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Classic myth
retold
Reviewed by Ram Varma
The Poem of the Killing
of Meghnad: Meghnadbadh Kabya
By Michael Madhusudan Dutt. Trans William Radice.
Penguin Books.
Pages 552. Rs 499.
THE
fount of poetry that flowed from the mouth of Rishi Valmiki
probably three-four millennia ago in the form of the Ramayana has
in time become a perennial river that has branched out into a thousand
of streams. The story has tugged at the heartstrings of millions of
people.
Peep
into vibrant British era
Reviewed by Amarinder Sandhu
Sahib’s India
By Pran Neville.
Penguin Books.
Pages 241. Rs 299.
COLONIAL
India and the lives of the British pioneers here have intrigued many. A
vacuum existed in information regarding the socio-cultural life of
company’s employees, and Sahib’s India has filled that void.
This book is an intricate tapestry woven with the stories of a group of
traders who went on to rule the land of the "boiling sun and
scorching winds".
Tracking
economic recession
Reviewed by Rachna Singh
Fault Lines: How Hidden
Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy
By Raghuram G. Rajan.
HarperCollins.
Pages 274. Rs 499.
INFLATION
and economic meltdown are the terms that have dogged us for
almost a decade. We have talked animatedly about the alarming increase
in price of real estate and the inflationary trends of day-to-day
commodities.
Change
and consequences
Reviewed by Ravia Gupta
Extreme American Makeover
By Mitali Perkins.
HarperCollins.
Pages 258. Rs 199.
IT's
for sure that you may not have heard or even read about such a makeover
ever before. Extreme American Makeover is a story of a
16-year-old short, spunky and just a regular girl, Sameera, also known
as ‘Sparrow’ among her friends.
Made
on China
Humra Quraishi
Journalist Pallavi Aiyar’s novel Chinese
Whiskers brings out interesting facets of life in the dragon country
AWARD-winning
journalist-writer Pallavi Aiyar launched her debut novel, Chinese
Whiskers (HarperCollins), last weekend in New Delhi. Before Chinese
Whiskers Pallavi had written non-fiction on China, titled Smoke
And Mirrors. And that volume was enough to indicate that this young
writer would write more `85several more volumes.
Melody
reloaded
M.L. Dhawan
Raju Bharatan’s book traces the rise and fall of Indian film music
RAJU
Bharatan’s A Journey Down Melody Lane (Hay House India)
cinematically highlights the contribution not only of music makers,
singers and the lyric-writers but also of some exceptionally talented
movie-makers, such as Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Dev Anand, Vijay Anand and
thespian Yash Chopra.
Swift’s
flirtatious game of self-censorship
Rob Sharp
Jonathan
Swift, known for his satirical contributions to literature,
sometimes flirted with the obscene. His most famous letters are riddled
with crossings-out, which academics previously attributed to 18th
century editors censoring the clergyman's bawdy lines. Swift called
women "bitches", "huzzies" and complained about
their looks.
LAUNCH PAD
Back of the book
Dead Like You
By Peter James
Panmacmillan.
Pages 643. Rs 299.
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