EVERY WOMEN KNOWS A SECRET 1.5.2007

by Rosie Thomas. A Novel.

Title seems to say that of a riddle to be answered or a puzzle to be solved in the course of the progress in the story or at its end. Both were misleading. There are several women i.e. Jesse, Lizzy, Beth, Sadie, Joyce etc and none except Jesse keeps a secret that comes out in the middle of the story itself. Finally it was no secret.

In a blurb the book was introduced as the love story of an older woman for a much younger boy, though the boy was not that deserving. Jesse, a middle aged mother of a boy of nineteen had the misfortune of losing him in a fatal accident. The boy named Danny was a self centred egoist and adventurer. His friend Rob is a little older they team together in many occasions. Their closeness was not known to the mother or her daughter. It happens that the boys were almost dead drunk in a pub where they spot 2 or 3 girls and they drive to the place of one of the girl. Danny in his urge tries to force on the girl when other girls shout out and neighbours calls the police. Before the police reached the spot the elder boy drags the younger to the van and drives fast. At one point the van meets a barrier and crashed throwing out the younger from his seat causing his death. The story starts from this point.

By turn of circumstances the mother feels a soft corner to the elder and in the process of helping being helped. Jesse was a divorcee but we are not sure whether that was due to just incompatibility, infidelity or cruelty or else. At later stages the situation gets recollected thru Jess and her husband Ian still there doesn’t mention of actual happenings. On the other hand the mutual behaviour of the daughter and father shows the mutual affinity between them and also the dead son. There was no hint of a secret owned by Jess but much later. So it could not be cause for the divorce. Then we have to believe the author herself as an authority.

In the story the main characters are Jess her dead son Danny and his friend Rob. Rob is a little elder to Danny. Jess comes to know of Rob only after the fatal accident that took the life of her son. Everyone is sure that the accident was caused by the drunken driving of Rob. None of them had any idea that Danny equally to be blamed for the situation. The repeated appearance of Rob at the hospital and at the funeral and then at home of Danny’s mother. At no place author hints of any bodily attraction between Rob and Jesse but circumstances slowly goes to a climax when Jesse allows Rob to stay overnight in her home. They could be attracted by other than love or sex but no. The encounter ends in mutual desire and demands.Rob was about to tap the door of Jesse’s bedroom. He did not. So the elder woman does the tapping and enters Rob’s bedroom. Still it is not necessary or predictable. They seek each other touching and feeling their younger bodies. Jesse experiences a sexual union unprecedented in her past. At this juncture she remembers about meeting Tonio twenty year back when she was that much young and wanted an experience, a satisfactory sex. The strong attraction between the two might be because of the prolonged abstinence from the time of her divorce. Secondly. Almost virgin state of the boy Rob. Do we accept this as love between them? No the progress of story confirms it. She willingly or otherwise separates from the boy, not a sign of love. Or the other way round the boy just takes the opportunity to be nice to the bereaved mother and fulfils a long felt need for intense sex that the lady never experienced or experienced only with Tonio in Italy years past. This is not alluded at any moment before the daughter spies on her mother’s secrets.

I think that the author is averse to love between elder woman and younger boy of her son’s age. Does this seem unnatural? Not to this writer. There are examples of older men cavorting young girls without anyone taking serious objection then why if the situation is reverse? The author could have developed a story based on real love between the older and the young. Sex is only secondary and supportive of the theme.

In the book Rosie Thomas make laboured narrations to prolong the narrative. There are some peripheral characters in the story but they have not contributed to the theme and conclusion. They are just there. The author failed to bring the social need of extra characters introduced by her in the story. Without Lizz, her husband and child the story could still be interesting. Similarly the daughter Beth did not contribute anything to clarify the character of Jesse her mother. The furtive sexual escapades of Beth and Sam did not benefit the story and they also could be dispensed with.

