Book Review: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Title: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0142000670
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 107
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5

“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is the kind of book that fills you with hope, makes it stay for a while and then reveals the true nature of men and the world we live in, shattering the hope that it started off with.

I had heard a lot about this book and also own it. (It is there somewhere. I cannot seem to find it though.) I thought I would eventually read it and I did not tell I borrowed a copy from the library and finished it in a single sitting. If you do decide not to read it in a single sitting, take it from me, this book will haunt you. It will not let you be till you have completed it. Now to the plot.

Of Mice and Men is the story of two alienated men who work as farm labourers, drifting from job to job in California. Lennie is a gentle giant (who is a little slow). George guides and protects him and depends on him for companionship. They dream of owning a farm one day and tend rabbits. This however is not meant to be. They arrive at a new farm; work with new people, make friends, till the owner’s son’s Curley’s wife ruins it all for them.

The title of the book is from a poem by Robert Burns, “To a Mouse”, which goes: “The best laid schemes of mice and men, go often awry, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!” Steinbeck draws on these lines in the book very subtly, making sure that the plans do not go as they dreamt of, because after all that is the story.

The narrative is strong and descriptive as is the case in most books written by him. I remember reading East of Eden in a period of two days. I just could not get off the book. Of Mice and Men flows with dialogue and action. The scenes happen so quickly in the book that it sometimes takes the reader by surprise.

You feel sorry for the men. You want them to achieve what they wanted and you know that will not be possible. The writing is so strong that you empathize with them and that’s how a book should be written. The plot is complex but the writing is not and that’s the wonder of the book. Steinbeck almost structured the novel as a play and may be that is why it has been so easy to convert it to play and three movies I guess.

Steinbeck depicts the impossibility of dreams being achieved and explores brotherhoods in humans – the strengths, the weakness in man and sometimes the angst. Of Mice and Men is a classic in every sense that should not be missed. I am glad that I finally read it.

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Here is the trailer of the movie starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise:

Book Review: A Life in Words: Memoirs by Ismat Chughtai

Title: A Life in Words: Memoirs
Author: Ismat Chughtai
Translator: M. Asaduddin
Publisher: Penguin India, Penguin Classics India
ISBN: 978-0-670-08618-4
Genre: Memoirs, Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Pages: 282
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5

It is sometimes sad to know that readers (most of them) only remember Ismat Chughtai for “Lihaaf” or “The Quilt”. She has written a lot more and the “more” is even more interesting than “Lihaaf”. I remember the first time I was introduced to her works. I had turned twenty-three and my friend had taken me to watch a play, “Manto Ismat Hazir Hain” produced by Motley, – which featured two short stories by Manto, a story by Chughtai and an essay by her as well with reference to the court trial that almost got both the writers imprisoned in the 1940s for so-called “obscenity” in their writing.

I was mesmerized after watching the play. The urge to know more of her and read more works by her was immense. I had read a bit of Manto earlier, however Chughtai took my attention and held it there. Prithvi theatre bookshop was the ideal place to find her books, though translated in Hindi (now I cannot read Urdu. I only wish I can someday). I remember reading almost all of her books, except her memoirs, “Kaghazi hai Pairahan” which I ultimately did. I did struggle a bit as I do not read so many books in Hindi (and am not proud of the fact). The beauty of the language was brilliant. The words used to describe her life from early childhood to being a mother and a wife and a famous writer before all of that resonated way after finishing the book.

I received the much-awaited English translation of “Kaghazi hai Pairahan” from Penguin Books India, aptly titled, “A Life in Words: Memoirs” and delightfully translated by M. Asaduddin. The minute I started reading this edition, memories of the Hindi edition came sweeping by. The same intensity with which Ismat Aapa (I cannot think of anything better to call her) wrote in the original (I am assuming) is captured vividly and precisely in this translation.

One cannot define Ismat Chughtai’s character as anything but colourful and introspective. May be to a large extent that passed down to her by her large and varied family. When you read the memoirs, it almost feels like you are reading a story. One gets the necessary information about her works as well – from short stories to novels to essays (as footnotes) which is needed while reading about a writer. What I loved the most about this book was Chughtai’s family and their antics. Ismat Aapa was born into a large family – she had nine siblings – so one can only imagine the life lead during the Indian Independence and seeing times through Partition, her schooling, her youth, her stubborn nature, her want to get educated and then subsequently the need to write and tell tales.

Chughtai’s tone is fictional and caustic throughout the book. There are a lot of diversions which are fun, despite the danger of losing track of semi-plots and characters, but I guess that can be overlooked when reading memoirs. It is quite natural that the tone will shift, which works well to hang on to the reader’s attention. There are pieces which I loved – for instance, “Aligarh” – which depicts the writer’s hostel life, “In the Name of Those Married Women” – the piece on the much talked about courtroom trial of Manto and Ismat, “Sujat” – revolving around politics and “Chewing on Iron” – depicting class differences.

