First Impressions
By Suchitra Behal
The Geographer's Library, Jon Fasman, Hamish Hamilton, £12.99.
WHEN Paul Tomm, a fresher on the staff of a newspaper in a small town, is sent to investigate the death of a Russian professor, little does he realise the consequences of hisqueries. Asked to write an obituary for the deceased, Tomm finds himself noting certain angles of the good professor's life, which do not quite fit. And Tomm is startled to discover that there is someone out there who does not want him meddling around. This feeling of unease increases when he meets Hannah, to whom he is attracted. But his affair with her is short-lived and fraught with tensions, because Tomm is convinced that she is somehow connected to the professors' death.
A sly tale of deception and deceit which tests the limits of human acceptance, this book is a pure delight, rolling into its contents the raciness of a thriller and the punch of a blockbuster. A definite pack-in for summer-time reading.
New Writing, edited by Toby Litt and Ali Smith, Picador, pounds œ4.99.
IT could have been the unlucky collection of 13 writers. Some tried and tested,and others unknown. Once opened, it is a veritable treasure trove of little gems jostling for place on your reading shelf. There's Tim Jarvis with "Beyond the Pale", a intense story of a deformed young baby who is abandoned by his wealthy family. David Mitchell, with "Hangman", jumps into the world of a boy suffering from a common speech disorder. Both stories step out of the box and look at life from another point of view. "A Little Nest of Pedagogues" is a brilliant and satirical comment by Fay Weldon about a family that gets charmed by a seductress. Niall Griffith's "Adrenalin" is a creepy account of death and its hues. A chilling story to the bone. And there's Kamila Shamsie with "Miscarriage" and Romesh Gunesekera with "Goat". It's aptly titled New Writing but its contents have an age-old feel to them. A feel of brilliance.
Along the Ganga, Ilija Trojanow, Penguin, Rs. 250.
ILIJA TROJANOW begins his long journey at the Gaumukh, reputed to be the source of the world's most celebrated rivers, the Ganga. A two-month journey into the cities of Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna and finally Gangasagar where the great and mighty river pours itself into the sea. Trojanow travelled by inflatable boats, and on land by buses and often on foot to reach his chosen destination. His travelogue describes how he crossed different time zones where myth and realitysometimes merge into one truth and where sometimes fantasy overtook a cold and often brutal reality. Recounting some of the legends he heard on his long journey, the author delves into the many lives of the different people living along the vast tract of the Ganga. Their lives, their beliefs and the reality that they face have been told with an unusual candour that is both refreshing and informative. This is not a travel guide, but a book that is steeped in discovering India as she is.
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