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Where Gods Dwell
The storylines are simple to the point of being artless, but absorbing. The tales of valour, fantasy, humour, legends and romance etc strike a chord within us. They have something to tell even as a skein of vivid fiction is woven on our mindscape. The value of this volume is enhanced by the inclusion of well-researched backgrounder to the tales that have been taken from the folklore of the central Himalayan region of Kumaon and Garhwal. What Goes Around
Comes Around
Heartbroken and lonely, Peter goes through a period of self-doubt during which he takes up a job as carpenter and indulges in drinking and eating junk food. Fortunately for him, he has a chance meeting with Cindy – a cycling champion from his schooldays, but now confined to the wheelchair. However, she inspires him to rejuvenate himself. He goes on to become the Olympic champion. The author chooses not to reveal the places where the story takes place and eschews dramatising the potentially dramatic moments. Still, a good read.
Spiritualism and self-improvement go hand in hand. Spiritualism removes all negativity and other behavioral drawbacks in one’s personality make up. It makes one look at the self critically so that one may develop a positive attitude towards the world around him/her. Sirshree has reworked the Greek legend of Hercules to come up with a parable that has the identically named protagonist. Our Hercules is a business partner in a showroom. However, things in his personal and professional lives are getting from bad to worse. His wife leaves him, his business incurs losses and he has no friends left – only enemies, thanks to his behavior. After accidentally killing a woman he is on the run when a Goddess decides to visit him in his dreams and lead him to a temple. There, he is given twelve tasks by the temple’s priest that gradually lead to his spiritual evolution even as he helps others to get rid of negativity through the tool of self-investigation.
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Folktales
form an essential ingredient in the evolution of cultures, reflecting
prevailing observances, customs, traditions, beliefs, superstitions and
prejudices of common people. Being a part of oral literature, folktales
are heard and remembered from generation to generation. During the
course of retellings, these get modified to suit extant
socio-political-cultural requirements. Therefore, one would find
mythological characters in folktales acquiring atypical antecedents and
behaving quite differently from their "given"
propensities/identities. For example, in this volume there is a story, The
Kunwar Brothers: Of Girls and Dice, wherein Krishna, here Dhudh
Kunwar, is not the younger brother of Balarama but the youngest of nine
sons of Vasuki Naag and Padma Nagin. Similarly, the name of Shiva’s
consort is Nanda Devi, daughter of Hemant and Mainuli. She has a sister,
Vallabha, who is married to the King of Kannauj.
Fall
and redemption form this story’s theme. After Peter Wilkins’ death
his grandson, John, still a child, accidentally discovers his diary and
reads it surreptitiously. The first person narrative begins with Peter’s
schooldays, where he is friends with Cathy and Anthony. Ralph, a rich
brat, joins the group later, resulting in its breakup. Soon after, Peter
falls in love with Sarah. The twosome has some good times together but,
afterward, she goes away to become a television journalist. While his
friends go on to pass the finals with flying colours and join the
college, Peter fails in the exams. But he is a good athlete and
proficient in carpentry – a trade he had learnt during his hobby
classes at school.
The
Warrior’s Mirror