Of Writing Styles, Story-Lines & Inspiration II

I would first and foremost like to apologise for my long absence. 2010 was a year I'd like to forget for a variety of reasons. If it is any consolation, I will post as often as I can this year.

With this current post I continue on my never-ending journey through books, styles and authors that have impressed me greatly and my opinions on the subject. In late-2009 I was fortunate enough to have chanced upon Rohinton Mistry's, 'A Fine Balance' - the book had come highly recommended from a friend (the same friend happened to gift the novel to me on a birthday). Ever since I began the first page I knew that this was not just another over-rated piece of literature. Through exceptional detail, Mistry weaves a heart-wrenching tale of misfortune against the backdrop of political upheaval. With a vivid description of Indira Gandhi's tyrannical rule during the years of the infamous Emergency, the book tells the tale of four rather insignificant people and their intertwined lives. 'A Fine Balance' captures the true essence of India like few other books have. Moving, compelling and exceptionally presented, 'A Fine Balance' is a masterpiece of our time. It is truthful, harsh and crushing...I would not recommend it to anyone who believes in only happy endings.

I also finished the Ayn Rand lexicon (in fiction) by reading her first book, 'We The Living.' In what many consider to be her most readable work, she delves into the stringent life under Communist rule in Soviet Russia; Individualism versus Communism is the underlying theme explored in this novel. This book was a forerunner to her ideology on Objectivism and contains similar overtones to all that was to follow in her later works. Flamboyant in style as it is vivid in characterisation, 'We The Living' was nothing short of an excellent read!

Before I got down to reading JD Salinger's, 'Catcher In The Rye', I had heard so much about the central character (Holden Caulfield) and how much impact he had had on popular culture. Caulfield would set the standard for teenage angst and disillusionment in not only America but elsewhere too. As I flipped through the pages of Catcher I was rather amazed by the narrative's colloquial style. It was only as I neared the end of the book did I realise how much the use of such flippant language accentuated the novel's founding premise. Almost sixty years since its publication, 'Catcher In The Rye' still continues to draw readers and create a significant impact. The novel has often been compared in scope to Joseph Heller's, 'Catch 22' - in all honesty, I tried reading 'Catch 22' several years ago and found it to be one of the most insufferable books I have ever picked up (as patient as I am, I was unable to go past 60 pages...). While I found Salinger's, 'Catcher In The Rye' to be extremely readable, I was so very put off and bored by 'Catch 22.' The simple fact that Heller was able to get the phrase ("Catch 22") into the language is testament to the book's effect on literature and society. But literature, like most art forms, is subjective. At the end of the day it is nothing but a matter of opinion. So, I mean Joseph Heller no disrespect when I criticise his extremely popular book.

Yann Martel's, 'Life Of Pi' was a peculiarly interesting read. The novel that has a teenage boy stranded on a lifeboat with a bunch of wild animals (after his ship sinks), is in fact based on a true story. Written with an easy style, the Booker Prize-winning author sheds light on several areas from the temperament of wild animals to zoos and survival techniques to be used at sea.

Charles Dickens' epic classic, 'Great Expectations' was the next book on my list. I found the Victorian novel both brilliant and boring. While there were parts of the book that I found pedantic and slow there were also parts that were very moving. The pathos in 'Great Expectations' (especially during the time when Pip feels ashamed of letting Joe and Biddy down and taking them for granted during his time in London) is undeniably the book's high-point. Often seen in his other works like 'Oliver Twist' and 'A Christmas Carroll', Dickens captures human reaction to tragedy and the sadness associated with it very well. I read somewhere that 'Great Expectations' was one of Leo Tolstoy's favourite novels. I can see why the Russian great was an admirer of Dickens; a lot of his own work was full of pathos.

Over the years, I have never really been drawn in by poetry. Though I did study a fair bit of it at both school and college (the Metaphysicals, the Romantics and the like), I never related to it like I did to prose. That said, I do have about ten or fifteen poems that are very dear to my heart. As for plays, I did not relate to them either. I did the same Shakespearean play in both high-school and University - 'The Merchant Of Venice.' To put it bluntly, it was a big disappointment. And studying something you dislike on two separate occasions makes you loathe it even more. On my mother's recommendation, I read John Osborne's, 'Look Back In Anger.' Jimmy Porter's (the central character) constant raves and rants about society and life in general put me off. The 'angry young man' role was fine but I never really saw what he was always on about. Towards the end of the play I did find Jimmy's observations to be quite true though. I have even saved a couple of quotes from the book on my blog's 'favourite quotations' section.

