|
Kashmiriyat never looked clearer
M.L. Raina
Languages of Belonging:
Islam, Regional Identity, and the Making of Kashmir by Chitralekha
Zutshi. Permanent Black, Delhi. Pages 359. Rs 695
THIS
book is a major intervention in the debate on Kashmir and that mercurial
entity Kashmiriyat. Its chief, though not exclusive, purchase on our
attention is in the interrogation of some of the myths attached to the
idea of a unique Kashmiri individuality (Mehbooba Mufti calls it 'Tashakhus')
that distinguishes the territory from the other states of India.
The
lost masterpiece
Rajdeep Bains
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet
Scholastic India, New Delhi. Pages 254. Rs 195.
PUZZLES,
codes, letters, a bit of danger, lots of quirky characters, an
intriguing art theft, strange coincidences and clues that actively
involve the reader`85 what more can young minds discovering the thrill
of mystery ask for?
Past
Imperfect
by Shastri Ramachandara
The Inheritors. by
Aruna Chakravarti. Penguin. Pages 340. Rs 295.
AT
a time when revivalist hordes from the fringe are moving centre-stage
with their clamour for a cultural reprocessing of the republic, Aruna
Chakravarti does well to turn the focus inwards — on the dark recesses
of the culture we are heir to.
Eventful
mystery
Deadfall by Lyndon Stacey.
Hutchinson, London. Distributed by Rupa. Pages 389. £ 6.60.
MENTION
a horse-related thriller and those familiar with such fiction are most
likely to recall the novels of Dick Francis. Without doubt, his racing
mysteries are classics, and Lyndon Stacey will have to live with her
novels being compared to those written by Francis.
Crumbling
pillars of the state
by B.B. Goel
Governance in India:
A Theatre of the Absurd by
Amrit Lal. Shirpa Publications, Delhi.
Pages 206. Rs 160.
OF
late, governance or good governance, an idea floated by the World Bank,
has become a buzzword. Good governance that encompasses an efficient and
effective administration in a democratic framework is citizen friendly
and citizen caring. Nicely
cooked, meaty stuff
by Aradhika Sekhon
Monsoon Diary: A Memoir with
Recipes by Shoba Narayan. Penguin Books. Pages 225. Rs 295.
THIS
book is delicious, tasty and delectable, seasoned with personal accounts
of growing up in Madras, stirred with the memories of Grad School in the
USA and served hot and steaming with subtle flavours of charm, romance
and gentle humour.
Return
of the native
by Samra Rahman
Circle and Other Stories
Intizar Husain translated by Rakhshanda Jalil. Rupa & Co. Pages 134.
Rs 195.
YOU
may leave the land of your nativity, but it never leaves you; your
childhood memories remain a part of your being. Yet, many of us do move
away to towns and cities and sometimes to foreign shores. When a bout of
nostalgia or some social occasion drags us there, often our cherished
memories receive a jolt.
How
to survive ‘couplehood’
by Deepika Gurdev
The New Couple by Maurice
Taylor and Seana McGee. Element Books. Pages 347. $19 US
TIMES
change and if you are in a relationship, expectations too change over a
period of time. Ask any love-struck couple if there’s a world beyond
champagne, roses and candlelight dinners and the answer would probably
be "no". But relationship experts and some wise couples are
living proof that the honeymoon period doesn’t last forever.
punjabi
review
Promising
works from new writers
by Dalbir Singh
Kuchi Rutt by Jagjit
Singh Komal. Udan Publications. Pages 86. Rs 90. Sunehri Been by Amrik
Dogra. Kuknus Prakashan. Pages 80. Rs 75. Machhian Kach Deeaan by Nirmal
Jaswal. Unistar Publishers. Pages 118. Rs 100.
PUNJABI
literature is going through an upbeat phase. This is reflected not only
through the number of books published but also through the variety of
subjects and genres they cover.
short
takes
The
doc who was given up for dead
by Randeep Wadehra
A Hero of American Hearts by
Gurmukh Singh. Rupa. Pages 83. Price not mentioned.
THIS
is the story of a heart specialist who would have been a Bollywood actor
had his friend not ditched him at the last moment. Dr. Harvinder Sahota,
better known as father of the perfusion balloon and a pioneer in
angioplasty, is decidedly a child of destiny.
Grave
tales of love
|
