Handmaid's Tale

Have you ever wondered what happens if a zealous group overthrows the US government and enforces women subjugation and reverses all the progress made by women so far? Maybe it's not too far fetching, given the fact that the Taliban has tried to do something similar in Afghanistan. 

Margaret Atwood's Handmaid Tale is a dystopian novel that offers a strongly feminist perspective. In this novel, a group of religious extremists take over power and creates a society with foundation on - return to traditional values and gender roles. Women are forbidden to vote, read/write. Class system is also enforced. Handmaids are women who are nothing but breeding machines, who are assigned to commanders whose wives cannot produce offspring. 

Handmaid's Tale is a masterfully written novel that provides a horrifying peek at the possibility of such a future.

Out

If you are looking for a chilling and thrilling crime fiction, this is for you. Out by Natuso Kirino is the winner of Japan's top mystery award and makes an outstanding read. This is about a group of friends, who find themselves in the midst of a brutal crime. Beyond the gruesome crime, the author's depiction of the main characters, especially Masako and Satake, provides an intriguing and enriching reading experience. Being a thriller, I don't want to divulge anything else and spoil the fun for you! ;)

A Breath of Fresh Air

A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi is the story of Anjali and her journey from naive, silly young woman to a mature and courageous person. It is also a story of selfish and chauvinist Prakash, caring and understanding Sandeep, and sweet Amar. The novel starts with the Bhopal gas tragedy and proceeds through indicating how it affected Anjali - both emotionally and physically.

The style and story reminded me of Yaddanapudi - typical emotional roller coaster of life full of drama.

Good and breezy read for a lazy afternoon.

Silkworm

Silkworm, pseudonymously written by J K Rowling as Robert Galbraith, is a riveting murder mystery. This is her second book featuring Cormoran Strike as a burly ex-army, highly methodological, single-legged private detective, and his eager and attractive assistant Robin. The first book, called The Cuckoo's Calling, is good too. But I liked this better.

The murder in Silkworm is elaborate and grotesque. The very nature of it piques one's interest despite making one shudder at the thought of it. The story revolves around writers, and their eccentrics. Rowling weaves an intriguing plot with doses of elements including gore, hermaphrodites, literary symbolism, passion, and revenge.

A definite unputdownable reading for mystery lovers.

Athadu Adavini Jayinchadu

This Sahitya Academy Award winner by Dr. Kesava Reddy is an absolute gem. It's a very short book - a novella. It's about an old man and his attempt to bring back his beloved pig from the cruel forest where it gets stranded for the night. The whole story starts at sunset and ends by the next sunrise. When I first heard about the story line, I found it very unattractive and was almost sure that it would not be an easy read given the fact that it's an award winner. But I couldn't be too wrong about it.The narration is gripping and there's never a dull moment as we go along with the old man through the night. It's a very captivating story. It's full of spirit, courage, loyalty, love, and duty. This one is not to be missed. Personally for me, reading it had been such a pleasure - beyond words can describe.

Tanhayi

Apple has beautifully captured the essence of this novel and reviewed it very well on her blog. I'm sure it's futile for me even to attempt to surpass or at least reach its detail and style. So, I urge the readers to check it out here. I've picked up this book after reading this review and I second it completely. Tanhayi is a modern-day novel that almost anyone can relate to. It's about the inner struggle of a man and a woman who find themselves in love out of their marriages. It gives much food for thought. The point was not to judge or preach. Life never seems as smooth as we would like it to be. It throws surprises at us, when we are least prepared. For Kalhaara and Koushik, it was true love under wrong circumstances.

Amaravathi Kathalu

I presume Satyam Sankaramanchi's Amaravathi Kathalu needs neither an introduction  nor any specific recommendation. I have had the opportunity to read this classic collection of stories only now and really feel fortunate for being able to do so. These are perhaps the sweetest and the most beautiful stories I've ever read. It's a collection of 100 stories, all based in the sacred town - Amaravathi. Lord Siva and river Krishna comprise the major elements, or rather the under current of all the stories. It's a medley of various emotions and facets of life.

I borrow a few words from the end note by MVL that aptly reflects my thoughts about this work:

Chadivina vaari kallallo krishna ponginchi
gundelo tiyyati manta ragilinche
gaadhasathi amaravathi kathalu

Even though each and every story is exquisite and I enjoyed reading all of them, one has cast a deep impression on my mind. Rendu gangalu: it's a simple story of or rather narration of rejoicing the rain. The simplicity and the beauty of it is just splendid!

