Book Review- Mrs. Dalloway

Title               Mrs. Dalloway

Author          Virginia Woolf

Pages             208

ISBN              978-81-7599-421-8

MRP              Rs 150

Publisher    F!ngerprint!  Classics

Rating          2/5 Stars

So finally, I am done reading ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ (1925) by this overhyped, Indo-phobic, semicolon fanatic goddess of incoherent writing known as Virginia Woolf.

This is a circadian novel thus traces the lives of all characters over a single day. Set in early 1900s, this 200 page convoluted work revolves around a 52 years old high-society English woman named Clarissa Dalloway, the wife of a politician in England. As she is constantly disappointed by her reclusive teenage daughter Elizabeth and her ever busy husband Richard, she busies herself in preparing for a party at her house because she has nothing better to do, even though out of some illness, she has turned weak and pale.

That morning, she goes to the market to ‘buy the flowers herself’ for her party in the evening and philosophizes pointlessly on everything around. This novel also describes the insane adulation masses had for the Royal family; everybody in the market goes nuts when a royal car stops for a second before passing by. Another character, a clinically depressed solider, Septimus Warren Smith, is busy conversing with the dead and imagining weird things while strolling in a park with his distressed Italian hat-maker wife. Yet another major character, Peter Walsh, Clarissa’s old lover is back, after serving five years in India’s ‘heat and dust’, to the life civilization and society of London and every woman, ‘even in rags’, seems pretty to him. Woolf’s writing degrades India and its people to dirt and many times, the book put me off. Walsh is staying at a hotel and broods constantly. He goes to meet Clarissa and she invites him to her party which he attends as he could not stop himself from loving her passionately.

Some major themes emerge-

1.  English Culture- The frivolity, snobbery and idiosyncrasies as well as the typical English shrewdness of characters comes to surface very clearly. Clarissa herself is shown as a very worldly, class-conscious and cold.

2.  Clinical Depression- It is one major theme that takes up much space. Described through Smith, Woolf throws much light upon the malfunctioning of a depressed mind. She herself suffered from it and had committed suicide just as Smith in this novel.

3.  Same-Sex Love- The very undertone of Clarrisa’s undying love for Sally, a wild and carefree friend of hers suggests the same.

4.  One-sided Love- This theme is described through Peter Walsh who is helplessly in love with Clarissa and remains unmarried and bitter when she rejects him for a far more successful Richard Dalloway.

5.  Hatred for India- India is described as a grimy land of uncouth barbarians after which London seems like heaven. The author also expresses sympathy for those who served in India while she exalts her country England as the epitome of civilization. By the way, Woolf was sexually abused for a long time by a ‘civilized’ English gentleman named George Duckworth who was her first cousin. Her fatal depression was a direct result of that exploitation. England is the harbinger of apartheid and this work shows many incidences betraying this outlook.

6.  Class Clash- Firstly, Clarissa is perceived as a spoilt, dumb, and wretched woman by her daughter’s underprivileged but erudite History teacher, Miss Kilman. On the other hand, Clarissa detests Miss Kilman for being independent, ugly, poor and single. Secondly, this occurs when Elizabeth feels ashamed of riding an omnibus in market. And lastly, Clarissa maltreats her ‘very poor’ cousin, Ellie Henderson and is shown to be ‘really very hard on her’.

The story describes the lives of people across all classes and sections of post World War- I England, especially focusing on war’s psychological effects. However, the writing is very knotty with truckloads of commas and semicolons, page long sentences, prolonged descriptions of minor characters, never ending musings and pointless philosophies. The outcome is a jumbled maze that annoys for most part. Some parts are good though.

The story ends with an unhappy, lonely and ill Mrs. Dalloway, despite being married and wealthy, drifting towards Peter Walsh, who despite being single and independent, is feeling sad and empty too, just like her.

PS- No more Virginia Woolf for me!

Book Review- Crime and Punishment

Title               Crime and Punishment

Author           Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Translator     Constance Garnett

Pages              584

ISBN              978-93-8653-805-5

MRP              Rs 250

Publisher       F!ngerprint!  Classics

Rating            4/5 Stars

Exactly a month back when I started reading this intense psychological thriller by the famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) little did I know that this work will recast my notions about crime as well as punishment. As the name suggests, the novel revolves around the very concept of crime and the consequent punishment imparted for it. Without superfluous tracks in typical Dostoyevskian style, it questions a very basic thing- if one kills an epitome of the evil, a vile vermin to save hundreds of innocents, how can it be called a crime and who can decide the befitting punishment for the same?