The essence of the story could found in the 50 pages between pages 135 and 185 where both Jesse and Rob meet try to understand each other. Did they know that they are in love with out being acquainted? Though the attraction is mutual, was sex inevitable? Not exactly. But the author seems to think that love expresses itself thru sexual act. Intense and prolonged sexual act means intense and prolonged love. The sex is delicately dealt with. As I maintain the essence of their relationship could not be different even if there were no other characters or episodes added. Even the death of her son in tragic circumstances does not make much difference if Jesse was in real love with her son’s friend. Only established morality comes in their way. Love is subtle and profound and do not depend on the age, sex, status or any other variable. From this point of view Rosie Thomas promised more but failed to deliver. Let us conclude this view.

FILMING. A love Story by Tabish Khair

This is a novel of about 400 pages long. Unlike many others the author used a format of filming a story. The narrator is supposed to be researching on the history and development of Hindi cinema in Bombay. He introduces one syayam sevak ruminating on the pre-partition and post partition riots in India and Pakistan. He is filled with hate of the father of the nation Mahatma and spits venom and abuses on him for standing up against the violent fanatics on both sides. He finds the Mahatma coming in the way of the revenge seeking mobs and wanted him to be dead but at a Muslim hand. This could inflame the feelings of all the Hindu population and there will be no stopping until the entire Muslim population is exiled or massacred. Then there will be Hindu Raj and any secular pretensions will be out. This sevak comes at the beginning of all the reels i.e chapters in the novel.

The story starts with the bioscopewala Harihar resigning from his job in a Post Office and taking up his long wished plan to become rich and famous thru cinema. He teams with one young prostitute who was the mother of his son and willingly joins him in his business. They tour the countryside with their touring cinema to earn enough to change the business but at no time they were able to spare enough. Luckily they come to a haveli of a rich landlord. Their fate changes with active help of the younger lord and the lady of the haveli. The two teamed to form a film studio in outskirts of Bombay leaving the son of Harihar with the lady. Hari his supposed wife Durga and the young Rajkunwar establish their business in Bombay and start making films. They assemble necessary men and materials at a place belonging to the landlord family.

The story ends with the destruction by fire of the studio in the outskirts of Bombay by fanatical communalist elements along with the films and occupants. The organiser of this arson and destruction did not get his due recognition for the ‘heroic’ act of his and ruminates at the powers who control the show.

There is an angle based on the narrator’s interview with a script writer living abroad somewhat resembling Sadat Hassan Manto. Some of the episodes are supposed to be from those long interviews. But Manto was not abroad as I recollect from my FSU (Friends of Soviet Union) days.

The story goes back and forth encompassing two generations.

The Assassin's Song by G. V. Vassanji

This is a novel mainly to explain the happenings in the Gujaratafter the Godhra incident. But the story is something like an epic narration. A Sufi visits and welcomed in the then Hindu raj ofGujarat. The only knowledge about the Sufi is that he came as a refugee from the northwest and not a Hindu. Though there were controversies, the Sufi was able to convince the king of his sincerity, compassion and tolerance. When the Sufi was no more his remains were interned in a place which became a place of worship and solace to many devotees of all faiths. The place was under the keep of a family the head of which was again a revered one. There were communal riots even when the Sufi was alive. The present protagonist was not a willing heir to the family shrine. He defies his family to go abroad and study abroad in US. At some time, the communal passion comes on top and vitiates the peaceful atmosphere in the mixed community.

The poison of communal feelings created an identity crisis among the followers of the Sufi. Who are they Hindus or Muslims? Politics come in front and influence the choice.

END OF FAITH BY SAM HARRIS 5.4.200

I completed reading this book a few days earlier. The book is mainly addressed to the Americans, majority of who are Christians. Sam makes a case for viewing the tenets of religions specifically Islam & Christianity from the modern and scientific findings and practices. When viewed from this area the untenability of the revealed religions becomes clear. Sam has quoted a number of crucial sayings from both bible as well as Koran the two gods given books.Today’s violence in sphere of inter and intra community dealings as well the widespread terrorist actions are motivated thru religious beliefs. His is an incisive criticism of all given religious faiths including that of Hinduism. However he leaves a wide berth to Buddhism though the happenings in Sri Lanka in no way assuring.

