Book Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Life of Pi is the story of Piscine Molitor Patel – known as Pi – a young, bookish boy whose life revolves around the hippos, hyenas, bears and other animals at his father’s zoo in Pondicherry, India. Curious by nature, Pi is deeply influenced by religion, and learns about and embraces three of them – Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. But his idyllic life at the zoo comes to an end when his father decides to pack up and move the family to Canada for a better life. They leave aboard a Japanese cargo ship called the Tsimtsum along with many of their animals, who are bound for zoos in the US. A few days into their journey, disaster strikes – their ship, along with most of the animals and the entire Patel family – bar Pi – sink to the depths of the ocean. 16-year old Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, orang-utan and a Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Of course, the only animal to survive is Richard Parker, and Pi must share his lifeboat with him and hope for a miraculous rescue.

The book is hailed as a modern day classic, a glorious spiritual adventure that makes us question what it means to be alive, and to believe. But sadly, I found it lacking.

I read the book after watching the movie, as I was sure the philosophy and meditation on life would be better conveyed through the written word. However, this was not so. Life of Pi is one of those few books that do much, much better as a movie.

There are aspects of the book that are rather gruesome – especially the portion where the hyena eats the orang-utan. The “message” that Martel aims to convey – faith translates to belief in the improbable; atheism means choosing the story you already know; and agnosticism as a refusal to choose – seems to be lost in translation.

Probably if you can put your expectations aside, you might find it an interesting read, as Martel’s writing style and plot build-up are excellent.

For me though, it was all a bit disappointing.

Disclaimer: I got all the three books from Random House India, but the review and opinions expressed are my own.

Two books to look out for this April

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

From the back cover:

Is running away ever the answer?
An apparently happy marriage. A beautiful son. A lovely home. So what makes Emily Coleman get up one morning and walk right out of her life to start all over again? Has she had a breakdown? Was it to escape her dysfunctional family – especially her flawed twin sister Caroline who always seemed to hate her? And what is the date that looms, threatening to force her to confront her past? No-one has ever guessed her secret. Will you?

This was an excellent, compelling read. What would force you to plan your escape from your life – from your husband…your soulmate…and your lovely boy Charlie? What would make you put a stone on your heart every time you think about them in your new life? And how would you cope with the pain, the loss, the deception? In this searingly beautiful novel, with twists you’d never see coming, Seskis sets a crackling pace, with characters you’ll love and others you’ll hate. Kirkus Reviews calls it

The book EVERYONE’S going to be talking about this summer. “Recommended.”

And I couldn’t agree more. If you read just one book this summer, this should be it! The book is out now on Amazon!

The Bleiberg Project by David Khara, Simon John (translator)

From the back cover:

Self-pitying golden boy trader Jay Novacek is having a bad week. He finds out his long-lost father is dead, he discovers his boss’s real identity, and he ends up boarding a plane to Zurich under his real name Jeremy Corbin. He has a Nazi medallion in his pocket, a hot CIA body guard next to him, and a clearly dangerous Mossad agent on his tail. What was his father investigating? Why was his mother assassinated? Why are unknown sides fighting over him with automatic weapons? Far from his posh NY apartment, he races to save the world from a horrific conspiracy straight out of the darkest hours of history. Can it be stopped? This fast-paced thriller was an instant sensation in France. Think a dash of Robin Cook, a splash of John Grisham, and pinch of Clive Cussler with a very distinctive flavor all its own.

If you’re a fan of fast paced thrillers, be prepared to stay up all night as David takes you on a rip-roaring ride! The novel is based on the premise that Hitler’s doctors succeeded in creating an Aryan superman – a killer – who is still alive, as is the doctor who was responsible for the genetic mutation. David builds up the suspense by flashing between different time periods – from Nazi camps to  present day action, dropping hints and clues as your race through the book, desperate to find out what happens next. I loved Jay’s character – his sharp, sarcastic wit even in the middle of untold dangers. Eytan’s character is also fascinating, and I hope he features in more of David’s books. The plotting is excellent, the novel is fast-paced, and the translation is flawless – this book is guaranteed to keep you up all night!

Publication date: 30 April.

