|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Whispering Vines
Then why read stuff that’s merely old-fashioned sentimentality repackaged and transplanted in a contemporary exotic locale? Simply, because romance can never go out of fashion. And also, because the proud hero-meets-prejudiced-heroine formula has gained a fresh burst of life and visibility with Gurinder Chadha’s Indianised version of the classic Pride and Prejudice. Mahajan’s tale can thus be seen as a literary reaffirmation of the Victorian notions of romance in this age of cyber love in much the same way as Chadha’s revisiting of Jane Austen’s work may be viewed as a cinematic assertion of the relevance of Elizabeth-Darcy dynamics in a contemporary context. The heroine of Whispering Vines, Daphne Deveraux, has some shades of Elizabeth Bennet as also her elder sibling, Jane. She combines Lizzy’s spunk with Jane’s vulnerability and stunning looks. But therein ends any similarity to the all-time favourite romantic heroine. Mahajan’s blue-eyed, auburn beauty from Montreal is, in fact, part European by lineage (French-Canadian) and more American than Brit in spirit and style. Daphne lands in Chile and in the life of the hero Damian Antunez by default, as it were. Her friend Francine’s death in an air crash en route to the land of the Antunez’s, the in-laws Francine had never met, places Daphne in a peculiar predicament. She is asked by Damian to impersonate as Francine for the sake of his ailing mother, Dona Isidora. The old lady is barely recovering from the earlier loss of her son and Francine’s husband, Raul, and it is feared that she may not be able to cope with the fresh blow of her daughter-in-law’s demise. Daphne becomes party to this plan only to be close to her departed friend’s little daughter, Anna, to whom she plays godmother. But Damian suspects her to be a gold-digger. While the convenience of this arrangement is the take-off point for the Daphne-Damian relationship, it is in the gradual melting away of their mutual mistrust and misunderstanding that the "pride vs prejudice" theme finds resonance in this novel. The lead pair’s sparring and banter lend a cutting edge to their growing attraction. Their build-up of passion is couched not in loud explicit language, but painted with subtle literary strokes. A former fianc`E9e and other eligible men put in an appearance to lend the necessary twists and suspense to their budding romance. As a literary character, Daphne boasts of a sharp brain that enables her to make some pragmatic calculations as also a sentimental side that easily yields to the tugs and pulls of the heart. Hers is thus the portrait of a woman who is refreshingly vulnerable yet not a walkover. Damian too lives up to the image of a typical M & B hero—rakish good looks and a veneer of aloofness to mask a heart of gold. The author tries to give a ring of authenticity to the Chilean backdrop by liberally lacing the narrative with vivid descriptions of the local cuisine (empanadas), scenery (bodegas), practices (wine-making, dancing rituals etc). And, of course, the text is punctuated suitably with native terms of greeting and endearment (Buenos dias, Senora, Sobrina, Querida and so on). The racy pace does make up for any lack of novelty in the theme. It may be old wine but for an incurable romantic it is a brew that can be sipped and savoured at least once. |
A
sprinkling of Mills & Boon mush. A dash of Barbara Cartland’s
roseate romanticism. And touches of a Georgette Heyer vintage pulp.
Canada-based writer Renu Mahajan’s Whispering Vines has a bit
of all this but little else. It is simply old wine in a new bottle, with
an NRI tag instead of a British byline.