The Four Winds

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 Texas Panhandle, 1921. Elsa is the eldest daughter of the wealthy Wolcott family in the fast growing town of Dalhart. Like the proverbial ugly duckling, Elsa is shunned by her parents and prettier sisters and confined to her room to save the family from embarrassment - and at 25, is well on her way to spinsterhood. But Elsa dares to dream - of a home of her own, a child to love, and even, perhaps, a career - and she knows that 'if she didn't do something soon, something drastic', she would be doomed to spend the rest of her life under her parents' roof!

Her defiance comes in the form of a daring red, silk dress and a visit to a local speak-easy - where she meets Rafe, who seems to have walked out of the pages of the romance novels Elsa loves to read. But life is not a romance novel - and Elsa is quickly disowned by her horrified parents when they find out she's expecting. Forced into a loveless marriage with Rafe, Elsa finds the silver lining in the situation through her loving in-laws, and the land they own. 

Happily ever after, Elsa? Well, we're in the middle of a Kristin Hannah novel - so I can say with absolute certainty that Elsa has many more mountains to climb! This first part is all about setting up Elsa as a stoic, always sacrificing herself for her family's happiness, always finding ways to 'disappear'. I have to say, I don't get the whole Wolcott family dynamic - can a parent, especially a mother, really not love he child because she is ugly? What happened to a face that only a mother could love? Also, why did they force her to get married? Why didn't they have her 'go away', have the child, and then return with none the wiser? So many questions...

Anyway, back to the story. We next meet Elsa and her family in 1934 - right in the middle of the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl era. Over-farming, soil depletion and a devastating absence of rain have changed the fertile plains into a cracked and parched land. No crops can grow, animals are dying, and to add to the despair - vicious dust storms that last for days sweep through, literally filling everything and everyone up with dust. Elsa is soon faced with an agonizing choice - stay, and die of starvation and 'dust pneumonia' - or set forth into the great unknown, head to California - the promised land of milk and honey. 

I really wish Elsa had made the choice to stay. No, really. I get that her son was literally dying, and there was no food or water - but the story of surviving the drought and fighting for the land she loved, that I would have loved to read! Instead, Elsa decides to pack up her truck and take to the highway - and there we are, smack dab in the middle of an airbrushed version of 'Grapes of Wrath'. Steinbeck's spare prose makes the Woad's journey and subsequent disillusionment unforgettable - and the inevitable comparison makes Hannah's version seem a little too fluffy. All the boxes are checked, the horrifying squalor of the migrant settlements, the evil landowners and their greed, the sneering locals dismissive of the Okies, even the flash flood - but most situations are almost too easily resolved for Elsa and her children.

Oh the children. Hannah never really explains why Elsa's daughter, Loreda, turns on her with such venom. The nuances of the mother-daughter relationship are never explored. Elsa simply assumes that Loreda is rejecting her like all the people she has loved in her life. I get that the author wants to show Elsa as a noble, long-suffering martyr - but there's a point when that really becomes too annoying. Reminded me of an iconic Gulzar dialog from the movie Ijaazat - "Phir wohi sacrifice, sacrifice, all the time" - just absolutely made for Elsa! And the little boy, Ant - why was he so clueless? 

The part that struck home for me was the whole 'them vs us' sentiment that runs through the book. Although the setting is in the 1930s, almost a hundred years later, we find this country dealing with the same discontent and inequality. The fear that migrants will take over, that the migrants are a threat to our safety, that their lack of morals will destroy our society - how many times have we heard this rhetoric recently? A character in the book asks - 'This is America - how could this be happening here?' - how many times have we asked ourselves that same question recently? It really is true that the only thing we learn from history is to never learn from history.

Social message aside, this really is Elsa's story - and her long (very long) journey to find her voice and to stand up for herself. It is a grim narrative - but I kept reading, hoping for Elsa to find her happily ever after. And when she didn't - no, absolutely not, no way I cried. Well, maybe just a little. Yes, I did - I cried at the ending - there, I've said it! 

'Grapes of Wrath' this is not - definitely worth a read, though! Happy reading!

The Plot

 

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Jacob Finch Bonner is a one-book wonder. His promise has since faded, his second and third novels having sunk without a trace - and he is now making ends meet by teaching in a dubious MFA program in a remote corner of Vermont. Reading through drafts of novels by his students, offering them critiques to make them 'publishable', Bonner is desperately struggling to hold onto his own credibility as an author. Then he meets Evan Parker - ostensibly a student, but totally disdainful of anything that Bonner can offer. Evan claims to have a plot which is a 'sure thing' - which Jacob thinks is  a typical narcissistic boast of an amateur writer - until he hears the plot. 

Years pass, Jacob is now working as a glorified housekeeper at a hotel which runs workshops for budding authors, still waiting for Evan's blockbuster novel to sweep the world off its feet. So when he discovers that Evan has died without his novel being published - Jacob decides to grab this unexpected lifeline - and writes the novel himself. His version of Evan's story - 'Crib' - goes on to achieve the spectacular success Evan had predicted - NY Times bestseller list, book tours, book signings, even a Hollywood deal! At the peak of the Crib wave, Jacob receives the first of a series of anonymous letters, accusing him of being a thief. Jacob's glamorous new life quickly unravels as he digs into Evan's past to find the poison-pen and where his wildly successful plot really came from!

Right off the bat, a completely audacious move by the author to have a sure-shot, blockbuster story as a subplot of her novel!! I kept thinking - if it's such a great idea, why not write it yourself?!! Even better, she actually has 'excerpts' of Bonner's novels in the book - a very unique novel-within-a-novel situation! 2 books for the price of one!! Except that Bonner's 'Crib' is not quite as thrilling as we're led to believe - which kind of puts a damper on the whole thing. And the excerpts read more like a novella or a short story than an actual novel - this, this is what the everyone is apparently reading? 

What is even more problematic for me is the idea that Jacob is guilty of plagiarism - how can it be plagiarism if Evan never published! Last time I checked, you can't really copyright an idea for a book - so in my mind, even if Jacob had taken Evan's plot right after the MFA program, and raced him to the finish - there's nothing that anybody could have done about it. Yes, ethically it's not the correct thing - but this whole plot swings on the fact that Jacob 'stole' the idea for his book, and is then racked with guilt - and I was just not able to get on board with that. True, he got the idea from somewhere else - but HE WROTE THE BOOK!!! Also, I find it very strange that Evan would so nonchalantly share his idea with Jacob - wasn't he even a little worried that Jacob would take it and make it his own? 

To be honest, it's an okay book, I would even say a good thriller. What turned me off was the condescension towards amateur authors. I get it - Bonner's job is to critique new authors - but there is no sense of mentorship, no 'hey, I did it - let me help you too'! To read Jake's derisive thoughts about his students is very off-putting - "Clive Cusslers and mom bloggers and would-be David Foster Wallaces and Donna Tartts - all of them far less gifted than they believed they were" - and that's just a glimpse of the vitriol the author has reserved for all aspiring writers. As a proud 'mom blogger' - who may or may not have an idea for a book - it was very distasteful and unnecessary. Title of Chapter 1 is 'Anybody can be a writer' - and while the author means it sarcastically, I choose to believe in that phrase!

On a personal note, this post marks my return to blogging after a long break. I hope to be more diligent about posting about the books I'm reading, and I want to thank my readers for staying with me during this hiatus!

Happy reading - and yes, happy writing!

The Wife Between Us/The Last Mrs. Parrish

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After the success of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, there has been a glut of these psychological suspense-thriller books. The Wife Between Us and The Last Mrs. Parrish are both part of this brigade - bestsellers with 'shocking twists' and 'dark secrets' - frankly, the only shocking thing for me was how alike these books are!!

