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~