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Literary Review
First Impressions
HER desperate yearning to break out of her squalid existence leads Nagaratna into taking up a job with a school run by an ashram. Life here suddenly seems serene surrounded by large doses of goodness. Nothing is obvious — not even the barbed darts of jealousy and politics that surround and inhabit the ashram school, run by the indomitable Miss. Pandit. Soon she becomes the mainstay for not only the functioning of the school but also to Miss. Pandit, who unburdens her heart to the young Nagaratna.
As Nagaratna blossoms under Miss. Pandit's guidance, her own life at her tiny home, in Vitthala Colony, Bangalore, begins to seem more and more distant. And then one day she discovers she is in love with one of the trustees of the school board. However things are not as simple as they appear and within a few days, Nagaratna begins to feel the rumblings of animosity within the ashram walls.
Flitting between two worlds, constantly joining up and linking two experiences, this books travels at a sedate pace to its conclusion. This could be the story of any young girl from a small town in India. What compels you to turn the pages is a fine eye for detail and tightly written passages.
The Chosen, Usha K.R., Penguin, Rs. 295.
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WOULD you expect a cartoonist to write only humorous stories? R.K. Laxman's fine sense of balance and his incredible insight into the extraordinary workings of an ordinary mind have been highlighted in this collection of short stories written by him over a period of time. From travelogues to pen sketches and portraits of people whom he encounters, Laxman's eye for incisive detail and his ability to twist a tale is very much in evidence. His travel stories focus on distant cultures and the impact they have upon him as a first-time traveller. A slim volume this, but definitely one to read.
The Distorted Mirror, R.K. Laxman, Viking, Price not mentioned.
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THE blurb says it a "darkly comic account of the disintegration of a marriage." But I wonder if it is comic or tragic to find a middle-aged couple suddenly in the throes of a sexual awakening and that too on a bus tour around Europe where they have gone to visit their married son. Even as Balu and Janaki, the much-married parents, relive their traditional anxieties, there is hardly any scope for a laugh. Instead, Balu is a pathetic sight as he rushes around trying to be in command of his wife and her actions. Whether it is the forced drinking of one glass of wine or then her act of defiance in guzzling down a few more. Later the sexual abandonment raises no "dark comic " feelings. Instead there is a note of dejection and pathos as the reader ploughs through with the couple and their guilt-ridden angst. Janaki on the other hand suddenly emerges as the stronger of the two, unruffled by the winds of change. Instead she takes everything, including the new role now being demanded of her, in her stride and reaches out to capture the moment. Once back in India there are no discordant notes as both settle down to their normal routine. The only change is a heightened awareness of each other and the possibilities that life has to offer after menopause.
The Uncoupling, Cauvery Madhavan, Penguin, Rs. 250.
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IT prides itself as the most literate state in India. Kerala has the distinction of being the one place where women have achieved as much literacy, if not more, as men. There are women in every walk of life and it is they who outnumber the men in many jobs. So it comes as something of a shock to read how deliberately subversive that society is towards its women. The short stories in this book, spanning at almost a century of writing by women, shine a light on caste inequalities, cultural clashes and despotic tendencies of their men. The anthology represents a women's viewpoint on her lover, her life and most importantly her desires. But unfortunately there is little to bite in the collection. Apart from one or two compelling narratives, like "Madness" or "The Perfect Wife", the others leave one untouched. After all this could be the fate of any woman in any corner of this country. As the editor of this book points out in the preface, "This anthology reflects the myriad ways in which women writers express themselves; these are the mirrors they hold to themselves and the world they live in." But somehow one gets the feeling that the mirror doesn't tell all.
Myriad Mirrors, edited by Sanju Ramachandran, Srishti, Rs. 145.
SUCHITRA BEHAL
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