Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

I hated Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr.

(Phenomenal cover art, isn't it?)

A little background. As I wrote in this post, I borrowed this book from the library with two misconceptions: that it was the first book of the series, and that it was interesting. I found that the first did not hamper my reading of the book at all (in fact, the characters that are prominent in the first book play a highly secondary role in this book) but the second, obviously, hampered my reading of this book quite a bit. I did in fact manage to finish the book, though I found it disturbing and not at all enjoyable, and it has taken me over a week to analyze just why this book was so repulsive for me.

I don’t often hate books. Why did I take such an intense dislike to this one?

I think the problem was the character motivations. The basic plot of Ink Exchange is this – Leslie, a human, by choosing to get a special tattoo done, inevitably ends up doing an Ink Exchange with Irial, King of the Dark Court, who wants to use this to be able to feed upon the darker emotions of mortals and therefore sustain his court. However, Ash, Leslie’s best friend and Queen of the Summer Court (a fact that is established in the first book, Wicked Lovely) will do anything to prevent this. She has Niall, a fairy from the summer court, guarding Leslie. However, Niall has feelings for Leslie beyond those that anyone considers safe (and a fairy-power that will make him irresistible to any mortal) and a long history with Irial.

One of the fundamental problems with this book was Leslie. Through most of this book, Leslie is attracted to Niall, mostly because he’s made irresistible through his magic (a concept which I find highly problematic in itself) and she’s also attracted to Irial because of the Ink Exchange (another example of slavery-through-love in this book) and with the combined influence of the two of them, most of this book is about her doing stuff that she doesn’t want to. This gives a surreal effect that disconnects you from Leslie, and since most of this book is from her perspective this can really take away the pleasure from the book.

Other, minor characters also have pretty stupid motivations. If Keenan (King of the Summer Court) and Ash knew what was going on, why in the world didn’t they true to stop Leslie from getting the tattoo done? (After all, there was a way, as Niall established later.) If they knew what was going on at her home (lets just put it this way – a dysfunctional family does not begin to explain Leslie’s family) why didn’t they, as her friends, ever try to save her? Through most of this book we have Ash and Keenan saying, “We’re your friends, Leslie,” but not really doing anything which proves that they are really her friends. (And frankly, I was left unsure of whether or not Keenan is a villain. I thought so, reading the description of the first book, and the second book left me thinking that Keenan was a horrible guy.)

Irial, frankly, is the only compelling character in this book. He knows what he’s doing and why. He’s ruthless, dark, and not afraid of it at all. He’s doing the ink exchange because it’s the only way to save his court. Other minor characters that appear during his chapters are also better – Gabriel is quite interesting, and more of the characters are unapologetic and devoted to what they think is right, which is refreshing. This book is Irial’s story, and frankly Irial is the reason that I even finished this book. He’s the ‘villain’ of the book, I guess, but frankly he’s the only likeable character out of the whole bunch, and even here I’m left in doubt as to why he falls in love with Leslie in the first place. (I didn’t understand whether this was because of the ink exchange or because of some other, unexplained reason, but either way it didn’t gel).

The writing, frankly, is not horrible, but it’s not all that compelling either. The book is written is a way that makes you feel like you’re floating above the characters and you never really get a chance to know them the way you want to. The novel, in my honest opinion, is also a little too adult for the target audience (which in my mind is the 14-16 year old) and though I’ve read far more graphic descriptions (Song of Ice and Fire series, among others) I found it mildly disturbing in this book, mostly because of the lack of free will.

Final thoughts: If the idea of a fairy-human romance really appeals to you, if you can deal with ideas of being forced to love someone, and if you can handle characters so gray that you often have no idea who the real hero of the story is, then you might like this book. Everyone else can just give this book a miss.

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

I just finished Of Human Bondage, by Maugham.

Like I wrote before, I borrowed the book from the library last week on the recommendation of another short story I studied which was by the same author. Last week, I have read this book almost feverishly, spending every free moment trying to finish the book. This book is classified as a classic, the most timeless of Maugham's writings, and supposedly his finest work as an author. Here's my verdict of the book:

I thought it was a fairly good book.

The book covers the life of Philip, a young orphaned boy with the additional physical deformity of a club-foot, and follows his story from the day he goes to live with his uncle to the day he marries - almost twenty five years in seven hundred pages. This book describes his various struggles, in school and at work, with his family and with his love, and most particularly his deep obsession with a shop girl Mildred, who fascinates him and repels him and forces him to degrade himself and humiliate himself again and again.

As such, I think of this as a book about the various ways in which human beings love, about the complicated nature of human relationships, and about how, in a way, humans 'bind' themselves to each other. From Philip's Aunt Louisa, who loves both him and his uncle despite their selfishness and their callous behaviour towards the poor lady, to Philip's relationship with Ms. Wilkinson, a woman much older to him with whom he shares a love/hate relationship, to Ms. Price, who repels him, falls in love with him, and considers to find a place in his thoughts long after she has faded from his life, to Nora, who never loved him (and was never loved by him), but always liked him (and whom he liked), to Sally, who shares an almost maternal relationshp with him, to Mildred, with whom he shares an extremely convulted, complex relationship.

