Shom Biswas > Recent Status Updates

Here comes the partisan!
Vir Sanghvi hates, hates Narasimha Rao. & loves Rajiv Gandhi - credit for India's tech revolution goes to him here, and no blame for the 84 riots. Neither the mess of the Congress in Andhra (or the reason for NTR) or Karnataka (loss of the Lingayat vote).
Read Shekhar Gupta and Sitapati, and Vir, and middle ground is found. Good.
Ergo, reader of politics, get out of your echo chamber.

I have read the first chapter (the first modern Indian election- 1971, and its aftermath - the Emergency, the Janta Dal, and the '80 win by Congress), and a bit of the next.
Broad brushstrokes - if one is new to the history of Indian politics and election, this might seem basic, as it is to me. But it is largely factual and not hyperbolic, relatively centrist, and written in stellar, catchy prose. I am liking it.

I know Ashoke da. He is a diligent, dedicated man. And it shows. Very detailed. Some amazing bits of trivia. Worth it, so far.

Sensational. A must-read in every way possible. Loving it.

I read Dhatridevata in school, as part of my XII th Bengali syllabus. Loved the novel then, and wanted a re-read.
That's what is happening. Perhaps the novel is a lot better than I had had in my mind.

Futebol

Ooh Portugal is SO interesting! I thought it would be as boring as Mourinho's football and Cronaldo fanboys. But no! This is fun!
And new. In the way that Voetbal and Calcio and Foot are not... because a keen follower knows.
Futebol, is new. And fun.

Foot! Oh I love it so!
Clarefontaine!
Georges Boulogne. Albert Batteux at Reims and St Etienne (Kopa/Hidalgo.. right up to Platini) - and the team leader No 10. Zizou! and Djorkaeff!
Henry, Anelka, Wiltord, Trezeguet, Saha, Marlet, Govou, Cisse; the Antilles... Vieira.
Houllier, Arsene, and
And the Water Carrier from Nantes - Didier Deschamps, Pires, Karembeu, Makelele.. right up to N'golo. Oh N'Golo Kante!
Love it!

Ohoho Pep and Baggio reminiscing about their time at Brescia!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McfSc...

This is a book you read with YouTube handy.

Pure love!

Changing of the guard. '98 France - very Italian team! That defence! Thuram, Desailly, Blanc, Lizarazu. Deschamps Petit. Zidane, saw almost the entire WC from the bench, but for the final.
2000 France was different. Zidane's team now. Lemerre. Vieira, Trezeguet, Henry. Final was billed as good (France, attacking football) vs evil (Italian catenaccio)
Never. Calcio is so tactical, much fun. So was France. Love it!

Ohoho Calcio I love you so.
Oh Catenaccio, oh Catenaccio!
The Old Helenio Herrera / Nereo Rocco guard, Gianni Brera and 0-0. Arrigo Sacchi and his thoughts on challenging the orthodoxy.
Cesare Maldini. Sven Goran Eriksen, Roy Hodgson. Carlo Ancellotti.
In a different context, Paolo Maldini. Costacurta, Cannavaro, Nesta. Thuram. Sinisa Mihajlovic.
The incredible niche story of Salvatore Fresi.
Calcio!

Zemanlandia! TOTTI ! That 4-5 game against Hodgson's Inter.
Alberto Zaccheroni, and Udinese's 3-4-3. Oliver Bierhoff. Then the Milan 3-4-1-2, ah, Zvonimir Boban! Trapattoni's Viola - Bati, Rui Costa, Chiesa. Capello and Roma. 3-4-1-2, and Bati's maiden triumph. Sven Goran Ericsson. Carlo Ancellotti.
Roberto Baggio. The Trequartista.

Calcio!
Sacchi - Trapattoni - Capello - Lippi. Especially Lippi!
Coverciano, the Hogwarts of football coaching!
The everybodies of Juve - Gianluca Pessotto, Moreno Torricelli, Angelo Di Livio, Alessandro Birindelli.
Lippi rotating strikers.. can you imagine in the world cup win of '06, he rotates Totti, Inzaghi, Toni, Iaquinta, Gilardino and Del Piero!
Sevilla 2-4 Capello's Real.
Win at all cost! What joy!

