Rashmi bookmarks “Confessions of a Crap Artist”

On the surface, Philip K. Dick’s books can come across as anything from slightly odd to very weird! (“Ubik”, a happy medium, continues to be my favourite). However, scratch the surface, and you will discover a world of novel ideas and a mirror of naked reality.

Unlike most of Dick’s works, Confessions of a Crap Artist is not science fiction, but a slice of life set in 1950’s California. It is the story of Jack Isidore, his sister Fay Hume, her husband Charley Hume, and the young couple Nathan and Gwen Anteil. So far, so normal. But as I got deeper into the book, I discovered a very weird, even twisted world.

Ostensibly the title refers to Jack Isidore, so called because of his obsession for things that other people consider junk - cataloguing old science magazines, collecting worthless objects, and for his ideas that others consider rubbish - notions that the Earth is hollow or that sunlight has weight. But once he moves in with his sister and brother-in-law, and we are introduced to the manipulative Fay Hume, the boorish Charley Hume, the philandering Nat Anteil, and the fanatic Claudia Hambro, we begin to realize that Jack may in fact be the only non ‘crap’ character.

I think the narrative style - switching the voice from character to character - enforces that belief. Jack may have accepted this title, but as every character speaks within this title, every character in essence confesses to being a crap artist. Jack may genuinely believe that the world will end on April 23, 1959, but Charley thinks it is acceptable to beat his wife brutally if she asks him to pick up tampons from the store; Nat reasons “on and on” in order to justify an extra marital affair with a woman whose husband lies in hospital, while his own wife waits at home; Fay thinks it is all right to control people and dictate relations through spreading misery; Nat and Fay see nothing wrong in coming together to fabricate an entire story attacking Gwen in court to obtain a divorce decree.

It was also interesting reading about certain interactions, which the characters took in the greatest earnestness, but which were in fact quite comical! Nat Anteil’s lengthy ruminations as he tried to rationalize his affair with Fay; Claudia Hambro’s “hypnosis” session to pick one among the “SEB”s to announce the last day of Earth; and most of all, Jack’s theatrical reporting to Charley about his wife’s affair, are striking examples!

This book was weird, not in terms of scientific fantasy or futuristic imagination but more a weirdness of characters, or relations, of motivations in this life. The shocking event that took place upon Charley’s return from the hospital was the last layer that the story descended to, with Jack’s final decision to seek psychiatric help effectively cordoning off this weird world with its crap artists.

I will end with this lament by Jack Isidore; “The irony of a slob like that… who never got through high school, calling me a “crap artist” lingered in my mind… I can just see all the Charley Humes in the world… that slack, vacant expression on their fat red faces… and it’s slobs like that who’re running… everything… A man like that in a position to blow his nose on the rest of us, on anybody who has sensitivity or talent.”

Rashmi bookmarks “The Warlord of Mars”

“Kaor”! This third book of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series picks up right where the previous book had left off, and gets into the adventure right away. We see John Carter settle the issue of the rulers for the Blacks and of Helium, follow Thurid, the Back Dator to discover a secret alliance between the two enemies Thurid and Matai Shang, Father of Therns, their common goal to eradicate him and defile Dejah Thoris, and find out the secret entrance to the Temple of the Sun.

There are some very interesting places and ideas showcased in this book. We go inside the Temple of the Sun, which is “password protected” by light! We go through the brilliantly lighted labyrinth of crystal glass at the base of the temple. We barely escape with our lives in the Chamber of Reptiles. We survive the madness of the alternating darkness and illumination of the Pit of Plenty. And we visit the fabled Carrion Caves and meet the supposedly extinct Yellow Martians in secret domed cities at the poles.

I also liked how, at moments when all seems lost, suddenly and from unexpected quarters, a ray of hope bursts through to save the day. The actions of Thuvan Dihn of Ptarth, the recollection of the ring of Prince Talu of Marentina, and the dramatic entry of a Tars Tarkas led army of allies down the streets of Kadabra were especially memorable.

On the minus side, the writing sometimes tends to be simplistic, almost contrived. Some events are deliberately placed only to serve as a comprehensive solution to a complex problem. As an example, in the beginning, when John Carter is following Thurid and Matai Shang along the River Iss, he finds a hiding place where, for the convenience of all, Matai Shang says, “Let us stop here a moment that I may hear your plans”, which Thurid then proceeds to outline in detail. Again, when Carter is escaping from the Pit of Plenty, he overhears the conversation between Solan and Thurid, where, having discussed their goals, Thurid proceeds to announce the entire plan with an introductory, “Let me repeat it to you, that you may see if I be letter-perfect”.