I think this novel is a study in human behaviour, in the strange and complex way in which we attach ourselves to each other, and the way our actions can be influenced by our loves - be it of a person, of an object, or even of money. In fact, in this story one can find important insights into human behaviour (and even into the psyche of the author, for those thus inclined) and if not an answer then at least a fresh look at some of the questions that have troubled humans since time immemorial - like what the meaning of life is. In this sense, this book is a piece of art, and a classic.

Other parts of this book pose a problem. The book moves at only a medium-pace at best, and parts of it, especially towards the end and sometimes in the time Philip spends at Paris, can get terribly slow. Too many details in the book don't make too much sense. The writing, while not hard to understand, does not follow the basic rules that writers nowadays follow - like showing instead of telling, and thus the book lags in the technical aspects. Philip, too, can sometimes be a problem. Though he is likeable for most of the book, at times he can be an idiot, selfish, lying, and confused in ways which really make you detest him, and which detract from the book.

Final thoughts: I think it was an interesting book, worth reading once, and certainly timeless for its interpretation of the human psychology, but can be very troublesome to complete and harder to thoroughly enjoy.

Other news: Marr's Ink Exchange has still failed to provide me with adequate words to write a review. However, I'm thinking of going to the library and borrowing some old classics which I've enjoyed a lot, like The Little Princess and Daddy Long-legs and doing a re-read along with a review of both.

Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Arranged Marriage, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, is what I'd call heart-breakingly beautiful.

(I prefer the cover of the book which I had, the red variant of this cover.)

This is a collection of short-stories, mostly about Indian women living in America. I wanted to buy it as soon as I saw it in the bookstore, because Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is one of the two Indian english authors whose new books I pick up at the bookstore without even looking at the back cover. (The other is Jhumpa Lahiri, who is another brilliant author.) This is a rather old collection, written sometime around the time that I was born (it is, in fact, her first collection of stories), and still these stories have not become outdated or any less touching. This book, like almost every other book by this author, has not failed to deliver.

I really enjoy the style in which the author writes. She has a way of writing with a peculiar rhythm, which I remember one reviewer describing as giving the impression of being translated from another, more exotic tongue. Her writing can transport you far, far away, and her writings have a way of blending fantasy with realism in a strange way. Her writing style is so distinctive that for at least a few days after reading a novel by her I can neither write or think without doing so in the same, definite rhythm in which she does. Somehow, her words give you a surreal experience, while remaining, at their roots, grounded in reality. She has mastered the art of giving the reader a 'powerful emotional experience' (coined by writer Randy Ingermason and believed by him to be the key of writing successful fiction) and she can take you from elated to crushed in a matter of minutes. In fact, one of her stories had me almost hating one character for having an affair, and then simultaneously hoping that the other would have one under almost identical conditions, which is quite remarkable in itself.

Her characters are all very well-written. Most are women, most are Indian, and most are living in America. And yet they all come out from the page as different, some accepting their circumstances, some rebelling, some even liking the way they are living. There are stories about the cultural shock between India and America (which exists even now), stories about important life changes, stories about morals and values, and with her masterful writing Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni makes all her characters gray in their morality and still very, very understandable and like-able.

The plots of the stories are ones that everyone can empathize with. Drawing nourishment from basic human emotions like love, duty, and anger, the roots of these stories are very deeply set in the human heart, and the trees that grow out are able to reach the stars that the author aims for. You are left with the feeling that there is more to this story, that this world is dynamic and these characters will continue on with their lives, which I feel really adds to the story experience. (Also, at least one of these stories goes on to become the novel that hooked me on to this author in the first place - the book I consider to be her masterpiece - The Sister of My Heart).

Final thoughts: I think you might love this book if you're Indian, love it if you are a woman, and love it even if you are neither. Tragic, gorgeous, well-written - definitely worth a read.

Other news: Almost finished with Of Human Bondage, by Maugham, and I'm looking forward to writing a review on it, but I may go with Marr's Ink Exchange first.

A glimpse into my bookshelves...

So, what with tests and everything, I haven't really gotten a chance to update my blog. However, here's a little quick glimpse showing you what I've read in the interval, what I'm reading right now, and what I plan to read in the future.

Reading:

Of Human Bondage
- W. S. Maugham

I picked it up from my school library mostly because I'd been meaning to read it since last year, when I read and really enjoyed William Somerset Maugham's 'The Luncheon.' So far its a fascinating read. You can expect a review sometime after the 11th of July. Earlier if I read it faster, but I doubt I can.

Update 8th July: I finished the review here.

