Serious reading (1)

When it comes to movies I try avoiding ones with sad stories as I inadvertently tend to get teary eyed. But it is different with books probably because I want to learn how words can have same effect on you as visuals. In this context I liked Manju Kapur’s Custody and Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. These books differ significantly if you look at the time and place where the stories are set. The points that they have in common are the simplistic writing, presence of strong characters and the fact that they deal with complex situations. 

Here is my summary of one of them.

As the name of the book suggests Custody by Manju Kapur is about the tussle between separated couples over taking charge of their children.

Raman and Shagun have been married for close to ten years. They have an eight year old son Arjun and a baby girl Roohi. Around this time Shagun meets Ashok and they get involved in an affair. Shagun’s changed behavior and the developing distance doesn’t go unnoticed. by Raman Soon he unearths the truth and on confrontation Shagun walks out of the house leaving the children. But when her husband refuses to divorce she takes the kids away and moves in with Ashok. 

While the parents are battling it out in court, the children are adjusting to the new man in their lives. Arjun is taken by Ashok’s bold nature and man-to-man bonding as opposed to his father's overbearing attitude. He agrees to the idea of being sent to a boarding school in Dehradun as a means for toughening up. At the same time Ashok gets an offer to work in the US. Shagun agrees to give up custody of the children so that she can marry him and go along. Raman also settles for divorce. 

In parallel is running the story of Ishita married to Suryakanta. Life was beautiful until they find that she can’t have babies. She gives in to her mother-in-law's suggestion of going for painful procedure of IVF. But when it does not lead to a successful result Suryakanta divorces Ishita and she returns to her parental home to begin life anew. Her parents and Raman’s live in the same building and introduce the two of them. She forms an instant connection with Roohi as well. As time passes Raman and Ishita get married. Ishita puts all her energy and soul into taking care of Roohi in whom she sees the child she can never have. For Roohi Ishita becomes her mother.

Neither of the protagonists is able to achieve normalcy as their lives and wants get entangled. Each is aware of the loss they have suffered and fearful of what more might be snatched away. They all take extreme steps to keep close the ones they love. The tragedy of Custody lies in how personal choices for happiness lead to constrained motherhood and damaged father-son relationships. 

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PS: Have you read this book or any others by Manju Kapur? 

Chic-lit (1)

After work or on weekends when I just want to unwind it is nice to pick up something to read which is light in its content, easy on the mind, straightforward and simple in its storyline, and ideally having some elements of romance. Normally what I choose tends to fall in the chic-lit category. Here are two such examples of entertaining books.

Which one of you girls hasn’t felt compelled to compare yourself to your boyfriend’s ex?

Which one of you has never feared your lover’s past coming back to haunt you? 

Which one you have not felt uncomfortable at the continued friendship between those who broke up?

In Laura Zigman’s "HER" Elise goes through the whole juggernaut. Elise first meets Donald on a flight. They continue to see each other even after landing. It is not long before they fall in love and Donald proposes. All along though Elise feels ill at ease with his frank admission about his still being friends with ex-fiance Adrienne. The one relief is that Adrienne lives in New York while they are based in Washington. But just when it seems that everything is well, comes a phone call from Adrienne announcing that she is moving to their city and into their lives. Elise has misgivings about this sudden detour and is sure that Adrienne has ulterior motives. 

What happens next is narrated in the wittiest manner. Elise’s exaggerated antics to take control make you laugh. At the same time you worry for her and wish for a happy turn of events in her favor. 

Like the title on the book cover you question “Every man comes with baggage. But does it have to be HER.”

In short the story of Stilletos in the Boardroom by Shruti Saxena is all about “girl power”. 

The setting is a BPO called BankPro. A US based company CBS has outsourced a prime business (DCP) to BankPro instead of its own Indian branch. The transition needs to be completed within three months with support from CBS-India. But all is not as clean and simple as it seems. 

A ploy is being made to see that BankPro fails in delivering so that the project ultimately goes to CBS-India at a time it is capable of handling it. In the midst of this are three central characters Arya, Shivaa and Sara.

Arya has been recently brought in to lead the DCP transition. Shivaa, the Manager-Operations, has to oversee the smooth running of the program. Sara is one of the newly hired candidates to be trained. Apart from the obstacles at work these women must also sort out their personal affairs: a broken heart, a relationship growing apart and an impending marriage.

Stilletos in the Boardroom is an interesting read which gives us a peek into the working environment of a BPO. Within the realm of corporate world, through the three leading ladies you experience ambition, drive, anger, frustration, and love.







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PS: Have read any such light books lately? Which one is your favorite? 

Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries (1)

Growing up I gave Agatha Christie’s detective novels a miss somehow. But as the English book section at the library I go to is not very extensive it has encouraged me to pick up books I which normally don’t. To be honest I have read only two stories so far but I will definitely try to get my hand at more of them. They are short reads and take little of your time. The plots are intriguing, the deductive process interesting and thought provoking, and the endings a surprise.

Here are a couple of examples for you.

