Ghalib Danger by Neeraj Pandey

"Ghalib Danger" by Neeraj Pandey. This book is published by Blue salt - Penguin in 2013 and has 255 pages.

Everyone knows Neeraj Pandey as maker of films 'A Wednesday' and 'Special 26'. This is his debut novel.

Kamran Khan, a sharp but illiterate youth comes from U.P. to Mumbai to make a fortune. On the day he was going to ask hand of his love to her father and on the day he takes delivery of his brand new taxi, he takes an elderly gentleman as his first customer. This customer is shot in his taxi. Kamran takes him to hospital and saves his life. This customer is none other than underworld don Mirza.

Kamran's fortune changes from that day. He becomes Ghalib Danger, a don himself, working for Mirza. Along with Munna, he becomes number two in the organization.

A plot is hatched again to kill Mirza. Who is behind it? Will Mirza be killed? Is there a traitor? Can Ghalib Danger save him? Or is he behind it? Does he get his true love? Is he betrayed?

Ghalib Danger gets his name because Kamran keeps listening to Ghalib's poetry and is dangerous. Ghalib's couplets are quoted at various instances appropriately. The choice is apt for the situation. The book would have been equally effective without Ghalib. So although the poetry was not the necessicity of the story, it's inclusion does not harm the story either. If anything, it gives an exotic touch.

The background of the story is of underworld, extorsion and violence. But the book also has emotions, love, action, empathy and revenge. Neeraj's fluid writing style does not betray that he is a debut writer.

Neeraj Pandey is a very good story teller. When you read this book you feel like you are watching a movie and enjoy it. I started casting actors to play various roles as I was the book. I think this is the success of the book.

A very good book. If you like the gener, it's a must read.

The Hindu view of life by Prof. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

"The Hindu view of life", by Prof. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who served as President of India in 1960s. This book is published by Harper Collins in 2009 and has 95 pages. The material of this book was originally delivered in the form of lectures, the Upton Lectures, in 1926, at Manchester college, Oxford.

This book consists of four lectures.
1. Religious experience.
2. Conflict of religions
3. Hindu dharma I
4. Hindu dharma II

Prof. Radhakrishnan explains the origin and development of Hindu religion. He explains the philosophy and Hindu way of life.

He explains:
Hindu originally implied residents of well defined area that included aboriginals, savages, half civilized people, cultured Dravidians and vedic Aryans. Religion is not the acceptance of academic abstractions or celebration ceremonies, but a kind of life or experience.

The Hindu attitude to Vedas is one of trust tempered by criticism. The Hindu thinker really admits other points of view than his own and considers them to be just as worthy of attention. If tradition does not grow, it only means that it's followers have become spiritually dead.

Hinduism developed an attitude of comprehensive charity instead of a fanatic faith in an inflexible creed. Hinduism has the large comprehensive unity of living organism with a fixed orientation. The task of a religious teacher is not so much to impose an opinion as to kindle an aspiration.

Moksha is the realization of the purpose of each individual. How the finite rises out of the bottom of infinite? It's Maya. We can insist with unflinching rigor on the inexorability of the moral law and yet believe in the forgiveness of sins. Hinduism is more a way of life than a form of thought. Dharma is right action.

Without creating great radical disturbances the Hindu spirit brought about a gradual racial harmony. In ancient India the highest kind of work, that of preserving the treasures of spiritual knowledge, was the least paid. Service of one's fellows is a religious obligation. To repudiate it is impiety. In the Hindu scheme the cultural forms the highest and the economic lowest. Hindu recognizes one supreme spirit, though different names are given to it. There had been no such thing as a uniform stationery unalterable Hinduism whether in point of belief or practice.

Author has spent  numerous pages explaining the class and cast system, it's genesis, it's objectives, the philosophy and how it worked. He has also candidly accepted that what it is today was not intended.

The book is written for learned and those who have studied religion. Commoner will have difficulty understanding heavy language. Philosophy and spirituality are basic foundations of every religion, author explains that flexibility is speciality of Hindu religion. Given that, the book gives a rational and almost impartial account of Hindu religion, where a Hindu explains his religion to the world.

Author has avoided  criticizing other religions unnecessarily. However author also  does not hesitate in pointing out the differences in various religions when necessary.

It is amazing that author has not only studied Hindu religion but also other religions. He quotes philosophers and thinkers from Hindu and other religions appropriately and with equal ease.

This book is for serious readers. It's a good book. Read if you want to know about Hindu religion.

Penelopiad: The myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood

"Penelopiad: The myth of Penelope and Odysseus", by Margaret Atwood. This book is published by Penguin India in 2005 and has 184 pages.

Everyone must have read or heard the timeless classic Homer's Odyssy; tale of Odysseus. BTW: Young readers should know that Rick Riordan's Sea of monsters is modern retelling of Odyssy.

Odysseus was a Greek demigod and king of Itacha. He was known for his bravery, cleverness, deception and ability of disguise.He won a competition to marry Penelope. Penelope was daughter of king Icarus and cousin of Helen (Who was later called Helen of Troy). They spent good time together and had a son called Telemachus. Then Trojen war started and Odysseus had to go to fight against Troy to honor his oath.

