Bobby George's Blog

Death! How similar we look when we die and how different we pretend when we are alive. Rich, poor, strong or weak, whatever the religion, caste, or creed. It treats us equally, reducing us to dust, how judicious nature is.

I have attended many funerals in my life, but this is the first time I am recording my experience. It took twenty minutes of panting and gasping on my way up the hillock before I heard the ear-piercing chorus of wailing women from the grief-stricken house. I could not have missed the house even if I wanted to. Maybe they were crying for the benefit of people outside in the courtyard, or more so for the likes of me, who were visiting for the first time.

In our country, it is customary for women to cry out aloud. This is the only way to express their deepest grief, I guess. In the olden days, some states in India had taken this to a different level altogether, the affluent or the royal families officially hired the services of ‘Rudaalis’ or the professional lamenters at the demise of their loved ones to make their grief more evident to the world.

I went for Darshan,’ to look at the deceased for that one last time. I am whispered in the ear that the body is still in the bedroom where he had slept the last night. The wailing grew louder on my entry.

Sadly though, he had lost all his identity overnight and had just turned into a body. He had no name, fame, or claim in the world anymore. No one even addressed him by his name. It went out with his last breath, leaving him as ‘The Body’.

To me, the deceased looked peacefully asleep. The only giveaway was the cotton stuffed in the nostrils and the ears. I couldn’t stand the sight of a person I knew so well, lying dead. I quietly left the room and joined other family members and friends outside, still regulating my unsettled breath. Sense of loss and grief settled over me with my breath as I tried to be a part of the anguish with the mourners.

I was familiar with many of the grief-stricken faces in the courtyard. I nodded at a couple of them and shook hands with a few. Shaking hands seemed merely a gesture, with their faces hung and hands limp. It exuded neither strength nor warmth; they were laden with grief to the brim and feared it might spill over if they shook any harder.

Despite the mordant humour that so audaciously had sneaked into my thoughts, I wondered whether grief had different faces. Did it vary from religion to religion or community to community?

For me, it looked and felt the same everywhere.

I turned my gaze and attention towards much serious discussion that went around in small clusters among men standing under the available shade.

The burning topic of the moment was the cycle of ‘Life and Death’. The one with the loudest voice excitedly proclaimed, finding a new audience in me, “It’s futile, I am telling you, life itself is futile.” His eyes checked my reaction, while he shook his head from side to side. Many heads joined in agreement.

“It is just a stopover; we are on a journey to our final abode. We shouldn’t put our heart and soul here, this world is not our home, nothing belongs to us. The sooner we understand this the better it is.” Interjected, the one who was eagerly waiting to add on the wisdom. 

The one with the glistening bright red face, who hated to be left behind in this race, declared, “Whether you agree or not, it the consequence of our karma.” He paused to impress upon his wisdom, then continued, “We cannot escape the inevitable.”

Their faces turned crimson and glistened in the forenoon sun, although most of them were shading their faces with their hands. Reticent listeners just stood shaking their heads up and down, whether, in agreement or indifference, I could not tell.

I could do nothing but to agree to all three versions of life, for I really had no clue to such a heavyweight philosophy. Moreover, I did not possess any understanding of a complex subject as ‘Life and Death’.

The changed pitch of the wailing inside the house interrupted the discussion to a pause. All ears strained. It meant some new mourner or a fresh update had arrived. He seemed some close relative, for I could hear women of the house, listing lucidly what the deceased should have done before he left for his final abode. It seemed they were not lamenting for the deceased, but the pending duties he had left behind.

How could he do that? He should have stalled his death. It would have greatly reduced their grief. I thought.

Despite the weight of the anguish, they did not forget to mention what he had thankfully done. Verses also included trivial details like what he had eaten the other night and what he had been denied, despite his insistence. Overall, it was the lyrics to a very descriptive dirge sung in a chorus.

The family had decided to wait for another close relative to arrive for the last ‘Darshan’, and hence, the procession towards the ‘Ghaat’ had been delayed was the news that leaked. The floating word draped the mourners and the philosophers in a fidgety silence. Everyone fine-tuned their ears to pick up the slightest development in the air. However, the wailing inside the house grew louder to mark-up the latest development.

