Not-so-ideal Idols !!!

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One of the biggest tragedies of growing up has been the loss of idols. And I am not talking about those stone/metal or even terracotta ones. They abound in plenty and crop up at every nook and corner, even in places where you have least expected it. Such that it becomes too tedious to pay obeisance to them every time you pass one. But fear not for I am talking about those flesh and blood ones. The folks that we looked up to in our younger days.

Sadly, they have been falling off the pedestal faster than I can manage to install their successor. Nothing as spectacular like the 'Fall of the Titans' but a fall from grace nonetheless. Maybe I expected too much or maybe they were much too affected. It feels strangely empty though not very uncomfortable. I guess as Anand Neelakantan puts it, each one of them is "too human to be considered a God".

None of their follies can be considered anywhere near criminal. One of of them might have just been plagued by something as minor as complacency to the point that it appeared a violation of ethics while another could not resist the lure some moolah ( which I felt he should have denied on principle). Yet others have turned out to be manipulators, sycophants and even worse. Maybe it is just my fault that I had considered they guys to be above petty things such as money and status.

On seconds thoughts, all of these folks who had achieved some greatness must have worked hard to get there. It is very much possible that they made mistakes. But the momentum of success is such that it snowballs one's achievements and blinds others to any signs of failure. But once the momentum is lost, the failures look stark and even glaring. Of course, these folks try every trick in the book to hold onto their position/power and in the process, appear even more deplorable.

While I did feel a little lost initially when all my idols did their vanishing act, I realized that there is an idol in each one of us. Our everyday struggles, the trials and tribulations for survival, the small but significant success stories, all of it add a little bit of sheen that can only be discerned by our near and dear ones. We may not shine as much as a few amongst us, but that does not make us anything lesser. For now, I am going to enjoy my freedom from the shackles of aspiring greatness that I got in exchange of my idol worship . Maybe I will just pray to the inanimate ones for a change. Atleast till the next one comes along.

Book Review: Intervention by Robin Cook

Buy on Amazon.in .

This book is a fine example of how writers take inspiration from their contemporaries and try to capitalize on popular sentiments. The timing of this book coincides with the mass frenzy that gripped the popular imagination following the release of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

Unlike the usual gripping medical thrillers Robin Cook churns out, this plot for this one relies heavily on Christian beliefs, mainly the mystery surrounding the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus. The imagery included in this section, mainly that of the Vatican, is impressive.

Alternative medicine provides another major support for the storyline. The author has done a very good comparison of the points where it scores over traditional medicine while adequately highlighting the risks or drawbacks that accompany it.

The personal sufferings of the main protagonist Jack Stapleton also find a mention in the plot. And it is his relationship with his old college buddies that binds the story together.

The initial chapters are mediocre with the story starting to gather steam towards the climax but the unexpected gives it a incomplete feeling not unlike one of a cliffhanger.

Interestingly, Robin Cook explores the presence of extremist groups within the folds of Christianity. Most of us would associate fanaticism with Islam but the author debunks that myth. His irreverent approach almost makes one wonder about his religious loyalties which almost border on atheism.

If you are a hardcore fan of the medical stuff that makes Robin Cook click, better skip this one.

B for Blood

He was bathed from head to toe in that warm viscous liquid, his lungs cried out for oxygen and yet he could not breathe.

She waited with bated breath for any sound to escape his lips.

Slap. The shock of it made his natural reflexes kick in and he inhaled a lungful of air before emanating a forceful scream.

She sighed with relief, after all, it was her blood coursing through his veins. 

Image courtesy - Funmozar.com

A for Apple ( Five Sentence Fiction Challenge )

It had firmly ensconced itself in the depths of the sticky warmth.

Thriving on the nectar and feeding on the sweet flesh of its host, it had grown from strength to strength.

"Swish" came the end, abrupt and out of the blue, leaving its twitching body in the throes of a cadaveric spasm .

"Tsk, Tsk", exclaimed the lady looking at the rotten halves of the apple.

"It is tough to fathom that something so exquisite on the outside can harbor such decay inside."

Image Courtesy - beerandwhiskeybros.com

Togetherness (Love Haiku)

Walking down the memory lane,
we talk about all those promises made.
Some fulfilled, others long forgotten !

Book Review : The Mahabharata Quest - The Alexander Secret (By Christopher C Doyle)

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Man has sought immortality since times immemorial. And the very ambitious Greek conqueror Alexander was no exception. But what secret does the Mahabharata hide that can bestow this ultimate boon on the emperor ??

This is one of the best suspense thrillers coming from an Indian author. It combines Greek history with a radical new interpretation of Indian mythology and spruces it up with a generous dose of science. The narration fluctuates between the present day and during the time of Alexander's reign while the action moves between Greece and India.

A discovery at a Greek tomb and a fire at clinical trials laboratory in Delhi spark off the action. Apart from a Greek archaeologist, a team working for the Indian Intelligence Bureau and an Indo-US task force is also sucked into the vortex of events that follow. A secret cult is out to get them before they unravel the mystery.

There are numerous twist and turns to keep one hooked. Plus the language used is really simple and the narration is fluid. Every chapter unearths some new and thankfully it all comes together seamlessly. While there is a romantic angle, the author does not dwell upon it for any longer than is appropriate for a thriller novel.

The worst part ? The story does not end with this book and one is left with a "To be continued...".

Not going to spoil it for you by revealing more. Do read this if you like suspense thrillers. 

Book Review : Sepia Leaves (By Amandeep Sandhu)

Buy it online on Amazon.

"Who you are is overshadowed by how you are perceived by one another, controlled and distorted by expectations of how we ought to be."

"The filth keeps changing form, and we software engineers keep hiding from it in the cool environs of our codes and projects; as if the degradation of the city has nothing to do with us."

"Rain is good on wedding days, rainy marriages last a long time. But will they be happy ? The rain cannot wash the wounds formed by dislike, which fester in loneliness."

A story told in flashback. A schizophrenic mother, a hapless but loyal father and a lost childhood with its share of adolescent awareness. The story is set in 70's in a small town, Rourkela. Built around the Steel plant, it has an interesting cosmopolitan mix of migrants from various states. A child grows up in a nuclear family with a mother who is distant and he keeps wondering whether she loves him. Not realizing her illness, he ends up comparing his own unkempt house with his neighbor's and eventually his parents with the neighbors. In those childish thoughts, one can find a glimpse of their dysfunctional family life.

The lonely child's friendship with a stray dog, a newspaper vendor and a housemaid are very well detailed. It is an everyday story with those brilliantly narrated mundane details which eggs on the reader. 

There is a brief mention of the Emergency and how if affected everyone. Then there is the child's stint at a boarding school which raises issues like sexual abuse and ragging prevalent in such institutions. Small details like a brush with chickenpox, the grand Dusshera celebrations in Rourkela, a visit to Punjab, and the father's fondness for ghazals and poetry add a brilliant and realistic touch to the story of a child who struggles to come to terms with the tragic reality of a living in a decaying household.

This book is a must read !! Savor it at your own pace for it will occupy your thoughts for a long time...