Novelistic ambition is a tricky thing; it can be too slight, too grandiose or, worst of all, failed. Dr Kunal Basu has none of these problems in his riveting new novel.

The Yellow Emperor’s Cure is the story of Dr Antonio Henriques Maria – Portuguese doctor, brilliant surgeon, lady killer, adventurer – who sets off on an ocean voyage to China to find a cure for syphilis; a disease that afflicts his father and is effectively a death sentence in 1898. (As Antonio’s teacher says, “No one even believes in a cure for syphilis anymore.[…] In Naples they’ve built walls inside hospitals to separate the patients from the poxies, just as in Glasgow where the police have replaced doctors on the wards. In the lands of Calvin they’ve been left to die as punishment for their sins. The civilised world has simply given up.”)

Over the next year, Antonio inhabits a strange world of invisible royalty, eunuchs, new food and new customs. He must overcome his impatience and his previous training to learn the secrets of the Nei-Ching, the ancient medical canon that teaches a doctor to diagnose a patient simply by listening to the pulse. He must replace sphygmograph and ophthalmoscope with a reading of the four seasons and the five elements, the twelve channels of the body and its eleven organs. In the process he learns Mandarin, falls in love, and finds himself as a doctor and as a human being.

Basu creates a whole and absorbing world rich with detail, and peopled with characters who, despite a fair level of suspense, refuse to deliver the perfect ending, and are therefore that much more believable.

INDIAreads had the opportunity to speak with Dr Basu at the launch of ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Cure’ in New Delhi recently. Here are some extracts from the interview;

INDIAreads: Tell us a little bit about your first book ‘The Opium Clerk’. How difficult was it getting it published?

KB: When I moved from Montreal to take up teaching at Oxford, I carried ‘The Opium Clerk’ as a voluminous manuscript tucked under my arm, and did not quite know what to do with it.

I’m an academic – I understood a lot about academic publishing, not so much about literary publishing. So I sent the first 100 pages of the manuscript to seven different literary agents – randomly picked from a handbook called the ‘Handbook of Writers’ – and prepared for rejection.

Luckily, 5 of them wanted to represent me. The one I picked to be my agent, and who still remains my agent, managed to place the manuscript in 3 weeks.

So in that sense, my story has been a rather ordinary, boring one.

INDIAreads: What first attracted you to writing?

KB: I always wanted to be an author.

My father was a very famous publisher, and my mother was a fiction writer. So while I was always fascinated by culture, and writing in particular, growing up in the 70’s like I did, one’s options were always limited.

So I made more than a few wrong decisions, studied the wrong subjects, and ended up with the career that I am in now (Dr. Basu is a University Reader in Management at Saïd Business School, Oxford). However, being a ‘Sunday writer’, or writing as purely a hobby, was never an option for me.

So when I did start writing ‘The Opium Clerk’ back in 1998, I wanted to devote full attention to my writing, and that is what I did.

IndiaREADS: You are a full-time writer now, having written 5 books in 10 years. How do you balance being a writer with your career as an academic?

KB: I’ve been writing for 10 years, and am a full-time writer now. But having been an academic for 25 years, I know how to work the academic part around my writing – rather than the other way round. So I’ve never really had to take time off my work for my writing.

For instance, let’s say Wednesday morning I have a class at 11am. So I’ll write from 9 – 10:30am, go out and teach my class at 11, come back, get back to my desk and start writing again.

INDIAreads: How easy or difficult is it for you to flip the literary switch on/off at will?

KB: Well fortunately up until now that has not been a problem largely because I don’t resent my working life. I’ll make it that much harder for myself if I resent it. Look, we all need day jobs – I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that 95 per cent of writers in the English language today have a day job. I could have been a postman, a journalist; I just happen to be an academic. Which is no bad thing either. So I go out, teach my class and do my job, get back home and back to my writing again.

INDIAreads: What in your opinion makes for ‘a good story’?

KB: (smiles)  Ah. It’s what the author makes of it. Having been raised on classics, for me a good story or the scope of a good novel is – intricately woven tales of human relationships in the backdrop of great social turmoil. Think of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, or Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. What sets these works apart?