In Murder on the Orient Express Hercule Poirot is on a train journey amidst a sea of all kinds of people. A co-passenger Simon Ratchett approaches him to help protect against an enemy wanting to kill him but the detective refuses the case. Then in the morning Simon Ratchett’s dead body is discovered in his compartment. But the train caught in heavy snowfall has been standing on the tracks since midnight. The open window and the door closed from inside in the victim’s compartment suggests the killer escaped but the absence of footprints in the snow tells otherwise. The murderer is still on the train and Herecule Poirot’s job is to find who it is.

In The A.B.C. Murders, the famous Hercule Poirot is put to a challenge when he receives anonymous letters at regular intervals. The writer, who signs off as ABC, gives hints about each murder that is going to be committed in advance. The victims’ names follow the alphabetical order: Mrs. Ascher from Andover, Miss Betty Barnard from Bexhill, and Sir Carmichael Clarke from Churston. Beside each body is left an ABC train guide. There appears to be no connection between the murders as those killed belong to totally different walk of life. It is left to the detective to find the hidden link between them and figure out who the murderer is.

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 PS: Which are the Agatha Christie novels you have read? Any suggestions for me? 

The Man of My Dreams

I recently read the book The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld. The story begins in June 1991 when Hannah at the age of 14 years old sees her parents separate. As she grows older she meets three men. There is Mike who truly loves her but she doesn’t find a soul mate in him. Then we have the handsome Oliver who gives her attention and much more but has a roving eye. Finally there is Henry for whom Hannah has held a torch for years. She moves to Chicago to be near him only to learn he has a girlfriend. They begin to spend unusual times together, acknowledge their once up on a time crush for each other and recognize the “weird thing” happening between them. But ultimately their relationship doesn't move any further and this is the closest Hannah comes to finding the man of her dreams.

When Henry steers towards Suzy, a heartbroken Hannah goes to New Mexico where she learns to live again. With some soul searching, she is able to confront the demons of her childhood that have always held her back. Nearly two years later one day in May 2005 she writes a letter to her therapist telling her the lessons learned.

Here are a few of the lines Hannah says in those pages and my comments (in italics):

"Perhaps this is how you know you're doing the thing you're intended to do: No matter how slow or slight your progress, you never feel that it's a waste of time.”
*When looking at other people’s lives and success, in a moment of weakness we tend to question our own worth. I feel in such a situation we should think like Hannah to strengthen our belief in what we do.*

“I wanted to hold happiness in reserve, like a bottle of champagne. I postponed it because I was afraid, because I overvalued it, because I didn’t want to use it up, because what do you wish for then? The possibility, that I was intimidated by getting what I wanted, is the hardest one for me to consider, which might mean it is the likeliest.”
*It is indeed our fears that tie us down and make us hesitate when all we needed to do was take a leap of faith.*

“I don’t mean this to be glib,” Hannah continues, “but I feel like a lot of life is distasteful and embarrassing. And you just push through it. Isn’t that the big lesson we learned from living with Dad? You fix what you can, and you let time pass.”
*It is hard to wait for time do its magic but mostly it does work.*

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PS: Would like to share any quote from a book that stayed back with you?

Its elementary

A couple of weeks back I had the good fortune of visiting the MindTree campus in Bangalore. I returned loving its architecture and appreciating the thoughtfulness that must have gone into making it beautiful. Impressed by it all, I began reading its co-founder Subroto Bagchi's authored The High Performance Entrepreneur.

It has an interesting chapter which tells us the nine elements that one should have when setting up a core entrepreneurial team. The truth is we could do with making use of some of these in our personal relationships too. Here is my take.

1. Complementary composition
Just like with building a team, instead of looking for pure compatibility we should go for someone who is able to complement us. A couple need not be exact opposites to attract each other. They should really be able to fill in each others blanks. When and where one is weak, the other should take over.

2. Shared vision

When starting a company the core team should have a shared vision. I had read somewhere that couples who discuss their future plans indeed go a long way. Seeing another rejoice in your success and having them express their support in your endeavours can only increase your happiness by manifold and bring the two closer.

3. Transparency

Apparently even though the initial MindTree team had known each other for years, before starting they actually sat together to openly talk about themselves. The idea was to make members aware of any pitfalls including health problems that could affect the company adversely. Similarly in a relation being honest and truthful can save a lot of unnecessary time and emotions spent.

4. Ability to question each other and take disagreement in stride

It is understandable that during discussions of proposals and strategies everyone in the team is not bound to hold the same views. Occasionally this can lead to arguments and a heated atmosphere. The author says that before stepping out of the conference room the team should sort out their differences and arrive at a consensus. This is a rule which every husband and wife pair should also follow. One shouldn't carry your anger or grudges over to the next day. Let it go even before going to sleep.

5. Personal integrity and mutual trust, and Resilience

You must have faith in the venture you've begun and in the people who are there with you. There will be criticism and questions raised. Things might not seem to be going according to your plans. But you must not give up. Many companies failed to reach the pinnacle when people behind them lost steam. Any and every relationship has to go through its share of downs. But be it in sickness or in health, for richer or for poorer... we should stand by each other.