'Assume nothing' - warns the tag line!! The book starts with Nellie, counting down the days to her wedding with the suave Richard. And then we meet Vanessa, presumably Richard's ex-wife - reeling after the breakup of her marriage, drowning her sorrows with alcohol, struggling to find her feet and in her free time, stalking Richard's new fiancee. A standard love triangle - well, assume nothing!! Nellie is a pre-school teacher, but it is soon hinted that she is fleeing from a deep, dark secret in her past. Her chance meeting with Richard takes her from her free-spirited life with her best friend, Samantha, to the isolation of a suburban mansion. On a parallel time track, we see the slow unravelling of Vanessa's marriage - her almost desperate longing for a child, her paranoia and her slow descent into insanity. Still not assuming anything, liking the suspense - when unexpectedly, the author has the big reveal - smack-dab in the middle of the book! And then Emma comes into the picture. So who's the wife? And the ex-wife? There are still a few twists and turns to come, but these come across as contrived and the plot really goes downhill - I really wish the author had held onto the Nellie/Vanessa suspense a little longer. 

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And then we come to The Last Mrs. Parrish. Amber Patterson and Daphne Parrish bond over a common tragedy - both have sisters that suffered from and succumbed to cystic fibrosis. The two women are like chalk and cheese - Daphne is at the center of a glittering, social circle in the exclusive Bishops Town, Connecticut. She and her husband, Jackson, are the perfect couple, and their life is a fairytale come to life. Amber, on the other hand, is a nobody - with dark secrets in her past, and nefarious intentions for the future. Skilfully playing upon Daphne's feelings for her deceased sister, Amber worms her way into the heart of the Parrish family - first family dinners, then birthday parties and vacations, and finally a job as Jackson's assistant. But Amber is no ordinary social climber - she has her eye on the big prize, the title of Mrs. Parrish - and she sets out to undermine Daphne at every turn. Will Daphne keep turning a blind eye to Amber's schemes? Or will she fight for her picture-perfect life? Or is there more to the story than meets the eye?

The similarities are hard to ignore - both the books explore dark corners of relationships, the ugly truths behind beautiful facades, the broken realities of seemingly perfect marriages. Prince Charming husbands who turn into monsters behind closed doors. Wives who are prisoners in their marriages, and who turn to guile to escape their gaoler husbands. Glittering public lives, devastating skeletons in the closet. Yes, the similarities are impossible to ignore. One more thing in common? Both these books did not appeal to me in the least bit. I am a huge fan of thrillers - but there is no redemption in either of these books. Even the wronged wives - I understand that they were desperate to get away - but their methods? At the end of the day, I'm old school - even through shades of grey, good must always triumph over evil. And that is where these books fall short. This genre is definitely not my favorite at the moment! I wish I could end with my usual 'Happy Reading' - but I have to be honest, 'happy' is not where these books will take you!

Padmavat (2018)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest masterpiece has finally hit the theatres - albeit with a small change in the title. 'Padmavat' - as the film is now called, is unambiguously a work of fiction based on the poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, instead of 'Padmavati', a biopic of Rani Padmini of Chittor. The disclaimer at the start of the film goes to great lengths to stress that this is indeed a work of fiction, that's followed by a second disclaimer that the film does not intend to offend or insult, and then there's a third one regarding the authenticity - by the time they got to the 'No animals were hurt...' disclaimer, I was half asleep. And this was before the opening credits. 

I have to admit I was curious - after all that controversy, who wouldn't be? The legend of Rani Padmini lives on - the queen of Chittor who committed Jauhar to escape the enemy. Tales of her beauty brought Alauddin Khilji to Mewar, and in his wake followed devastation. A Sultan who laid waste to Chittor to possess a legendary beauty. A queen who in a final act of defiance, chose death over dishonor. The script pretty much writes itself, doesn't it? But how much of this is legend, and how much real history?? Allaudin Khilji, of course, was a powerful ruler from the Khilji Dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the early 14th century. The siege of Chittor and Mewar's eventual defeat is also history. But Rani Padmini remains more elusive - there are several versions of her story, none completely accepted by historians. So does the film really distort historical fact, or is it mere cinematic liberty??

No doubt, the film is lavishly presented. The sets are breathtakingly beautiful - be it the intriguing Buddhist caves of Singhal, the Chittor palace or Khilji's court - the attention to detail is hard to miss. Deepika looks ethereal - at first, in a simple hunter's costume and later resplendent as the Rajput queen - historically accurate or not, her costumes and jewelry are out of the world!! Why just Deepika, every character in the film is gorgeously garbed!! It truly is a feast for the eyes - every scene is lovingly crafted, and the grandeur and the glamour are almost worth the price of the ticket. Almost. It's a bit ironical - fire seems to be the central theme of the film, right from the embers on the opening credits building up to the Jauhar at the climax - but the story never really catches fire, the characters are so very dull and really, there's no other way to put this - the film is one big yawn-fest. 

Ranveer Singh tries valiantly to bring his almost maniacal energy to Alauddin Khilji - his kohl-lined eyes, scarred face and unruly curls create a picture of menace - but I would have liked to see a coldly calculating portrayal rather the half-crazed Khilji that Ranveer presents. In his desire to possess everything nayaab in the world he comes across as a petulant, entitled child rather than a wily, ambitious ruler. To firmly establish him as the bad guy, with no respect for women, we have scenes of extreme debauchery that quite literally, had me cringing. It just seemed so unnecessary. And then confusingly, this immoral profligate develops a softer side - lamenting the lack of love in his fate!

As the foil to Ranveer's blacker-than-black Khilji is the righteous Raja Ratan Singh. Shahid Kapur, quite frankly, seems like a lost boy who wandered on to the sets by accident. He is simply not regal enough to pull this off, and he is not helped by the never-ending dialogues of guroor and usool!! And while principles are well and good, a king simply does not have the luxury to cling to these principles while his kingdom is on the verge of defeat. Forget Deepika's exposed midriff, this is what the Karni Sena should have protested against - the spineless portrayal of the elite Rajputs - Ratan Singh's trust in principles is simple-minded, and downright disastrous when faced with a feckless enemy. 

'Padmavat', Padmavati' - either way, the film completely revolves around the character of Rani Padmini - and a lot of times, she seems to be a better ruler than her husband! Deepika shows flashes of fire, and is regal as Rani Padmini - but for the most part, she has reverted to her 'Mastani' mode - wide, unblinking eyes, long lines of dialogues rattled off with pauses in the oddest places, her voice flat, unemotional. And she has zero chemistry with Shahid - the whole grand passion angle is never convincing. The unibrow - I really didn't get that at all - what was that supposed to signify? 

Then there's the elaborate Jauhar - I get that in the 13th and 14th centuries, Jauhar and Sati were an integral part of the lives of Hindu kings. It is a barbaric notion today, a wife self-immolating on a husband's funeral pyre, or all the royal ladies jumping into a blazing fire to save their virtue. Both of these were much-abused - compromising the basic right of a woman to live, and equating a woman's 'worth' to her virtue. While these practices are now illegal, millions of women still struggle for these basic rights - and I wish that Bhansali had chosen to tone down the Jauhar scenes, rather than make it a glorious spectacle. Like the rest of the film, the thousands of women dressed in red racing to 'draw the veil of fire' led by a luminescent Deepika is an arresting visual - and the subtext is clear. These women will remain 'pure' and 'unsullied' by this highest act of dharma - death before dishonor, remember? It is extremely disturbing, especially when the camera lingers on a pregnant woman and a couple of young girls. The lack of sensitivity is jarring, especially from a so-called 'sensitive' director.

Left to its own devices, 'Padmavat' probably would have sunk under the weight of its pretensions. Again the irony - banning the film, protests and the controversy will be the fuel which will drive this mediocre film to record-breaking earnings. If I was more cynical, I would even think that all this outrage was simply an elaborate publicity stunt - to paraphrase Khilji, there is but one principle in war and love - victory at the Box Office!!