The protagonist Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov is a tall and handsome 23 year old former university student who lives in a suffocating cupboard-like rented room in St. Petersberg, Russia. He publishes an article describing his theory on crime along with a hypothesis relating crime and a high fever. Months later, he shockingly finds himself compelled to brutally murder an old pawnbroker who he considers to be a den of iniquity and a venomous insect. Despite poverty, fever and dilemmas, he comes out unscathed and manages to duck everyone. From police to his intellectual best friend, Razhumihin and from his shrewd landlady to his over-analytical doctor, everyone believes him to be innocent. However, it is his own conscience that he relentlessly grapples with. One day at a cheap tavern, his path entwines with that of a bankrupt alcoholic clerk Marmeladov and later with his dignified but consumptive second wife Katrina Ivanovna (she has three children from a previous defunct marriage) and his religious and timid twenty year old daughter Sonia from his late first wife. When Sonia destroys herself in providing for her starving step-siblings, he bows at her feet, much to the shock of everyone.

The novel also has other important characters like Svidrigailov, a 50 year old pedophile all set to marry a 15 year old, Luzhin, a devious narcissist and Dounia, the erudite and charming older sister of the protagonist, fighting her own demons. Raskiolnikov, till the end stays clear and unsuspected yet it is his inner voice that constantly bothers him and he ends up taking odd decisions in order to run away from his own crumbling self. His way of perceiving things is complex yet he manages to convince the reader into agreeing with him. Twists and turns keep the reader on the edge and the ending gives a nice closure to this powerful work. This novel also throws much light on the then Russian society and culture.

Not just another run-of-the-mill fiction, ‘Crime and Punishment’ requires contemplation on the reader’s part. It takes one inside the frenzied but brilliant mind of Raskolnikov and argues upon the fundamentals such as of crime, what defines it, who can be called a criminal, what the meaning of punishment is, who actually deserves how much of it in any society, in an era and who deserves to rule the masses. This book breaks old moulds of notions and makes one reflect, that too profoundly. It undoubtedly is a timeless classic.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

PS-

*I found this translation to be a bit confusing and messed up at many places hence it is better to get another one from the many available ones.

*The scene of Katrina Ivanovna’s depressing death later in the story, literally shook me up and made me cry.

Book Review- A Basketful of Lies

Title- A Basketful of Lies

Author: Geetashree Chatterjee

Publisher: Creative Crows Publishers

ISBN: 9789384901687

MRP: Rs 199/-

When I received an autographed copy of this book, sent lovingly by the author, I was excited about the cover. You will come to know the reason by the end of this post. However, as and when I started reading the stories, the cover took a backseat and I could not stop wondering at the mesmerizing lyrical prose with which the author has clothed her brainchild. This work is her debut collection of short stories that revolve mainly around urban life and complexities in coming to terms with an inevitable change. Be it the old dignified ‘Maamone’, who chooses an austere life and self-respect over everything or a shrewd small town girl ‘Aninda’ who makes a whole career out of a yesteryear’s superstar, the characters in these 15 stories are very relatable and one can feel them popping out of the paper, for the portrayal is so real.

A few stories have spooky and surreal plots that are fun to enjoy and offer nail-biting twists. Some are about star-crossed lovers and those stuck in sepia memories buried under the nostalgia. Reading these, I felt a range of emotions, from a surge of sympathy for the sincere ‘Probir’ to pity for the old ‘Kaku’ managing a forgotten bookshop.

I will call this remarkable collection as a very ‘balanced’ one for many reasons. The plots are varied yet connected with a common thread, like beads in a string. The prose is lyrical yet it does not crash under its own weight; the passages are beautifully described yet the writing does not go overboard with unnecessary descriptions. The author has a very good command over the language too. So, in a nutshell, if you are a lover of meaningful, clean and well penned literature, this one is not to be missed. I am sure you will thank me after reading this book!

Regarding the cover, I am glad to have sketched the cover artwork. Each painting is done in color pencil and conveys the respective story-line. 

Rating- 4/5

The book is available on Amazon and Flipkart

The author blogs @ Panacea

Book Review- Sputnik Sweetheart

Title:     Sputnik Sweetheart 

Author:  Haruki Murakami

Transl.:  Philip Gabriel

Publ.:     Random House

ISBN:      978-0-099-44847-1

MRP:      Rs 499

Pages:    228

I was looking forward to reading more works by the famous writer Haruki Murakami after I read the very inspiring ‘What I Talk about When I Talk about Running’ about a year back. It is still one of my favorite non-fiction works. My latest read was ‘Sputnik Sweetheart’ which was originally penned in Japanese. It has his characteristic elements such as loneliness, alternate reality, unrequited love, Greece, and of course, cats. The novel does not have a concrete ending and leaves the reader wondering about many possible outcomes, may be similar to the satellite Sputnik- II’s remains still floating in the outer space.

