First Impressions
THIS could be the ultimate terror plot. A shadow organisation built up over the years to restore "order" to the world as governments see fit, is suddenly the target of assassin-like attacks. When Carter, a veteran with Spiral, quits, he suddenly finds his world being thrown out of sync. Maria, his confidante and ally, persuades him to once again rejoin the shadow organisation because it is felt that they are under a serious threat. There is a series of mysterious attacks that leave no trace of the killers but what is apparent to people is that the killer or killers are very powerful and endowed with an almost superhuman strength. Things come to a boil when Carter is attacked at his house. All he manages to recall is a lithe figure with cold copper eyes and a superhuman ability.
The hunt within Spiral begins in earnest. Spiral members, shaken up, begin to doubt their own colleagues, leaving them even more vulnerable. Who can they trust? Who are these lithe, agile and dangerous copper-eyed men or women? Most importantly, are they Spiral members hunting down their own? Carter and his three friends embark on a trail of death and destruction. This very modern thriller has all the elements of science fiction combined with a racy thriller. A good read that manages to catch your fancy.
Spiral, Andy Remic, Orbit, £2.99.
THE princely families of India have been a source of constant amazement to many the world over. Fabled tales of their untold riches, their luxurious lifestyles, as well as their degenerate ways have held audiences in sway. But the princes of Hyderabad outdid most others. Tales of their wealth, their extraordinary lifestyle and dalliances make many others pale in comparison. This slim translation of the life and times of a Hyderabadi prince evokes the grandeur of the court of Hyderabad. Its foppishness, the daily lazy routine of not beginning the day till late into the afternoon; the emphasis placed on poets and poetry and other cultural activities make for interesting reading. For those who are interested in the state of India's princely families, this is indeed a book to peruse.
The Nocturnal Court: The Life of a Prince of Hyderabad, translated by Narendra Luther, OUP, Rs. 295.
THERE has been, of late, a lot of talk about women breaking the glass ceiling. Even though this provides a sense of achievement to those few who have managed to make the transition, there are still hundreds of women who struggle through life and the sheer indignity that is heaped on them time and again. Liberation has held no fascination or meaning for them and the issues that crop up in their lives are similar to those that contained women's existence years ago. In her book Women in Black, White and Technicolour, Shoma Chatterji raises some interesting questions. She feels that even today Indian women remain suspended in an ambivalent space. The areas in black are those that pertain to domestic violence, dowry deaths and sexual harassment. These are issues that education has not been able to eradicate and it has been found, the world over, that there is an upswing in domestic violence cases. This, despite the fact that more and more women have joined the workforce and have managed to become economically independent.
Why are women still asked to behave in a particular manner or why are they fed on a romantic diet or for that matter what are the implications of Barbie dolls for young girls? Are powerful subliminal messages being sent through such role-playing? Dress conduct, sexual innuendos at the workplace and other such issues are raised in the book. Even though Chatterji provides no right answers, she does open up some old wounds and gets the mind ticking.
Women in Black, White and Technicolour, Shoma Chatterji, Rupa, Rs. 295.
THIS collection of plays and mono acts are based on contemporary issues that mirror life in all its nuances. Runaways is about life and its misfortunes and the final coming to terms with it. "Women in Black" portrays two major aspects of Indian women, one their submissive outer self and the other an ambitious modern-day go-getter. How these two resolve their disparate natures is brought out in the play. Bubbles Sabharwal is co-founder of Theatre World and an accomplished stage actress in her own right. Her play "Women in Black" has received acclaim the world over.
Runaways and Other Plays, Bubbles Sabharwal, midnightedition.com Publication, price not stated.
SUCHITRA BEHAL
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