I was amazed at how soon, in the heat of the sun above, the bleakness of the atmosphere melted, and the sombre masks of the mourners for the occasion faded. The Discussions about the finer points of ‘Life and Death’ vaporised in seconds.

            The man who found the life so futile was the first to sneak out, dragging his hesitant friend along with him. The one who wanted everybody to leave all worldly possessions seemed desperate. Apologetically he explained how much he was losing on customers as this was the peak time in his shop. “You know we cannot neglect our bread and butter.” He said sheepishly with soundless laughter. The karma guy subtly nodded to his friend to drift ahead before he followed. Trying his best not to seem too obvious to his discrete Karma.

Everyone had successfully played their part here. Now had other more important parts to play besides ‘Life and Death.”

We, humans, are comparable on one thing though, I must say, we are born with the ability to move on and do so insensitively soon.

Is life important? And if so, what are we looking for besides sheer survival, I wonder? Is there a reason for the existence of life forms or is it actually meaningless and we all are simply trying to find a meaning to it? Because it is hard to accept as humans at the top of the life form to exist for no rhyme or reason at all. I fail to find any plausible solution to my quest.

Done with the philosophy of life and death and the vainness of it all, a few more mourners had managed to sneak out, unnoticed of course.

Their social responsibility evinced; they were eager to resume their so-called (in their own words) insignificant life.

But like an ostrich, they were oblivious to the fact that much less daring, were keeping a close watchful eye on the slightest developments around. They were the ‘followers’ of the wise.

I too quietly join the latter.

Reviewed:

Book Detail

Book – The Darjeeling Ghost

Author – Kulpreet Yadav

Language – English

Genre Specifics – Fiction – Contemporary Horror

Publication – Independent

Length – 51Pages (Novella)

Format – Kindle eBook @ 49/

Paperback – N/A

Style – Contemporary (Informal)

On My Table .9 point nine

The Title – Catchy and points to where the plot is set.Book Cover – A moonlit night and an old beat-up car in the shadows is an intriguing cover design but has nothing to do with the plot.Storyline – Horror with a dash of romance.Theme – It describes the scary experience of protagonist Rhea and how despite her fears and the demons of her past, she unravels the mystery behind the horror and fright. Characters – Protagonist Rhea, Rocky, Mala, Thapa and Gardan Baba play the central characters in the story. And Ana Colette, the ghost.  Narration & Style – The author narrates the story in the third-person limited POV. The contemporary informal style in the present continuous tense is distractive and sounds sloppy. The language is basic and lots of loosely constructed sentences and phrases make it sound amateurish. I find the narration mediocre. The storyline although clichéd is interesting. However, the narration messed it up. A crisp and sternly edited version would have somewhat made it a better read. Whose read? – The book weighs heavily on my table towards teenagers and young adults. Nevertheless, anyone can give it a try.What I liked – Storyline had the potential.                                         

and – A short read.

and – Easy and light read, without unnecessary characters.

then – Hmm…

  9. Not as much – Present continuous tense used in the narrative is a strong put off for the likes of me. You keep looking for the ‘Fear Factor’ which never comes. 

Various thematic emotions and character built-up have been neglected. I would have liked it more, had they been prominently brought out in the narrative.Scenic description in the storytelling would have also added to the beauty of the narrative and enhanced visual clarity to some extent. 

My appraisal – The review is based within the specific genre to match it evenly. 

The story is told in the third-person limited POV. Written in a contemporary style. The novel tilts heavily towards teenagers or beginners.

It revolves around the female protagonist Rhea and her fiancé Rocky. Mala and Thapa, their domestic aids, play a supporting character in the story. Garda Baba, a strange ‘Tantrik’ helps wind up the story.

The story begins languidly, never gaining the momentum you expect from such a book and present continuous tense is the catalyst spoiler. Most scenes give the impression of reading from a logbook and do more of a telling than showing. On the contrary. The latter part of the book faces a sudden cliff drop, as with many authors. To me, which seemed a little slapdash and unrealistic and many questions are unattended and unanswered.

