Book of the Month : May 2015

May was an absolute revelation.. Like I said it here, it was the month for women power. It happened entirely by accident that ( except for the last two books) that almost all I read was by women ( except one). I have to say, I din't expect to be a different experience.  I have never really thought about authors really having a gender. I mean, it's a incidental thing, and never thought it was something which could influence their writing. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was wrong.

Anyways, I have already ranted why, so I'll get on with it!

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" by Lena Dunham - 1.5 / 5

I don't know what kind of girl she is, but she is definitely not the kind of girl who should be allowed to write a book. In a book,  least one character should be likable, preferably the narrator. But there is only consistent character, that is Dunham and she's comes across as the embodiment of the privileged white girl with first world problems. I had watched a couple of episodes of  her hit show Girls and I had found them quite funny imagining of course that she's being ironic about the bunch of whiny loser girls. But turns out she's not. And the more you read the book, the more irritated you feel at her whining, why life is not going as planned though she doesn't take any effort. For the longest time I wondered if this is some sort of age gap at work,if  this is how the new kids think, the entitlement. But she's barely 2 yrs younger to me so that theory went out to the window. Her stories are disjointed and there's a marked lack of continuity between chapters. And honestly by the end of the book, you are quite clueless what the hell she has "learned".

Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie - 3 / 5

It felt a bit tame for Poirot, but I found it interesting because it shows the human side of his secretary Miss Lemon. The ending also was a little contrived and far fetched. Not Agatha Christie's best work.


Dunham's book made me a little suspicious of picking the next one afraid it is going to blow up in my face. But I knew I would eventually read it anyways ( coz I loveee her), so might as well get it over with. So that's how I ended up with...

Bossypants by Tina Fey - 3.2 / 5

And it was everything that you want and expect from Tina Fey. She's warm, funny, engaging and most importantly, grounded. I was a wee bit disappointed that most of the book is about her professional life and you don't see much of her personal life ( I believe she's saving that for her autobiography when she's 80). But I do love her energy and enthusiasm especially when she faces discrimination. Her attitude is more like "Life is not fair. Ok, so we'll work harder and then say 'HA HA' to life!' and what's not to love about it. There are a couple of chapters which are rather random but overall a fun read.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling - 3.4 / 5

I love Fey and I always will, but Mindy totally stole my heart with this book. I don't always find her show funny but her book was hilarious. She too is warm, funny, grounded. I love how she has made it plain that any success that she enjoys is through sheer grit and doggedness. She's not dismissing that luck and perhaps even talent might have played a part but mostly it's sticking with it till it works. The book is like a light, refreshing chat with a friend, so go pick it up for a pick-me-up! :)

Tamarind City by Bishwanath Ghosh - 3.4 / 5

I have a theory that anyone who loves Chennai ( or Madras, as purists insist) is someone who can look beyond the superficial and see you for who you are. I'm yet to meet a person who loves Chennai and I've not liked. On the surface, yes, it's hellishly hot and humid. But if you keep that aside, spend some time, you'll also find out that the place is gorgeous amalgamation of good people, charming culture and cosy beaches. So when Mr.Ghosh, an outsider who has been charmed ( like myself) takes it upon himself to explore my favorite city I knew I would love it. He's done a lovely job of presenting the historical Madras and the present day Chennai. Towards the end the book it becomes more about him and less about the city and I found the narrative a tad weak there. I don't blame him because the city becomes so intertwined with your soul that you stop identifying it as something separate. But that doesn't always make it more interesting for the reader. Overall, if you thought you knew Chennai, well, think again and pick up the book because it's going to totally surprise you. And if you are not a fan of the city, then too pick up the book because you'll find out why you should be!

PS: He was the only male author in the month of May. But as far as I'm concerned his subject was female, so it all works out!

Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie -  3.6 / 5

It was a bit underwhelming for a Pulitzer prize winner. The prize sets up a huge expectation. I feel this is one of those books which, had I approached without the Pulitzer tag I would have enjoyed it more. Her language is lovely and her characters, though quite mundane, are memorable. I think that's what makes this book a great read. She takes almost clichéd characters and given them a new life within the framework of the cliché. We get a glimpse of the inner workings of the dowdy spinster and the beautiful and spoiled actress. How life is exactly as we imagine when we judge someone  and fit them into a box; and yet it is never as we expect it either. Quite an interesting exercise in 'not judging a book by the cover'.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo - 3.7/ 5

Thank you Mr. President!

I have Barack Obama to thank for having led me to this book and the lovely DiCamillo. It was in his book buying list (here's the list) and there were enough books that I had enjoyed before, so thought I'll pick up some and try. I found the blurb for Flora and Ulysses quite ticklish so I got my hand on it immediately ( also got 'A Constellation of Vital Phenomena' by Anthony Marra but have not read it yet).

The book is about the self-described 10 yr old cynic Flora (she reminds me of a 10 yr old Calvin, Bill Watterson's that is) and the superhero squirrel Ulysses with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry. It's so wonderfully relate-able, especially Flora's relationship with her parents. It has abundance of humor laced with an underlying sadness and K. G. Campbell's illustrations capture it perfectly. It's a funny blend of book and comic and the technique as been used to the maximum effect. You really don't know where to draw the line ( Is it a comic? It is a book?). But that doesn't matter because it works to pull you into the story.

I love that DiCamillo treats her young readers as perceptive individuals who are quite capable of understanding that people can be both good and bad. Quite a refreshing approach to a children's book to have characters who are grey rather than black and white in their personalities. She also uses language which might be a little above a child's but again I love that she's challenging her young readers to grow and learn. It's a wonderful ride getting to know Flora and her weird family (and of course Ulysses), one I'm sure you will enjoy even if you are no longer 10 yrs old!

