The Story of Two Prisoners .. of Birth, Fate and Destiny..

Jeffrey Archer is a master storyteller. I have felt this years back when I read The Prodigal Daughter and First Among Equals. I felt the same about Archer years later, while I read A Prisoner of Birth. The meticulous plotting that he does with his characters is simply amazing! Twists, turns and surprises have always been his forte and A Prisoner of Birth is no exception.

There were times when things seemed to be happening too easily. For instance, the entire process of Danny's education in the prison may not quite appear convincing to every reader. No matter how brilliant and sincere a student Danny was, no matter how disciplined and sincere a teacher Sir Nicholas Moncrieff was and no matter how genuine their friendship was, the smoothness and ease with which Danny got educated and cleared exams, seemed quite tailor-made.
Later, when Danny got out of the prison as Sir Nicholas, once again the author made things look easy. Danny seemed to possess a magic wand with which he handled everything brilliantly. Things happened without hiccups except on the occasion when Danny was arrested for travelling abroad without informing the probation officer.

The story became very interesting after Spencer Craig worked out that "Sir Nicholas" was actually "Danny Cartwright" and it became a thrilling page-turner after Danny was arrested and the trials began.

Of all the trials that Jeffrey Archer has so brilliantly depicted, I enjoyed the penultimate trial the most. With Fraser Munro appearing as a witness, Sir Matthew Redmayne appearing as the junior counsel to his son Alex, and Hugo and Craig getting tricked into admitting truths, it was a treat to the readers.

Fraser Munro beautifully stated that very few things in this world are clearly black or white. Most of the things are in different shades of grey. His description of Danny and Nick as oaks planted in two different forests suffering different fates as we all do being the prisoners of our own births would move the reader to the core.

Despite the lack of credibility in some parts, the story is a masterpiece that cannot be forgotten easily. The language and style is typical of Archer that does not let the reader drift or wander and keeps them glued to the plot.

This is a story that reinforces our faith in friendship, loyalty, goodness of the human nature, and justice. It reinforces our faith in silent and trustworthy accomplices like Big Al.

Storytelling at its Best

I don't think I am qualified enough to write about this book and this authoress. But I am tempted all the same as I love her writing-- her "Namesake" went straight to the heart and her "Unaccustomed Earth" kindles the soul. I got hold of this book in May last year at a bookshop at the Mumbai Airport on my way back to Kolkata from Goa. 
It is a collection of stories - stories that have the wonderful Jhumpa Lahiri flavor. The book is named after its first story of Part One, Unaccustomed Earth. The way Lahiri writes about the dilemmas, crises, insecurities and pressures of the people who have gone from India to settle in an "unaccustomed earth", the way her poignant stories portray how the vast differences between the within and the without haunt them is exquisite.


I guess, I have always been able to relate to Lahiri's stories better, as a part of my family had gone and settled in the US years ago(long long before my birth) and I have had my uncle and aunt and cousins visit us here in Kolkata during my childhood and adolescence. 


After enjoying the first story, I had skipped to the third one, titled "A Choice of Accommodations". I had read the second story "Hell-Heaven" earlier in an issue of Graphitti. The poignant tale had haunted me for days and I wanted to read it later. 


I was unwell and kept the book aside to resume reading it later. That "later" came only a week back, when I dug the book up from a pile of books and magazines, dusted it and started reading "Hema and Kaushik" - throughout the three stories, "Once in a Lifetime", "Year's End" and "Going Ashore" I was reminded of what Lahiri does to her readers. Her characters are so true and dignified- her characters are all so real! One moment I knew how Hema felt and the other moment I could feel what Kaushik went through. The stories are churned out of life and they linger with us.


Sudha and Rahul of "Only Goodness", Sang, Farouk, Paul of "Nobody's business" are people I got to know and understand intimately. Their lives, situations and stories- their strengths and weaknesses- their fears and worries are our own. The world today has become too small and the boundaries and differences have blurred. A reader sitting at any corner of the world today would be able to identify with Sang and Sudha, would be able to see through Farouk and Rahul, would be able experience the upheavals that the families experience.


