The Left Hand of Darkness

 

 

"Light is the left hand of darkness

       and darkness is the right hand of light." 

                            

The Left Hand of Darkness was suggested to me by the bookstore owner of "Luna". This is a book I would not have picked for reading myself but it ended up as one of the profound books I have ever read. Calling it a science fiction book is kind of a misnomer as it deals more with sociology and anthropology. 

It was a book way ahead of its times as she questions the adjectives that define most part of society - gender, pride, respect etc. 

"What is love of one's country; is it hate of one's uncountry? Is it simply self-love? That's a good thing, but one musn't make a virtue of it, or a profession...but that sort of love doesn't have a boundary-line of hate." - patriotism, nationalism, borders, immigration, nuclear wars, weapons - all poof in one statement. 

That gender plays an important part of what we do in our lives and what is accepted is still relevant, seven decades after the book was written. 

"A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her feminity appreciated, however indirect and subtle the indications of regard and appreciation." What a keen observation that shows how shallow the basin of our self-assurance is. Then she takes us through a society where this factor is irrelevant. Imagine! 

I was not surprised to learn that the book was banned for sometime in the US (country of origin) as it was supposed to be "bad influence" on kids. To be able to think of a society functioning solely on the strengths and capabilities of an individual without restricting them to pre-defined gender buckets must have been a terrifying thought. It is this fear that dictates what should be a kid's favourite colour - pink or blue. How do you fight that? It is as the book says "It is extremely hard to separate the innate differences from the learned ones" and the lines are blurring even more with the passage of time. 

I felt some parts of the book, like the passage of Ai and Estraven across the ice-sheet, were too long and detailed and some parts lacked details. But no one can deny the intelligence of the mind that thought of a world that so deeply questions all our beliefs with a "what if?".  The most difficult part about the book for me was to imagine the world that Ursula describes.For some part of the book, I dint realise who was the alien and who was the human . But I think that was one of the points of the book, to question all our assumptions of what "normal" should look like. 

All in all, a very moving book. 

 

Patrick Radden Keefe is an excellent narrator and he doesn't disappoint with "Rogues". Have done the audible version of this book and enjoyed it. He takes you on a roller-coaster with rogues from different walks of life - their perspectives and his opinions on their crimes. He astounds with the level of detail only an investigative journalist can put together. A couple of stories (The worst of the worst, A loaded Gun) are compelling and make you think from a moral angle, a couple of them are inspiring (The Avenger, The Prince of Marbella) and will probably end up as movies down the line but the rest lack the punch and even Patrick cannot deliver. All-in-all an okayish read.

The Widows of Malabar Hill

 

This scintillating 1920's mystery carefully unfolds not only the layers of a murder mystery but also the intricacies and similarities of oppression of women in different cultures. Sujata Massey does an exceptional job of keeping the murderer under "wraps" till the end of the book. Even though it is set in two different time periods, it is a refreshing change from books that oscillate so much between past and present that the reader loses interest. It is heartening to see the protagonist grow from a gullible, gentle woman into a lawyer who unravels the web of lies at Malabar Hill with a shrewd mind. The characters of the book are simultaneously cliched and exceptionally rare which makes Perveen see the worst and best of the world at a tender age of 23. Really loved the characterisation of Perveen's parents who are exemplary in every sense of the word and remind me of my own parents who strived to carve a niche for their girls. All in all, thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is in a mood for a good murder mystery. 

Casual Vacancy

This book cannot be more different from all of Rowling's other books. Definitely "Adult" rated amongst books. However, you can make out her writing style right from Page one. Her love for "english counties"and her hatred for "english tradition" is visible throughout the book.She weaves a story around a kind and loving man who favoured the underdogs and believed in giving a chance to everyone(very much like our beloved Dumbledore). Another similarity with the potter series is how she brings out the difference between the two classes in the society - just like muggles and wizards(or witches!). Your heart aches for some characters and you just wish their pain ends in the end.All in all an okayish read. Starts slow but picks up pace around the middle of the book

Nothing Ventured

Nothing Ventured has all the elements of the Archer Cocktail for the protagonist - a formidable mother, a stickler father, a woman of substance, an unselfish mentor and a clever rival - however it fails to deliver the punch. Like familiar food, the book itself is easy to digest - no surprises, it has everything you expect out of it - except it leaves you with a disappointing aftertaste. The detective is too easily aided in some tough situations by people who had no reason to. The plot in itself was very simple and fails to pique your interest. All in all, it was too predictable. Hoping the next book in the series has a better plot to go on.

