Vyomakesh Bakshi mystery stories Part 1 by Sharadindu Bandopadhyay

"Vyomakesh Bakshi mystery stories Part 1", a novel by Sharadindu Bandopadhyay, translated in Marathi by Ashok Jain.

1st story is called 'Prani Sangrahalay'. An ex judge runs a farm and employs a number of questionable characters. He assigns a work to Vyomkesh and removes him from job shortly after. Then he is murdered. Another person on the farm is also murdered. Who is the murderer? Who is the mysterious ex actress, now disappeared?  Has the young widow of owner anything to do with it? Or is it his nephew? You will have to read the book for answers.

2nd story is called 'Chitra chor'. Vyomkesh is on recuperation leave in a small town on west border of Bengal. 3 copies and negative of a group photograph go missing. Is it serious? There is an interesting assembly of characters. An unhappy husband, a bossy wife, a young widow, a wealthy man, a young doctor, a banker, a beurocrat, a DSP, an addict sketch artist and so on. 

There is a theft where nothing of value is stolen and the sketch artist is found dead by drowning. Is it murder? Is there any relation between the three incidents? Is there any other angle? Will Vyomkesh solve the mystery?
     
Setup of the stories is more than 50 yrs ago. Bengal of old times and Vyomkesh's methods of solving crimes is a novelty for todays reader. Things move slowly as was the pace of life in those days. Writer has shown Vyomkesh, his side kick Ajit & other characters smoking too many cigarettes.

It is amazing that widow remarriage and plastic surgery are used in the stories years ago by the author. Those who like murder mystries and those who liked the serial on Doordarshan can read this book. You can read it because it is different.

Dongar Mhatara Zala (डोंगर म्हातारा झाला) by Anil Barve.

"Dongar Mhatara Zala" (डोंगर म्हातारा झाला), a Marathi novel by Anil Barve.

Story starts with Retired Major Kama deciding to leave Mumbai forever and going to spend rest of his life quietly on 'Malkarnicha Dongar'. He meets Kamrad (derivation of comrade) Mhatara (old man), a communist, who has spent all his life for upliftment of Thakar community. They gel slowly, a curious pair. Kamrad Mhatara is a samaj sudharak and Kama has nothing to do with the society.

Kamrad Mhatara calls Kama sojir, not soldier because he follows command and does not do what is required for the good of society. 
There is a classic conflict between the established / wealthy and Thakars. Kamrad Mhatara fights for them and takes heavy losses. There is a lot of politiking of wealthy to grab Thakar lands. Will Kama do anything? Or will he remain aloof and detached as usual?

The book is writren exceptionally well. The focus is not on the issues of Thakars but on how everyone looks at them differently. Characters like Mhatara, Kama, D'souza, Boy D'souza, two seths etc are very well developed. Malkarnicha dongar is also a very important character. Developing characters was a very difficult taks considering that this book is about 110 pages long.

Intelligent readres can guess the climax. After climax the book ends logically as it should end. The end might have been more effective if the last 3-4 pages were not there.

Recommend reading. Since the book is small, even those who are not avid readers can read.

Astitva (अस्तित्व) by Sudha Murthy

"Astitva" (अस्तित्व), a Marathi translation of original kannad novel 'Tumula' of Sudha Murthy, by Prof A R Yardi. (Narayan Murthy happens to be Sudha Murthy's husband) This is a novella, 97 pages long.

Mukesh Rao is a son of rich Raosaheb and stays  in London with his wife. His wife meets an accident and he recieves a message of his fathers death at the same time. So he leaves for India alone. His parents have made him a good human being and a good son. He misses his father and consoles his mother and sister.

After reading of his fathers will everything changes for ever. He does not understand what to do and who he is. He goes on journey to discover himself. His search takes him to Amritsar, UK and USA.

What happens next? Does his search end? How does the book end?

First half of the book is gripping. In second half a twist takes the story tangential. There was a possibility of story going out of control.  But Sudha manages to bring it back on track and ends it agreeably.

Not a bad read.

The Taj Conspiracy by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

"The Taj Conspiracy", by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar.

Mehrunisa (Persian mother and Sikh father, now dead) lives with her godfather and Taj historian Mr. Kaul. She is fluent in 6 languages and a historian herself.

She goes to meet the curator of Taj Mahal, Arun Toor, & finds him dead between tombs of Mumtaz and Shahjahan. He is in a peculiar position and has written something in his blood. (Did this remind you of Da Vinci Code?). She finds that the caligraphy on tomb of Mumtaz is altered, thereby declaring it fake. A Pakistani terrorist is plotting to attack Taj. Mehrunisa is attacked but escapes miraculously. Mr. Kaul is loosing his mind to an illness.

