A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS- KHALED HOSSEINI

The second novel by Khaled Hossieni, “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, was released in 2007. The novel narrates the miserable lives of two Afghan women who come together as though destined. The title of the book comes from a line in the Josephine Davis translation of the poem "Kabul", by the 17th-century Iranian poet Siab-e-Tabrizi:
Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.

The two women in the novel are Mariam and Laila, around whom the four parts of the novel revolves. Mariam is the daughter of Jalil and Nana. Being the illegitimate daughter of the reputed businessman, Jalil, Mariam lives in a kolba in Herat with her mother, who used to be the servant at Jalil’s. but Jalil intensely loves Mariam and often visits her though Nana disapproves of these visits. One day Jalil fails to keep the promise of taking Mariam for outing and she eventually lands up at his house. Mariam’s missing greatly hurts her mother and she hangs herself. Jalil has a large family with three wives and children. So he marries away the fifteen year old Mariam to a shoemaker from Kabul, Rasheed , thirty years older to her. Though initially Rasheed is portrayed as a loving husband, subsequently his true colours are revealed. He begins to torture Mariam and is much disturbed that they will not have any children. Hereon the tumultuous life of Mariam with Rashid unfolds.

Laila is a girl in the same neighbourhood who is fond of her friend Tariq, who is handicapped in an accident. Though deep, their friendship knows the boundaries set by the society. In the meantime war visits Afghanistan and Kabul is bombarded by rockets. Tariq and his family decide to leave Kabul and their emotional farewell leads to love making. Laila’s family also decides to leave the place, but her parents are killed in a rocket attack. Laila is deeply injured and is cared by Mariam. Rashid expresses his desire to marry Laila. Initially she opposes to the proposal, but on learning that Tariq is dead and she is carrying Tariq’s child, Laila agrees.

Mariam much annoyed by this develops hatred towards Laila. Rasheed is eager to have a child from his second, young and attractive wife. Laila gives birth to a girl, Aziza and Rasheed becomes suspicious of the child. Aziza soon becomes the link between Laila and Mariam. They both love her and care for her so does she reciprocates the love. Soon Laila and Mariam realize their interdependent existence and become best friends. They begin to develop the feeling that Rasheed is their common enemy.

Soon, Laila gives birth to a son of Rasheed, Zalmai, who epitomizes his father and keeps track of Laila and Mariam. One day a man comes to the house and the novel takes a different turn. With his entry into the novel, the lives of the characters begin to see bright colours. With the death of Rasheed they are both relieved from the tortures of the beast. Though Mariam is not destined to experience true happiness in life, Laila has a refreshingly new life ahead.

The novel is a good narrative of the social taboos and the political instability of Afghanistan. As with the first novel, the response to this novel was also mixed, as a section of people refused to accept the Afghan nation and the society as portrayed by Hosseini. The work stands out for its narrative style and the simple and strong language. It is equally wonderful as its forerunner “The Kite Runner”. This novel is soon to be made into a movie.

THE KITE RUNNER

THE KITE RUNNER- KHALED HOSSEINI

‘The Kite Runner’ is the debut novel by Khaled Hossieni published in 2003. The novel is set in the backdrop of Afghanistan, tracing the political history of Afghanistan, the tumultuous events including the fall of monarchy, the Soviet invasion, the refugee flight and the Taliban regime. The Kite Runner narrates the story of two friends, Amir and Hassan, around whom the whole novel revolves. The first part of the novel narrates the story of their in-depth friendship in the backdrop of the monarchial regime in Afghanistan. The second part involves the Soviet invasion and migration into Pakistan and United States of America. The third part narrates the subsequent Taliban regime and the social situation in Afghanistan.

Amir who is from Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul befriends Hassan, a Hazara boy. Amir’s father Baba considers him to be very timid and is much fond of Hassan. Baba considers Hassan to be more masculine, and despite their friendship Amir develops a dislike towards Hassan. Hassan is the son of Ali, a polio affected man, and servant at Amir’s, and Sanaubar. Hassan is a great Kite Runner and Amir is all praise for Hassan’s skills. Amir is more into writing and sees himself as an author. He is greatly supported by Rahim Khan, a loyal friend of Baba and Amir’s mentor.

