Shut the Lights - Smita Bhattacharya

 Fiction

Verdict: Read It (3/5)

Overview:

Smita Bhattacharya is a new author for me. 

Set in Mumbai, this is a Covid Era mystery that unfolds like one of those plays that has only one set. A servant's child goes missing and it's puzzling how. The children are surly and secretive, the marriage is on the rocks, and COVID is adding a crazy pressure to everything.

What I Enjoyed:

The format was different. You're left guessing a million different ways it could have happened. The author does a good job of keeping you wondering until the very end.

What I Disliked:

Unfortunately, Covid sucked. Big time. I did not want to read a novel about Covid time - I remember it too well and the murder mystery didn't alleviate that. The culprit, and I won't give away who it is, was pretty obvious if you ask me. The response to the culprit was also pretty disappointing. 

Summary:

Murder mysteries aren't really my thing yet I seem to keep finding them in my book stack. I'm not sure anyone wants to revisit covid, even in the form of a good murder mystery. It was well written, but still not my cup of tea.

 

~Becky~

 

The City of Good Death - Priyanka Champaneri

Fiction

Verdict: Read It (4/5)

Overview:

Another Bookworm find this novel is the first one I've read from Priyanka Champaneri.

The book opens with a family that has chosen to run a death hostel in Banares. As we come to understand what that means exactly, a long-lost cousin turns up dead, a ghost inhabits the hostel, and the guy who runs the hostel is forced to confront his past. The family he leaves behind, the girl his family told him to marry, and the love he had for his cousin are beautifully woven into the main plot.

What I Enjoyed:

Indians have a penchant for excellent storytelling, and this was indeed an excellent story. The story slowly unwinds, all the way until the end, leaving you contemplating many things along the way. Death rituals fascinate me (I'm an atheist) and the idea of a "Good Death" also was a new one for me. The author effortlessly captures what it looks like for an Indian who doesn't necessarily have the same beliefs but must cater to those beliefs no matter how silly it may seem. The slowly revealed flashbacks are an interesting insight and make the reader wonder how the protagonist appears so....normal. His background is nothing short of traumatic and his brother's death brings that to the forefront, as new trauma is known to do. It also highlighted the distinctly unique phenomenon of family lies that have long-standing consequences that come back out and haunt people. The characters do not seem well-developed at first, but the author has taken the time to unravel them by giving clues about family background as the novel goes on. Indians view trauma and its reappearing effects with a much more natural view than the Western world. It was refreshing to see trauma appear in a book in a non-forced, non fake way.

What I Disliked:

The supernatural element of a ghost rattling pots to make a point was something that was never explained. I'm not usually fond of the supernatural explanation when a simple one might do, but this episode did serve a purpose in the plot, so I'm inclined to excuse it. There were a few spots that dragged a bit, but in light of the entire work, I'm willing to excuse that as well.

Summary:

This was a contemplative read, as is anything that deals with existential matters. Even so, it's an extremely enjoyable read. It's not a tiny book. It will take a while, especially if you take the time to absorb the details and consider some of the non-obvious things the author is trying to say. Read it!

 

~Becky~

 

Our Best Intentions - Vibhuti Jain

Fiction

Verdict: Meh

It kills me to admit this, but I am finding a difference with Amerian born Indian authors and those born in India. Try not to die from surprise, but I find it hard to accept. I have indeed been missing Indian literature. 

Vibhuti Jain walks us through the life of a fragmented Indian family and the fallout from an interaction that goes wrong between teenagers that results in their lives getting turned upside down. 

I found the writing tedious and slow quite often, but if one looks, there are a few curious themes that stick out to me. Ones that suggest perhaps Vibhuti was not born in the US after all but migrated here. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, just surprising considering how...well....American the writing is. I'm guessing the protagonist in the novel has a similar situation to Vibhuti. And judging from how deeply personal the family disfunction is written, I'd guess she's been through that or something similar. Anyhow, not important.

The protagonist - Anjali, or Angela if you buy the name change line - happense upon her crush after he has been stabbed next to the highschool. There's a not well fleshed out subplot on the girl accused of doing this, but it takes no time in the story line. There's a big go round about who's actually to be blamed and who people would like to blame (Author nailed small town USA!) and many puzzling interactions with police, politicians, and the community that pass far more pages than needed. I understand you have themes....but there's a better way to get that across. I won't reveal the end as then you'd have no reason to read it. 

In general, I advocate for reading things that help you understand others....I don't feel this suits that purpose at all. However, if you're interested, dive in.

~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 Death of Mr. Love : Indra Sinha

Fiction

Read it

This was another book that landed high on quite a few read lists, so I decided to give it a try. The book is written in a parallel to the famous Nanavati case in Bombay. It starts out with an idylic childhood in the hills outside of Pune. The story follows the main character, his relationship with the main female character (It's a very strange one indeed) and ties into the Nanvati case at the end.

I wouldn't call it a suspense, because the tension builds very very slowly, but that's what it is. The author has done a very masterful job of storytelling and winding many different threads into a different version of a well known tale. The writing is a bit eccentric, but well done. 

The book does drag in a few places, and it's a long one, but it's worth the effort. 

Read it!

~Becky~

So All is Peace - Vandhana Singh-Lal

Fiction

Read it!

This would be the first book I have read from Vandana Singh-Lal. Contrary to popular form, I didn't pick this up on recommendation or because of the cover, although I do like the cover. I went to Writer's Cafe (Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore) with my kids just to explore. They also sell books, so I thought I will support small business. Their books, though used, are definitely not cheap. But all for a good cause, right?

Anyhow, the novel opens with twins going to Paris with their father. There are the usual twin tropes, though very mild at this stage in the book. As we move into the next chapter, we find the twins in isolation in their house, having literally almost starved themselves to death. They are discovered by a little boy who has inadvertently set some trash on fire with Diwali fireworks and goes to the door to warn them. What follows is a mix of police, press, and backstory into how our protagonistas reached this point, though only one of them is the narrator.

The book is a very beautifully spun narrative. I did not find myself bored, though the plot lagged at places. There was just enough forshadowing used that it wasn't ridiculous nor absent and the reader discovers (I felt) just what the author intended at exactly the moment she intended. This is not an easy task and it's done very well. The authoress touches on many social issues and comparisons in society. The twins have lost their family and while dramatically different from each other, are very closely connected and only have each other for most of the novel. The author also goes into how sensationalist the media can be and how people change once something goes public. In this case, it's the apartment society's attitude towards the twins. It's disgusting sentiment, but anyone reading the book who is Indian or has any idea about India can relate. I won't give away the twist at the end of the book, but it's brilliant. I definitely did not see it coming. 

The book does overdo the twin angle in the end. I also was left at the end of the book wondering what exactly the whole point of the starvation was. The author does briefly explain it, but I wasn't satisfied. Perhaps that was the point, there was no point to the starvation - it was just a thought exercise that went way out of control. As I mentioned, some of the book is a little slow, but if you slow down yourself to contemplate the issue the author is commenting on, it makes sense to think through a little slower. I would have also liked to have seen a little more character development of both the twins. The reporter is obsessed with at least one of them, but I can't figure out why. A big ado is made about how they are alike and different, but aside from vague references to who is smarter and who is born first, not much is done here. Again, perhaps intentional. 

Overall, an excellent read and one that kept me engaged.

Read it!

~Becky~