The Whistler in the Wind: a powerful story that still continues.

The Whistler in the Wind,
Akshay Rajkumar.
India: Ten Letter Word, 2014.
304 pp.

It was this cover and title together that caught my attention. I hadn't heard of The Whistler in the Wind until that moment. I had no clue what it was about. All I knew was that I had found it listed under the 'Christian' category on Amazon, and that the title was intriguing enough for me to wonder what it was all about. A glance through the blurb, however, rang a bell. 

It turned out, this was a biography of a well-known and respected man of God from my hometown. He was once a Brahmin who had been challenged to read the Bible. He had gone into it with a strong desire to disprove the claims of his Christian friend. But what happened instead was a slow and amazing transformation in the life of Rajkumar Ramachandran. 

This book has been written for people who are mostly familiar with Dr. Ramachandran. For someone like me, who has heard sermons by him for many years, The Whistler in the Wind satisfies a curiosity about a convert who is passionate for the Lord, and who can quote any verse from the Bible. How did a man brought up in another belief system, and who belonged to a normal and happy family, come to desire God and find Him? How has God used him since the conversion? 

Dr. Ramachandran: father

Akshay Rajkumar, Dr. Ramachandran's son, lays it all out there for the reader. He begins with a miracle mid-way through Dr. Ramachandran's career as an evangelist. From there Akshay Rajkumar takes us back and forth, weaving through his father's history as the reader is drawn further into the immense faith and journey of this man and his family. We learn of the man he was back in his college days, his marriage to the love of his life, his family, his hopes and dreams, his conversion that leads him all over the world, into incredible supernatural instances that time and time again show the power of the true, living God working constantly and tirelessly in a world that is blinded by darkness.

It is an incredible read, made all the more pleasurable in the lyrical tone and quality it takes on. Akshay Rajkumar has written this biography in the third person, and has served up a literary piece. He switches between timelines so easily and effortlessly. He drops little of cliff-hanger gems --questions here and there -- and gives the reader time to ponder over them before coming back to them with an end, an answer. 

Akshay Rajkumar: son

Perhaps my favourite chapter is the one titled "One More Thing". This is the chapter about Dr. Ramachandran's conversion, and it isn't a superficial telling. It goes deep into the evangelist's mind, sorting through his fears and doubts and bewilderment. All his questions are laid bare. And then the answers, bit by bit, surely and truly and clearly, come to light. For a person seeking to understand about the living God that the Christians serve, this chapter is the best introduction. He voices questions that are common to the reasoning individual. But he also understands, unlike many today, that there is an unseen force, that there is a God. And that is a huge hurdle to be crossed that he did not have to deal with before his questioning began.

This is an honest book. It reveals the pain and suffering that comes from being an evangelist who has barely any time for his family. The writer is frank about what his father's popularity did to him and his mother. But, he acknowledges that he too is on a journey of his own; he too had to come to terms with understanding who God was as a Person, and not just as the God his father served faithfully and unwaveringly. Akshay Rajkumar is a theologian in his own right now, and his ministry is through the written word.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading Christian biographies, who has heard of 'Jesus' but doesn't understand the 'why' of it all, and to those who want to rejoice in the amazingness of the living God. 

Brona's Salon: I am travelling into the narrow interiors of Japan with Basho and Downer.

What are you currently reading?

How did you find out about this book?

This is going to be slightly long. A few months ago I read an interesting article at Book Riot that introduced me to Narrow Road to the Interior, a translation of Matsuo Basho's famous travelogue Oku no Hosomichi. As I enjoy writing haiku, I felt had to give this book a go as it is a beautiful example of haibun, a prose passage wrapped up with a haiku. I kept an eye open for it, and found a free online translation that I immediately devoured. I decided I wanted a copy of my own and went hunting for it online. That is when I came upon On the Narrow Road to the Deep North by Lesley Downer. I downloaded it onto my Kindle from KindleUnlimited immediately.

Why are you reading it now?

Downer traces Basho's path into the northern most parts of Japan that are almost primitive in comparison to the rest of the country. After reading the translation of Oku no Hosomichi, I decided this would be a lovely follow-up -- a modern look into the passage Basho had taken and had written  about so exquisitely four centuries ago. 

First impressions?

I am currently about 16% into the book. I am enjoying thoroughly. I think I am as surprised and a little disappointed as Downer is as she has to forge through the contraptions of modern day Japan to discover the Japan of Basho's time. However, she does discover glimpses of them and it is so pleasing and exciting at the same time. I love that Downer constantly refers to Basho's book to see where she is at and how he described his experiences along the way. She even has the book Basho's travelling companion had written on the same journey, which she says is a more practical, utilitarian recording of the journey north. 

