book review

Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984)

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Author: Dr Sarvat Rahman
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
(Pp 116, ISBN 978-81-7017-5193, Rs 390)

The book is a collection of fifty poems of the great poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz in three languages – Urdu, French and English. Listed four times for the Nobel Prize for Poetry, Faiz was a multi-talented personality – an activist for human rights and liberties, a famous journalist and editor of literary magazines, trade unionist and a film song writer. Apart from inventing the modern Urdu love poem, Faiz revolutionized the classical form of Urdu poetry, the Ghazal, giving it a powerful socio-political resonance. The book is a tribute on the centenary of the poet’s birth.

“Life gave us much or little, what regrets can there be?

The treasure of pain is ours, what matter the quantity?”

This was one of the last ghazal he had written before he died in 1984. All his poems are brilliantly written and focus on different aspects of life.

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Romancing With Your Destiny

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Author: Sheetal Jain
Publisher: Third Eye, an imprint of Pentagon Press
(Pp 260, ISBN 978-81-8274-610-7, Rs 195)

Another jewel in the self-help category, this book will amplify your self-consciousness, self-exploration and self-achievement. It will also lend a hand to you in realizing your true spirit at three levels – conscious, subconscious and super conscious levels. It also explains how you can explore your eternal source of energy. Infact, the author guides you through your journey in life, shows how to deal with different situations and helps you in understanding the real purpose of your existence.

The book is divided into five major sections – let us cook success, before you embark on your journey (let’s prepare the kitchen); the journey begins (ingredients for your success); once you find yourself, let us see how you reach where you want to; and the journey continues (the seasoning for your success).

For those who do not have time to read the book from cover to cover, can pick up any page at any point of time…and find something worthwhile – an important message to make your life easy and achieve your goals in life. The book ends with a beautiful thought – “Live in the moment and celebrate every moment; whole life would be a celebration.”

–Varsha Verma

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At the Wedding

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Author: Aruna Jethwani
Publisher: Promilla & Co, Publishers
(Pp 269, ISBN 978-93-80188-15-7,
Price: Rs 295)

The book revolves around the wedding of the daughter of the narrator. The parents know nothing about the groom or his family, which is kept under wraps by the daughter. To avoid unnecessary queries from the relatives, the narrator plans to organize the wedding in a small village, she invites a handful of people from her friends and relative community. But, the invitees turn out to be a bunch of young NRIs, who though have not forgotten their Indian roots, are totally unaware of Indian traditions. They want to know more about India, the Sindhi culture and the Prophecy (an oral utterance by nine devotees).

Closely knit-together, the novel keeps the reader glued to it and keeps the suspense about the groom shielded till the end – the groom hails from Pakistan. But, that does dampen the spirit of the wedding at all. He is welcome into the family with open arms…even by the elders of the family. Truly a work of literature which really deserves applause.

–Varsha

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The Spare Room

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Author: Helen Garner
Publisher: Mehta Publishing house
(Pp 195, ISBN 978-81-8498-307-4, Rs 250)

Friendship goes through a test of time. How much can we give up helping a friend in need? Are we ready to take up all the challenges and problems that come with it? Does our love declines? These are few of the questions which the author Helen seeks to answer when she offers her spare room to her old friend Nicola, who comes to stay for three weeks to undergo a treatment. When Helen saw Nicola, she is shocked – Nicola is suffering from cancer and is at the fourth stage, battling for life. Though Helen loves Nicola and wants to help her, she is surrounded with a melancholy. Her life and home which formerly were alive, suddenly seemed to be surrounded in the shadow of death. She tries her best to make her comfortable and suddenly Nicola decided to go for an operation. Helen knows that would be the end – she is not ready to take it anymore. She asks Nicola to go back to her family.

The author has given a very picturesque view of the feelings that Helen might have gone through. While some make you cry, some make you wonder as how you might have exactly felt being in a similar situation. True to heart, this novel is sure to touch the hearts of the readers!

–Varsha Verma

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Rhythms of Darkness

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Author: Anjana Basu
Publisher: Gyaana Books
(Pp 247, ISBN 978-81-90-939171, Rs 295)

What happens to a dark girl who is born in a village who are blinded by fair complexion? She is named Shyama, which means darkness. She is too dark to be marriageable, too dark to dance in plain sight but not too dark to provide cover for militant forces infiltrating the villages and working against the government. The story revolves around her tryst with the politics of Bengal. Her dancing politics catapults her (fondly called ‘didi’) to the top echelons of Bengali power structure and then into a self-imposed exile.

Smartly woven, the book is an interesting mix of fact and fiction and unique exploration of political events. The story is beautifully woven with the use of lucid language.

–V Verma