Sam cites chapter and verse from the texts and contrasts them with practices adopted by the concerned religious communities. Though all the religious leaders claim to be peaceful, they resort to prevarication when their texts are cited against such claims. The fact that a large part of the activists claims authority from their scriptures for the violence perpetrated by them. Their claim to be superior to others is authenticated from sacred texts. That itself is the source of conflict in the world, as could seen from happenings across nations i.e. Afghanistan, Iraq

I have already in the know of the critical views of atheists from writings published by the Indian Atheist Association. The late Joseph Idamarugu has written extensively on the historical context and development of Christianity from the first year AD onwards. He questioned the historicity of the life Jesus and Virgin Mary. He said that the story is a deliberate concoction on the part of the messiahs and followers. Similarly, Idamarugu has published very critical views on Koran as well as Gita, Vedic texts, etc. Thus, I feel more familiar with the topic dealt in Sam’s book. But Sam is scientific in his presentation than Idamarugu. Yes, Sam’s audience is different.

I would venture to say that the title would more appropriate if changed to End Results of Faith. In fact Sam sees a conflict ridden world heading to destroy itself thru assertions of various conflicting faiths warring to attain superiority thru power both political and armaments i.e. weapons of mass destruction. I expect more and more of this kind of writings from authorities on the subject with unassailable facts and reasoning since, humankind is the same everywhere. We need to be optimistic about the future

END OF FAITH BY SAM HARRIS. 5.4.200

I completed reading this book a few days earlier. The book is mainly addressed to the Americans, majority of who are Christians. Sam makes a case for viewing the tenets of religions specifically Islam & Christianity from the modern and scientific findings and practices. When viewed from this area the untenability of the revealed religions becomes clear. Sam has quoted a number of crucial sayings from both bible as well as Koran the two gods given books.Today’s violence in sphere of inter and intra community dealings as well the widespread terrorist actions are motivated thru religious beliefs. His is an incisive criticism of all given religious faiths including that of Hinduism. However he leaves a wide berth to Buddhism though the happenings in Sri Lanka in no way assuring.

Sam cites chapter and verse from the texts and contrasts them with practices adopted by the concerned religious communities. Though all the religious leaders claim to be peaceful, they resort to prevarication when their texts are cited against such claims. The fact that a large part of the activists claims authority from their scriptures for the violence perpetrated by them. Their claim to be superior to others is authenticated from sacred texts. That itself is the source of conflict in the world, as could seen from happenings across nations i.e. Afghanistan, Iraq

I have already in the know of the critical views of atheists from writings published by the Indian Atheist Association. The late Joseph Idamarugu has written extensively on the historical context and development of Christianity from the first year AD onwards. He questioned the historicity of the life Jesus and Virgin Mary. He said that the story is a deliberate concoction on the part of the messiahs and followers. Similarly, Idamarugu has published very critical views on Koran as well as Gita, Vedic texts, etc. Thus, I feel more familiar with the topic dealt in Sam’s book. But Sam is scientific in his presentation than Idamarugu. Yes, Sam’s audience is different.

I would venture to say that the title would more appropriate if changed to End Results of Faith. In fact Sam sees a conflict ridden world heading to destroy itself thru assertions of various conflicting faiths warring to attain superiority thru power both political and armaments i.e. weapons of mass destruction. I expect more and more of this kind of writings from authorities on the subject with unassailable facts and reasoning since, humankind is the same everywhere. We need to be optimistic about the future

VIEWS

5.4.2007.

On Fashionable Nonsense by Alan Sokal & Jean Bricmont.

This book looks at the real meanings of the postmodernist theories fashionable in certain intellectual circles in Europe, USA & Britain. It also mentions about their followers in the third world. The essence of this philosophy if it could be called so remains, that all things are relative and cultural constructs including that of science. One could get confused.

Alan Sokal have endeavoured to clarify and explain the real meaning off science and views based on scientific findings. He started as if he is an adherent of postmodernist views, writing an article in a magazine. This had its repercussions in both scientific & postmodernist circles. Later he wrote back saying that the article concerned was a hoax. He made theses that are more elaborate on the topic and the book is the result.

