I haven't posted for awhile because I got sick with a nasty bronchial bug that laid me low, but it did give me a chance to read most of the fabulous books I brought back with me.
Here is a list of my favourite three, followed by a random selection.
NADEEM ASLAM - MAPS FOR LOST LOVERS
This novel is so beautifully written, it is such an astonishing blend of sadness, pathos, humour and joy, I didn't want it to end. As mentioned earlier, I had seen Nadeem being interviewed several
times at the festival, and he is a treat to listen to (and he is soo good-lookin'). I can only quote from the blurb at the back:
"Set in a nameless British town that its Pakistani- born immigrants have renamed Dashl-e-Tanhali, the Desert of Solitude..
is an exploration of cultural tension and religious bigotry played out in the personal breakdown of a single family, Jugnu and Chanda, whose love is passionate and illicit, have disappeared from their home. Rumours about their disappearance abound
and finally, on a snow-covered morning, Chanda's brothers are arrested for murder. Seen principally through the eyes of Jugnu's brother, the cultured poetic Shamas and his wife Kaukah, mother of three increasingly estranged children, and the devout daughter
of a Muslim cleric, the event marks the beginning of the unravelling of all that is sacred to them.....An intimate portraitof a oommunity searingly damaged by traditions... this is densely imagined, beautiful and deeply troubling book."
His new book
is 'The Blind Man's Garden' which is on my must-read list.
PICO IYER- THE MAN WITHIN MY HEAD
Pico is a wonderful racounteur who is quietly spoken, reflective and yet intense. Throughout this book , he discusses his
deep affinity with writer Graham Greene, who he is utterly obsessed with. He travels to the same places and discovers that mysteriously, their lives seem to touch through similar or shared experiences,(or his interpretations of them). Pico is fascinated with
the psyche of Greene's characters, who he imagines are reflections of Greene himself : his constant battle of faith and belief in a higher being, expounded by higher moral and ethical principles with his own 'fallen' human behaviour and actions Pico
is greatly intrigued by this dichotomy and comes to the final conclusion that it is acts of kindness that triumph,especially to those who are deemed outcasts.
Loved his thoughtful meanderings on both their lives.
JOHN ZUBRZYCKI - THE
MYSTERIOUS MR JACOB- Diamond Merchant, Magician and Spy
This non-fiction book is a meticulously researched account of Alexander Malcolm Jacob, who was India's most successful purveyor of precious stones and was rumoured to
be 'rich almost beyond the dreams of Aladdin" In 1891 he audaciously offered to sell the world's largest brilliant-cut diamond to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The dealings and transactions went horribly wrong and ended in a sensational trial in the Calcutta high
Court and caused scandal and intrigue that made international headlines.
Apparently, Jacob was the inspiration for the shadowy Largan Sahib in Rudyard Kiplings novel KIM . Jacob was on intimate
terms with viceroys and maharajahs, he dabbled in magic, claimed to be psychic and somehow held diplomatic posts. Tragically he died in poverty and obscurity after the botched deal and took his secrets to the grave. If you love evocative descriptions of the
splendour of India in the late 1800's and the mystery and intrigue of the princely dynasties, the British fascination with all things "oriental" and the unbelievable tale of Mr Jacob, you will love this book.
Now, here are some of the
books i really enjoyed, but as I said, randomly set:
Vikas Swarup- The Accidental Apprentice
He has done it again - it's going to be a movie for sure... an ordinary Indian girl is chosen from the street to be the next
CEO of a huge conglomerate, but only if she can pass seven tests that can demonstrate suitable qualities needed for leadership, as deemed by the present elderly CEO. The series of events that she finds herself in are not staged, but apparently observed by
her benefactor. Vikas has again tackled some very problematic social issues that still plague India: unwanted organised marriages, organ transplant trafficking, bribery, poverty and exploitation (he has a go at talent quests and game shows again) and his major
theme is mistreatment of women in the community. A great read, clearly and succinctly written.
Lawrence Norfolk- John Saturnall's Feast
A medieval block-buster based on the idea of an ancient secret garden, its incredible produce
and a book of long-forgotten recipes and medicines that have been held by an ancient line of cooks. Fantastical and allegoral, the story follows John Saturnalls rise from a poor outcast boy to a Master Chef in a Royal Castle, with vivid descriptions of the
garden produce and sumptuous recipes, along with court intrigues against a backdrop of poverty of the feudal systems. Drawings and recipes charmingly grace the book.
Zoe Heller - Notes on a Scandal
I had borrowed this book
some years ago but decided to buy it and have it signed by the author herself. A great book, loosely based on a real incident in the UK about 10 years ago of an affair between a female teacher and a 15 year old student, and told through the eyes of Barbara,
a middle aged single woman, who is totally obsessed with the young art teacher, Sheba. Zoe has incredible insight and sharp prose, that gets you into the characters heads and exposes human frailities rather brutally, but also truthfully. Again her characters
aren't particularly admirable, and Barbara is particularly scary but also one cannot help but feel sorry for her obvious loneliness and unlovableness. Much better than the movie though Judi Dench is a great Barbara!
Ashok Ferrey - Serendipity
A very easy light-hearted read about the Columbo (Sri Lanka) society and its pretensions (through Ferreys wry humour) where the upper class are intent on out-doing each other.
The young female protagonist inherits a run-down mansion and decides to
live in it. There is love interest, lots of street-talking' interactions happening, and a breezy feel to the whole book.
MUST GET ON TO .....
Can I confess, I haven't even opened the daunting tome of William Dalrymple's
Return a King because i don't think I'm strong enough to hold it upright, one needs a big table to rest it on.
Also haven't tackled Wade Davis huge tome Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest
yet (same reason). We were fortunate enough to meet Wade and his wife at lunch. He is an anthropologist and ethnobotantist, who is a National Geographic explorer and Writer in Residence. He has travelled and worked in some of the world's remotest places: apparently
unravelling the mystery of zombie ritual in Haiti, written about the traditional use of psychotropic drugs in ethinic cultures and has studied botany of the Andes and the Amazon, he loves to discuss his work with you!!
SORRY HAVEN'T READ ANY POETRY LATELY SO HAVE NO COMMENT ON WHAT I HAVE BEEN EATING OR DRINKING... EXCEPT WHILE I WAS SICK, MOST BOOKS WERE READ WITH LOTS OF LEMSIP AND YUKKY CHESTY FORTE.
NEXT BLOG WILL BE SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT- BECAUSE OF A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE'S REQUEST, I AM GOING TO BLOG ABOUT THE BYRON BAY BLUES FESTIVAL 2013, FROM WHICH I HAVE JUST COME BACK. I WILL INCLUDE MY 5 DAY EXPERIENCE,BRIEF
ARTISTS BIO-NOTES AND PHOTOS SO THERE WILL BE LITERARY CONTENT!
STAY TUNED AND DONT FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT IN GUEST BOOK!
(ALSO HOPE TO HAVE MUSIC ON ALL SLIDESHOWS SOON SO PLEASE REVISIT THEM ALL XXXX