Old stone mansion" by Mahesh Elkunchwar

"Old stone mansion", a play, by Mahesh Elkunchwar, translated from original Marathi 'Wada Chirebandi (वाडा चिरेबंदी)' to English by Shanta Gokhale. This book is published by Seagull in 2004 and has 72 pages. This book was recommended by my father. 

Patriarch of a respected, but almost broke, family is dead. His second son and daughter in law arrive from Bombay. The play is about perspectives of family members towards each other, society and their own future, their relationship with each other and their opinions against the harsh reality of dwindling monetary situation and need to spend for the sake of appearances, social status and prestige. It's the story of transformation of a once wealthy Brahman family in a town in Vidarbha staying in a huge 200 year old stone mansion and hollowed economic situation. 

When you read a play, the characters and their relations with other characters are not explained by author like in a novel. Here these things are slowly unveiled through the dialogues. That's the beauty of play.

There are a number of tiffs in the play. Rich and poor, city and town dwellers, deshasta and koknastha, young and old, opportunists and naives etc. There is love between the family members but it is time and again measured with the economic yard stick. 

Characters are rich. Blind and deaf grandmother who is stuck in time and calls her son. Mourning, loving Aai whose opinion does not count, Bhaskar the opportunist elder brother who is not able to retain the lifestyle, Vahini his wife, Parag their son who is in bad company, Ranju their daughter who is dreaming about acting in films, Sudhir the middle son who works in Mumbai, Anjali his Koknastha (A Brahman sub cast) wife, Chandu the youngest son ordered by all and Prabha their sister who has been subjected to injustice. 

The character of Vahini (Eldest daughter in law of the family) is most interesting. She demonstrates a lot of shades. She is responsible, works a lot, keeps her husband in check, adores her brother in law, keeps ordering her youngest brother in law, is blindsided with her love for her children and can't see the inevitable, has taken control of the house. Probably the most developed character.

Translation is OK. In some cases it is a transliteration rather than translation. For example Vahini keeps saying 'pest'. I wondered why she uses the word out of context. Then I realized that probably the original Marathi play used the expression 'jalla (जळ्ळं)'. Also the change in spoken Marathi in Warhad and in Kokan that shows the tiff in family is lost in translation.

It's a powerful play of transitions and lack of adaptability. I have not watched this play on stage but it was one of the classics. It was revived recently and is running currently.

Special mention should go to the title of the play, both original and translation. It's so perfect that there couldn't have been a better name. The name says it all. 

Read the original in Marathi. Or better watch it.

A mysterious death at Sainik farms by Rukmani Anandani

"A mysterious death at Sainik farms" by Rukmani Anandani. This book is published by Rupa publications in 2012 and has 240 pages.

Ugrasen, a wealthy businessman and father of three adult sons, is dead in his house full of family and relatives. There is a typewritten note. Private Investigator Ganapaty Iyer and his side kick Vinayak Verma, luckily, land their first case in Delhi.

Is the death a murder? Can GP successfully investigate? Will police cooperate? Whodunit?

A big rich family, patriarch murderd, lot of suspects, most of them with motives, slow story, meticulous investigations, assembly at the end to reveal the murderer. Sounds familiar? This can be the synopsis of most of Agatha Christie books. So is it for this book. While reading the book you get a feeling that you are reading an Agatha Christie's Indian novel. 

Characters are good. Bossy father, Suppressed and rebellious sons, a femme fatale, jeleous wife, dubious brother, friendly sister-in-law, sharp niece, dependent relatives, impatient police, smart but not that smart side kick and finally logical, deductive, methodological detective.

To add some differentiating factor, here is a detective (GP) who can recite verses from Kural of Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar, at will, appropriate to the occasion.

I was able to recognize the killer half way through the book. GP finds the killer based on other clues, not the one I used for my deduction. Should ask the author if my deduction is also valid.

One thing that escapes the reader is how GP can be so confident, convincing and all knowing in his first case. Reason for missing will is also weak. 

Cover shows an old wooden rocking chair at night, on the background of a wall with peeling paint and plaster. I was not able to determine how exactly is this cover relevant to the story. 

Based on how the novel ends, it is evident that Rukmani is planning to write a series for this lovable private investigator Ganapaty Iyer. Would like to read another one. 

