Rashmi bookmarks “The Ocean at the End of the Lane”

I actually had to wait nearly two months to check this book out of the library … and I see what the hype is all about. I count The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman, among one of the better, more intense reading experiences of my life.

When the book starts off - with the narrator taking a quick side trip from the funeral he has come to attend at his childhood hometown - the one overwhelming sense I had was that of nostalgia. What was ‘eerie’ about that was the fact that even though the narrator was not describing the kind of place I have ever lived in, or the kind of people I have grown up with, the power of his descriptive journey was so strong, I was getting emotional about the literal and metaphorical trip down memory lane.

The story however does not remain in that earthly mode for very long. As the narrator remembers his childhood years - mainly his interaction with the family of Lettie Hempstock who had said that the pond behind her house was an ocean - weird bits and pieces of memories come to his mind. Starting with the dream that ended with a shilling in his throat, and the walk in the forest that ended with a worm in his foot, the story takes on that fantastical and supernatural hue that is always at the heart of Gaiman’s creativity.

This work was slightly reminiscent of Poe, in that the story wove together elements of horror and poetry so very beautifully. The saga of Ursula Monkton’s attack and elimination by “varmints” in the forest, and the subsequent ripping of the very threads of the fabric of the universe was one of the high points of this story. Another one was, undoubtedly, the sequence of events following the narrator’s dip into the mysterious bucket of ocean water:

“Lettie Hempstock’s ocean flowed inside me, and it filled the entire universe from Egg to Rose. I knew that. I knew what Egg was - where the universe began, to the sound of uncreated voices singing in the void - and I knew where Rose was - that peculiar crinkling of space into dimensions that fold like origami and blossom like strange orchids, and which would mark the last good time before the eventual end of everything and the next big bang, which would be now, I knew now, nothing of the kind.”

This was a brilliant story that entered a beautiful and nostalgic real world - and then used that as a lift-off point for a world of endlessly imaginative fantasy, and I loved it. At the end of it all, there was an overwhelming sense of, “I just had the weirdest dream ever”.

… Or was it all just a dream?

Rashmi bookmarks “Unnatural Creatures”

When you read stories selected by a good writer you can be confident that most, if not all, of the stories will be good. In this collection of short stories selected by Neil Gaiman, we see Gaiman’s childhood desire to visit a “Museum of Unnatural History”. For, as he says, such a museum exists - werewolves and dragons, manticorns and unicorns do exist - in the pages of books, and in stories like these! My top 5 favourites in this book were:

5. Gabriel Ernest by Saki (H. H. Munro)
I loved this very creepy story about a strange young boy encountered in the woods. The continuing sense of whether or not he is a werewolf, makes for a very interesting read.

4. (----) by Gahan Wilson
This is the story about the day Reginald Archer’s house was invaded by a (----) and, along with him and his butler Faulks, we live through the growing fear as (----) transforms from an annoying spot to something quite horrific as Sir Harry Mandifer comes to discover. Ps: Anyone else reminded of the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who?

3. Sunbird by Neil Gaiman
This story about ultimate foodies brings together myth, fantasy and mystery in a brilliant manner. Sunbird is the story of the Epicurean Club, the members of which have eaten all kinds of strange and exotic creatures … except the mythical Sunbird. The journey to the feast, as well as enchanted memories of days long gone, adds so much to the grand finale.

2. The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones
Part of the series of tales featuring Chrestomanci, the powerful sorcerer, this story sees the future Sage of Dissolution sent to Chrestomanci’s world by the order-obsessed gods of Theare, who are trying to subvert a major crisis regarding the prophesied chaos accompanying the Sage. Just for being set in the world of science fiction and fantasy, the story was awesome. What really added an interesting spin was Chrestomanci’s taking the abandoned and confused young Sage under his wing, and showing him the invaluable need for asking questions - a concept very alien to his home planet.

1. Come Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle
Tired of always throwing the perfect parties, a highborn London socialite finally decides to top her last best effort - and invites the one famous guest no one else has: Death. What will the guest of honour do when the dancing stops and the party is over? An excellent narration of a brilliant idea.

As with all anthologies, this is a mixed bag of stories, some really good, some less so. What pervades all, however, is the unabashed abandonment to a world of fairy tale and fantasy, with no hidden ‘meaningful’ allusions to the ‘real’ world. The Cockatoucan or Great-Aunt Willoughby by E. Nesbit, The flight of the Horse by Larry Niven, Prismatica by Samuel R. Delany or The Griffin and the Minor Canon by Frank R. Stockton are just some examples of this great flight of fantasy.

Rashmi bookmarks “A Maze of Death”

Think of a world with its people and their politics, their fears and prayers, their religions and their faiths … now imagine this world with 14 people. Who don’t know how they got here. Or what they are meant to do. And, in the end, how they are supposed to get out.

