Sheila Kumar - Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Book review: Kalkatta by Kunal Basu

The city of Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is more than mere backdrop in Kunal Basu`s sixth work of fiction: it is a heaving, twisting, tortuous companion to the hero Jamshed Alam. In order to traverse his life, Jami has to first learn to traverse Kalkatta. The author presents the city in the most markedly…

Book review: Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar, Translated by Jerry Pinto

Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar, translated from the Marathi by Jerry Pinto (Penguin Books). This book was published in Marathi in 2006 and translated into English in 2013. The reader falls deep into the story almost at the start and then there`s no coming out till the tale has been told. It is a story…

Book review: Friends in Wild Places by Ruskin Bond

Let me begin the review of Ruskin Bond`s Friends in Wild Places (Speaking Tiger Books) by quoting a passage near the end. Below my cottage was a forest of oak and maple and Himalayan rhododendron. A narrow path twisted its way down through the trees, over an open ridge where red sorrel grew wild, and…

Feature: Dev Lahiri on Educational Reform

`Schools today are not about education, they are about certification` Highly intelligent. Quicksilver character. Maverick. Impassioned. Born educationist. All these words fit Devapriya Lahiri , former Headmaster of Lawrence School, Lovedale as well as Welhams Boys, Dehradun, to a T. It has been an eventful, even chequered career for the educationist who has recently written…

Book review: With a Little Help from my Friends by Dev Lahiri

The Headmaster`s Story Highly intelligent. Quicksilver character. Maverick. Quick study. Impassioned. Born educationist. All these words fit Devapriya Lahiri , former Headmaster of Lawrence School, Lovedale, as well as Welhams Boys, Dehradun, to a t. It`s been an eventful, even chequered career for the educationist who has recently written his memoir, called With A Little…

Feature: The Lionel Shriver Interview

‘I prefer characters who break the rules’ Lionel Shriver, author of the 2005 Orange Prize-winning `We Need to Talk about Kevin,` in a freewheeling chat about her writing, the immigration crisis, and how she navigates her way around the excessive curiosity she seems to arouse in fans. Margaret Ann to Lionel. No, this…

Humour: Cara Delevigne and I

For those who live in blissful ignorance of the fashion world, the Cara I refer to in the headline of this article is the British supermodel Cara Delevingne, she of the bountiful brow. Actually, there may be people who are not familiar with her name but who know her by those brows. Because…

Feature: In The New Year….

Make it a happy 2016 ! If the passing of time is inexorable, it is also slightly ridiculous. Ridiculous because before we know it, the year has shut shop, another year is about to dawn on us, and there we are, pretty much where we were last December. As the saying goes, plus ça change,…

Book review: A Hero for Hire by Zac O`Yeah

Hari, namma hero Back in 2013, when Hari Majestic made his appearance on the Bangalore gumshoe shuffle, my book blogpost had this to say: The hero is utterly irresistible with his well-oiled hair, a startling addiction to chicory, and a heart of gold. Everyone greets everyone else with “oota aiytha?” (had food?), there are people rejoicing…

Book review: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George RR Martin

Even as winter is coming This book needs to come with a disclaimer: it is being reviewed by one who remains untouched by the Game of Thrones saga by the redoubtable George R R Martin. That is because I have not — yet — read the books or watched the cult television series. This book…