Truth is stranger than fiction

Book Review Title: The Turn of the Screw Author: Henry James Genre: Fiction/Horror The Turn of the Screw seemed to be the perfect read for Halloween.  It entails the story of a governess who is engaged to look after 2 children at Bly-a remote English house. After a while the governess has some harrowing experiences on seeing a couple of spirits. They are the ghosts of former employees of the estate-a governess and a valet. The governess vows to protect the 2 children and it remains to be seen if she manages to do so.  There is a lot of emphasis on the setting. The vivid descriptions of the house and the eye to detail makes it feel rather atmospheric. Readers are transported to this English house by the countryside.  The entire story is written in first person from the point of view of the governess. It delves into the interiority of her character, capturing her fears, apprehensions and ruminations. Her tryst with the apparitions sends a chill down the spine and casts a sh...

Wrote this for a word prompt based on someone's insistence. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this word 'wink' was a song from a Hindi film. Decided to pen down an experience... It was a random Saturday evening. We were gathered at a friend’s place for a small together. Seated in the living room, the cool summer breeze wafted through the windows, providing that respite from the sultry weather.    Music was playing in the background. It was an eclectic mix from soft rock to pop to Hindi music. The conversation veered towards the changing trends in music and enquiring about everyone’s tastes and preferences. When my turn came, I quipped saying I enjoyed listening to Pop, House, Rock and of course Hindi music. I made a statement about how nothing could beat the 90s music which had some melodious memorable tones with lyrics that one cold actually sing. Unlike today where rap and remixes drown the actual essence of the song.   This was met with a response wh...

Watched this movie on Netflix the other day.  It’s an adaptation of the play titled Phone no 786. The story revolves around a seven-year-old boy whose father goes missing one night. He is eager to find and talk to his father. One of his classmates tell him that his father has gone to Allah. When Hamid finds out 786 is God’s number, he dials this number. Things take a turn when his call gets answered one fine day. Simultaneously the movie also showcases the political upheaval in Kashmir.    Hamid is heartrending, poignant ad stirring. It entails how humans learn to cope with grief and loss. Eventually they learn to move on. Some parts of the film focus on the father-son relationship. The father is a boat maker and also a poet. The boy is eager to follow his footsteps. There are times when it feels that Kashmir is a silent character by itself. Its needless to say that the cinematography is brilliant especially when its filmed in paradise.  Many scenes tug the heartstri...

Navratri is a time that I usually look forward to every year. This is primarily because my running community- Mumbai road runners (MRR) organizes Navrun-a concept where participants have to work out for 9 days continuously wearing the colors pertaining to that particular day. It’s sort of a runners’ Garbha/Dandiya. This year it was even more special because MRR was supporting 9 different NGOs with their various causes.    Fitness is my religion and I couldn’t find a better way to celebrate this festival. Working out continuously for 9 days is no easy feat. The human body is susceptible to breakdowns at any point in time. Given the current situation with the pandemic, there was also a high risk of catching the virus and being quarantined for 14 days. Thankfully nothing of that sort happened.  The positivity in the air with the blessings of the Goddess and words of encouragement by other fellow runners kept my energy levels high.    As I trace back the j...

Book Review Title: The Metamorphosis Author: Franz Kafka Genre: Fiction The Metamorphosis tells the story of a salesman named Gregor who wakes up one morning to find that he has turned into an insect. He and his family are trying to grapple with this change.  The book is written in third person.The metamorphosis goes deeper than just a man's alteration in his appearance. It's about a man who is the sole breadwinner of his family and how a certain change in him causes a chain of reactions amidst his family. From shock to grief, pity and indifference, Gregor sees the transformation in not onyl himself but his entire family's reactions towards him. It can be seen as a metaphoric representation of a certain illness and the attitude of his closed ones towards it.  Change clearly is the main theme represented by the author. Not only is there a transformation in Gregor but also in his sister. There is a subtle reference to money that is mentioned in several i...

