Two books that prove storytelling never dies
Detective novels or crime stories are a genre of literature that has a good number of fans. Even serious readers of literature read this category of works during a phase in their lives. Who can ignore the crime thrillers authored by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and the like? Doyle’s detective Sherlock Holmes has become an immortal character whom readers adore and love. In one of the novels, Doyle portrayed that Holmes was killed while in action, and the public was shocked by what happened to their idol. Due to the mass uprising against this incident, Sir Doyle was forced to bring Holmes back to life, which made the readers, as well as Dr Watson, happy.
Agatha Christie’s novels are a class by themselves. Her craftsmanship (or is it craftswoman ship) bowls over the readers because of the style with which she creates the plot and takes the readers through different routes to reach the final destination: who is the murderer and how the law enforcement agency nabs him. Each of her works resembles the Mahabharat, where the five brothers who work for annexing the kingdom, which belongs to them, from the hundred and one step brothers led by the evil spirit.
It is a universal law that book reviews of crime novels should not include the storyline because there is every chance of the reader’s interest getting dampened once it is disclosed. Hence, it is with caution and care that this review is being written. Keigo Higashino, the Japanese novelist, specializes in crime novels. GUILT, authored by him, has been translated by Giles Murray and published by Hachette India under the brand name ABACUS BOOKS. Of late, there has been a fall in the number of crime novels as well as their quality. Guilt is an exception, and those interested in detective novels are sure to enjoy this work, which is set in a Tokyo suburb.
The police come across the dead body of Kensuke Shiraishi, a lawyer by profession, on a riverbank. The Metropolitan Police Department officers depute Detective Godai and his assistant Nakamachi to find out the culprit behind the murder of Shiraishi. The duo’s journey in search of the murderer takes them to the wife and daughter of the victim, the suspect Tatsuro Kuraki, and his son Kazuma. Once the detectives complete the investigation, they take into custody Tatsuro Kuraki, who confesses that it was he who committed the crime. Not only that, but Kuraki also confessed to a murder committed by him some three decades ago.
Godai, a seasoned investigator, is not amused by the revelations of Kuraki. The detective does not believe the version of Kuraki where he confesses to the murder of Shiraishi. What makes the plot interesting is that Kazumo, son of Kuraki the murderer, and Mirei, the daughter of the victim, also do not believe that it was Kuraki who killed Shiraishi. The investigation gets interesting from this point onwards and takes the reader through a series of complex routes. It was a new experience for Godai, who had investigated many cases and solved most of them. Higashino is unique because of his candid way of storytelling, but without spoiling the suspense and thrill associated with the case. One is reminded of the novel Crime and Punishment, authored by the great Fyodor Dostoevsky. Crime and Punishment is recognized as the world’s first detective novel. The investigator knows very well the perpetrator of the crime, but he finds himself in a dilemma. As per the law existing in those days, the guilty could not be arrested till he confesses of the crime. Well, Guilt by Higashino is an interesting work that takes the reader to the vintage days of writing.
Writing for children is the toughest job, and only a select few can excel in this art. Ruskin Bond and R K Narayan are the two great writers who endeared themselves to children and old people alike because of their sweet, serene, and splendid style. I consider myself lucky to have lived in an era where Bond and Narayana enthralled readers with their stories featuring the natives. The Blue Umbrella, The Room on the Roof are some of the books by Ruskin Bond which the teachers of yore prodded us to read without failure, though they were not part of the syllabus. In modern times, teachers teach only what is prescribed in the syllabus and one cannot find fault with them. This is because being a school teacher is as demanding as that of a writer. Only good teachers could mould good students. What is disturbing is that in this era of satellite phones and cyberspace, there are neither good teachers or writers. Are there any Indian authors who could bring out stories like Malgudi Days, Swamy and Friends, books which became “cult figures”? The sad thing is that our modern day writers churn out books only to get tagged as intellectuals. Government of India should have a system like Indian Standard Institution (ISI) for grading books and intellectuals.
But all is not lost. There is a silver lining in the dark clouts and it is a great consolation. Sudha Murty, a technocrat-turned-philanthropist-turned-writer, is India’s modern-day Diva of literature. Her works, reflecting the complex Indian social system, belong to a unique class. Sudha Murty is a personification of simplicity and humility. Her earlier works resemble real-life incidents, and she has authored them in a simple style. Her speeches in the Rajya Sabha echo the apprehensions and expectations of the common man. I always wish how nice it would have been had the other members attended the House and listened to her speeches. There are no pyrotechnics, but they are words of wisdom and caution.
Sudha Murty has turned towards the task of writing a book for kids. There is only one person in the sub-continent who is capable of writing a book for children, and it is Sudha Murty. She has the heart of a child and can understand their dreams, aspirations, and sorrow. The Gopi Diaries– The Big Book of Gopi Stories (Harper Collins) establishes the fact that this technocrat-turned-author is a monarch in India’s literary horizon. The Gopi Diaries is a book with illustrations spread across 320 pages and tells the story of a puppy who was brought to the protagonist’s household by her parents. The ambience surrounding the arrival of a newborn, a puppy, or a kitten to any household is the same. They bring with them a sense of happiness and peace. The day the parents brought the puppy home, all members in the household turned topsy-turvy and started searching for the facilities to make the new arrival happy and contented. One has to read the book in its entirety to understand Gopi. Pets are not just animals; they, too, are living beings with feelings and sensations. The day my daughter Parvathy brought home a puppy, which was standing shivering and shaking near the Kochi Airport, is still fresh in my mind. She was named Symba, and it become another member of the family. For almost 12 years, she entertained us with all her gimmicks. When she fell prey to a snake bite, we decided not to have another puppy because the pain of separation was unbearable. Though I was grieved when my 90-year-old mother breathed her last, the demise of Symba still haunts the small household. My grandchildren, Varad (5) and Varna (3), did not allow me to touch the book “The Gopi Diaries” and my second daughter, Pournami’s only one job: to read out the book and explain the story to them. It is the only time I have seen them sitting detached from cartoon shows aired by TV channels. Who is claiming that TV and the internet keep the children away from books? Let there be more books like The Gopi Diaries…readers, irrespective of age, will take all the trouble to read them. It reminds me of a cliché-ridden claim that with the arrival of TV and satellite TV channels, films lost their charm and attraction. It is bunkum. The best movies were made after the TV channels conquered the world. This underscores the saying that if you offer peanuts, you get monkeys. Of late, these predecessors of human beings, too, have become selective in which kind of peanuts they could consume.
GUILT by
Keigo Higashino (Abacus Books)
Rs 699/-
THE GOPI DIARIES by
Sudha Murty (Harper Collins)
Rs 1299/-
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2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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