Odysseus spent 20 years of his life away from Penelope. Half of them fighting the Trojan war and other half wandering Aegean sea fighting monsters, tricking Cyclopes and bedding goddesses; as told by Homer in Odyssy.

Penelope waited for him all this time, without knowing where he was or if he was alive in second half of his absence,  looking after his kingdom (Ithaca) and resources, raising his child (Telemachus) and keeping her suitors (more than 100), who wanted to marry her for money and kingdom , at bay .

When Penelope gave birth to Telemachus, 12 maids gave birth to girl childs. Although they were born at the same time the destinies and futures of the girls and Telemachus were very different. These girls became maids of Penelope.

Assuming Odysseus is dead, Penelope's suitors lived in her palace all these years, feeding on her livestock and using her resources and loving, seducing, raping her 12 maids. Dispite her precarious position Penelope succeeded in devising various tricks to not marry any of them. Penelope is thus often seen as an ideal example of fidelity.

Upon Odysseus's return, he kills all suitors and hangs the 12 maids. Margaret follows story as told by Odyssey but diverges when it comes to these 12 maids. In Odyssey these maids were killed for betraying and sleeping with the enemy. In this book the maids are encouraged to mingle with suitors by Penelope to get inside news and used as spies. Despite their contribution and sacrifices to keep Penelope safe from her suitors, they are hanged. Penelope regrets this but could not save them.

In this book, the maids insist for justice after death and haunt Odysseus, not  allowing him any piece of mind and forcing him to take rebirths just to get away from them. Every rebirth of Odysseus ends in a violent and unnatural death.

Margaret has written this book with a different perspective than Homer. The book is not pure prose, there is a lot of poetry in it. The story of Penelope is not written in great detail in Greek mythology, so the author had to invent. She has preferred to keep it short and effective rather than trying to create an epic that may be diluted.

The book lays bare the plight of palace maids who were treated add a mere commodity. The injustice done to the maids brings to a social issue to the table.

This book is not for those who want a good story. This book is beyond entertainment, it forces you to introspect and think about the injustice meted out to the 12 maids.

A short and sweet book. Recommend reading.

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

"The Lowland", by Jhumpa Lahiri. This book is published by Random House India in 2013 and has 352 pages. This book was shortlisted for Man Booker prize in 2013 but lost to Eleanor Catton's 'The Luminaries'.

Subhash and Udayan are brothers born 15 months apart and brought up in Tollygunj, Kolkata. Subhash is careful type and Udayan is daring. They are inseparable in their childhood. Subhash goes to America for higher studies and Udayan is drawn in Naxalite movement. While Subhash is still in America, Udayan marries Gauri.

One day Subhash gets a message that Udayan is killed. He reaches Kolkata and finds that he was killed by Police and that Gauri is pregnant. Sensing antipathy of his parents towards Gauri, he marries her and takes her to America.

Will he be a good husband and father? Will Gauri come to love him? Will Subhash love Udayan's child? Will the marriage work?

Author shows the transitions in the lives of Subhash and Gauri. The book jumps back and fourth in past and present and covers a  time period of 70 years. It's a tragedy all along.

The narration seems jerky. The story starts well, drifts for majority of the time and becomes interesting at the very end. Reader does not understand exactly what message author is trying to convey. Background of naxalite movement introduces a dark undercurrent but it is not the soul of the story.

Gauri's character is an enigma. Author had tried to decipher why she behave the way she does. Gauri appears to be an escapist and Subhash seems to be destined by faith to suffer. I found some similarities between the character of Gauri in this story with Moushumi in 'The namesake'. Author should have curtailed the book by about 70 pages.

At the end of the book, I asked myself what did I read? Did I get the satisfaction of reading something good? Did I understand what author had to say? The answer is NO.

AVOID.

The palace of illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

"The palace of illusions", by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. This book is published by Pan Macmillan in 2009 and has 384 pages.

This book is the story of Mahabharata from a female perspective. A female who is supposed to be the cause of Mahabharata war; Draupadi. All the events are seen through Daupadi's eyes. Author has avoided the temptation of narrating entire Mahabharata and chosen to narrate only those incidents that have direct relation to her.

Epic story of Mahabharata is, has been and will remain fascinating for generations so I will not delve into the story line. The story is so fascinating that an author need not work on the storyline and needs only to concentrate on the section and angle she wishes to narrate and the presentation.

Draupadi was proud, stubborn, impatient lady with a sharp tongue. She was dark, not considered favorably in those days, yet beautiful. She was ambitious and bold. She was treated very badly. She was attracted towards Karna and could not forget him until she died.

Fire ceremony was done by Drupad to obtain a son who can take vengeance. His prayers were answered when Drishtadyumna came out of fire with Draupadi. Drupad tried to pick up only Drishtadyumna when he came out of fire thereby rejecting Draupadi implicitly. Draupadi was uninvited.

