Book Reveiw

Loving and Leaving the Good Life

Since late I have become quite picky about the books I read, and I am really glad I picked this one. (Actually it was handpicked by a close friend whose recommendation I can completely rely on.)

The book is a memoir written by Helen Nearing about the life she shared with her late husband Scott Nearing. Scott is well known in radical cycles for propounding and practicing the good life of simplicity, self-sufficiency, social justice and growth of the being. LLGF is a biography of man who lived and died on his own terms with grace and dignity. Helens words show how Scott was not only an influence on her but so many others and still continues to be. The book touches politics, religion, money, fashion besides more prominent issues like loving, living, learning and leaving. Helen’s narrative is lucid though I felt it became a bit too serious and referenced at times. Nevertheless, she is wonderful when she is talking about her love with Scott and extremely inspiring when she talks about her love for land (through homesteading, gardening, farming and cooking). All in all, the book is a beautiful manual which inspires one to come back to land and love with gratitude, happiness and contentment.

Rating- 4/5

PS- I wish to read Simple Food for the Good Life soon. Again by Helen, a recipe book full of vegetarian goodness.

PPS- The book is not published in India. You will have to order a copy online or you can always borrow mine :)

The Guru of Joy

A few days back I read The Guru of Joy. It is Guruji’s biography penned down by Francois Gautier. Well first things first – it has the best cover jacket in the world. There is a picture of Guruji and it just compels you to pick the book up and read it cover to cover. Second thing that really impressed me was how well Mr. Gautier wrote. Unlike the disdaining francophone, Gautier writes English effortlessly (I would like to think he thinks bilingually.)

Now coming to the book, it is amazing. It is a biography but only of sorts. It really has no more than one out of its 13 chapters on Guruji’s life. Rather, it narrates personal experiences, anecdotes from other teachers, and other Guru stories from devotees far and wide. It’s actually a delicious melting pot of devotion.

His prologue is excellent. Further into the text, he maintains the tenderness of new love, respect of an oriental student and yet the mind of a modern critic. Gautier weaves yarn after yarn of tales of Guru love, miracles and faith. And also the tooting of his own critical somewhere in the background. I believe that is what makes The Guru of Joy such a fine book. The ‘Testing the Guru’ Stage is part of every disciple’s life. And that is why any devote can relate to Gautier.

The book is mostly enchanting, especially when Guru Stories are being related. Also, my heart was overwhelmed with joy at the idea of little Guruji and his divinely cute mischief. But at the end, I found it a little dawdling when it spoke about all the AOL courses at length.

All in all, it is a great handbook for any devote.

Rating- 4 / 5

THE 3 MISTAKES OF MY LIFE

Just today I read the latest book by Chetan Bhagat- The 3 Mistakes of My Life. Now, if you have read him before you know what his style is. I would call it the male equivalent of a chick flick. The protagonist is a young man whose brain is hard-wired for logic, numbers, science, of course women and other stereo typically male dominated areas (just as a chick flick heroine would be all about beauty and romance). So I found this repetition to be a bit tedious in the third one as well. It is like this one character was first in IIT, then went to a call centre and now is a businessman in Ahmedabad. Maybe it is just Bhagat doing character-hopping himself. Nonetheless, the claim that the book is based upon real events, just makes it much more real-life and interesting.

I am skipping giving you a quick synopsis of the book as you can read it off Bhagat’s Site . Now, coming to the actual review of the novel, the best thing about any work of Bhagat’s is the fluidity in his words. You can pick up any of his books and lick it off within a few hours. For most urban Indians he writes in the language we think in. so obviously, 3 Mistakes too scores for being an easy, comfortable read. I like his absolutely natural humor, which really takes you by surprise and actually makes you Laugh Out Loud. 3 Mistakes too contains a few such great moments. To share a couple with you:
“I think it is only in my generation that Indian women started slamming their husbands.”
“Yes, the cover was scary and dull at the same time, something possible only in physics books.”
“There is an unspoken rule among Indian men…..You don’t hit upon your best friend’s sister. You just don’t.”
“Why does every male in the family of the girl you care about instill a fear in your soul?”

Another great thing about the book is the subject matter. I feel Bhagat with each book is dealing with more pertinent issues. Better still, he manages to keep his style and attitude of that of a member of the Gen X (or are we Gen Y?). Religion, politics, money and friendship are the major themes of the novel, all experienced through the senses of a youth.
The book is very Indian, yet thankfully lacks the sanskritized texture of the language which Indian authors tend to give to English. Though I found the climax a little too filmy for my taste, yet I am giving it benefit of doubt for being based on real events. The end is nice and happy, maybe not as happy as a chick flick, yet happy enough.
To end, I would say, it’s a very decent Indian summer read.
Ratings - ***/*****