It has been some time since I wrote about what I am reading. In the months gone by, I had vegetated in my staid existence, went to work everyday - I mean everyday; Sundays included- I don’t get a break- my daily schedule would leave those wall street bankers red faced. Cynical journalists would be shocked to learn that in Government we need to put in so many hours for so little compensation.
Although this blog has dipped to a trickle, the reading hasn’t stopped. I read the morning papers during the long morning commute. I read at night. I read for about 45 minutes during lunch break. A reading man is not everybody’s idea of a bureaucrat. Eating Moongphali(hindi for peanuts), drying oneself in the winter sun and not turning up for work are contemporary images of babus- driving the angry middle class towards hunger fasts against corruption.
I try to find time to hit the gym for about an hour each every alternate day. I am also learning the theory of music from Trinity College of London. It is almost like learning advanced mathematics in old age. Chathu has also got so far along with me but he gives serious signals about dropping out since he is in 12th and has plenty to study. We are yet to take the practical exams in Classical Guitar, our choice of instrument.
I read 'Our Lady of Alice Bhatti' by Mohammed Hanif. Hanif is an immensely talented Pakistani author from whom the best is yet to come. Although not in the league of his earlier work, it still ranks among good books which raises of mirror to the violence and indignity in South Asian civil society.
The rare reader of this blog might be familiar with my theory that women write great crime fiction and men are great at romance. My new find is Qiu Xiaolong, a male Chinese crime fiction writer. The protagonist in his series of books is Inspector Chen Cau, a bachelor, poet cum sleuth in the Shanghai Crime bureau in post liberalization China. The books give a rare insight into present day China - the challenges the Chinese face and the painful historical reminders of the Cultural Revolution. There are several similarities to the dilemmas of conscientious government officials everywhere in an increasingly corrupt and violent society. Anyone interested in life in contemporary China, might enjoy this series of books. The lonely, romantic Chen reminds one of detectives like Inspector Morse (Colin Dexter) and Adam Dalgliesh (P D James). The thinking man’s crime buster- strong, romantic and brooding hero - who is inclined to finer arts and literature. Inspector Chen and his deputy Yu go on to crack some of the politically sensitive cases. Yu has a pedantic existence as against Chen’s high profile life. Together they complement so well. The books are expensive (around Rs 500 plus per book ; I bought two of them from flipkart.com) but I can’t tell you how to get all of them on your kindle, free of cost- for it might cross the thin line of legality.
The one book which I accidentally stumbled upon takes the prize for Porn in bad prose. While this blogger tries not to be prudish about sexual morality, as one grows older, it is the quality of prose that attracts you and not the story that the book tells. Reading bad prose certainly isn’t easy. I was guided by the New York Times bestseller list which cited Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James as having figured in the bestseller list for several weeks. The story goes like this- Poor girl meets obscenely rich and handsome guy. Apart from certain entirely pardonable character deviances, the rich guy falls madly in love with poor girl. And showers on her gifts like iPad, a new Audi, designer clothes etc and goes on to give her a good time in bed. Expressions like scowling, biting the lip, gaze fondly etc abound in the book, along with curse words like “Holy Cow” (no reference to the Hindu beliefs). The descriptions of sexual romps might titillate the western female audience. If this is the future of erotic literature, then I swear off it!!
A Malayalam book ‘Othappu’ by Sara Joseph surprised me. Sara Joseph is a feminist writer known for her strong views on society and contemporary events. My theory that women can’t write great romance has bitten the dust!! Many parts of the book kept me enthralled with underlying intensity and interesting observations and descriptions. It is a about a nun who runs away from her order and finds forbidden love. There is great sadness, poverty and solitude in this tale.
I have also been reading a series of Swedish crime fiction novels by Hakkan Nesser. What is it that makes the Scandinavians write great crime fiction? Detective Inspector Van Veeteren, the Swedish sleuth cracks high profile crimes with intuition and experience. The plots are tightly weaved and the reader is kept engrossed. The novels are not too long and so much is packed into them.
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Six years back, when I flew into Paris for the first time, I felt I was traveling from third world to first. That was the impression that the dirty Indira Gandhi International Airport gave in contrast to the swanky Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Last month, the Delhi Airport presented a first world picture while the CDG Paris looked drab and unkempt. I only wish India learnt how to maintain its urban settlements as well as the West does, before we learn to send missiles and rockets into space. I also visited the beautiful French city of Lyon for a week. The two week respite from Office, travelling all over France and Switzerland, ought to have recharged my batteries. Somehow I feel tired. The Missus had gone for a course. I tagged along on a free companion ticket. Back to work tomorrow...
