December 2019 Reads (Part 2)

Few more books read during the month of December 2019 are reviewed below - 

1. The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay 

"I am thirty years old and that is nothing", thus begins this book The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay, a trivial line that sets rolling a complex Bildungsroman of the protagonist, Shalini - spanning from her growing up years in Bangalore to her quest as a young adult in strife torn Kashmir following her mother's death. The search for Bashir Ahmed, her mother's friend, a Kashmiri salesman who with his enchanting stories and quick wit made an impact on the mother-daughter duo is accentuated with description of general political climate in Kashmir, the hardships of people there and Shalini's past with steady attention paid to her relation with her mother, father, with Bashir Ahmed, his son Riyaz and his family.

The prose is lush and supple. What transpired in a nondescript village in the mountains 6 yrs back is recounted by Shalini divided into 6 sections, each section ending with a revelation critical to the overall plot. None can capture the nuances of interpersonal relationships as Madhuri does, the attention to detail is impeccable. I loved how Zoya in Kishtwar bonded slowly and skeptically with Shalini just as much as the quickly struck comarederie between Shalini and Amina. 

Each character is shaped well in words. Shalini's mother with her razor sharp tongue, her unpredictable demeanor bowls you over most of the time; Shalini is no less either with her actions and decisions. The damage of being raised in a dysfunctional family is something that cannot be undone even in adulthood is the biggest take from this book.

Also, unique, relevant and important in equal measure is Madhuri's exploration of how a position of privilege due to one's socio economic status insulates one from real, on ground problems. While it is easier to be pragmatic when away from epicenter of a problem, one is torn inside out and on brink of insanity when deeply ingrained in the worst situations. The prose with all its tenderness leaves  a steady trickle of information while hiding some always and this quality in Madhuri's work stunned me.

The last 70 odd pages made me hit my head hard, Shalini did annoy me here thoroughly. But going back to the start, I understood that the author had prepared us for the destruction all along. Both Riyaz and Shalini suffer because of one of their parent's actions, they both are indecisive, vulnerable and full of inner turmoil. Riyaz invoked more sympathy cause I felt Shalini's was a quest where she constantly demanded answers even when her questions remained obscure. 

The book drew a strong mixed reaction in recent times like no other. If you cannot savor a story with a flawed, indecisive or cowardly protagonist do not go in for this book . But if you believe that flawed people with all their bundled up emotional insecurities and mistakes have a tale to tell and a confession to make, grab this book. am sure the brilliance of this stunning debut work will seep through.

2. Art Matters by Neil Gaiman 

Art Matters by Neil Gaiman has been a wonderful and immensely meaningful read. The choicest flamboyant words strung together cannot sum up its importance. It is a short book divided into 4 essays, my strong favorites being the first two - Credo and Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Day Dreaming.

Credo emphasises the need to think freely, the freedom to debate, explain and argue. The second essay explains the importance of reading and how essential it is to get our children rung by rung into literacy through reading. This essay is full of lovely lines - how libraries are safe havens, the obligation we have to preserve and nurture them, how he describes fiction as a lie that tells the truth and emphasises the need for sound imagination and vehement reading. 

The other two essays pack a great dose of motivation, not just to create art but towards life, handling many successes and failures and this he does convincingly by quoting his own life experiences. 

I know I will dip into this book time and again, savor its lines every now and then. I hope to get a physical copy soon to compliment Gaiman's lovely lines with brilliant illustrations by Chris Riddell.

Sharing few favorite lines from the book which I truly believe in - FICTION BUILDS EMPATHY. FICTION IS SOMETHING YOU BUILD UP FROM TWENTY-SIX LETTERS AND A HANDFUL OF PUNCTUATION MARKS, AND YOU, AND YOU ALONE, USING YOUR IMAGINATION, CREATE A WORLD, AND PEOPLE IT AND LOOK OUT THROUGH OTHER EYES.

3. What Lies between Us by Nayomi Munaweera 

Nayomi Munaweera's - What Lies Between Us that scathingly handles a primordial, yet complex emotion - motherhood is dark, depressing and devastating.

Our unnamed narrator is born into a dysfunctional family in Kandy, Sri Lanka to a depression riddled mother. Her father, an eminent professor dips into his books with same fervor as arrack. Yet living with them isn't​ remorseful as Sita, the cook, runs errands well and tends to her with motherly love and Sita's nephew - Samson, the gardener serves as a playful guardian until sexual abuse robs her of complacency and naive understanding of life. Few events before she turns 14 alter her and her mother's lives irrevocably. Her maternal aunt, uncle and cousin airlift their smashed souls to safety in America.

As an immigrant from a land with different values and practices, piecing up the American dream seems a Herculean task but our unrelenting narrator slowly fits snug into the big American bosom through quality education, a respectable job as a nurse and as an American's (Daniel) girlfriend.

Her life finds a firm footing as someone's wife and as a mother when wounds from her past open up. Coupled with postpartum psychosis, this wreaks havoc. Daniel chooses to keep himself and their daughter at a safe distance implying it as a temporary relief measure allowing the narrator some time to deal with her unspoken nightmares. 

However, a phone conversation with her mother opens a can of worms and steers calamitous events. A twist that pops up in the conversation doesn't sound plausible. An instance of memory, so powerful yet so flawed botches up the end.

The strength of the book lies in its highly evocative, rich prose which annoys us at times for being too ornate. Description of child sexual abuse sends a deep shudder, birth pangs and labor pain are made palpable. Overall, an impactful read that wrenches your heart and squeezes your lungs despite an obvious "off the tangent" point at the end.