                                                            Wrote this based on a word prompt given by my writing group. The word was sixty and it triggered a certain memory of a movie which had released in 1960.      It was during Diwali 2004. I had given up bursting crackers a while ago and had restricted my intake of sweets. So, the new releases by the Indian film industry added a sparkle to my festivities. Most of them lived up to the expectations, at least in terms of the entertainment quotient.    There were 4 such releases that year. I had accompanied my mom to one of the movies on her insistence. She seemed unusually eager to watch that one. It was an old black and white movie that had released again in the theatres in colour. We seated ourselves and watched the screen transport us to the historic...

Book Review Title: Home Author: Toni Morrison Genre: Fiction Home is the story of Frank Money-an African-American veteran of the Korean war suffering from Post traumatic stress disorder and his journey back to his homeland.  Frank receives a notice about his sister's life being in danger. He immediately leaves to rescue her and take her back to his home town which he hated as a child. During this journey, Frank revisits some of the memories of his past which left him unsettled about his identity.  The writing style shifts between first person and third person narrative in alternate chapters. It delves deep into the interiority of several characters including Frank, his sister, his former girlfriend and his evil step grandmother. It's unflinchingly honest and brutal in its portrayal of certain themes like family, change and racism. The latter especially is encapsulated by the author in several of her other works.  Besides dwelling on the brother-sister bond. Home...

Book Review Title: Kitchen Author: Banana Yoshimoto Genre: Translation (Japanese) Kitchen is the story of a young Japanese woman named Mikage who finds herself orphaned overnight after the death of her grandmother who was her only remaining relative. She finds refuge in her neighbor Yuichi aand his transgender mother Eriko who offer kindness and a home to stay. Mikage begins to find refuge in the kitchen. Cooking and churning out meals helps her grapple with her grief and loss.  Kitchen is followed by another novella/story called Moonlight. This story is about 2 teenagers named Satsuki and Hiiragi who lose their sweethearts in an accident. Satsuki takes up jogging while Hiiragi wears his dead girlfriend's uniform. A chance meeting with a woman by the river opens them to a world of healing and closure. Kitchen is written in first person narrative from the point of view of Mikage. It delves deep into her stream of consciousness and feelings. Readers feel every ounce of...

Wrote this based on a word prompt given by my group. The word virus triggered something different.  The word Virus usually elicits anxiety, fear and tension.  Especially since the pandemic took over in 2020. However there was only one instance where the word ‘virus’ elicited a chuckle.  Back in 2009, there was a drought of good releases. Much awaited movies were turning out to be a disappointment and that included the Diwali releases as well. It was the Christmas release that finally gave us that much needed entertainment. The movie was an adaption of an Indian Author’s book that created a rage among the Indian audience.  It captured the mindsets and lives of the youth set in the background of a reputed engineering  college. Numerous comic scenes along with the antics of the characters tickled that funny bone.  The character of the principal stood out. Not for his idiosyncrasies but for the nick name given to him in the movie. He was referred to Virus by th...

Book Review Title: We The Animals Author: Justin Torres Genre: Fiction We The Animals is a coming of age story of an unnamed narrator who grows up in Upstate New York with his brothers. The book is set to be inspired from the author's own life.  In this book the narrator talks about sharing a close bond with his older brothers and growing up in poverty and hunger. He talks about his dysfunctional family, residing amidst instability, violence, identifying his differences from his family, establishing his individuality and sexual identity.  An interesting aspect of the book is the point of view from which the story is told. The author uses the collective voice of 'we' in the initial few chapters and gradually shifts to first person and finally third person in the end. The writing is in vignettes and the tone depicts a raw honesty to it. The characters are all flawed and each one is trying to find an escape from reality.  In his chapters, the author brings a symbol...