The Women in the Castle

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Not another novel set during World War II - that was my first thought when I picked up 'The Women in the Castle'. That being said, as cliched as it may sound, this novel is a bit different from most WWII novels. The author writes about an unusual subject - the widows of the resisters who tried and failed to assassinate Adolf Hitler and thus end the atrocities of the Nazis during the war. So, yes, this is not just another World War II novel - but does it live up to the intriguing premise?

The novel opens with a glittering party at Burg Lingenfels - the titular 'Castle'. Despite the dark clouds of war gathering over Nazi Germany, the hostess, Marianne von Lingenfels, is determined that her guests should enjoy the night - but ominous news from Berlin brings the festivities to an abrupt end. It is November, 9, 1938 - a date that will infamously go down in history as Kristallnacht. A date that marks the beginning of the end of the privileged life that Marianne knows. A date that the plot to remove Hitler takes root at the Burg - amongst the conspirators are Marianne's husband, Albrecht and her childhood friend, Connie.

7 years later, the war has ended - "Connie was dead, Albrecht was dead, Germany itself was dead, and half the people at the party were either killed, destroyed by shame, or somewhere between the two" - Marianne returns to the ruins of Burg Lingenfels, along with her children. She has a promise to uphold - a promise she made on the fateful night of the party to protect the families of the resisters - and in the aftermath of the war, her tireless search to gather up the surviving widows and children begins. She first locates Connie's son, Martin, in a Nazi 'reeducation' home. Together they travel across a ravaged Germany to Berlin, where they rescue Martin's mother, Benita, from the clutches of a Red Army colonel. And then Marianne finds Ania Grabarek and her sons, refugees in a 'Displaced Persons' camp.

Putting to use her indefatigable energy and formidable organization skills, Marianne gathers these widows and children to her, hoping that shared experiences and losses will bond them into a makeshift family. A born leader, Marianne takes to her heart the title of 'Commander of women and children', but to her surprise, she discovers that not all those she has rescued wish to follow her. Her black-and-white approach to good and bad will not serve her well in this gray, post-war world - and she is unable to accept that the other widows might not view their martyred husbands with the same reverence and loyalty as she does. Benita's attempt at finding love with a reluctant ex-Nazi and Ania's deepest, darkest secrets soon threaten the fragile ties of friendship between the women...

This is certainly not a classic World War II novel in any sense. But in setting out on a different path, I felt that the author missed out on bringing to the reader the horrors of the war. Even the plot to kill Hitler is not elaborated upon. Marianne's quest, is far too easy - there is no sense of struggle or desperation. She sets out to find her widows and does find them with the insouciance of someone putting together a guest list for a tea party. In the devastation that is Germany after the war, Marianne and her 'family' have food, water and shelter. Their biggest challenge is when some starving Russian troops commandeer a horse to eat - and even that horse belongs to a neighboring farmer, who also conveniently happens to have another horse to work the fields - so the hardship never fully comes across.

Marianne's past is never fully explained - I really wanted to know why she never married Connie (she clearly carries a torch for him even after he's dead), where does she meet Albrecht, why does she marry him? We never scratched the surface - always cool and composed, what does Marianne really feel? And honestly, her righteousness - insisting on her children looking at the posters of the concentration camps, sharing their presents with prisoners - it does get to be a little annoying. How can a person go through a war and deprivation, and not change at all?? Benita's character serves as little more than a foil to Marianne's - her past is better sketched, but I never really did get why a man like Connie would marry such a naive villager - I wish she had shown more spirit, especially when it came to her son.

Ania's is the strongest character arc. Through her story, we get a sense of how an entire nation could know but not know the depravities committed by the Nazis. Her reaction at a Winter Help store where she notices that the warm coats she is getting for her boys have been 'redistributed' from deportees who have been forced to leave their belongings behind is the most chilling point in the story - "this confirms what the Fuhrer has been saying - the Jews of Germany have made themselves unreasonably rich. Who would leave behind such a coat unless they owned an even better one they could bring along?" - an entire nation hoodwinked by one man's rhetoric. Even with Ania, her big secret and its denouement comes with a whimper - there is no big conflict of emotions, betrayals, no climatic showdown.

Yes, the premise is intriguing - but the novel falls a little short of my expectations. Read it, and then watch Tom Cruise's Valkyrie - that should put the book in a better perspective!! Happy Reading!!

A Gentleman in Moscow

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June, 1922, Moscow. Count Alexander Rostov is tried by a Bolshevik tribunal. Accused of being a traitor to the Revolution, he is found to have 'succumbed irrevocably to the corruptions of his class' and is sentenced to house-arrest in the Hotel Metropol. The hotel has been his home for the last 4 years, but he is not to live out his sentence in his luxurious suite but in a tiny attic room - and any of his possessions that cannot be accommodated in his new quarters become 'the property of the People'.

For the next 30 odd years, the Hotel Metropol is the entire world for Count Rostov. His window overlooks the Kremlin, and he is destined to be a mute spectator as the most tumultuous years in the history of Russia unfold. Believing that 'if a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them' - the Count sets out to make the best of his new situation. Although no longer relevant, he continues to live by the etiquette and mannerisms that have defined his previous life. 'With so little to do and all the time in the world to do it, however, the Count must find a way to expand his world beyond the four walls of his prison, his gilded cage - the Hotel Metropol.

Fortuitously, 'the Fates provide a guide' for Count Rostov, in the form of a precocious nine-year-old girl Nina. From mentoring her in the rules of being a princess, to becoming a co-conspirator, exploring every inch of the Metropol, the Count and Nina develop an unlikely friendship. Several years later, Nina turns to the Count for help - asking him to watch her daughter while she goes to look for her husband - when Nina doesn't return, the Count must raise Sofia as his own. Indeed, the entire staff of the Metropol, become the family that neither the Count nor Sofia have - Emile, the head chef; Andrey, the maitre'd; Marina, the seamstress; and Vasily, the concierge. And as Sofia grows into a beautiful, talented young woman, safeguarding her future will be the ultimate test of Count Rostov's wit and ingenuity.

What a wonderful, wonderful book!! Written with wry humor, this novel wears many hats - historical fiction, philosophy, politics, social issues, satire, literature, architecture, music, food and wine, to American movies - and yet, Amor Towles does not skip a beat. He has gathered all these strands, and woven them into a glittering tale, studded with larger-than-life characters, set against the fitting backdrop of the luxurious Metropol - deeply moving, and always, that dry wit that is so enjoyable! The writing is superb - the dialogue crisp, the descriptions lavish, the plot tightly constructed.

Count Rostov, of course, is the true essence of a gentleman - he literally defines the phrase 'savoir-faire'! He is 'in' Moscow, and yet, the novel traces the several journeys he makes. From 'Your Excellency' to 'Comrade'. From his lavish estates of Nizhny Novgorod, to the grand suite in the Metropol, to his tiny attic room. From being a member of the frivolous leisure class to a working class grunt. From rubbing shoulders with the glitterati to befriending the hotel staff. From a cosseted guest to the head waiter in the restaurant. And most important, from 'Uncle Sasha' to 'Papa'. This is a story of an extraordinary man, in extraordinary circumstances - a prisoner, and still, a man in complete control of his destiny. As he very eloquently sums up his life - 'there was only one time when Life needed me to be in a particular place at a particular time, and that was when your mother brought you to the lobby of the Metropol'. Understated, elegant - a powerful testament to unconditional love!

This book is an absolute must-read, it's easily one of the best books of the year!! Buy it, or check it out at your local library!! Happy reading!!

Burial Rites

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Iceland, 1829. Convicted of the brutal murder of two men, Agnes Magnusdottir is sent to an isolated farm to await the day of her execution. The inhabitants of the farm, Jon and Margret and their daughters, are horrified at having to house a murderess - and do their best to keep a distance from her. As the days pass, Agnes stoically goes about her chores at the farm - her chosen spiritual guide, Toti, the only person who makes an effort to draw her out. Her host family is unwillingly drawn to the tale that she narrates to her confessor, Toti, but will their realization that Agnes might not be guilty be enough to save her from a gruesome death?