In yet another fantastic work by Philip K. Dick, we follow the life-changing events of the colonists of Delmak-O, and travel from concepts of god (whom you can actually communicate with, through a network of prayer amplifiers and transmitters!) to questions of reality (what does ‘Persus 9’ mean?)

To talk too much about this story - in terms of the plot or its telling - would quite ruin the fantastic reading experience. From Ben Tallchief’s very tangible transfer, to Seth Morley’s very inexplicable one; from Maggie Walsh’s undying faith in ‘The Book’, to Milton Babble’s declaration of “there are no miracles … a miracle would be a sign of god’s weakness … If there was a god”; from the enormous gelatinous ‘Tench’ that gives out advice, to the ‘Building’ that raises more questions … this is the story of “rats in a maze of death” in the kind of surreal world that only PKD can create.

Rashmi bookmarks “Tenth of December”

‘Tenth of December’ is a collection of short stories by George Saunders. This is the first time I have read (and, honestly, heard of) this author, and quite liked the stories. While not all stories were equally memorable (ironically, I cannot remember the theme of the title story), some really stood out.

One of them was ‘Sticks’, the story recounted by a child of his father’s bizarre habit of decorating a pole in the front yard. In a very short and tight story, we see the entire arc of a man’s life from normal, happy times to a descent to oddity and eventually, madness.

Another really good story was ‘Exhortation’. Describing a lengthy memo from Todd, the boss of a group of employees of Room 6, this story will find resonance with anyone who works at a set job, in a set office environment, doing work that is questionable at best and detestable at worst, reporting in to one who is the epitome of all the fake clichés that make up the typical less than ideal, low-level manager.

‘Escape from Spiderhead’ was another remarkable story. It is the story of Jeff, who has been sent to an experimental prison where inhabitants are used to test new pharmaceuticals. Through an experiment to determine the strength of love, a very touching tale of humans and their humanity unfolds. From complete apathy to an all consuming love to an ultimate self sacrifice - under varying degrees of influence of very potent drugs - the tragic satire of this story was a sharp eye-opener.

The story that really drove home a point rooted in current social and moral decadence was ‘The Semplica Girl Diaries’, my absolute favourite in this collection. Brilliantly narrated through diary entries, this is the story of a 40-year old middle class man, and his twisted efforts to do the best for his family … I say ‘twisted’ because this is a brutally frank picture of, and a scathing comment on society at its materialistic worst.

Spurred by a sudden lottery win, the man decides to emulate the ‘Joneses’ and upgrade his family’s lifestyle. In the series of events that follows, every act is seen to have a deeper aspect lurking in the shadows. “I, Gropius”, the reality TV show is as funny as it is at a ridiculous nadir of social decadence. Of course the most brutal example of this is the lawn ornament where girls - immigrants / foreign workers - are exhibited on front yards, literally joined at the heads by a surgically inserted microline that runs through their brain. This is a society where such a brutal practice is considered the height of wealth and class. This is the society that rises in righteous indignation against “foreigners taking away our jobs”. And when the girls escape, this is the society that actually wonders at the shortsightedness of women who thus squander the chance at a good life.

The story raises a lot of very contemporary concerns, and this short blog cannot hope to justifiably address them all.

A very good read.

Rashmi bookmarks “The Night Circus”

The circus arrives without warning.

I almost don’t feel like telling you anything about this story other than “please read it” for fear that I will ruin that magical experience I’ve had reading every line and every chapter of this fantastical fairy tale by first time author Erin Morgenstern.

It is difficult to describe - or, quite honestly, ‘rate and review’ - a book that caters purely to the senses. This was a powerful tale of pure magic presented in a rich physical and metaphorical creation. Right from the prologue, “Anticipation”, the tone was set, and I knew I had stumbled on to something unique. The Night Circus is the story of Le Cirque des Rêves (the Circus of Dreams) the circus that is open only from sunset to sunrise. At the core of this circus is a deadly contest between two rivals (who, interestingly enough, do not even know of each other’s identities till much later in the game) - their real magic being showcased as the tricks and illusions that create this impossible circus.

The inception and birth of the circus, the fantastic clock where each hour creates a whole new drama in and around the clock, the magical cauldron of fire lit on opening night by 12 archers, the labyrinth in the sky, the bedtime stories in jars, the pool of tears … every chapter brought countless magical moments and surprising events.

Creating this circus, where (barring one mysterious exception) no one is born, no one ages and no one dies, are such memorable characters as Chandresh Christophe Lefevre, Herr Friedrick Thiessen, the Murray twins Poppet and Widget, and - the greatest fan of all - Bailey.

Amid all the enchanting mists we are never allowed to forget the main plot: the challenge - what is it? who is it between? who will decide the winner? based on what points? … The underlying mystery, started by the man who “has no shadow” is something that we, along with the chosen contestants, must slowly discover with time. For when that realization dawns, and the Circus begins to disintegrate, we truly see the powerful darkness that abounds all around.

