Dead line by Chris Ewan

"Dead line" by Chris Ewan - Strange!

This book is published by Faber & Faber in 2013 and has 368 pages. 

Trent is following a French businessman, Jerome, when his convoy is attacked and the businessman is kidnapped. Jerome has a kidnap policy. Trent offers to help. The one person he can trust is retired police officer Gerard. 

Why is Trent following the businessman? Is he trying to protect him from kidnapping? How will he deal with the kidnappers? Does he have an ulterior motive?

Story starts well with kidnap of Jerome, the businessman. Trent teams with Stefani (Jerom's young trophy wife), Philippe (his young son) and Alain (his bodyguard). Trent wants to save Jerome, but he needs him to find Emme, his fiancee. The graph of story keeps rising until the ransom demand is made. But after that author loses control over the story. There is an affair, not required for the story. Then there are deaths. Author introduces death expecting to give shock to the audience but ends up making the story jerky. Death after death takes the story off the track. 

The end is also very unconvincing. A dead man becomes alive. The mastermind is revealed but there are no hidden clues in the earlier story, so it appears as afterthought rather than being integral part of the story. At the end, everyone dies but Emme is still missing. Does the author plan a sequel? I hope not. To top it up, guess what, there is no dead line. 

Characterization appears to be shallow. Trent, an experienced negotiator acts rashly. Jerom's sadistic actions in past have no relation to the present story. Author can't decide if Stefani is oppressed or opportunist. Gerard retires, why? Alain's character builds up nicely to make an untimely exit.  

Give it a miss. 

Why did I read this book? It happened to be on hand. 

What I didn't like? Story and execution. 

What did I like? Umm...

47 Ronin by John Allyn

"47 Ronin" by John Allyn. This book is published by Tuttle publishing in 2012 and has 256 pages.

Feudal Japan, Year 1701. Lord Asano of Ako refuses to give bribe to Kira, Master of ceremonies in Shogun's court in Edo (Tokyo). Kira insults him and Asano draws sword and slashes at him. He has committed cardinal sin of drawing sword in Shogun's court. He is compelled to commit seppuku (ritual suicide). His Samurai fighters decide to take revenge.

What will they do? Can they fight the might of Shogun? Is Kira dead? Is the vengeance honourable?

Oishi, chief retainer of Lord Asano, decides to take revenge on Kira for the loss of prestige and property of House of Asano. He and his follower Samurai wait for one year and make everyone believe that they have accepted fate and are not going to cause trouble and then mount an attack to realize their revenge. This is a fictionalized account of an actual historical event. It is not known what insult by Kira insinuated Lord Asano to draw sword. The book, however, provides the fictionalized answer.

The story is narrated in an interesting manner. Old time Japan is effectively created. Geisha culture, Samurai, Ronin, Honour, family name etc is depicted very well. Characterization is good. Oishi is the balanced personality, Hara and Oribe are the hot headed ones, Karaoka has faith in Oishi, Geisha is in love with Oishi, Kira is malevolent with power and afraid after retirement. It's a relatively short story to make a novel. Author has done well to do it.

Ronin is a man (a fighter, a samurai) without a master, generally past his prime. In short leaderless samurai, without station or prestige. Swordsman without a cause to serve.

There are differing opinions about this attack. Foreword says the attack was a cowardly act of revenge that was portrayed and later accepted as act of honour. Samurai were facing identity crisis in the peace time and this attack provided the much needed rallying point. This attack thus became emblematic of loyalty, sacrifice, persistence and honour.

In short it's a fictionalized account of a historical event and is a very famous story of Japanese vendetta.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Revenge - a fable by Taslima Nasreen

"Revenge - a fable" by Taslima Nasreen.  This book is published by The Feminist Press in 2010 and has 176 pages.

This book is translation of her bangla book 'Shodh'. It is translated by Honor Moor with Taslima Nasreen.

Jhumur (what a beautiful name!) is an educated and beautiful young lady in love with Haroon. Haroon is young & handsome entrepreneur. He is fond of music, likes flowers, finds time for Jhumur whenever she wants and courts her till she agrees to marriage.

The moment she becomes wife and daughter in law, he changes. Now he expects her not to contact her friends or relatives, not go to her mother often, cover her head, not go out alone, take care of his family and home. He doesn't take her out or bring her flowers. From a vivacious young graduate Jhumur becomes a docile cow with a status of a glorified servant who has lost all her independence.

Six weeks into marriage, Jhumur becomes pregnant. And the world changes for her. Haroon becomes suspicious and says it is not possible to get pregnant in six weeks. So he forces her to abort. Jhumu's pleas that it is his child and he should not kill  it fall on deaf ears.

Jhumur can not forget this murder of her child and decides to take revenge. What can she do? What does she do? How does she take revenge? Does she leave her husband? How does the story end?

Although the story is set in Dhaka (Bangladesh), the same could happen in any of the south Asian country where tradition runs strong.

It's a sea change for Jhumur after marriage but author has failed to provide adequate explanation or justification as to why Jhumur gives in meekly? Why she does not fight; being fearless and educated (She has a degree in physics)? She submits to her husband's dictates meekly and puts herself in vulnerable position. Of course had she fought then, the abortion and subsequent revenge would not be necessary. Taslima also does not provide explanation of second behavioral change of Haroon.

Taslima has written a good story. The delivery is simple and uncomplicated. The revenge she takes is unique. It is difficult to imagine this revenge. The revenge gives her the will and power to fight back. It's a bold revenge & difficult to digest for an orthodox society. Bangladeshi culture and tradition is picturized very well by author.

A good book. Recommend reading.