In the latter half of 2010 I was oddly reminded of a fine collection of short stories that I studied in the tenth grade. Called, 'Figments Of Imagination', the collection contained an incredible set of stories from the best writers of the genre. From Guy de Maupassant ("The Diamond Necklace") to Anton Chekov ("The Bet") to O Henry ("The Gift Of The Magi" & "The Last Leaf"), I have no doubts in admitting that those were the best pieces of writing I have ever come across. Writing a good short story is no easy task; in that limited space, one needs to come up with something worth engaging the reader. Smaller the narrative, the harder it is to create an impact. There was another fabulous story I studied called "The Sniper" - it was written by an Irishman called Liam O'Flaherty. Today, the short story is a dying art. It has changed so much from the old days when an average piece ranged between two and three thousand words (some, even less than that). In modern parlance, a short story might be as much as even ten thousand words. Continuing on my new found love affair with the genre, I read some of Oscar Wilde's fine short fiction. Be it "The Happy Prince", "The Model Millionaire", "The Selfish Giant", "The Nightingale And The Rose" or even "The Sphinx Without A Secret" (all of which barely exceed four or five pages), Wilde's genius is apparent. Unlike his usual satirical wit that bordered on even misanthropy at times, these short pieces of fiction showcase Wilde as the humanist. 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray' was to follow. In terms of language, aesthetics, beauty, art and historical references, I would rate the book very highly. That said, the story failed to live up to my expectations. Though it did intrigue me every now and then, the character of Lord Henry Wooton (with his 'know it all' epigrams and barbs) was, in all honesty, quite unbearable. But like all great writers, Wilde was much ahead of his time. Reading so much fascinating short fiction has inspired me to pen some of my own tales; I am in fact working on three stories right now. I often wonder how that will eventually turn out?

Switching to a more contemporary writer, I was fortunate to have come across the writings of the South African Nobel Laureate, JM Coetzee. Of the two award-winning novels I read of his ('Disgrace' and 'Life & Times Of Michael K'), the former left a lasting impression on me. I related to 'Disgrace' so much because of its introspective style - something I do admire very much. The novel deals with a changing South Africa seen through the eyes of a middle-aged white man trying to bring stability to his own discordant life.

I began reading Graham Greene's, 'The Power And The Glory' and Vladamir Nabokov's, 'Lolita' but stopped on account of other priorities. I will surely come back to them in due course. I will soon venture into the world of PG Wodehouse (an author my mother and so many friends have great things to say about). There are, of course, countless other books and writers I will get to in good time. At the moment, I am reading a collection of short stories by Anton Chekov and 'Swami And Friends' by our own beloved RK Narayan. The two writers remind me so much of each other, what with their simplistic beauty in prose.

My appetite for reading and heavy inclination towards the written word must be attributed to my mother. Though I never read when she so often entreated me to (in the early years of adolescence), I got my act together eventually and have never looked back since.

Almost 25 And Not Loving It

What do you do when you look into the mirror and don't like the person staring back at you? They say your twenties reflect your life's most joyous moments.....not always my friend. Self-loathing is a bad thing! There is a saying that goes, "No one can ever love you before you learn to love yourself." Very true!

I am indeed grateful for the things I have. But I've always believed that happiness is not something that can be created....either you have it, or you don't. Yes...it's true that you can decide to be stoic and face everything that's thrown at you head on....but you can't fool yourself of certain realities. There are people that have gone through much worse than I have....and have succeeded in getting through it with a smile on their face....in spite of the odds stacked heavily against them. I admire their courage and strength.

Over the years I have come to realise that the truth is a great thing...but over-rated, none the less. A lie is so much easier to deal with. The truth (no matter how important) is usually very ugly. It may have worked against me in the past...but I stick with it, for whatever it's worth.

Wisdom may be much sought after, but with it comes an immense amount of pain. 2009 was a bad year (barring the fact that I finally found my calling...and things have worked out rather well since). 2010...let's just wait and see...

I can never forget the quote on courage in Harper Lee's, 'To Kill A Mockingbird', and how much insight it had. It reads, "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

It's nice to wait for the 'sometimes you do' part.

Battling Emotions

My mother has often told me that I have an anger management problem. As always, I brush off the claim as another misplaced rant of hers. When I gave it serious thought afterwards, it struck me to be 'an inconvenient truth.' There are things I'm not overly proud of about myself - one of those being, my inability to handle the most violent of human emotions (anger and hatred, specifically) in a suitable way. It's not that I lose my cool often (at least, out of the house) - but, there lies within, a massive amount of pent-up rage. There are few worse feelings than absolute loss of control. That is the exact way I feel when I'm angry.

I have always gone out of my way for the people who mean a lot to me. It's not because I feel I owe them anything or it's a duty....it's because I derive immense joy from it. That said, If they ever get on my bad side, I find it near impossible to forgive them.