During times of normalcy, we’re all (more or less) normal. But the extreme in us comes out during extreme times; extremely good, or extremely bad. So if I’m able to think of a story with such elements in it, then that is the kind of story I like to tell.

INDIAreads: How do you begin your writing? Where does the genesis of your story usually lie?

KB: The most difficult question to answer would be ‘how’ or ‘why’ I thought of a particular story; it’s a confluence of various things. I can talk very cogently about ‘how I wrote it’, but the actual ‘birth’ of a story is inherently nebulous.

So I could be stuck in traffic; observing things around me, thinking – and suddenly a thought might pop into my head out of nowhere; it could be about an individual I see, or a setting I witness – it could be anything. Now if I ferment that thought some more, maybe I can create a good story.

INDIAreads: What has been the toughest criticism you’ve faced as an author?

KB: Every author is criticised; such is the nature of the game. But I feel I’ve been largely lucky in this regard.

(Upon being gently probed further) Maybe one, after ‘The Japanese Wife’ came out. But that wasn’t really a review of the book; it was more of a ‘character assassination of Kunal Basu’, so to speak. ‘He’s a management prof, what business does he have writing fiction – he should go back to management’ – the like.

But one immediately sees something like that as being driven by ‘extra-literary’ considerations, and is consequently not affected by it.

Having said that a large literary novel, after I’ve written it does not belong to me anymore; it belongs to the readers. Different people choose to see different aspects of it. And it’s not mathematics – I can’t argue with how people choose to interpret my work.

INDIAreads: What would you advise aspiring writers?

KB: To read and write a lot, and to always believe in themselves. I dare say, a little bit of arrogance is not a bad thing.  Look. If you were to just look at my CV, would you say this guy writes or would end up writing fiction?

Write if you’re really passionate about writing; don’t write if it’s a ‘side thing’. So if you find yourself saying,” I have an exciting job, a beautiful partner etc., and by the way I also want to write a bit”, don’t pursue it. Usually, those experiences are not happy writing experiences. Write when you’re ready; when writing seems to be the reason you’re alive.

I wake up in the morning, and I literally have withdrawal symptoms if I haven’t written for a couple of days. So, write when you can’t live without it.

INDIAreads: Truman Capote was a self-declared “completely horizontal author” and said he had to write lying down, while Hemingway used to write standing up – a pencil in one hand and a drink in the other. Edgar Allen Poe wrote with a cat on his shoulder, while T.S. Eliot preferred writing when he had a head cold.

Tell us a little bit about your writing ‘quirks’, if any.

KB: I’m a compulsive editor; 3 full drafts at least, edit after edit after edit.

My wife has to drag me away from my desk so I may go out for a walk or some exercise, for I am forever at my desk.

INDIAreads: When may your readers expect a work of non-fiction by Kunal Basu?

KB: I write non-fiction all the time. Strictly speaking, all of my academic publishing has been non-fiction. Additionally, I’ve written the text for an exceptionally different collection of 8,000 beautiful photographs by Kushal Ray called ‘Intimacies’ (releasing on 15^th February 2012), and almost wrote it fictionally. But in principle it’s neither a short story nor a novel; one could classify it as non-fiction.

(Pauses and thinks) However, if I were ever to move to non-fiction per se, I would probably write my memoirs. But hopefully that won’t happen in the next 10 years; I’ve got stories lined up in a queue in my head, each jumping and yelling ‘Me Next!’

INDIAreads: Any particular reason why you choose to mainly write historical fiction?

KB: History was my favourite subject in school. So deep inside me there has always been a strange love for other worlds, other places, and other times.

Also, I’m a Bengali and most of my early writings through school and college, from poetry to short stories, have been in Bangla. And Bengal has always had this great tradition of historical fiction – Bankim Chandra, Romesh Chunder Dutt, and others. So I believe that has seeped into me as I was growing up. Incidentally, I do also want to write a Bangla novel at some point.