Disclaimer: I got the galleys from NetGalley.com. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: Alexandriad trilogy by Mary Renault

“Rarely does a single novelist cast such a shadow over an entire topic in a genre of fiction. If one asks for a list of mainstream historical novels on Alexander the Great, or even on ancient Greece, the reply is usually some variation on, “You have read Mary Renault, haven’t you?” – Dr. Jeanne Reames, Professor of History, University of Nebraska

And possibly with good reason. Her Alexandriad trilogy is a comprehensive tale of the life and legacy of Alexander the great.

Cover of Fire from Heaven

The first book, Fire from Heaven, traces Alexander’s early life, from childhood until the assassination of his father King Philip, which leaves Alexander poised to ascend the throne.

Despite the lack of information on the first 20 years of his life, Renault has used the one or two passing mentions of Alexander in various records and relied on documents and accounts from that period to draw up her telling of his formative years. She’s melded fact and fiction to create a plausible account of the political climate in ancient Greece and the influences on Alexander’s life.

But there are some serious problems with this book. For one, Renault elevates Alexander to demi-God status, making it almost impossible to connect with him. Plus, a lot of the key characters come across as extremely shallow. Olympias, Alexander’s mother, is portrayed as a beautiful witch-queen who only rants and raves and plots against her husband King Philip, who in turn is shown as a boor and a drunkard. But Philip was responsible for elevating Macedon from a primitive village to a powerhouse in Greece. His intelligence and keen sense of battle strategy don’t get justice in Renault’s novel. Hephaistion, Alexander’s closest confidant and lover, cuts a rather pathetic figure too. His sole reason for being is apparently to be loved by Alexander, as you can see from the passage below.

“At the stair-foot Hephaistion was waiting. He happened to be there, as he happened to have a ball handy if Alexander wanted a game, or water if he was thirsty; not by calculation, but in a constant awareness by which no smallest trifle was missed.”

But even more importantly, the novel itself is confusing and complicated, mainly because many of the names that Renault uses are different from what most of us are used to (like Herakles for Hercules and Kyros for Cyprus). There’s no list of the characters (which would have helped given the huge cast and very similar-sounding names), nor a timeline (which would have been excellent for readers who are not familiar with Ancient Greece). A lot of the book – especially the parts that deal with politics and the wars and intrigue – is also very clunky, reading almost like a PhD dissertation.

That isn’t to say that the entire novel is a waste of time; it does have its moments. The events leading up to and the battle at which Alexander made his first kill at the age of 12 and his mastery over the mighty steed Bucephalus at the age of 13 are particularly well written, as are some court scenes with King Philip.
Once I finished this, I despaired at the thought of having to read two more books to complete the trilogy, but I thought I might as well plod on ahead or I would never read them. And I’m glad that I did. For the second book – The Persian Boy – was quite a delight.

Cover of The Persian Boy

Told from the point of view of Alexander’s lover Bagoas, a complete shift in narrative style from the first book, The Persian Boy grips you and pulls you into the action. It starts with Bagoas’ capture and gelding, his journey to the court of Darius, and touches on the war between Alexander and Darius from the perspective of someone who is far removed from the action. But once he becomes part of Alexander’s camp and eventually his lover, Bagoas’ first person narrative is fascinating. Alexander is much more accessible in this book than in the first one, as Renault draws a vivid portrait of the man in all his dimensions – from a preening boy to a heroic warrior and charismatic military commander, pragmatic king and devoted lover. Despite being madly in love with Alexander, Bagoas also sees Alexander’s faults – his need for the love and admiration of his troops; his huge ego and anger, which led him to kill a trusted officer in a drunken rage; and his obsession with conquering the world. Alexander’s prowess as a military commander and his tactical maneuvers on the battlefield are also brought out well.

The part that I liked best was that the novel was told from the point of view of a Persian boy, who was in the perfect position to sense Alexander’s growing fascination with Persia and its customs, and his (almost egoistical) desire to be treated with all the courtesies due to an Emperor. This was in direct contrast to his Macedonian soldiers, who saw Persians as sub-human and mocked their culture, and who were used to easy accessibility and informal bantering with their King.

Bagoas’ character is also well drawn – he’s sharp, charming, and knowledgeable about Persian court intrigues, and is also intensely jealous when it comes to Alexander. His quiet desperation to keep Alexander in the land of the living after the death of his life-long friend and companion Hephaistion is moving. Perhaps the most poignant moment is when, after keeping watch over Alexander’s dead body, Bagoas quietly gives way to the Egyptian priests who come to embalm the Macedonian.