The antagonist of the novel is Assef, a teenager, Son of an Afghan father and a German mother, who disapproves Amir’s friendship with Hassan. One day Hassan is physically tortured by Assey in front of Amir but Amir does not react. This incident generates a gap in their friendship, and Amir’s guilt and fear develops into him playing tricks to get Hassan out of his place and he succeeds.

Subsequently, the Soviet invasion forces Amir and Baba to flee to Pakistan and thereon to America. They settle in California, Amir becomes a writer and marries Soraya, daughter of Afghan General Taheri and Khanum Jamila, whom he meets in America. Baba dies of cancer. In the meantime, Amir is called back by Rahim Khan and there the true identity of Hassan is revealed. Amir is then on a mission to save Hassan’s son Sohrab. Here the pathetic situation confronted by Afghanistan during the Taliban regime is highlighted. Also the antagonist, Assef re-emerges. The novel ends on a positive note when Amir unites with Sohrab and they live happily with Soraya. The other major characters in the novel are Farid, a Taxi Driver and Farzana, Hassan’s wife.

The novel throws light on the social and political milieu of Afghanistan. Through the story of friendship of two kids Hosseini has provided a beautiful and strong picture of Afghanistan. The novel has been received with mixed response by the western and eastern world. The work has been made into a movie by the same name.

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI- ROBIN S SHARMA

‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ is a wonderful work by Robin S Sharma which attempts a new style of writing in the genre of inspirational writing. When most of the books on motivation and inspiration provide becomes monotonous due to the repetitive nature and the preaching style listing the do’s and don’t do’s, what makes this book different is the story telling style. Mr. Sharma has given the framework of a novel for his work. The Book unravels as a conversation between Julian Mantle and his friend John. The readers can easily identify with John the narrator of the story.

Julian Mantle a reputed lawyer leads a life of luxury with a great mansion, daily parties and the most priced possession, the red Ferrari. John is a friend and colleague of Julian with whom he shares a good rapport. Julian’s life takes a sudden change, suspected to his unbalanced lifestyle and he abandons the place selling all his priced possessions including the Ferrari. Julian goes missing for about three years and is gradually forgotten.

One fine morning Julian arrives back at John’s office as a completely transformed man, both physically and spiritually. John who is gradually into the busy world of law practice gets a new opening into the spiritual world. From Julian he gets to learn the real purpose of life and the path to its fulfillment. The rest of the story comprises the treasure of experiences that Julian had gathered from his days spent in India, in the Himalayan valley, on the beautiful land of Sivana. The teachings of Yogi Raman and the various methods to improved living are narrated to John. Julian reminds John to live in the present and serve others in life, which is the ultimate goal in life.

The book as any other work on spirituality and motivation cannot bring in an instant transformation in the readers. But the captivating power of the story telling opens a new world of revelations before us which can definitely provide new insights into our conscience. Moreover, if practiced, the ten tenets can have magical influence on our lives.

YAKSHI

YAKSHI- MALAYATTOOR RAMAKRISHNAN

Yakshi is a novel which keeps the reader in a trance between reality and superficiality. The novel narrates the story of scientist- lecturer, Sreenivasan, working in a college in Kerala. Sreenivasan, popularly known as Sreeni, is doing research on the Yakshis (the ghosts, female version). He is keen to know whether they exist in reality or are just the illusion of mind. In the meantime, he is being a chemistry lecturer is also experimenting on the scientific realities associated with the ghosts. Also he is making a research into the chemical properties attached with the blood transmitted out of the ghosts.

Another notable fact in the novel is that Sreeni is adored by all for his looks as also his capabilities. Moreover, he is in love with one of his colleagues Vijayalakshmi and they have plans for marriage. Sreeni decides to shift into a haunted house identified for him by a black magician, and things take a turn thereon.

In the laboratory he is met with an unexpected accident, while experimenting with the chemical properties of the ghost blood. The accident has a serious impact, as almost half of his face is burnt and one of his eyes damaged. Everyone who used to adore him begins to hate him and keep away from him for his looks. Even Vijayalakshmi deserts him. He is thus infected by intense inferiority complex and dragged into a mental trauma.