The Dutch.
The Amstardammer style. Michels, Cruyff and Van Gaal. 3-4-3.
Ruud Krol.
Stoichkov and Romario. Michael Laudrup!
Rivaldo.
Bergkamp and Litmanen!
Overmars.
Stanley Menzo, Carles Busquets and Jesus Angoy.
Danny Blind, Frank de Boer, Reiziger, and Rijkaard. Frank Rijkaard!
Van der Saar of Ajax, the first sweeper-keeper.
The Ronald Koeman / Pep Guardiola nexus at Cruyff's Barcelona.
Amazing!

So I haven't read a sports book for more than a year, it seems.

If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath I answered it.

The loneliest sound in the world is other people making love.

When I was fourteen, I quit the club. I had learned that I was a good player but would never be a great one. Friends of mine at Spartak ... had left me far behind, advancing to a plane I could not access no matter how many games I played, how many books I read, how many endgame problems I worked on in bed at night. I was like a well-trained pianist who knows which notes to hit but can't make the music his own.

The colonel smiled. "I like you, boy. You won't live a long life, but I like you."

The first 40 pages are the story of Nawal's father, Lachhman Agaria - and that of a people.
It's spine-chilling, and (I say this with the contrarian caveat of a capitalist-believer) inspiring.
If this would be the form of the rest of the book, this would be a treat.

Started. Travelogues have never been my cuppa, but never say never.

**spoiler alert**

You cracked it, Buddy Lee. Now don't be an idiot. At least mention it to Ike before you go galumphing off ....

A thriller - a brutal, gory, hit-a-moment thriller at that - that is a bonafide tearjerker! Who'da thunk?

Some writers temper down the spoken word to make it more grammatic and easier on the reader's eye. Some other writers don't.
I like the writers that don't. S.A. Cosby doesn't.
Takes a couple pages to get used to, that's all. I am happy to live with that short-lived discomfort.

Writing a good Thriller:
50% Plot, Narrative, Direction
25% Research + authenticity
25% Writing

Writing a good thriller = speed speed speed. Speed first.

This one has monster speed.
Outstanding characters. I already like Ike a lot, and Buddy Lee is super too.

Plus I am a dad. This one is written for dads - and it is impossible for dads (young dads, old dads, any dads) to hold their tears.

Liking it!

The introduction is murder!
The Introduction itself, good heavens, is murder!

Will pause this. Will try again later...

উঁচুদরের লেখা। আমার এক বন্ধুকে বলছিলাম - লেখক হয়তো ত্রিশের কোঠায় বা চল্লিশে লিখেছিলেন এই বইটা, ঐজন্যে
পড়েই বোঝা যায় যে জীবনটাকে কিছুমাত্রায় এক্সপিরিয়েন্স করেছেন,
ঘুরিয়ে ঘুরিয়ে ছুঁয়ে ছুঁয়ে দেখেছেন, বুঝেছেন - প্রথম উপন্যাসের অনুপাতে খুবই ম্যাচিওর লেখা। পড়ে শেষ করার আগেই রেকমেন্ড করে ফেললাম।

মনোজবাবুর ১৯৭০-৮০র নিউইয়র্ক আর আমার ২০১০এর নিউইয়র্ক-এর মধ্যে একরাশ তফাৎ আছে, সেটা ন্যাচারাল। আবার অনেককিছুই সাংঘাতিকরকমের একইরকম।

এইটাই মনোজ ভৌমিকের একমাত্র লেখা - শুনেছি বই প্রকাশিত হওয়ার কিছুদিন পরেই নিউইয়র্কেই গাড়ি চালাতে চালাতে হার্টফেল করে মারা যান ভদ্রলোক। What a loss !

না রে ভাই, এ যে ভালো জিনিস। ভালোর চেয়েও ভালো। আড়ষ্টতার নামগন্ধ নেই, বলিষ্ঠ লেখা। সুন্দর গড়গড়িয়ে চলতে থাকে ন্যারেটিভ, পাকা হাতের লেখা - তাতে অযথা কৃত্রিম টানাপোড়েন ঢুকিয়ে চটকদার বানানোর কোনো চেষ্টা নেই। আর যেসব মানুষদের কথা লিখেছেন, তাদেরকে একদম ভিতর থেকে চিনে লিখেছেন লেখক।
অশোক গাঙ্গুলীকে মনে পড়ে? গোগোলের বাবা, অসীমার স্বামী? সে যদি একটা নভেল লিখতো, হয়তো অনেকটা এরকম'ই হতো।

So far so good. Perhaps surprisingly good?
No artifice. Predictable sure, so far, but not shallow or broad-strokes at all. Has a very lived-in feel to the writing.
I am enjoying this.