Which character do you relate to so far?

Well, since this is non-fiction, I am not sure I can call anyone a character. But most naturally, the one we are constantly in touch with is the writer/traveller herself. Also, the ghost of Basho significantly travels along, and we get to witness this part of Japan almost with two sets of eyes. 

Are you happy to continue?

Absolutely. 

Where do you think the story will go?

All the way deep into the north of Japan and back again.

This post is linked to Brona's Salon, a new meme that encourages booktalk.

The most recent additions to my TBR list.

Top Ten Tuesday @ The Broke and Bookish

Only yesterday I added three books to my list that I am extremely excited to read.

1. Keeping the Jewel in the Crown: The British Betrayal of India by Walter Reid

2. The South Asia Papers: A Critical Anthology of Writings by Stephen Philip Cohen

3. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

Before that I had added
4. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

And a good friend of mine gave me an unexpected and most welcome gift in
5. The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien

Yet another friend leant me his brand new book to read over Christmas
6. The Handle's Messiah Family Advent Reader by Donna W. Payne & Fran Lenzo

These are the latest additions to my *TBR list and all of them are physical copies. They're also slated in for 2017 lists. Although, I think it highly like I might dive into at least two of these before the year is out.

So, what have you added to your TBR list lately?

*Just to clarify, my TBR list always consists of books that are already in my possession. It is different from my Wishlist. 

My answers to some questions on non-fiction.

I just saw this over at an adventure in reading, and decided this would be a perfect event (hosted at Hibernator's Library) to take part in, especially considering where my current reading interests lie.

What are you looking for when you pick up a non-fiction book?

I am looking for lovely, descriptive, evocative prose.

Do you have a particular topic you are attracted to?

I tend to gravitate toward travelogues and memoirs. They give me a strong sense of connection to individuals (almost like in fiction), whilst keeping me entertained or riveted with real-life events.

When you look at a non-fiction book does the title or cover influence you?

It could be either or both or neither. My most recent purchase of non-fiction books had me choosing one because its title was reminiscent of Paul Scott's Jewel in the Crown. Also, its subtitle read the betrayal of .... ; the second book I chose was because of its title and its lovely Persian looking cover. I must make it clear, though, that I wouldn't have picked up either book just for the looks and title -- I read their blurbs, checked out the writing style and only then bought them! 

If so, share a title or cover which you find striking.

Struck by the title.

Struck by the title and the cover.

Two books that come to mind when I see the word 'picture books'.

The question: What is you favourite classic picture book? 
Or you can tell us about a picture book you think
should/will become a classic.

Two books immediately come to mind when I think of favourite picture books.

1.

I was first introduced to The Story of Ferdinand by Disney's animated version of it back when I was just a wee lass in single digits. It was one of my favourite stories; it's about a bull who loves to be left alone with flowers so he can smell them all day. He is a peaceable fellow, and gets in nobody's way as long as he has his flowers. It's a sweet story that I related to quite strongly, especially in empathising with a misunderstood Ferdinand who is carted off to the bull-fighting arena, his captors under the misapprehension that he is a fearsome fighter. He is soon booed off the arena and carted back to his favourite spot in the meadow under a tree to smell the flowers. 

Here is the Disney version for those who haven't watched it. It is only about seven minutes long, and lovely!

2.

This is such a beautiful book. It is most certainly a book meant for adults than children, because at the end of the day it is the adult narrator in the book who learns deep-seated lessons from the quest of the little prince. It is such a precious story, sparkling with truths so sweetly hidden here and there. It is a book that makes you think, and it fills you with a sense of discovery. 

The Little Prince makes your heart ache. It is bittersweet. 

I have read this only as an adult, but I am glad I did so now rather than earlier. The essence would have been lost on me, and I might have ended up never reading it again. 

Have you any favourite picture books?

When a dancer gets to grace the stage at Moulin Rouge.

-crisp, entertaining,
and introspective-
4/5 stars on Goodreads

I recently read Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge by Cliff Simon (in collaboration with Loren Stephens) for France Book Tours. I went into this not knowing who Cliff Simon might be, and only a vague understanding of what Moulin Rouge is (some of which, I must admit, was due to the musical of the same name). However, a brief glance through the first chapter in the memoir on Amazon had me convinced that this could be an interesting read. And it was.

Paris Nights has a crisp, no-nonsense tone about it that appears to echo the personality of Cliff Simon. It was very to the point, and matter-of-fact -- an element I enjoyed very much whilst reading this memoir. It begins with Simon's dissatisfaction with the way his life is going at the age of twenty-six, when he gets a call from a good friend of his who is a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. Learning that there is a spot for him among the Moulin Rouge dancers, Simon sells everything he has and makes a beeline for Paris. 