The House of Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Another author I picked up because I enjoyed his short story (David Swan) when I learned it last year. I really enjoy his writing, his ideas give me shivers, but the books are slow and this one has been taking me a phenomenally long time to read. I think I'll finish it just as soon as I have nothing else to read. You can expect a review sometime in the next month, at least for the House of Seven Gables, if not for the other one.

Just finished:

Arranged Marriage
- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is one of my favorite Indian English writers. (My other favorite is Jhumpa Lahiri.) I really enjoyed this collection of hers. Its sad, touching, beautiful. She writes with a rhythm and a certain style that I've never seen replicated, and her stories take you far away and seem fantastical even as they expose you to the dirty underbelly of human nature. You can expect a review of this story sometime in the next week.

Updated July 5th: My review of Arranged Marriage.

Ink Exchange
- Melissa Marr

I read this book with two misconceptions - that it was the first book in the series and that it was good. Unfortunately, I found that it was neither. While the first did not hamper my reading of the book, the second definitely did, and I was pretty much put off. My review of the book can be expected sometime in the next week, provided I can find the words to describe just why I was so repelled by this book.

Updated 9th July: I wrote this post here.



Pygmalion
- George Bernard Shaw

We have this play this year in school, and I read finished it yesterday. I really enjoyed it. It is quite a beautiful story, even if it seems both a little disjointed and the ending is a little abrupt. I look forward to studying it in more detail in class (and seeing 'My Fair Lady') before I review this book, so I believe this review cannot be expected before the end of this year (at the very least.)

I want to read:

Two States
- Chetan Bhagat

When Five Point Someone, One Night at a Call Center and Three Mistakes of My Life came out, I confess I was as smitten as everyone else in the country. However, since then my appreciation of Bhagat's writings has worn off a little bit, and having received less-than-stellar reviews of this book I've been avoiding it. However, mom recently bought it and she says its absolutely hilarious, so I'm going to read. When? Now that's another story.

White Tiger
- Aravind Adiga

I've got mixed opinions about this one. Some people have told me that this a horrible book, written for that particular group of people who like to read about India's poverty. However, someone else tells me that this book is very beautiful and very moving. I must confess that I'm quite eager to form my own opinions about this book. So far, I'm unable to predict a date for the review of this book.

Well, that's about it from my bookshelves for now. I'll see you next week when I have time to read more than school books. Until then, keep reading! :) (Oh, and if you want to recommend a book to me to add to my bookshelves, please leave me a comment).

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is what I'd call a poetic mystery.

When I was young, despite the fact that I used to love mystery novels (Blyton's Adventure Series and Famous Five series, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys being my favorites) I was quite opposed to Agatha Christie, having tried to read but failed at reading the only Christie novel I could find easily in my house, namely Elephants can Remember. As a eleven-year old it is easy to get bored by a chapter on the hats a lady owns, and I never went very far into the book. However, since then I've finished Elephants Can Remember, and read a few more of her books, like N or M? and They Do It With Mirrors, and I really enjoyed them, so when my brother brought back this book from the library, I was looking forward to reading it.

It was about this time that I read Tennyson's Lady of Shalott in school and realized where Agatha Christie had gotten the title:

Out flew the web and floated wide-
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott

These four lines have a significance again and again in the book, and so do these lines, whose significance does not become apparent until the very end:

He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott."

This is not the only thing that makes me call this book poetic, even though it is a major reason. It is just the way this book is structured, and the way it is filled with the life and love of the small town and its residents, and especially the ending, that give this book a poetic resonance for me. In this book, you will see why Agatha Christie is often called the queen of mystery - because of the way she can blend tragedy with beauty, mystery with the ordinary, and base human passions with larger ones.

Yes, I loved this book.

Here's why - well written, compelling characters, including Ms. Marple, who is now vying with Poirot for the top spot in my favorite-detectives list, mostly because of how sharp and fun and sweet she is. Despite being old (very old) she's not beyond 'unraveling' a mystery, and anyone in the town will tell you that 'she's as sharp as needles' and 'I'll believe she's gotten soft when I see her'. She's very progressive. She's the kind of old lady who ditches her nurse and goes for a random walk into the 'Development' (only to get mixed up in a mystery) and stubbornly refuses to call the taxi service anything but the 'Inch' much to the puzzlement of anyone but an old-timer. She's seriously fun to read about.

A basic premise of this story? Well, the whole town's abuzz where Mariana, an old film-star, decides to buy a house in the town. Suddenly, at a party at her house soon after the arrival, silly Heather Badcock is murdered by a lethal overdose put into her glass. About twenty people could've done it easily, but the question is, who would've had a reason to kill the poor lady? Of course, things become quite tangled when people start to suspect that it was Mariana the killer meant to kill, and it's up to Ms. Marple, the town's resident detective, to unravel the tangles and figure out who killed Heather - and what exactly made Mariana's face look like the Lady of Shalott.

Final thoughts: Amazing plot, great writing, very believable characters. Christie does it again, and again, and again. And then once more for good measure. Go read this book.