Read if you like Agatha mysteries.

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

"The Hidden Oracle" by Rick Riordan. This book is published by Puffin in 2016 and has 432 pages. This is Book 1 of 'The trials of Apollo', a new series on Greek mythology. 

Apollo, God of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge, finds himself transformed into Lester Pappadopolus, a 16 year old youngster and to his horror, a mortal. 

Why has he become a mortal? What did he do? What trails await him? Can he survive without his Godly powers?

After dabbling in Egyptian (Kane chronicles) and Norse mythology (Magnus Chase series), Rick is back to his favourite Greek mythology. He has already written two series on Greek mythology, both featuring Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson makes an appearance at the start and towards the end of this book. Here he is in supporting role rather than being the protagonist.

In the first series Cronus was the villain, in second Gia was the villain. In this series, Roman emperor Nero and the Python are the villains. Both have come back from dead.

Apollo and Calypso have acquired a mortal form. Leo is missing after battle with Gia. There are all sort of wierd and fascinating characters like Diaper wearing Peach demon, Gyser God asking to fill customer satisfaction surveys, a demigod who can weaponize garbage, Apollo who had fallen from being a God to a mortal, 100 feet statue turned automaton, talking trees etc. He blends mythology with modern day things seamlessly. He continues with his peculiar and crisp narration and maintains your interest. 

Some of the Heros from previous books make an appearance and come back. However the protagonist is Apollo. Apollo, a big headed and self-important God, starts to identify with human traits like affection for family, responsibility and sacrifice.

The story of this book is weak. If it is to be developed into a full series, there should be more to it. Let's hope that author pulls his socks. Book 1 ends with a prophecy and Book 2 will start with the quest. 

Read only if you intend to read the series.

Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee

"Disgrace" by J. M. Coetzee. This book is published by Vintage in 2000 and has 220 pages. My father recommended this book and gave me a copy to read. 

This is the story of a twice divorced South African professor, David Lurie, who has an affair with one of his student. Her parents lean on her to lodge a complaint of sexual harrasment. An inquiry is set up. 

What will be the outcome of inquiry? Who will be found at fault? Will the proffessor gain his lost respect or will it be a disgrace? Where will he go? What will he encounter? Is the disgrace limited to him?

Character of David is very interesting. He is a proffessor of literature but has to teach communication due to rationalization. His heart is not in it. He loves all things beautiful, especially women. He has a series of affairs. He is a critique of literature and has books on his name. He wants to write about Byron. He actually uses sexual harassment charge to escape the staid life and venture into something new. Reader sympathizes with his restlessness and suffocation when his daughter is raped. Character of Melanie is under developed. Why Lucy wants to stay put despite knowing the eventuality of loosing everything, including honor, is baffling. Character of Bev, who kills animals out of love, is interesting.

Violation of a white lady and robbery of her belongings by black assailants in post aperhhide South Africa is a very powerful sub plot. And if the lady decides not to press charges due to the feeling of disgrace how much would she suffer and how much would her father suffer due to her suffering?

Its a novel describing the grim realities of modern day South Africa where class divide and then the abolishment has destabilized the society. 

David's passion is to write an opera on the life of English poet Byron and his Italian mistress Teresa. While he writes and composes music, does he see himself in Byron? Is there an allegory? Indeed there is. Not only in the opera but also about the dogs that he helps to dispose off respectfully after they are put down. 

David goes from being a proffessor to becoming disgraced to a farmer to a dog undertaker to an opera writer and back as dog undertaker. 

It's a disturbing novel. But powerfully written. It's dark. 

Read if you like the genre.

Can love happen twice by Ravinder Singh

"Can love happen twice" by Ravinder Singh. This book is published by Penguin Random House India  in 2013 and has 224 pages. 

After 'I too had a love story' (See my book review - April 2014), Ravin's story continues. After coming out of shock of Khushi's death, he meets another girl, Simar, in Belgium. Inevitably they fall in love. 

Can Love happen twice? Will Ravin be able to live someone else? Will they marry? Is it a happy ending?

To read and understand this book you must have read the first one titled 'I too had a love story'. This story begins where the previous ended. Ravin's tentativeness about falling in love again. Simar's carefree nature. Their courtship and their life in Belgium makes the story readable. However the turn it takes as the discussion on marriage starts is a bit baffling. Ravin is flabbergasted. 

