Set in the Kuttanad, Kerala during British colonization (18th or 19th century), regales the readers with different stories of Moustache, otherwise known as Vavachan.
There is no fixed storyline with the protagonist in the book. As the name of the book suggests, Vavachan came to be known as the Moustache man after his part-taking as a policeman in a drama. He came only for two scenes with his huge moustache which scared people who had come to watch the drama. The protagonist never really came out of his character and travelled around growing his moustache.
In a generation, When caste hierarchy was at its peak, a pulavan wasn’t allowed to have facial hair. He did grow a moustache which dominated his hair and scared people.
There were a lot of moving characters that kept popping up as we progress reading. Personally, I did forget these characters which I am not fond of.
Moustache was known for his strength and valour apart from his signature hair. I like the fact the author was able to convey the different storylines and adventures of the protagonist effortlessly.
Loss is that emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives. It’s something that you cannot run away from. It takes an eternity to understand and break away from it.
The author of the book Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi has experienced loss first-hand which was mediated through the death of both his parents. He talks about a myriad of emotions and thoughts that runs through during such times such as grief, sadness, and death among others.
We all know our lives are times and death is inevitable. Yet, when it knocks on our door, the impact of death and loss knocks us away. It weighs in on us, provoking us to question the life before death, light before darkness, the time before the end, love over hatred.
The author portrays his journey and understanding about Loss, death, grief, sadness, and his continued search & longing for his mother even after her death.
“After All these years, I am still looking for my mother” – Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi
#Review The Female Persuasion @penguinindia @vintagebooks @penguinukbooks
We all know women are extremely strong and mature, and they do not need any help from men to help them make stronger. Feminism isn’t about making them strong, it’s more about changing how women are perceived by the rest of the world. That it is not competition judging if men are superior to women or versa, but it’s more about equality and the status quo between them is more collaborative than a competition.
The female persuasion revolves around the concept of feminism, the usual feministic ideals, pain areas such as making abortion legal, safety, finding a place in a world dominated by men, so on and so forth. Greer, the protagonist, a shy, studious and introverted girl talks about her story on her she becomes a confident, her roots, and how she found her outer voice. She never voices her opinions, failed to speak for her self, and best friends with her inner voice.
“The most effective people around the world, are introverts who taught themselves to be extroverts” – Meg Wolitzer, The Female persuasion
Greer thought herself to an extrovert over some time. She met the right kind of people along the way who shaped and help her find her outer voice. Although she had a strong inner voice, she never was able to or was comfortable talking about it.
The book spoke about the usual feministic ideals and issues and failed to bring in the spark of inquisitiveness and curiosity in a reader to keep reading at one go. I would rate the book – 2/5
The Far Field is a gripping story of a young woman Shalini in search of Bashir Ahmed who frequented her house & takes a trip to Kashmir in search of him after her mother’s demise.
Shalini, a girl from southern India, brought by parents are polar opposite to each other. Her mother is known for her wittiness, sarcasm, extreme mood swings, bully, among others.
Bashir Ahmed, from Kashmir, who frequented their home in Bangalore, selling clothes, understood her mother and shared a unique bond with her.
After the death of her mother, Shalini struggles emotionally with the loss of her mother, loneliness & to get a strong foothold.
She is reminded of Bashir Ahmed and takes a trip to Kashmir on an impulse to meet him. Her journey from southern India to Kashmir, meeting people, life learning lessons till achieving the purpose of their visit makes for a riveting story.
The storytelling of #TheFarField by #MadhuriVijay was amazing. The story takes the readers into the world of Kashmir and the lives of the people there. The simplicity of their lives, struggles, longing for better development and freedom from both militancy and military makes their lives uniquely different from others part of India
Ma Anand Sheela, who was at the helm of the Rajneesh Movement, is an enigmatic and outspoken person. She did not fiddle with her words, which was very clear in her interviews, clever, and her love for Bhagwan was clearly visible. Although she was the spokesperson, ensuring the desires and vision of the Bhagwan are brought to reality, strong and outspoken at the face of the world, she was completely under the influence of her beloved Bhagwan.
The book gives the readers a brief insight into the story of Ma Anand Sheela, her rise to a commanding position to fall, about being framed for a crime she never committed, to a peaceful life that she is living now. It also gives the readers the reality about the behind scenes that goes into the spiritual organization and their lives.
I have heard about Osho, but never really followed about what they do and the controversies surrounding both the leaders (Rajneesh and his secretary Ma Anand Sheela) and the organization. The book gave an insight into Osho, Rajneesh, and Sheela’s life.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. And actions do speak louder than words. Being a public figure, her actions during her days are out loud in the world, and has had to face the consequences.
Before I go ahead with the review, I have to admit that I have fallen in love with this book 📖. This book has made it to the top of my re-read list.
“124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom”. House 🏠 124, a haunted place with baby’s spirit and it’s victims are Sethe and Denver (her daughter). Baby Suggs, Seth’s mother-in-law and Denver’s grandmother also lived under the same house.
The house was once full of life, Baby Suggs gave her heart to people’s need in the area, but now it’s just a haunted place, filled with emptiness.
Sethe, Baby Suggs, Paul D, etc., are characters who have lived a life of slavery and have got their freedom the hard way and help of a few good-hearted White people. They would do anything not to give up their hard-earned freedom and people around them who make their lives better & livable.
Unexpectedly, Sethe and Beloved are two ✌️ characters that had a profound impact on me apart from the story itself after reading 📖.
The book conveys strong, deep and profound aspects of life and emotions that we have not experienced or might not through the characters. Sethe’s love for her dead child, that when comes through another life form, she was ready to do anything for her.
Pain, Slavery, Loss, Longing for freedom, Love for their kids and next of kin despite their struggles with life are emotions that dominate the lives of the characters.
