BOOK REVIEW : The Blind Man's Garden by Nadeem Aslam

The Blind Man's Garden by Nadeem Aslam 

"The Blind Man's Garden" - the title was what made me read the synopsis of this book and place an order for it. And from here a new literary journey began. As expected I was counting the days till l had this book in hand. I got this book delivered two weeks back and since then we have been inseparable. But this book was unlike others in the sense that I could not connect with it from the very first page. The first 100 pages or so were an ordeal and I had almost given up on it. But slowly and skilfully like a magician this book put a spell on me. It is primarily a love story told amidst the ruins of humanity, a sad but true outcome caused by greed, an intense hunger for power and lack of tolerance towards fellow beings.
The story is set in Heer, a small town in Pakistan. Rohan, a retired school headmaster lives in a beautiful house named the Ardent Spirit with his son Jeo and daughter in law, Naheed. The story is set in the present times where the Americans are in Afghanistan trying to hunt down Al-Qaeda post 9/11,with the support of the Pakistani government and how the civilians are caught between the pro-government and the anti- government establishments. This book emphasises on the extreme difficulties faced by the common man in his very existence both in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. Aslam takes the readers right in the middle of the war affected zone, when Jeo and his foster brother go to Afghanistan to look after the wounded civilians. The moment they enter Afghanistan, they get kidnapped by the local warlords. The twists and turns in the lives of these two men from the lush greens of Heer, to the hide outs of the Al-Qaeda in the hilly terrains of Afghanistan to the  prisons in America is very harsh but real at the same time. It is very scary and chilling to read how a few powerful men are exploiting the common citizens either to extract money from the Americans or to weaken the partnerships between the local government and the Americans in their fight against Al-Qaeda.
Aslam is a compelling author who weaves a beautiful but hard hitting tale which catches you in its web quite effortlessly. The way he describes the Ardent Spirit is so magically beautiful that it makes me want to live in such a aesthetically pleasing house. Aslam's love for the nature with its lush greenery, sweet smelling flowers, the ripe juicy fruits and the colorful insects abound is evident from the many descriptions. At the same time he doesn't hesitate to write about the cold and heart wrenching reality of the war zone.
As with all love stories this book also ends on a positive note. It stresses on the one thing which inspires man to move ahead in life - Love and Hope. There is a line from one of Wamaq Saleem's poems that Aslam uses in his story which sums up the book. It says, " Love is not consolation, it is light" .
 

BOOK REVIEW : And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Husseini is an author who needs no introduction. He is an author who is known all over the world for his impeccable style of writing and unique story writing skills.
The first book of Husseini's which I read was A Thousand Splendid Suns and it would be an understatement to say that I was totally enthralled by it's gripping story and such strong characters. And the moment I finished it I caught hold of The Kite Runner. It goes without saying that it was an awesome read.
Now after a gap of many years Husseini comes with out with another precious gem from his invaluable ability of story telling- "And the Mountains Echoed".
The story is not about the Taliban or the suffering of the Afghans or an individual but it is a story about people, their relationships and the impact of certain decisions on their lives. Instead of one central character, Husseini presents us with some very compelling characters who make you plunge, heart first, in their stories with an effortless magic spell.
The book begins with the early childhood story of Abdullah and his younger sister Pari who are on a long journey from their village Shadbag to Kabul with their father. On the way he tells them a story and what a story it was. I was under the spell of the great magician of words-Husseini in the first chapter itself. From there the story moves ahead with Parvana, Abdullah and Pari's stepmother. It talks about her life in the shadow of a pretty twin sister, Masooma, and  how her simmering hatred for Masooma changes the twins's lives forever. Then the master storyteller takes us into the life of Nabi, Parvana's brother who works in the house of Mrs and Mr Suleiman Wahdati. Nabi plays a pivotal role in separating Abdullah and Pari and in bringing Pari in the lives of the Wahdatis. The story then jumps to Greece into the early life of Dr. Markos, a plastic surgeon living in the present day war-torn Afghanistan. It is through this kind doctor that Pari is traced and how after many decades she unites with her brother Abdullah and his family.
All the stories are very beautifully carved and are intricately linked to each other through invisible but very strong bonds. It is these relationships and the beautifully etched characters who very subtly but surely pull your heartstrings and stay with you long after you finish the book.

BOOK REVIEW : The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri.N.Murari

"The slip of paper- what it said and what it left unsaid- was a threat. What crime have I committed now? Had I revealed my face accidently to a stranger or had I accidently spoken out loud in the bazaar or had I accidently revealed my ankle or wrist??" ---- the reasons in the very first chapter argued by the main protagonist sets the tone of the story.
This is the story of Rukhsana, a fiercely independent, opinionated and a strong individual who is forced to live her life behind the veil under the taliban regime, whose one of the many diktat says that a woman should only be seen in the house and in the grave.
This story is about her intense struggle to attain the elusive freedom for her younger brother Jahan and herself from the stifflling and fearsome life in  Kabul. The opportunity comes in the form of a cricket tournament organised by the talibs which in itself is a preposterous idea as the talibans would be encouraging the kind of behaviour they have been trying to suppress all these years.
The story is like a full on Hindi masala movie with a handsome- always comes to the rescue -HERO and  a strong but cornered from all sides- HEROINE and a plot full of the expected twists and turns.
But its a feel good book with a happy ending which gives you a warm glow in your heart and makes you want to believe that however difficult a situation may be Truth and Love wins!