More Summer Reading
As mentioned, I spent a good part of my summer travelling through India and avoiding my minor field reading list - which I brought with me on an eReader that I had great trouble charging reliably. Here are a few more titles from the travels:
41: The Ramayana: R. Narayan
Originally written by the poet Valmiki, this Hindu epic was one of the books I felt I had to read while travelling. Unfortunately, the version I had (published in English) was part of a reading series designed to make the great works of Indian literature available to the common man (probably why my friend Shraddha recommended it to me). What I got, then, was a bowlderized episodic treatment of the trials and adventures with glossed descriptions of Valmiki’s philosophy and little sense of the poetry. I’ll read it again but in a different version.
42: The Mahabarat: R. Narayan
Another Hindu epic, this one tells the tale of the battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two sets of brothers who have claim to the same kingdom. The Pandavas originally get tricked out of their claim and, after their wife (yes, singular - she was quite devoted to her 5 husbands) was abused by a Kaurava advisor, they swear revenge and eventually defeat the 100 Kauravas brothers in battle. Part of the same series as that Ramayana, this text left a great deal to be desired and was clearly meant to preach the virtues of dharma to its readers - something that, frankly, smacks of hegemonic control to me. That said, the stories are a blast and I think I actually enjoy this tale more than the Ramayan for its look at the weaknesses of both humans and gods.
43: A Fine Balance: Rohinton Mistry
This book’s a masterpiece. Before leaving, I was advised to read either this, Midnight’s Children, or both. I’ve already read MC so picked up a copy of this book for the trains. The trains that live identically to those in the book. I couldn’t imagine such a brutal and detailed look at the way poverty manifests itself as this book and seeing the details outside the text in a space thirty years later than the book’s moment really reinforced how integral and entrenched India’s power systems are. That bad things happen to anyone who strives to leave their dharma in this book unfortunately reinforces that power structure and, watching the news and the debacle that was the preparations for Commonwealth 2010 during our travels, I believe that this structure will be in place a long time yet.
44: Curse of the Pogo Stick: Colin Cotterill
One of the books I picked up along the way - trade-ins at hostels, etc. - and actually got to read, this book is part of a detective series starring a septeguinarian coroner named Dr. Siri Paiboun, a founding member of the Laotian communist party. The book kind of reads like Alexander McCall Smith’s #1 Ladies Detective Agency - that is, like a book written by a white British guy who apes what he thinks post-colonial literature sounds like when translated for a white British audience. In other words, fun, witty and colloquial with endless local characters, none of whom likely bear the slightest resemblance to anyone actually living in Laos. Oh, global literature.
45: Dust and other Short Stories: Heta Pandit
Heta Pandit creates a series of character profiles of people who come from or have some connection to Goa. They’re short, pithy and profoundly insightful - the tale of the snake charmer who falls in love with one of his snakes stands out as particularly wonderful, not just for the description and the language but for the fact that he’s a stereotype, a revenant for whom the only legitimate lover is the snake who gets old and crotchety alongside him as they travel. This book turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.
46: Lonely Planet: India
Think India, think huge: the books are big, the land is big, the travel guide is fucking huge. Our 2007 edition was a bit dated and the prices had generally risen by about 30% over what was listed in the book but it remained invaluable to our trip, even when we decided to ignore its advice and wend our own way (or get led by larcenous helpers).
47: Frommer’s Guide: India
The Lonely Planet for rich people or those who’d rather experience India as though it were some sort of novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Everything has its price in Frommers and that price is high. Not the guide for those who actually want to experience anything unmediated. If you’re a fat, middle aged American, this book is the guide for you. Below is a picture of Arthur Frommer. Enjoy.
~ Colin