Funeral Games (novel) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Once I finished reading this book, I was eager to begin Funeral Games, the final part of the trilogy, which covers the 15 years following Alexander’s death, when his only direct heirs were two unborn sons and a dim-wit half-brother. Needless to say, there was bitter fighting among his wives, distant relatives and generals, all of whom wanted to lay claim on the vast lands that Alexander had conquered. But the increasingly undisciplined Macedonian army, tired of the long war and of being far away from home, proved to be difficult to tame.

Renault tells the tale from the point of view of the various characters who were vying to gain ascendency to the throne. There’s plotting and double-crossing and backstabbing, with quick rises and equally quick and fatal falls. Renault also introduces some new characters in this book. There’s Arridaios, Alexander’s retarded half-brother who had a small part in Fire From Heaven; and Philip’s grand-daughter Eurydike, who is as ambitious as Olympias, but lacks her shrewdness. Sadly, she comes across as a naive young girl who is unable to understand the pulse of the Macedonians or to think of the long-term consequences of her actions.

The only character to come out of the mess clean is Alexander’s half-brother Ptolemy. Realizing that no one could take Alexander’s place, he stakes his claim over Egypt, leaving the rest of the empire for the dogs to fight over, in a manner of speaking. He actually went on to turn the satrapy of Egypt into one of the mightiest kingdoms of the Hellenistic age. And knowing that most of the events described in this book actually happened makes it an even more fascinating read.

Having read the entire trilogy, I’d kind of agree with Gore Vidal’s statement that

“Mary Renault’s Alexandriad is one of the twentieth century’s most unexpectedly original works of art.”

If you are interested in this legendary figure, you should pick up these books (though you could skip the first one if you’d like).

Disclaimer: I got all the three books from Random House India, but the review and opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: The Family Corleone by Ed Falco

From the back cover:

“New York, 1933. The city and the nation are in the depths of the Great Depression. The crime families of New York have prospered in this time, but with the coming end of Prohibition, a battle is looming that will determine which organizations will rise and which will face a violent end.
For Vito Corleone, nothing is more important that his family’s future. While his youngest children, Michael, Fredo, and Connie, are in school, unaware of their father’s true occupation, and his adopted son Tom Hagen is a college student, he worries most about Sonny, his eldest child. Vito pushes Sonny to be a businessman, but Sonny-17 years-old, impatient and reckless-wants something else: To follow in his father’s footsteps and become a part of the real family business.”

Just reading the back cover make me excited about getting my hands on this book. I had read The Godfather about 10 years ago, and returning to those unforgettable characters was a treat.

“Make him an offer he can’t refuse” and movie producer Jack Woltz waking up to find his favorite horse’s severed head in his bed are images that are seared onto the minds of Godfather fans. The characters of Don Corleone and Sonny, of Luca Brasi and Tom Haegen are well-known and well-loved. But how did Vito Corelone become Don Corleone? Was Sonny always a hot-head? What makes Luca Brasi so formidable and so devoted to the Don? If you’ve ever wondered about these back stories, this book will give you the answers.

Cover of The Godfather

The novel starts in 1933 as Vito (and other mafia families) is plotting his move from controlling gambling and numbers in the Bronx to expanding the business following the end of Prohibition. And although he is firmly entrenched in this life, he doesn’t want his sons to follow in his footsteps. So he encourages Michael to focus on his studies, sends Tom Haegen to Columbia to study law and sets Sonny up in a garage, hoping that he will eventually make a name for himself in the automobile business. But Sonny wants nothing more than to join his father’s business, and takes his first steps into that world as the head of a gang of 17-year old hijackers. By staying in the background when the deals for the hooch he hijacks are struck, he ensures that his father knows nothing about his extra-curricular activities. Michael, meanwhile, is immersed in his studies, while Connie and Fredo are pretty much in the background.

The really interesting part of the novel, though, is Luca Brasi, who gets a starring role in The Family Corleone. Falco paints him as a dark character known as El diablo (the devil), who strikes fear in the hearts of all the mafioso. No one wants to cross the brutal Brasi, as stories abound about his legendary strength, death-defying feats and brutality. Falco explores the origins of his brutal nature as Brasi goes from being an independent gang leader to becoming Don Corleone’s most faithful enforcer.

Flaco stays close to Puzo’s writing style, and the extensive glossary of Italian words at the end of the book really bring the mafia world alive. Based on a screenplay by Mario Puzo, The Family Corleone is a rip-roaring page turner that should make fans of The Godfather happy.

