Shalimar The Clown

I just finished this book - the latest by Salman Rushdie. I honestly have to say it blew me away. It starts off with a murder of a high-profile US political figure, Max Ophuls, and then gooes back in time to a land far away, a village called Panchigam in a then-peaceful Kashmir. There we witness the birth of love between Boonyi Kaul, the only daughter of a Kashmiri Pandit, and Shalimar the Clown, a muslim boy, the son of the Sarpanch of the village. It goes back to Max, who we find out is also a member of the Resistance in France during the Second World War, and manages to escape nummerous perils as a part of that, which turns him into a somewhat celebrated war hero. We fast-forward to the post-war period, we see Max as a highly popular US ambassador, visiting Kashmir and falling in love with Boonyi. He whisks her off to Delhi, away from her husband Shalimar, and so begins the love triangle, that in many ways mirrors the history of India, Pakistan, and Kashmir, and the International involvement in the region.

It was a very heavy story, but a beautiful one at that. I am not as familiar with the region's history as I'd like to be, so I cannot honestly vouch for historical accuracy. But the portrayals are deeply moving, and even if some of it has been elaborated upon, it is definitely a novel worth reading. At the end of it all, violence is violence; brutality is brutality; and no matter what the reason, motive or driving force behind it, nothing quite lessens the pain and the anguish that follow.

Salman Rushdie

I just finished The Moor's Last Sigh, by Salman Rushdie. It's so amazing how he uses language - he writes prose like it is poetry - liquid & flowing. His point of view is unique & his use of humor, subtle. His writing is simply what it is, he does not shy away from weirdness or discomfort. Although it takes a while to get through his writing - a while that is to appreciate the full extent of his story-telling capabilities, it is totally worthwhile, even for those short of attention span (such as myelf). The Moor's Last Sigh tracks the history of a cochin spice family - the main character being half jewish and half christian. It is funny yet haunting at once...a relatively heavy story but rich. It is also just refreshing to read a piece of Indian literature which is not about the partition - which is a heavily covered subject. It gave me an insight into much of India's history that I never even think about, being as North-Indian centric as I am. He truly is an amazing writer, and I would recommend this book to anyone who has the time to give to really appreciate someone as talented as Rushdie.

Summer Reading: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

I recently finished reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. It is a fascinating tale about the how the lives of one family are changed by a single instant in time – a split second decision, the consequences of which dictate the next thirty years. Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins on a cold Kentucky winter night. His son comes out healthy but his daughter has the un-mistakable signs of Down Syndrome. Plagued by childhood memories of his own genetically defective and weakened sister, Dr. Henry tells the only other witness to the birth, a nurse, to send the child to a home for those of her kind. She, instead, takes the child to a new city to raise as her own daughter. He tells his wife that her daughter died in childbirth, and this lie haunts their family for the rest of their lives, creating invisible walls of silence and insurmountable barriers. It is the story about action and reaction, about family, about relationships, and above all, about love.

It is a very well-written book…you actually feel the struggle of the characters as they try and reach out to those around them. You feel the helplessness of the Doctor at his decision when it is too late to change his mind; you feel the pain of his wife; the alienation of their son; and the iron strong will of the nurse to ensure her daughter gets as adequate an education as any other child. In that same sense it is rather heavy…it is not a book to read when you are at weird moments in your life, or are re-evaluating anything in a major way. It is beautiful in it’s sadness, in it’s truths about action and consequence and the butterfly effect. How one little decision could change so much so many years later. You start to wonder how things could have been different, could have been changed. How pain could have been avoided. In addition the characters are real people, they are well-rounded and complete with their strengths and flaws. There is no one character that is above imperfection – and it is their inner battles with themselves and others that makes this story what it is.

I would highly recommend this story to those that are looking for something thought-provoking and something that is overall a beautiful story. Hope everyone is enjoying their summers!

