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Literary Review
First Impressions
THEY could have been the epitome of emancipated womanhood. Yet there are fetters that bind them back to the mould of their families. The six girls are always together and share a common spirit of rebellion against age-old norms despite their disparate backgrounds. Each one chooses to rebel against her family's dictates. Each one is branded selfish and uncaring. But they resolve never to let themselves become mere chattels.
Noi Chhoi is one of Ashapurna Devi's radical novels, in style and content. Always a champion of women's causes, Ashapurna Devi once said that, "In a degenerated society women are always the primary target of exploitation. I was moved by it and have tried to depict it." She wrote about the lives of everyday women whose lives she felt was bound by the shackles of tradition. She was of the view that it was the job of literature to listen to the "silent whisperings" of these people and report them. Noi Chhoi is yet another report, of the lives of six ordinary young girls yearning to break out of their environment but realising at the bitter end that they were perhaps doomed to live the same lives as their mothers and grand mothers.
Noi Chhoi, Ashapurna Devi, Srishti, Rs. 145.
THIS is a bonanza for the reader of literature as well as the feminist. These eight short stories by eminent Bengali women writers focus on the power struggle between the two genders. Each story is representative of a cause and each one does finally provide a solution.
Whether that solution leads to empowerment is a debateable issue. But none of the stories leaves the reader untouched. Raw and chilling and sometimes angry, they take a look at issues that affect women all over the country. Whether it is Mahashweta Devi's "Chinta" or Nabaneeta Sen's "Surrogate", they all speak the same language. A language of oppression in a male dominated society. The subtle mixing of class and gender, the role-play and power structures within society make this edition worth a read.
Her Stories, edited by Sanjukta Dasgupta, Srishti, Rs. 195.
EVEN if the days of fairy stories with their happy endings are over, there is still the need for an element of the extraordinary in children's fiction. J.K. Rowling's phenomenal success with the bewitching Harry Potter series proved that and has once again paved the way for monsters and gnomes — with a twist to suit modern times.
Though Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl didn't quite get the reception that Harry Potter and his friends got, it did reasonably well and got a fan following of its own. Colfer subsequently followed it up with a sequel and has now presented us with his Wish List. Moving well away from the tried and tested route, Colfer has tried to fuse the elements of adult fantasy, magic, part reality and part fairy tale into his book. Unfortunately the three don't gel well and what you have here is the uncanny story of a meddlesome teenager, who decides to take on the world and vent her spleen on her disgusting stepfather. The little girl turns into a bad 'un and dies in a mishap. Just as she is about to be thrown into the rotting fires of hell, she is given one more chance to redeem herself by St. Peter and is sent back to earth. Finally, of course, like all good fairy tales, good triumphs over evil. Colfer disappoints with this one.
But then here's the saving grace in The Thief Lord. It could be the ultimate in modern-day fantasy fiction. Slyly crafted, the book begins with the tale of two runaways who travel to Venice and then find shelter in its alleys with other runaways. All they have to do in return for the food is to help in stealing. This exciting adventure story turns into an impossible yet highly plausible account where the characters simply jump out of the page and beckon you to follow. The Thief Lord is like a huge pie: part sweet and part sour. It is also a story that doesn't shield its readers from the realities of growing up. Might not be the best lullaby but a great adventure story told well.
The Wish List, Eoin Colfer, Puffin, price not stated; The Thief Lord, Cornelia Funkes, Scholastic, price not stated.
IF one were to go by the blurb, this is an "intense" story of young romance found by a "spirited" young American girl who makes it to the dusty lusty plains of India. Of course that is just for the blurb. Seeking the Taj falls largely into the category of an adult Mills and Boon. Garnet is all American and twenty-five, saddled with uncaring parents and a retarded onetime boyfriend. Threaded in between is her friend who carries on an incestuous relationship with her sibling, who happens to be Garnet's retarded boyfriend. Somewhere along the story a botched up abortion takes place and Garnet is told she can never conceive.
She seeks to spread her wings and comes to India, the land of her dreams. Of course, India even in the late 1960s has part time maharajahs . So what if they have lost their privy purses and are left hallucinating about their past glory? Garnet finds love. Pick up the book at your own peril.
Seeking the Taj, Elaine Williams, Rupa, Rs. 195.
SUCHITRA BEHAL
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