Realization
by Venu Sanon
Recherché
Books. Pages: xv+131. Price: Rs. 480/-
If poetry is, “A criticism of
life under the conditions fixed for such a criticism by the laws of poetic
truth and poetic beauty” as Mathew Arnold says, its beauty lies in the flight
of imagination that creates a world that is fantastic and utterly riveting, as
epitomized in The Tale of Princess Naina in this anthology. Yet, Sanon
is clearly not a fantast. This book has ten sections dealing with various
aspects of nature and human existence. In the section on nature she shows great
understanding of the various elements as is clear from the empathetic On
Behalf of Trees. The section on positive thinking has some excellent poems
for our youth, especially those prone to bouts of pessimism. My personal favourites
in this section are The Song of Life and Hues. Even in the
section on refinement there is an optimistic poem, In Praise of the Loser.
Today, structured poems,
especially rhymes, are a no-no as they restrict what a poet wants to convey; form
takes precedence over content, often resulting in contrived rhyming. Sanon has,
however, come up with beautiful rhymes that do not obfuscate her message nor
compromise on profundity. Yet, she has written a perceptive poem on ageing in
blank verse aptly titled A Journey in Blank Verse. Although a medical
doctor by profession the poet’s imagery is charming and strikingly imaginative
as is proved by these lines in the poem The Word: “Nature wiggled in
its seed/And squirmed to emerge;/The waters felt a pressing need,/For oceans to
submerge.”
This book deserves space on your
bookshelf.
Out of the
blue by Aakash
Chopra.
Harper Sport.
Pages: xi+262. Price: Rs. 299/-
A lot has been written on cricket
– both by professional cricketers as well as writers. Naturally, the accumulated
corpus comprises verbiage of variegated hues – some damning the game, others
eulogizing it and still others taking the middle or pragmatic path. William
Temple, a churchman who lived in the 19th century had described the
game as “organized loafing” while the British dramatist, Harold Pinter, defines
it as “the greatest thing that God ever created on earth… certainly greater
than sex.” But, of course, the most apt and celebrated line is “the game of
glorious uncertainties”.
Now, ever since the game has
turned professional in India, the glorious uncertainties have begun to manifest
themselves even beyond the playing field. Every time national squads for
various formats are announced followers of cricket are frequently flummoxed by
selection of some for reasons other than cricketing merit. While taking us on
the trail of Rajasthan’s rise to the status of “team of substance” in Ranji
Trophy, Chopra exposes the fickleness of team selectors – both at state and
national levels. He also delineates the strengths and weaknesses of various
players. If you love cricket you’d want to go through this book by one of the most
prolific scorers in domestic cricket.
The secret
letters of the monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma
Jaico. Pages:
223. Price: Rs. 250/-
Jonathan is ambitious. So
ambitious that on the one hand he has no compunction while letting down his
mentor and, on the other, he neglects the emotional needs of his wife and only
son. Even when she walks out on him for “trial separation” Jonathan is unable
to get rid of his addiction to work. Perhaps it is not all his fault. The
corporate culture impels one to ruthlessly focus on achieving one’s ambitions
at the cost of one’s health and relationships. But Jonathan’s mother forces him
to meet “Cousin Julian” who sets him on the path to self-rediscovery. Robin Sharma comes up with a book-length
parable that should interest workaholics. But do they have the time?
Published in The Tribune dated 15 January, 2012
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