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear - 3.7 / 5

There are not many female detectives who have captured the imagination. After reading Maisie Dobbs I, for the life of me, can't figure out why. She's not flamboyant like Sherlock or Poirot, but I loved her practical, no nonsense approach to problems. I also loved the story premise, set after the World War. So often we hear the exploits of the soldiers in the war but rarely do we bother with what happens after. We think that it was the war itself which was the hardship and that once it is over, they will move on like the rest of us. Winspear has explored the sensitive issue brilliantly without taking away any of the excitement that goes into a mystery. And nor has she kept the personal life of the protagonist, Dobbs, non-existent like in the case of Holmes. Instead she uses it to enrich the experience of getting to know Dobbs. I can't wait to pick up more of the series.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott -  4 / 5

If ever you are faced with a writer's block, this is the book to pick up. Or because you have never tried writing because you are afraid to find out what that would be like, pick up Bird by Bird. Or you just love books, then too you should pick it up. What Lamott does give you behind-the-scenes of writing a book. Not the edited, stylised version but the sweat, blood, tears and bare bones that makes writing what it is. It's not always pretty but it's wonderfully fulfilling. And she does it with gentle humor and grace. Even if you don't have any dreams of being a best selling author ( you don't have to lie to me :-P) it's still a lovely read because you really start to appreciate the effort it takes to be called an author.

And finally it's time for the book of the month..

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo - 4.5 / 5

I could not believe this was a children's book because it was so wise and beautiful and sad. It broke my heart. It really did. And yet I could not help but loving it fiercely! I know DiCamillo credits her young readers with far more grace and understanding than most adults do, but here I was a little skeptical if this is something I would want to give to a child to read because it was so heartbreaking.

The story line is simple enough, though the language is a little more advanced at times for a children's book. But that is all secondary. Edward Tulane, the porcelain rabbit who gets adopted and loved by different people at different points of his life carves out a space for himself in your heart whether you want it or not. Not just Edward, each character shines with realness; they are imperfect yet all the more beautiful because of it. As Edward's pride diminishes, as his heart grows warmer and filled with love, your heart too swells till it feels like its going to burst. Well, in my case, I guess it did because I found myself bawling away as I was closing the book. It made me intensely grateful for the people I love and who love me. It reminded me to not take the wonderful blessings I have for granted. Most importantly, it showed me what love, real heartbreaking kind of love can do. For that alone, you should pick up the book. Again, it'll hurt, but think of it as growing pains for your heart!

Well, that's the 10 books which made up May. See you soon!
Take care and Keep reading, folks!
Phil!

Women on Women - Literary style!

Inadvertently May because the month for Woman Power. No, not girl power. It was all about Women. Girls are sweet. Women are powerful. Women have a strength which belie their sweetness. Not all girls become women and some girls take a long time to reach womanhood. All the books I read last month had a woman at the heart of it's book. And with the exception of two (out of the eleven), all the rest were written by women too. And it was a revelation.

When men write about women (or girls) they tend to give them an aura. It can be of the saint or of the whore, or maybe even somewhere in between ( the whore with the heart of gold?!). Rarely are they goofy, the women of the male imagination ( MPDG don't count!). And even rarer are the cases where the goofiness is a part of the strength. It's not that all the women I read about were goofy. But I'm just pointing out an instance of how male and female writers tend to portray female characters. The more female writers I read, I felt there was some subliminal difference. But one I could not place a finger on immediately. Had I read female and male authors indiscriminately as I'm wont to do, I'm sure I would not have even noticed the difference. I would have merely notched it to the particular style or voice of the author.

But skipping from one women to another, author wise, I caught a subtle shift of perception. The women are plainer. Even the attractive ones. They are not built to make your heart ache with want. Not on sight that is. And even more importantly love is not a function that's dependent on their external beauty. Or even on their likability. These women, created by other women, are irritable, have abundant sense of humor even if it is a bit sardonic, unwillingly kind or even willingly unkind. Yet, they still find love and fulfillment. And the love that they find is not dependent on them being likable all the time. Nor is love and fulfillment directly proportional. This is certainly not a revelation in the real world.

Then why does it feel so exceptional in the literary one?

They, the female characters, are also sweet, considerate, jealous, motherly, sexy or what ever feminine virtue (or vice) you want to confer on them. The difference, I guess, is that these women are not an embodiment of a single emotion or virtue ( or vice). They get tired and have exceptionally bad hair days and be exceptionally cranky because of the said day or be exceptionally happy and not give a flying f**k for the said day. But the range of emotion that they display, these women written by other women. doesn't make them seem hysterical. Instead it is a mere expression of their feelings at that point of time in the story.

I don't know if I'm making sense. It's not like all the women written by men are hysterical or ideal. I'm not saying that men can't or haven't written about women realistically. But looking back, I feel a majority of the women written by men have, for the lack of a better word, an aura. A particular virtue or vice is subtly enhanced or embodied by the female characters. Male characters can get angry but they are not defined by it (unless we are talking about the Hulk). They also be sad, happy, jealous, manipulative. yet they don't always carry an aura. It is not the norm. The hero or more often the master or guide will have an aura but not every male in the story has one.

And to be clear, I'm definitely not saying female authors are better than their male counterparts. The abundance of shitty writers are more or less equal in their distribution among genders. What I am saying is that it is refreshing to see female characters who are not boxed and colored with a brush of a singular virtue.