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Karno's Daughter

Karno's Daughter by Rimli Sengupta is a poignant biography of an Indian maid

Karno’s Daughter by Rimli Sengupta is a poignant biography of an Indian maid Karno’s Daughter by Rimli Sengupta is a poignant biography of an Indian maid. This is the story of Buttermilk – the ubiquitous domestic maid without whom most Indian middle class homes would fall flat on its face. Buttermilk starts her day at the crack of dawn. She rushes to catch the 5 am local train that will carry…

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Nine Lives

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson brings back the memories of reading Agatha Christie's crime fiction

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson brings back the memories of reading Agatha Christie’s crime fiction Nine Lives by Peter Swanson brings back the memories of reading Agatha Christie’s crime fiction. The story is a complete page turner. Clues are dropped in periodically. But to unravel the mystery the reader has to continue till the end. There is not a dull moment! The best part is, the crime is…

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They

They by Kay Dick is a Dystopian Classic fuelled by Intolerance, Indoctrination, Fanaticism, Repression and Loathing for Freedom of Thought or Expression Reading ‘They’ by Kay Dick was an experience in itself. In this particular dyspotian novel, Kay Dick has gradually and subtly painted a world where the claustrophobia and anxiety is so high that it starts affecting the reader. Kay Dick has built…

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No Fixed Address

No Fixed Address by Susan Nielsen draws attention to the widespread problem of urban homelessness especially in first world countries through the story of a young boy and his mother who find themselves living out of a van for months on end

No Fixed Address by Susan Nielsen draws attention to the widespread problem of urban homelessness especially in first world countries through the story of a young boy and his mother who find themselves living out of a van for months on end No Fixed Address by Susan Nielsen draws attention to the widespread problem of urban homelessness especially in first world countries through the story of a…

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Gods And Ends

Gods and Ends by Lindsay Pereira is a Stunning Portrait of Life of the Catholic Community of Orlem, a suburb of Bombay

Gods and Ends by Lindsay Pereira is a Stunning Portrait of Life of the Catholic Community of Orlem, a suburb of Bombay Lindsay Pereira’s Gods And Ends is a stunning portrait of the Catholic community in Orlem, a suburb of Bombay. Narrated with dry humour, it brings to the reader a slice of Bombay with its own unique way of life that alternates between the precincts of religion and a ‘susegad’…

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Qabar

Qabar by K R Meera is A Multilayered Novella with a hint of Magical Romance that emphasizes the Oneness of Humans across Superficial Divisions

Qabar by K R Meera is A Multilayered Novella with a hint of Magical Romance that emphasizes the Oneness of Humans across Superficial Divisions K R Meera’s novella Qabar, translated from Malayalam by Nisha Susan, is a genre defying read.In Qabar, K.R. Meera talks about the syncretic culture of India, women’s rights, spirituality, religion, faith, love, empathy and oneness of man across…

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Delhi: A Soliloquy

Delhi: A Soliloquy by M. Mukundan is A Portrait of India's Capital constructed through the Stories of its Inhabitants

Delhi: A Soliloquy by M. Mukundan is A Portrait of India’s Capital constructed through the Stories of its Inhabitants A city is not just its roads and buildings.  It is also shaped by the people who call it ‘Home’. The city is like a giant cauldron of emotions – holding together their many joys, sorrows, tears, laughter, rage and pain, success , disappointments. For Delhi, the seat of political…

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Estuary

Estuary by Perumal Murugan is A Brilliant Social Satire about the Oximoronic Coexistence of Conflicting Social Values juxtaposed against the Old World

Estuary by Perumal Murugan is A Brilliant Social Satire about the Oximoronic Coexistence of Conflicting Social Values juxtaposed against the Old World Perumal Murugan’s Estuary is a social satire that takes a dig at everything from the State to the nuclear families of today. With his trademark humorous style of storytelling, Perumal Murugan has laid bare the self centered, vain world of today…

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Chandrabati's Ramayan

Chandrabati's Ramayan, written by Chandrabati, the first woman poet to have written in Bengali and translated by Nabaneeta Dev Sen, is a rendition of the epic from the point of view of the female protagonist Sita