But I do not see myself purely as a practitioner of historical fiction – my next novel is set in the here and now, right here in India.

INDIAreads: How much of a part does research play in your writing?

KB: For a historical novel, a significant amount of research always needs to be done. But the trick for me is not to over-research, for an over-researched piece of work will cease to sound and read like fiction.

I am driven only by my story. So I will only research an aspect of my story if I feel it will add to it as a whole. But even so, researching and writing a historical novel easily takes me a couple of years.

INDIAreads: Do you keep shuttling back and forth between Oxford and India?

KB: Quite a bit, and largely for reasons of my writing. I do all my writing at home in Oxford, and I keep visiting India periodically to sort of, do what I have to do to fertilize my imagination.

INDIAreads: What else interests you, apart from writing?

KB: Nothing about me is casual; for me it has to be ‘full on’, or I won’t do it.

I was a painter as a child, I’ve even acted in two films – but a sustained interest in my life would have to be traditional crafts. I really think that this is a part of human heritage that is increasingly getting lost. For instance, most people don’t realize that the terracotta Bankura Horse (a regular feature in most Bengali living rooms, and the official emblem of All India Handicrafts) is not even being made anymore.

So I’ve travelled around the world – Africa, South-east Asia, Latin America, visited villages and spoken to artisans, weavers, craftsmen of all types, photographed them and written about them. In the process, I’ve acquired quite a few pieces that currently occupy pride of place in my study.

INDIAreads: So may we expect to see you try your hand at sculpture sometime..?

KB: Writing is the path I’ve reached after most meanderings in my career, and it continues to be an abiding passion in my life. But (and smiles) never say never, is what I’ve come to understand about life.

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I try to deny myself any illusions or delusions, and I think that this perhaps entitles me to try and deny the same to others, at least as long as they refuse to keep their fantasies to themselves.

- Christopher Hitchens  (13^th April 1949 – 15^th December 2011)

That was Hitchens for you. Writer. Orator. Contrarian.

But just how much of a non-conformist WAS Hitch..?

In his 2007 polemic ‘God is not Great’, he gave short shrift to the “insulting” suggestion that cancer might persuade him to change his position (he was a heavy smoker/drinker) where reason had not, arguing that to ditch principles “held for a lifetime, in the hope of gaining favour at the last minute” would be a “hucksterish choice”, and urging those who had taken it upon themselves to pray for him not to “trouble deaf heaven with your bootless cries”.

Writing in his 2010 memoir ‘Hitch-22’, Hitchens said that he hoped and believed his “advancing age has not quite shamed my youth”, disavowing the “’simple’ ordinary propositions” of his younger days in favour of the maxim that “it is an absolute certainty that there are no certainties”.

“One reason, then, that I would not relive my life,” he continued, “is that one cannot be born knowing such things, but must find them out, even when they then seem bloody obvious, for oneself.”

A die-hard atheist, Hitchens’ contempt for all things ‘religion’ may be gauged from the following excerpts;

” Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the ‘transcendent’ and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.”

“Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer.”

“Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.”

“Religion looks forward to the destruction of the world…. Perhaps half aware that its unsupported arguments are not entirely persuasive, and perhaps uneasy about its own greedy accumulation of temporal power and wealth, religion has never ceased to proclaim the Apocalypse and the day of judgment.”

“The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.”

Buy the following Christopher Hitchens books at INDIAreads;

1. God is Not Great (2007)

“[A] pleasingly intemperate assault on organized religion…”  - Kirkus Reviews

“An intellectual willing to show his teeth in the cause of righteousness.” – The New Yorker

“Thank God for Christopher Hitchens.” - Esquire Magazine

One hell of a religious read.” – New York Post

2. Thomas Paine’S Rights Of Man – A Biography (2009)

“Hitchens is a political descendant of the great pamphleteer, “a Tom Paine for our troubled times.” - The Independent, London

“Christopher Hitchens at his characteristically incisive best” – The Times, London

3. Hitch-22 (2010)

‘If Hitchens didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be able to invent him.’ - Ian McEwan.

