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B O O K S H E L F
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Sex, lies and videotape
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In a reputed private school in rural America, a shocking sex scandal unfolds. A party in the school dorm morphs into an orgy involving senior star pupils. The acts themselves may not be more than ‘rapture or abandon, no more dangerous in the long view, than a film of kits frolicking or animals mating’. But a film on the incident is posted on the net, blighting reputations and lives. Teachers, teenagers and parents are victims sucked inexorably into the growing vortex of destruction. Shreve treats the characters with deep sensitivity, without sentimentality. Within the framework of a riveting story, the author entices us to probe deep questions. Why do people act and react the way they do? The incident, after all, is so simple. Are the people involved more horrified because of their personal accountability? Would the reaction of an uninvolved private citizen be so severe? The characters’ inner turmoil is superbly drawn. The girl willingly participates in the orgy and later has no qualms about crying rape. Yet she joins others in shielding the identity of the boy who films the incident. Is she not to blame since she’s only fourteen? Are the boys, all above eighteen, alone guilty? As one of the boys involved says, “Those boys felt alive, that’s all. You combine that with rampant hormones and a vixen and alcohol, and you had a potent soup.” Shreve presents far reaching ideas in a fast-paced, captivating and enjoyable story.
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Testimony
Anita Shreve, Little Brown, Rs 550 |
Monideepa Sahu |
Super sleuth |
Ninth in the No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe solves mysteries through common sense and kindness once again in this book. It runs tangent to standard detective fiction, with no slashed bodies or the mandatory car chases. The characters and incidents are placed in Botswana, one of the poorest countries at independence in 1966, but the world’s fastest-growing economy. In this infinitely enjoyable book, Mma Ramotswe does what she does best: solving problems and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. She’s helping a woman look for her family. The problem is, the woman doesn’t remember her name or those of her family members and doesn’t know if they are alive. Mma’s husband JLB Matekoni’s garage is where the detective agency has its office. JLB has fallen under the sway of a doctor who has promised a miracle cure for his daughter’s
medical condition, which Mma finds hard to believe. But she deals with it with grace and good humour, discovering that the biggest miracles in life are often the small ones.
Hiren Kumar Bose |
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The Miracle of
Speedy Motors
Alexander McCall Smith, Abacus
Rs 295 |
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Sri lankan saga |
The award-winning Sri Lankan author draws us into the exotic, little-known world of Burgher women of yore. Feisty and loving, Maudiegirl is a powerful driving force within her kitchen, family and community. She’s unchallenged in all of Boteju Land as the greatest cook. She
has a ready solution for every problem: from the finer nuances of cutting a goat to repairing damaged marriages. Muller brings to life kind paedophiles, cranky mothers-in-law, disloyal husbands and bumbling uncles who pop in and out of Maudiegirl’s kitchen and life. Maudiegirl Esther Kimball’s character is superbly drawn. Though she can be quite the
tyrant, her strong spirit and blunt ways endear her to all. A bundle of fascinating contradictions, she can bubble with reason, guide her children and ‘drive her husband to distraction’. Richly spiced with colloquialisms, the author’s language adds to our total reading experience. Maudiegirl’s original recipes, based on the author’s grandmother’s own, enhance the value of this charming book.
Monideepa Sahu |
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Maudiegirl And The Von Bloss Kitchen
Carl Muller, Penguin, Rs 299 |
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Surface Microsoft - New Generation of PC |
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Michael Jackson Dance Tribute |
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