His
golden voice
B. N. Goswamy
K. L. Saigal: Immortal Singer and
Superstar
by Pran Nevile. Variety Book Depot, New Delhi. Pages 199. Rs 2,500.
Almost at the very beginning of
this feelingly written account of the life and work of K.L. Saigal, Pran
Nevile reproduces a page of advertisement from The Tribune, dated April
15, 1931, announcing the release of India’s first "talkie", Alam
Ara, that hurtles the reader headlong into another age, a different world.
Schooled
by LIFE
Eminent Tamil writer D.
Jayakanthan and Bengali novelist
Sunil Gangopadhyay were recently selected for the country’s most
prestigious literary awards. V. Krishna Ananth and
Subhrangshu Gupta on the two title titans
After 40 novels, 200 short stories
and 15 collections of essays comes the Jnanpith for D. Jayakanthan at the age
of 71.
The Jnanpith is indeed an achievement for someone who could not complete his
school education.
Celebrated
Gung-ho-padhyay
A
nail-biting collection
Devinder Bir Kaur
Four Fingers and Seventeen Nails:
A Collection of Short Stories
by Amardeep S. Dahiya. UBSPD. Page 243. Rs 225.
He is a Haryanavi with a
difference—an intellectual Jat. He did his masters in business
administration from Schiller International University, Heidelberg, somewhere
in Eastern Europe.
Fun with
info bytes
Gitanjali Sharma
The World Almanac for Kids 2005
Shloka Publications. Rs 199. Pages 318
At first glance, it is just a riot of
colour. The eyes need to get comfortable with the loud reds, oranges and blues
screaming out of the pages before they can focus on the matter in hand.
Shatter
myths with facts
Harbir K. Singh
In the Witches Cauldron
by Gajinder Singh. Manbir G. Singh, Chandigarh. Pages 180. Rs 285.
Guru Gobind Singh has given the
Sikhs the distinct tag of the Khalsa and an eternal Guru in the holy Guru
Granth Sahib. These essays set examples for every Sikh. Quoting from the Guru
Granth Sahib, the author looks to shatter various old beliefs, dogmas,
rituals, etc. that have crept into religion and society, but should not be
followed by a Sikh.
The story
of primordial powers
M.S.Unnikrishnan
Mararikulam Sree Mahadeva Kshethram
Aythihyavum and Mahathmyavum (Legend and Greatness)
by Dr V.S.Jayan. Mararikulam Devaswom. Rs 20
Swayambhoo temples are very rare.
In swayambhoo temples, idols are primordial manifestations of a cosmic
miracle, while in other temples the idols are installed by human beings.
Mouthful
of stars
Surbhi
Icons from Bollywood
by Shantanu Ray Chaudhary. Puffin Books. Pages 158. Rs 175.
Bollywood, haven of the Hindi
masala films, best represents the glamour, the glitz, and the allure of the
Indian film Industry. Shantanu Ray Chaudhary has uttered a look into the lives
and careers of some of the "stars" of this celluloid galaxy.
Feast for
the mind
Pushpesh Pant
A Matter of Taste: The Penguin Book
of Indian Writing on Food.
Edited by Nilanjana S. Roy. Penguin Books. Pages: 363+20. Rs 450.
Don’t let the title of this
delightful book lead you astray. Food is not just a matter of taste. It is the
very stuff of life. Writing about food can be considered no less significant
than any other intellectual exertion.
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