Book Review: In a free state by V S Naipaul

This novel is set in Africa and the whole story is told through conversations between two characters Bobby and Linda, who are on a long drive in a car. It explores the attitudes of main characters of this novel who are English (but are in Africa to aid the colonial set-up) towards Africans and vice-versa. The tribal conflict makes the African land unsafe to outsiders. Violence and rage erupts which the story has to witness.    

In the introductory note of this book, author Naipaul confesses he had conceived this novel during a period of his intense personal depression. I think that would have made this novel hard and full of pity. But his sentences are chiseled and writing style is precise, he can convey a complex emotion in a concise way. This book won third Booker prize in 1971.

Book Review: A book of memory (Autobiography) by Sudhir Kakar

When a psycho analyst writes his memoir, it will sure to be more than his life story. This autobiography by Sudhir Kakar is an analysis of personalities and events which made him the person he is as an adult. This book begins with a characteristic narrative, remembering the day he lost his father and then moves on to formal style of biographies, a start with childhood memories. His childhood had influences of both maternal and paternal grand-parents and siblings of both of his parents. As he grew up he got more attached to his father ideologically. After he moved to a boarding school, letters become his way of regular communication with his father. This book also includes the account of lifestyle of the people lived in and around Punjab and few colonial places during pre-independent India. The pain separation of India and Pakistan brought during independence to the lives of Punjabis is well documented.

He got pushed to study Engineering against his own wishes but to obey the wishes of his father and he does not do so well in that although he completes the formal education. His travel to Germany for an internship  appears to be the time Sudhir took his life into his hands, became more expressive and begin to find an identity of himself. The five years he spent in Germany shaped his personality and he realized beyond any doubts that he is no more interested in a career in Engineering but wanted to be a Psycho-analyst. Despite resistance from his immediate family, he found support in Kamala, a relative and Vikram Sarabhai, a popular figure and also a friend of Kamala.

Living in Ahmedabad, brought him near to an interesting person in his life, Erik Erickson, an established author and psycho-analyst, who was in Ahmedabad to write a book on Mahatma Gandhi. Sudhir found a mentor in Erik and requests him to accept him as a trainee under him. Erik suggests to Sudhir to complete his PhD and join him at Harvard. Sudhir gets back to Europe to complete his doctorate and then heads to Harvard to be with Erik. That completes the formative years of Sudhir and his first book gets published during that time and puts him on the path where his passion is, to be a writer and a psycho-analyst. After his return to India, his associations got extended to many reputed organizations IIM Ahmedabad, IIT Delhi and others and his books also earned him name and fame, made him a mild celebrity. He was also summoned to provide services to Government which brought him closure to the inner circles of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

In the midst of all his professional life and bizarre experiences, he got married to Apeksha against the wishes of both of their families and had two children, a son and a daughter. But after 25 years into marriage, marriage ran into trouble and they were separated. He then found Katharina, his second wife and made Goa his home. He currently lives there and the count of books he wrote are increasing and his contribution of the field psycho-analysis is being noticed all around the world.

This book is more than the account of author’s life as the author analyses many of the personalities he gets associated with in his growing up years and aftermath. While reading this, any reader can be put into melancholy, made to look back into his past life and analyze what made him/her or who were the greatest influences at important junctures of one's life.

ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಪರಿಚಯ: ಭಾರತೀಪುರ (ಅನಂತ ಮೂರ್ತಿ)

ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ಒಂದು ಊರು ಭಾರತೀಪುರ. ಆ ಊರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ದಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದು ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಯ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಿಂದ. ಊರಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ನಿವಾಸಿಗಳೂ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಯ ಭಕ್ತರು. ಎಲ್ಲ ಜಾತಿ, ವರ್ಗದ ಜನರು ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗೆ ಭಯ ಭೀತಿ ಯಿಂದ ನಡೆದು ಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಪತಿಗಳು ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿದಾಗಿಂದ ಅದರ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ದಿ ಇನ್ನು ಉದ್ದಗಲಕ್ಕೂ ಹರಡಿ ಇನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯ ಭಕ್ತರನ್ನು ಆಕರ್ಷಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದೆ.

