First Impression

SET against the backdrop of the cold azure mountains of Kohistan to the warm, almost fetid, air of the plains in Lahore, The Pakistani Bride is a long, and sometimes arduous, journey that takes the reader through the gruelling, mystic and, often strange, remote paths that the people of that part of the subcontinent follow. Bapsi Sidhwa once said that she felt that of all her books, This book deserved more acclaim than it had got. It is a book that she is particularly fond of. Through young Zaitoon, Sidhwa explores the daily life of a people to whom culture within the country is as diverse as to an outsider. The mountain tribes of Quasim hold their own peculiar notions about religion and a man's honesty. When Zaitoon is married off into the clan, little does she even suspect what life has in store for her. An awkward young girl, she takes with her the romantic longings that every woman nurtures. But what she can never comprehend is the physical pain that is inflicted on her in the name of honour, or the manner in which her subjugation is sought.

With her distinctive style, Sidhwa fleshes out her characters in all their glory and, at the same time, evokes strong images of Partition. The heightened sense of insecurity that people from both sides of the land faced is brought out clearly.

The Pakistani Bride, Bapsi Sidhwa, Penguin, Rs. 250.

* * *

FOR a first novel, this one chooses a bold subject. But those who trifle with fire are likely to get burnt. Ram Karan is a clerk in the department of education in Delhi. His speciality is the almost disgusting manner in which he manages to collect bribes for the department boss as well as to get a free meal. Life carries on for Ram Karan who once home from work busies himself with his grand daughter. It could all have worked out right if it were not for his somewhat errant behaviour. Caught in the act of trying to molest her, his entire life comes apart like a pack of cards. There is shame but more than that it is the physical desire that he cannot seem to control. However his past comes back to haunt him as his daughter turns around and confronts him with the dark secret that lies between them. Unable to cope with her accusations, Ram Karan tries to make peace by agreeing to every demand of hers. Life becomes a living hell for the mother, the daughter and Ram Karan.

The story weaves its way through the political turmoil that India experiences. Unfortunately for Sharma, the reader is left with a feeling of distaste not only for Ram Karan but also for his daughter. Here are two schizophrenic characters who seem to bear a thin resemblance to the living world. Or is it that they portray a seedy society where everything goes and nothing matters?

Sharma's book is not unlike a car that seems to have taken a wrong turn. The ending is as illogical as the beginning. Even in a brave new world there have to be basics that good writing must adhere to. Even if you have got money to burn do not burn it on this one.

An Obedient Father, Akhil Sharma Viking, Rs. 395.

* * *

THIS well-produced volume covers a century of Indian history. As it unravels events before the readers' eyes, one is drawn into an almost personal world where opinions and views are shared. These historic happenings are observed through the eyes of the witness who decided to put it on paper. Except this is prose written as a letter either to a friend or a political mentor or just political observations of obscure people who have made astute observations nonetheless. 100 Best Letters is an anthology that includes letters from leaders who shaped India's destiny - Tilak, Gandhiji, Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose among others. These are the obvious ones but the really interesting anecdotes are in letters such as those written by the British escort to Bahadur Shah Zaffar when he was exiled, or the actual views that various viceroys had about this country and its people. It also includes impressions of the English memsahibs about the customs of the country that they came to live in and how it affected them. H. D. Sharma's compilation is clearly a labour of love and the effort has certainly paid off.

100 Best Letters, H. D. Sharma, HarperCollins (India), Rs. 395.

* * *

THE Sardarji and his near nude muse are almost inevitable, a carefully cultivated image, that will not go away. Known for his ready wit, and somewhat acerbic tongue, Khushwant Singh has been known to regale people with jokes. It is inevitable that at some point these will be compiled in book form. However in this age of net saviness, humour is also something that seems to grow and change with the times. Which makes this a tired attempt at making you laugh.

Big Fat Joke Book, Khushwant Singh, Penguin, Rs. 250.

SUCHITRA BEHAL

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