Las nueve caras del corazón

by Anita Nair

Cuando Chris, un periodista inglés, llega al sur de la India para entrevistar y escribir sobre Koman, un conocido maestro de kathakali, se encuentra con un mundo de magia, danza y teatro y no sospecha la cantidad de recuerdos y sentimientos dormidos que van a aflorar con su llegada. Radha, la sobrina de Koman, es una mujer

Genres: India, Fiction, Indian Literature, Cultural, Romance, Chick Lit, Literary Fiction

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Anita Nair is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the novels The Better Man, Ladies Coupé, Mistress, Lessons in Forgetting, Idris: Keeper of the Light and Alphabet Soup for Lovers. She has also authored a crime series featuring Inspector Gowda.

Anita Nair’s other books include a collection of poems titled Malabar Mind, a collection of essays titled Goodnight & God Bless and six books for children. Anita Nair has also written two plays and the screenplay for the movie adaptation of her novel Lessons in Forgetting which was part of the Indian Panorama at IFFI 2012 and won the National Film Award in 2013. Among other awards, she was also given the Central Sahitya Akademi award and the Crossword Prize. Her books have been translated into over thirty one languages around the world. She is also the founder of the creative writing and mentorship program Anita’s Attic.

Reviews

[Kinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adultery!

Now that I have your attention let me tell you that Anita Nair might very well be my favourite Indian writer and I’m quite shocked this book didn’t do better because it’s very hard to find any serious flaw in it.

Here is a story of Radha, Shyam and Chris, a love triangle that feels refreshingly real and authentic. You can’t help but notice a certain cynicism with which Nair presents the romantic affairs of mortals, born out of hormones and boredom. This cynicism is absent in the narrative when the subject of love is art, in this instance the art of kathakali whose ‘facial expressions’/ basica emotions (navarasams) provide the structure to the novel.

It starts with Sringaaram – Love:
"Love. Let us begin with sringaaram. Do we know other words for it? Or do we know it by the widening of the eye, the arching of eyebrows, the softness of the mouth that curves, by that swelling of breath from each nerve-end wanting to cup a contour?
We have words for this flooding that can sweep away all other thoughts. Pleasure, longing, lust… we call it by so many names. It is human to do so. To give a name to everything and everybody, to classify and segregate. For only then we can measure the extent of this need to know, to conquer, to hold this wondrous being, this creature that suffuses every moment with a strange and inexplicable yearning."

And it ends with Shaantam – Peace:
"Shaantam. How do we depict peace? What do we school our features into? Shaantam is not a face devoid of expression. Shaantam is not the absence of muscle movement. Shaantam is not turning yourself into a catatonic being. […] Is it the stillness of the hour before dawn in a summer month, when a thin line of light appears on the horizon? The sky and so is the earth. The birds are still asleep and even the breeze is reined in by the heat that waits. There is a stillness to that hour that you can learn from. Rein in all thoughts. Calm your mind. Feel the stillness within your being."

In a way this is the story it tells. Of a tumultuous journey to achieve peace. The journey taken by Shyam, the rejected husband, Radha, the longing-for-something-else wife and even Koman, Radha’s uncle – the master of kathakali - an art form that's a difficult mistress. It takes years of excruciating practice to perfect, but the final product can only be appreciated by a knowledgeable few.

‘Mistress’ is also about what it means to be an artist and how an artist can find peace without losing the fire that adds the edge to their art.

This book is utterly beautiful and I urge you to read it. It offers so much more than its ‘romance-in-exotic-setting’ sort of cover would have you think.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know about you. Some books I have on my shelves I get really excited about, and really look forward to reading. Sometimes these books let me down, admittedly, but usually they live up to my expectations. But I also have other books on my shelves that I can't remember why or how I acquired them, and I'm not convinced I still want to read them, but then when I do they blow me away with how good they are. This falls into the latter category.

Ostensibly, Mistress is the story of the bored Indian housewife, Radha, who is excited by the thrill of the young American man, Chris, who arrives to interview her Uncle about his kathakali dancing career, and the two have an affair. But this book is so much more than that. Interweaved with this story are various histories of her parents and grandparents, and it is this rich tapestry of history and storytelling, as well as the vivid setting of India and the cultural details about the kathakali dancing, that make this book what it is. Its quite a fat book, and could be quite daunting, but I would highly recommend it.