ಭಾರತೀಪುರದ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತ ಕುಟುಂಬದಲ್ಲಿ ಜನಿಸಿದವನು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ. ಅವನೇ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಬಿಂದು. ದೂರದ ಇಂಗ್ಲಂಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಊರಿಗೆ ಮರಳುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಆತ್ಮ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿರುವ ಆತನಿಗೆ ಸಮಾಜ ಸುಧಾರಣೆಯ ಹಂಬಲವಿದೆ. ಅವನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಪೂರ್ವಜರಿಗೆ ಇದ್ದಂತ, ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಜಮೀನ್ದಾರಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುವ ಮತ್ತು ಇರುವ ಆಸ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ವೃದ್ಧಿಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಬಯಕೆ ಉಳಿದಿಲ್ಲ. ಬದಲಿಗೆ ಭಾರತೀಪುರದ ಜನ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಪಥದ ಹಾದಿಗೆ ತರುವ ಕನಸಿದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ ವೈಚಾರಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಬೆಳೆಸುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ, ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಹರಿಜನ ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಂದುಳಿದ ವರ್ಗಗಳಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭ ಆಗಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಅವನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ. ಆದರೆ ಜನ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಕಷ್ಟ-ನಷ್ಟಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು ಎಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ಆ ಜನರ ಜೀವನ ಶೈಲಿ ಬದಲಾಗದು ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಅವನ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆ. ಜನರ ಮೂಢ ನಂಬಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ದೂರಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವಾಗಿ, ಅದುವರೆಗೆ ಹರಿಜನರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶ ನಿಷಿದ್ಧವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸುವದರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಆರಂಭವಾಗಬೇಕೆಂದು ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಆ ವಿಷಯ ಕಾಳ್ಗಿಚ್ಚಿನಂತೆ ಎಲ್ಲಡೆ ಹರಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಪರವಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತು ವಿರೋಧವಾಗಿ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳು ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗುತ್ತವೆ. ಅವಕಾಶದ ಸದುಪಯೋಗ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪಕ್ಷವೊಂದು ಜಗನ್ನಾಥನ ಪರವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಕ್ಕೆ ಹರಿಜನರು ಸಿದ್ಧರಿದ್ದಾರೆಯೇ? ಈ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥ ಬಯಸುವ ಬದಲಾವಣೆ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ತರಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗುವುದೇ? ಅದನ್ನು ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯನ್ನು ಓದಿ ನೀವೇ ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ.

೧೯೭೩ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಮುದ್ರಣಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ವಿಷಯ ವಸ್ತು ಇಂದಿನ ತಲೆಮಾರಿಗೆ ಹಳೆತು ಎನಿಸಬಹುದು. ಆದರೆ ಲೇಖಕರ ಶೈಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಅನುಭವ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಂಡು ಒಂದು ಉತ್ತಮ ಓದು ಎನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

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The story begins with Jagannatha, son of a landlord, who had been to England for higher studies returning to his native Bharathipura. Bharathipura is a village situated in the western hills of Karnataka, famous for it's temple. All the village residents are devotees of Lord Manjunatha. All castes and classes are fearful of the God. A visit to temple by President of India had made the temple and Lord Manjunatha even more popular and acceptable across the regions and religions attracts even higher number of devotees to the place.

Jagannatha, who is on the path of self-discovery, has socialistic bent of mind too. He does not find comfort in remaining a landlord and protecting and growing his assets. He wants to bring in a meteoric change in the society he lives in. He wants the thinking, lifestyle and the way people of Bharathipura lead their life to change for better. He thinks it has to start with Harijan or the backward class people. And he strongly believes that as long as common people fear Lord Manjunatha and hold him responsible for what happens in their life, good and bad but not themselves, their lives would not change. For breaking this belief he plans to take Harijan into Lord Manjunatha’s temple by breaking the tradition followed from old ages. He writes to newspapers about his plan and the message spreads across. It attracts both support and criticism. An opportunistic political party joins hands with Jagannatha. But are Harijan ready for this? Can this really bring in the change Jagannatha expects? Read this novel to find out yourself.