Alan has quoted extensively from writings of the giants in postmodernism and relativism. He questions their words and show how they are nonsense. Verbose and meaningless words are strewn around without any context as if they are profound. One major thought propagated by this tribe is that there are several shades in science i.e. western, eastern, southern and northern based on geographic zones. Thus, there is Indian science, African science so on. They also maintain that the truth found by science is always relative and therefore not true. Alan says that it is not correct characterise scientific findings as relative just because many of them are not conclusive or final. He says if anything is final there nothing to for science to know further. However, there are umpteen numbers of scientific truths that are practically final for example the flight of an aeroplane or a rocket to moon. They are not some cultural constructs. They could be duplicated whether you are a westerner or easterner or else. The relativism in science confine to phenomena still under investigation and observation. The new findings might affect may be certain established truths and compel the scientists to alter or change their earlier conclusions. At this stage, no one could claim that both earlier as well as the new are equally true.

We have in India followers of the postmodernism like Ashish Nandi, Vandana Shiva and others. In effect, they are reinforcing the obscurantist views that the India has some special status to maintain in science as against western one. All these needs refutation firmly by lovers of science.

Alan’s book needs re-reading for me to grasp the thoughts explained there.

Left Hand of God

THE LEFT HAND OF GOD

Taking Back Our Country From Religious Right

By Michael Lerner

This is a timely book to the American audience who will be going for election for a new President in 2008. The author is a liberal minded Rabbi of Jewish faith. He has prepared an elaborate treatise say a long manifesto to bring our basic changes in the present American administration thru implementing a kind of spiritual awakening as against the material interests.

The author has given a factual history of the political changes that came in the American minds during the last so many decades since the end of world war I thru world war II Roosevelt to Bush. The running after material gains and consequent formation of commercial and business conglomerates have subverted the original constitutional processes. Both Republican and Democratic parties have taken the people for ride thru. Of late the political right has aligned with the religious right and dominating the national politics.

The author finds both left and liberal Democratic Party and greens having missed the real issues that are bothering the American people. According to the author the momentum created in the 50s and 60s by the anti-war movements and the feminist debates all did not cross the threshold of spiritual and thus did not had a lasting effect.

The book finds fault with the left and progressives for their obsession with explaining everything from the point of material and economic base. It also assumes that the youth and feminist movements of 50s and 60s consciously or not were articulating the lack of spiritual needs of the people and therefore successful in their aims. They succeeded in focussing of the futility of wars and also male domination of females. The awareness installed in the minds of people did change the age old dogmas and contentions of the political right. Even parts of the religious people came over to the movements.

Some of the programmes suggested here are very much radical from point of the present American positions.

Interesting Times.

INTERESTING TIMES BY Eric Hobsbawm

Hobsbawm will be 90 in 2007. Interesting Times is his autobiography completed in 2002. He is very famous as a historian all over the world. Though he is a professed Marxist and member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, he is referred and quoted by all historians and others. While reading the book I went back to my younger days remembered reading his serious writings in the Marxist journals Past & Present, Labour Monthly, Marxism Today, Modern Quarterly. The names of several contributors came to mind and many were mentioned in this autobiography. He was very lucid in explaining the historical, importance of happenings in a materialist manner.

I remember the incident while taking Saras to a bookstall in DN Road, spotted a book by Hobsbawm (title eludes me) on history that people should read. But the price of the book was beyond our grasp and did not pursue it further. It was a thick bound book published in UK.

Reading his autobiography, I felt a lot of affinity with his experience of encountering communism at his school days in Vienna, Austria. The period was full of revolutionary ideas and atmosphere in all post First World War Europe. For the people the future seemed bleak. They hoped for a revolution in model of Russian revolution of October 1917.In fact, there were some revolutionary actions in several countries. Hobsbawm chronicles all such efforts, and explain the influence instilled. His education was not in one place but at several places and countries culminating inCambridge in UK.

One important fact as in the case of India, a generation of educated tended to be inclined to left in their political action if not ideology. However, Hobsbawm was not an agitator but an educator. In his profession, he faced severe hardships on political discrimination from those in power before and after the Second World War. The cold war years affected his professional standing. Although he was one of the topmost in historical writings, based on Marxist teachings, he was not published in the then Soviet Union, while many translations of his works in other languages were published.

