The Smile of Murugan - Michael Wood

photo courtesy:goodreads.com

An armchair journey to the temples of South India.

The timing couldn't have been better. I picked up this book after a visit to a small town in Tamil Nadu. This book took me down the south visiting all the major temples lined with an entertaining and enlightening narrative .

In India temple visiting is not only for religious purposes, it is a form of tourism, a weekend getaway. Having been on temple visits and it is amazing how religion and tourism come together to make for a great experience.

Gist:

Wood is friends with a religious family in the deep south India. He visits them and is privy to the happenings in the family. As per an astrologer's prediction, Wood will come back to make a pilgrimage. The prophecy comes true and Wood finds himself making a journey to some famous temples, while learning about the gods and goddesses .

What works:

• The narrative is so smooth and Wood has an engaging style. The concept is not something a random reader can easily relate to, but Wood makes the information accessible and interesting.

• There is a wealth of information on how people live in small towns. It has universal resonance to it. It is fascinating how he tracks the life of this family and through them provides an insight into how small town people live, their perspective and a changing landscape of life in big city.

What doesn't:

• Since the subject matter is all about temples, the information tends to get a bit much and sags a bit in the middle. 

By mixing his own story with that of the family, Wood really weaves an interesting travelogue. Despite the fact that it is dated (it was written in the 90s) there is a relevance to it. After all the temples have been there for centuries and twenty years later, water problem in Madras is still as acute as stated in the book.

If you like reading about India, this book provides an engaging insight. Recommended.

The Girlfriend - Michelle Frances

photo courtesy:goodreads.com

Captivating suspense that keeps you hooked till the end.

I received this book from the blue spine writing blog's crime and thriller club in return for an honest review. Thriller is one of my favourite genres - reason being there is more analysis and insight than an entire psychology textbook put together!

As for this one, I read up on the author and it said the writer has worked in television. It helped - I love TV dramas, although the storytelling in that medium is quite different to the printed page, it built up good expectations about this book.

The story with its crisp sentences on the jacket sounded ominous and terribly intriguing.

Gist:

Laura, a TV producer feels blessed. With a smart son, long marriage and a successful career, she has it all - until Cherry, a street savvy girl walks into her life. Daniel, her son has taken to Cherry and Laura is eager to find out more about her. The only hassle is - she doesn't like her and soon that acquaintance turns poisonous liason.

What works:

• The plot is seemingly ordinary. I mean how often do we come across tiffs between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. But with some clever tweaks and justifications, the story is packaged in a new light.

• The crucial thing about a thriller is that pace is very important. It cannot afford to slag and billow out. The pace here is taut and the writer does a very good job with structure. The backgrounds are quickly covered in the first few pages and then story skillfully pans out.

• The central characters are very believable. You can see how they act the way they do and the situations created by their behaviour.

• I  also liked the ending. Despite the fact that the ending was predictable Frances added a nice little twist to it. I was wondering, having built it up, how was she going to handle it. But have to hand it to her, that was really well done.

• There were some scenes that were so visual and kept lingering in my mind's eye.  I loved the camaraderie between Isabella and Laura. Also the one in France, when Cherry spends the weekend with them. Loved it! 

What doesn't:

• Nothing really. It is a very well told story. Appealed to the thriller aficionado in me.

Very easy to see it as a TV drama or a film.

The Peshwa - Ram Sivashankaran

photo courtesy:goodreads.com

A great read about a lesser known historical character.

Bajirao came out of forgotten archives thanks to the Hindi film Bajirao Mastani. I loved the movie - the story and the valour of the Maratha hero is impressive. It left me a bit surprised too; he never featured in my history books in school unlike the more famous Shivaji or Prithviraj Chauhan.

I started looking around for books on the Peshwa and chanced upon this one. I had not heard of the book or the author before, but loved the way it was presented. the synopsis sounded good and the reviews helped it as well.

Amazon seemed to provide access to the copy and I looked forward to reading it with great anticipation. It was a relief that it satiated my curiosity and expectations from the novel.

Gist:

The story starts with introducing the ongoing maratha tryst with the Mughal dynasty.

The Peshwa in the Maratha hierarchy is considered to be the right hand man of the Emperor offering him military and emotional support.

The original Peshwa - Balaji Vishwanatha Bhat, is the fierce Maratha warrior who helps Shahu, the grandson of Shivaji to rescue his mother from Mughal custody. His son, Bajirao a young lad accompanies him on the trip, keen to imbibe his father's qualities. Later, the experience holds him in good stead as he moves on to take over the reins of the kingdom as a Peshwa.

What works:

• The narrative is smooth and detailed. The introductory chapter takes you right in the middle of action. 

• The character of the Peshwa is beautifully developed through a series of events.

• The change of guard from one Peshwa to another is also well presented.

• It was easier to see how the movie Bajirao Mastani took pieces of Bajirao's life to fit the movie. It made sense of many scenes which seemed a bit odd in the film. Like for the instance, it explains how a close aide betrayed him by planning to take over in a coup and had to be killed in order to stop him. This doesn't prevent Bajirao from displaying love and affection towards the slain aide's family and treat them as his own.

What doesn't:

• The very detail that gives such depth to the story can bog it down sometimes. There are passages which offer a lot of information - at the cost of affecting the pace of the narrative.

Overall, a very original story about a such an underrated character. 

A Forgotten Affair - Kanchana Banerjee

photo courtesy:goodreads.com

A breezy romance thriller with a woman centric plot.

My India trip was filled with treats this time around. I had a set of books waiting for me at home - a prize I had won in a competition. Banerjee's book was part of the set and came as an interesting well structured read.