Overall narration needed a lot of good handling, and the language is very basic:

The manuscript has the scope for fine-tuning. A Strong copyedit would have made it better. The author also needs to switch the tense to suit the scenes and improve narration:                                

a) Crisp and seamless narration.

b) Improved fluidity and uniform flow and to remove the drag towards the middle and rush towards the end.

The proofing glitches found here and there, but that is understandable in the first edition and does not restrict the reading. 

The plotline should have incorporated at least some horror for change. Perhaps the description could not bring out what the author perceived. Characters could also have been well-rounded, to give them the depth needed to evoke reader affinity. Especially the protagonist. A descriptive narration could have enhanced the plot and the scenes. Hence, it falls short in feel, and the emotional connect. Largely it is a story read than felt.

I hope that gives you a clear insight. Grab your copy and check it out, folks.

Endnote – A lot of man-hours, hard work, emotions, love and care goes into writing so much, kudos for that. Thank you, Kulpreet, for giving us another writer. Keep up the good work. Cheers!! 

The Score – On My Table – 4/10 and the stars as per the industry standards – 2/5

An Unforgettable Holiday

Book Detail

Book – An Unforgettable Holiday

Author – Nisha Mohan

Language – English

Genre Specifics – Fiction – Contemporary Romance (Suspense)

Publication – Independent

Length – 240 Pages

Format – e book @ 99/

Paperback @ 1231/-

Style – Contemporary (Informal)

On My Table .9 point nine

The Title – Straightforward and relates to the storyline.Book Cover – A moonlit night on a beach and a lighthouse in the backdrop put forward the romantic feel of the book.Storyline – Romance with a dash of thrill.Theme – It describes indecisive moments in the protagonist’s life in terms of her love interest. Characters – Protagonist Tania, Aarav, Dhruv and Mia the protagonist’s colleague and confidante play the central characters in the story. Narration & Style – The author has told the story in the third-person limited POV. The contemporary informal style of the narrative does all right. The language is polished and lots of flowery sentences and phrases make it sound chic. I find the narration a tad stretched at times. Crisper version would have added to the pace and made it a faster read. Whose read? – The book sits heavy on my table towards teenagers and young adults. Nevertheless, anyone looking for a light read can go for it.What I liked – It is in your hands after all, ‘To Rise or Fall.’ The endnote was beautiful in ‘An Unforgettable Holiday’ by Nisha Mohan.                                         

and –The portrayal of a Metropolitan lifestyle of the upper middle-class young professionals. Their conversation matches well with what the writer is trying to depict. Especially the female characters.

and – It is a sign that I look out for, in a good writer to be able to sync dialogues with the characters.

then – Easy and light read, without unnecessary characters to crowd and confuse you. Another highlight in the story.

  9. Not as much – The price tag of the paperback, a whopping 1231/-. I wonder how an average reader would afford it. It is a strong deterrent for the likes of me who prefer paperbacks over digital format. 

In an attempt to make the lingo/dialogues stand out, the various thematic emotions have been undermined. I would have liked it more, had they been prominently brought out in the narrative.Scenic description in the storytelling would have also added to the beauty of the narrative and enhanced visual clarity. 

My appraisal – The review is based within the specific genre to match it evenly. 

The story is told in the third-person limited POV. Written in a contemporary style. The novel tilts heavily towards teenagers and young adults. They would like it as a light read.

It revolves around the female protagonist Tania and her love interest Aarav. Dhruv appears as the third angle in the plot. Mia, a colleague, friend and confidante, plays the supporting character in the story.

Initially, the story takes off well, but drifts aimlessly on a plot plateau towards the middle, cutting down the pace of the narrative. Sometimes that gives the impression of reading from a logbook and makes you pause in between to brace up and continue. On the contrary. The latter part of the book faces a sudden cliff drop, with everything happening super-fast. New scenes, new characters, and incidents come together, all too eager to tie the loose ends in the story and to wind it up in a hurry. To me, which seemed a little slapdash and unrealistic.

Although the overall narration is good, and the language refined:

The manuscript has the scope for fine-tuning. A few cuts here and there would have made it better and provided uninterrupted flow. It needed a sterner copyediting (Hey! I say sterner because we authors are so attached to our works; we hate to chop anything off from it), for:                                

a) Crisp and seamless narration.

b) Improved fluidity and uniform flow and to remove the drag towards the middle and rush towards the end.