‘Christopher Hitchens is one of the great conversationalists of our age and his wit, style and erudition are brilliantly deployed in this glittering autobiography. Hitch-22 sparkles with funny stories, treasurable quotations, witty apercus and deft descriptions.’ - Sunday Times

4. Arguably (2011)

“Anyone who occasionally opens one of our more serious periodicals has learned that the byline of Christopher Hitchens is an opportunity to be delighted or maddened-possibly both-but in any case not to be missed….His range is extraordinary, both in breadth and altitude. He is as self-confident on the politics of Lebanon as on the ontology of the Harry Potter books….I still find Hitchens one of the most stimulating thinkers and entertaining we have, even when-perhaps especially when-he provokes.” (Bill Keller, New York Times Book Review )

In an article in Reader’s Digest (February 2001) titled ‘Beyond 2001’, Sir Arthur C Clarke outlined a series of predictions for the next 100 years. And asked to be checked for accuracy on 31^st December, 2100; tongue firmly in cheek.

Retrospect is always enlightening. So while some of these predictions may seem far-fetched (even laughable) in 2011, not all of them, incidentally, are entirely inaccurate.

As we approach Clarke’s birthday on December 16, let us take a peek at what (Clarke believes) may lie in store for us…

2001 Cassini space probe (launched 1997) begins exploration of Saturn’s moons and rings. Galileo probe (launched 1989) continues surveying Jupiter and its moons. Life beneath the ice-covered oceans of one moon, Europa, appears likely.

2002 The first commercial device producing clean, safe power by low-temperature nuclear reactions goes on the market, heralding the end of the Fossil Fuel Age.

2003 The motor industry is given five years to replace all fuel-burning engines with the new energy device. The same year, NASA’s robot Mars Surveyor is launched.

2004 First (publicly admitted) human clone.

2005 First sample sent back to Earth by Mars Surveyor.

2006 Last coal mine closed.

2008 A city is devastated by the accidental detonation of an atomic bomb in its country’s own armoury. After a brief debate in the United Nations, all nuclear weapons are destroyed.

2009 The first quantum generators (tapping space energy) are developed. Available in portable and household units, from a few kilowatts upwards, they can produce electricity indefinitely. Central power stations close down: the age of pylons ends.

Electronic monitoring virtually phases out professional criminals.

2011 Largest living animal filmed: a 76-metre octopus in the Mariana Trench. Even larger creatures are discovered when the first robot probes drill through the ice of Europa.

2012 Aerospace-planes enter commercial service.

2013 Prince Harry becomes the first member of the British royal family to fly in space.

2014 Construction of the Hilton Orbiter Hotel begins by converting the giant shuttle tanks previously allowed to fall back to Earth.

2015 An inevitable by-product of the quantum generator is complete control of matter at the atomic level. Within a few years, lead and copper cost twice as much as gold as they become immensely more useful.

2016 Existing currencies are abolished. The “mega-watt-hour” becomes the universal unit of exchange.

2017 December 16, on his hundredth birthday, Sir Arthur C. Clarke is one of the first guests in the Hilton Orbiter.

2019 A major meteor impact occurs on the north polar ice cap. The resulting tsunamis cause considerable damage along the coasts of Greeland and Canada. The long-discussed “Project Spaceguard,” to identify and deflect potentially dangerous comets or asteroids, is finally activated.

2020 Artificial Intelligence reaches human level. Now, there are two ‘intelligent’ species on Earth.

2021 The first humans land on Mars.

2023 Dinosaur facsimiles are cloned from computer-generated DNA.

2024 Infrared signals are detected coming from the centre of the Galaxy, obviously the product of a technologically advanced civilisation. All attempts to decipher them fail.

2025 Neurological research finally leads to an understanding of all the senses, and direct input becomes possible, bypassing ears, eyes, skin, etc. The result is the metal “Braincap.” Anyone wearing this close-fitting helmet can enter a whole universe of experience; real or imaginary.

The Braincap is a boon to doctors, who may now experience their patients’ symptoms (suitably attenuated). It also revolutionises the legal profession, as deliberate lying becomes impossible.

