I haven't done much with Indian mystery novels, so this was an interesting change. As a bonus, I read it on the beach while in Goa. Quite a while back, but it was the perfect setting.

I won't get into too many of the details as mystery novels are pretty much formulaic. The writing gramatically and vocab wise was good - no complaints not painful to read. It did however borrow heavily from the Sherlock Holmes idea of detective and side kick. Udayan Mukherjee overdid that angle just a bit I felt. The flow overall was good and I found myself enjoying the read, even if I could guess most times what would come next. 

I hope to see other things from Udayan Mukherjee. Not sure if this is his first, but this is the first of his I read. 

~Becky~

The Enchantress of Venice - Salman Rushdie

 Fiction

Verdict: It's Rushdie - of course read it!

In a very unfortunate coincidence, Salman Rushdie has been in the news lately because some psycho stabbed him. I read this book while I was on vacation in the states. I know, I'm a wee bit behind.

God damn it, Rushdie has done it again. Either there's no point, or I am not able to figure out what the point was and what's going on underneath. I think everyone knows what's more likely.

Either way, the novel is about women. Witch/enchantress women to be specific. Rise and fall due to popularity/acceptance and just a healthy sprinkling of supernatural. I'll be perfectly honest, that's about all that stuck. It was slow in places, but worth it in the end, even just for surface value. Your typical Rushdie treasure.

I'm planning to dig into the cliff notes for this one. I fought my way though and desperately want to underestand what the hell was going on. Until then, I won't blabber. I wish Salman Rushdie the swiftest and most kick ass recovery ever. 

~Becky~ 

Khwab Nama - Akhtaruzzaman Elias

Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This was a confusing one for me. I've been open about how Bengali and Bangladeshi language and culture confuse me. It's like a familiar item, only something is a bit off. Like putting potatoes in Biryani. 

I can't remember why I picked this up, nor have I read anything from the author previously. It's a novel centering around a family living in a small village. They are not a traditional family as a Sufi Pir's daughter was married to a widower and has a step son. Theirs isn't a passionate marriage but she takes comfort in his presence and stability. His health is never good and she finds herself a widow after some time. There are many references to a community lake, local folklore, superstitions, and fishing culture that I found especially hard to identify with. 

There's not much plot going on here. It rambles through every day life without much drama or contemplation. It's also not a small novel. There is some commentary on class differences which I found interesting, but not different from any other novel. 

Read it if you have an interest.

~Becky~

Prey - Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Non Fiction

Verdict: Read it!

This was an interesting one. I had heard of Ayaan Hirsi Ali before, but not that much. I haven't read anything else written by her. This book exposes some of the issues that Europe is facing due to migration of people of Middle Eastern/Islamic descent. It's pretty common for people now to be "Woke" enough to deny that cultural exportation and migration affect anything. People are people, we should be accepting. 

I'm not sure I buy into that theory, especially after moving to India. I know that certain contained places in Europe have had some very unfortunate problems arise (like France) but not the extent of the issue or how migration is culturally changing Europe itself. This was shocking. I think many people just assume that migrants immerse themselves in the new culture and assimilate. Ayaan Hirsi Ali's premise is that they don't. And they export attitudes and actions that are harmful to the local culture. 

As a woman immigrant to a European country, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has a unique perspective on the topic and I felt did a great job of critically thinking about the issue rather than giving an emotional reaction. I would have not expected someone like her to admit the inherent problems of something that has benefitted her. But she is clear from the start her obligation is to society and women, not enabling problematic behaviors.

What I liked most about this book was that I never felt that it was simply the Author's opinions or premises that were being put forward. She has backed up here thesis with solid research and facts, in addition to coloquial examples. This book in particular has focused primarily on women and the negative effects it has had on society's view of women. The women migrants themselves often time contribute to these problems. 

Immigration and cultural footprints are a difficult subject to dive into and have become highly politicized. It's hard to know the right solution and even governments grapple long and hard on how to be both fair and protect the local population. I'd recommend this to read because it's a  world issue that people should be aware of - especially women. 

Read it!

~Becky~

Quichotte - Salman Rushdie

Fiction

Verdict: Read it - just because Rushdie is worth reading.

Yes yes, here we go with Rushdie again. I have been on a mission to read all his work and am slowly getting through it.

This is a novel about a very underwhelming main character. He falls in love with a TV persona, creates a fictional son, and generally loses touch with reality. It's definitely very loosely based on Don Quixote, which Rushdie readily admits to. The novel is a weird one and I'm sure that as with all Rushdie novels, I'm missing a great deal of the undercurrent that explains his stories.

Dystopian themes aren't actually rare for Rushdie, but for some reason, I've just now realized this. Compared with the previous novel, this one was easier to read and shorter. I won't go on about it because it's a Rushdie novel - you have to read it to contemplate it. 

Read it!

~Becky~

The Bride in the Rainy Mountains - Kuvempu

Fiction

Verdict: If you're interested in Kannada literature and culture

This was another recommendation from my friendly sales person at Book Worm. I wasn't extremely enthusiastic at first because it was expensive and a very very large book. But I've started to take an interest lately into Kannadiga authors, and Kuvempu is a famous, award winning poet and author. So I conceded.

It's a historical novel about a vague place in Uttara Kannada (the northern part of Karnataka). A few different cultures, languages, and customs converge in this area. The author's language choices were fun and very much unique to that area, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed digging in to some of the cultural roots in Karnataka. It's not an area I've explored much. 

There's a a vague plot like and a few main characters. The side characters are many. It's mainly just life going by in a few villages and how they interconnect. Its not thrilling, but the author does an exemplary job of highlighting and describing how life is in such a situation in the time period it's set in.

