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Unusual
insights
Amar Chandel
Escape from the Benevolent Zookeepers: The
Best of Swaminomics
by Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar. Times Group Books. Pages 253. Rs
495.
THERE
are many like yours truly who find economic topics rather soporific.
Yet, thousands of them were drawn into this complicated but fascinating
field because Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar’s articles could make
the bone-dry subject lively and interesting. His Swaminomics became the
must-read column in The Times of India not only because he was so
deceptively simple to follow but also because he never hesitated to
apportion blame where it was due.
A
bend in his character
A.J. Philip
The World is What it is – The
Authorised Biography of V.S. Naipaul
by Patrick French. Picador India. Pages 555. Rs 595.
BEFORE
you pick up this thick volume, you have to make a distinction between
the writer and his writing. Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul is one of the
greatest living writers who has won almost all literary awards,
including the Nobel. Anybody who has ever read any of his books, whether
fact or fiction, will be highly impressed by his distinctive style,
narrative skills and incisive comments. Naturally enough, he evokes
strong emotions.
Tenets
of faith
H. S. Sodhi
The Sikhs: Their Religion,
Social Customs, and Way of Life
by Jasbir Singh Khurana. Angus & Grapher. Pages 328. Rs 3,450.
The
author, Jasbir Singh Khurana, is a retired Army officer who has
travelled abroad and had the opportunity to meet the younger generation
of Sikhs, who appear separated from their religion and customs because
of the Western influences they live under and also parental lack of
time/inclination to impart the needed knowledge. He finds that the
younger generation is keen to learn.
Words
of wisdom
Kavita Soni-Sharma
Fish in the Sea is not Thirsty
by Osho. Wisdom Tree, New Delhi. Pages 342. Rs 345.
FROM
the Spiritual Master Osho comes Fish in the Sea is not Thirsty,
which is an extraordinarily rich and touching book. It provides a
commentary on the much-loved compositions of Kabir, the 15th
century weaver poet—one of the most intriguing and celebrated
personalities in the history of Indian mysticism. The result is an
inspiring book, a delightful interplay between the down-to-earth
straightforward words of Kabir and the wonderful stories and insights of
Osho.
Under
western eyes
Rumina Sethi
Memsahibs’ Writings: Colonial
Narratives on Indian Women
Ed. Indrani Sen. Orient Longman, New Delhi. Pages 313. Rs 650.
IN
Swarnakumari Devi’s short story Biroda (Mutiny/Revolt), an
Indian woman sits rapt listening to a group of white memsahibs speak of
the events of 1857. Silent but fully comprehending, she constructs her
own imaginative response to the discussion into which she dare not
intervene. This may be one instance among many in fiction where the
workings of the memsahib’s mind is under scrutiny.
Of
love, betrayal and vengeance
Amarinder Sandhu
Guardian of the Dawn
by Richard Zimler. Penguin. Pages 358. Rs 350.
SET
in the 16th century, Guardian of the Dawn is an unusual narrative
of persecution in Portuguese Goa. The Zarco family is of
Portuguese-Jewish descent and lives on the outskirts of the colonial
Portuguese territory. The family consists of Berekiah Zarco, his
omnipresent dead Hindu wife, son Tiago and daughter Sofia. Berekiah
works as an illuminator for the Sultan of Bijapur. The siblings enjoy
their childhood with Nupi, their Hindu cook, who indulges them
occasionally. With Berekiah as their guide, the children learn to
illustrate manuscripts.
Tales
of unspent emotions
Aruti Nayar
Inner Line: The Zubaan
Anthology of Stories by Indian Women
Ed Urvashi Butalia. Pages 243. Rs 295.
A
reading of this anthology suggests that it would be na`EFve to
slot all women’s writing in a single category. The sheer range and
variety is amazing, as the 16 short stories in this book with their
nuanced experiences reveal. Veterans like Mahashveta Devi, Ambai, Shashi
Deshpande, and Nayantara Sahgal rub shoulders with relative newcomers
Tensula Aao, Priya Sarukkai Chabria and Anjana Appachana.
SHORT TAKES
Notes of
harmony
Randeep Wadehra
Perspectives on music
by Ashok Da. Ranade. Promilla & Co. /Bibliophile South Asia, N.
Delhi. Pages: 370. Rs 750.
E.M.
Forster had once remarked that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was
the most sublime noise to have ever penetrated the ears of man. Of
course, one man’s music can be another’s noise. But, seriously, what
is music? There is no cut and dried definition but, generally speaking,
it may be defined as "the art of expression in sound, in melody,
and harmony, including both composition and execution" (Chambers
Dictionary).
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