Of course the crowning glory of this magical experience is the narrative structure of The Night Circus: it is not written in a linear timeline, rather the tale is woven through flashbacks to the beginnings of the circus, current experiences, and - almost a ‘flash-forward’ - as we follow the adventures of Bailey.

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.”

Rashmi bookmarks “The Long Goodbye”

I know that ‘The Big Sleep’ is more famous amongst his works, however since I have seen the movie, for my first Raymond Chandler book I decided to make a fresh start. Centred on his famous detective Philip Marlowe, ‘The Long Goodbye’ is the story of the brutal murder of socialite Sylvia, daughter of millionaire Harlan Potter, and the mysterious suicide of her husband and chief suspect Terry Lennox, a random drunk that Marlowe met outside a club one night.

I absolutely loved the character of Philip Marlowe. He was such an epitome of the cool detective of the 1950s era. I loved the way he conducted himself, the beliefs he held, his sense of loyalty, his sense of right and wrong. And it wasn’t that he didn’t get his share of pounding - at the hands of cops and goons alike - in standing up for his beliefs. I mean, it is easy to act cool when you know the whole world loves or fears you, and there is no danger of any opposition to anything you might say or do; to stand up for your ways, however big or small, even when it is dangerous to do so - now that’s really cool.

The writing was very well paced and made for easy reading. The plot constantly moved forward and I always got the feeling that I was ‘listening’ to someone tell a gripping story in the most interesting manner. There were times when the story did slow down a little, but just as I was reaching the point of wondering where it was all going, suddenly something would happen to swoop it all back up. Generally speaking, the twists in the story were not of the earth-shattering heart-stopping variety, but gentle turns and curves that kept the flow going. That said; there were some things that I did not see coming at all - such as the events that occurred after Marlowe’s meeting with Grenz!

I also really liked the insertion of social comments; every now and then the story features a short paragraph where Chandler goes a little deeper. While this story is more commonly known for its comment on the decadent society of the rich American, one of my personal favourites was the section on life inside a prison cell. It wasn’t anything heavily didactic or dramatically deep … it was just a short paragraph that made me stop for a moment and think. Also brilliant was the final verbal face-off between district attorney Springer and Henry Sherman, managing editor of The Journal - Sherman’s remarks were such a great slap on the face of the influential yet uncultured man that sits in Power.

I liked the ending a lot too - besides the factor of a surprise ending (always a must for a murder mystery) Marlowe’s final decision gave me a very ‘nice’ feeling too. Eileen Wade’s comment to Philip Marlowe, that “The tragedy of life, […], is not that beautiful things die young but that they grow old and mean” - added great significance to the final denouement of this story.

(One comment in conclusion: I was quite irritated by the constant use of the horribly distorted terms, “must of” and “could of”. Since I only read e-books, this could be the fault of the ‘proofreaders’ involved in the digitizing process and not the author’s lack of knowledge of basic English. Either way, it was a very annoying experience).

Rashmi bookmarks “The Gods Themselves”

A science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, The Gods Themselves is the story of a matter-exchanging project started by aliens in a parallel universe, with a view to creating an alternate source of energy.

Based on Friedrich Schiller’s famous quote, “Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain”, the story is divided into three parts: Against Stupidity - which takes place on Earth and traces the discovery of plutonium 186 and the creation of the Electron Pump; The Gods Themselves - which takes us to the world of the aliens in the parallel universe; and Contend In Vain? - which takes place on the Moon and looks at a whole new population.

Without question, the first part was brilliant. An element that does not exist, aliens who are trying to establish contact, a parallel universe that is dying … this was science fiction in its purest form. From imagining a road that is downhill both ways to the concept of water running uphill, this was the section that destroyed the very basic understanding of the laws of the universe. Lamont’s questioning of Frederick Hallam’s Pump and raising the possibility of the sun becoming a supernova takes that undermining to a whole new level, climaxing of course with the incoming message “FEER”.

Unfortunately, the story really did not continue in that high vein in its second and third parts. The second part was all about the aliens, chiefly told through the story of the Triad of Odeen, Dua and Tritt. While it was certainly interesting reading about a life form where all creatures are either ‘hard ones’ or ‘soft ones’, with the latter having fixed roles of (left) Rationals, (mid) Emotionals and (right) Parentals, I felt that there was just too much discussion on the social and sexual lives of the aliens, with the core business of the story forgotten for the most part. (Without giving anything away, I will say that the one incident concerning Estwald, which occurs at the very end of this section, was absolutely brilliant!)

The third and final section on the moon - although it still meandered through a guided trip of the moon and all its extra curricular activities - did bring some of the story back on track and gave it some sort of a denouement. Assisted by Lunarian Selene Lindstrom, Denison revisits the potential catastrophe posed by the Electron Pump as he taps into a second parallel universe that exists in a pre-big bang state as a cosmic egg.

When in future I think of this story, I think I will remember that one-third of it was awesome, and I will find that I have faint or no memory of the remaining two-thirds!