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The book is about an orphaned girl, Beth, who gets addicted to tranquilizers, thanks to the orphanage that feeds the kids those little green pills to keep them controlled. One day she spies a janitor playing chess and there starts the story of a girl whose love for the game made her a master at a young age.
But being a lonely broken child, her desire for oblivion clashes with her zeal to become a Grandmaster. The book takes us through her life's ups and downs.
What I love is the crisp narration of the author and his control over the story. While he goes into details about the chess moves, he reins in the sense of despair and loneliness Beth experiences. It's as aloof and detached as she is, and that works surprisingly well for the storyline.
I only wish I knew the game enough to understand the intricacies of the moves and counter moves.
But being a lonely broken child, her desire for oblivion clashes with her zeal to become a Grandmaster. The book takes us through her life's ups and downs.
What I love is the crisp narration of the author and his control over the story. While he goes into details about the chess moves, he reins in the sense of despair and loneliness Beth experiences. It's as aloof and detached as she is, and that works surprisingly well for the storyline.
I only wish I knew the game enough to understand the intricacies of the moves and counter moves.
4.3 stars
The author’s name first popped up on my newsfeed when someone reviewed his The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity. I was searching for that book when this one caught my attention. I decided to read it first as it has less than 70 pages and seemed like a commentary on something I see on social media in abundance.
Guess what? I was right. In simple words, the book has nothing to do with Islam per se. It’s about the non-Muslims who are ever-eager to see only good in the religion. Now, is there really a religion that has nothing bad or doesn’t need to be changed ever? No, right?
But the rule doesn’t apply to this one religion. Strange, but then again, it’s not.
The author describes incidents and reactions from the UK and US. I had no difficulty in equating them to India. The same happens here. And thanks to the wonderful feature called Screenshot, it is even easier to expose how the same person reacts when a situation involves Islam and doesn’t involve it. The sad state of affairs in India is that we have to deal with double such hypocrisy. One cannot talk about the missionaries and mass conversions either. Sigh!
No one wants to step on others’ toes except their own. In fact, they wouldn’t hesitate to whack their feet to please the other. Is the favor returned? No points for guessing. We know the answer.
A feminist finds only one religion’s customs suffocating. How dare someone tell a woman to cover her head! Do we see the same outrage from her when it comes to the white and black habits or the headscarf?
Of course not. It’s a part of their culture. How can she question it? It doesn’t matter that the women from those religions are fighting to change things. It doesn’t matter that some of them don’t want to wear a headscarf. It doesn’t matter that women have been killed for protesting. It doesn’t matter that blind support causes more difficulties to the modern women who have to live within the confines of that religion.
It’s easy to snip off a saree to prove oneself a rebel. Why does the scissor lose its sharpness when it comes to a headscarf or a habit?
If fasting for one day is outrageous and regressive, how can fasting for an entire month be spiritual? People are entitled to their beliefs, aren’t they? Respect one, respect all. How can an atheist believe in a certain God but not others?
There are too many questions with little or no answers because appeasement is greater than truth. Secularism is one word that’s used just about everywhere. What does it mean? It means all religions are equal. You respect the sacred thread just as you respect the cross and the skull cap.
The author talks about the unevenness in the so-called secular and liberal outlook that doesn’t seem to be capable of treating all religions on the same level. I don’t want you to praise my culture all the time. But no one gave you the right to insult either.
And why should the so-called majority accept every senseless and baseless abuse hurled at their religion to elevate another? Is that how you promote something? By insulting and demeaning one religion to highlight and boost another? Aren’t there any merits in that culture that you need to abuse another?
Is it any wonder that some of us are forced to defend our culture? Strange that we don’t even have the right to do so, and a label of Islamophobia is stuck on us before we can say …I. That just makes the philiacs Hinduphobic, and rightly so.
If others have a phobia for having a spine strong enough to say that they will not appease one religion, why is it that those who shut these voices are not phobic of the others? What’s wrong with calling a spade a spade when it comes to Islam? If you can do it with Hinduism (or Christianity in the book’s case), what's stopping you then?
The book deals with various personalities from the so-called popular section of society- the celebrities and the intellectuals. It’s the same pattern throughout that has spread far beyond the UK and the US.
My review isn’t based on the book as much as it’s based on what I see every day on social media. That alone shows this is a global phenomenon.
Back to the book, the writing could have a bit crisper, but it's non-fiction, and the topic doesn’t offer much scope of the said humor mentioned in the blurb. I wasn’t looking for a witty or a humorous touch but found faint traces of both. This book is more of an observation (with a little rant) and hits the nail on the head in most instances.
