We’ve been having an interesting selection of review copies for our parent members as well! Some of the unique ones have been curated here!
Rukmini Aunty & the R.K Narayan Fan Club – an authentic take on ‘Malgudi’- esque nostalgia
[reviewed by Sowmya]
Title: Rukmini aunty & the R.K. Narayan Fan Club
Written by: Sita Bhaskar
Cover illustration by: Mohith O
Published by: Penguin Books
Length: 184 pages
Set in the quaint heritage city of Mysore and loosely based on true events, the story traces the journey of Rukmini aunty, an unassuming elderly lady. After a visit to the American town of Hannibal, the boyhood home and museum of Mark Twain, Rukmini is spurred into creating an action group to preserve RK Narayan’s heritage house in Mysore. The crumbling house is entangled between the depleted government funds and ambitious property developers.
Rukmini is well supported and encouraged by her husband, Sesha Uncle and her American born niece, Janani. Her ‘literary society ‘ is an entourage of ladies who are a chatty bunch and gossip over tea and samosas. They mostly discuss life’s trials and tribulations rather than brainstorm ideas on how to raise funds, much to Rukmini’s dismay!
The characters in the story are reminiscent of the folks from Malgudi days- regular middle class folks whose dreams, aspirations and mundane tribulations formed the basis of R K Narayan’s stories. Just like RK Narayan focused on middle class struggles and dreams in Malgudi days, author Sita Bhaskar also does the same in this book: the life of a childless ageing couple, the dream to construct an ‘independent’ home, the NRI life, the struggles of kids raised in America trying to integrate themselves into India, how the great American dream of youngsters affected the parents back home. The author deftly addresses many quirks of Indian life: blind superstitions, horoscope matching, the infamous inactiveness of government offices and colloquial lingo.
The story has many characters and numerous sub plots woven into the main story line – some of whom we never encounter again and hence are left confused and wondering at their incomplete story lines (do Mukta and Mr. CB end up together? What happens to Khasim’s movie script? Does Kamini succeed in bringing out the school literary magazine and hold onto her job? What happened to the American bank that got mixed up with the house?)
The story has got all the ingredients of a delightfully delicious novel: a dash of romance, a sprinkle of mystery, a spoonful of suspense, a touch of ambition all mixed into a broth of nostalgia. The characters struggle to preserve a slice of old Mysorean heritage as commercialisation threatens to bring down the house. The story has a relaxed meandering pace and many relatable moments that will have you chuckling in agreement.
This book is a nostalgic ode to the sepia-tinted yesteryears. The story has all the ingredients of a delicious novel. Go ahead and pick up this book and savor it slowly over a cup of strong filter coffee.
If you enjoyed this review and wish to order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Kaayaa, A Novel: a gripping saga on beauty & betrayal
Title: Kaayaa, A Novel
Written by: Guruprasad Kaginele
Translated from Kannada by: Narayanan Shankaran
Published by: Vintage, An Imprint of Penguin Random House
Length: 329 pages
Age recommendation: Adults
Kaayaa, The Novel, is a saga of love, beauty, betrayal and scandal. The story starts with Bheem Malik, MD(aka Dr.Bheemasenarao Jayatheerthacharya Malakheda) who is a high-profile celebrity plastic surgeon in upscale Manhattan.
He is a first generation migrant from a small town in Karnataka who has shed his Indian identity like a chrysalis and has emerged as an All-American social butterfly. He skilfully sculpts bodies of the New York elite.
The story moves quickly as Bheem Malik is served a notice for inappropriate sexual advances by a lady(who also happens to be a high-end escort!). The case comes under intense media scrutiny and Twitterati judgement!
Being the son-in-law of a senator, he gets further embroiled in a tenacious web of political power games.
The author, Guruprasad Kaginele, being a doctor from Karnataka and settled in the US, deftly constructs a story which is layered, fast-paced and intriguing. He draws many nostalgic cultural references about Indian-Americans trying to realise the Great American Dream.
Bheem Malik is guilty of many things, including a dystopian experiment wherein he surgically sculpts a “newer” voluptuous version of his ex-wife by conducting numerous cosmetology procedures on his new wife!!
A parallel story line of Kasturi Rangan is introduced, set perhaps in the 1970s, wherein a young unassuming Mysore girl, Kasturi is married off to a twisted drug addict in New York.
Her story is one of struggle and immense resilience as she rises like a phoenix from the ashes of disease and abuse.
Kasturi steadily climbs the pedestal of power in American politics as she battles social stigma, sexual advances and misogyny.
The author is a master storyteller and he touches upon various topical matters: MeToo scandal and its singeing cancel culture; the power dynamism of American politics; the obsession with Botox and silicon implants. We also see struggles with mental health, substance abuse as well as identity crisis.
I loved how the author has managed to weave together multiple topics into one explosive novel which kept me glued to the pages. The Kannada cultural references evoked a sense of familiarity as did the medical terminologies
The story seems like a desi-version of ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ with Kardashian-ised women struggling in love, and beauty is measured in inches and fillers.
Is beauty truly skin deep or does the body become beautiful when the soul becomes wholesome? The author forces the looks-obsessed generation to answer these questions. At the end of the day, no matter the size or appearance of the person, we are all trying to find love and acceptance.
One cannot overlook the herculean literary efforts of the translator, Narayan Shankaran who has translated the entire Kannada novel into English with an easy-flowing narrative!
Read this book to find out how Dr.Bheem Malik and Senator Kasturi Rangan navigate their murky crises and try to discover the true meaning of life.
A fantastic masterpiece from the winner of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award: Kaayaa, the Novel will force you to learn to truly look beyond “looks”.
If you enjoyed this review and wish to order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Sowmya is a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received these books as review copies from the publisher via kbc.