In a nutshell, the plot goes like this-

The author, a school teacher, is in love with his best friend, an eccentric girl named Sumire who is a struggling writer and lives alone in a small apartment. He longs for her but she falls for Miu, a much older businesswoman. Sumire is open and unapologetic about her sexual orientation but the author cannot let go of his love for her. Sumire travels to Europe on a business trip with Miu for whom she works and then disappears suddenly on a remote and non-descript Greek island. Author reaches Greece and Miu reveals a strange and eerie incident happened 14 years ago that had changed her life forever. As he returns, he gets into trouble when one of his students is caught shoplifting. This incident alters his relationship with his girlfriend and he returns to his apartment, pondering over many things.

The novel ends on a very abstract note and is somewhat philosophical in certain parts but not stuffed with long convoluted and didactic sentences. What I could gather from the linear plot narrated in first person is that we all are broken and move in our orbits. Sometimes, we come across each other for brief moments much like the remains of Sputnik II and then go our own ways, all alone. I think the author is trying to convey that in an alternate plane (which was earth for Sputnik II where it was one whole) we live a whole and perfect life the way we desire but in reality, we all are broken pieces, revolving all alone within the orbits of our banal and mundane lives.

My rating is 3.5/5.

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his work being translated into 50 languages.

My Book is Out!!

This month is a bit special for me as my new book titled ‘The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories’ is just out! I have always enjoyed reading and writing short stories so tried giving this genre a shot! There are 11 stories based upon various aspects of life. Some are inspired from real life people and situations while others from my fantasy. The book is my debut attempt in writing and I hope you will enjoy it. 

It is available (at a discount) on Amazon.in and BuyBooksIndia.

Stare (Fiction 55)

“Don’t stare like that” she blushed

“Girl, I often feel like…” he said

“Like?”

“Coming closer to you and to hold those manes in my hands …” he added, staring intensely in her curious eyes

“And?” she beamed

“To pull you even closer!”

“Then?”

“Then…bang your head against the wall, you irritating creep!” he screamed!

Poison

“You are just so sweet!” he cheered.

“Not every poison is bitter” she thought, smiling discreetly... 

Image source: www.pinterest.com/nishakhosa

Beauty!

He moved his admiring gaze all over the contours wondering over the beauty nothing less than heavenly. He stared for some time, defying his urge to touch and feel those curves that drove him crazy. When he could no longer resist, he just went ahead and asked the price of that lovely conch for sale!

PS- I just love conches and seriously, some are just so beautiful that they literally leave you astounded! One of my acquaintances has a huge real conch that steals all the praise from other show pieces adoring her hall! 

The Birthday Gift (100 Words Fiction)

I tip-toed inside, holding her birthday gift and looked for her in the tiny room. She was leaning against the window, curiously tracing some passerby on the road far below. Quite painfully, I handed her the small packet but she cried in joy, just how an eight year old would do. When I saw her trying the wig excitedly in front of the small bathroom mirror, it made my heart thump. My child jumped around like a happy kitten and then breathless, bumped into her bed. I couldn't utter a word and quickly rushed out of the Juvenile Cancer Ward.

Image from: punchbowl.com

Panacea (Short Fiction)

  As he changed sides with much difficulty, it took me no time in sensing that his pain was acute and dissolved a part of him every moment. He opened his flaccid eyes and stared at me- a helpless being with disheveled hair, sitting near his bed. With bewildered expressions, I glanced at the window where grey-black clouds began teaming up, conspiring a storm. I shifted my glance at him and found him in a comatose sleep. After a few moments of peace, he got up with a jerk and blood drops fell from his swollen nose. He looked at me apologetically making tears gush out of my sleepless eyes. The decade long evening was stuck; it choked our breaths and suffocated us in an undesired moment. He closed his eyes and shivering like a helpless leaf in a wild storm, curled up some more.

  I went to the bathroom and stared at the red threads of my eyes that bound me with his suffering, providing a testimony to the turmoil rising slowly inside my blank mind. I sat on the wet floor and cried like a child abandoned in a swarm of cold and unknown faces and then, rushed straight towards the last drawer. Two drops sufficed in a cup of milk. Slowly, he drank a part and after some uneasy coughing and twisting, wagged his tail before closing his sunken old eyes. With a pounding heart, I heaped on him and clutched his limp body tightly. Despite noticing a certain comfort on his face after a long time, I could not help cursing myself.