The Secret Wish List

This latest book from Preeti Shenoy is a typical chick-lit one can breeze through. Preeti's  no-nonsense style makes it a very good read. I was very much impressed by the first half of the book, where she depicts the mundane married life, with an insensitive husband, of Diksha interspersed with her that past, which led her to an early marriage. Preeti brings out many simple and otherwise facts of a woman's life. Where it comes to Diksha's liberation in the later half of the story, everything happens like magic - aka fantasy. Super rich lover, who deeply loves her even after 18 years of their brief affair, who in fact didn't ever really stopped loving her, and a super handsome salsa instructor cum friend mark the typical dream-like nature of chick-lit. Of course not to say far-fetching and unrealistic. But that's the kind of stuff light fiction readers like. Once Diksha makes her secret wish list, it seems the fate itself conspires to make it all easy for her to make her wishes come to reality. One interesting aspect is that Diksha has critical and unsupportive parents but understanding and helpful mother-in-law. All in all, it's a good read.

Table for Four

Table for Four by K. Srilata was an impulse pick but I was not disappointed. It delivered what the book cover promised. It's a racy book about 4 people sharing a house, and their respective stories. Each one of us, like the "four" in the novel, has a story to tell - our past - with our own share of secrets. Our present is shaped by our past and the struggle with oneself - one's own past - is the greatest struggle one can go through. Letting go, is perhaps, the most important lesson of life.

The fashion-savvy Sandra has a traumatic childhood behind her, the silent journalist Derek is infatuated by an Afgan boy, the composed Maya is scared of the sea and the otherwise charming Uncle Prithvi seeks recluse. Each has a story to tell, which surely captivates the reader's interest.

This book had been long listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2009.

Ampasayya

Ampasayya by Naveen had been in my "to-read" list for a long time. Naveen was recommended to me by a literary friend a while back and I've been keen to read him ever since. Ampasayya was his first novel and was so popular that Naveen became Ampasayya Naveen after that.

It's the depiction of a student's life, caught up in restlessness. It portrays the inner turmoil of a student fighting various emotions and ideals. It was dated back to later '60s and it's interesting to see that many of the issues are still relevant to today's students.

The narration is of a different style and flowing, just like the thoughts seamlessly whirling around in one's mind. It had been quite a good reading experience. The book has the same comfort pace throughout and there never was a dull moment. I look forward to read more of the author,most of whose works are supposed to be based on youngsters.

Mullapoodi Venkataramana Katha Ramaneeyam - 2

This is a real treat. It is a collection of short stories categorized into sections like

• Rasa Ramaneeyam
• Sarasa Ramaneeyam
• Runa Ramaneeyam
• Jana Ramaneeyam
• Lokaabhi Ramaneeyam
• Saradaa Ramaneeyam
• Koutilya Ramaneeyam
• Baala Ramaneeyam.

The wit and wisdom of the author are evident in each and every story. The puns and sarcastic observations are both amusing and enlightening. One can easily perceive the romantic nature of the author by the artful and subtle way he deals with the subjects. The story "Kaanuka" is about Gopanna who strives to make the perfect flute to gift to Lord Krishna through 25 years unable to be satisfied with any of his innumerable outputs. This is  such a beautiful story that I fell in love with it right away. Sarasa Ramaneeyam, where he speaks about love-stricken men and their mostly assumed predicaments and troubles is worth to be marveled about. The wisdom and quips  ingrained in Runa Ramaneeyam demands outright commendation. Not that anything is ground-breaking, what I meant to convey is that you can't help admiring the way the author has laid out things. Did you know that Mullapoodi is the one who created the famous character "Apparao", who lives only on loans, and a special lingo associated with the art of taking loans? It's amazing to read about the apparent talent of such people, albeit in fiction. :-) All the other stories too deserve to be mentioned for their awesomeness.

I read the Volume 1 of Katha Ramaneeyam almost 4 years back. Though I don't remember much of what I read from it, I remember relishing the collection. I guess I enjoyed Volume 2 more but it may be only because I evolved more as a reader since back then and not because that Volume 1 was any less appealing.

Vishalandhra Publishing House

Price: Rs. 150

Oka Hijra Katha

This is a collection of 8 stories translated from Urdu and Hindi by Paravastu Lokeswar. Of the eight, three are by Khushwant Singh, all historical works depicting 19th and pre-19th century Delhi. The other works are by Ismat Chugtai, Qurratulain Hyder, Kamala Das, Abdul Jabbaar, and Kishan Chander, which dealt with different topics. The stories are all very interesting and the translation of Lokeswar ensures that the collection is a great read. The translation is good and natural.

My favorites from this collection include:

• Gruha Nirmata by Ismat Chugtai (I've read her before in another collection and with this story, I've taken a special liking to her work)
• Paruvu - Prathista by Qurratulain Hyder
• Meet Taki Meer by Khushwant Singh (This is the life story of a renowned Urdu poet of 17th and 18th centuries)

The title story "Oka Hijra Katha" by Abdul Jabbaar is also good.


