Wonderful Books, Marvellous Authors

Books Blog: Here are just a handful of books out of many I’ve read in the past year or so.

"The Narrow Road to the Deep North" by Richard Flanagan:

Australian author Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an ambitious account of his father’s POW status with the Japanese captors in World War II. Almost certainly, there is a blinding light of brilliance in the copious prose of the story. Amid WWII, in 1943, a group of Australian POW (prisoner of war) captives was captured by Japanese soldiers and made to labour away in the deep jungles of Java, to what purpose? To build the Thailand-Burma railroad or “Death Railway” from Bangkok to Rangoon slashing through the Burmese jungle. With no food or water for these dying captives, starvation and heinous diseases take over them completely.

Two characters particularly stand out and I kept thinking about them throughout my reading of the book: Amy, Ella, and especially, Darky Gardiner (author’s father) in terms of their emotional quotient to the entire heart-touching story. Darky Gardiner’s death in the jungle was impossible to believe and difficult to accept! The circumstances under which he dies shocked me. For the doctor, Dorrigo Evans, returning to Amy was a foregone conclusion, and Ella, goodness poor Ella!

The book reads like a long sonnet. The narrative is magnificent. It won the 2014 Booker. Very well-deserved though. But I have a hinge: “The Lives of Others” by Neel Mukherjee could have been the one to win the Booker Prize. Is it cheeky of me to suggest that? Nope. However, I do sympathize with the heartfelt story of the book “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” winning the Booker.

Neel Mukherjee's “The Lives of Others”:
I mean...sure... “The Narrow Road..." was a difficult book that took many years to write, yet I felt “The Lives of Others” was far better and more complex than constituting a literary epic like that, and is an intricate piece of narrative (it reads like a dream) than the one which was adjudged the winner. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both the books and that’s why I could shape my own safe supposition. Read these two special books to know what shining gems they are. They are truly marvellous works of contemporary English literature.

“Lisey's Story” by Stephen King:
I’ve recently wrapped up reading “Lisey's Story” and I had a great experience. A tomb of over 550 pages that I’d laboured through was definitely worth my time! I figured it would be a horror story that Mr. Stephen King is so famous for, but no, in a way it isn’t. Rather, it’s more of a psychological thriller that seems to haunt you till the end. 

For me, the supposed ‘action’ (minimalist though) starts at the 248th page (I noted it down), and from that point on it is unstoppable. Prior to that, however, it was a little tedious, I’m afraid, to wade through the first half of the novel. The first half of the story lacked action that I was anticipating but that’s okay, it didn’t always have to be like that; in fact, the book is about finding the epic subtle elements in unremarkable things in Lisey’s and her husband’s life and her sisters', that also includes Mr. King's staple: black humour. Epic is the word for it. I’d persevered and was rewarded with the brilliant second half with a fair bit of ‘action’ I was so craving for. It’s been like a goodbye to sleep when I was reading the better half of the novel. Over and above this I’ve just mentioned, I think I can tell you adoring the story was no problem, especially the kind of harrowing childhood experiences Scott or Scoot had really moved me. Writing is great, lucid, and typical King style.

“The Ice Twins” by S.K. Tremayne:

“The Ice Twins” by S.K. Tremayne is a super spine-chiller: an emotional psychological thrill-ride for sure. It is so well-written that I read the book quite obsessively.
Set on a tiny Scottish island, the story is about mistaken twin identities (of two identical twin sisters). One dies, another survives. I loved the depiction of a family broken apart by pain and grief on losing one of their loved ones. I give four big stars for the author’s storytelling virtuoso.

“Hungry as the Sea” by Wilbur Smith:

Just got done reading Wilbur Smith’s 1978 novel “Hungry as the Sea”. What is most special about Mr. Smith is that he is not just a great but a super extraordinary storyteller.

If you want to read a book that is replete with adventure, history, intrigue, revenge, and romance then you ought to read Wilbur Smith's books. He is one of my favourite authors. Apart from the riveting descriptions of storms, high seas, and search and rescue of ocean-going salvage tugs, Mr. Smith is exemplary in his writing about ships during storms; in fact, that’s the best part of the book. Of course, Africa is still his specialty and always will be but “Hungry as the Sea” is a good stand-alone adventure-thriller. I strongly recommend this book. A must-read.

“Warlock” by Wilbur Smith:
I have been reading “Warlock” since last month and have just finished reading it. Of late, I’ve been ravenously reading books and Wilbur Smith was high up on my reading list. Arguably, he is one of the greatest adventure writers of our time and it gladdens my heart to know that he is still at the height of his powers and means business. Reading this title was special for me.

