Tales that left an imprint
Harsh A. Desai on the books that enthused him and fired his imagination in 2005

The other day I was sitting at the Leopold Café at Colaba, in Bombay with a wise man discussing books and he was telling me about his favourite books. He happily mentioned Lawrence Durrrell and George Elliot but his eyes really lit up when he started talking about Conrad and Melville; so I asked him. Was it just a coincidence that the greatest books of Conrad and Melville were about the sea and was it that which attracted him? He smiled and said no. There are three things which make a great book; complexity, courage and beauty. Complexity which means the book works at several levels. The courage to deal with the big themes of life and the beauty of the writing. Moby Dick and Lucky Jim fit the bill. The books of 2005 that made a mark are as follows:

Teacher man by Frank McCourt

Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis is back with his experiences as a public school teacher in New York from dead-beat public schools where he taught English as a second language to one of the best public schools where he taught creative writing by among other things asking his students to read recipes from cook books . That he emerged from 30 years in the school system with his humour intact is a tribute to his resilience An unconventional teacher who flourished in the system despite the odds this book is as much a story of his students as of himself and his life as a teacher. Will surely take you back to his earlier books.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

This is Joan Didion’s poignant telling of the circumstances of her husband’s death and the year thereafter when she kept on expecting her husband to magically reappear. The grieving was complicated by the fact that her daughter was critically ill. Didion turns all her formidable power inwards and describes the corrosive powers of grief. Sad though the book is, it is beautiful in its telling.

Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

Julian Barnes recreates the story of the connection between behind George Edalji a Parsi solicitor in England and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Convicted unjustly in what were known as The Great Wyrley Outrages when several farm animals were mutilated in a village in England, George comes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notice and he takes it upon him to vindicatethe young Parsi solicitor.Giving glimpses of British justice, police prejudice as also the methods of Sherlock Holmes, this is a must read for not only Sherlock Holmes fans but also readers interested in the justice system.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

An escaped Australian prisoner finds his way to Bombay and falls in love with the city, a case of love at first sight and describes his adventures in the city and those emanating from Bombay. An anti-Naipaul in the sense that he sees only good in Bombay this slightly frightening story is always interesting and at times unbelievable. It is both an indictment of the city and an affirmation of the city which meets the three criterion of a great book, complexity, courage and beauty. Leopold Café is at the epicentre of the book.

The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt A story of the burning down of the famous Fenice Opera House in Venice and its aftermath which gets only curiouser as the story proceeds and proves the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction. Told in the backdrop of the beautiful canals of Venice and its lovely palaces the cast of characters has to be seen to be believed. The level of intrigue is truly Byzantine and would put even the rest of Italy to shame. The Sea by John Banville This is the book that won the Booker Prize this year. It’s a book about remembering and forgetting A man after his wife dies goes back to the beach house where he had spent many summer holidays enjoyed friendship with the family living nearby and experienced a summer romance which marked his life indelibly. A story about the exhilaration of childhood and its ability to mark ones life.

Two Lives by Vikram Seth

Our very own Vikram Seth has written a family memoir this time. The story of his great uncle Shanti the one handed dentist who lost a hand in the second world war and his wife Henny and through their eyes the story of our century – particularly the second world war. It is the tale of an Indian in Germany and then in England, of a mixed marriage, the story of the extraordinary courage of ordinary people. Meticulously researched, lovingly told we now know where Vikram Seth comes from.

Memories of My Meloncholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

The master is back writing fiction after a ten year gap with a new novella obsessing about love again—a 90-year-old man wants to celebrate his birthday by spending the night with a young virgin. The meeting turns out otherwise than the protagonist expected and turns the protagonist’s life upside down. Marquez as always is more magic than realism. A slim book you will read at one sitting and emerge the better for it.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Poised somewhere in the ether between dream and reality this beautiful book is both about the reality of dreams and dream like reality. Colonel Sanders of Kentucky fried chicken makes an appearance. As does Johnny Walker who is busy harvesting cats so that their souls can be made into a flute. A young boy unexpectedly loses his memory but finds he can talk to cats. Another young boy leaves home because he has been cursed by his father that he will sleep with his mother and sister. But the author’s control over his material is so great that he has his feet firmly planted on the ground and you are the one who is floating.

HOME