  Yet another French open win. His 13th French open title and 20th grand slam win.  No wonder he is called as Clay King. It was the year 2005 when he made his mark at the French Open. I was pursuing my Masters of Philosophy in Psychology (M Phil), diligently working on my Thesis. It was the same year when I met my life partner. Quite an eventful year.  It's 2020. A lot has changed since then. I got married and moved cities. Mumbai changed me as a person-I became more independent and confident. I began my fitness journey, got hooked to gymming, met an entirely different set of people who became my friends. Over the years, my old connections dissipated like smoke. Some relationships were no longer serving any purpose. They were getting toxic and I wasn't getting the due respect. I decided to let go.  My health took a beating and I almost experienced the feeling of being on death bed. Running came into my life and led me to a new direction. I met a like minded community...

  Wrote this for a word prompt. The word was Fish and it triggered a memory that occurred many years ago during an underwater expedition.    I was on a diving vacation in Hurghada-a beach town that stretched along Egypt's Red sea coast. The prospect of diving in the red sea sounded exciting as it appeared to be an unchartered territory-not usually sought out for diving. At least not the way Southeast Asia or Australia was. This was in 2010.  Just as I had expected, my husband and I were the only ones on the boat accompanied by the instructors and the crew.    After putting on our diving suits and the other equipment, we jumped from the boat into the turquoise blue waters. We had entered another world that was nothing but a mass of blue. I was curious to know why it was called the Red Sea. I was trying to find my feet in this new world but I couldn’t. They were tucked firmly into a pair of fins that would help me navigate in this aquatic sphere. I was breath...

Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the i...

Book Review Title: The Yogini Author: Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay Genre: Translation (Bangla) The Yogini chronicles the life of a woman named Homi who works as a Television Journalist. Set in Kolkata, Homi juggles between a high octane job and her marriage to Lalit. She is content with her middle class life until one day when she is stalked by a hermit on the road. She convinces herself that the hermit is none other than the humanised form of fate. This prompts Homi to ruminate about certain aspects of her life and how much she is controlled by fate which eventually lands her in Benaras. Will Homi find the answers that she is searching for? Written in a second person narrative from the point of view of Homi, the author conjures an interesting tale of a modern woman grappling with a strange twist in her life. She explores the dynamics of several relationships, dysfunctional families, class differences and gender stereotypes that is common in a patriarchal set up. The book delves int...

Book Review Title: Old Rosa Author: Reinaldo Arenas Genre: Fiction/Translation (Spanish) Old Rosa is a powerful novella which is divided into 2 stories revolving around the same character.  The first story titled Old Rosa chronicles the life of Rosa, her marriage, family life and the hardships that she endures in her life at the farm. It becomes even more difficult when her eldest son joins the Castro's rebels and when she discovers her youngest son to be a homosexual. It also talks about the advent of Cuban revolution and the impact that it had on farmers.  The second story titled The Brightest Star chronicles the life of Rosa's youngest son in a Castro Camp for homosexuals. He is subjected to immense torture and brutal labour. He manages to find solace through to express his fantastical thoughts. He manages to escape into another world which consists of magnificent castles, beautiful gardens and recurring images of his mother Old Rosa.   The writing style...

Book Review Title: Almost American Girl Author: Robin Ha Genre: Memoir Almost American Girl is a graphic novel memoir about a girl who grows up in Korea and how her life changes after a sudden move to America.  Robin is the only child of her single mother and has spent her growing up years in Seoul in the 1990s. When a chance vacation to Alabama changes into a permanent relocation, Robin's life changes. She struggles to fit in with an alien culture, a new language and her hostile step family. An unexpected enrollment in a comic drawing class sparks a ray of hope. Will Robin survive her ordeal in a foreign country? Almost American Girl addresses the hardships of immigrant life, inability to fit in with the peer group and society. It also highlights the issues of racism, bullying and language barriers. There isn't a moment when you do not feel empathetic towards the protagonist. The book gives a glimpse into the South Korean society and the stereotypes a...