Welcome to parenthood!

It is a magical feeling!  I was watching a sitcom the other day and what one of the characters says made amazing sense to me - 'everything in life becomes very clear when you hold the hand of a baby and look at its face'. True, even the worst of situations seems passable when you look into your baby's eyes and see him beam back at you. So, here are some of the things I realised after becoming a parent.

- sleep is not a necessity, it is a luxury you can have when your baby has it.
- you can be a complete loser to some people but to your baby you are the hero
- you know the complete meaning of responsibility only when you are a parent. Not because you have to keep them from doing bad things but because you have to be able to live upto the image your baby will have of you
- trust doesn't need words to express. You can see it in the tiniest gestures of your baby. One thing that always moves me is how my baby lights up when he sees me.
- it is OK to make mistakes. No matter how you screw up, your baby rewards you with a magical smile
- it is incorrect when people say you get to be a kid only once. I have seen my parents proving it wrong when they play with my son
- there is wonder in everything in the world, we take a lot for granted. Look at the world from a baby's eyes, you'll see
- contrary to the popular belief, you notice things about your partner more when you become a parent because you try to associate them with your child
- planning is fun
- it becomes easier to pose for photos because the love for your child becomes apparent
- you think of things you probably thought were obvious. Like for example how does a goat sound?  :)
- respect for your parents increases by leaps and bounds
- you find something to laugh about even in the most inane things like poo in your hand
- your observation power increases immensely
- essentially your point of view changes because you have to look everything from how your baby might be perceiving it. For a stubborn person like me, it is a novel thing but well learnt.

I haven't numbered the above list because I am only a four month old parent.. Looking forward to a life long roller coaster ride with our little one!!

Aamchi Mumbai!

Mumbai - the city where dreams come true! I have lived in this happening city, breathed in the air of nonchalance, took in the scent of hardwork, experienced the camarederie of the local folk for a couple of years. I never thought I would love a city as much as Hyderabad but Mumbai comes a close second.
It is the spirit of the city that draws you in. You feel it in everything you do. There is some nonchalance to your lifestyle in a foreign city anyway. But Mumbai draws out hitherto unexplored interests in you. There are so many things to explore that you can hardly stay put on a weekend. Couple that with wonderful company (I met one of my besties in Mumbai) and your sense of adventure, well you have a deadly combination there.
The city is a house to a melange of cultures and it celebrates them with a lot of pomp and gaeity. The city flaunts temples, cultural centres celebrating dying arts, concrete wonder malls, clubs celebrating the spirit of sport and the list goes on.  
You never run out of options when it comes to food because restaurants are open till wee hours of the morning something that I miss after coming back to Hyderabad.
Mumbai is by far the safest city I have stayed in judging by the fact that I used to go for midnight rides/walks with my friends without a second thought. You almost wish it was like that everywhere.
For a city that has its people thinking of an alternative lifestyle during the rainy season, it is unusually perky. The spirit which I speak of is bare-naked in the monsoon - no one stops. In such a compelling environment, the last trace of laziness is wiped out. You are ALWAYS on the move.
No wonder the Mumbaikers are such an active lot. For those of you who haven't been on a Mumbai metro, whats written in books about it being a second home to a lot of Mumbaikers is not an exaggeration. You HAVE to ride the Mumbai metro to know what it is like to live a lifetime in a ride of forty minutes.

The city that never sleeps; a land of opportunity; a place where dreams come true...Aamchi Mumbai indeed.