[Ahtims · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was ranting and raving about this book while in the initial half. But, as with many such books with promising starts , things started fizzling out at the end. End was dragging and just tolerable, so what I supposed would turn out to be a five star book, woefully became an ordinary 3 star one. The theme is Kathakali, an ancient kerala dance form, and about a man who has devoted his life to the same, though he is only a parallel character in the story. His niece Radha and her cousin-husband Shyam are facing marital problems and thereby enters Chris, a charismatic American with a secret who carries Radha off her feet. The contemporary events are coupled with past recollection of lives made and broken, riches gained and lost, all of which culminate in the end. I didn't much like the way women or the sexual instinct was portrayed in this book. I would have loved the initial effortless narrative to continue and culminate in a more acceptable end.

[Sridevi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does deception begin with a single lie or it begins much before, when you feign an almost non existential bond with the person you are living? How much of deception is about lies and how much of deception is about truths you are afraid of facing on a daily basis, when you eat, sleep and breathe? And what happens once the mechanics of deception sets in? What happens when, once the feeling of euphoria caves and the guilt sets in? What happens when suddenly you discover that the person for whom you are about to risk everything is as fragile and as vulnerable as the person to whom you are lying? What happens then? Are you at the same place where all this began or have you moved far ahead?
These are some of the questions that Anita Nair seeks to answer in her latest novel, “Mistress”. While every character in this book carries subtle acts of deception at some or the other levels, this book is primarily about interpreting the complex expressions of the mind.
Radha is a pseudo intellectual, who find her husband Shyam much beneath her taste .Everything about her spouse annoys her and she finds his ambitions crude, garish and highly commercial. Even as he finds means of winning her, she dismisses him and finds herself wading more and more towards Chris who is the exact opposite of Shyam. Only towards the end , she finds that deep within, Chris is as similar as Shyam . While his wanting to “own” her leaves her breathless, deep down she is engulfed by a feeling of claustrophobia once again . Where you feel a deep sympathy for Radha , you cannot help but feel sad for Shyam , who is unable to let go of his humiliating past and his one aim in life is to see the light of admiration in Radha’s eyes .
In this highly volatile tale of repressed emotions and adultery, it is Koman who steals your heart . Koman –radha’s uncle and a famous Kathakali artist , while totally sympathizing with Radha is the only one who is able to see Shyam for what he is , without any pity , without any rancor and for precisely this reason , Shyam is unable to hate him , in spite of knowing that it is he who had brought together Chris and Radha together. While this is a book about fragility of human relationships on one hand , it is also about death at many levels-death when a relationship dies, death when an art form dies and death when an artist dies .
While there are many favorites in this book , my favorite scene is where Shyam approaches Koman with an aim to humiliate him. He asks him whether he knows anyone who could do a spot of Kathakali for a few minutes at his summer resort. Both Chris and Radha are scandalized and horrified. They cannot think of a better insult to the magnificent art form . Yet Koman pauses, thinks and goes on to advise Shyam what all he would need if he intends to make this part of tourist attraction. Perhaps at this point he has lost all hope of seeing this art form survive or maybe he sees this as the only hope where both national and international audience applaud the artist if only for the sake of being known as the ambassadors of an exotic and rare culture.
Set against the backdrop of Kerala, Anita Nair writes with her usual passion as she tells us about a Kerala which is not just about perennial rains and lush coconut fields, but also about Kathakali , where the Veshakaaram interprets life and its various moods through the nine expressions or Nava rasas .

[Jayaram · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really appreciate the hard work and research conducted by the author. It gives a fairly good picture of the life and times of Kathakali artists and people living around Shornur, but as a person who was born and brought up near Shornur I can definitely say that Anita has failed to pass on the deep flavour of life and art around me here. She has researched and put on all the superficial technical aspects about Kathakali and life here, but even a small child would be able to make out that she has not gone deep into the life and hearts of the people here. It is rather an evaluation of a metro-brought-up mind about our lives and surroundings. And any attempt to portray life without going deep into it avoiding the inevitable misery and filth associated with it would be a failure. Live life like our great writers, let life experiences be the source to pass on lasting impressions on our minds and hearts using heartfelt imagery, instead of using words just to fill the pages. Write with your heart and not with your head would be my humble message to the author.

