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The fox by Frederick Forsyth…..

Book review

Rating 4/5 (extremely biased warning!!)

Long post warning!!

Spoilers….mild but no amount of spoilers will spoil the mood of reading a Forsyth novel!

So like the wine which gets better with age (so I’ve been told since being a teetotaler I have no personal opinion on this!); Frederick Forsyth has come a long way from the Day of the jackal to Cobra or the Afghan! And his last one The kill List!

Ever since I read my favourite one Called, The Devil’s alternative, I am a big fan of Fred! That novel I had started ten times and could never go beyond fifty pages of the slowest speed and pages filled with dull and boring details! But from the next page it was one of the best rides ever for me reading a spy novel!

So when it comes to spy and agents and double agents and triple agents and the KGB or CIA or MI6; you cannot get better than Fred!

This time the story shifts to UK and cold war and it was like world war 1 and 2 all over again! The last few novels were primarily American and this was a pleasant change!

So finally coming to the novel (spoiler alert!)…. There is this young kid who is having the Asperger’s syndrome but he is the top hacker in the world!
With that kind of power in this digital age you can (major spoiler!) Literally break into security vaults or nuclear power plants or rocket launching rockets and what not!…. Don’t worry if you feel this is a spoiler because unless you read the novel you can never imagine what’s the whole deal is all about!

So you have a cat and mouse game between two veteran agents of UK and Russia. Who wins is anyones guess but trust Fred to give it such nice twists so reminiscent of his Day of the Jackal days!

So if you thought that the cold war and spying networks are old school you cannot be more wrong! All that’s changed is that it’s become more digital and that’s all!

So you have America, Israel, Iran, Russia and hold your breath…. North Korea!….. That’s the icing on the nuclear cake!!…

Fans of Forsyth will not sleep till they finish this one and others will definitely have a good read believe you me!

The ending though is too optimistic which am sure may not happen in real life but hey what’s the point in writing a fiction if you cannot end it the way you want!?…

This is not a Ceausescu story right!!?
This is the second novel (the first was Yuval Noah Harari in Homo Deus to mention this) to mention this!…read this it you want to know more!..

So pull on your reading socks and read The Fox!!

Evolving with Subramanian Swamy by Roxna Swamy

Book review

Fiction

No spoilers since it’s non fiction but lots of revelations which is better if you read them yourself!

Having seen Subramanian Swamy in debates I have immense respect for his detailed argument backed by well documented research and cool minded approach. He destroys his opponents in debates in news or court which such acumen and poise that many want to fight or argue with him just to hear him speak!

Recently I had read the autobiography of both Margaret Alva and Pranab Mukherjee Just to get an insight which is code to get some juice and spice! Unfortunately though both those books were written with one eye closed and steered clear of any obvious controversy!

Imagine being at the helm in the center and both fail to mention much about the emergency or the 1984 riots!

At least in this book Roxna does go into detailing the exploits of Swamy during the emergency! For me who had just read Coomi Kapoor’s (Roxna’s sister) book on emergency where an entire chapter was devoted on the one bright streak in the dark cloud of emergency that is Subramanian Swamy and his great escapes; it was in a sense a big deja vu; a good one though I may add!

Rest of the narrative is third person and Roxna doesn’t mince any words when she has to be frank about someone or something which is quite refreshing for a change!

Then again this is the book about Subramanian Swamy, the veritable king of defamation cases (ask Kujliwal if in doubt!); So I don’t really want to risk writing something and getting a summons from the swamy so to speak!

Though the story is told in a more or less chronological order, Roxna does meander at times but mostly without breaking the train thankfully!

Of course this is only the early years, only recently Subramanian Swamy is again in the spotlight and that has not been covered in this book. Maybe that’s in the offing.

Apart from the heroics of emergency and that he had a major role in economic reforms; the chief aim of the book (as it should be since it’s Swamy!) Is to give an account of his cases!

The fight with Vajpayee, Ram Jethmalani, Jayalalithaa and R K Hegde has been nicely covered and listed.