"They said I must die. They said that I stole the breath from men, and now they must steal mine". From the very first sentence, Hannah Kent sets the tone for this haunting novel. And although the end is never in question - "Burial Rites" is based on the true story of the last woman to be publicly beheaded in Iceland - the author maintains the tension throughout. The Agnes in this book is a constant surprise - reviled as a cold-blooded killer, she still fiercely holds on to what little dignity that is left to her. She doesn't ask for sympathy or pity, and is determined to hold on to the only things that cannot be stolen from her - her words, her poems, her sagas. Google couldn't tell me if the real Agnes was guilty or not - but I was certainly hoping for a miraculous reprieve for the author's Agnes!!

The author writes beautifully about the life of the peasants at the farm. Icelandic customs, the food, the formidable winters - even the dust and mold from the turf croft - I was literally transported to Kornsa, watching Agnes and Margret going about their daily tasks. The descriptions are quite visceral - chalking it up to the author telling it like it was back then - but seriously, I could have done with a little less of the mucus and other bodily emissions. Agnes' monologues capture her quiet desperation, her acceptance that a woman has no chance in a world where her stories are told by others. And Margret is the perfect foil - they recognize a kindred spirit in each other, and the arc of their relationship is intriguing.

This is no doubt a very serious novel - there are really no light moments at all. The very grimness, however, is so utterly striking. I was fascinated by Agnes' story, wanting to know everything quickly - and yet, the prose is so evocative, every word needs to be savored!! The seasons and landscapes of Iceland, the routines of the life at the farm, Agnes' journey are not easily forgotten - this is a novel to get lost in, a novel that grabs your attention and holds on, a novel that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. A must-read, for sure!

The Company of the Dead

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More than a century after it sank in the icy depths of the North Atlantic, the Titanic continues to fascinate. Many wealthy, influential people went down with the ship - people who might have shaped history differently, had they lived. What if the Titanic had sunk a few hours earlier or later, or even made it all the way to New York? What if a different set of people had survived? This 'what if' is at the heart of 'The Company of the Dead' - a sci-fi/alternate history novel written by David Kowalski. 

An inadvertent time-traveller, Jonathan Wells, is stranded in 1911, and despairing of ever making it back to his timeline, decides to right the wrongs that he knows are soon to come. His first stop? The RMS Titanic. Hoping to avert the disaster and to save the ship, he hands the ship's lookout a pair of binoculars and the Titanic succeeds in navigating past the iceberg it was supposed to hit - only to founder on another iceberg a few hours later. The Titanic sinks, despite Wells' well-meant intervention - and Wells goes down with the ship, leaving behind a journal.

The year 2012 - the world is hurtling towards a nuclear holocaust and total oblivion. This is a world in which Astor becomes US President in 1912 and keeps the United States out of the Great War. Germany and Japan prevail, and rule the world between them. The monarchies in Germany, Japan, Russia, France and Italy are flourishing. The United States is no longer united - led by Texas, the 2nd Confederacy has successfully seceded, and the Union and the Confederacy are 2 separate nations. Feudalism is rampant, and there have been no civil rights or suffragette movements. World War II never happens, and Hitler is simply a mediocre Austrian painter. And Joseph Kennedy, grand-nephew of JFK - who, by the way, never becomes president, but is still assassinated in Dallas - is the only man who can turn back the clock and set things right, even if it means erasing his own existence.

From the Titanic to Roswell and then back to the Titanic - the book takes the reader on an incredible journey. The author lovingly and meticulously outlines this new alternate reality - and while the rich detail is to be commended - it eventually ends up being the iceberg on which the novel founders. At 750 or so pages, this is a hefty book, and almost 400 of these deal with conspiracies, double-crosses and treachery - it's almost too hard to keep track of the good guys from the bad!  After a point, I didn't even care about who was fighting whom, and why - I just wanted to get back on the Titanic!! The concept is so intriguing and the book is well-plotted - it is simply not as crisp or fast-paced as it needs to be. 

Be it a novel, movie or a TV series - the central conceit of time-travel is to not change anything. In this book, well, the whole point to time travel is to change history - and that makes sense, doesn't it? What's the point of time travel, if you can't change history - besides, doesn't history change the minute a time traveller shows up in the past? And although I believe that most of history's 'what-ifs' are best left unanswered - wouldn't it be cool to go back in time? Where would I go? And what would I change? I'll think about it while you dive into 'The Company of the Dead'!! Happy Reading!!

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Beauty and the Beast is hands down my favorite Disney fairytale - and Belle, my favorite princess!! For starters, she's not technically a princess, but an ordinary girl looking for something beyond 'this old provincial town'. She has spunk, and is confident enough to turn down Gaston, the village heart-throb. She dreams of Prince Charming, but finds beauty in the ordinary. Best of all, she loves books - seriously, this one's a winner, through and through!!

This much-loved fairy-tale - the original, as well as Disney's charming version - has stood the test of time. A handsome prince is cursed for his arrogance by a witch - condemned to live as a Beast until he finds someone that can love him, before the petals of an enchanted rose fall off. A village maiden stumbles upon his castle by accident, and in exchange for her father's live, agrees to be the Beast's prisoner. A few magical interludes later (Stockholm syndrome, ahem!), true love blossoms. And yet, the Beast lets the maiden return to her father - for isn't letting go the truest measure of love? Will the Beast be reunited with his true love?

We all know how it ends - and we still watch with bated breath as the story unfolds - and in Disney's newest version, the canvas is extravagantly opulent! The massive interiors of the castle, the elaborate costumes, the quaint little French village and oh, the library - the sets are magnificent!! The screenplay remains mostly faithful to the animation - the additions, in fact, are a bit awkward. While Belle slurping her soup to make the Beast feel at ease brought a smile to my face - the little jaunt to a Paris suburb, or Belle's design of a primitive washing machine?? I'm all for feminism, but feels a little forced here - and plague, well, there's just no place for plague in a fairytale!!

And the songs? Well, this is a musical, after all!! Starting with Belle's signature song "This old provincial town" - very picturesque, but did they really have to channel Sound of Music for this one? Close my eyes for a second, and I could almost hear "The Hills are Alive"!! The cutlery cabaret, "Be Our Guest" is a wonderful feast, and "Gaston" impresses with the quick-footed, dramatic choreography. The piece de resistance, is of course "Tale As Old As Time" - oh, how I love this song!! The new songs, unfortunately, I barely registered!!

Emma Watson - not to take away from her incredible performance - but I have to admit, I had a hard time looking past Hermione Granger. I mean, isn't she a little young - look at those freckles - to be in a grand passionate affair? And I was half expecting her to whip out her wand and reverse the curse - I think 'Beautify' will do the trick, don't you?!! I was also expecting the Beast to be a bit more beastly, you know?? With those blue eyes, and gentle face, I was just reminded of an overgrown cat - it was still Dan Stevens, just a little hairier than usual?? By the way what was with the highly publicized gay moment in the film? Yes, Gaston's sidekick, LeFou has been portrayed effeminately - but that's not what I noticed. What I noticed was that LeFou has a conscience, and is not afraid of standing up to his friend! Good for you, LeFou!!

I expect this movie will have a whole new generation of little girls falling in love with the feisty Belle. And for those of us who've always loved Belle, this movie does not disappoint!! So go watch it!! Oh, and don't forget to IMAX!!

Olympus Bound

Selene DiSilva is a woman of mystery - a loner, a vigilante sworn to protect women, she stalks the streets of Manhattan - her only companion, her dog, Hipployte. On an icy morning, she comes across a body that has washed ashore - a young woman, horribly mutiliated and wreathed in laurel. But this is no ordinary crime - and Selene is no ordinary woman. She is Artemis, an Olympian, a Greek goddess, an Immortal - once all-powerful, the Goddess of the Hunt must now summon all of her dwindling powers to track down the killer...

