'Intimacy' - Hanif Kureishi

"It is the saddest night, for I am leaving and not coming back."...Thus begins 'Intimacy' by Hanif Kureishi which tells the story of Jay, a middle aged writer who is about to leave his partner of 10 years, Susan and their two sons and going to live temporarily with his friend Victor. The novel describes the state of Jay's mind the night before he decides to leave his family for good. Jay tries to justify his decision and also reflects his life with Susan and the sons. The small details of his family and his likes and dislikes towards its members gets zeroed in on this narrative. The book depicts the restlessness of Jay's mind as he reasons his longings, complains about what he did not get out of that life which he is about to leave and endeavors to hold on to what is very dear to him, as for example his relation with his two sons.The night before he will leave his house, Jay reflects on the change that underwent in his relationship with Susan, over the course of time, accepts his misgivings and tries to imagine the life his family will have after he is gone. 
The story flashes back and forth in time as Jay remembers the time he spent with his parents, how he used to look upon his father and the way his mother's indifference affected him. Jay also remembers about his friends, their relationship with the spouses, the lovers he had, especially Nina, a girl much younger to him. His leaving the family sometimes suggests his wish to be with Nina and sometimes that very reason fades away in the protagonist's denial. In 'Intimacy', the author portrays a certain aspect of human life, where uncertainty attempt to paralyze our spirit, age to restrict the risk-takings but the mind compels to break-free and savor the fantasies. 
The language of the novel is crisp, bearing a nonchalance of speaking to our own selves. The decisions and the states of Jay's mind described are very honest and unapologetic. The novel is written in the voice of the protagonist and the reader sees his world through his eyes. 
The book catches my attention because of the situation it is in and the ways that emerge. It does not talk about idealism and is not reluctant about it. The book delves on very human problems, wishes and desperation which are very crudely humane. The only thing that does leave a gap is that the characters remains as  Jay's version of them only. They express themselves very little through dialogues and incidents which are their own and are not observed or judged by the protagonist. 


My favorite quote from the book: "Nothing is as fascinating as love, unfortunately".


Image courtesy : http://books.google.com/books/about/Intimacy.html?id=zx2oAAAAIAAJ

Of Meetings and Meetings Again...

Year 2011 passed by hurriedly, busy with the role of a new mom and my love of reading quite unintentionally ignored...I read very little, of which the book that was the most interesting was one by Anita Shreve, “The Last Time They Met’'. 


The book narrates a story of two lovers, who meets after many years, under unusual circumstances but with overwhelming love  for each other. The novel flashes back in time in a very intriguing fashion, recording the chance encounters of the protagonists at the age of fifty-two, twenty-six and seventeen, in the same order…

The story reveals the undying love between two persons despite the various turn of events in the course of their lives, which are not similar for the two.  The novel weaves brilliantly the anticipation and promises on one hand and the pathos, constraints and heartbreak on the other. The last chapter discloses the first meeting of the two and what happened afterwards and relates to the upheavals in the lives of the two people in love..

Shreve wraps up the whole narration in the last page of the book so masterfully casting a rare magic spell of storytelling, compelling the reader to remain maddened as well as satisfied and with an assured longing  to read the story all over again. ..

The novel gets its hypnotic and suspenseful side thanks to the reasons and chances due to which the lovers meet in wonderful coincidences but could not remain together for life..

'What is this Thing called Love' by Gene Wilder : How did I like it?

"What is this thing called Love" by Gene Wilder is a compilation of 12 stories based on love and the pathos, tragedy, doubts, and many other emotions attached with Love. So they are not exactly love stories but stories about love and its emotional companions. The stories aptly describe the many facades of love and the people in love. The skepticism of the characters, their emotional dilemmas and all their humane rights and wrongs bring liveliness and innocence to the stories. The writing is lucid, unlike the content which are more mature and sometimes complicated in their concept. The complex emotions and states of mind has been described with awesome simplicity. The tragedies and failures are described in a somewhat lighter way giving the pathos a silver lining of getting over. The stories exudes mystery (The Lady with the Red Hat), innocence ('In Love for the First Time' and 'The King of Hearts'), pain ('The Anniversary', 'The Birthday'), hope ('The kiss', 'Passion','Tango without Music'), desperation ('The Hollywood Producer'), heartbreak ('Are you really in Love' and 'My Old Flame') and playful love (The Flirt). The book conveys that every emotion related to love can assume the title of Love itself, and very often it does. Love remained in all the emotions of the stories mentioned above -- subdued, disguised in some and expressed in others. The stories convince the title as in describing the unending joy and peace love can bring.. as well as the sarcasm and pathos it can fill our lives with.