Hobsbawm continues to be a Marxist and communist in his expectations on future. However, he is not orthodox. He has narrated the doubts about the developments in Stalin era and also there after, he believes in a future when the world will change for better to the deprived. He recognises the present conditions in the developed capitalist nations that are much better to those envisaged by the old time revolutionaries. There is more equality, prosperity, freedom and liberty in those countries while the lot of poor a minority is still not better. This condition could be remedied with the current attainments of science technology only if the politics of change is pursued in those countries.

He is the historian of twentieth century in his earlier volume of history titled “Age of Extremes” history of short twentieth century. I will be reading this book next. Both these books were brought by Saras from her university library.

25. 4. 2007

AGE OF EXTREMES. By Eric Hobsbawm.

This is a volume of more than 600 pages. The author says it is a history of short twentieth century. Why it is called short? Might be compared to earlier ones the achievements are short or there were no defining developments here. There are few things in this century, that could have been remembered as path breaking except the extra ordinary progress of science and its inventions. However, those developments did not change the society to the level of universal happiness. The First World War was continuation of last century’s unsettled issues projected in armed conflict. The October Revolution inRussia did instil a kind of hope in public specifically the European and later on in the colonials. Political situations in most of the countries were no stable. Coupled with the unprecedented economic depression in the thirties people almost lost any hope for recovery to pre war status of living. All these caused the rise of Nazism, Fascism, and Racist ideology. All the circumstances pointed to another world war. But several nations were not just prepared but complacent allowing the forces of war to grab initiative. The result was the Second World War, more devastating than any other war in history. The Second World War also brought the Soviet Union as a prominent and world power, though completely devastated by war and Stalin’s dictatorship and popular repression. The capitalist nations specially US economically and politically more powerful since, it suffered least from the war except for some labor.

The cold war was the making of the situation given after the war. Nobody could benefit from the conduct of cold war except the manufacturers of armaments. The hopeful side of the war efforts were the new science and technology that were instrumental in bringing unprecedented wellbeing to the people in between. The dogma and ignorant attitudes of the leadership of the Soviet group of countries resulted in stagnation in economy, non-availability of consumer goods, lack of freedom to choose professions and ever-expanding corruption in the administration. The admission of the fact of the Stalin years caused the no confidence in the preaching and practice of the ruling communist parties in the Eastern block. The fourth quarter of the century saw the decline and fall of communist ruled countries and communism as a political force.

There were corresponding developments in area of culture, literature, arts, music, theatre and other super structures. Hobsbaum has done a running view of the situation in all these, giving names and examples. There are dates cluttered around the text but the main developments were narrated chronologically going back and forward in order to evaluate them in the historical context. Not all superstructures derived from the economic base as the Marxist dogma insists. Eric all ways maintained that the method of dialectical and historical materialism are basically compatible with the requirements of democracy, freedom, equality etc. But we have no precedent as of now. The Chinese and Cuban versions are far from democracy and freedom. Yes, I also feel that a time will arrive when people discern the real and concocted socialism. May be it might be too late for us the older generation.

28. 4. 2007.

SMALL WORLD. By David Lodge. Fiction

This is a novel about today’s academic world mainly, the west. The novel seems to be satirical and funny. Although one main theme of this book in Persse and his instant love object Angelica. It starts from outlandish place in Englandduring a conference on literature; the object vanishes soon to unknown locations pursued by the lover Persses in all conferences being held all over and around the world.

During the search to locate Angelica, the hero comes to that she is not just an academic but also a sex object in porno world of Soho. But at no time he is able to meet her anywhere. He did not know that the name Lily was not an assumed one by Angelica doing the porno scenes but Lily a twin of Angelica.

Persse was determined to keep himself virgin to his object of love also assumed virgin. He denies himself all the opportunities at hand to loss his innocence of sex. The porno views of her in Soho and elsewhere though very explicit, he refuses to accept it as true. His ardent desire prompts him to find the girl, and rescue her from her sordid surroundings if necessary. He comes to know thru conference hopping academics that Angelica lands in almost all conferences on literature. He was told that she is here; she was there but not able to spot or confront her.

