Mahtab’s Bookshelf

Here in the “Pick for the Week” series, I’ll help you pick your ‘to-becoming’ favourite books, fiction as well as non-fiction, ranging from all genres and all ages, through a weekly series of mini completely spoiler-proof reviews.

It’s never bad to laugh, even in serious times, on serious issues. And this week, I bring you two satires, for you to laughingly feel sorry for your situation (mine too). One’s a famous classic from 20th century, while another is a recent take from our very own land.

#1 The Bogus Read by D-MAN

Imagine Pakistan is not that stupid after all, and after good enough defeats, now it had been working secretly against India for decades (I know it’s difficult to imagine, be with me!!). Insofar Pakistan has been successful in corrupting India’s political and media scenario, and thus people’s intelligence, and is now ready to invade Indian territory… and to save the country, crosses the fate of a group of slothful B. Tech. students (which comes unsurprisingly given the numbers of engineers in the country!).

The Bogus Read is Divyamaan a.k.a. D-MAN’s debut novel and his take on the current (bad) situation of our politics and mainstream media. Television serials are headache, cinema fails on logic, TOI is all ads, and hence unsurprisingly, people are falling in love with Angel Priya (fake fb profiles). Of course, in the book, all this is a result of Pakistan’s dedicated conspiracy, but these nevertheless are true to the core of our stupidity, we have stooped so stupidly low.

To save the legal troubles, our fictional PM is Mody and Arnab is Arnub Gooswami. The very nature of the book is comic, and it is humorous to an outstanding level.

#2 Animal Farm by George Orwell

Released in 1945, the allegorical novella is George Orwell’s reflection on 1917’s Russian Revolution and post that, the human rights abuse of Stalin-era, yet it has well found its meaning everywhere and at all times, e.g., below is a sketch for which the Israeli cartoonist lost his job.

The novella is a humorous take on the failure of the peasant revolution, or indeed revolutions. Working classes are exploited, they revolt, form a new government, only to be exploited again by the new government. Mostly unaware of the Russian revolution (then), I could well relate it to our country’s freedom struggle to today’s acche din. Besides, this book encouraged me so much as to make me read on Russian revolution, thenceforth a reflection on this masterpiece feels more pleasant.

Sab moh maaya hai! Benjamin (donkey) perhaps was smarter, maybe.

Framed with animal characters, to give a message, it’s like a kid’s moral science book, but for grown-ups. And although it’s better to read up some on the Russian Revolution, this light read is anyhow very interesting, and thought-provoking.

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