It is at this juncture that a female character makes appearance in the novel, Ragini. She befriends Sreeni and despite his damaged face, she starts loving him. Here the reader is begins to develop a confusion as to who is Ragini, a human being or a ghost. This suspense keeps the novel going. Sreeni marries Ragini and they lead a happy life. But there are ample instances in the novel when readers get to suspect the identity of Ragini. Until the climax nothing of Ragini’s profile is revealed. The references of ghostly life by Ragini, behavior of a dog and its death, all arouses curiosity in the minds of the reader.

As the novel makes progress, Ragini disappears one day, leaving Sreeni in a state of mental disorder. It is in the anti- climax of the novel that many mysteries associated with Ragini and Sreeni unravels.

The novel has thus made a psychological treatment of the mind, transporting the readers from reality to superficiality. At times reader is unable to distinguish between the two, which makes the readers mind to be whirl pooling. The novel is worth a read, but finishing it may seem difficult for some.

MANJU (THE SNOW)- MALAYALAM

MANJU (THE SNOW)
-M.T.VASUDEVAN NAIR

M.T.Vasudevan Nair one of the most celebrated writers in Malayalam is best known for his indigenous themes in writing. This multi- faceted personality is a teacher, news editor, story writer, novelist, script writer and film director. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards. In 1996 he was awarded Jnanpith Award and in the same year he received the honorary D.Litt from Calicut University. In 2004 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

‘Manju’ is a novella by M.T. of a different genre. It is set in the hill- station of Nainital and maintains a musical note across its narration. With minimal characters and few conversations the novella narrates the story of Vimala, a school teacher. Despite having a family comprising father, mother, brother and sister, she is kept aloof from them. She spends her vacations in the loneliness of mist laden Nainital. She hates the company of her family and enjoys solitude.

The watchman of the school Amarsingh is her only company there. She often makes trips in the Naini Lake in her favourite boat Mayflower. Buddhu or Gora Sahib is the boatman who believes he is the son an Englishman. He is eagerly waiting for the return of his father. Here Vimala finds a company in Buddhu as she is also in a similar position waiting for her long lost friend, Sudhir Kumar Mishra. Another character which makes an appearance in the novella is a Punjabi man who is visitor to Nainital and stays at the school. He is a person who effortlessly comes in, makes his presence and moves out of the novella.

M.T. has wonderfully portrayed the picturesque beauty of the hills, mist, snow and the mountains. Silence and solitude play a very important role in the novella. The novelist remarks that silence does not mean the absence of sounds but the presence of even the minutest sound. Moreover, the solitude of Vimala is filled with memories of Sudhir and the unending wait for him.


The novella is a poetic piece of work with the use of imageries and the innocence of the nature. It is incomplete and ambiguous in itself, but traverses through the pat and the present. The snow seems to be melting away in the hearts of persons. The everlasting wait of people and nature is the essence of the novella.

A SUITABLE BOY

A SUITABLE BOY
- VIKRAM SETH

Vikram Seth is one of the most celebrated Indian writers in English. Seth was born to Leila and Prem Seth in Calcutta (now Kolkata).Vikram Seth attended St Michael's High School in Patna, Welham Boys' School and The Doon School in Dehra Dun. He is renowned as a poet and a novelist. His first novel ‘The Golden Gate’ is written in verse. ‘A Suitable Boy’ is the second novel by Seth.
The government of India has honoured Vikram Seth with the Padma Shri in 2007. Also in 2005 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.


The novel ‘A Suitable Boy’ narrates the story of a mother’s search for a suitable match for her daughter. The mother is Mrs.Rupa Mehra and the daughter Lata. There is no single character to be considered as the protagonist as each character has his own role to play. The novel opens with the wedding of Savita Mehra, elder sister of Lata Mehra and Pran Kapoor. The novel is divided into 19 parts each part laying its focus on a different theme or character. The novel is set in the post- independence period in the imaginary town of Brahmpur. References are also made of Delhi, Calcutta, etc. Apart from telling the story of a few families and its members, the novel also provides an overview of the society and the customs and taboos prevalent during the period.