The philiacs wouldn’t like it. But if they do find some merit in the words, it’s a welcome sign that they are willing to think and reconsider their ideas of equality. Why are the rest of us forced to bow down?
How can we expect equality when one culture seems to be the best, no questions asked?
The author’s name first popped up on my newsfeed when someone reviewed his The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity. I was searching for that book when this one caught my attention. I decided to read it first as it has less than 70 pages and seemed like a commentary on something I see on social media in abundance.
Guess what? I was right. In simple words, the book has nothing to do with Islam per se. It’s about the non-Muslims who are ever-eager to see only good in the religion. Now, is there really a religion that has nothing bad or doesn’t need to be changed ever? No, right?
But the rule doesn’t apply to this one religion. Strange, but then again, it’s not.
The author describes incidents and reactions from the UK and US. I had no difficulty in equating them to India. The same happens here. And thanks to the wonderful feature called Screenshot, it is even easier to expose how the same person reacts when a situation involves Islam and doesn’t involve it. The sad state of affairs in India is that we have to deal with double such hypocrisy. One cannot talk about the missionaries and mass conversions either. Sigh!
No one wants to step on others’ toes except their own. In fact, they wouldn’t hesitate to whack their feet to please the other. Is the favor returned? No points for guessing. We know the answer.
A feminist finds only one religion’s customs suffocating. How dare someone tell a woman to cover her head! Do we see the same outrage from her when it comes to the white and black habits or the headscarf?
Of course not. It’s a part of their culture. How can she question it? It doesn’t matter that the women from those religions are fighting to change things. It doesn’t matter that some of them don’t want to wear a headscarf. It doesn’t matter that women have been killed for protesting. It doesn’t matter that blind support causes more difficulties to the modern women who have to live within the confines of that religion.
It’s easy to snip off a saree to prove oneself a rebel. Why does the scissor lose its sharpness when it comes to a headscarf or a habit?
If fasting for one day is outrageous and regressive, how can fasting for an entire month be spiritual? People are entitled to their beliefs, aren’t they? Respect one, respect all. How can an atheist believe in a certain God but not others?
There are too many questions with little or no answers because appeasement is greater than truth. Secularism is one word that’s used just about everywhere. What does it mean? It means all religions are equal. You respect the sacred thread just as you respect the cross and the skull cap.
The author talks about the unevenness in the so-called secular and liberal outlook that doesn’t seem to be capable of treating all religions on the same level. I don’t want you to praise my culture all the time. But no one gave you the right to insult either.
And why should the so-called majority accept every senseless and baseless abuse hurled at their religion to elevate another? Is that how you promote something? By insulting and demeaning one religion to highlight and boost another? Aren’t there any merits in that culture that you need to abuse another?
Is it any wonder that some of us are forced to defend our culture? Strange that we don’t even have the right to do so, and a label of Islamophobia is stuck on us before we can say …I. That just makes the philiacs Hinduphobic, and rightly so.
If others have a phobia for having a spine strong enough to say that they will not appease one religion, why is it that those who shut these voices are not phobic of the others? What’s wrong with calling a spade a spade when it comes to Islam? If you can do it with Hinduism (or Christianity in the book’s case), what's stopping you then?
The book deals with various personalities from the so-called popular section of society- the celebrities and the intellectuals. It’s the same pattern throughout that has spread far beyond the UK and the US.
My review isn’t based on the book as much as it’s based on what I see every day on social media. That alone shows this is a global phenomenon.
Back to the book, the writing could have a bit crisper, but it's non-fiction, and the topic doesn’t offer much scope of the said humor mentioned in the blurb. I wasn’t looking for a witty or a humorous touch but found faint traces of both. This book is more of an observation (with a little rant) and hits the nail on the head in most instances.
The philiacs wouldn’t like it. But if they do find some merit in the words, it’s a welcome sign that they are willing to think and reconsider their ideas of equality. Why are the rest of us forced to bow down?
How can we expect equality when one culture seems to be the best, no questions asked?
This isn't your regular whodunnit or even a psychological thriller. It's a straightforward murder case where the reader knows what has happened and reads the book wondering if detective K is capable of solving it.
Safe in this knowledge, the reader smirks, amused that the detective K is taking too much time. And then, there comes something that makes the reader sit straight and pay more attention. The reader realizes that only the physicist, the famous Detective Gaelio, got it right, and that doesn't match with what's in the reader's mind.
The writing was to the point and neat, though it still slowed down my reading speed. Deleted one star for that.
Safe in this knowledge, the reader smirks, amused that the detective K is taking too much time. And then, there comes something that makes the reader sit straight and pay more attention. The reader realizes that only the physicist, the famous Detective Gaelio, got it right, and that doesn't match with what's in the reader's mind.