  Some situations are crossroads where tough choices become inevitable; the grey gap between white and back merges and wrong becomes right and poison becomes the panacea... 

Book Review: Wages of Love

Title:      WAGES OF LOVE – Uncollected Writings of Kamala Das

Author:   Kamala Das

Editor:    Suresh Kohli

Publi:      Harper Collins India

ISBN:      978-93-5029-723-0

MRP:       Rs 299/-

Pages:     176
Year:       2013

‘The rain is on our lips,

We do not run for prize.

But the storm the water whips

And the wave howls to the skies.

The winds arise and strike it

And scatter it like sand,

And we run because we like it

Through the broad bright land.’

                     

  -Charles Hamilton Sorley, ‘The Song of the Ungirt Runners’

When Sorley wrote these lines, of course he did not have Kamala Das on his mind, but they seem to suit her persona perfectly! Das never tried to hide her true emotions or wore a mask, and presented the reality blatantly. She was truthful about her affairs and very critical of the double standards of the society. Born to a top corporate executive father and a writer mother, she was connected to the royal family of Kerala as well. She spent her childhood in Kolkata and Kerala and was married at the age of 16 to a much older, rich man. 

Her writing drips with pain and grim realities of lives of women esp. of those trapped in bad and loveless marriages. Das, in her lifetime sparked many controversies. From entering politics, refuting Khushwant Singh’s accusations that she spread rumors of her Nobel nomination in 1984, to the biggest one about her conversion to Islam at the age of 65. She openly admitted a sexual relationship with a much younger Islamic Scholar for whose love, she embraced Islam. Later she lamented this decision, again, very openly. She died in 2009 at the age of 75. 

When I came across this book, it caught my attention instantly. I was really keen on reading books by the famous feminist ‘enigma’ known as Kamala Das! The book has been edited by Suresh Kohli, a Delhi based author and critic and is divided into three parts- Fiction, Non-Fiction and Poetry. Apart from a few short stories, most of the fiction is in the form of small plays. ‘A Week with Mansi’ is a story of a secret affair between a married woman and a young politician. The play, ‘Why Make the Baby Cry?’ shows the insensitivity of a husband towards his wife lying on deathbed. ‘Neipayasam’ is a touching story about a father’s struggle to manage his young children after his wife’s sudden death. ‘We Have Been Really Lucky’ surprisingly, has a positive message and is quite inspiring. The stories and plays are enjoyable, no doubt.

I found the next section the most interesting. In Non-Fiction, Das has expressed her views on various matters in compact, to-the-point style. In ‘Body Is a Mere Container’ she writes about her depression after her husband’s death, when she wanted to hang herself. Her meeting with Arundhati Roy in ‘Talking of Arundhati Roy’ and in ‘Thoughts On Sahitya Akademi’ she openly condemns Akademi’s retrograde stance and reluctance to bring in freshness in literature. The most enjoyable is ‘Indigestion and Hospitality’ wherein she describes how Indians like to torture their guests in the name of hospitality.

Her poetry is really stirring as she writes mostly on social topics relating to haplessness of women. Basically, Das was a hardcore feminist and every word of her is tinted with this view. The poem ‘Temples’ is really haunting. It describes the despicable conditions of old widows. Other poems too, are worth reading.

Her work is explicit in parts, reflects contempt for society and distrust for men. Das was anything but a hypocrite and presented naked truth in her usual, no-holds-barred style. I liked this book and I think it is a good read.

Images from

http://image1.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2009/154/37915574_124415265100.jpg

Google.com

WOW: Being Watched!

Yay!!! It's now a WOW post!

'One Thing They Didn’t Know That They Were Being Watched'   

All the arguments as if became pointless, the tough decision disallowed appeals to reach those standing inside the gate. ‘Thump’! With a loud bang, the curly haired man threw old hold all and trunk out. The neighbors, a curious and loyal audience to the family drama, now quietly waited for the climax.

Despite pleadings and curses, the two feeble bodies were given a push. Sitting outside, they did say something with watery eyes and quivering lips but those on the other side, did not know that language so, the conversation was snapped. 

Inside, quite relieved of the garbage, they heaped on the sofa. One thing they didn’t know that they were being watched carefully by a light-eyed eight year old boy from that high round window; one that stood as a witness to the same drama played by those outside the gate, some three decades back, when a curly haired child saw all that, through it, carefully…

This post (fiction) is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. We give out creative writing topics each weekend for Indian bloggers.

Images from http://www.flickriver.com/photos/converging/8171164425/ and Blogadda.com