Mrs. Rupa Mehra had lost her husband. She has four children, Arun, Savita, Varun and Lata. Arun is married to Meenakshi Chatterjee (against the will of his mother) and has a daughter, Aparna, who is her granny’s darling. They are staying in Bengal. Arun is very arrogant and short tempered person .Savita’s husband Pran Kapoor is the faculty of English in the Brahmpur University where Lata is studying. He is described as a weak man with repeated attacks of asthma. Varun is staying with his brother in Calcutta and is studying Mathematics. He is rather a timid character. Lata the youngest of the Mehra family is good in studies and is very much controlled by her mother. Her best friend is the bold, smart and outspoken Malati. We also have Veena Tandon, the sister of Pran Kapoor, married to the shoe merchant, Kedarnath Tandon. She has a son Bhaskar who is a genius in Mathematics. There is Maan Kapoor, brother of Pran, doing business in Benaras and is soon to be married.

In the course of the story, Lata’s acquaintance with Kabir Durrani, a student of history and the son of a faculty member of mathematics, creates problems. Kabir is a cricketer and their relation soon develops into a love and they decide to marry. But Lata is damn sure that her mother will not accept the proposal of a Muslim boy. Thus, Kabir emerges to be the first suitor of Lata. The response of Mrs. Rupa Mehra towards a Muslim friend of her daughter clearly shows the wide gap existent between the Hindus and Muslims of the period. The people of the times believed that the two communities were totally different with respect to their believes and customs. The fact remains that things have not changed much in this 21st century. The paradox emerges when we find that the cook at the Hindu family is a Muslim.

During the days of festivities another character comes into light. Saeeda Bai Firoshbadi the gazhal singer, who has a lot of fan following. She is invited to the Mr. Kapoor’s house for singing and soon Maan Kapoor becomes a admirer of Saeeda Bai. Thereupon, Maan’s life takes new turns. The chapters describing the life and ways of Saeeda Bai, presents a picture of the luxurious life led by the Maharajas and the rich class of the society during that period. The world of alcohol, singing, dancing and other luxuries unravels.

Another social scene is one of the partition and its impacts. Kedarnath Tandon used to be a resident of Karachi and he often remembers with horror the last days spent in Pakistan. They had to face lot brutalities before reaching India. He also remembers the difficulties faced in establishing a livelihood in India. The political scenario also gets a space in the novel with Mr. Kapoor and his friends. Also the Kapoor’s have a good relationship with the family of Nawab Khan. In fact, Nawab’s son Firoz Khan is the close friend of Maan Kapoor. They enjoy each others company more than anything else.

As of Lata, two more suitors are in line. One is Meenakshi’s brother, novelist, Amit Chatterjee and another is Haresh Khanna, a shoe businessman. Finally, towards the end of the novel Mrs. Rupa Mehra is successful in finding an ideal match for her daughter. Also there has been a change in the career graph of Varun Mehra, resulting in a great change in his character also.

According to Leila Seth, as remarked by her in the autobiography, all the characters in the novel are a composite of various persons, but for Haresh Khanna, who she believes is the true depiction of her husband, Prem Seth.

‘A Suitable Boy’ is among the longest novel written in the English language in a single volume. This four family saga (Mehras, Kapoors, Chatterjees and Khans) runs more than thousand pages. Despite being long it was one of the best sellers in the Indian English literature. A sequel to this work, ‘A Suitable Girl’, wherein Lata is in search of a girl for her grandson is expected to be released in 2013.