Chandrabati’s Ramayan, written by Chandrabati, the first woman poet to have written in Bengali and translated by Nabaneeta Dev Sen, is a rendition of the epic from the point of view of the female protagonist Sita where, in the tradition of a popular Bengali genre of folklore called ‘Baromasha’, the problems of the deity, in this case Sita, has been conflated with the problems and challenges faced…

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Letters of Blood

Letters of Blood by Rizia Rahman is a portrait of the Dire Predicament of Sex Workers who are almost inevitably disowned and forgotten by the society at large

Letters of Blood by Rizia Rahman is a portrait of the Dire Predicament of Sex Workers who are almost inevitably Disowned and Forgotten by the Society at Large How often do we, members of polite society, pause to reflect on the section of population forced into flesh trade- a gross violation of  basic human rights? Mostly people sidestep conversations around  these unfortunate women and the sub…

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Boiled Beans on Toast

Boiled Beans on Toast by Girish Karnad is A Vibrant Portrait of the City of Bangalore - a Kaleidoscope of Human Dreams, Ambitions and Emotions

Boiled Beans on Toast by Girish Karnad is A Vibrant Portrait of the City of Bangalore – a Kaleidoscope of Human Dreams, Ambitions and Emotions Girish Karnad’s short play Boiled Beans on Toast captures the spirit of the city of Bangalore or Bengaluru – as it is called today. Bangalore, the tech capital of the country, is a symbol of hope for millions and draws people from different places of the…

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Sunlight on a Broken Column

Sunlight on a Broken Column by Attia Hosain provides a glimpse of life in the Feudal Muslim society of Oudh in undivided India

Sunlight on a Broken Column by Attia Hosain provides a glimpse of life in the Feudal Muslim society of Oudh in undivided India Attia Hosain’s Sunlight on a Broken Column provides a glimpse of life in the Feudal Muslim society of Oudh in undivided India. This society comprising of the Taluqdars(landowners) was rigid where men and  women were expected to live strictly according to the dictats of…

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Calcutta

Calcutta by Shumona Sinha is A Poignant Reminiscence of Kolkata from 70's till late 2000's

Calcutta by Shumona Sinha is A Poignant Reminiscence of Kolkata from 70’s till late 2000’s Calcutta is not only a city but an emotion for many people. Shumona Sinha in her book Calcutta has painted a canvas  with a throwback to the 70’s, with all the elements that makes this city unique, through a series of often disjointed flashback events. The many mini narratives that are a part of the…

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The Christmas Pig

The Christmas Pig by J K Rowling explores Deep Concepts of Love, Loss, Friendship and Hope imparted through a Simple yet Delightful Children's Story

The Christmas Pig by J K Rowling explores Deep Concepts of Love, Loss, Friendship and Hope imparted through a Simple yet Delightful Children’s Story When it comes to children’s literature, JK Rowling is a maestro and her latest book The Christmas Pig just reinforces this. What an absolute delight of a book! A wonderful story that aims at familiarising little humans about the concepts of love,…

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The Beatryce Prophecy

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo is a Wonderful Adventure which epitomizes The Power of Love, The Written Word and Human Ability to Rise Above Our Fears to Change the World

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo is a Wonderful Adventure which epitomizes The Power of Love, The Written Word and Human Ability to Rise Above Our Fears to Change the World What binds a brave young girl willing to face the wrath of the king, an ill tempered wily goat, an orphan boy, a monk with a rolling left eye and a man who was once the king but chose to walk away from all material…

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The Hour Between Dog and Wolf

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf by Silke Scheuermann reflects on The Ambiguous and Ambivalent Definition of Happiness and A Perfect Life

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf by Silke Scheuermann reflects on The Ambiguous and Ambivalent Definition of Happiness and A Perfect Life Silke Scheuermann’s The Hour Between Dog And Wolf translated by Lucy Jones from German is a contemplation on the nature of modern day relationships, the self absorbed society we live in and the practice of instant gratification that takes precedence over common…

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Whereabouts

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri explores the Eternal Nostalgia and Dilemmas of Human Life through the mundane yet beautiful physical and psychological journey of a single, independent, middle-aged woman

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri explores the Eternal Nostalgia and Dilemmas of Human Life through the mundane yet beautiful physical and psychological journey of a single, independent, middle-aged woman Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing has always attracted me ever since I read her Interpreter of Maladies. Lahiri has the capacity to weave a story from the seemingly most ordinary situations of life.  Not many…