The writing was to the point and neat, though it still slowed down my reading speed. Deleted one star for that.
slow-paced
All stories are bittersweet, some more than the others. The endings aren’t rounded or neatly tied. These are slice-of-life stories, starting somewhere and ending elsewhere, sharing snippets of the people involved for a brief time.
Most stories are set in the US, dealing with Diaspora from the subcontinent. Three of them are set in India, with two in Calcutta (not Kolkata, based on the stories’ timelines). Though I’ve read the book years ago, I’m in a much better position to understand them now. The sense of longing for human connection and the yearning to avoid isolation are strong in every story.
Here’s a list of the stories in the book:
· A Temporary Matter – marriage, tragedy, trauma, distance, decisions (4 stars)
· When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine – Bangladesh war, immigrant life, friendships (4 stars)
· The Interpreter of Maladies – tourists, interpreter, secret, dysfunctional family, unhappy marriage (4 stars)
· A Real Durwan – old woman, refugee, changes, realities, loss, accusations
· Sexy – affair, infidelity, third-party, parallels, choices and decisions
· Mrs. Sen – homesickness, connected with food, alone, lonely, adjustments, yearning
· This Blessed House – finding J items, jealousy, disconnect, new marriage with no love
· The Treatment of Bibi Haldar – strange malady, when community tries to step in and help, the need to be needed
· The Third and Final Continent – moving to another country, new life, learning, Ms. Croft and her influence, life
One thing I appreciate today is how the author doesn’t resort to stereotyping her characters despite using all the standard stereotypes. She makes them much more than these elements and adds a vital emotion to make then multidimensional (even if some of them are very much 2D).
However, this isn’t a book you read for fun. There’s nothing lighthearted about it. It will fill you with melancholy that’s hard to be rid of. Pick it up only if you are ready for this.
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
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3.7 Stars
As with every anthology, this one also has a few hits and misses. The misses seem to be more, but the hits are very good. The book has 21 pieces (19 stories and 2 poems).
My favorites:
No Bigger than my Thumb by Esther M. Friesner- creepish but good
In the Insomniac Night by Joyce Carol Oates- crazy, insane, twisted
The Trial of Hansel and Gretel by Garry Kilworth- too good
Rapunzel by Anne Bishop- lovely
Sparks by Gregory Frost- interesting
The Reverend’s Wife- fun
True Thomas by Bruce Glassco- interesting, engaging
The True Story by Pat Murphy- wonderful
*******
Read the full review
As with every anthology, this one also has a few hits and misses. The misses seem to be more, but the hits are very good. The book has 21 pieces (19 stories and 2 poems).
My favorites:
No Bigger than my Thumb by Esther M. Friesner- creepish but good
In the Insomniac Night by Joyce Carol Oates- crazy, insane, twisted
The Trial of Hansel and Gretel by Garry Kilworth- too good
Rapunzel by Anne Bishop- lovely
Sparks by Gregory Frost- interesting
The Reverend’s Wife- fun
True Thomas by Bruce Glassco- interesting, engaging
The True Story by Pat Murphy- wonderful
*******
Read the full review
Beartown is much more than a book about hockey. Yes, the sport is everywhere. But the people are also everywhere. Here, it's the sport. In another place, it would be something else that dictates and decides how people should live their lives.
The narration is in short scenes with lots of foreshadowing that tells us what will happen next. This only makes the reader frustrated as the actual plot takes its own sweet time to unfold. But when it does, it hits hard.
The portrayal is so realistic, it gets uncomfortable at times. I was constantly drawing parallels to what I see on social media every day. As I said before, hockey is the reason in the book, while ideologies are the reason in real life. The basic human interaction and reactions are the same.
That's the only reason I wasn't overwhelmed by the events in the book. Reality is worse, and I'm almost numbed by now.
The character arc for each person is fantastic. I only wish the book moved a bit faster during the first 30%. Nevertheless, Beartown is a book that will stay with the reader for a long time.
The narration is in short scenes with lots of foreshadowing that tells us what will happen next. This only makes the reader frustrated as the actual plot takes its own sweet time to unfold. But when it does, it hits hard.
The portrayal is so realistic, it gets uncomfortable at times. I was constantly drawing parallels to what I see on social media every day. As I said before, hockey is the reason in the book, while ideologies are the reason in real life. The basic human interaction and reactions are the same.
That's the only reason I wasn't overwhelmed by the events in the book. Reality is worse, and I'm almost numbed by now.
The character arc for each person is fantastic. I only wish the book moved a bit faster during the first 30%. Nevertheless, Beartown is a book that will stay with the reader for a long time.