Fashion, Devils and Pop Culture Lit

Having read heavy novel after heavy novel in the past weeks, I finally decided to try something new. I read The Devil Wears Prada in precisely 2.5 days. Now I’m not usually into books about fashion or shopaholics (sp?) or anything of that kind. Usually I need to be able to get completely and wholly into something to really enjoy reading it. I must admit though I was curious about this story – with the movie coming out and all the hype about it, I really wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I had heard people talk about wanting to read it…and at the time I saw no reason to read about fashion. Fashion, for me, has never been about reading. It’s something you experience or witness. It does not translate very well into the written word – at least when it comes to fiction. So I bought myself a copy at an airport, before hopping on a flight, and went through it like water.

In all, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It’s a cute fun story, told with a sense of humor. If you are looking for plot structure, character development or any sort of depth, the book is not for you. I really hoped that they would show another side to the hellish boss – Weisberger hints at seeing a sadness in her eyes that she looks alone. But the account is a very one-sided view, probably indicative of the fact that Weisberger never quite forgave her alleged real-life version of “the devil”, Anna Wintour. Now, as much as I love to write, I don’t know that the world of fashion magazines would ever be my thing – it’s just not an area of my strength, so I honestly cannot say that I know enough about that world to really know how accurately it portrays the fashion magazine world. I have heard it is a close enough account though, and that is enough for me. But it got me thinking about this recent trend of books that for me seem a little silly. I too, dream to publish my writing one day, but I am someone that needs to feel that my writing is at a certain level in order to do so. This book was in no way a piece of literature, and from the reviews I’ve been reading – neither is Bergdorf Blondes, a novel of a similar nature, maybe not in plot, but in the way it’s seen in the public eye. Paris Hilton has a novel, something to do with being an heiress…and it seems Nicole Richie as also jumped on the bandwagon. What is it with fashionistas and writing?

Maybe it’s unfair to call Weisberger a fashionista, because if it is to be believed that The Devil Wears Prada is more than a little autobiographical, chances are she was never that into fashion. What is surprising to me is that both she and Plum Sykes attended excellent school – she attended Cornell, while Sykes attended Oxford. These people probably had access to the best of education, but from what I’ve seen of Weisberger, and what I’ve heard of Sykes, their writing skills are incredibly poor. At least for top-notch educational institutions. Although don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy The Devil Wears Prada, in that guilty way that you enjoy daytime television or gossip magazines. It is not a bad story, and in no way am I trying to trash it or Bergdorf Blondes, which I have not even read yet. You can’t knock it till you try it. What struck me is how it is now trendy to write books. And how some seem to be books just for the sake of books. Another notch on your belt, another resume entry, another thing to add publicity.

All this talk about fashion reminds me of another pop culture phenomenon. Although the series is now over, Sex and The City had a great deal of influence over fashion. Yet the show never had the superficiality as these books. It actually gave you quite significant insight into what it is to be single in New York, about friendships and relationships and a whole host of other facts of life and dealing with a city that works like no other in the world. Although the characters have their superficial moments, there was a sincerity and profoundness to the show that gave it validity with viewers all across the country. Now whether this is due to something innate to the show or just the difference between the written word and the spoken one remains up for grabs. Carrie is a writer on the show, but never claims to be a literary type at all. She writes about relationships, not great literature, but not material that is lacking depth either. I feel that the show rings true because it is based on real people without an agenda or a point to prove. Its influence in fashion also seems natural, unplanned, and spontaneous. Although you could argue it each way, I think the show has sincerity because it is not trying to be something it isn’t. You would never compare it to anything that it’s not because it does not pretend. It truly had a universal appeal for women, and not a few men (though definitely not the target audience).

Embarrassed as I was, I did actually open Paris Hilton’s book. Under advice to become an heiress it had a piece of advice so enlightening, and so profound that is caused me to rethink my whole life plan. And do you want to know what that first step to becoming an heiress is??? To be born into the right family. Damn, if I had known that all along things could have been WAY different!