Greek mythology meets murder mystery meets historical fiction - all my favorite genres come together in The Immortals - the first book of the Olympus Bound trilogy written by Jordanna Max Brodsky. I love the basic concept - immortal Greek Gods walking amongst mortals, and while their depleted lives are a far cry from their divine existence as mighty Olympians, they have survived through the millenia, taking on new identities as required. Readers not familiar with Greek mythology will benefit from a quick Google search on who's who on Mt Olympus - starting with Artemis, her twin Apollo and all their step-siblings - most of them do make an appearance in the book!

The ritualistic killing of the murder victim is as described as in the long-forgotten Eleusinian mysteries, and Selene must find and put an end to the mysterious cult which is using human sacrifice to restore the ancient powers of the God being worshipped. Reluctantly, she enlists the help of her estranged family, and Classics professor, Theo - a mortal, who finds himself in the unlikely position of being Artemis' sidekick! Needless to say, after the requisite twists and turns, a couple more murders, bullets and arrows flying - the culprits are brought to justice!! Alls well that ends well!!

This type of fantasy novel inherently requires a suspension of disbelief - we're talking Greek Gods here, after all!! Even with that in mind, some parts of the book are simply too outrageous!! The whole romantic angle with Theo and Selene - that just didn't sit right. I mean, I get why Theo is smitten - but Artemis?? Her attraction to Theo is unfathomable, her ambivalence about hanging onto her 'chastity' (ahem!) - would an immortal goddess really be swayed by mortal desires of the flesh - comes across as an awkard attempt to add tension to the story - so not needed!! And while I enjoyed the little excursions into history through Selene's memories - Artemis killing Alexander Hamilton - now that truly made me LOL!!

The premise of the book is great, but the execution is a bit sketchy. Some parts almost come off as a Young Adult fiction - in fact, if it hadn't been for the gruesome murders, I would have happily handed this one to my daughter! I happened to borrow the second book of the trilogy at the same time as the first, so the question of whether I'll continue with the series is moot - which brings us to Winter of the Gods...

Winter of the Gods brings back Selene and Theo - the unlikely crime-fighting duo to solve yet another New York murder. The dead body sprawled across Wall Street's iconic bull statue is surrounded by a multitude of sacrificial animals - and all signs point to another cult in the making. Once again, Selene must depend on Theo and her family to unearth this conspiracy which threatens the very existence of the Gods.

The inherent problem here is the repetition - at the end of the day, we have a fading Greek goddess detective, another string of murders, and a divine justice ending - there are just too many similarities with the first book. This time around it is the Gods themselves that are being sacrificed, and Theo has a much larger role to play - apparently being 'Friend of the Gods' comes with benefits such as being able to use divine weapons.

We meet more of Selene's family - including Eros, the God of Love, who is now a gay French dude, Phillipe, who runs - of all things - a matchmaking site!! And there are tons more references to Greek myths - all of which should make this book tons more interesting - but it doesn't really flow as it should. Theo's new friend, Minh, just happens to be a archaeo-astronomist (is that even a thing?), who is easily able to decipher the meaning of the sacrificial animals - really, talk about coincidences!! And while on Minh, the whole thing with teaching her boyfriend a lesson - almost too much to bear (pun fully intended!!)! Let's not even mention the Selene-Theo "will they - won't they" track - it is just too much like a bad teen movie!!

Needless to say, I did not enjoy this sequel. I can imagine that the third book will take us to Mt. Olympus, and a face-to-face with Zeus - and yes, I do intend to read the third one when it comes out!!

Airlift (2016)

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." - J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings.

Kuwait, 1990. Saddam Hussain's invasion of Kuwait left 170,000 Indians homeless, stranded in a war zone. Running low on supplies, with no travel documents these souls were in a desperate situation - until a few Indian businessmen in Kuwait, with the help of the Indian Government and Air India organized the largest evacuation operation known in history. Over a period of 63 days and 488 flights, more than a 100,000 Indian nationals were airlifted from Amman to Mumbai. 'Airlift' is the story of this evacuation and the people who made it possible!

Akshay Kumar is Ranjit Katyal, a businessman who lives in Kuwait with his wife, Amrita, and daughter, Simi. A ruthless tycoon with connections in both the Iraqi and Kuwaiti governments, Ranjit thinks of himself as Kuwaiti - until the invasion, when he is stripped of everything but his identity as an Indian. In a city overrun by the conquering Iraqi soldiers, Ranjit is stopped on his way to the embassy, and his driver is brutally shot. Shocked to the core, Ranjit is forced to re-evaluate his priorities - and rather than escaping with this family, he decides to stay, to rally his fellow countrymen and to help in any way he can...

Akshay Kumar is at the top of his game here - a remarkably restrained performance - if you're looking for the Khiladi, this is not the movie for it! He is the suave businessman, the anguished husband, the empathetic employer, and finally, the reluctant messiah for all the refugees. Nimrat Kaur is just as perfect as Akshay - her initial disdain for the unwashed masses, her perplexity at her husband's change of heart, and then the dawning realization and support for Ranjit's quest - very impressive! As for Kumud Mishra, I wouldn't be surprised to find that he actually is a career bureaucrat - he is Joint Secretary Kohli!! And again the wonderful character arc - a disinterested paper-pusher to a sympathetic bystander to an officer with conviction, running pillar-to-post to help the stranded Indians - Mishra holds his own in a big way!

The film stays on an even, understated keel - there is no rah-rah patriotism, no flag-waving, no over-the-top histrionics! Very realistic scenes - like when Kohli has to convince Air India pilots to fly into a war zone. No hyperbole, no vein-popping dialogues - just a simple appeal to do the right thing. Or when Ranjit's cavalcade to Jordan is stopped by Iraqi soldiers - yes, there is a fight - but this is no superstar demolishing dozens with a sweep of his arm. Just a desperate man at the end of his tether, who will do anything to keep his family safe. The only grandiose gesture is the Indian flag being raised at the Amman airport - and even that is tastefully done!

Drawbacks? Well, I would say this film is about 25 years too late! It brings to light a glorious page in contemporary Indian history, but these events happened so long ago, it is difficult to find an emotional connect. The pace doesn't help - there is no surprise ending, of course - a tighter, tenser built-up, a little bit of masala would have helped here! I also would have liked to see more of the pilots - they were a big part of this rescue operation, and the film does not give them their due! The film ends with original newspaper articles and photos of all the people involved - it would have been interesting to see a couple of then-and-now refugee stories!

None of this takes away from the film, though. Airlift has its heart in the right place - I found myself tearing up in quite a few places (yes, I'll admit it - movies make me cry!)!! Watch it, this is a film that will make you proud to be Indian!!

The Music Room - A Memoir

Image courtesy: Goodreads

I stumbled upon this book quite by accident in a very unlikely place - on the shelves of the Peoria Public Library, hiding in the non-fiction section! The gorgeous cover and the blurb - from Ravi Shankar, no less - "A must for every musician and music lover" - I checked it out with no hesitation! And I'm so glad I did - "The Music Room - A Memoir" by Namita Devidayal, is an absolute treat - and not just for musicians and music-lovers, but for everyone with a fascination for Indian culture and traditions!!

Namita is 10 years old, when she first reluctantly starts music lessons with Dhondutai Kulkarni, the last eminent singer of the Jaipur gharana and a disciple of two eminent vocalists - the legendary Alladiya Khan and 'Surashri' Kesarbai Kerkar. From a cramped one bedroom flat in the seedy Kennedy Bridge neighborhood, to a spacious bungalow on Shivaji Park and then a nondescript Borivali apartment complex - Namita's unique bond with Dhondutai evolves over a span of 25 years. Dhondutai sees in Namita the potential to become a second Kesarbai, as Namita struggles to find the fine balance between a career and family and her passion for music.