The proofing glitches found here and there, but that is understandable in the first edition and does not restrict the reading. 

Characters could have been well-rounded, to give them the depth needed to evoke reader affinity. Especially the protagonist. The scenic description along the narration instead of bare dialogues could have enhanced the plot and the scenes. Hence, it falls short in feel, and the emotional connect in the storytelling. Largely it is a story read than felt.

I hope that gives you a clear insight. Must grab your copy and check it out, folks.

End Note – A lot of man-hours, hard work, emotions, love and care goes into writing so much, kudos for that. Thank you, Nisha, for giving us another writer. Keep up the good work. Cheers!! 

The Score – On My Table – 6/10

Stars as per the industry standards – 3/5

“Love in its purest manifestation is the strongest of all human emotions and senses. It easily surpasses hatred, anger, revenge, or all at once. It can trump all physical senses, heat, cold, pain, and pleasure. Nothing compares to love.”

Ch.22, Page 230 – ONEwithin…

Romance – Let’s break the myth!

It is the season of Love. And the velvety zephyr of romance is caressing the souls all over. I wonder what reader community out there is reading on this Valentine’s Day. Because there is a question that gnaws my mind ever since I started writing professionally.

Why do some people shy away from reading romance stories, although they have undergone such a feeling some time or the other in their lives? I have heard many who read fiction regularly, including young readers as well, shrugging their shoulders, and saying proudly. I don’t read romance. I am into much heavier stuff. My senses scream at that why man, why?

Is romance a light subject to read? No, way! In fact, it has fathomless depths of feel and a plethora of oceanic emotions. It boasts the widest range of sub-genres viz., Historical, Contemporary, Erotic, Religious/Spiritual, Paranormal, Suspense. And perhaps a few more out there that catch the fancy of the author. 

Whenever you talk about the greatest works of all time in the literary world, at least one or two drama/novels from genre ‘Romance’ pops up on the list.

Clearly, Romance is also a genre without demographical distinction. It evokes the same feeling in human hearts all across. It sees no colour, caste, or creed. It is like a pizza, burger, noodles, or a portion of curry that anyone can enjoy any time in any geographic location. Hence, the undisputed King of all genres!

So this Valentine’s Day, I appeal to all bibliophile to read at least one book from the genre and extend your thoughts in the comment box. You may not be a romance aficionado, but you can try one for a change this season. I am sure it will stir the romance in you and leave a passing smile as it touches a fragrant memory from the days of yore in your life.

You may also pick from my list of – 21 All-time Favourite Romance Titles 

 Under ‘fall in Love again…’ at bobbygeorge.in/blogs/ as part of your TBR for 2021.

So what’s holding you? Get a steaming mug of coffee and a book from the genre, sit in your cosy corner to read from the immortal pages of master storytellers.  

fall in Love again…

Here’s a bouquet of handpicked titles (Romance) from master storytellers down the ages. I have purposely included some modern authors to let the readers get a feel of classic and contemporary style of writing. Note how the writing style has evolved over the years. Although there is no comparison between the Titans of the past and the young literary stars, they are still amongst the most popular today.  

Title & Author

Romeo and Juliet –William Shakespeare) (1597)Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (1811)Pride and Prejudice –Jane Austen (1813)Emma – Jane Austen (1815)Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë pen name ‘Currer Bell’ (1847)Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë (1847)   Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (1861) Anna Karenina –  Leo Tolstoy (1877) Gone with the wind – Margaret Mitchell (1936) A knight in the shiny armour – Jude Deveraux (1989) Outlander – Diana Gabaldon (1991)  A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth (1993) The Lord of Scoundrels – Loretta Chase (1995) The Note Book – Nicholas Sparks (1996)   Tipping the Velvet – Sarah Waters (1998) The Time traveler’s wife – Audrey Niffenegger (2003) Devil in Winter – Lisa Kleypas (2006) Call me by your name – Andre Aciman (2007) Me Before You – Jojo Moyes (2012) The Fault in our stars – John Green (2012) The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang (2018)