However, before his memoirs of Paris begin, we are taken back in time to when he was a boy, and we are given something of a crash course in the making of Cliff Simon -- his family, his interests, his ambitions, and his choices that finally get him to where he is -- Moulin Rouge. I enjoyed every bit of this memoir, and I must admit to losing track of time because, after a really long while, I was able to finish a book in just one day! 

This memoir does portray a lifestyle that is foreign to me and, for the most part, goes against my moral fibre. But because the telling is so frank and open, one cannot find fault with it -- after all, it is a memoir; it has all happened already for better or for worse. It was, also, in many ways an eye-opener to me. We are given a glimpse of what lies under the glitter of Paris, and it is quite dark down there. 

We are also given brief but strong glimpses of arpatheid in South Africa (Simon's home country), and Simon's opinion of it is firm and unafraid. His love for his country is quite obvious from start to finish of the memoir, and also the effects of the struggle in the country during the '80s & '90s.   

I think, at the end of this reading, I was pleased that it wasn't something that was flighty and trivial, but was both entertaining and introspective when it needed to be. 

The many faces of Shakespeare or a mere collection of collaborators?

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is one of my favourite plays.
It is powerful and shattering each time I read it. 

Many years ago, soon after I had had my first taste of Christopher Marlowe, my mother told me of the suspicion some scholars had that Marlowe was really Shakespeare. We spent a few evenings discussing this; or more to the point, I spent a few evenings listening to mum as, with an excited sparkle in her eyes, she expounded further into the theory. Mum loves her Shakespeare. But, just as some scholars were skeptical of the genius that could come from a mere grammar school, mum was hard pressed to believe the regular biography of William Shakespeare, and so was more inclined to believe that the dashing, mysterious yet brilliant Marlowe was the real face behind the large body of works we call Shakespeare. 

I jumped on the band wagon at once. My mother can convince anyone about anything when she waxes eloquently and passionately about something. The romance behind such an idea excited me -- could Marlowe really be Shakespeare? I was already in love with Marlowe. I had read his The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus and The Jew of Malta. I was drawn to his passionate and raw voice. These plays held, not just so much thought, but so much emotion that was all out there. This made me so want Marlowe to be Shakespeare. It seemed so right. After all, it was he who set the trend for the blank verse; why could he not be responsible for having refined it in the plays attributed to William Shakespeare?

This caused me to do some reading up on Marlowe and I came across the theory that Marlowe did not really die from a tavern brawl. It was suggested that the tavern brawl was an excuse to stage Marlowe's death and get him out of the country for he was to be hanged. This theory, quite naturally, excited my imagination, and I was more than half-way convinced that this speculation was a reality. 

It took me a long while; I was quite
stubborn about liking Shakespeare
or giving him a chance really. But
now having put aside my rebellious
prejudice I am discovering what
has delighted readers for centuries.

Note that I say 'was'. When I got into this entire cover-up theory, I couldn't say I had really read Shakespeare. Sure, I'd studied his plays, about six of them through my undergrad and postgrad degrees. But, I hadn't really just sat down to read him for his art's sake. A few years ago, I began to pick up his works and 'read' them. At the same time, I read a few of Marlowe's plays as well. There were echoes of Marlowe to be sure, but it was not very consistent. The 'character' of Marlowe's plays was missing in Shakespeare. This left me dissatisfied with the latter. But then, I pressed on and began to delight in a few of Shakespeare's passages. It puzzled me how one man could write such exquisite poetry at one moment, and such bawdy and dreadful humour the next. 

But this article published by The Guardian only two days ago seems to shed some light on this discrepancy. 

It would appear that Shakespeare is beginning to look like a ghost name for many writers. I had no idea, until I read Christopher Marlowe credited as one of Shakespeare's co-writers, that for nearly four decades scholars have identified other hands in Shakespeare's works. Apparently, many plays look like they have been written as collaborations, and most recently there is evidence that Marlowe himself was a collaborator. I find this last a bit puzzling for, if I am not wrong, Marlowe died the very same year that Shakespeare published his first play. 

However, I refuse to speculate over it. I shall leave that to the scholars. It has been a few years now since I have decided that speculating on the true authorship of Shakespeare's plays does not really do anyone any good. It can't matter very much to anybody right now, can it? I mean, could learning about these authorships make any difference to anything? We would still read Shakespeare, and enjoy the good plays and secretly wonder at the horrendous parts, and probably for the scholarly it would be fresh opportunity to puzzle over the various men who contributed to the plays; but at the end of the day 'dead men tell no tales' or more to the point, they don't really care. It is over. The deed is done. Let's go read some Shakespeare.