Rarely you get to see a political entity who can be non corruptible to an extent. Of course since it’s written by his wife there is bound to be a bias which Roxna herself mentions in the book!

So having lakhs of Twitter followers, and as such having such a clout, this book gives us a good insight from the inside!

Though Swamy has good many achievements I would say that his biggest one is that his wife has written a positive biography on his life! What more can a man (that too a Swamy so to speak!) Can ask for!??

Sea prayer by Khaled Hosseini

From the legend who gave you kite runner, thousand splendid suns and the mountains echoed; here comes a sad but beautiful and soulful poem

I generally do not read poems since I have always believed that poems are deeply read only by two people! One who writes it and the one for whom it is intended!

So if I had known that this is not a novel but an poetic ode to the Syrian refugees then I wouldn’t have bought it in a hurry.
Though it hits all the right places and then some, felt let down since I expected another heart rendering tale of dispair and hope.

War can never be good and the worst affected are the children whose childhood is lost in the fight for a piece of land which you cannot take when you die.

Though it was Khaled who made me buy the book, in the end I was more impressed by the soul stirring illustration by Dan Williams.

Since it is a review of a poem thought I end with one!!

Apparently one pound from sale of this book will go for refugee rehabilitation so I guess I have done my part.

Of what use is a prayer for the heartless
Of what use is light for the emotionally blind
Of what use is water for the eternally thirsty
Of what use is war when all are going to die one day

This will do for now Khaled but please write another Kite runner soon…..

When a tree shook Delhi….
By Manoj Mitta and H S Phoolka

Book review

Rating 3/5

Non fiction and political….

So this is what happens when a journalist whose heart is in the right place and when an advocate who had a personal experience with this tragedy come together to give an actual heart moving rendering of one of the biggest riots ever.

The deep dark truth when unfurls through the pages sends shiver down your spine and then some.

The book starts with the viewpoint of Mitta who was personally involved in the coverage and accounting of the 1984 riots. The cold blooded murder, arson, rape, rioting, burning, lynching of all males; you name it and the truth will blow your mind harder than fiction!

Add to it the extreme callousness of the protectors that is the police, army and the C##gress leaders is just too much to digest.

Then the second half of the book takes you though the personal eyes of the one who was in the midst of it all and lived to tell the truth. On top of it he was also the advocate who spearheaded the commissions who were appointed to look into the excesses of the riots. The despair and the might of the political arm twisting has been revealed with truth and nothing else.

Close to 3000 Sikhs slaughtered, burnt, raped or chopped in a period of three days all in conniving with the cops and workers. With lots of clues pointing out to planning and execution and not just a spontaneous out burst as it’s viewed till now.

Many tragic incidents have been narrated in a factual manner would melt even a stone. The levels to which humanity can stoop is just sad.

Few silver linings have also been penned and noted for good measure so that at least some hope remains. All humans are not the same is the final message.

All in all an eye opener on all counts; this one is sure to give many restless nights and days and I hope it’s for the right reasons.

This is not just another bad rain…

This is flood and destruction of massive scale!… So just like water every emotions also run high…

Hope is low but angst and despair is more.

People especially who are in the middle of this catastrophe are overwhelmed!
So if they are letting out their emotions, let them. They have been through a lot…

Adding to their woes is everyone who is trying to claim their contribution in helping out…

I have always believed that the best charity is service and silent donation and not a screenshot of your CONTRIBUTION for your social platform….!

So let politicians do their job but don’t play politics with this tragedy.

This is just the acute phase though…. Now you will have everyone giving help, since the heat is on and since the media glare is full!… Just see who will remain when everything settles down…

But don’t forget who came to help you in the first place. It maybe the army or the fishermen or some NGO or even your neighbour or your friend or a kind stranger…they are the real heroes…..don’t forget that….ever..

Everyone will just try to collect some bits and pieces of your life which has been broken into a big jigsaw puzzle and give you a little glue (read money and relief). But the putting together of life has to be done by yourself. Be prepared for that.