What is the Taj conspiracy? Who is behind it? Hindu political party? Pakistani terrorist? Home grown terrorist? Someone else? Can Meherunisa solve the case? Does she get any help from the government agencies or the bald officer assigned for the case? Who is the real culprit?

Character of Shri Kriplani is a fusion of MM Joshi and LK Advani. All characters are properly developed. Almost everyone seems to be the culprit.  Story is gripping and keeps you interested. Mehrunisa and Pamposh, new age ladies are constructed in interesting manner. All the conspiracy theories and legends about Taj are used to create suspense and confusion.

Manreet seems to be India's answer to Dan Brown. She has heightned the expectations.

A good read.

Pacific Vortex by Clive Cussler.

"Pacific Vortex", by Clive Cussler. A Dirk Pitt adventure.  Actually this was Cussler's first Pitt adventure but was published much later.

A nuclear submarine goes missing in an area, notorious for ship disappearances, known as pacific vortex, and is presumed drowned & lost.       

Dirk is on vacation in Hawai and finds a message capsule from this submarine. An attempt is made on his life by beautiful red head. Dirk expresses doubt about the veracity of capsule message. He eventually becomes part of navy expedition to search & salvage the sub.

Do they find her? Has she drowned naturally or is there a conspiracy? Has it anything to do with missing scientists? Is there any relation with Canoli, an island civilization drowned centuries ago or kidnap of Admirals daughter? What daredevil adventures does Dirk do? What is Pacific Vortex & the truth behind pacific vortex? Can Dirk unravell the mystery with his intelligence, wits and fertile  imagination?

Pace of the story is steady. If this was the 1st novel written by Cussler it has come pretty well. Character of Summer should have been given more space.

An OK read.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

"The  Namesake", by Pulitzer prize winning writer Jhumpa Lahiri (Not for this book).

It is the story of a bengali couple, living in US, and their son, named Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol (a Russian writer); under strange circumstances. Gogol grows up, has relationships, works, marries in America. All the time hating his name and namesake Nikolai Gogol, who was considered brilliant but eccentric and who had commited suicide at 43. Gogol even changes his name legally. He marries Moushami an Indian-American like him. Do they love each other? Does this marriage succeed? Is Gogol Indian or American? Does he forgive his father for naming him Gogol?
                    
Difference of thinking between 1st and 2nd generation NRIs/PIOs is the central theme. How children born to Indian parents abroad feel American. How they can not connect with india.

There is some interesting philosophy "being a foreigner is a sort of life long pregnancy -a perpetual wait, a constant burden, a continuous feeling out of sorts".
Entire novel is narrated in present tense rather than past tence. Jumpa, herself born and braught up in UK, US respectively, has captured the Indianness, culture and traditions very well.

Although the book is ok,  you can't help thinking that she could have given the same message in a long story or novella.

Not bad. Read, if you have time.

Is Gandhi out of date? by Dr. Vishwanath Tondon.

"Is Gandhi out of date?" a booklet by Dr. Vishwanath Tondon. This consists of two parts, an award winning essay by author written in 1969 and his thoughts today.

Author has covered Gandhi's principles one by one.
Philosophy: His religiousness consisted of an abiding faith in absolute values of truth, love & justice. There are chords in every human heart. If we only know how to strike the right chord, we bring out the music.
Ethical ideas: Truth is highest law, nonviolence is highest duty.
Brahmacharya however is not well defended by the writer.
Swadeshi is defined as that spirit in us which restricts us to the use and service of immediate surroundings to the exclusion of more remote.
Economic: Urbanization harms both cities and villages. He was not opposed to machinery but the craze for it and it's dominance over humans.
Political: That government is best which governs the least.
Education: Education must be woven around craft.
Satyagraha: Moral equivalent of war.
Non stealing, trusteeship, life, sarvoday are also covered.

In second section author says following in today's context:
There is enough in world for everyone's need but not everyone's greed.
There is increasing need of acceptance of nonviolence due to danger of nuclear annihilation.
Deal with terrorism by removing their economic and political greviances.

Author states the obivious, in the end, that his ideas have relevance today and would prove relevant in future. He also states that there is greater realization in west than in India.

This booklet is a crash course in Gandhian philosophy. I have tried to give you a gist of it. The quotes in this booklet can be used effectively in any speech, Gandhian or otherwise.

I had a feeling that the author has tried to show that there are similarities in Gandhi's philosophies and those of various western scholers, in order to justify or validate Gandhi. This seemed unnecessary and artificial.

Gandhiji was great and his greatness lies in the massive support he mobilized and his simple living and high thinking.

Those interested in quotations can read it.