2040 The “Universal Replicator,” based on nanotechnology, is perfected; any object, however complex, may be created – given the necessary raw materials. Diamonds and gourmet meals alike may literally be manufactured from dirt.

Resultantly, agriculture and industry are phased out, taking conventional notions of ‘work’ with them. There is an explosion in spheres of art, entertainment and education. Hunter-gatherer societies are deliberately recreated, and huge swathes of the planet are allowed to revert to their natural state.

2045 The completely self-sustainable mobile home (envisaged almost a century ago by Buckminster Fuller) is perfected. Any additional carbon needed for food synthesis is obtained by extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

2050 Bored in this era, millions decide to use cryonic suspension to emigrate into the future in search of adventure.

2057 On October 4, the centenary of Sputnik 1, the dawn of the space age is celebrated by humans on Earth, the Moon, Mars, Europa, Ganymede and Titan, and in orbit around Venus, Neptune and Pluto.

2061 Halley’s Comet returns. First landing on the comet by humans, and the sensational discovery of both dormant and active life forms; vindicating Wickramasinghe and Hoyle’s century-old hypothesis that life exists through space.

2090 Burning of fossil fuels is resumed to replace carbon dioxide ‘mined’ from the air, and to try to postpone the next Ice Age by promoting global warming.

2095 The development of “Space Drive” – a propulsion system harnessing the structure of space-time itself – makes the rocket obsolete and permits velocities close to that of light. Human explorers set off to nearby star systems.

2100 History begins…

You may Buy OR Rent the following books by Sir Arthur C Clarke, EXCLUSIVELY at INDIAreads;

2001 – A Space Odyssey : Change the way you look at the stars. And at yourself.

“ Dazzling. Wrenching. Eerie. A true mind bender.”  -  TIME

2010 – Odyssey Two : Cosmic in sweep. Filled with the romance of Space. Eloquent in its depiction of Man’s place in the Universe.

“A daring romp through the solar system and a worthy successor to 2001.”  -  Carl Sagan

2061 – Odyssey Three : For Scientists and Metaphysicists alike.

“[Clarke] remains a master at describing the wonders of the material universe in sentences that combine a respect for scientific accuracy with an often startling lyricism.”  -  The New York Times

3001 – The Final Odyssey : Scientifically accurate. Yet startlingly lyrical.

“[Clarke] is . . . the poet laureate of the Space Age.”   -  Los Angeles Times

Ok honestly, how many of you looked at the title of this post and started grumbling about why anyone would want to know what Americans are reading? Well, trust me it’s not cos we are looking up to Big Brother for ideas and guidance. Nope, this is just to get an idea of what books are out in the market, and what nations and nationalities are reading. It can tell us lots about a country, don’t you think? I would love to do such a post on every country and then compare, but figures (which can be very misleading) for others are difficult to come across. So till then, we can start with what is available, no? And you know what I would really like to know? Are we reading the same stuff? So, whatever your nationality, if you come by this post, do tell me and all our other visitors your country and what you are reading currently

SO here’s the List for the USA: Source: Publishers’ Weekly, USA Today, Wall Street Journal etc. Order is approximate, not accurate. (The best of the lists that we consulted and there were loads of them, I assure you!!!)

FICTION:

1. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (mystery/ suspense/ thriller)

2. Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen

3. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

4. The Kane Chronicles, Book 2: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan (fantasy)

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

6. Buried Prey by John Sandford

7. The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry (mystery/ suspense/ thriller)

8. The Sixth Man by David Baldacci (mystery/ suspense/ thriller)

9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson (mystery/ suspense/ thriller)

10. Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

11. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Fantasy)

12. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (children)

13. Worth Dying For by Lee Child (mystery/ suspense/ thriller)

14. The Search by Nora Roberts (mystery/ suspense/ thriller)

15. Room by Emma Donoghue (short listed for the Man Booker 2010)

NON FICTION

1. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

2. Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea’s Family, Friends & Other Victims

3. Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler with David Dalton

4.  Bossypants by Tina Fey

5. Seal Team Six by Howard E. Wasdin & Stephen Templin

6. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

7.  The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Design for Rapid Results by Dr. Mike Moreno

8. Where’s the Birth Certificate? by Jerome Corsi

9. Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen

10. The Dukan Diet by Pierre Dukan

Read anything from the list? Know of anyone reading from this list? Let us know…..

