It wasn’t intentional at all, but over the last couple of weeks and months, I’ve taken to reading the books and watching the movies based on them. I have to admit, it was the desire to see the movies, actually, but I know from prior experience that watching the movie first completely ruins the book experience, hence, I decided to get hold of the books first and only then watch the movies.
This could be a book about my life. The story isn’t mine, but the underlying theme is. Right from the journey of struggling to accept my given name (like the protagonist, I have a “real name” and a nickname, and a large portion of my family doesn’t recognize my real name Mridu) to the finding of an awkward balance between east and west, ritual and responsibility.
I enjoyed this book the way you’d enjoy fine chocolate– a bite at a time. The prose is beautiful, the details stunning. I was introduced to Lahiri’s work through her short stories (I’ll talk about her debut book, Interpreter of Maladies, later), and I’ve often marveled at how she manages to describe in such minute detail simple acts like looking out a train window or even climbing up steps, that you almost feel like you’re there.
While most movies adapted to the big screen fail to catch the intricacies of culture and character, I thought this did do particularly well. Of course, some nuances do get missed and that’s forgivable, but overall, you can skip either the book or the movie but definitely not both.
**
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
I am, and have always been a Jodi Picoult fan, so I was expecting to like this book anyway (the premise itself draws you in), but I was completely blown away. Typically, when a novel is written in first-person in different characters’ voices you always have a favorite who you can’t wait to hear from, but in this book, I simply couldn’t decide whose feelings and thoughts I wanted to hear more of: Anna, the kid who is suing her parents for the rights to her body, Sara, the mother, who in trying to save one child is risking the well-being of another, Brian, the dad, who despite understanding Anna’s viewpoint is conflicted, Jesse, the boy who lost his parents’ attention when his sister got sick, or the smartass lawyer Campbell, who comes up with a new and funny excuse every time he’s asked why he has a service dog. The best part of the book is the ending and how it hits you completely by surprise.
Picoult’s main skill in this novel, apart from the tremendous amount of research she’s put in, is the sheer depth of character. Skip the movie though. It’s predictable and boring, and is a complete let down after the book, especially since they’ve changed (and deleted some of) the characters and gone with a different ending.
**
I became a fan of Amy Tan after reading A Hundred Secret Senses, and was told by at least half a dozen people that I had to read The Joy Luck Club if I wanted to see what Tan was really capable of. Many consider The Joy Luck Club, her first book, to also be her best. For good reason– the intimacy of the mother-daughter relationship is conveyed in a manner that is downplayed, yet emotionally very strong. Tan also has a special way of taking the reader into cultures and countries far removed from the present day and still have it all make sense and tie in together. All that said, I still ended up liking A Hundred Secret Senses better. I’ve decided it has to do with style– the first time you read an Amy Tan novel, you’re immediately taken by her keen eye and character quirks that you’re thrilled you just read a marvelous piece of fiction. The next time, you’re already aware and waiting to be awed. Either way, while favorites may differ, she certainly doesn’t disappoint.
The movie doesn’t disappoint either and it’s definitely worth watching if you can get hold of a copy. The movie never really did too well, which is understandable I suppose, but– and I don’t say this often– it does do justice to the book, and is as good as, if not better than, the novel.
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