Ghachar Ghochar || Vivek Shanbhag

 

"It’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there’s only a little, it behaves meekly; when it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us."

                          

 

Recommended for?

Those who want to get out of a reading slum and start their habit of reading again. It is a short read and is finished before you know it. If you don’t enjoy the mundane, observations of life sort of books - this read is not meant for you. 

Theme of the book?

The theme seems to revolve around a man (also our narrator of the story) who seems to be in a dilemma - trying to find the right answers waiting in the cafe. Then he delves into the events which led to him being in the cafe and his said condition. 

Plot of the book?

Each chapter of the book talks about a new character which makes up the family of the narrator. Each character has their own personality and hierarchy in the family according to their earning and social status. There is a subtle hint of how monetary gains have influenced the rank hierarchy in the family along with the attitudes of the members. 

Who are the main characters?

Narrator - we do not get to know his name throughout the book. The story is told through his lenses to us and his observations on human conditions and their predicaments. He is observant and cannot help himself to be the man his wife wants him to be. He seemed to have lost the passion and jest to provide for his family since they came into wealth through family business. He lives off the income generated from his family business without doing any meaningful contribution into the business activities. His comfort zone has become his prison and reality he cannot escape out of. His only relief are his visits to the local cafe where he can observe other’s life instead of being a mute spectator in his own life. 

Chikkappa is the narrator's Uncle. He owns half of the business and his social status is being single. His social status is not questioned because of his commitment towards the family business nor his love life is questioned even when an alleged lover shows up at the narrator's house - she is not acknowledged by Chikappa and is mistreated as someone after the riches of the family. This benefit of doubt and special treatment is given because of his value of being able to run the business solely on his own and getting them out of previous hard ships. He is shown in grey light in the novel.

Anita is the narrator's wife. She belongs to the segment where hard work and knowledge are given higher pedestal than solely monetary gains. Her value system is rooted in logic and fairness which constantly clashes with the traditional system of the narrator's family through her constant questioning and taunts. She is a character which is often portrayed as an outsider and in contrast to the narrator's family. She is disappointed and disillusioned when she learns that the narrator doesn’t earn his own income which becomes a constant source of tension between the narrator and his wife. 

Amma is the narrator’s mother. She is protective of her newly acquired family wealth after living in miser income for her life. She is constantly shown as someone who care about riches and is protective of Chikappa as he is the generator of the family wealth. She is constantly worried about money and their future without money if something bad were to happen. 

Malati is the narrator’s sister. She is portrayed as being the wild one in the traditional setup of the family. She is uncompromising, bold and outspoken since her family business started generating a lot of wealth. Her identity is defined by the monetary possessions and her social status of being wealthy in the society. She is often seen as reckless and whimsical (she broke up her marriage after minor inconveniences) and has no issues owning up to this identity. 

Appa is the narrator’s father. He is portrayed as docile and hardworking man of the family. As the family business takes off, his presence in the family also starts to reduce. He is seen often making humourless jokes and disconnected from the family setting as a whole. His liveliness and sense of purpose reduces as the family business starts to take off. Despite having an equal share as Chikappa - his brother, his presence always seems to be in the background. 

Overall? It was a good short read. Gave an instant boost of confidence and dopamine to recover from the reading slump.

 

Questions 

You are always covered in dark,

ashes on you forehead

ashes on your cheek

standing apart stark,

With the moon adorned beautifully

balanced delicately

shine your grace on me,

why are you alone, I ask

sitting on a rock?

it's freezing cold

with the wind howling

and the trees rustling

don't you hear my calling?

everywhere i look

the world is imbalanced

what i seek, i never receive

what is this game of yours

where waiting is the new lure

i meet often - new and old

in the end all of them fold

i have lost the will to be curious

sometimes all i want is to be furious

at the world, at the people & You

aren't the trials and tribulations

enough for you?

i sit alone and i think

not on a rock but 

on a life equally tough,

why am i here

where have you put me

everywhere i look

i see despair and misery,

i have felt sad but

never angry at you

you created this

you created that

you created me

but is it possible that

you forgot me?

Sometimes I Lie || Alice Feeney

“There are different kinds of love—one word could never accurately describe them all. Some are easier to feel than others, some are more dangerous. People say there’s nothing like a mother’s love—take that away and you’ll find there is nothing like a daughter’s hate.”

 

What is the format?

It takes place in the three formats. There are 20 years old diary entries written by a young girl , then there is the present and finally the days before the accident. So as a reader we are reading those three different timelines which eventually merge into one - making sense, the AHA moment.

Who are the main characters?
We have as the summary mentions Amber Reynolds who is our protagonist in the comma. We have her sister, Claire and Amber's husband - Paul Reynolds. The story revolves around these three with many other characters making their appearances along the way

How was the ending?
It was 5/5. It definitely did not see that coming. It was that good because as a reader you get so engrossed in the alternative perspectives which are shown that you are somewhat so sure you know who the killer is.

Overall?
Okay, so where to begin from? After a long time I have picked up a novel in this genre which very refreshing in terms of the plotline. I had my what the hell moment when I reached around 60-70% of the book. It changed everything - by everything I do mean that I had to take 10 minutes gap to actually digest the twist. It was like realizing tomato is actually a fruit and not a vegetable. This was my first novel by the author Alice Feeney and god it was good. It was as good as reading my first book by Gillian Flynn - a pedestal I thought could never be achieved or broken by another author. I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed. If you think you have read all the plots and stories in the realm of psychological thriller, think again.