Note: Please suggest updates or insights 

fall in Love again…

Title & Author

Romeo and Juliet –William Shakespeare) (1597)Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (1811)Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (1813)Emma – Jane Austen (1815)Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë pen name ‘Currer Bell’ (1847)Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë (1847)   Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (1861)Anna Karenina –  Leo Tolstoy (1877)Gone with the wind – Margaret Mitchell (1936)A knight in the shiny armour – Jude Deveraux (1989)Outlander – Diana Gabaldon (1991)The Lord of Scoundrels – Loretta Chase (1995)The Note Book – Nicholas Sparks (1996)  Tipping the Velvet – Sarah Waters (1998)The Time traveler’s wife – Audrey Niffenegger (2003)Devil in Winter – Lisa Kleypas (2006)Call me by your name – Andre Aciman (2007)Me Before You – Jojo Moyes (2012)The Fault in our stars – John Green (2012)The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang (2018)Until the End of Time – Brian Greene (2020)

Note: Please suggest updates or insights 

21 All-time favourite Romance Novels

Title & Author

Romeo and Juliet –William Shakespeare) (1597)Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (1811)Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (1813)Emma – Jane Austen (1815)Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë pen name ‘Currer Bell’ (1847)Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë (1847)   Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (1861)Anna Karenina –  Leo Tolstoy (1877)Gone with the wind – Margaret Mitchell (1936)A knight in the shiny armour – Jude Deveraux (1989)Outlander – Diana Gabaldon (1991)The Lord of Scoundrels – Loretta Chase (1995)The Note Book – Nicholas Sparks (1996)  Tipping the Velvet – Sarah Waters (1998)The Time traveler’s wife – Audrey Niffenegger (2003)Devil in Winter – Lisa Kleypas (2006)Call me by your name – Andre Aciman (2007)Me Before You – Jojo Moyes (2012)The Fault in our stars – John Green (2012)The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang (2018)Until the End of Time – Brian Greene (2020)

Note: Please suggest updates or insights 

The Literature Today: Welcome to The Literature Today, author. Congratulations on the release of your book. What responses are you getting from your readers? Please share your experience with this book.

Author: Thank you so much. The response is overwhelming and the readers are appreciating fresh new style of descriptive narration.

The Literature Today: What encouraged you to become an Author?

Author: I have alwaysed loved writing and when more and more people began liking my casual write-ups. I decided why not. Let us present it to a larger audience in the form of a full length story.

The Literature Today: What are your favorite topics of writing? Please tell us something about your interest areas in literature.

Author: I am an avid reader, I read because I love to read. And therefore it is not restrictive. I read and write across genres (fiction). It is just that I started off with Romantic suspense.

The Literature Today: We were hoping you could tell us about some of those writers who have inspired you and whom you follow.

Author: Now as I have already told you, I read from various genres. There are so many great writers and their individuality which impress me, that I can not pick just one or two. It won’t be right on my part. But I must acknowledge, they all have left their indelible impression on me with their writings.

The Literature Today: The title seem different and catchy; how you decided it? Please let us know the story behind it.

Author: As I have mentioned in my other interviews that writing ‘ONEwithin…’ was a breeze, but coming up with a title that befitted the story as a summation had me sweating. After many considerations and rejections. I decided on ‘ONE within…’. It has the essence of the storyline and sums up the cover to cover theme beautifully, whichever way you look at it whether in romantic sense or the conflict within ourselves.

The Literature Today: What are your achievements so far? Tell us something about your writing career.

Author: Well, this was my debut novel. I have also started blogging and taking up writing projects. The journey has begun I guess.

The Literature Today: What is your current goal in writing career? How do you see your future in writing?

Author: I have started my ‘BlogSpot’ and a professional ‘Book reviews’ platform where I provide genuine and detailed reviews. I also help aspiriring writers with their writings from cover to cover. Young writers or aspiring writers can find more details regarding this on my website www.bobbygeorge.in

The Literature Today: Are there any other books being worked on by you? Please let us know about your future projects.

Author: Yes, I have another full length novel coming up soon and then there’s a collection of short stories in the publishing pipeline.