I am the kind of human being who rarely gets angry with people (I'm referring mostly to friends, here). I'm also of the opinion that confrontation should only be used as the last resort. But, therein lies the real problem - since I'm patient, I let matters reach a head before reacting. And, when the temper finally takes charge - I end up causing irreparable damage. Bottled emotions are dangerous things - they make you react in unpleasant ways.

I'm not very high on forgiving people. I give them a long rope, but there is a point I will not go beyond. When I give up on people (or situations), it is usually forever. May be it's because I witnessed my parents' sordid quarrels as a child or turned inward for solace - but, hate is another strong emotion that lurks beneath the surface.

There are different ways of dealing with strong, boxed-in emotions. I manage them with exercise (at home and the gym). Apart from giving me unbridled joy, it also helps me convert that excess negative energy into something good.

At times, I behave in disturbed ways. I fear myself when I lose control. I'm no one to offer advice - but, the best thing is to wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes. I'm strange - I know that....I have so many questions, but barely a handful of answers. Hope it's the other way around with you.

The Age-old Debate Rages On

I have always had strong opinions when it comes to the subject of capital punishment. Much to people's dismay, I am for it, and always will be. Life imprisonment, according to me, is just a ruse for the State's ineptitude....its weakness. Needless to say, I do believe that every man deserves a fair trial....even the most depraved one. But, we live in a world where courts are easily bought! Your chances at justice depend on what 'pull' you have (and who you know) rather than the truth (and what you stand for).

There are some crimes and offences that should never be treated lightly. Life imprisonment (for a heinous crime) in all its varied forms (the sentence differs from place to place) is treating such a crime lightly. They say that killing a man slowly is barbaric. But, could the life term be actually killing anything? Yes - it kills a human being's soul over a period of years. Sadly, that's not enough. Does a paedophile or a gang rapist or a war criminal deserve a second chance? Certainly not! What about a murderer? Yes - some murders can be justified. But, the motive is imperative.

It's all easy to sit up on your 'high horse' and say that capital punishment needs to be abolished. But, what if something terrible happens to you or someone close to you? Would your views on the subject remain the same then? I think not! Most human rights activists are up in arms when it comes to the death penalty. They say that the State has no right to take a life....that's God's prerogative. Where was that 'spectating God' when the crime took place? If he was so just, why didn't he stop it....why wasn't he around?

Death puts the fear into even the most hardened criminals. So, the fear of capital punishment acts as more of a deterrent than a life term. Furthermore, life imprisonment does not always denote, "till the end of your days." In India, the term lasts from 14 to 100 years - depending on the severity and recurrence of the crimes.

By no means am I suggesting that you put all offenders on death row. As I mentioned before, there are certain offences that are unpardonable - and, must be treated severely. Extreme caution needs to be maintained though - an innocent man should not be sent to the gallows. And, even the most depraved person (on death row) should be put to rest in the most humane way. Since the 'lethal injection' is almost painless - it should be used all over the world.

Sadly, we live in a world where 'justice' has lost all meaning. It is such an irony that innocent people get framed while the real criminals walk away scot-free.

I live in a country where the courts take years for straight-forward cases - and still end up falling short, most of the time. I live in a place where a deceased Jessica Lall has to wait 7 agonising years for justice to be meted out - only to realise that it's all just a farce....I live in an India where a war criminal from Gujarat might just have the political mileage to become the country's next Premier.

It ashames me to say I'm Indian sometimes! Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." In the turbulent times we live in, one wonders if that is enough? That is the question!

Of Writing Styles, Story-Lines & Inspiration

Over the years, I have come to realise some truths about myself. One of which, is my apparent lack of poise when it comes to public speaking. I truly am quite awful.....probably stems from the fact of a confidence problem. Absurdly enough, I tend to express myself best when I write. It is a fairly well known fact that I rarely open up and talk about things I'm going through.....the name of my blog URL (http://taciturnashell.blogspot.com) stands testament to that very fact. So, it is a good thing I chose a medium (such as writing) to vent all my angst upon.

I began reading in earnest fairly late in life. By late, I mean 'eighteen!' Most of my friends have been reading ever since the onset of adolescence. My house has always been characterised by a plethora of books, that range from the heavy Russian classics of the past, to the more modern American literature of the 20th century. So, when I finally decided to begin, I realised that there was (and still is) a lot to catch up on...

There have been a few styles that have impressed me greatly over the years. Needless to say, there will be many more, I'm sure.

George Orwell's simple, yet beautiful and harsh style of writing is a prime example of how a person should write. Brevity has always been the hallmark of his momentous work. He was the kind of man who could express in ten words, what even the best of authors take a hundred for. Nineteen Eighty Four and Animal Farm went on to become classics that stood the test of time. Ironical, that he never lived to see the day of his successes.