[Shalini M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book by Anita Nair that I read was "Ladies coupe". It was a long time back that I read it, and I hardly remember the story now, but I distinctly remember that it was a strong story - sad, real, and truly moving.

When I saw "Mistress" on the shelf of a book store, its cover immediately attracted me, the brief synopsis on the back intrigued me, and the previous experience with the author's writing encouraged me to buy it. And I must say that it left quite an impression on me. It has been nearly a year since I read it, but ever since I have wanted to write about it.

Chris, a travel writer, comes to India, to research the dance form of Kathakali, and interview Koman, who was once a famous Kathakali dancer and is now retired. Koman's niece Radha, who is very devoted to him, is married to Shyam. Shyam owns a riverside resort in Kerala, and he offers lodging to Chris at his resort, hoping it would eventually help his business. Koman and Radha are immediately drawn to Chris, sharing a love for art and a fascination for the past. Initially Shyam is simply disinterested in their pursuits, but soon he finds himself excluded from their circle. Shyam first ignores, and then watches in a helpless frustration, unable to confront her, the growing intimacy between Radha and Chris. Koman observes all, with an understanding matured by years of enacting emotions on stage.

The characters of the story are wonderfully developed - despite their flaws, you cannot help sympathizing with each one of them.
Shyam, who appears insensitive and materialistic, has risen from an impoverished childhood to become a successful businessman. In childhood and youth, he faced contempt from Radha's father because of his poverty and dependence on him. Later on, though he truly loves Radha, Radha never reciprocates his feelings. So it tortures him to see Radha welcome Chris in her life with a passion that he has never been able to elicit.
Radha is a spirited girl, with an artistic temperament, forced by circumstances to marry Shyam. She is not able to find a meaning in her marriage though. She is contemptuous of Shyam, not because of his financial status, but because of his aesthetic tastes, which see finds plebian. At times, she realizes that she may not be fair to Shyam, but she is not apologetic about it. A woman true to her heart!
Chris, as a travel writer, is doing a story on Koman, and therefore interviews him about his past in detail. It is only later that we realize he has his own quests to follow, his own demons to fight.
Koman, whose art and his "affair" with it, is the primary framework for the book (this is the reference for the title of the book - art can be a bewitching, over-powering mistress, if you are really passionate about it), acts as an observer in the current chain events. . As he recounts the story of his life, you travel into time and places, and find an insight into the life and relationships, with his wisdom.

Nine basic emotions/expressions can define the human psychology, and these emotions form the premise of Kathakali - a performance presents a small story, typically from Hindu mythology. The mood of the story and the feelings of characters are conveyed to the audience by enacting these emotions, primarily through facial expressions. These nine emotions form the nine chapters of the book - each chapter illustrates one emotion, each given a depth of understanding and perspective by examples from nature, a story of a Kathakali performance, and events in the lives of the protagonists - and in this juxtaposition of Kathakali and life, lies the greatest beauty of this book.

Yet another merit of the book is the story presented in multi-person narrative. The sequence of events is related by one or more of the four protagonists, from their own perspective. I find that a very interesting and effective way to describe the feelings of the characters.

I also admired the great detail about nuances of Kathakali - dance as well as dancers, which must have required a lot of research. I had very little knowledge about this dance, which is perhaps the only traditional dance performed exclusively by male dancers, and the book offered me a lot of learning and insight about it.

On the downside, in Koman's story, the account of his grandfather and father was extremely long, and in my view, not really necessary. Sub-plots and parallel stories are usually an integral part of a work of fiction, but these threads did not help the protagonists' story.

It is an intense read, which delves deep into human emotions and relationships. The way it interweaves the art of Kathakali with the story of the four main characters, is extremely fascinating. The presentation and style is very different from anything else I have read, and very captivating. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful books I have read.