Source: onlineathens.com

The talk of Kindle and a languishing publishing industry notwithstanding, authors seem to be earning well. Forbes.com recently did a survey ranking authors based on their earnings from books, film rights, television, gaming deals and other income from June 1, 2009, through June 1, 2010. Here’s what they found:

* The world’s top selling authors earned a whopping $270 million in one year

* James Patterson topped the list with $ 70 million, thanks to his committment to release 17 books by the end of 2012. So you’ll be seeing a lot more from this author of 51 New York Times best sellers

* She may not have released any new title in 2009 but Stephenie Meyer still earned $ 40 million from her sales of the Twilight series. She was second on the list.

* Horror novelist Stephen King came in third with $ 34 million. He will soon be co-authoring a comic book series.

Source: www.daniellesteel.net

* Romance novelist Danielle Steel earned $ 32 million; Steel is embracing the e-book revolution and 71 of her novels will soon be found in electronic formats.

* Ken Follett, the man who penned the Pillars of the Earth, came fith with $ 20 million.

* Author of 44  NY Times best sellers Dean Koontz was sixth with $ 18 million.

* Koontz was followed by Janet Evanovich ($16 million), John Grisham ($15 million), Nicholas Sparks ($14 million) and J.K. Rowling ($10 million)

Rent or buy the latest books from these top selling authors from INDIAreads Online Library cum Bookstore. Find out what makes them tick and what keeps their cash inflow steady!

Register Now! Rental Plans start @ just Rs 150 per month and enjoy up to 30% discount at the Bookstore!

To Kill A Mockingbird : This Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee celebrates its 50^th anniversary in print this year. A coming-of-age tale set in a land poisoned by virulent prejudice, the multi-layered story of South Alabama during the Great Depression in the 1930s dissects the white and black communities of the American South. Told with gentle humor, it focuses on religious turpitude and the ambivalence of adult morality. It has sold more than thirty million copies worldwide and also served as the basis of an enormously popular motion picture.

The Catcher in the Rye : The ultimate novel for disaffected youth. The story of Holden Caulfield, a seventeen- year-old dropout has always remained relevant to readers of all ages. A novel whose interest and appeal comes from its observations rather than its plot intrigues, J.D. Salinger’s timeless classic deals with society, love, loss, and expectations without ever falling into the clutch of a cliché.

The Little Prince : A book with a story so short and simple, it is often placed alongside popular children’s books at bookstores. Told in barely a hundred pages or so, Antoine De Saint-Exupry presents a thought provoking allegory of the human condition with his tale about a lost little boy.

The Diary of a Young Girl : Anne Frank was just thirteen years old when her family went into hiding for two years to escape the Nazi occupation of Netherlands in 1942. Her diary which was later discovered after the family was apprehended, vividly describes her frustrations of living in confined quarters, the constant threat of discovery, and the hunger and tiredness she faced daily. After it was published in 1947, the book remains the single most poignant true-life story to emerge from the Second World War.

Animal Farm : Fueled by Orwell’s intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism, the dystopian, allegorical novella reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II. A masterpiece, both as an engaging story and an allegory that actually works, the book symbolizes all the injustice that happens in name of an outside force and how simple minded people who do not educate themselves get taken advantage from.

These are just a selected few from among the classics. If you feel that there are other books which deserve to be added on this list, do leave us a comment below. All readers are welcome to recommend their favorite books.

Last week we reviewed The Immortals of Meluha by Amish; the same book that has been topping the fiction best sellers lists in India ever since it’s release. It’s success caught many by surprise, because it was published not by  Penguin, Harper, Hachette, Random House or Rupa, but by the booksellers, Bahrisons. So today we take a closer look at the novel : what is it about this fictionalised interpretation of Shiva’s life that has appealed to the hearts and minds of Indian readers?