Harper Lee, through her indomitable book, 'To Kill A Mockingbird', would give the world an opportunity to re-live a childhood, that most people only dream of having. The book's pristine message (and style) has not lost its force even today. Among the books I have read, 'To Kill A Mockingbird' will forever be on my list of all time greats. It's a pity that she never wrote another novel.

Among the classicists I admire, Alexandre Dumas stands tall. In the pages of 'The Count Of Monte Cristo' I saw one of my favourite characters (Edmond Dantes) in Literature emerge. And oddly enough, among classicists of Dumas' generation like Dickens and George Elliot (to name a couple), I find his work to be the most inspiring.

Ayn Rand's writing and philosophy have always been controversial subjects. My friends (the majority of them, at least) who have attempted to read her work, believe she is insufferable. This observation bears striking resemblance to most critics' views, pertaining to her work. Her work has often been derided along the lines of being boring, melodramatic and repetitive. I have often seen in Ayn Rand, a flamboyantly explosive style of writing. In her novels and philosophy I have witnessed rare genius. The 1100-page 'Atlas Shrugged' (1957) is a lasting tribute to Capitalism, and the larger-than-life figures of human greatness. It remains to be my No. 1 Ayn Rand novel, and one of the finest books I have ever read.

Some of the other authors I have enjoyed over the years are Alexandr Solzhenitsyn ('One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich'), Albert Camus ('L'Etranger'), Richard Bach ('Jonathan Livingston Seagull'), Leon Uris ('Exodus') and Kamala Markandaya ('A Handful Of Rice'). Of the more modern material, I have been greatly impressed by Khaled Hosseini for, 'The Kite Runner', Gregory David Roberts for, 'Shantaram', and Paulo Coelho for, 'Eleven Minutes.'

Much like Orwell, writers like Solzhenitsyn, Camus and Coelho became known for a simple, yet riveting way of portraying things.

After all this, I still have much to read, and wish to do just that. Some of the men and women I have mentioned above, have inspired people to do great things. Am I one of them? Not as yet, anyway!

Looking Back......And Why It Can Be Such A Waste Of Time

Some of us get too caught up in the past.....past glories, past love, past achievements....When it comes to looking back one too many times, I'm guilty of treason. Don't get me wrong.....I'm all for a bit of introspection and soul-searching, but as most things in life...it has its down side. Admittedly, delving into the moments gone by may teach you a whole lot about yourself....and, in some cases may even make you learn from your mistakes. But, it gets you into a very static mode.

When things come to a standstill (as is the case with me now), and nothing seems to go right, we often tend to drift into the past or look far into the future for answers.

Someone once asked me if I believed in such things as the past-life and the after-life. I believe in neither. Immaterial of people's beliefs, the most important life is this one....and, we ought to make the most of it.

People who have come to terms with who they are, and enjoy every moment of their existence, usually live for the present. Whenever I have been happy....the present moment is what I've always lived for. I should take a cue from people who do that more often....

'Balance' & The General Order Of Things

The animal kingdom has always thrived on the principle of "survival of the fittest." That said, it still has a strict code which is never broken. It's a shame that the worst species in the animal kingdom (us humans) live by none whatsoever (The reason I include the human species as a part of the animal kingdom is because I agree with Darwin's theory of evolution). Mother nature (or some supreme power) has a strange way balancing things though. It would be odd if we were either gleeful or sorrowful (as the case may be) forever (if that were the case, it wouldn't be called life.....now, would it?). It is so often seen, that for every broken soul, there is a person who is in love with life, for every cynic one will find an incurable idealist, for every gutless human, an immensely courageous one exists.

It is an irony that all those material things that are supposed to make us happy, end up falling short more often than not. I had recently read a survey that was attempting to measure the level of happiness among children from a variety of nations. The survey concluded that street children from Bangladesh and India were the happiest compared to their more fortunate counterparts in the western world. Says a lot!

I was extremely influenced by what Gregory David Roberts said about love (and why we fear it so much) in his immensely popular book, Shantaram. Everything said, love is still a tad over-rated. I've seen my parents fall in and out of it, I've seen my friends fall in and out of it, and finally.....I've seen myself fall in and out of it. And the reason we fear it so much (and try our best to run from it) is that it makes us vulnerable......but, there is truth when I say.....we all need it sometimes.

I would like to end this piece by quoting some excerpts from the book, Shantaram:

"Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything except tears. In the end that's all there is: love and its duty, sorrow and its truth. In the end that's all we have - to hold on tight until the dawn."

"At first, when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. What we should fear and dread instead is that we won’t stop loving them, even after they are dead and gone."

"One of the ironies of courage and why we prize it so highly, is that we find it easier to be brave for someone else than we do for ourselves alone."

- Gregory David Roberts