Gracefully written, this memoir left me spell-bound. Namita Devidayal gives the reader a tantalizing glimpse into the enigmatic world of Hindustani classical music - "a world bound in mystifying tradition and irrational obsession", to quote from the book. A brief genealogy of classical music - starting all the way from Bharat Muni, to music of the temples, then moving to the royal courts followed by the Islamic or Persian influence during the Mughal dynasties and royal patronages during the pre-independence era - to the distinct Hindustani and Carnatic styles of classical music we have today - beautifully explained in a lucid manner!

Even more interesting is the information about the music itself - the way the seven basic notes are interpreted so differently in the Western and Indian classical styles, the composition of the ragas, and the cornerstone of Indian classical music - the gharanas and the gurukul pramapara of teaching music! Interspersed with this history of music, are the memories of Dhondutai - her own musical journey, and anecdotes about her gurus. Musical illiterate that I am, I had never heard of these musical giants - and Wikipedia has left me humbled. Truly, what a wealth of information this book has given me!!

Beyond the lofty world of classical music, the author also touches upon social mores prevalent in Indian society - the conundrum of a Muslim Alladiya Khan claiming to descended from a Hindu family, the stigma of being a female singer in the early 20th century, Kesarbai's struggle to establish herself, Dhondutai eschewing the traditional role of a Brahmin woman to embrace her music, the Hindu-Muslim divide - all the way to the bureaucracy and corruption of the government when Dhondutai applies for a flat in the Performing Artist quota! Adding to the local flavor, Namita Devidayal has effortlessly captured the essence of Bombay - and then beautifully juxtaposed it with the serenity of the temples - the Dattatreya temple at Narsimhawadi and the Mahalaxmi temple at Kolhapur!!

At little over 300 pages, this is not a huge book - but it packs an enormous punch! Highly, highly recommended - and not just for connoisseurs of classical music!! Without a doubt, a must-read!! Happy reading!!

Natsamrat (2016)

After Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, it is now the turn of another immortal stage production to make its way to the silver screen - V. V. Shirwadkar's Natsamrat ("King of Actors"). Katyar, of course, was a lavish production with a superb ensemble cast, and translated beautifully into a film! Natsamrat, on the other hand, would almost qualify as a one-man show - the story completely revolves around the eponymous lead - so how does this poignant drama fare?

The story is age-old. Ganpatrao Belvalkar (Nana Patekar) is an eminent thespian, his life's work his Shakespearean roles that he lives and breathes! Feted with the highest theatre award - the title of 'Natsamrat'- he decides to retire, and despite the misgivings of his wife, Kaveri, bequeaths all his worldly possessions to his children. Parental pride and trust soon crumbles in the face of filial ingratitude and betrayal - and the once respected, idolized Ganpatrao is reduced to a homeless vagrant, his life ironically unfolding into a Shakespearean tragedy! Is the Natsamrat doomed to live out the rest of his days in an agonizing anonymity? Or will his children see the error of their ways??

Comparisons to the iconic stage production are inevitable - especially when a celebrated actor like Dr. Shriram Lagoo has completely ruled Natsamrat so convincingly for so long. Dr. Lagoo is Belvalkar, and he has set the bar incredibly high! Nana Patekar rises admirably to the challenge - what an actor, and how refreshing to see him in something other than an asinine Bollywood comedy  - a bravura, acclaimed performance, and yet, in my opinion, he doesn't quite hit the mark. I think that Nana Patekar's very earthiness, his son-of-the-soil aura - which makes him so perfect to play a character like Dr. Prakash Amte - works against him this time. There is nothing frail or feeble or helpless about Nana Patekar - so Ganpatrao's helplessness, his desolation, his heartbreak never comes across convincingly.

The plight of the elderly is a very real social problem, even today, and yes, even in well-heeled families like the one depicted in this film. But once again, this never really comes through - the hardship and struggle seems very superficial - making it very hard to empathize. The domestic strife in the first half - the problems with the son and daughter-in-law - there's no buildup of tension, no simmering rage, no sense of things coming to a head - one minute, there's a montage of a happy family scenes, the next, there's this massive fallout - and over what? An inappropriate dance performed by the grand-daughter?? Really?? Where were the parents when this dance was being rehearsed?! And, honestly speaking, the creepy factor is pretty high here - a grandfather choreographing such a dance? Wouldn't it have been more keeping in character for him to teach her one of his beloved Shakespearean monologues??

And then when the daughter moves her parents to the outhouse - ample chance here to draw a parallel between the unnecessary broken-down stuff stored in the outhouse, and the parents who have outlived their apparent usefulness, stashed away to accumulate dust, forgotten by all. But the outhouse shown in the film is a like a villa - with rocking chairs on the porch, cheery yellow paint, and even potted plants - again, where's the hardship?? And then, with the stolen money incident, where's the impotent fury, the unbelieving despair? And where's the wife shoring up her broken husband with steely determination, with the will to start all over?? These kind of scenes need gut-wrenching, raw emotion - I, for one, was not impressed.

Even when he hits rock-bottom - he has tragically lost his wife, his son and daughter have stripped him of all dignity - even then, Ganpatrao appears to be remarkably in control of his faculties - this Ganpatrao has a job at a tea-stall, he has a routine of a drink with his fellow footpath dwellers, and a kindly old lady serves him food hot off the stove. Where's the scattered, broken-down excuse for a man, hanging on to life by a mere thread?? Where is the cry for help from the depth of a shattered soul? Where's the pathos?? How am I to feel sorry for this character??

As for the characters of Ram & Kumud, I'm still trying to understand how their track made any difference to the story. If Ram was meant to be a foil to Ganpatrao, a sounding board, a shoulder to cry on - we never see it. Vikram Gokhale is magnificent, as always, but he doesn't really have enough screen time to make an impact. Nevertheless, the best scene in the movie is when these 2 stalwarts act out Karna's death - absolute goosebumps! - more of these, although irrelevant, would have been very welcome!! And not to take away anything from Nana Patekar - but am I the only one who thinks that Vikram Gokhale would have probably been better for the title role??

Not a very positive review so far, but keep in mind that all my quibbles are actually about the differences between the theatre version and the film version. So, in spite of all my carping, it cannot be denied that this is actually a pretty decent film - as long as you don't compare it to the original theatre version. It is indeed a good sign that Marathi films are once again drawing audiences to a theater, and for a fresh pair of eyes, I would recommend watching this. As for me, the shadow of Dr. Lagoo's performance loomed just too large - so yes, by all means, watch the film - but then don't forget to grab a DVD of the stage production!!

Bajirao Mastani (2015)

Does anyone remember when this film was actually announced?? Way back when - 15 years ago, touted as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's dream project, with Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. Over the years, the lead cast going through so many changes - with almost all the top actors in Bollywood rumored to play the titular Bajirao!! And then the controversies - descendants of the Peshwas petitioned against the release of the film, the songs drawing a lot of flak, historical accuracy being questioned!! Of course, all this simply ended up raising the film's curiosity value!!

The Peshwa history is a golden chapter in Indian history - and Bajirao Peshwa one of our greatest heroes. He is credited with the expansion of the Maratha Empire - in his 19 years as Peshwa, he not only has the distinction of winning 42 battles straight, but of remaining undefeated on the battlefield. Much loved by his soldiers, he led from the front - it is said that he spent more time on horseback than on the ground!! Moving the seat of the Peshwas to Pune, it was during his reign that the palatial Shaniwar Wada was built - a true symbol of the power the Peshwas wielded!! It is ironic that this great warrior should be remembered not for his military exploits - but for his romance and marriage with Mastani, a Chhatrasal princess from Bundelkhand!! But enough of the history lesson - back to the film!!