My earnest hope is that when you decide to start afresh after this big tragedy, you will get support from one and all just like now.

For now, as the water recedes and you see the destruction and loss just remember that you have survived the flood and you will survive this too and rise.

During the rehabilitation phase the most dangerous problem is the water borne disease. So the same adage we follow in ocean (water water everywhere but not a drop to drink!) Must be followed here. Then it will be the basic essentials that will be paramount and of course the most important everytime and everywhere; Money….Am sure the state will help you with that along with the whole country….

Someone had mentioned that mallus will fight back!..I say you all are Indians first and seeing the overwhelming support you are getting from the whole country (and the world!); India will fight back with you!!…

May the support continue till every single person affected by this calamity is rehabilitated…..

Jai Hind….
#IndiawithkeralaandKodagu…

If you cannot take care of your own kids please don’t have them!…

I know many feathers will be ruffled with this… But kids are the responsibility of parents and no one else!…. Unless of course in rare circumstances which is not the point here anyway!…

It was raining heavily in Bangalore (seriously I am wishing for the doggone rain to stop!!)….and I was going on this ocean of vehicles and water and pot holes praying I don’t hit any when in a busy junction where even Trucks and big buses ply as if it’s their private property (for most government buses it literally is and they act like that only!!)….

So in this junction there is a tyre breaker (the official name is speed breaker but all it does is either break the tyre or the suspension!!)…… and in this junction you have vehicles slowing down their speeds for a nanosecond!

That’s the time needed for the Bravehearts of Bangalore (you know them by their common nomenclature called Pedestrians!!) to cross the road.

On this particular day, I saw an old man over 70 who could barely walk by himself pushing a huge pram and trying to cross the road. Suddenly he decided that enough was enough and he just ran into the road much to the chagrin of the bus and Trucks and all!

Luckily though sometimes even government bus breaks do work if you pray Fervently!

The bus stopped just a few inches away from the pram and the grandpa walked triumphantly pushing the Pram as fast as he could (which believe me was really really slow!)

Now we come to my point (finally!!); agreed many grandparents are healthy and active but is it not the responsibility of the parent??

What if at that particular moment that old man had an emergency? Or god forbid even worse?

At best grandparents can supervise the caretaker but the primary responsibility must be of the parents and no one else. I have known of parents who have ‘deposited’ their kids in grandparents house and moved on with their life!

Of course children are not investments for you to expect returns in the long run but if you don’t give them time now how can you ever expect them to give you any in future!??

This is of course an opinion but is it not an important point to ponder about especially when you are stuck in the Bangalore traffic waiting for the Bus in front of you to move an inch!!??……

And once more with passion….Rain rain go away!!!……

Mother Teresa the untold story

Book review

Non Fiction

Rating 4/5

No spoilers!….

First of get some details about the author who is a true blue Calcutta born Bengali in love with his city of birth and a physician settled in UK…. He has a research of more than 30 years into the life of Mother Teresa and is a virtual encyclopaedia on her life!!

Now this book review is purely a viewpoint of the author and as you can very well see it goes against the tide in a big big way!

From the first word he makes his position very clear that this is a book to demystify desaint and debrief anything and everything about the mother….

So starting from her setting up of the first centre, or her supposedly selfless nature, or her feeling for the poorest of the poor, or her spending anything on the ill or her deserving the Nobel or nobility and everything else has been quite convincingly argued by a practitioner of evidence based modern medicine like Dr Chatterjee…..

Some controversy like the conversion and not spending on treatment (mother believed that in suffering you are closer to God!!) were known at least in bits and pieces while the author had opened them wide and bare!…

Some of the rarer and unknown controversies are also mentioned with letters, correspondence, interviews, photograph and audio recordings so all in all it seems to be a patient well researched and well presented argument….. Whether you do believe the author is left to the reader since the sides have already been chosen…. The book will not change much!!

What it may do is maybe widen your perspective to understand that sometimes even seeing is not believing!… Though his treatment of Mother as a not so innocent and politically shrewd and opportunistic nun is sure to ruffle many feathers!!…

Am surprised though that this book and author have not been creating much controversy though!…..

