Unless you have written a multi-million franchise like Rowling or written classics ( means you are both dead and have a multi-million franchise) like say Dahl, and you write a brilliant children's book, chances are you are probably not getting your due credit. In the avalanche of Indian writers that's happening in the publishing today, some genuinely talented writers might be getting lost. And I fear something similar might be the fate of Vandana Singh.
I picked up Younguncle (and yes, it's spelled as one word and is not the lack of spell-check) because I could not sleep thanks to pesky mosquitoes and it seemed small enough and frivolous enough a book to keep me occupied or even guilty of perhaps hoping it'd bore me till my exhausted body gives up and caves in to sleep. What I did not expect was an incredibly engaging, quirky character written with..hmm.. what's the word I'm looking for! Ok, there does seem to be a word in my vocabulary for her particular style. It's disarmingly simple enough for a child to enjoy, yet it's got a certain sneaky sarcasm which makes it the kind of story an adult would love to read as well. It's most definitely not preachy, but it has no qualms about poking fun of our middle class mentality, our everyday what I like to call 'Indianisms' ( which includes our need to know everything about our neighbours and making up English like words by attaching '-isms' at the end).
The stories are exaggerated, as is right in a children's book,with the monkeys and tigers but the human characters are real and relate-able. The people in the book are in parts nosy, generous, worried about what 'society' thinks, greedy and selfish, some more so than others ,which is what makes reading it so much fun. Except Younguncle himself. Though he has blatant disregard for the system , it is not born out of an angry need to rebel ( unlike our bollywood heroes), which makes him the perfect and unbelievably funny foil to our 'Indian'-ness. Especially the part where Younguncle's greatest fear seems to be "settling down" with a "suitable girl" and everyone's need for him to do so was something I could so relate to.
Honestly, I think I'm doing her a grave injustice trying to explain her writing. It reminds me in a vague way, particularly the subtle things communicated in the stories, of C.S Lewis's Screwtape Letters. That was another book which without being preachy and by being incredibly funny gets you thinking.
And I do have a bone to pick with Ms.Singh - on the absolute injustice the blurb is to the book inside. Why, it makes it sound like just another children's book which is so so soooo wrong! Perhaps, she should even consider moving it out of the children's section given how much adults are likely to enjoy it!! And she should get a better illustrator too, someone who captures the spirit of Younguncle and his escapades better ( your round glasses and skinny frame makes me wonder if you yourself might have been the inspiration for the illustrator!! :) )
Anyways, it's been ages since I've enjoyed a children's book so much and for that I have to thank some incredibly quick and aggravatingly annoying mosquitoes!! So looks like everything in life does have a purpose even if you are not able to discern it immediately :-P In the meantime, I can't wait to pick up more of Ms.Singh's books and this time it won't be because I'm looking for a reason to fall asleep!! :-)
