Yesterday, when MJ Shubhra asked me to recommend books at the 'Book Club' show, I was tongue-tied, somehow. I could think of nothing. On my desk lay an Eva Ibbotson, so I said 'Eva Ibbotson'. My favourite by her remains Journey to the River Sea, but I've enjoyed everything I've read by her. The Haunting of Hiram was no different. It's a wacky book about a Scottish castle, bought by an American millionaire, and transported to Texas. The millionaire has a daughter who has polio, and predictably, the millionaire (the Hiram of the title) wants to protect and mollycoddle her. So, the Scottish castle must, at all costs, be freed of all ghosts. The book was a light, joyful read. It made me laugh; what more does a fun book need? Ibbotson's imagination always impresses me. It takes courage to write something utterly unbelievable and be willing to be as silly as you like. The … [Read more...]
Surprise Interview
I never have call waiting turned on. Yesterday, somehow I did. An unknown number was calling me as I spoke to a very dear friend - a landline number. At first, I ignored it. I got another call. I was puzzled. And another. So I took it. "Varsha Seshan!" said the voice at the other end. "Ye-es...?" And it was MJ Shubhra from Radio One. I spoke to her, just like that, out of the blue. Did you listen in? … [Read more...]
Monsters University
When humour, action, plot, story, character and setting are all rolled into one, how can I not leave the cinema hall smiling like I have a tummy full of food and am ready to sleep? Monsters University made me happy. Why should anyone (particularly me) pretend to write a review? I like Mike (and Sullivan). I love 'OK'. I love the story. I love the Monsters University campus. I love the idea - and hugely respect the fact that such a grand prequel was made for a movie like Monsters, Inc. In short, I like animated films and this one did not let me down! … [Read more...]
The Lost Years
When I first read Mary Higgins Clark, I remember how amazed I was. All Around the Town remains one of the most powerful books of all time in my memory. Yet, when I read this, there was the sense of something artificial. As craft, detective fiction shines. I enjoyed the intricacy of the narrative. Romance within a detective novel adds a little sugar and a little spice. Wondering who-what-why keeps the brain alive. Following Mariah's life as an investment advisor with a mother who has Alzheimer's is absorbing. I was curious about the precious parchment, supposedly the only letter ever written by Jesus Christ. But The Lost Years did not touch that core of my being that I want fiction to touch. The romance was interesting, not exciting. Mariah's life was absorbing, not moving. The history was background, not intriguing. Detective fiction remains, for me, craft - not art. 'Syntactic' … [Read more...]
Stormswift
Madeleine Brent, ah, Madeleine Brent. So many of your books are based on the same thing - an English girl in a foreign land, falling in love with an Englishman under impossible circumstances. How is it that I love them all? The power of the narrative just gripped me right through the book. A sense of peace always came with the eager anticipation of the next twist in the tale. I think that's something I could probably say about all Brent's works. Is Stormswift exceptional? I don't know. I want to say that it is because I was just swept away by the tide of the tale, poring over page after page even though I've read the book before. An English girl, sold to a pacha in Afghanistan, whipped into sexual submission, discarded as barren, adopted as a servant by a half-Greek-half-French doctor in captivity... All this happens even before the book has begun. Jemima Lawley, the English girl, … [Read more...]
Walkabout
Unbelievably moving. Two English children in the middle of the Australian desert - what are their chances of survival? But they come across a bush boy. A naked dark-skinned Aborigine. They cannot communicate to one another, but they have to because the 'darkie's' attitude towards them is simple. He will not judge. Everyone is together in the single battle of life - the battle against death. When a little boy and a little girl are stranded, what can the bush boy do except help them? So they begin their journey together, a journey that revolves around yeemara and arkooloola. These two are the bare essentials of life - food and water. But how can the civilised, Christian, English girl Mary come to terms with a darkie who doesn't even speak her language? Besides, the darkie has no sense of shame and wanders around naked! And worst of all, little twinges of jealousy tell Mary that … [Read more...]
The Moneylender’s Daughter
I often shy away from thick books. I'm not quite sure why because I have read (more than once) and enjoyed (tremendously) books like Gone with the Wind, Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. Maybe, somehow, classics escape my prejudices. But books like The Moneylender's Daughter ought to as well. As I began the book and got caught in the action, I found myself thinking, "It's the kind of book my mother should read!" For very predictable reasons - it's about the mercantile world of 17th century Holland. The associations were automatic. I was halfway through the book when I realised that it was the kind of book I should read, simply because it combines so many aspects of fiction that amaze me. Characters, action, plot and description - The Moneylender's Daughter has them all! The switches in setting were perfectly timed, alternately building the atmosphere and providing … [Read more...]
Magical Mail
'Dear Sir or Madam,My name is Thor. I would like to work for the council recycling department. I think I would be good at this as I have lightning for melting and a big hammer for those items that are difficult to crush. I have passed an exam in art and I am also a god.' - Magical Mail by Claire Barker What a silly, droll book! I enjoyed each page and read the whole thing at one sitting in a couple of hours. I giggled, chuckled and tucked my brains away under a chair as I read the book, delighting in its eccentricities and adventures. The end of the story did not fit, somehow. The tone and mood changed, making me frown for the first time. It felt as if a makeshift ending had been attached at the end, but not too well, pulling strings a little too tightly in an attempt to tie the loose ends. How does it matter? I still enjoyed the tale of one girl, nine letters and a whole lot of magic! … [Read more...]
The Poison Garden
I finally finished reading The Poison Garden only because I forced myself to. I turned page after deliberate page, skipping sections, skimming over larger sections and wondering who would read the book. And then, I had a rather startling thought. I understand where the inspiration comes from. I understand a fascination for plants and power - I have the fascination myself. I understand the thrilling secrets of a closed box - I've written a story about a box myself. I understand the love for fine language and vocabulary that is beyond the scope of a child - I have that myself. In other words, perhaps the essence of the book is something that captivates me. No, not perhaps. Every idea in the book does thrill me. The names thrill me. Albion, Arcadia, Broceliande, Tadmor, Xanadu, Nineveh and Acoma: gardens of love, poison, dreams, healing, time, perfume and journeys. They send ripples over … [Read more...]
The Harry Potter Phenomenon
"You must read Harry Potter," a friend of mine told me when I was in the eighth standard. I glanced at the book lying on her desk and nodded. The book she was so impressed by was not yet available easily in India. A relative had given it to her and she was passing it on. I postponed reading - for an incomprehensible reason that I wonder if anyone would understand. I thought Harry Potter was the name of the writer and I had a deep-rooted prejudice against writers who put their own names in font that is far larger than the name of the book. Who was this Harry Potter who used one-fourth of the book cover for his own name? A lot of writers did that, I knew. I did not like the idea of it at all. I did not want to read this new author, this Harry Potter. So another friend read it before I did and said to me, "You must read Harry Potter!" I was curious now, so we spoke a … [Read more...]