In the days when I used to travel by trains a lot, I would see this book placed on the show-racks of AH Wheelers at the railway stations across the East Coast corridor of our country. On several occasions, I’d wanted to buy it but couldn’t. So I thought enough is enough. I bought it the other day and started reading it and boy! I was utterly flummoxed by the epic treatise. “Warlock” is a tome of over 500 pages depicting great African adventure - from the bygone era of Egyptian Pharaohs and adept Princesses. 

This is one genuinely adorable book that you’ll love reading in copious chunks. I have a hardback copy. Reading it was akin to the achievement of a personal milestone – a truly special feeling now that I've accomplished reading one of his, dare I say most critical works yet?

"Khullam Khulla: Uncensored" by Rishi Kapoor:

Yesteryears' heartthrob Rishi Kapoor's self-portrait, his autobiography "Khullam Khulla: Uncensored" was a pleasant read. 

I finished reading it in 4 days flat. That’s just about the time it took me to wrap up reading this highly recommended book. There are many candid anecdotes and personal insights shared here that I didn't know about, for instance, I did not know Nafiza Ali was offered the piece of Dimple Kapadia's in the film Bobby and so many others that will make you look back in nostalgia. The book is well-written, very engaging, and is a page-turner: a standout amongst the clutch of autobiographies that have come out of Bollywood recently. The book gets a conservative three and a half stars (heavily tilting on four) from me. Unputdownable.

"Bleachers" and "The Rooster Bar" by John Grisham:

Reading John Grisham is a yearly custom that I can never dispense with. One never passes up reading a John Grisham novel. I read many of his books and I still marvel at the fact that the way of his intense storytelling magic never blurs or sounds out of sync. I like his prose; his narrative style is superb. I genuinely venerate that feat of his. I have just finished reading "Bleachers" written by none other than the one and only legal thriller specialist John Grisham. Good on him.

I've just finished my yearly ritual reading John Grisham's latest legal thriller "The Rooster Bar". The story is about three legal school dropouts trying to con their way through the civil courts and making some easy money for a living. But the inventive trio gets stuck in other people's shady deals and the big-shot dupe-sters who have no gumption to bend the law for money. It doesn’t work that way for them all. Before long, they all get caught. It’s a good book but not a great one if you ask me. I enjoyed reading it very much for its effortless prose and Mr. Grisham is a master at telling a story like magic. I’m already looking forward to the next book by one of my favourite thriller writers: John Grisham. I heard that “The Reckoning” is going to hit the stands soon. I can’t wait to read the new book.

“Amma: Jayalalithaa's Journey from Movie Star to Political Queen" by Vaasanthi:

Avoiding all the controversial parts of the book “Amma: Jayalalithaa's Journey from Movie Star to Political Queen" delivers what we already know. At just 175 pages in total, the book is a marvel and it reads like a dream. 
Written by the Tamil novelist Vaasanthi, “Amma” is a gripping story of one of the most charismatic politicians and superwomen of India, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Selvi Jayalalithaa (JJ in short). A must-read for those who want to quickly know about one of the most characteristic political leaders of the southern state of T.N. and indeed of India. I rejoiced reading this slim book, which is so engrossing that it becomes really tough to put the book down once you’ve started reading it. The book is a nice elucidation of effortless writing and simple storytelling that sings. Marvellous author, wonderful book.

"Last Days" by Adam Nevill:

"Last Days" by Adam Nevill is a fine horror novel. I like reading books about horror, the occult, and the paranormal; it keeps my horror goosebumps in spick-and-span condition! Although I get spooked very easily because I don’t have a short attention span, but I can't say I've had my fill of horror novels; no, I never will. 
I still remember reading "The Ritual" written by the same author; I was shocked and lost my normal life for days together!! The book Last Days is about an infamous cult that meets a bloody end in the desert of Arizona where they set up a shack and call it Temples of the Last Days. With bodily apparitions, fleeing members of the cult, ancient evil, and paranormal elements all intensified to a crescendo, the terror is at once sinister and diabolical that you can damn well feel it all. Nevill does it with an astonishing panache that’s very rare, a true hallmark of a mature author handling the genre of horror today. I’m thinking of Stephen King also in the same nervous breath. I think it is one of the top-notch horror books that have come out recently.