[megha ☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

really liked the way this book is structured around the navarasas with both the frame story and the story within!!! also liked the use of parallels to various hindu mythology references and i think this is an interesting way to explore the relationship between artist & art through the lens of classical indian art forms. bonus points for it being set in kerala (which is how this book initially caught my eye) and loved seeing the malayalam in it

[Aparna Raman · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When I sit in a moving train, I feel a great sense of hope. An energy that isn't mine is leading me to a destination. In a train, my mind races along and only my body remains where it is. Seat 12A." - Shyam

I picked this quote from my many, many favourites in Anita Nair's Mistress, because it sums up the headlong rush this book is! The tension builds skilfully, the characters are etched in all their shades - bright and dark, and you get sucked into the world of Kathakali and storytelling with no way of being able to put the book down.

Where do I begin to describe how beautifully Anita Nair writes? The way her words and sentences flow effortlessly, her characters are flesh and blood and her love for kathakali tangibly shows on every page. After this book, I now feel the need to know more about the dance style and witness atleast 1 performance in my lifetime. Emotions are so beautifully nuanced and described that the book makes you laugh and cry and long, all in turn.

Its a rare book where you feel like you can't side with any one character. Everyone is driven by their own longings, beliefs and notions of the world...and yet they are also honest in their dialogues with themselves and others. My favourite (I have always harboured a preference for sidekicks rather than main characters :)) would be Shyam or "Sham". He is easily the most authentic character in the book - a man comfortable in his own skin. Do read and share your views.

[Manu · Rating 3 out of 5]

..and finally after over two years of it sitting on my bookshelf, I finally forced myself to read it. I have to say that the short description provided doesn't do justice to the book at all.
Although it started slowly, I warmed to the book in a while. The fact that its based in kerala and around an art form that best symbolises my homeland perhaps lessens the objectivity of this review a bit, but I loved the way Anita Nair has used the navarasas to convey the different moods/emotions/rhythm that make up the story.This, along with the multiple narratives make it a very interesting read.
The one thing that really impressed me is the way the nuances in the story can be captured differently by different people basis their perspectives and perceptions. Right from the title - Mistress, which could be taken literally as a human relationship, or Koman's relationship with his art.
The character of Koman, his maturity, as reflected in 'Shaantam', 'coming to terms with life' moved me.
The kind of book you should savour multiple times.

[Archana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is simple. A coming of age story of a frustrated wife - a narrative of a dancer wedded first to his craft and then to somebody's wife - a man in search of a story and another in search of riches. Did I say simple :)
The author has coloured her characters in all shades of grey. The only exception being the dancer. The storyline kept me hooked and left me pondering Radha's fate.
A good read..

[Mirela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Uită-te la mine. Priveşte-mi chipul. Chipul gol, despuiat de culoare şi machiaj, strălucire şi podoabe. Ce avem aici? Fruntea, sprâncenele, nările, gura, bărbia şi treizeci şi doi de muşchi ai feţei. Acestea sunt uneltele noastre şi cu ele vom croi limba fără sunete. Navarasele: dragoste, dispreţ, amărăciune, furie, curaj, teamă, dezgust, mirare, pace. În dans, ca şi în viaţă, n-avem nevoie de mai mult de nouă feluri în care să ne exprimăm. Le poţi numi cele nouă chipuri ale inimii."

[Carlota | Mi Rinconcito de Lectura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha parecido un buen libro, donde se mezclan varias historias entrelazadas, contadas por sus propios personajes. He de decir, que enseguida me atrapó, con sus historias de amor, diferencias culturales y una vida en la India. He de decir que la última parte "tío" se me hace un poco extensa, sin embargo la de Radha me esperaba algo más en ese final un tanto pobre.

[Crzy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anita Nair's 'Good Night and God Bless' is one of my favorites when it comes to nighttime reads, just before sleep, or one of those books you just dip into when you just have a few minutes to wait. Rather like the chocolate mint on your pillow in the nicer hotels, a nice refreshing taste before a good night's rest. But her 'The Better man' left me very disappointed. So I was a little sceptical about picking up something on the novel side again, but the fact that she did write 'Good Night and..' seemed good enough reason to give her another chance.