That apart, this was still a fun adventure to embark upon! “Twenty-two years before I had been cast, naked and a stranger, into this strange and savage world. The hand of every race and nation was raised in continual strife and warring against the men of every other land and color. Today, by the might of my sword and the loyalty of the friends my sword had made for me, black man and white, red man and green rubbed shoulders in peace and good-fellowship. All the nations of Barsoom were not yet as one, but a great stride forward toward that goal had been taken…” Sometimes the inane acts of discrimination in today’s world disturb me - and this concluding speech really touched me.

This ends the first trilogy of the “John Carter of Mars” series (after which, the main characters appear only sporadically through the next 8 books). For me, A Princess Of Mars remains - by far - the best. That book fascinated me because it contained elements of science fiction and inspiring social commentary. We discovered a new world with new races and new cultures and a whole new way of living. That unique feature is, for the most part, missing from the next two books, which tend to be more of action/drama.

Rashmi bookmarks “A Feast for Crows”

As I organize my thoughts on this book, I feel that this review is more an invitation to one who has read the book and would like to have a discussion, and not so much a standalone review of a book; for, with each successive blog on George R. R. Martin’s series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, I find myself only mentioning what’s new or outstanding.

This story revolves around King’s Landing, where the 8-year old Tommen Baratheon ‘rules’ under the aegis of his mother Cersei Lannister, who, more than ever, proves that no deed is too evil for her, no liaison too taboo, and no trust too sacred. A lot of the main characters are absent in this book. However, while I definitely missed the likes of Tyrion Lannister (mostly!), Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, it was interesting to know more of Brienne of Tarth, Sansa Stark a.k.a. Alayne Stone, Samwell Tarly, Asha and Victarion Greyjoy of Pyke and Aeron Damphair, the priest for the drowned god. Of the lesser characters, Septon Meribald remains memorable, especially his thoughts on religion and war: one, a tolerant view of the many forms of God, and the other, a poignant observation of “a broke man [who] lives from day to day, from meal to meal, more beast than man.”

The intense sense of drama continues in this book - but what adds excitement is the fact that we are privy to certain events that are unknown to the characters themselves! When, for example, Lady Olenna Redwyne and Cersei meet, and Cersei doesn’t know what we do, it’s very interesting to see how the conversation and events unfold!

Another favourite section of mine was the House of Black and White in Braavos, the temple of the Faceless Men, where we spend some time along with Arya Stark, or “Cat of the Canals”! The house itself is gorgeous, its people, very mysterious!

Also very interesting is the slow mirroring of Cersei Lannister in Margaery Tyrell! Not only is she the only one who can stand up to Cersei, she is also the only one who shows streaks of the older woman in all her charming ways - in all the sweet manipulations, and even to the point of a jokingly referred to relation with her brother Loras! The concluding scenes involving Margaery, Cersei and Jaime Lannister, were especially remarkable!

In my blog on A Storm of Swords, I had said that Daenerys Targaryen seemed to be a worthy heir to the Iron Throne; in this book, Maester Aemon, with his dying breath, tells Samwell Tarly that she is the one. This and some other thoughts are left for us to mull over as we wait for the next book… how far will the predictions of Maggy the frog come true? What will happen to Arya’s affliction caused by drinking that warm milk? What did Lady Genna mean when she told Jaime, “Tyrion is Tywin’s son, not you”? Will there be a revival of Arianne Martell’s plan for Princess Myrcella Baratheon? And what provoked Petyr Baelish to say, “In the game of thrones, even the humblest pieces can have wills of their own. Sometimes they refuse to make the moves you’ve planned for them”?

There is an overriding sense of grittiness and violence - including violence of language and sexual violence - that encompasses this book. As Jaime reflects at one point, “This is a time for beasts, for lions and wolves and angry dogs, for ravens and carrion crows.”

Rashmi bookmarks “Driving Blind”

I have always been in awe of the genius of Ray Bradbury… with this collection of short stories, I marvel, for the umpteenth time, how much this writer takes me through the entire gamut of emotions from “Yes! I know that feeling!” to “Wow! I have never known such emotions”! (In no particular order) here are my favourites:

* Someone In The Rain - My website features a thought by Kahlil Gibran, “The biggest thing in today’s sorrow is the memory of yesterday’s joy.” This story reminds me of that thought. It talks of a very special memory that was created in childhood, and was cherished for an entire life. It undergoes a very specific attempt to recreate that memory exactly. And it realizes with a breaking heart that what once was, never can be again.