This novel was first published in 1973, so the subject matter may seem old to the readers of the current times but the gripping style and literary capabilities of the author are amusing and makes the novel a good read.

Book Review: Bhava (Kannada novel) by U R Ananthmurthy

This short novel (which can be read in one sitting) explores the psychological depths of people (central characters of the novel) who did not or could not remain committed to their partners but got indulged into illicit relationships and live life with dual mindset.

The story begins with Vishwanath Shastry meeting a stranger (Dinakar) in a train and he realizes that he could be his last son who was believed to be dead in the womb along with his mother. But he is not sure of whether he is the biological father as he suspects a Pundit who was close to his wife would be his father. That relationship of Shastry's wife outside the marriage had makes him angry and he attempts to end her life when she get pregnant. He thinks she is dead in that attempt but becomes aware later that she is not dead but disappeared from the house along with fine gold and jewellery. Meeting this person Dinakar who is on his way to find Seetamma, a person who was well known to him and his wife brings back the old memories and his duality over whether Dinakar is his son or not grows further.

Dinakar too has his version of story. He has faint memories of his mother who was dead when he was five and does not know who is his father. His successful stint as a TV journalist does not help him in finding the purpose of life and his inability to remain loyal to any woman he comes across as mates adds to his confusion. He is on the way to Kerala in the form of a devotee of Lord Ayyappa but wants to meet Seetamma whom he considers his second mother. During the visit, he becomes aware from Sitamma's son Narayana (who was his friend also) that he has a grown up son from a relationship he had when he was young. And this son of Dinakar, named Prasada is also in the suffering of knowing who is his real father and is on the way to become a Sannyasi, a renouncing stage of life.

This plot exposes the intricacies of human mind and behavior through main characters of Shastry and Dinakar. While Seetamma and his son Narayana shows the positive aspects of a broader thinking, the lack of it in the central characters shows the how individuals form different opinions, how they are influenced by different circumstances of life and take an entirely different path despite living in the same society.

Book Review: Ithaca by David Davidar

This is the story about a person behind the story tellers, a publisher. The protagonist of this story, a person of Indian origin, working for an international publishing firm, climbs up the career ladder for being with a right person (a star author of Angel’s series of books) at the right time, which helps him earn name and money for his firm. But all is not well in his personal life and his relationship with his wife, who is also part of publishing industry, has turned soar. 

To find peace with himself, he tries a vacation in an uncommon place, Thimphu in Bhutan. As heads back to his office in London, he finds that his star author, who was in his old age and facing personal trauma, is no more alive. In the absence of a new book in the Angel’s series, his firm has nothing significant to offer, so the financials of the firm take a hit. And the company becomes an acquisition target. To defend the position of his firm, he has to do whatever it takes. As per advice of CEO of the firm, he heads to meet the translator of his star author, and to his surprise he finds there was a last piece of unpublished work. His company pays a hefty amount to acquire the rights and plans a series of events to promote and distribute the rights of the book to other languages and media, and the promotional event in Frankfurt fair gets the attention he expected and on the other note, reconciliation efforts with his wife seems to be paying off. 

Despite pulling off a new book which has all the potential to improve financials, his firm gets acquired by a bigger firm which is run by a ruthless and ambitious person. And the unexpected developments, that the book was not an original piece of work by the start author but a desperate attempt of his translator putting together pieces from an already published work by another author. This attracts criticism by the media and the protagonist of the story gets fired. He returns to India, his village in a hilly station and gets consoled by an unusual person, a postman of the village. He accepts that no one can escape fate but looks forward optimistically to find a new direction in life.