Bajirao Mastani starts impressively enough - the glorious Satara darbar of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, the selection of the young Bajirao as the next Peshwa, the montage of his victories, the battle of Bundelkhand - I was literally on the edge of my seat!! Ok, I'll admit - I had serious misgivings about this film, but I take them back - it was immensely gratifying to watch the splendor of the Maratha Empire depicted so lavishly!! Such a beautiful film - the costumes, the sets, the details - an absolute visual treat!! Especially loved the recreation of Shaniwar Wada - as magnificently imposing as can be imagined!!

If only Sanjay Leela Bhansali had not let the mores of Bollywood take over - this film would have been a monumental biopic of Bajirao Peshwa - a truly epic historical. As it stands, barring the first 30 minutes, we have a traditional Bollywood love-story - what could have been legendary, remains a mere costume drama!! The songs - yes, all of them - although exquisitely pictured, detract greatly from the narrative!! And the 'love story' - where's the sizzle, the electric passion? - I was yawning through most of the romantic scenes!! The absolute low point was the Bajirao-Mastani lamaze - seriously?!! And the end was such a drag - so very filmy - was wishing for a FF button!!

Of the cast, Ranveer Singh impresses the most - he is riveting as Bajirao. From the Marathi accented Hindi, to the regal posture and bearing, with delightful touches like the head nod - he brings Bajirao to life - the confidence of the battle-hardened warrior, his gradual unraveling into a weary, embittered soul - a bravura performance!! Priyanka Chopra sparkles as the sassy Kashibai - and how gorgeous does she look!! The surprise is Deepika - and not in a good way - very, very disappointing!! A very wooden performance, Deepika looks lost - and that wide-eyed, no-blink stare is so disconcerting!! The supporting cast - notably Milind Soman as Ambaji Panth, Tanvi Azmi as Radhabai and Mahesh Manjrekar as Shahu Maharaj - are all wonderfully cast, and the sprinkle of familiar faces from the Marathi film and TV industry was delightful!!

A little bit about the outrage regarding the historical inaccuracies. In my opinion, most importantly, in no way does the film denigrate the Peshwas or the Maratha Empire - far from it!! Secondly, the film is based on the novel Rau by N.S. Inamdar - a work of fiction to begin with. And isn't a certain amount of cinematic license to be expected anyway?? As for the Bajirao-Mastani romance - yes, Bajirao did marry a Bundelkhand princess named Mastani. Yes, she had a Muslim mother. Yes, as Bajirao's second wife, she was not at all accepted by the Peshwa's family and the orthodox Brahmin community. Yes, Bajirao defied society and his family by installing her in the Shaniwar Wada. But the great romance, the grand passion - is this a historical fact at all?? So where is the question of inaccuracies??

Bajirao Mastani is far from perfect. But surely all those historians who are up in arms regarding the inaccuracies and the cultural elite who are so incensed about the Bollywoodization - I'm pretty sure that's a word! - of Marathi culture - surely these guardians of our legacy must realize that although flawed, this film has brought the legend of Bajirao home to a whole new generation? Unfairly reduced to a cipher, relegated to a footnote - thanks to this film, Bajirao Peshwa stands tall once more!! What more can anyone ask for!! 

Gone Girl

Image courtesy: Goodreads

Nick and Amy Dunne have it all - a perfect marriage, a house in New York, glamorous lives. Yet after they both lose their jobs unexpectedly, they discover that their relationship is not as strong as it seems. Nick decides to move to his hometown, North Carthage, Missouri to care for his parents - and Amy acquiesces reluctantly. And then, on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears without a trace - and the mounting evidence implicates Nick, his guilt more obvious with each passing day. Did Nick really murder Amy? Or is there a darker, deeper secret behind Amy's disappearance?

It is impossible to talk about this book without giving away key plot points - so fair warning, spoilers ahead! The tagline of the book reads 'There are two sides to every story' - and that is exactly how the book is structured. The two sides of the story - Nick's story, starting with the morning of Amy's disappearance, and Amy's story, by means of extracts from her journal going back seven years.  Even in his own narration, Nick comes across as a self-absorbed, selfish person - and his web of lies is alarming. Struggling with his feelings about his misogynist, abusive father, trying not be like him - Nick seems to be the most comfortable when being adored and indulged by the women in his life - his mother and his twin sister, the weirdly nick-named Go, are his biggest fan club.

Amy's journal - starting with her meet-cute with Nick and their subsequent falling in love seven months later to an entry few days before her disappearance claiming she is afraid that Nick may kill her - is a portrayal of a marriage gone terribly wrong. Although not entirely blameless - a little too needy, trying too hard to be the perfect wife - Amy still seems to be the only person really working at this marriage. And following Nick's mom's death, Nick seems to morph into an unfeeling, uncaring monster, his behavior bordering precariously on domestic violence. Having used his wife's money to set himself and his twin sister up in business, Nick resents his wife for helping him - and his unnaturally calm composure after Amy's disappearance is highly suspicious.

And then, wham! Part 2 begins with the shocking realization that everything the reader has learnt about Nick and Amy may not be entirely true! Amy is alive and well and has hatched a diabolical scheme to frame her husband for her own murder - a year of planning including writing seven year's worth of fake diary entries!! What??!!! All those fuzzy 'Dear Diaries' are a setup!! And Nick's secret? No surprises there - he's been having an affair with a woman 10 years younger than him, and he was planning to ask Amy for a divorce on the day she disappeared!! How's that for motive?? To complete the picture of Amy as a sociopath, we are introduced to a couple of people from her past who she has 'punished' for not living upto her expectations!!

Then, the author seems to forget that she has built up Amy as a super-intelligent, savvy woman - and puts her in situations that are absolutely ridiculous! Seriously, when you are in hiding while pretending to be dead, you do not befriend the people staying at your lonely bed-and-breakfast, you do not flash your fat money-belt when you're with them and then you don't let these 'friends' into your room, so that they can rob you without even a struggle! Dumb, dumb, dumb! And then after Nick figures out he's being framed, his master plan to find Amy? He goes on national TV, and accepts his guilt, accepts that he is a scumbag, and would Amy please, please forgive him and come back, so that he could make it up to her? And you know what - it works! Amy sees the interview, melts into a puddle, and decides to return - not before she casually destroys someone else's life! So then, is she a brilliant sociopath or is she a complete idiot - very confusing!!

Nick and Amy are probably the worst ever book characters I have ever met - and while the book was compelling enough to keep reading, I simply could not find it in me to root for either of them. Their problems are the problems of the self-centered, entitled, affluent and bored people - lost your job, well suck it up, and stop whining about the big, bad Internet, Nick! Too fancy for the solid middle-class with their casseroles and wall-to-wall carpets - well, guess what, Amy, not everyone has a trust fund and a brownstone in New York with a view of the river!! And please, how can you not know how much a gallon of milk costs - oblivious much?? I just cannot decide which of them disgusted me more!!

As for the ending, it was way too ambiguous and vague for me - a non-ending is what it is. So after all the cheating, lying, scheming, framing, killing and whatnot - we're expected to believe that Amy and Nick are settling into cozy parenthood - "on the eve of becoming the world's best, brightest nuclear family"!! Suddenly, the sleaze bag Nick is holier-than-thou, sticking it out with his "psycho bitch wife" for the sake of his baby? What kind of father does he imagine he's going to be? Ooh, he gave up his girlfriend, and he's taking care of his pregnant wife - let's give him a halo, and 'Husband of the Year' while we're at it!! Did not like the ending. At all.

The book is a psychological thriller - and it is a nail-biting read - but it will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. I like Flynn's style of writing - could have done with a little less of the smutty talk, though. Her language is very descriptive, very visual - and the plot for the most part, is tautly written. Of course, a fast-paced crime novel like this one literally screams 'Film adaptation' - will be very interesting to see how this nasty story plays out on the big screen!! I'm still not completely sure if I would recommend this - read it if the genre appeals to you - it's definitely not Happy Reading!!