* Mr. Pale - The idea presented here was fantastic enough to be simultaneously incredible and plausible! Is it possible that there has existed a creature since the beginning of time that lives off the lives of people? Could it be that we die so that it can live? What if its death would mean immortality for us? Are we sure we can risk finding out? And if we do find out, are we sure we can bear immortality, with its “immense burden of memory”?

* Nothing Changes - Starting from an old bookstore with forgotten high school yearbooks, this unusual journey takes us through an eerie coincidence involving different pairs of people separated by several years but sharing identical faces, and finally to a metaphysical, almost surreal, truth of life where - across generations - nothing changes.

* The Mirror - This was a story about twin sisters who mirror each other in every little way. The great divide came the day one of them met a man, leaving the other alone. From then on, they grew apart, much to the shocked disbelief of the whole town. Their final meeting after a long estrangement was a fantastic one, and one that I did not see coming!

* Remember Me? - The eye-opening truth in this simple story touched my heart. Most of us go through the motions of Life, Job, Household Chores. We follow the same routines at the same times; we meet the same people at the same places. But what would happen if one of those fixed elements was removed and presented in a whole new setting? How would you react if you met your local butcher while vacationing in a different country?

* Driving Blind - What if you wore a mask - perhaps to hide a deformity, or perhaps just because you were shy? What if after many years you realized you had forgotten why you had put it on, and had been making up sad stories to justify it? And then, what if, instead of discarding that useless mask, you were so confident in your perfection, you did not feel the need to prove any point? Via conversations between an out-of-town salesman and a 13-year-old boy, these are some of the very soul searching questions this story raises.

I must also mention the sheer horror of Fee Fie Foe Fum, the poetic love of Grand Theft, the tragedy of I Wonder What’s Become Of Sally, the novel idea of Madame et Monsieur Shill and the life and death of Hello, I Must Be Going. It is this range of emotions and ideas that makes Bradbury one of the best creators, and his stories, some of the finest!

Rashmi bookmarks “The Hangman’s Hymn”

Paul C. Doherty creates historical crime / mysteries set in the Middle Ages, taking, as his setting, well known stories, legends and myths from Classical Greek, Ancient Egypt etc.

Prior to reading The Hangman’s Hymn, I had read The Cup of Ghosts (from the Mathilde of Westminster Series) and The Mask of Ra, The Horus Killings and The Anubis Slayings (from The Egyptian Mysteries). Those books had been amazing discoveries; I had not read anything along these lines, and was also very impressed with the style of writing - simple, yet powerful enough to take me back hundreds and thousands of years with each read, and with an urgent and undying sense of intrigue!

The Hangman’s Hymn is part of the ‘Canterbury Tales’ series of books (based, of course, on The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, which depicts a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral).

Before I go any further into this review, I have to say, when I borrowed this book from the library, I did not realize I was picking up a book that was part of a series - and not even the first of a series, at that! So this review is for this book alone. Perhaps in conjunction with the whole, it might have been a better read; unfortunately, this tale, narrated by the Carpenter, was not one of my more memorable reads.

The story seemed to waver between horror and a murder mystery - and ended up being weak at both. The horror parts were barely spooky; all the typical ingredients were there - the witches, the un-dead… but it just was not scary (and this coming from a relatively squeamish person!) The mystery element was not enough either - the plot was too dragged out, and eventually the payout was just not there. As an example, one person who is, after a long time, discovered to be in league with the witches, says he took that route, as he was bitter about a missed promotion he felt was rightfully his.

The description of the period and the details that go into creating the ambience (that I have known in Doherty’s other books) are still good.

I do realize it might not be fair to review this book as a standalone… perhaps read as a whole, this portion of a series might not seem quite as weak… in time, I will read the entire series and revisit this Tale!

Rashmi bookmarks “Farewell Summer”

Farewell Summer is a novel by Ray Bradbury, and is a sequel to his novel Dandelion Wine. Based on Bradbury’s own childhood in Waukegan, Illinois, Dandelion Wine is set in the summer of 1928 in the fictional town of Green Town, Illinois, and depicts life in a small town with all the simple joys that go with it. It ends with the conclusion of summer and Farewell Summer, set in October, picks up from that theme.