For me, reading this in English was a treat, thanks to the wonderful translation by M. Asaduddin, who has translated Chughtai’s other works. The translation is subtle and he doesn’t shy from using the words as used in Urdu by the writer sometimes, owing to the fact that there is a glossary as well, which serves the purpose well.

“A Life in Words: Memoirs” by Ismat Chughtai is an honest and stark account of a writer’s life – from childhood to youth to old-age. The ideas in the book are numerous – from women’s liberation to class differences to the inner-life of a Muslim girl. Here is a book that is integral to its ideas, structure and words. I cannot recommend this one enough and while you are at it, please read more of Chughtai’s works. You will not be disappointed at all.

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Book Review: Classic Saratchandra: Volume 1 by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay

Title: Classic Saratchandra: Volume 1
Author: Saratchandra Chattaopadhyay
Publisher: Penguin India
ISBN: 978-0143101253
Genre: Indian Fiction
Pages: 816
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5

We all know of writers – writers who are not from the country we know more of. We eagerly wait for their books to publish, so we can savour them in the comfort of our homes and bedside reading lamps. However there are times when we tend to forget Indian Writers of the years gone by, who lived in different times and wrote excellently. The reason could be only that we did know of them in school as a part of the Hindi curriculum and therefore feel that they cannot be read otherwise.

Off late I have been discovering or rather re-discovering such writers and one of them is Saratchandra Chattopadhyay. Saratchandra wrote in times when India was under the British Rule. He did not write about the conditions in those times; however he did hold a mirror so to say to the society and its issues in a very subtle manner. For instance, Devdas is not just about a drunk and wasted lover. It goes beyond that. It speaks of feminism very early on through its two female protagonists – Paro and Chandramukhi. At the same time, the fictional value and element of the novel do not get ignored.

Penguin India has launched, “Classic Saratchandra – Volume 1” that features eight of his brilliant novels. From Biraj Bou to Swami, these novels explore a gamut of themes – from the relationship of a newlywed indifferent wife and her patient husband to a woman and her love for her husband despite misunderstandings that take place.

Saratchandra wrote his books with great sensitivity. When you read them you start noticing the underplayed emotional tones. His writing also sometimes was induced with a tinge of political awareness – for instance most of Srikanta is written with the angle of combining a family story with India’s then situation.

Saratchandra had an eye for detail and he used it to his advantage. The writing is in place and at times there is too much atmosphere, however that can be ignored. His works are definitely more than worth just one read. I would also like to mention that the translations by Malobika Chatterjee, Aruna Chakravarti, Sreejata Guha and Sunanda Krisnamurty is by far one of the excellent ones that I have read. At the end of it, I cannot wait for the second volume to be published.

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Book Review: A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman: The Collected Stories by Margaret Drabble

Title: A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman: The Collected Stories
Author: Margaret Drabble
Publisher: Penguin Classics
ISBN: 978-0141196046
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 256
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5

I had not read a single Drabble before reading her collected stories and at the end of it, I sat down and ordered two books written by her. Margaret Drabble’s writing is unique, to the fact that her characters are well-rounded (almost each and every one of them), and she does not shy away from writing about things as they are. Though the collection offers only fourteen stories written by her between 1964 and 2000, they are some of the best I have read this year.

Margaret Drabble’s people are British – with the usual stiff upper lip and the need to seem proper in all places and yet she displays the inner turmoils in a wonderful manner through this collection. For instance, the title story reveals to us the darker side of a marriage accounting to the wife’s success and how she is always smiling to show e the world that all is well with her. The emotions and expressions as etched by Ms. Drabble are both heart-breaking and thoughtful at the same time. I do not want to mention the other stories as I want other readers to experience these stories for themselves as I did.

There is almost everything in the book – an illicit affair, a broken home, intimacy issues, the need to communicate and not being able to do so and most of all the lingering sense of loneliness. Margaret Drabble gives only a certain power to her characters to change their circumstances. Most of them cannot and even if they can, they don’t. There is this sense of holding back.

Character sketches are done in a very chronological manner – considering that she started writing the first story in 1964 and they gradually reflect today’s time as the last story was written in 2000. The reader at the same time can also read and see for himself or herself, the changes that took place in the society in which these stories are set.

I would recommend this book to all readers who want to read more of Drabble or want to get familiar with her style of writing. Read Margaret Drabble for these things: Great stories to tell, Par Excellence Writing and Characters that you will love and empathize with.

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