After going through all her activity and actions one by one and dissecting it into human pieces the author then concludes by two glaring chapters on her Saint status and her Nobel prize….. Expectedly he decimates even these by crisp arguments and relevant points which are sure to raise many a frown and not the smile upside down kind!!…

The whole exercise seems to stem from the fact that the author is heartbroken because of the stereotypical treatment of India and Calcutta… Think Calcutta and these have made sure that the world will only imagine slums, beggars, lepers and what not!…..

He has gone one step ahead and even decimated the book City of Joy which he feels is equally responsible for the poor opinion of India and Calcutta!..

The fact of the matter is that at the end of it all legends are man made and one day everyone must realise that after all everyone is finally Mortal…. Nothing more, nothing less….

Read it to get a treasure house of controversy!!….

Sacred Games……

The series…..in Netflix….

Think an amalgamation of Gangs of Wasseypur and Satya and you will be halfway there!!….add one thousand cuss words and you will be almost there!… Then add some BOLD scenes just for making it spicy then your will reach Sacred games!!..

From abuse to bullets to gore exemplified to dead bodies falling like dominos to a controversial admixture of real events and politics; you have everything in a nice spicy package!…

After a while though the cuss words become forced and dated…..and frankly annoying!….but the realistic portrayal of the ways of police, politics and gang bangs is refreshing and new…. But maybe next time everyone concentrate more on story rather than just sex and violence and it will be more palatable to the general public…..

So binge watching eight episodes each lasting close to an hour was a good way to start my Netflix subscription!!…

So watch it only if you have close to 8 hours to spare!….also don’t expect a closure!…. This is just the beginning!…

Also like GOT, do not get used to any character!…..he or she may die before your can say Ganesh!!….

Sacred Games……

The series…..in Netflix….

Think an amalgamation of Gangs of Wasseypur and Satya and you will be halfway there!!….add one thousand cuss words and you will be almost there!… Then add some BOLD scenes just for making it spicy then your will reach Sacred games!!..

From abuse to bullets to gore exemplified to dead bodies falling like dominos to a controversial admixture of real events and politics; you have everything in a nice spicy package!…

After a while though the cuss words become forced and dated…..and frankly annoying!….but the realistic portrayal of the ways of police, politics and gang bangs is refreshing and new…. But maybe next time everyone concentrate more on story rather than just sex and violence and it will be more palatable to the general public…..

So binge watching eight episodes each lasting close to an hour was a good way to start my Netflix subscription!!…

So watch it only if you have close to 8 hours to spare!….also don’t expect a closure!…. This is just the beginning!…

Also like GOT, do not get used to any character!…..he or she may die before your can say Ganesh!!….

The name of the game is Kidnapping by Keigo Higashino….

Book review

Rating 2/5

No spoilers……!

This is it…the last translated novel of Keigo!…a novel called Newcomer is in the pipeline but I know the wait is going to be agonizingly slow!….

When I read Devotion of suspect X I had half a mind to learn Japanese so that I can read his other original novels!….. But after this last one I am prepared to wait!…

Not that this is a bad novel but the initial zest and fervor of his previous novels especially Devotion and Midnight Sun is lacking…

You do have the usual twists and turns and an unexpected out of the blue ending but then there’s something missing….it’s like a bland pizza with little flavours of Oregano seasoning but somehow the salt is on the lower side!…(reminder to self to never write a review when hungry to avoid such food references!!)

As the name suggests, there is a kidnapping, there is a game and of course since it’s Keigo, there are twists…

So while some specks of brilliance are there, this one is just another of those side projects am sure with a relatively open ending!…

If you have finished the others then finish this one just for completion sake…the good news is that it’s just around 200 pages long with not many characters (in Japanese that’s childsplay!)….

I have placed Keigo Higashino on a pedestal is the root of all problems!…. The reader should not make this mistake and then everything will be bliss….!!

So read on Nippon!!…