Jeanine Cummins, an American author, has written four books – memoir titled A Rip in Heaven and three novels: The Outside Boy,The Crooked Branch, and American Dirt.
Lydia Quixano Pérez, runs a bookstore in Acapulco, Mexico, living a comfortable life with her husband, Sebastian and her son Luca.
Yesterday, Lydia had a bookshop.
Yesterday, Lydia was married to a journalist.
Yesterday, she was with everyone she loved most in the world.
Today, she lost almost everyone except her son Luca……..
The story portrays the painful journey of Lydia and her son Luca, as undocumented migrants. Lydia and her son witness the murders of her 16 family members including her husband Sebastian.
Both their lives are at stake, and they are on the run to protect themselves, the drug lord who is responsible for all the murders of her family members. Her life changes drastically overnight, she had a beautiful family, a bookstore, perfect life, and now she has lost it all.
Through the journey, she endures kidnapping, ransom, murders, rape, etc, and also gathers some friends.
I do not know the ground reality of migrants from Mexico or any of their issues, so can’t comment on how much is true on the struggles mentioned in the story.
The experiences of Lydia, her son Luca and other characters in the story that they endure during the journey makes them not to give their fight, to reach the other side of the hardship. It also opens up the readers’ understanding, of the reality of these migrants.
Both experiences a plethora of emotions reflect upon their happy memories over time, as they try to forge ahead into the future and move away from their painful past.
Personally, the ending did not do any justice to the story. It was rather a disappointing ending and could have been much better.
Amor Towles, an American novelist, best known for his bestselling novels Rules of Civility (2011) and A Gentleman in Moscow (2016), the latter of which made him a finalist for the 2016 Kirkus Prize.
A Gentleman in Moscow, an amazing book was recommended by a friend of mine, as the story resembles the current scenario of the lockdown due #COVID19. Count Rostov, is placed under house arrest during the time of revolution in The Metropol Hotel, Moscow, Russia. He is also shifted from his current extravagant suite to a small attic in fifth floor. Count Rostov, a perfect gentleman, is a man who prefer to be a master of his circumstances, rather than the circumstances mastering him.
And yes, he adeptly masters his current circumstances with less chaos and ease. He encounters with Nina, as a child who grows up to be a women who carries herself with certain poise and is highly intellectual. He learns a lot through her eyes and brings in a liveliness to his otherwise mundane life. The story talks about the various incidences that happen to him during his house arrest in the hotel.
What we have today in our lives in our lives is shaped by past. It has the power to shape our future. Although we are familiar with such a notion, and take great pride and comfort in that, we are still pushed into a vast sea of anonymity that is a realm of unknow and uncertainty –
– Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow
Count Rostov strongly believes that a change in a weather/climate, reshapes the destiny of person, his destiny does change too unexpectedly. He encounters with Nina who gives him the responsibility of her daughter Sofia who grows up to be a women of substance and an amazing musician with a bright future. Sofia and Count Rostov share a warm relationship filled with love, care, witnessing a bitterness in joy and sweetness of despair, and their lives get interwoven with each other more beautifully. As a reader, I fell in love with the relationship both Sofia and Count Rostov shared with each other, and is moved by the unexpected ending of the story.
An Individual is shaped by the events of history. The course of history can be shaped by an individual. It is true and very applicable, as not only both change the course of history, but also changes the course of lives for both of them individually.
Sophia and Rostov are two amazing characters who have been intricately and beautifully developed over the course of the story. The author has done an amazing job and justice to the development of characters who create humongous impact on the readers. A Gentleman in Moscow is a book, I would recommend to all the avid readers and is a must read.
An American Marriage, a book chosen for the Oprah Book Club 2018 and winner of Women’s Prize for friction, is about two young married couple whose life changes drastically overnight.
Roy, an executive, and Celestial, an upcoming artist an African American couple married for little more than a year, whose lives are torn apart after the arrest of the former for a crime he did not commit. He is convicted and sentenced to 12 years in Jail.
As a result, their beautiful relationship suffers the impact of the sentence, with Celestial falling back on Andre her childhood friend for moral support, and has immense growth in her career as an artist.
Meanwhile, Roy’s life comes to a halt, lost everything near and dear to life, giving up his dream life and career, tries to hold on to what is left. He is in still love with Celestial and looks forward to a life with her.
Their relationship is beyond repair with no scope to start where they left. Bygone is bygone.
Celestial is an Independent woman, unwilling to succumb to the societal norms towards women, enjoys her freedom, and is passionate about her work.
Roy, a man with his dream loves Celestial deeply, but at the same unable to come to terms with her growth in her career as an artist. It hurts his male ego so to say. It acts as one of the trigger points for the rift in their relationship, leading to a divorce.
A unique story of young people, who had to undergo a tumultuous change in their lives, facing consequences of error in judgment because one is black.
I felt Roy who loved Celestial was unable to give up on his marriage, trying to hold on to his last hope once released from jail, when she has fallen love with Andre. Celestial enjoys the relationship with Andre even after divorce, but at the same scared to finally tie the knot.
I pity how scarred the main characters Andre, Celestial, and Roy are mentally and how it has impacted their relationship and lives.
The story emphasizes the prejudices and misconceptions against black people in America. The racism based on colour or any other impact on the lives of those facing discrimination. The book reflects on the same through the voice of the characters.
Whenever there a story or campaign for better treatment and equal opportunities for black lives, there is an entire army of people around the world fighting for it through various social media platforms. In India, we are not far behind when it comes to discrimination against people of colour. There are quite a few Indian celebrities who raise voice supporting the cause of black lives in other countries. I personally think it is high time they shift their attention to a similar in India.