Faith has always been a best seller. And when faith fuses with fiction to bring to life Gods which are revered by millions, fireworks are no surprise. It happened with the “Jesus was a man, a husband, a father” Da Vinci Code. And now the same is happening with The Immortals of Meluha that tells the story of Shiva the man, who legend made into a God. For some, it is just the freshness of the plot (or relative freshness as critics cite the Da Vinci code “inspiration”) that blends elements of history and mythology with action, adventure and religion. For others it is a desire to relook at some mythological and religious sayings. Agnostics are drawn to it by hope; believers pick it up so that they can dismiss its blasphemous contentions. A few housewives confessed that they just wanted to see what the “human avtaar” of their Gods would be like . An elderly reader explained that a plot set in the context of his beliefs and religion was more appealing – “I can relate to it, understand it.” And a college student at the billing counter offered, ” I just want to see what the hooplah is all about!” Varied reasons, and yet they meshed together to make the 35 year old MBA from IIM Kolkata an instant celebrity.

The charm of  The Da Vinci Code was in the seamless fusion of “believed” fact and fiction. Where did reality end and story begin, where did legend end and creativity begin – it was impossible to tell.  The book did carry some important messages – respect for the feminine and the need for faith (or as some would say the power of faith), but these were lost in the intricacy of the plot and in its intrigue.

This however, is not the case with The Immortals of Meluha. Not surprisingly, while the plot and premise of the book have been much talked about, little has been said about it’s literary merit, about it’s consciously “modern” writing style that is completely at odds with the age and era it seeks to create for the reader. Many a times, it seems as if the author has juxtaposed modern day concepts on an ancient society. Disconcerting yes, but forgivable because once you rid yourself of your expectations from the plot, you discover nuances that hold great import for today’s world. For instance, after leading the “good” Suryavnshis to victory against the “evil” Chandravanshis, Shiva discovers his error. The Chandravanshis were not evil, not “terrorists” as the Suryavanshis and he himself had believed; only different. Just like the Asuras who were cast as “evil” by the Devas in their own texts (a reference to the bias of history – it always reflects the beliefs of those who pen it) . The “war against evil”, the Dharmayudh in which millions were killed were thus never battles of the righteous. They were battles between two different belief systems, two lifestyles, both of which were essential to maintain the balance in this world, to complete the world. The warriors and civilians who lost their lives were not martyrs who gave up their life for the “greater good” but unfortunate victims of the lack of understanding between two cultures that refused to engage with, and hence to understand each other.

The last few chapters of the book hold important lessons. Shiva was repeatedly plagued by doubts about the “evilness” of the Chandravanshis but at every stage he silenced his conscience by stating, “but they are evil and so this is justified.” Perhaps just like us when we view the “war against terror,” when we label innocent women and children as “collateral damage,” when we refuse to even understand the “other” because we are convinced that they are evil determined to destroy our way of life. But if the great God, the Mahadev could err, can’t we? If he could accept that he was “wrong”, can’t we? The important question, as an enlightened Pandit told a visibly shaken Shiva was not “Who is evil?” but “What is evil?” The job of a leader, of a God is not to destroy evil, but to identify it, recognise it.

Let us take another instance. Many readers going through the book will, like Shiva, believe the Meluhan society to be almost perfect. (Some though will find problems. But more on those later- in a separate post maybe) They will commend the great Suryavanshi king Daksha on the humaneness of his vision – not to destroy the Chandrvanshis but to offer them a chance to embrace the better quality of life offered by Meluhan society; to enter a society where the rich and poor are almost treated equally, where everyone lives by the law, where there are no beggars. And yet, in the end, they like Shiva will discover that no way of life is perfect; that each has its own strengths and weaknesses. What ails our world today, what causes strife and what has been the source of strife throughout history is the “Daksha syndrome.” The belief that our way of life – be it religion, political or economic system –  is “the way of life” and the persistent attempt to make everyone embrace it.