Draupadi had a chance to make a decision that would mitigate catastrophes to come three times in her life. First when she did not allow Karna to participate in her swayamwar sighting his low cast. Second when she laughed at Duryodhan and insulted him in the palace of illusions. Third when she cursed Kaurav's that culminated in war after her wastraharan (वस्त्रहरण). The choices she made on these occasions altered the course of history.

Draupadi was raised motherless in a palace she did not feel home. Pandav's were raised in Hastinapur in their uncle's palace and did not connect to it as their home. Hence when Maya built the palace of illusions for them in Indraprastha it meant a lot to them. They could call it home. A home that was owner's pride and Duryodhan's envy.

I expected the author to have given a convincing explanation as to why Draupadi laughed at Duryodhan in the palace of illusions, because after all it was the reason why Duryodhan hated her and de-robed her later causing the great war. But the justification given by author is at best lame.

Did Bheeshma hate all women due to the behavior of his mother? Was Kunti a  dangerous woman who succeeded in bringing up her sons in a hostile environment? Did Draupadi long for a beautiful palace of her own? Was the relation between Draupadi and Kunti uncomfortable? Did Draupadi love Karna?

Draupadi quips 'Doesn't anyone have normal births anymore?' How true. All Kaurav's, all Pandav's, Draupadi, Drushtadyumna, Karna, Bheeshma, Dritarashtra, Pandu, Vidur and even Krishna; all had abnormal or unusual births.

Character of Vidur is completely omitted. Death of Dussasan and Bheem applying Dussasan's blood to Draupadi's hair is also omitted. Although author has tried to justify the name of book, she has not effectively drilled home the importance of Palace of illusions to Draupadi.

All in all it is a good book to read that looks at the epic from a different angle. Did Draupadi really think like the Draupadi of this fiction? Only Maharshi Vyas can answer it.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Blowback by Mukul Deva

"Blowback" by Mukul Deva. The book is published by Harper Collins in 2010 and is 349 pages long. This is the third book in Lashkar series.

Last book ended with Indian Force 22 commandos escaping from Pakistan and Tanaz and injured Iqbal going towards dessert to a doctor. This book starts where the previous book left. Tanaz and Iqbal are confronted by Pakistani military and are shot. A terrorist group saves them. When they are fit again they return to India. Force 22 is happy to see them alive. Tanaz is pregnant. Force 22 trains them for an infiltration operation. Their target is Indian Mujahideen.

Can Iqbal and Tanaz infiltrate Indian Mujahideen? Can Iqbal save lives? Will his cover hold? Or will it be blown? What will be the blow back?

The story is nicely paced. The infiltration in Indian Mujahideen seemed a little too easy. Force 22 and Iqbal work very cohesively. The book shows how technology and human Intel can save lives and how a small failure can cost lives. Author also provides a comprehensive, expensive but effective solution to get rid of problem of terrorism once and for all that would not be implemented by rulers due to possible political repercussions.

Iqbal in this book is not a confused youth any more, neither is he mad because of death of his loved ones. He has firm opinions and thinks clearly. He is a true patriot. He risks his life for the country.

Mukul is a master story teller. He keeps you interested till the end. Author has ended the book at a turn that sets the tone for next book (Tanzeem) firmly, which is already published.

A good book. Recommend reading, but read the series in order.

Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie

"Sparkling Cyanide" by Agatha Christie. The book is published by Harper in 1992 and is 226 pages long. This is neither a Hercule Poirot mystery nor a Miss Marple mystery. The detective is Colonel Race, a rarity. A classic whodunit.

Rosemary, a rich and extremely beautiful heiress, who received all her money from her godfather, dies after drinking glass of sparkling wine laced with cyanide after a toast during a party in a restaurant. She was married to a man older than her (George) and had extra marital affairs. Police term her death as a suicide.

There are a number of suspects. Ruth Lessing (Agatha's pun does not go unnoticed) secretary of George, who secretly wants to marry George. Antony Brown, Rosemary's lover who has done jail and whose past is now reveled. Steven Faraday, a politician and Rosemary's lover who is annoyed that she wants him to divorce his wife, forgo his career and marry her. Alexandra (Sandra) Faraday, Steven's wife, who knew about the affair. George Barton, Rosemary's husband, who knew and accepted her love affairs. Iris, Rosemary's younger sister who will inherit her fortune when she turns 21?

George gets letters indicating that Rosemary did not commit suicide but was murdered. Instead of going to police George devices a trap and invites Colonel Race to investigate. Everything appears to be set when there is another murder exactly in the same fashion. Now police come into the picture and Inspector Kemp starts investigations with Colonel Race.

Were these murders? Or were they suicides? Who was the second victim? Can the investigators succeed in pinning down the murderer? Whodunit?

It was interesting to read Agatha mystery without Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. It's a classic case where everyone seems to have a motive but no one seems to be the murderer. The story is laid decently, though not spectacularly, as usual.

The murderer is not the least suspected in this story but the most suspected for a change.

An OK read. Read if you have time.