To begin with, Mistress has come a long way from The Better Man. She's paced herself well in Mistress, Anita Nair. I loved her take of the 3 different perspectives for the situations. I think she's added that right amount of magic surrealism which is what actually raises the book above the otherwise cliched storyline ( boy-girl-bad marriage-she cheats) without seeming over ambitious.

Also loved the exploration of the 9 emotions of dance. I think those short introductions for the navarasas were her chance to indulge in her lyrical best. And for someone from Kerala,it surprises and delights you the familiar landscape being imbibed with a new emotions. Like the quiet fury of the woodpecker or the derision of the December winds.

The only thing I would complain about, though it's not a critic, is the fact that I could not place what the author wanted from the characters.
But in Nair's defence, the lack of clarity is not because of her language or writing( which is crisp yet retains a certain flow and grace) but is because the characters themselves are for the most parts confused souls and is never really sure of their feelings and to end their confusion picks up the most dominant emotions and decide, 'this is it, this is what I feel', which I feel is how predominantly how the world works unconsciously, whether it admits it or not! That confusion and corresponding joy or panic of the decision is what made the otherwise bland characters seem so alive to me.

All in all, it was a book I enjoyed a lot. To take something that is so familiar (and we all know what feeling that usually breeds)and imbibe new emotions and colors and life is a unique talent. She also reminds you that there might be no such things as true feelings only differing perspectives. I think it's well worth a read to enjoy that realisation.

[Ridha Fathima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being from Kerala and further marrying into a family from palakkad truly gave a new dimension to the story for me. I had bought this book earlier and couldn't find the time to read it but when I saw Anita Nair up and about in KLF i decided to finally read it. I do not regret anything now. The story chronicles the life of a kathakali artiste while also giving us the parallel stories of his niece and other people. The author has an in depth in sight into human nature that is evident in the book. The characters are well rounded. It is quite long and I found a slump along the middle of the book but it picks up pace fast. Overall this is one of the best books i have laid my hands on so far in the genre. I can't wait to read more books from the author.

[Sundarraj Kaushik · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books is based on the navarasas (expressions) of Kathakali. The navarasas being Sringaram (Love, Beauty), Hasyam (Mirth, Laughter), Raudram (Anger, Fury), Karunyam (Compassion), Bhibatsam (Disgust, Aversion), Bhayanakam (Fear, Dread), Viram (Strenght, Heroism), Adbhutam (Wonder, Amazement), Shantam (Peace).

The author has weaved a story around the characters in the book as they go through these varied emotions. One of the characters is a Kathakali artist. He stays near a resort that is managed by the husband of his niece. A foreigner comes to meet him, allegedly to write a book and in which he wishes to feature the Kathakali artiste as one of the characters.

The Kathakali artiste speaks about his life starting with the life of his father. The niece who is not happy with living under the thumb of her husband is drawn towards the foreigner and they end up having an affair behind her husband's back. The Kathakali artiste is aware of it, but lets his niece have her way.

Not a bad read. Read the book for its presentation. But it seems a trifle too artificial to read that everybody in the book is involved in some kind of illicit relationship at sometime or the other. It appears the lifestyle akin to the high society rather than the middle class.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought this would be a wonderful complement to a recent visit to southern India, but the relationships felt contrived and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The biggest impression this story left on me was the depth of the art of kathakali dance. Having had the opportunity to see a snippet one evening, I wished I had finished this book sooner to have a better appreciation of what I saw.

The Uncle, for me, was the main character, and the revelations of his past and family history came at odd intervals. He lived well, selfishly sometimes, hijinks ensued.

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how this book brought to life the ancient art of Kathakali around the lives of well drawn characters whose struggles resonate. Never before did I hear about this ancient Indian art and so this was a pleasant surprise for me. There were too many plots in this novel which was at times confusing and annoying. But even though, I enjoyed how it was written in different voices so that there is a connection with each one of the characters rather just with a single narrator.

[Roxana Cosmina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romanul este despre cele nouă emoții fundamentale ale omului privite din perspectiva teatrului kathakali- teatru răspândit în India în cadrul căruia se pun în scenă secvențe din cele doua mari lucrări hinduse, Ramayana și Mahabharata. Costumele sunt foarte colorate, fețele actorilor sunt pictate, iar totul ia forma unui dans.
https://adolescentacunasulincarti.wor...

