Anything Under the Sun!!!

This is Adiga’s second book which is a compilation of short stories. All these stories are based in a small town called Kittur, which is modeled on Mangalore. For those who are weak in geography and haven’t been following the news closely, Mangalore is a coastal town in Karnataka, adjacent to the Arabian Sea. It is a melting pot of various religions, languages and cultures. It is indeed a small town, the population of which consists of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, etc and they speak varied languages ranging from Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Malayalam, Urdu and a language called “Baire” or “Malabari”, which is a mix of Kannada, Malayalam and Urdu.

Why am I talking only of Mangalore? Because you cannot separate Mangalore and this book. The short stories here are of different people in that sleepy town – from a half-casteboy who explodes a bomb in his class to a quack sexologist trying to help a dying stranger. These stories map the time between the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. I could relate to it more because I have lived in Mangalore. Also, this book is very much relevant in today’s context, when there are so many unwanted events happening in Mangalore. This book might give you a better perspective on the demography of the place and help you understand the present events. Kittur is like any other small town with its variety of people, its beliefs and its problems.

The book is a good read for those who like reading Indians writing about India, full of wit and keen observations.

Lloyd Jones’ novel on the blockade of the 1990’s is the latest addition to the list of books that I’ve read.

This story about the young Matilda, her small island, her mother, her school, her “teacher” Mr. Watts (called Pop eye by the village folks), is an enchanting and endearing story. The story has a very unassuming start but as it slowly takes shape, you realize that you are reading a story which is impactful yet simple but not too simple so as to let you forget it easily. The story held my attention throughout and is stil fresh on my mind because of the picturesque descriptions and explanations, I could actually see what Matilda was looking at (I am not exaggerating here).

For a person who picks up books at random, I am happy that I chanced upon this book. It gave me a totally different view to Dickens’ and his Great Expectations. I had read it during my under grad but never saw it the way Lloyd Jones makes us see it through this novel.

On the whole a beautifully written, poignant story which makes you see life the way an innocent child would.