Privilege

[ B E G I N ]

privilege

my privilege oozes out of my fattened skin,

like the blood drips from the slaughtered neck

of inequalities and injustices, crimes & bribery

shining brighter than the beautifully adorned noble's precious pearls 

Intertwined together by the string of voices

Men's voices suppressed and women's wombs oppressed 

Streets filled with orphans, wailing,  a Beethoven's symphony of tears & praying

my privilege oozes out from my voice

that sneers at the dirt on my shoes 

the tardiness of the impoverished workers

the tattered cloths, unshaved hairs

they came directly from the  devil's  lair 

They were a collateral to the cruel twist of fate

a genealogical mistake

their shortage of food kept the  bellies full

take a good night's sleep till their voices lull

into the void of ignorance & pretense 

where the god's kingdom comes to end

what's that smell? 

burnt skin and screaming, oh it must be raining

a cleansing ritual, bow down

for god heard our prayers and left the holy land 

for only the privileged to bare

[ E N D ]

x

Where Do You Imagine?

[ B E G I N ] 

where do you imagine

you will end up,

on the right side of hell or

the wrong side of heaven?

when all you have sown finally reaps

the guilt & regrets finally laid to peace

with only the remembrance of

benevolence of your acts,

none malevolent

where did you hid your skeletons,

in the second floor closet or

held in secret by a prophet?

where do you imagine

you will end up,

on the right side of hell or

the wrong side of heaven?

when they come knocking,

looking for the man who did nothing

except the charities he created, 

out of people

and left them for the mocking

oh, you must be sad,

watching from below

looking at the spider web of your lies

no one to break them or hoist them

in the light of your disappearance.

was it all a game, a gamble to live or lose?

all bets cashed in on the lives of young,

who were still small ones

where do you imagine

you will end up,

on the right side of hell or

the wrong side of heaven?

[ E N D ]

The Mountain Between Us || Hany Abu Assad

Actors : Kate Wingslet, Idris Elba

Director : Hany Abu Assad

2017 ‧ Adventure/Thriller ‧ 1h 51m

Two fellow passengers who want to go the same place (Denver) - one for the wedding and other for the  patient’s treatment are stuck together due to the flight cancellation.  They both chose to take a faster route by booking themselves a charter flight together. 

Soon after the flight takes off Alex (KW) and Ben (IE) find themselves stranded on a mountain top after the pilot of the chartered flight dies of a stroke mid-air with their whereabouts unknown to anyone. 

What follows then is a series of survival attempts. Only silver lining is that they also have the pilot’s dog who also survived the crash and together the team of three - they venture out to make themselves being found. Surviving in the midst of the most difficult circumstances are my favorite bunch of movies and this definitely makes the list of watch again. 

SPOILERS : 

1 - Alex cancels her wedding in the end as she cannot go on being the same person post the incident. She shifts from a career in photography/writing to teaching students 

2 - Ben shifts from active neurosurgery to post traumatic patient care. He also ends up with the dog as his pet.

3 - They both do end up together in the end (sweet ending) 

BEST PARTS : 

1 - When Ben stitches up the wounded dog even though the dog hates him in the beginning to them being best pals in the end 

2 - Alex offering Ben to leave her as she is slowing him down but he chose no to and eventually they both are rescued.

3 - The scenic beauty of the mountains and the valley covered in snow. 

The Silent Patient || Alex Michaelides

“Choosing a lover is a lot like choosing a therapist. We need to ask ourselves, is this someone who will be honest with me, listen to criticism, admit making mistakes, and not promise the impossible?"

Undoubtedly my favorite  genre is to review the psychological thrillers and mystery for the level of insights and the plot twists they provide in the span of mere few hundred pages. The hype about this book is not at all exaggerated or even over rated. If the summary already didn’t get you hooked then this genre is probably ain’t for you.

This book is a debut by the author and could not have set any more higher standards for his future works to come forward. The story follows the protagonist Alicia who has murdered her husband by shooting him five times in the face. No one knows why or what propelled her to take such drastic steps. Being treated as mentally unstable, she has not spoken a single word since the murder. 

The story is being told through two point of views, from the psychotherapist Theo Faber who is determined to treat Alicia and through Alicia’s journal to the days leading up to the murder.

This was not at all a boring or a slow read rather everything was very aptly written and portrayed in a manner which made reader be connected to the story. The only regret I have is that this story ended too soon.

The writer takes us through the different traumas that shaped Alicia’s childhood and her future with a sense of longing to understand and empathize with the actions that led to the murder of her husband Gabriel. 

The twist in the story comes more than half the way when we realize that Alicia was a collateral damage in the vendetta of a jealous husband who wanted to seek out revenge not realizing that in the process of doing so, it led to Alicia being triggered & confronted by her dark past. 

The book is truly an amazing piece of work. The author deserves to be named in the leagues of the best mystery writers out there. Everyone who wants to try a new taste in psychological thriller genre and a fresh perspective in terms of the story plotline