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my regret is that I had not read it when I saw my first and ony kathakali dancer while visiting Kerala. The writing is swift but very intuitive, my only hesitation might be the ending but I have no idea what other ending would have been possible. I highly recommend it.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

trashy romance novel meets Indian folklore...makes it feel worthwhile

[Petcu Mihaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paseste usor. Sub talpa ta e visul meu.

[Ana Granados · Rating 4 out of 5]

Para mí, la protagonista del libro es la danza-teatro Kathakali: marca la estructura del libro; la contextualización; los estados de las relaciones entre los distintos personajes. Es la mistress del título inglés, las nueve caras del corazón del título español.

Cada capítulo corresponde a una de esas nueve caras, y comienza con un pequeño texto que nos situa en la emoción o rasa que dominará el capítulo y que le da título; este pequeño texto correspondería a la parte de los slokas de la danza, donde se sitúa la historia. A continuación, la emoción se narra a cuatro voces: la del interprete de Kathakali, la de su sobrina, la del marido de esta, y la de la historia de los progenitores del intérprete desde que eran unos niños. Estas cuatro voces creo que corresponderían a la parte de los padam del Kathakali.

Además de los tres personajes que dan voz al presente, aparece un estadounidense que sirve como excusa para crear un triángulo amoroso que es más que previsible, y que da cuerpo a una gran parte del libro. También aparecen algunas amantes del intérprete de Kathakali. Relaciones matrimoniales y extramaritales; relaciones entre clases sociales en India; relaciones en ciudades o pueblos. A mí me hizo reflexionar sobre el papel de la mujer en el contexto de la sociedad india moderna. Parece lanzar un mensaje de esperanza de que el cambio existe y se puede hacer posible.

Pero la verdadera relación es la del intérprete con la danza Kathakali, de la que yo desconocía todo. Sentí la necesidad de leer un poco sobre ella y verme algún vídeo corto para poder comprender mejor lo que leía. Tampoco conocía las historias mitológicas interpretadas por los artistas de Kathakali, y eso me dificultó la lectura de algunas partes del libro.

Aunque muchas de las descripciones son propias del Kathakali, hay reflexiones que se aplican a cualquier arte tradicional y a sus intérpretes, como, por ejemplo, hasta dónde adaptarlo para que no desaparezca.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars - English Ebook

Review follows later.

[Ruchika.G.Naidu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistress', by Anita Nair

Sringaaram - love; Haasyam-laugh; Karunam-sorrow; Raudram-anger; Veeram-courage; Bhayaanakam-fear ; Beebhalsam-Disgust; Adbhutam-astonishment; Shantam-peace;

These nine emotions we all feel or experience at different points of time in our life...but never thought that these emotions or expressions will have such an important significance in the dance form of our God's Own Country-Kerala, " Kathakali"....call it expressions or mudras or different feelings each character/dancer of the kathakali dance experience it while presenting a story on the stage...
The author has researched well about this dance form and presented a book...the best part of the book which I liked it, before each chapter author has explained each emotion in such elobrative way that you will end up in experimenting while reading it (atleast I have done this) and further she has woven each expression of emotion to her story- story of her characters.. .
Each of her character has spoken to me in different ways and I have started searching some of them in my life (I had such feelings)...
Whether it is Radha, Shyam, Uncle, Chris, Koman, Sethu or Angela....
This is a story of being Mistress to your love, pleasure, Lust, fear of losing, anger, courage, sorrow, possession, search of your identity, survival and in search of inner peace...
It's about finding a meaning whether we are artists or performers in our own life story.. .where we want to live our life in search of inner peace or want acceptance from people around us...whether we want to be content what we have or want to possess more n more in life...what gives us pleasure and happiness...the character is in search of inner peace...but is the actual inner peace?
This is my second book of Anita Nair and I again had fallen in love with her writing style and way of building up characters and the flawless language...i would suggest this is a must read of her work...happy reading

[Lavanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a great writing style - depicting expressions in Kathakali, an Indian Classical Dance and relating it to stories.

