Sunday, January 15, 2012

Contentment, Pursuit and Ambition






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

No comments:

Featured Post

RENDEZVOUS IN CYBERIA.PAPERBACK

The paperback authored, edited and designed by Randeep Wadehra, now available on Amazon ALSO AVAILABLE IN INDIA for Rs. 235/...