Gist:

Sagarika loses her memory in an accident - that is what the doctors tell her when she wakes up and finds her husband by her side. She tries to piece things together but finds it deeplyunsettling. There are some triggers that nag her consciousness: a scent, a word that fills her wit inexplicable emotions. Her husband waits on her hand and foot and yet she feels uncomfortable around him. Why? She struggles to find out her past, so far away from home, where her husband whisks her away to convalesce.

What works:

• The characters. Sagarika and Rishab are well etched. Their behaviour are in sync with their back stories. 

• Also the introductory chapters - they are swift, set the scene well and pull the reader straight in.

• The story moves at a good pace. Sagarika's struggle to piece together her life, as she takes the reader along with her is a fascinating journey.

• Although the cover jacket screams romance, there is suspense and intrigue that keeps the story moving.

• The story is structured well and the narrative strong and smooth.

What doesn't:

• Loved the pace of the story and also the way Banerjee chose to end the story. However, the the finale or the showdown seemed a bit abrupt. The build up was so good that the reader goes in expecting action and ends up feeling a bit shortchanged. 

• It would have been great to more about the peripheral characters, Deepa and Amrita. They were interesting personas and a subplot would have done them more justice.

A fast track read, good for that rainy day weekend.

No Safe Zone - Adite Banerjie

photo courtesy: goodreads.com

A refreshing story in a marketplace dominated by mythological fiction.

Every time I visit India, a favourite hobby is to scan the local bookshop shelves to look for latest releases. Of late, all that seems available is mythological fiction. There is a rich source of characters in Indian mythology and it is fascinating how talented writers give them a contemporary voice and perspective. However, it does leave you wishing other genres exerted their influence too.

I won this book as part of a competition hosted by the author . It was a lovely surprise to receive this signed copy and an absolute delight to read the book.

It reiterated the fact that Indian writing does not need to be diasporic or booker prize type material. It can have a mass market appeal and offer its own level of enjoyment and adventure.

Gist:

Qiara Rana comes from London after her NGO is in trouble for receiving money through a fraudulent patron. She comes to New Delhi and finds herself framed as a murder suspect. Chance also brings her face to face with her ex boyfriend, the reason why she left Delhi all those years ago. Events bring them together as they get on a dangerous trail that carries a curious link to their past.

What works:

• The narrative is compelling and sucks one in right from the beginning. It races through from the first line. 

• The story takes the reader to Delhi, and to the interiors of Rajasthan. It is great to read a thriller based on an Indian city rather than European or American ones. The fast paced action never dulls and is a rollercoaster read.

• The book goes on to show how great stories can be based in the Indian setting. As a lover of Indian fiction, this story offers the same quality of the enjoyment and adventure of any English thriller. 

What doesn't:

• The books claims to be a romance thriller and it delivers. I only wished the characters' backstories were fleshed out better. There are some great subplots there and they could have been developed offering a more holistic view of the story. But I reckon they would have digressed from plot and the onus here seems to be a tight grip on the narrative.

There is action and romance and somehow at times feels a tad filmy. Perhaps because of the romance element. But for me it works well as a thriller too. It is a well written story and a welcome read in an era where mythological fiction rules the roost.

Overall, a good, fast track read.

Leicesterwrites - A collection of diverse ideas

It is a fantastic feeling when a secret burning desire manifests into reality.

It happened with me last week, when I attended the book launch of a short story anthology that carried my story in it.

I had submitted the story as part of the Leicesterwrites competition and was thrilled to have made the longlist. I had been writing stories only for a year and therefore imagine my delight to have learned that. 

Attending the launch was a beautiful experience. It was humbling to meet other like minded souls some of who, have been writing for years. They read their stories and it was amazing to watch how diverse and imaginative their ideas were.

The judges and the organiser of the competition Farhana Shaikh, talked about the judging process and how they filtered through the entries to select the longlist and the winners. It was amazing to hear what they looked for in a short story and tips to write a good one.

I remember how as an undergraduate, we learned about the short story form as part of our course. It was great to be able to recall them as a short story writer. As a 17 year old, I never thought that one day, I would be looking at a short story with my name under it.

Today, looking at it, it feels as though it was always meant to be. 

And the journey has just begun.

Whatever You Love - Louise Doughty

A brutally emotional story.

I love Apple Tree Yard - both the book and the TV series. Doughty's writing style draws you in, her characters have a way of making their way into your head and win your sympathy. Besides, her strong female characters are another reason why I like reading her.

I was keen to find out about Doughty's other books and when this one came by, the premise, like her previous one was really intriguing.

Gist:

Laura's daughter Betty has died in a freak accident while on the way to a class from school. It tracks a distraught mum's frame of mind and while shedding light on her imperfect life, it then takes on a thriller like roller coaster ride to show how she deals with her loss.

What works:

• The writing is amazing. It is straight and hits bulls eye with the reader. The story starts with Laura's receiving news about her daughter and then traces her life back and forth to her choices and her present life. The writing is razor sharp filled with some great lines.

The lines that resonated with me were: 

We fill our lives to the top of the cup with routine so brimming routine that routine is the whole fabric of life, its meat and material.

Strange, the way little things get to you, the way they slide in like acupuncture needles and like acupuncture needles have disproportionate effects.

• The characters - Laura, David, Toni are beautifully etched. They live and breathe human frailities and this adds various shades to their personalities and reactions to situations.

• The narrative - It is quiet and understated. The pace is great and although there is a point when it falters a bit, but it still ends on a spooky note.

What doesn't:

• The first half moves at a beautiful pace but the second half of the novel is a bit disappointing. It is slow and suddenly does feels a bit disjointed and a let down from the first half.

 But reading Doughty is a pleasure, her dark thriller like stories are beautifully structured and keeps you hooked. Thriller fans will love it.