PK (2014)

Another December, another blockbuster release starring Aamir Khan - only after the Dhoom 3 debacle of last year, I wasn't really sure what to expect from PK. Other than Aamir, the big draw of PK was the director - Rajkumar Hirani - who in the last few years has turned into Bollywood's self-appointed social conscience - coining phrases like 'jadoo ki jhappi', 'All izz well' and my favorite, 'Gandhigiri'! Hirani's films are entertainers with a message - and the last outing of this director-actor duo, 3 Idiots, broke all kinds of records - will PK live up to the hype?

A spaceship lands in the dusty desert of Rajasthan, and a wide-eyed alien steps onto the Earth, his only adornment a flashy remote around his neck - which is stolen by the very first human he encounters. Without the remote, he cannot summon his spaceship, and he is stranded on a planet alien to him, with no means of communication or support. And so begins his quest - to retrieve his remote, and to return home. His search brings him to Delhi, and when told by a number of people that only God can help you now - he very literally begins to search for the seemingly elusive 'God' that would return his remote.

Meanwhile in Belgium, an Indian student, Jagatjanini, or Jaggu (Anushka) falls in love with a Pakistani, Sarfarash (Sushant). Their relationship founders on the rocks on religion and parental disapproval, and Jaggu returns to Delhi, nursing a broken heart. On assignment as a television reporter, Jaggu encounters PK on the Delhi Metro, handing out 'Missing - call if seen' leaflets - she is intrigued when she sees that these leaflets have pictures of various Gods on them. Sensing a story, she tracks down PK, and soon becomes a part of his incredible journey. Where do they find the remote? Will PK be able to go home? Will Jaggu be reunited with Sarfarash? Watch the movie to find out...

Just like Dhoom 3, PK is Aamir's film through and through - and just like Dhoom 3, his performance left me cold. The wide-staring eyes, the odd body language, jerky hand gestures - it's all too much, there is no subtlety - every scene screams, "Look at me, I'm an alien, I'm different, I can get away with anything!"!! Even the Bhojpuri dialect - I understand the logic - but really, it feels like Lagaan is being channeled here - especially when PK talks about different planets as gola - if I closed my eyes, it could be Bhuvan exhorting his team-mates to catch the gola! Truly Missing - the charming, natural Aamir Khan that wooed an entire nation!!

As for Anushka, I have to admit that she's never been one of my favorites - and while she does stay in character as Jaggu, she is little more than a glorified side-kick - even Munnabhai's Circuit had a meatier role. Sushant Singh exudes sincerity and boyishness - who wouldn't fall for him? I think I totally missed the point of Sanjay Dutt's character - sentimental casting, maybe? The other cast, too, is a motley of usual suspects from other Hirani films - Saurabh Shukla's self-serving Godman seems to be an extension of his role from Lage Raho, and he brings no additional menace or cunning, which I think was sorely needed.  But Jaggu's parents - Farhan's dad and Raju's mom - together??!! I appreciate Hirani's loyalty - but the mix-and-match cast is very distracting.

The best parts of the film show PK learning to live by the standards of society - whether it is stealing clothes from 'dancing cars', to trying to understand the intricacies of currency - it is quite funny to see PK collecting pictures of Gandhiji, and then use them to buy food! Stealing from the temple donation boxes, and pasting pictures of Gods on his face so that people won't hit him, and using a cycle lock to chain his chappals at the temple - all very delightful, the jabs are all light-hearted. Of course, with such a weighty theme - the search for God - the metaphysical is not too far away!

Inevitably, there is comparison with Paresh Rawal's OMG. With all its eye-opening questions, OMG remains a deeply religious film - PK comes across as merely irreverent. The questions are all over the place - for example, what is the point in highlighting that white is worn both by Hindu widows and Christian minorities? That seems to be more of a social tradition, rather than anything religious. And while OMG denounced various religious traditions - PK seems to be questioning the very existence of God. I don't think that was the intentional message, and PK's search was meant to symbolize the true spiritual search of God. What comes across is a petty pointing of fingers, which is quite distasteful.

Hirani also seems to have a very cynical view of our society and people in general. Starting with the initial scenes - naive as it may seem, I would like to believe that a person who comes upon a naked and clearly lost human being in the desert, would stop and provide succor, rather than rob the helpless person of his only possession. Or the whole setup with the tickets to the show - it's a meet-cute for Anushka and Sushant, but it also shows an elderly gentleman cheating these two, and what makes is worse is the way Anushka berates the said elderly gentleman. No, I am a firm believer in the best of people, and these characterizations make me uneasy - we're casually accepting irresponsible, bad behavior as the norm?

And the protests? Really, people, what is so threatening about this film? In one of the best and truest lines of the film, roughly paraphrasing PK - Are our Gods so weak that they need our puny protection? The demonstrations actually work in the film's favor - the controversy increases curiosity and interest, leading to bigger collections. Take away the hype and the big names, this is a very mediocre film. Watch ET instead - that little alien still has the power to bring tears to my eyes with his 'ET go home'!! 

Belong To Me

Image courtesy: Goodreads

"Imagine an enormous strutting peacock with the whole jeweled city for a tail" - that's how Cornelia Brown describes herself in the beginning - and yet she gives up the adventure and unpredictability of city life to escape to a suburban utopia. With her husband, Teo, she moves to a neighborhood much like the one they both grew up in - but to her dismay, Cornelia discovers that suburbia is not exactly the safe haven she was hoping for.

Piper Truitt is the Queen Bee of the neighborhood. Always impeccably turned out, with perfect nails and hair, with an opinion on everything under the sun and a set of rules that circumscribe her life completely - Piper would be completely at home in an episode of Desperate Housewives. Judgmental and with impossibly high standards, it is no surprise that Piper and Cornelia dislike each other on sight. But Piper's frostiness hides a turbulent heart, and her fierce love for her dying friend trumps all her other faults.

Cornelia has just about resigned herself to being the neighborhood pariah - when a saving grace appears in the form of Lake Tremain. The two bond over a shared love for pasta, literature and old movies. Like Cornelia, Lake has recently arrived in the town, so that her near-genius son, Dev, could attend a school for the gifted. A single mother, she has worked very hard to provide her son with all the right opportunities. But like Piper, there is more to Lake than meets the eye - and the secret she is harboring will eventually almost destroy the life she has painstakingly built up.

Three women, three lives, three stories - through their individual stories and mutual interactions, Marisa de los Santos spins an extraordinary tale of love, trust, betrayal and loss. On one end, Cornelia and Piper, whose mutual dislike evolves into first a grudging understanding and then a tentative friendship. The other end is Lake, whose instant rapport with Cornelia ends with disgrace and shame. Along with them, the other people in their life - especially, Cornelia's husband, Teo, and Lake's son, Dev - are drawn into a vortex of emotion, which will shake all relations to the core, ultimately teaching them all about belonging and acceptance.

This is a gorgeously written book, the lyrical descriptions of people, places, situations are absolutely mouth-watering - that alone would make the book a wonderful read!! And there's so much more - the characters are a delight, sharply drawn and vividly, lovingly brought to life. The situations these characters find themselves in, the mistakes they make are all too real - both their happiness and sorrow drawing the reader in - I was completely hooked! It has been a while since I've read such a 'real' book - a book that I could lose myself in, a book to savor, a book to stay up late for!

Piper's story - her defiance of death, her struggling to come to terms with her best friend's illness - had me in tears more than once. But in retrospect, it didn't really add anything to the main story - you could lift out that whole track and not miss a beat. And Piper does kind of disappear towards the end of the book - almost like she had played her part, and then made an exit! The climax didn't thrill me either - the raw emotion, the visceral grab-you-by-your-throat feelings all get packaged away neatly with a tidy red ribbon on top as well. Everyone gets a happy ending - and I think a grittier conclusion would have pushed the book to a completely different level!

Make no mistake, though - I loved the book! And I really loved Marisa de los Santos' style of writing - I'm eagerly anticipating more of her novels! Meanwhile, I'm going back for a second helping of 'Belong to Me'! Grab your own copy - now! Happy reading!