Publishers: Gandhi Prachuranalu
Price: Rs. 50

Alochinchu

Picked up this novel by Malathi Chandoor driven by the positive review by an acquaintance. But I'm extremely disappointed. In fact, I'm so outraged by the novel. The writing is good but the story and the message it conveys didn't ring well with me. I'm actually impressed by her portrayal of lead characters in the first half of the story and didn't quite understand how she could degrade her characters to such an extent in the later half. The story is about a couple with liberal views and high individuality. They undergo civil marriage against the wishes of their families and stick to their principles through thick and thin. But for not too long, it turns out to be. The change in the husband is gradual and the wife gets puzzled over this but could do nothing about it. All this is well and good but here comes the shift: the husband gets involved in illicit affairs. What is truly disconcerting about this is that the wife keeps quiet about it despite her obvious displeasure. The usual reasons are given : family, kids etc. Her world shatters when the husband declares that he needs to go for second marriage as the object of his illicit pleasure is pregnant and he is morally obligated to marry and protect her and the offspring. He stresses that he has no other choice and is clearly aware of the pain it causes to the wife. He assures that he cares for her a lot and that's the reason why he informed her about his decision before acting. (Ridiculous!) Indeed, the wife's world shatters, and she goes into severe depression and finally takes solace in the teachings of a swamiji and finds a purpose to her life (social service).

Given the strong character of the wife, it isn't clear why the author didn't make her stand up for herself. The wife undergoes a lot of turmoil, hates the husband (actually, the opening and ending notes of the story convey her feeling of resentment towards him), hates the life in general. The most atrocious of all is the view that "men have such weakness by their biological structure, they can't help it and hence illicit relationships are common and should be ignored". This perspective is conveyed by both the erring husband and god forbid, the swamiji. Swamiji urges the wife to "think" from others' (husband and the other woman) perspective and understand them. He says that separating from the husband is not a solution because the question of self-esteem doesn't come into the picture. The husband still cares for her and is not physically hurting or ignoring the wife. So, the reason why the wife is so devastated is only because her ego had been hurt.

I lost it there. What nonsense is this? What use is the intellect,the reasoning capability, and individualistic character of the wife if she finally accepts the swamiji's advice? (She argues with the husband that "biological differences may exist, but isn't adultery a moral issue and aren't morals same for all?) She isn't happy by no means at the end, but at least she has found the courage to take on life. My question is, why should she? By being with the husband, whether whole-heartedly or not, she seemed to have supported his actions, if only indirectly and after lot of tamasha. The thing is, the husband never feels that he has done anything wrong. The problem arose and he had to trouble the wife only because the other one became pregnant.

The author depicted the inner struggle of the wife commendably and put forth valid points and arguments but she spoiled it all by making her react as she did. One probable reason why it's impossible for the wife to desert the husband is her love for him. He is the world for her and now that he has cheated her (she feels so cheated only when he marries another woman, not during his uneventful affairs), she couldn't bear it. So, what about his love for her? Is it possible to simultaneously love the wife and be promiscuous? (The novel seems to say so.) If so, what kind of love is it? Is that valid?

A perfect story with flawed message.

Amma Ki Aadivaaram Ledaa?

This is a collection of 52 stories by Ranganaayakamma. Like her novels, I loved this book too. Reading her is like education. She strives to bring clarity between the good and the bad in her stories and characters. She doesn't like to be ambiguous about such things like some others do and it's such a relief.

I'm really surprised, rather pleasantly, to read about how she makes changes and improves her works in subsequent editions depending on how her own opinions change owing to greater knowledge and expereince. I wonder how many authors do this kind of exercise.

In these stories I got the taste of her sarcasm and also humor apart from her usual style. Notable sarcastic/ humorous stories include - Pellaniki Premalekha - which tells that a wife expects to be loved by her husband, not just needed; Kanipinchutaledu - funny naration by a husband of a "muggu" addict wife; Pelli chesesaam - about people who regards acceptance to social norms is the only way to live; Kutra - very fuuny account of how revolutionists are conspiring against people by writing their literature in a wrong and complex language.  There are also many stories which make us think and learn something. But I assure you that they are equally or even more entertaining.

I'm very much impressed by her feminist ideas and also her principled nature. She is a marxist and one can find more than a few stories in this collection in which she expresses those ideas. She believes that marxism is the only knowledge worth enough to know, the dearth of which makes lives worthless. According to her (marxism), accumulation of wealth is a crime. If there is wealth, it comes only by exploiting others. When a landlord sits at home, has servants to do the work both in the house and the land, he is just exploiting them. I'm not sure I agree with all this. Or it might just mean my ignorance about the valuable marxism and am in a hopeless state.