"They Lived With God: Life Stories of Some Devotees of Sri Ramakrishna" by Swami Chetanananda:

"They Lived With God: Life Stories of Some Devotees of Sri Ramakrishna" by Swami Chetanananda presents a unique picture of the Divine Incarnate Sri Ramakrishna and his intense spirituality from the eyes of his lay disciples who lived and served the great soul.

This wonderful book offers a glimpse of the life and times of 32 close disciples of Sri Ramakrishna's inner circle of devotees. Reading about their stories and experiences was an enriching experience that comes rarely by in this day and age of Kali-yuga. Those were the spiritual times. What we have these days is that there is no sense of devotion towards god or any godly subjects; instead, fake gods and ‘distant darshan’ shortcuts via satellite link rule the minds of their foolish followers. I wonder what a wonderful time these lay disciples must have had when Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Maa, and Swami Vivekananda – the Holy Trio, were around in their midst. This book has the potential to change one’s life. It gives an inspiring first-person recount of those beautiful days gone forever.

Arundhati Roy's "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”:

Arundhati Roy's truly marvellous new novel "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" captures the microcosm of fringe communities living in the conflict zones of Kashmir and the outcasts in the city of Delhi living in the cemetery, a departure from her groundbreaking debut “The God of Small Things”. 
Whereas it's been 20 long years since her last Booker-winning work The God of Small Things came out in the late 1990s, her recent one is a worthy addition to the world of great literature, albeit with a slightly disjointed and lengthy diversion into political rants (which are insightfully portrayed) that doesn’t quite gel into the wholesome appeal of the novel. I absolutely love Ms. Roy’s immaculate prose. Anyhow, the book was well worth the wait; however, I just wish that we don't have to wait that long again before we have another such remarkable creation amidst us from her pen in the distant future. And this time, I’d entreat her to take us into Kerala once again as she did in her first novel I can never stop thinking about.

“Beyond Apu – 20 Favourite Film Roles of Soumitra Chatterjee” by Amitava Nag:

"Beyond Apu…” is one of those rare books (in English) to have come out recently. It really is strange that not many books have been written on one of India’s greatest actors the great Satyajit Ray protégé Soumitra Chatterjee. So this book is a welcome edition. The actor’s journey from the back of beyond in the Nadia district of Bengal to the great city of Calcutta to stepping into films with Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar is one hell of a story.

 Although we understand that the actor himself is not interested in penning his own autobiography (but why?), it makes me wonder why there’s not even a decent biographical account/book on one of Indian Cinema’s greatest artists coming from the land of culture and arts, Bengal. Beats me! Are there no specialized writers in India or in Calcutta to take up such a task of such great importance? Thanks a ton to the author of the book Amitava Nag and the publisher, we have at least a journal talking about Soumitra Chatterjee’s best films.

I enjoyed reading this exploration of the actor’s films and deep analyses very much. Through this book, we now know that Soumitra is also a poet, apart from being a playwright, a theatre director, and ultimately a versatile actor. His elocutionist and recitation gene is one of the much-talked-about talents in the Calcutta (now called Kolkata) society. I like the front cover with the collage of pictures, it’s very tastefully done. Thank you for the fascinating read and the unique insights into the mind of a diverse creative master at work. Now, I would want another book on Soumitra Chatterjee. Please!

"A Dark Matter" by Peter Straub:

Last week I swam through a deluge of boring tosh! I forced myself to read through "A Dark Matter" by Peter Straub in full. As a matter of personal policy, I always read the book completely back-to-back and I don’t ever abandon it midway or halfway. The point here is that the book is mere flotsam of a story that simply doesn't stay afloat! Full of hokey-pokey stuff that doesn't make any sense. Suggestive references of a credible story don’t make their presence felt; instead what we get is a long whine that yips and yaws and yawns. My advice: stay away from it. Just do. I think I would go ahead and try one of his earlier works “Ghost Story”. A Dark Matter may not be good enough but Ghost Story might be. I’ve heard that it is a good novel but I’ll have to find out if it really is what they say it is. Only time will tell.

Note: All of the above were posted elsewhere as personal messages. Now they've been collected here in my blog with additional wordings to share my utter delight in reading them. Just keeping the records straight!

By Arindam Moulick

Pix Courtesy: Except for the snapshots of the books "The Lives of Others," "The Ice Twins," "Hungry as the Sea,"  "Beyond Apu - 20 Favourite Roles of Soumitra Chatterjee," and "Bleachers" which have been taken from the Internet, all others are courtesy of my personal collection.

- This article under the same title has been published on the EzineArticles.com website. Click here to read it: https://ezinearticles.com/?Wonderful-Books,-Marvelous-Authors&id=10049192