Blind Man's Buff - Scintillating Short Stories : Chetan Joshi

I took up this book since I've always enjoyed short stories which give just a small window into the lives of the characters and convey a lot instead of a lot of meandering and unnecessary detailing.

I'll be honest and very liberal in my review. The stories are depressing, frustrating, highly negative and completely cynical at the best and at times even sick! The "scintillating" sub-title doesn't fit to any of the 25 stories.

Chetan Joshi, it says in the introduction was a software engineer (I see where the frustration is coming from) who did a lot of odd creative jobs like editing, copy writing before finally becoming a full time author. He worked on scripts of Aahat on Sony TV and somehow hasn't come out of the highly irritating TV suspense/horror mold. Some stories did have a Panchatantr(a)-ic feel to it but the story line is so mediocre that it literally blows to pieces even a good setting. I don't have problems with tragedies but the plots more than once cross over to the sick-mind domain.

At points where a story had two possible routes to choose from, the author has very conveniently ignored knowledge about any route going towards a whiff of brilliance. The only point I admire the author about is his ability to come up with such diverse plots having the same mediocrity associated with them.

I'm not divulging into any story in particular since I want to erase every memory about this traumatic experience as soon as I'm done writing this review. Even if I leave aside the plots and stories there is very little to appreciate in this book. It's not often that I feel I have literally been cheated into paying any amount for a book but then this is a really special case! This could well one of those books which evokes extreme emotions (I'm just giving the author some breathing space) but this type certainly doesn't work for me.

I highly recommend this book in case you're a sadist, cynic or a psychopath. You'll even find it worth a read if you're a pessimist and like to be submerged in a sea of weird emotions. If you're a normal, level-headed, sane individual you can ignore this book quite conveniently. But in case as you're unfortunate as me to fall in the optimistic/ positive category, in your own best interest kindly flee as soon as you even see the cover of this book.

I believe it would be in the best interest of all involved that Chetan Joshi makes a sea change in his stories... a change of profession would also suffice!

Cheers!

Marley and Me!

A small disclaimer before I actually start this: I LIKE dogs. It’s just that I don’t see them as man’s best friend. A good book takes up that slot for me, a good sporting event being a close second.

A dog is best left to the neighbors or friends. A small dose of friendly petting is all I can take. No licking, no jumping and none of that crazy “You throw and I will fetch” game that dogs so love. These were some of the thoughts as my mind evaluated the prospect of picking up “Marley and Me”. The fact that the book was now available in paper edition and that it had 289 pages (=17 squared… don’t ask me why that’s important to me but it is) tilted the decision to give it a try. “May be I will finally understand the whole business of keeping a dog” I thought to myself.

Now to the book itself…

The book by itself is no literary masterpiece but then no best seller ever is. It’s not really meant to be one of those literary wonders that you can boast to people about. But that’s not what “Marley and Me” is about. The book is an honest portrayal of a family’s relationship with an errant, slightly lunatic but overall a lovable and earnest Labrador.

The book is fairly predictable and is divided into chapters that trace the events and incidents in a more or less chronological order. Any dog owner or dog lover will identify with the contents of the book. There are however certain incidents that are dealt with a great deal of finesse. Marley’s fall from grace in Jenny’s eyes and the events following it are as intensely portrayed as would be a tussle between two close family members. These are the moments when the author has been able to take the book to a completely new level. I was able to notice these only on a second read, the first read dedicated merely to tracking the events as they unfolded.


Thus my advice: Read the book not merely as an account of a pet owner’s fond and not so fond memories of an errant pet, but a treatise on how to live life. Hidden in paragraphs describing early morning dog walks, half-chewed shoes, dog poop, lunges at people and trash cans alike, are some pearls of wisdom. To quote a few

On Life's missed opportunities: “For months we could not get Conor out of his superman pajamas. He would race through the house, cape following behind him, yelling “Me Stupe Man”. And then it was over, another missed video moment.”

On life: “I had never thought of Marley as any kind of role model, but sitting there sipping my beer, I was aware that maybe he held the secret for a good life. Never slow down, never look back, live each day with adolescent verve and spunk and curiosity and playfulness. If you still think you’re still a young pup, then may be you are, no whatever what the calendar says.”

The endearing part of the book is that Marley is not the “perfect dog” but rather a complete buffoon. I enjoyed the book because it doesn’t turn Marley into a hero at all times. The author has his feet grounded firmly in reality and Marley doesn’t take up the persona of a larger than life pet that most pet anecdotes are guilty of. Through Marley I could see some of my own imperfections and eccentricities and for once be at peace with them. The most comforting thought that permeates every page of the book is that you don’t need to be perfect to be loved. An earnest “You” is all that is important to the people that matter.

My take on the book: 4 stars out of 5 or should I say 4 woofsJ