“This one has been writing itself a long long long time Since about March this year! I hesitate to call it a review; let’s just say it is my perspective of Shail Mohan’sdebut publication, an Anthology of her verse, titled “Love, Loss & Acceptance“.
“March??” you say, almost horrified that I attempt such a task all of nearly six months later! Ahem. Errrmmm… yes. I hang my head in utter despondency. You see, I did so want to do it earlier, but well… I got busy with stuff. All kinds of stuff that terrify teachers at the end of School year, and stuff that terrify parents when their offspring is about to get married. You do get the picture don’t you? My excuse is watertight!
Sigh. No, it really isn’t. But we’ll let that be, won’t we Shail? I know you understand, and that is what matters finally!
Of course it is all relative and depends entirely on whether you are you or I. Hmm….. Now THAT was a foolish thing to say and is an impossibility to boot. You are you and I of course am I. There is no ‘whether’ about it. So getting back to what I was saying, the good news (which certainly is NOT what the Indian movies have us believe is THE good news. Sheesh, the very idea!) is that my book of verse, ‘Love, Loss & Acceptance‘ is now available via certain online stores. You gotta admit that is good news for me and the few gullible brave souls who love reading poetry. In the meantime I feel someone also please tell Indian filmmakers (and the society at large) that ‘good news’ means plenty more than what their one-track mind tells them it is. Anyways….
You lovely brave souls out there who wanna take the plunge, and also those who I am trying to convince to jump off the deep end sort of, can now go to the following places to place their orders:
You can call me the least ambitious. From the time I started blogging (five long years back), people have been telling me that I should “write a book”. But, I have merely laughed and gone on writing my blogs, stories and poems. You see, I am lazy in addition to not being ambitious. They were all there on my blog pages, and if someone would please come along and make something out of it, I’d have been only too pleased. That’s how lazy I am. And yet…
Sometimes some dreams steal upon you, wake you from your slothful existence and force you to act. One such dream alighted on me and woke me with its gentle touch and succeeded where a prod would not have. And so was born Love, Loss & Acceptance, a collection of verse.
All the world, they say, loves a lover. The world also identifies with and hence grudgingly so, loves heartbreak too. Who has not been touched by love? Who has not known loss? Who has not had to accept the verdict of Fate? That’s what the book is about.Love, Loss & Acceptance.
I’d like to tell you all it is the cat’s whiskers and that you should all get your copy. But when I think of how I shy away from poetry myself, I am loathe to tell my readers such things. Honestly people, I’d be thrilled if you get your copies. But I really won’t blame you if you don’t like poetry yourself. In case you muster enough courage, you can order your copies here at Pothi.com.
Well, I am really at a loss to say anything more about it. This is an emotional offering rather than a cool well thought out one. It is a dream, which I had to make come true first, a promise to myself that I had to keep. I have done that. I am at peace. Wish me luck. Thank you.
There are a lot of people who I have to thank. First among them comes Usha Pisharody, you will know why when you read. All my readers who have stopped by to read and comment and commend. My thanks goes to all of you.
Updated to add: Very remiss of me. The very beautiful cover design is bythe artist son, Vishakh
I am awed and impressed by those who write reviews. The aplomb with which they write on book/movie/music and the knowledgeable analysis of the same that they present has held me spellbound. Unfortunately for me, the words that spout freely and plentifully (when I blog), as if water gushing forth from a broken pipe that the municipality neglects to fix, dries up the minute the topic of a review comes up, like the tap that inevitably dies out on the Bollywood hero at the precise moment he has lathered himself liberally with soap suds from head to toe.
Now if you were to simply ask me whether I like something or not, you’d have got your answer in a jiffy. No dilly dallying, oh no Siree. In this, I would probably take the wind off the sails of the on-screen lawyers we see thundering ‘Yes or No?” at hapless characters put in the dock, who chafe under such restrictions and are dying to break free from narrow constraints.
Just for a moment, let us imagine that Mr. Lawyer is actually questioning me, in true Bollywood style. (Remember, all the answers given by me are in a ringing tone, audible clearly, except where otherwise mentioned.)
Mr. Lawyer: Do you own a copy of ‘A bowlful of Butterflies’??
Me: Yes
Mr. Lawyer: Has the author signed it for you?
Me: No
Mr. Lawyer: Hmmmm…. have you finished reading the book?
Me: Yes
Mr. Lawyer: Did you like the book?
Me: Yes
Mr. Lawyer: Did you tell the author so?
Me: Yes
Mr. Lawyer: (unnerved at the opportunity not having presented itself for his thundering act, sips water to buy time and think of some new way to trip me)
All well so far. But Mr. Lawyer returns with more wind in his sails.
Mr. Lawyer: (resuming) Have you written a review of the book yet?
Me:(hemming and hawing) Errr… Ummmm…
The chance that Mr. Lawyer has been waiting for is right there and he sharpens his claws in anticipation of stealing the thunder or rather letting the thunder fall and thus win a thunderous applause for a performance expected of him.
Mr. Lawyer: This is a court Ms. Shail Mohan. No Errrs and Ummms. Please answer the question, Yes or No?
Me:(mumbles) mnogoodatreviews….. so I…
Mr. Lawyer: (in louder voice, very close to that thunder now) No one is interested in what you are or not good at. Just tell us, have you written a review, Yes or No?
Me:(smallest ever voice) Actually, I meant to…
Mr. Laywer: (exultantly gives in to the much awaited full-fledged thunder) YES OR NO?!
Me:(whispers) no.
Thunderbolts meant for you cannot be deflected forever. Now that the thunderous performance is over, Mr. Lawyer is thunderously magnanimous.
Mr. Laywer:(in gentle tomes) Can you please tell the court why not?
Me:(shamefacedly) I don’t know to write them.
Mr. Laywer:(raises eyebrows dramatically, accompanies it with derisive laughter taken up by onlookers) Ha! A likely story!
But this is not a story. It is truth, the absolute truth and nothing but the truth. Of course I am not talking of the fabricated scene above. I simply suck BIIIG time at writing reviews of books. You will not find a single one on Shail’s Nest though I read fairly lot. In fact you will not find a single review on anything, be it books, movies or music….anything at all. The one time I wrote about the one who makes me indescribably happy, I made a mess of things. I could only write about how I came across the musician and what his music means/did to me but nothing about the music itself.
One big hurdle for writing reviews is an undeniable fact, oft repeated, but nevertheless not something that can be swept under the carpet. I am different. Period. I notice things that no one ever does or deems important enough. That sort of makes me shy away from this whole business of reviews. I have stopped trying to analyze why I like/dislike something because it definitely is NOT in the same terms of why the public does. I have my own reasons and till the time as I meet up with them Neptunians from my home planet, they are best left to my own self.
Sorry Ritu, you cannot call this a review by any standards, just a non-review. But lemme tell ya, I liked your book. Congratulations on your debut novel and wishing you the best on the second which I hear is already on its way. For those who want to read a review that does justice to the term and the book, I’d recommend that you read one by Tikuli, here and another by Athira, here.
Here is the book trailer video:
In the meantime, if anyone is taking classes on writing reviews or knows someone who does, please let me know. :/
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