The story depicts a desperate attempt to stop summer from drawing to an end, to stop youth from passing by, to fight the very passage of time. That strenuous effort is reflected in the running theme of the ‘War’ that is waged by Douglas, Charlie, Will, Bo, Pete, Sam, Henry, Ralph and Tom against old Braling and old Quartermain, and also in the historic attack on the town clock.

Woven with references from Dandelion Wine, such as Mrs. Bentley - the old lady who was never a girl, the Green Machine, the Lonely One, the ravine and the Time Machine, the story starts off with a sharp and bitter divide between the old and the new, goes on to a point where the lines start blurring and the face and regrets of youth and old age become interchangeable, to finally end off in the ultimate handover.

That ultimate handover is the passing of the torch of youth, so to say. As Calvin C. Quartermain and Douglas Spaulding meet one last time on the former’s front yard, the two identities and the two ages merge in and out of each other in that brilliant conversation set to a seesaw. To round off the life cycle, Quartermain’s manhood visits him one last time, and Douglas’ manhood appears to him for the first time ever.

There is a first and a last of everything; there will always be the first kiss, there will always be the last summer… but with every passing, there will also always be hope! Even as Doug and Tom lament the end of summer, they realize that autumn brings with it - the much anticipated - Halloween!

If I had to pick one, I would say Dandelion Wine was a better read - it portrayed a deeper slice of life and evoked a lot more emotion. That said, I don’t think Farewell Summer is meant to be read as anything but a seamless continuation of its predecessor. “Some summers refuse to end”, and the memories of our childhood - no matter how recently or how far back they were created - will always be a cherished part of the rest of our lives.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Haunting of Hill House”

Created by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House marks my foray into the genre of horror! It is about the experiences and relationships of four characters with some past experience in the paranormal; Dr. John Montague, who studies the science of the supernatural, Eleanor Vance, who is led by a freedom from oppressive filial responsibilities, Theodora, who is continuing on her flamboyant way through life and Luke Sanderson, who is attempting to fulfill the obligation of a host. They come to stay at Hill House, an 80-year-old mansion with its own history of suicide and violent deaths.

The first and most lasting impression this book made on me is its atmosphere. From that “first genuinely shining day of summer” to that final night of horror and bleak morning of forced separations, it was the ambience that made it such an amazing read. As Eleanor drives from her sister’s apartment to Hill House, we pass cities and villages, oleander fairylands and country restaurants, tiny cottages, dirty houses and crooked streets, greasy diners and tasteless coffees, rocky roads and unattractive hills, dead leaves and thick tree branches, to reach a clearing by the gate of Hill House… and we are ensnared forever!

Hill House was “a place of despair… with a watchfulness… arrogant and hating… Hill House would stay as it was until it was destroyed”. When Eleanor first saw it, she felt, “Hill House is vile… get away from here at once”. Earlier I said this story is about four characters; actually it is about five! The fifth - and most intense one - is the house itself, with its bizarre structure, its eerie personality and the inexplicable ‘cold spot’ at its heart.

I also liked the way character sketches are created: no trait is mentioned; personalities are conveyed just based on conversations. It is never said, Mrs. Dudley followed a strict routine - her monotonous repetitions of, “I set the dinner on the dining-room sideboard at six sharp… I have breakfast ready for you at nine” suffice to relay that character trait. It is never mentioned, Mrs. Montague was a strong lady with no time for social niceties. When she arrives at Hill House and her husband hurries out with a “How nice that you got here”, her response of “Did you ever know me not to come when I said I would?” conveys that personality!

Some recurring imageries in the story also add to this weird world - most notably, two lions guarding a house, and the blue cup of stars!

Set in this sinister world, the story is chiefly about Eleanor’s desire to create an identity for herself, her gradual descent to madness and her final identification with the House. I won’t tell you how it ends, but in any case, this book is not just about the ending; it is about a journey, and every moment and every experience of that journey.

I am not a fan of using gore to create horror. It is easy to shock the senses. Anyone can talk of putrefying limbs or slimy intestines. But if one can describe a cold dark day, in a way that the darkness creeps in slowly till the thick blackness suffocates the reader, and the cold enters every pore of his skin and touches the core of his bones… Ah! Now that’s an art! And that’s why this book was such a good read! Journeys end in lovers meeting…