Several things strike me as I nibble at this delicious concoction: differences in the conversational styles between authors of different genders; the reactions of people who require a "story-line"; the evolution of Indian writings in English...
As I read Amit's Strange and Sublime book, I find my mind taking on a Bengali accent for some reason.
As is usual with me once I have access to books, I find myself curled in a messy nook surrounded by crumbs, cigarette ash, books, writing implements, note books and cups of coffee or tea in various stages of cooling down. At any given moment, I put the Malaysian batik book mark back into the pages of one book and begin to gnaw through another.
Thus Amit has to share my attentions with Erma Bombeck and some female Indian author.
Erma's book has caused my husband fits of laughter and the conversations in it are realistic-typical of the insanity that is the human condition at most times around the world and captured with startlingly accurate humour.
The other lady has more in the way of proof of my theory: the conversations in her book are beyond the capacity of the normal human breath and speech ranges and I will entertain my readers soon with well chosen excerpts punctuating such donations with well placed "Who in heaven's name speaks like this?!"
Let me in the meantime assure you that her book is a treasure with a jewel in the very prologue: Male polygamy, she writes!
To return to Mr. Chaudhuri's offering, it is, so far, an ideal gift. Read it on a journey since it has no story according to its detractors, you can enjoy the page or two between this and that without the book weighing heavily on your mind (Who did what to whom and when). Read it at bedtime that your sleep be soothed by the gentle descriptions. Read it anywhere and everywhere and in all seasons."
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