I went on with the "Choice of Accommodations" before I started with "Hell-Heaven" last night just after dinner. I stormed through it just as I had the first time when it was published in the Kolkata periodical and it was over in around 40 minutes. This story of Usha's mother and Pranab Kaku, Usha and Deborah still remains my favorite. I was surprised to see how well I remembered it from the first time I read it


As I have said earlier, it would be inappropriate of me to say anything about Jhumpa Lahiri's literary talents. She has a refined prowess of the language and her art of storytelling is flawless. She is undoubtedly one of the best writers we have today!
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Trivia: The paperback I read is a Random House India (www.randomhouseinda.co.in) publication. It was a winner of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and a New York Times, Time and Outlook book of the year. Priced Rs 295, this paperback is nothing but priceless.

An Epic

I start this post with a nagging worry about whether I would be able to do justice to the book I am going to write about.

My uncle (whom I call Jethu) visited us from the US on the occasion of my brother's wedding in early 2006. He was carrying Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner with him - I guess he was reading it on his flight. He left the book with me the day he returned.

The book engaged me from the first sentence itself. The highly dramatic and intriguing story unfolds step by step mesmerizing the readers with the tale of Amir and Hassan, Ali and Amir's Baba, Sohrab and Soraya. This enchanting story of friendship and betrayal, trust and loyalty, sacrifice and penance, fate and destiny engrossed me to its core and drifted my mind away from the real life around me.

For the first couple of days after I started reading the book, I became oblivious of the pangs of returning to the mundane everyday life after the boisterous wedding ceremony. While I toiled at work, my mind yearned to be in my bedroom reading The Kite Runner from where I had left it.

It can be called an epic - it can be named a saga. I do not think many readers have been able to race through this book. It is HEAVY. If you have to soak in this work of Hosseini in its entirety, you have to proceed slowly. Many a times, you would want to pause, go back and re-read a particular section. Many a times you would recite a particular sentence in your mind, allowing your mind to sip it with all its richness.

I could relate myself so much with Hassan - one who means every word he ever says - one who has utmost loyalty towards his friends and loved ones.The value that he attached to his friendship with Amir was more than that he attached to his life or to his honor. When he said, "for you, a thousand times over".. he did not need to exaggerate, or pretend, or try hard. He meant it and lived it with his heart and soul, with every bit of his self!!
People like Hassan, never get value for their commitment - people like Hassan are betrayed and hurt the most. Hassan was betrayed the most, but his love for his Amir Agha never decayed.

Khaled Hoseini is a writer of the highest quality who transforms the reader to a different world altogether. The tale is so haunting and poignant, that the essence remains with you for months and years to come. The story ties the reader in its cobweb, refusing to let go!

When I finished reading the book, it took me a lot of time to take myself out from its aura. I wondered whether I have ever read anything like this before.. whether I would ever read anything like this again!

"For you, a thousand times over" - kept echoing in my mind again and again!!

Finally...

I have been looking for P.S., I Love You by Cecelia Ahern since long - Got hold of it last Tuesday at a cheap bookstore in Golpark - time flew after I started reading it - when I read the last bit of it on Tuesday(this week) evening, I could not remember when was the last time that I have completed a 500-page book in a week!!

I thought the writing was extraordinary in parts.. and pretty mediocre in others.. but the story is a wonderful one!! It is just THE thing for emotional people like me - I could relate with it so so much!! At times, I was wondering - How come the writer has penned my thoughts and feelings so vividly- at times, it was indeed like reading my own diary -- Holly's feelings, thoughts, dilemmas, insecurities, and a lot more seemed so similar to mine -- not often do we get our hands on a book with which we can identify so much!!

Holly's journey is a journey that many of us make - single and lonely in a world full of couples - with memories of happier times with someone who is no longer with us for some reason or the other - clinging on to the past and not wanting to move on - not knowing how to feel when siblings and friends go through life's happy milestones - some of us shut ourselves in our gloomy shells, others try to live life with an open mind - some sure that life will have something to offer us too - some very unsure of everything...

It indeed helps to have letters like those Gerry left Holly- things which can help us to hang in there, to go through the unbearably dark days with something to hold on to, to have something to look forward to! But not all are as lucky to have such a guide-- they have to be their own guides, I guess..

I must thank Cecelia Ahern for a story like P.S., I Love You - I could not have read it at a better time -- I felt a strange void when I came to the end of it --It has been a good friend telling me things which my real friends may sometimes hesitate to tell me...