Though I have not experienced something of this sort in my life - I know the story of Radha is common in what may be called a "Corporate" world.

Personally I find both her and her uncle as insensitive. Feeling the Gora-saab, Angrez behtar attitude is high in this book!

Hubby- I like that he's loyal & cares. Also the last part - I don't think what he did is correct - but can see him learn from his mistakes and can understand the mindset per say.
Communication is clearly the issue and lack of respect and even consideration by Radha for that matter of fact!

I did get quite curious so the writing is not bad.

But it did drag in the end. And it seems Radha's discovery of attraction is not necessarily love and her ability to not understand that not everything can go as per one's whims and desires is the ultimate essence.

I didn't enjoy the uncle character - atleast couldn't find it in me to respect him.

[Raunak Ritesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I read of Anita Nair and I must say that she is better than half of the authors in the world. When I was in school my English teacher used to ask us to describe anything randomly be it a pen or anything describable. The way the author described the 9 emotions made me like the book. One thing I will surely remember from it is that everyone has their own way of living and one must not judge them according to what they think is right or wrong. I have never seen or read anything better in which art and life were connected so beautifully.
It isn't just a regular novel that you can read and throw away. It is a lesson for life which some people fail to understand.
But it isn't the perfect book either. The novel fails to completely enthral the reader. The book is a collection of regrets of Chris, Radha, Shyam and Koman.
What Radha and Chris did was wrong and Shyam's only mistake was that he loved Radha.
Looking forward to other books by Anita Nair.

[Gaëlle Wal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through this book you'll get to learn more about India; its culture, its musics and dances, its religions and traditions.

Mistress is the story of a European musician, who comes to India to write a book about the life of a famous kathakali dancer now living with his niece and her husband. It's a story about two strangers falling in love and about the impact this love have on the people around them. You'll learn about the "nine faces of the heart" (literal translation of the French title of this book), which represent the nine human emotions.

I was slightly disappointed by the end. The last events comes fast compared to the rest of the book and leave us feeling a bit amiss. But I still highly recommend it!

[Swagata Tarafdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adultery is one topic which I despise the most. "Adultery, I assumed, dragged itself into murky places. Hotel rooms and box beds, bathrooms with dripping faucets and bed linens that wore bleached spots of previous assignations. Stolen kisses and clandestine couplings. Cars with tinted, rolled-up windows and dingy movie theatres." Instead, what this novel portrays is love. Love which cannot be "dismissed as squalid or vile".

This is the second novel by Anita Nair which I read, after 'Ladies Coupé.' And I am spellbound. The author's take on art and relationships, and life in general, is full of insights. Nair's language is lucid, almost lyrical at places.

Five on five, as I can't rate it higher!

[Aparna Hari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was not too impressed. The story moved at an incredibly snail-like pace. However, I still like the author's style of character building - she really has a gift for it. She takes time to introduce each character, their past and their thoughts. By the time we finish the book, we feel like we're leaving a group of people with whom we've become quite close. However, the plot and story itself do not carry as much substance. My first Anita Nair book was Cut Like Wound, which I fairly enjoyed and then decided to try this. My verdict: Great writing style, which if matched with a good plot can make a great read. This book however, is average. If you're the kind who likes books which move at a relaxed pace, give it a shot!

[Lucy Dreams (Sophie Witchwood) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman où s'enchevêtrent et s'expriment les neufs saveurs/émotions du Natya Sashra, texte sacré de référence pour la danse et le théâtre indien.
Un vieux danseur de Katakali, un couple désuni, un jeune étranger en quête de ses origines...
Les parcours se croisent, les émotions s'esquissent où se révèlent parfois de façon plus brutale.
Mais toujours à travers les yeux du vieux danseur dont l'art sert de prisme et offre aux personnages des allures mythiques tirées des pièces majeures du répertoire sacré.
Cet ouvrage a ravi en moi la passionnée et ancienne élève de Bharatanatyam.
Il ravira ceux qui s'intéressent à la culture indienne notamment à l'art scénique du sud de l'Inde tel qu'il est écrit dans le Natya Sashra