Author has given a twist to the story but it rather comes as a surprise. There are no hidden hints or clues about Simar's behavior in the earlier part of story. That's why it appears unconvincing. Hard to buy. 

Author has used his succesful formula of distant love i. e. Blossoming of love through phone. He has extended it to fights and reason for a split. It's a story of selfless love by one of the two. 

I wonder why author ended the book, the way he did. It sounds artificial. Though the idea of radio show was good , what a radio show can do, a telephone call could have done as well. 

Although the story is narrated well, one can not help comparing it with the first book. And this one pales in comparison. It does not rouse the emotions in the reader like the first book. 

Not a must read.

A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini

"A thousand splendid suns" by Khaled Hosseini. This book is published by Bloomsbury publishing in 2013 and has 419 pages.

Mariam is a harami (basterd) daughter of successful businessman in Herat. She is married off to a man from Kabul, much older than her. Laila, almost 20 years younger than Mariam, is a carefree girl in the neighborhood whose two brothers are martryed in fight against Soviets and whose mother hasn't come out of mourning, depression and mood swings. Life takes a turn. 

A quirk of fate coupled with opportunism brings Mariam and Laila under one roof. They come under same roof when the book reaches 50% mark. The relationship between Mariam and Laila is the soul of the story. The relationship is one of pity and empathy, then it changes to animosity, then to fate accompli, then to cooperation, then to commradiery and finally to a deep bond of love and friendship. 

It's a story of relations and relationships between Mariam, Laila, Aziza, the husband Rashid and the way their life is impacted by the upheavals and transitions in Afghanistan starting from rule of Shah to Soviets to Communists to Mujahiddin to Taliban to Northern alliance to Democracy. 

It was a horrible situation for women under Taliban rule. They could not leave the abusive husband, could not stand him and had no option but to suffer the abuses without complaint. But it too has a limit. 

It's the story of Mariam who has no joy, no satisfaction, no happiness in her life. She encounters suffering after suffering. However she clings to the small things in her life and values them very much. Probably that gives her strength to sustain. It's a story of relationship between two women but Mariam is undoubtedly the protagonist. Her ultimate sacrifice is towering example of her selflessness. 

Khaled has written the story lyrically. Though Mariam is absent in the middle portion of the book, reader awaits her return. The Afghan background and Farsi words make the story exotic.  

Recommend reading. 

The taxi ride and other spooky stories by Priyanka and Bhavini

"The taxi ride and other spooky stories" by Priyanka and Bhavini. This book is published by Ms Moochie in 2014 and has 54 pages. Its a collection of spooky stories.

'Nani's secret' is a story of interaction between long dead Nani and her 9-10 year old grandson. 

'You've got mail' is about a chain email. You must forward to 30 persons otherwise bad things will happen. 

In 'The wall' children experience something dangerous, something creepy in the adjacent abandoned property. 

In 'The mist' each of the three school boys has same experience at the same time while other two slept. 

In 'The dark sorcerer', a life size chess board and chess pieces come to life every night. What happens next?

In 'Silence please' Mohit goes to a boarding school that is strangely silent. Why?

'A dangerous sport' is about black magic. Will a tennis ball help?

In 'The taxi ride' Tharunika boards a taxi on a lonely foggy night. The driver is scary. What happens on the ride?

'The bleeding finger' is a story of a couple who give shelter to a man with bleeding finger during a storm. Why is the finger bleeding?

In 'The ouija board' school girls call a spirit. It really comes. What will it do?

In 'The last dream' a boy sees dream about innocuous things and the things appear in his house the next day. What would be his last dream?

'The lucky finger' is a story told by a school girl to her sleepover friends. Why does the TV start on its own?

The book is a Collection of 12 stories. Title does not leave any doubt in reader's mind as to the content of the book.

The stories are spooky but not that spooky. Spookyness in some of the stories is predictable. There are a couple of errors of continuity that could have been avoided. 

Of these 12 stories I liked The mist, The taxi ride and The dark sorcerer, the most. 

It is rare for female authors to write spooky stories. This book has come out good. Although the book title shows only two authors, the stories are written by numerous authors, mostly female.

Do I recommend reading the book? Yes. Do I recommend to purchase the book? No.