The Literature Today: How you see Indian writing in the 21st century? What changes do you see in the modern way of writing? Do you feel it has changed over the time?

Author: The 21st century has some outstanding writers and they inspire and entertain equally. The writing itself has not changed but definitely, has evolved over the years. I think technology has also affected the way people write and perceive in the modern times. With the growing ease of publishing more and more new authors are emerging and that is a good sign. But on the flip side shallow writing has also mushroomed.

The Literature Today: How easy/difficult it was for you to publish your book? What message would you like to give to budding authors?

Author: Publishing has never been so easyand it has opened doors for the young aspirants. But my only advise to them would be to read more and work on their skills before pitching it to a publisher, because in the end what you write and how you write are the only things that keep you afloat in the literary world.

I like cacti. They needs little care. Yeah, not all are thorny and even if they are, it is their way of saying stay away from me. Most bloom some prettiest of the flowers. I like them rather I admire them. Their resilience inspires me.

They grow.

You slash, severe, chop or remove them from their mother stem. They still grow.

They grow wherever they are. Water or no water, they manage to keep alive. Rocks or soil, they find their footings. Nothing beats them.

In the pots, in the fields. In the garden in the barren, they find a way to grow. They survive in the driest of lands yet with maximum moisture in them.

We humans are also like them, at times, we may falter when the onslaught in our lives are relentless and the terrain is rugged.

That is when you remember to be:

The cacti who refuse to die…

Let’s be the cacti, who refuse to die

When the hope’s afar and the fear is nigh

Remember the cacti who refuse to die

They grow with friends and they grow with foe

They learn to live and thrive against the flow.

They grow in the gardens or in the pots

They grow in the barren or the mountaintops

When the tempest rages and rises high

Lift up your head and look at the sky

Let’s be the cacti who refuses to die

Bobby George

A bird flew into my room the other day. Had it missed its line of flight, or out of the curiosity I do not know. Nevertheless, within the moment it entered, it realised its folly, and began flapping around nervously. Tired of its failure and perched at the curtain rail it gazed outside helplessly, perhaps trying to assess the situation.

I do not shoo it away, fearing it could hurt itself in its frantic attempts to escape. I could have posted a picture of that pretty little sparrow in my room. But I hated to photograph a trapped, helpless creature.

The room where I write is large, with picture windows all around. I can gaze from my desk at the mountains and the trees and the rolling clouds over the valley. I tiptoed and opened each movable section of the window as discretely as I could, trying not to startle it anymore. 

However, perplexed and scared that it was, it could not tell the difference between the clear glass windows. The poor little birdie crashed on the windowpane, each time it attempted to escape.

After many desperate failed attempts, it flopped in one corner. Trembling, it gazed out at the alluring freedom across the confusing windowpanes. It could see the trees swaying in the breeze and the clouds floating over the mountaintops. It could even feel the wind in its wings through the window frames I had opened.

Tired and hurt, it sat in its corner silently. Perhaps wondering what could be wrong with its judgement. Why it kept crashing in its attempted flight to freedom.

I too sat at my desk every day, after many failed attempts, tired and hurt, musing, gazing at the lofty view outside, wondering which window led me to the freedom. Wondering which attempt could give me a breakthrough.

We both sat in our corners, trapped in my room that day with the same thoughts racing on our minds.

To my surprise, the little bird rose again. I turned away, unable to bear the sight and sound of the failure. The crashing attempts faded each moment as I delve deeper into my thoughts. 

The sound of the thud had stopped a long time now. I turned around with a heavy heart, expecting to find it on the floor dead. I looked for the little carcass on the floor to at least give it a small burial, before I went. However, I found it nowhere.

Epiphany!

It had found its window. It had wings, it could fly; it kept trying until it found its skies.

Today, as I sat musing on my desk, gazing at the lofty view outside, I found a note for me on my table, left by that little birdie.

It read:

Dear mate, remember!

WE ARE BUT PRISONERS OF OUR THOUGHTS.

“You too have wings. You too can fly. 

Rise again, why don’t you try?

To your freedom, out you fly.

Don’t you tire, yet another try.

Find your window, soar the sky.

You too have wings. You too can fly.”

-Little birdie, who tried.