ANGELS AND DEMONS

ANGELS AND DEMONS
-DAN BROWN

Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for his bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts, set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories. Brown's novels that feature the lead character Robert Langdon also include historical themes and Christianity as recurring motifs, and as a result, have generated controversy.
The novel ‘Angels and Demons’ discusses the conflict between religion and science which is continuing for centuries. Brown in his usual twenty four hour narrative filled with suspense, twists and turns, and an ever enthralling plot takes the readers on a journey through Rome and Vatican. Dan Brown provides a vivid description of the Vatican churches, the conclave; St. Peter’s Basilica and acquaints the readers with the customs and tradition of the Vatican. Moreover, CERN and the scientists there arouse the curiosity of man in matter and antimatter.
The American symbologist and cryptologist, the Harvard fellow, Robert Langdon is the protagonist. He is called on in the middle of the night by the director of CERN, Maximilan Kohler, to come over to the CERN immediately. Langdon reaches Switzerland in an extraordinarily fast aircraft. At CERN Langdon is faced with the dead body of a senior scientist at CERN, Leonardo Vetra, with a brand on his chest ‘Illuminati’ written in illuminati ambigram. Also they realize that one of the retinas of Vetra has been removed. From Kohler Langdon comes to know of the adopted daughter of Vetra, Vittoria Vetra, their secret lab and their experiments. Kohler also informs that the murder of Vetra has been kept a secret from fellow CERN scientists and the authorities.
Soon Vittoria who has been on a scientific venture arrives hearing the news of her father’s demise. On insistence of Kohler she shows them the secret laboratory protected accessible only by the father- daughter duo. Soon they are come to know of the antimatter, opposite of matter, which essentially is a great source of energy. Leonardo Vetra believed that this invention will definitely bridge the gap between religion and science. At this point Langdon is forced to believe that Vetra’s murder is very much related to their invention and he also anticipates the resurrection of the illuminati.
Vittoria is not prepared to accept this as she asserts that the only people who knew of the antimatter were she and her father. Soon to the horror of Vittoria it is realized that the specimen of anti-matter has been stolen. A call from the Vatican demanded the presence of a CERN representative there. Vittoria Vetra and Robert Langdon fly to Vatican. They are received by the Swiss- Guard. It is the day of conclave at Vatican and there is huge crowd of tourists and media at St. Peter’s Basilica square. Though antimatter is in Vatican its exact location in unidentifiable as the antimatter is immune to all possible weapon detectors, the advanced security system of the Vatican was unable to locate the antimatter.
A phone call to the chamberlain worsens the situation as the caller informs that the four missing cardinals, the prefereti, are with him, and they are soon to be murdered. Also he claims to have murdered the pope and Vittoria’s father Leonardo Vetra. Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra suspect it to be the illuminati and with the permission of chamberlain they enter the secret vaults of Vatican library. They find the clue to their puzzle in the ‘Digrammia’ by Galileo. The four pillars of illuminati cult are identified as earth, air, fire and water. In their venture they realize that Bernini is the master behind illuminati architecture. But in each of their attempts they miss the hassassin by a fraction.
In the meanwhile, a BBC reporter, Gunther Glick and his camerawoman Mecri also gets involved. Thereafter all the happenings are aired live. Towards the end of their quest, Vittoria is kidnapped by the Hassassin and taken to the church of illumination which is the St. Angelo’s church under the Vatican. the shortcut to Vatican, the Passetto is also traced.
At Vatican, Kohler has arrived and eventually the readers conclude that Kohler is the illuminati leader Janus. The chamberlain is branded with the illuminati diamond, and Kohler is shot dead. The trail for antimatter begins and the chamberlain soon has a heavenly revelation as to where the antimatter is. The chamberlain saves the Vatican and manages to escape the antimatter explosion whereupon he is believed to be representing the god on earth, but Robert Langdon goes missing.
In the meantime, Langdon in a hallucinated state of mind remembers how he had been abandoned by the chamberlain to be burnt to ashes with the antimatter. He by the decree of god reaches a hospital and recovers soon. He moves to St. Peter’s Basilica with the recorder and there unveils the truth behind all the happenings.
Finally, Mortati, the officer in charge of the conclave is made the Pope and the revelations of the eve are kept a secret between the cardinals, Langdon and Vittoria for the sake of the church. Langdon and Vittoria are happy that they are part of this quest and Vittoria is relieved to have found the murderer of her father.
The novel provides a beautiful and serious discussion of the relation between science and religion. It mocks at the claim of science to be all powerful. It also questions the strength of the supreme power. At one point in the novel it is said that today science is trying to solve the problems of man which has been caused by science itself. The characters in the novel have been given a space to develop by brown, by not limiting them within the boundaries laid by the novelist.
The novel has been made into a movie in 2009.