Matti Manishi

Matti Manishi by Vasireddy Sitadevi is a remarkable novel and undoubtedly one of her best. It is about land and fuedalism. The story is mainly about Sambaiah, who is a devout farmer and his love for land/earth. When he gets his son married to the daughter of a feudal lord in decline, everything changes. The daughter-in-law, Varudhini, separates the father and the son and gradually disposes off the family wealth. Upon the tragic demise of Varudhini and of everything she stood for, her son comes back to Sambaiah to learn the ways of land and share his grandfather’s love for it.

I found a few traces of Buck’s classic The Good Earth in this novel, especially while reading about Sambaiah and his steady growth to richness. Matti Manishi is a riveting read of conflicting emotions and beliefs.

Seela Veerraju Kathalu

I just finished reading a collection of short stories by Seela Veerraju. I’m still reveling those wonderful stories. These are by far the best stories I’ve ever read. I loved the author’s beautiful descriptions of nature and beauty. I never read anything so enthralling before. The characters and the plots stay with you long after you’ve finished reading them. The language was delectable and the simplicity and depth of the stories captivated me. I really am neither able to express how much I liked the collection nor what joy I felt reading those stories. It’s pure joy of experiencing fine talent.

I’m grateful to my grandpa who kindly lent me the book and thus introduced me to this amazing literary work. I was thrilled to note that it’s a signature copy. I later discovered that the author had been a personal acquaintance of my grandfather,and I was like “wow!”.

“Seela Veerraju Kathalu” would remain one of my all-time favorites. This book includes 34 stories.

Chick Lit Hub

Here's an amazing website for all those chick-lit lovers: Chick Lit Books. You can get here a view at the latest featured books and lots of reviews.

Enjoy!!

Veellanem Cheddam

This novel by Yandamoori Veerendranath first came out in 2009, almost a decade after he wrote his last novel Antharmukham. Ever since that novel, which was triggered by his father's death, he hasn't written any fiction. However, he commenced writing non-fiction a short while later and managed to gain popularity in that genre too.

Veellanem Cheddam addresses the increasingly corrupted, greedy and selfish nature of the current society. He questions why someone needs to amass huge amounts of wealth by corrupt means only to leave it to one's future generations who wouldn't even remember them. He points out that by leaving almost unlimited wealth to the youngsters, the immensely rich are responsible for making them lazy, irresponsible and spoiled. He also calls attention to the role of writers to influence the society.

This is the most matured novel by Yandamoori I've read. And it's both though provoking and highly readable. The latest edition (fourth) also comes with an interview of the author, which is an added attraction.

Krishnaveni (8th Edition)

Just finished reading this popular novel by well-known author - Ranganayakamma. It's her first novel, written at the age of 19 in 1959. The latest edition has a specialty: the author added a new foreword and lots of footnotes. The author has ruthlessly played the role of self-critic and pointed out the many awkward things in her work. She honestly attributed her inadequacy to her immaturity at the time of writing it.

I never read this novel before but reading it along with the author's current analysis of the story and the characters felt like an education to me. The work completely awed me. I'm sure the effect would have not been the same without the footnotes, though I suspect that I would have been appalled by the protagonist's foolish behavior. I couldn't approve the whole love story part since the scenes seemed too far-fetching. Also, Madhav failed to make an impression on me. As the author herself admitted, the characters lacked clarity and are a mix of good and bad. I agree with the author's hindsight that the only solid character was Renuka and she had potential to occupy a greater part of the story.

The way, the author dissected the characters and certain conversations and opinions provided so much food for thought. I know that Krishnaveni doesn't need an introduction to Telugu literature lovers but this 8th edition is truly remarkable for the aforementioned reasons and more.

Tender Hooks

Moni Moshin's Tender Hooks is a delightful read. It's outright hilarious. I couldn't help laughing out load many a times. Decent and nothing over the edge.  It presents the Pakistani high-society life in a slightly sarcastic way and is very entertaining.

The novel is written in the form a dairy, which notes the significant political happenings that affect the country. Tender Hooks is a kind of sequel to Moshin's popular The Dairy of a Social Butterfly. Apparently, Tender Hooks features the gregarious Butterfly of the prequel.

I liked Moshin's writing so much that I'm really looking forward to read her other two works. Besides the two books I mentioned above, she also authored an award-winning novel - End of Innocence.

I discovered Tender Hooks from an article in The Hindu and am glad I did.

Price: Rs. 199

Pages: 250