Meanwhile the story goes out of the way to narrate the several couplings, infidelities, jalousies and ego based claims of competing academician in the circuit. There is the couple Phillip Swallow & Hilary, Morris Swap & Desire. During an exchange programme for about a year, both exchange their spouses. It was a known situation to both. While the Phillip couple struggle with their marriage, the Morris couple separate. The affairs proliferate as well among a number of academics that were introduced into the story. The author also feels free to tell in explicit words the sexual congresses in the narrative.

Persse finds that Angelica is an adopted daughter of an airline top official but also he finds that she has a twin sister name Lily who is said to have disappeared. At this moment, our hero comes to terms that Angelica should be a virgin still though Lily is sex object. As he catches up with Angelica in Lily and gets his virginity confiscated in the last conference held in New York. Then she disabuses him of his obsession and reveals herself as Lily. His object of love Angelica confesses that she is in love with another. Here is the climax. Both girls came to know their real parents i.e. father and mother respectable academicians of yore. After a clandestine affair during a conference, Sybil Maiden got pregnant from Arthur Kingfisher and gave birth to twins girls. She deposited the girls in a bath in an airplane but she claimed them as having found there. The twins were adopted by the top officer of the airline and brought up with all care and facilities. After the girls drifted on different ways, Persse sees them together and disillusioned in his love object goes back to another girl whom he fancies to be in love. When he lands at airport and make inquiries. The girl was dismissed from service for some misdemeanour and not to found.

The author has laboured a lot to depict the atmosphere given in the academic circles in the west but the same is not so inviting to upright people. The conferences and seminars are only formalities for the participants to chat and gossip, find ways to cut each other from getting attention. There are some pretenders who while away their time womanising, going to bed with available chicks or even elderly ones. What is surprising is that after all the draw backs the scientific community goes forward with their mission to improve living conditions in the planet.

At the end, the book is depressing though tickling one’s senses with sexual encounters.

ONAM

ONAM.

Last Monday (23.08.2010) the media covered the Keralaite festival of Onam. They tried to explain the significance of Onam as harvest festival. Some of the features in the daily papers referred to the legend of Mahabali making his annual visit to see his subjects were happy. Many visual media showed the Pookolam being prepared on the front lawn of houses. Some visited Kerala homes to find the preparations of Ona Sadhya and also to taste the dishes prepared. One or two papers announced that Ona Sadhya is prepared in few restaurants in Mumbai offering 20 to 40 forms of dishes at a cost between 150 to 600 Rupees per person. They all reminded the long past childhood fascination with Onam. There were Onapatu, Thumbi Thullal, Onakkali, Pulikkali etc. Not everything is in memory. It fades out with aging.

Only a few media pointed out the fact that Onam is confined to people of Kerala alone including all faiths, The Tamil Brahmins in Kerala has absorbed the festival as their own although in the next door Tamil nadu no one celebrates this Onam. Outside Kerala, the legend of Mahabali is not connected to land of Kerala. It is strange to note that Mahabali being subdued by Vamana an avatar of Vishnu; a Puranic legend is widespread all overIndia but not its connection with Kerala.

There is another legend also connected with Kerala that of Parasurama reclaiming land from Varuna the god of ocean. Therefore the land Kerala is famed among Keralaite as Parasurama Kshetram. Both contradict each other. According to Bhagavata and other Puranas; Vishnu incarnates Vamana as 5^th avatar and Parasurama later as 6^th avatar. The two could not be reconciled by scholars and they explained that Mahabali ruled the whole world and not Kerala. But Keralaite has not taken cognizance of the explanations. For them Mahabali is their king of kings. The legend of Parasurama is reclaiming land from ocean is popular in Konkan cost of Maharashtra but not the coast further south till Gokarnam. Kerala is supposed to spread south from Gokarnam to Kanyakumai.

The legend says that:

Maveli (Mahabali) Nadu Vaanidum Kalam,

Manusharellarumonnupole.

It means: During the reins of Mahabali all people were equal.

However in all of India not just Kerala there were any times when all people were treated equal. They wee differentiated as Varnas, castes etc. There was a hearsay connected with the visit of Swami Vivekananda. He is supposed to have called Keralam as a madhouse. It looks true to the present as well.