It's definitely a long novel, and to be quite honest I got bored in a few places. Not many, but a few. The author does a good job of pacing and his descriptions keep you engaged. Definitely read it if you are intereted in Karanataka culture, village life and history. 

Read it!

~Becky~

The Begum and the Dastan - Tarana Husain Khan

Fiction

Verdict: Not worth it.

There's a certain genre of book that focuses on people's obsession with Muslim women and their oppression. It used to fascinate me because it was exotic, but now just kind of grosses me out. That's my general feeling about this book.  I understand that historically (and this is a historical novel) women had no agency and were abused in many cases. I don't see any value in glorifying this or continuing to write novels whose whole point is to cater to this fetish.

I'm not going to go through a synopsis or my reaction to any of it because I feel I would just be furthering the validation and glorification of what happened. 

Not recommended.

~Becky~

The Tablighi Jamaat - Ziya Us Salam

NonFiction

Verdict: Read if you're interested in small sects of Islam

This was a passing fancy that I was curious about, so picked up. The Tablighi Jamaat is a sect of Islam that had it's start in Delhi. It's focus is in proselytization and prayer.  They have their own community, norms, dress, and belief system.

This book was interesting as even someone living in india, I hadn't heard much exposure to the Tablighi Jamaat. There was a big uproar at the begining of covid about how meetings contributed to the spread, but to be honest, this isn't really a cause for interest here. People do what they'd like, regardless of the impact on others and I didn't pay too much attention to it. 

Examining the principles of the organiztion in contrast with the mainstream flavor of Islam was interesting to see. I'll avoid commenting on any of the philosophical or cultural differences as I don't feel it's my place to comment on those areas.

I did see a lot of judgement from the author on whether or not the Tablighi Jamaat was a good, correct organization within the structure of Islam or not. I personally felt this didn't have a place in the book as it was more of an informational book, but I can see how the author might have felt the need to clarify his feelings for other Muslims. 

Read it if you're interested in this subject.

~Becky~

Mountain Tales - Saumya Roy

Non-Fiction based novel

Read it

I picked up this book thinking it was about actual mountains and the people who lived in them. I guess it's obvious I didn't read the blurb or even the front cover of the book well enough. Oh well. It was worthwhile anyhow.

There is much said about waste and disposal in India. With a population of around 1,403,643,260 (https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/india-population/), obviously there is much to say. With many very rich people and an ever skyrocketing middle income segment of society, trash is on many minds. 

This novel is based on a community that developed in response to a trash dump that developed and grew to epic proportions on the outskirts of Mumbai. India has a fantastic way of creating economies and opportunities wherever it can, and trash is no exception. They may not be a well off population, but there are people who make their living picking through trash for saleable, recyclable, or tradable items. The novel follows a few families who do this. As the story is woven, you start seeing the issues that arrise for populations that live on the edges of society in less than ideal physical and economic situations. Health problems, theft, gangs, and little hope for bigger things all plague the families in the story. 

As I've mentioned before, there are a few societal ills that India suffers from that are near impossible to eradicate. Poverty is one such of these ills. There are never enough NGO's, societal support, money, or opportunities to even think about touching poverty. As such, we end up with marginal communities like the ones in this novel. When we throw caste concerns in amongst this it becomes more gloomy.

I'll be honest, it wasn't an easy book to read. It's damn depressing to consider that people live this way and most likely, nothing will be done to help them. I think it's good for people to know this exists. It's definitely not something that comes to light regularly, even with the common discussion of waste.

Read it.

~Becky~

Come Tomorrow - Jayaprakash Satyamurty

Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This was a small, short book that my friendly bookworm salesman suggested for me. He stressed (as he always does!) about the author being a Kannada writer who has left for the US and the rareness of the book. I'm not sure about all that, but it looked harmless enough, besides an inflated pricetag.

Come tomorrow is a small collection of supernatural fiction short stories centered around local superstition and religion. It was fascinating. Most of the stories were focused around Bangalore, which was fun even if I couldn't relate to any of the places mentioned. My side of town is not old or illustrious, so often skipped.  As always, short stories tickle my fancy in a way that long, drawn out novels cannot and I enjoyed this. 

Read it!

~Becky~

The Violence in our Bones - Neera Chandhoke

Non-Fiction

Verdict: Read it

I picked up this book because the subject matter has been something I've been turning over in my head for a long time. I hadn't heard of Neera Chandhoke before.

As an outsider here, there are some themes that continually make themselves visible. Violence is one of them. The older I get, the more puzzled I get that I didn't see the inherent violence in the United States where I grew up as well, but perhaps age just opens eyes. India has it's own way of viewing and manifesting violence. The country is so large and the chaos so much that it's both expected and often passed of as inavoidable. A fatalistic societal outlook and the numbers affected and their composition versus the body of people in India make violence an accepted fact. 

The author spends some time in history books as the country was formed and born. Often times, history explains the present, and I agree that India is no different than anywhere else. She addresses violence against women, communal violence, Kashmir, the North East, and Maoists. These are all specific manifestations of a broader mindset. Most of the cases of violence you find fall under one of these headings, though not all. 

I rather wish Neera Chandhoke would have addressed some of the societal attitudes and history that has resulted in the culture of violence as an accepted characteristic. I feel it would have helped in the understanding of why these manifestations, and many other occurances of violence, happen regularly in India. 

That being said, this is a subject that it would be impossible to encompass in one book. The subject matter was laid out in a organized, cogent, supported manner, which is always a joy to read.  I've said many times that India's inherent difficulties are extemely difficult, if not impossible, to improve. This is one such area. However, calling out the violence is the first step to slowly moving the needle towards violence being unacceptable as a societal attitude. 

Not a long or complicated read, but do take the time to contemplate what the author is saying and how many people simply accept the state of things as inevitable. 

Read it!

~Becky~