Disclaimer: I got a copy of this book from Random House India, but the review and opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Midnight’s Children (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Midnight’s Children tells the story of “Saleem Sinai, later variously called Snotnose, Stainface, Baldy, Buddha and even Piece-of-the-Moon,” who was born on 15 August 1947 at the stroke of midnight – at the same hour that India won her independence. It is a story that first chronicles 32 years of his grandparents’ and parents’ lives, before focusing on Saleem’s life in Bombay, Pakistan and Bengal. It is also a novel about India; tracing her journey from the heights of independence (infancy) to her ordinary adulthood, culminating with Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule.

But this bland description doesn’t do justice to Rushdie’s sweeping novel. It says nothing about his magical prose, about the explosion of colors and smells and sights and sounds. So let me tell you a little more about Snotnose.

Born at midnight, at the precise moment of India’s independence, Saleem was “mysteriously handcuffed to history…thanks to the occult tyrannies of those blandly saluting clocks.” His birth was celebrated with fireworks. His picture was printed in the newspaper. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sent him a letter saying “We shall be watching over your life with the closest attention; it will be, in a sense, the mirror of our own.” He grew up with a sense of his own importance. He grew up wondering about his purpose. And in his quest for a quiet place in which to think, he found himself retreating to his mother’s laundry hamper. Where one day he discovered his gift for telepathy. From the age of nine, he could enter into other lives at will. And finally, he found all the other magically gifted midnight children scattered across India. At the age of 10 he set up a Midnight’s Children Conference, where he hoped the children could come together to discuss the fate of the nation. But like all 10-year olds, they were overtaken by petty squabbles and dissonance.

As you read Saleem’s story, the “chutnification of history” and “the pickling of time”, you can see parallels with India. Allegorical though they may be, some of them are only hinted at, but they are there. The signs of the potential that India could achieve at birth, the quest for purpose, the slow, inevitable decline to mediocrity. Of course, a lot of events take place because of Saleem. After all, the reason for the Indo-Pakistan war was the annihilation of the Sinnai family!

What more can I say about Stainface? He’s pompous, arrogant, self-centered, grandiose, and somehow loveable. As the narrator of this audacious novel he is absolutely brilliant. He jumps around from one time period to another. When he makes his tall claims, his companion Padma tries to ground him to reality, but of course, he refuses to be so grounded.

In this sweeping canvas of a story, Rushdie brings in the details of a miniaturist. The places and times are captured down to the last detail. Like the Pioneer Café, where Saleem’s mother meets her first husband Nadir Khan.

“…with filmi playback music blaring out from the cheap radio by the cash till, a long narrow greeny room lit by flickering neon, a forbidding world in which broken-toothed men sat at reccine-covered tables with crumpled cards and expressionless eyes.”

The characters, even the minor bit players, are finely detailed. No player, or event, has been tacked on as an afterthought just because an “India novel” would be incomplete without it. There is a lot of history, even though the timelines may not always be right, because Saleem admits that “Memory has its own special kind. It selects, eliminates, alters, exaggerates, minimizes, glorifies, and vilifies also; but in the end it creates its own reality, its heterogeneous but usually coherent version of events…”

In the hands of an inept writer, it would have been an impossible book to read. But Rushdie’s fine art of storytelling turns it into a rich and magical tapestry. Saleem (and through him, since this is magic realism, India) “have begun to crack all over like an old jug–that my poor body, singular, unlovely, buffeted by too much history, subjected to drainage above and drainage below, mutilated by doors, brained by spittoons, has started coming apart at the seams. In short, I am literally disintegrating, slowly for the moment, although there are signs of an acceleration.”

But it does end on a note of hope. Although Saleem, who holds the dream of India within himself, believes he will “eventually crumble into (approximately) six hundred and thirty million particles of anonymous, and necessarily, oblivious dust” as national unity seems like an unachievable dream, he does leave the reader with a sliver of hope. His son Adam, gifted with “elephant ears”, is also inexorably tied to India. In him lies the future of the nation. And who knows what feats he might achieve.

Having read the book, I am now all the more eager to watch the movie, which is slated to release in December 2012. Since Rushdie has been closely involved in the movie making process, I have high hopes from it! Overall, I think this is an excellent book, and I highly, highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: I got a copy of this book from Random House India, but the review and opinions expressed are my own.