Anne's thoughts on friendship

I am putting here Anne Shirley's quotes from the book Anne of Avonlea to mark Friendship's Day.


I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much....

If we have friends we should look only for the best in them and give them the best that is in us, don't you think? Then friendship would be the most beautiful thing in the world.

Sweet moments from Anne of Avonlea

In this book Anne is now a tall, slim girl of half-past sixteen. With Mathew no more and Marilla's eyesight getting weak Anne puts on hold her dream of going to college and starts teaching at the school in Avonlea. Marilla and Anne also adopt two orphan kids Dora and Davy. Between continuing to get into scrapes, trying to answer Davy's I want to know's, being a full-fledged schoolma'am and bringing together the separated couple of Miss Lavendar and Stephen Irving, Anne has lots on her mind. By the time Anne of Avonlea ends, Anne is all set to go to college and discovers new found feelings for her friend Gilbert.

Here are some sweet moments that I have handpicked myself.

Mr. Harrison: "Those children must be a sight of trouble to you folks."
"Everything that's worth having is some trouble," said Anne.

Mrs. Allan: "Well, we all make mistakes, dear, so just put it behind you. We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us."

Anne: "If we have friends we should look only for the best in them and give them the best that is in us, don't you think? Then friendship would be the most beautiful thing in the world."

"You'll probably have a good many more and worse disappointments than that before you get through life," said Marilla, who honestly thought she was making a comforting speech. "It seems to me, Anne, that you are never going to outgrow your fashion of setting your heart so on things and then crashing down into despair because you don't get them."
"I know I'm too much inclined that, way" agreed Anne ruefully. "When I think something nice is going to happen I seem to fly right up on the wings of anticipation; and then the first thing I realize I drop down to earth with a thud. But really, Marilla, the flying part is glorious as long as it lasts. . . it's like soaring through a sunset. I think it almost pays for the thud."

Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."

Anne was sitting on the porch steps when Stephen Irving came down the lane and across the garden. "This is the one place where time stands still," he said, looking around him with delighted eyes. "There is nothing changed about this house or garden since I was here twenty-five years ago. It makes me feel young again."
"You know time always does stand still in an enchanted palace," said Anne seriously. "It is only when the prince comes that things begin to happen."

Diana: "I suppose, Anne, you must think it's funny I should like Fred so well when he's so different from the kind of man I've always said I would marry. . .the tall, slender kind? But somehow I wouldn't want Fred to be tall and slender. . .because, don't you see, he wouldn't be Fred then. "

Confessed Anne, "but I don't care so much for things like that as I did two years ago. What I want to get out of my college course is some knowledge of the best way of living life and doing the most and best with it. I want to learn to understand and help other people and myself."

"What are you thinking of, Anne?" asked Gilbert, coming down the walk. He had left his horse and buggy out at the road.
"Of Miss Lavendar and Mr. Irving," answered Anne dreamily. "Isn't it beautiful to think how everything has turned out. . .how they have come together again after all the years of separation and misunderstanding?"
"Yes, it's beautiful," said Gilbert, looking steadily down into Anne's uplifted face, "but wouldn't it have been more beautiful still, Anne, if there had been no separation or misunderstanding. . . if they had come hand in hand all the way through life, with no memories behind them but those which belonged to each other?"
For a moment Anne's heart fluttered queerly and for the first time her eyes faltered under Gilbert's gaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face. It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities. Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps. . . perhaps. . .love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.

Anne Shirley Quotes

Anne of Green Gables is the first book among a series written by L. M. Montgomery. The Anne story books belong to the category of children's classics but there's a lot for grown-ups to learn from them too. The book begins with the aging brother-sister Mathew and Marilla Cuthbert being mistakenly sent an orphan girl Anne Shirley in place of a boy and them deciding to keep her. As the story progresses they come to adore the red-headed Anne girl despite her imaginings and her knack of getting into scrapes all the time. :)

Here are some parts from Anne of Green Gables that I just love.

"Anne Shirley, what have you done to your hair? Why, it's GREEN!"
"Yes, it's green," moaned Anne. "I thought nothing could be as bad as red hair. But now I know it's ten times worse to have green hair. Oh, Marilla, you little know how utterly wretched I am."

"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

"It's all very well to read about sorrows and imagine yourself living through them heroically, but it's not so nice when you really come to have them, is it?"

"Oh, I know I'm a great trial to you, Marilla," said Anne repentantly. "I make so many mistakes. But then just think of all the mistakes I don't make, although I might. "

"Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing."

"You set your heart too much on things, Anne," said Marilla, with a sigh. "I'm afraid there'll be a great many disappointments in store for you through life."
"Oh, Marilla, looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them," exclaimed Anne. "You mayn't get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them. Mrs. Lynde says, `Blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed.' But I think it would be worse to expect nothing than to be disappointed."

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To view the html version of the book series click on Anne .