They say what we seek is what we see. Perhaps, I am so caught up in the politics of our world that I find references to it in a fictionalised mythological story. But to me, the Immortals of Meluha is a political commentary with messages for our world and a hope that since they flow from the Mahadev himself, they will find greater acceptance. Be it the interpretation of Shiva’s battle cry – Har Har Mahadev  as Every man a Mahadev or the valour of Sati who fights her own battles – every passage is rich in meaning and yet, open to interpretation. Therein lies the strength of this book.

Rent, Purchase best selling novel the Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi from INDIAreads Online Book rental Library and Bookstore

The World Book Fair in Delhi taught us many things…..for instance we know for a fact now that India still loves to read and books are not going to be passe any time soon. The enthusiasm of kids and adults alike, not just from Delhi but from all across the country as they browsed, bought and discussed books gave us a never before high…So even as we went crazy selling books and enrolling members, we took time out to observe what else INDIA was telling us..and it said that we do not follow the New York Times or any other best selling lists. We have our own preferences ….

So here’s a list of what (and who) India, and especially Delhi is reading and buying…..

a) Paulo Coelho: Be it the ever green alchemist, the just out Winner Stands Alone or even the little heard about Valkyries, his books were in high demand. He was definitely the best selling fiction author.

b) Chetan Bhagat was a close second. The fact that his books are affordable (just Rs 95) and easily available definitely helped the sales. Two States and Five Point Someone were at the top, but One Night @ the Call Centre and Three Mistakes of My Life were also extremely popular.

c) Twilight Series: Breaking Dawn was a big hit but the other Twilight novels were not far behind. Meyer’s other titles like The Host and Prom Nights From Hell didn’t do equally well though.

d) Nicholas Sparks: The Notebook and A Walk to Remember were the top grossers but all her other books did well do.

e) Enid Blyton: Even now no one can Beat an Enid Blyton when it comes to books for children.

f) Amartya Sen’s Argumentative Indian was highly sought after

g) Books by Edward De Bono and Malcolm Gladwell

h) The Little Prince in both English and Hindi was a popular buy. Reasonably priced and beautifully written, it seemed like a must have for most people

i) Books by Ruskin Bond, R.K. Narayan, Khushwant Singh and Amitav Ghosh were a big hit.

j) Rashmi Bansal’s Stay Hungry Stay Foolish that tells the story of 25 IIM graduates sold many copies.

k) Three Cups of Tea and Schools into Stones by Greg Morgensten

l) Books by Jhumpa Lahiri, especially An Interpretor of Maladies did well.

m) Sidney Sheldons and Jeffrey Archers were also popular.

n) Premchand in Hindi: We ran out of every single copy that we had stocked. There was a huge demand for hindi books, especially classics by Premchand, Madhushala by Bachchan, Gitanjali by Tagore

o) Books on Hindi poetry were in great demand. Meena Kumari ki Ghazelin was definitely the surprise grosser.

This is what India is buying…..want to see what’s so special about them? You can rent them out from INDIAreads Online Library. ALl are available for rent and sale…

HAPPY READING!!!!!

After the scariest books of 2009, it’s time to select the most fantas-tic ones. Again we rely on international lists to select the top sci-fi and fantasy novels.  Most of these titles are however,  already available in the INDIAreads collection. So, if you are a sci-fi fan and haven’t read them, do so and see if they are worthy contenders. And if you have read them already, tell us your verdict….

After monitoring Allbookstores.com, Amazon.com for almost 10 days and rely on sundry ewspaper comparisions, here is the list that emerges:

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

3. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

4. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

5. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

6. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

7. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

8. Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

9. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

10. The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

These were the most bought fantasy books of 2009.

Other Contenders were

The Strain by Chuck Hogan

The True Blood Novel series by Charlaine Harris

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Gracia, Margaret Stohl

And here’s a list of all time favourite Fantasy/ Sci Fi writers

J.K. Rowling

J.R.R. Tolkein

Stephenie Meyer

Terry Pratchett

Jules Verne

C.S. Lewis

Mary Shelley

Lloyd Alexander

Feel free to add, comment, detract…..we await your feedback