On the Shelf

Ashok Roy has come with a glossy, packed with information on Indian music makers. Mercifully, he confines himself to living legends and does not dwell too much into the past. Photographs from their lives, and interviews with artistes make the book readable as it does not expect too much from the reader. For the un-initiated, this is a primer. For the well-versed, it is a book to be be looked at. The photographs are a treat. From Amjad Ali Khan to M.S. Subbulakshmi, Semmmangudu Srinivasa Iyer to Zia Fariduddin Dagar 8212;- the book has all the legends.

The big question facing Indian classical music: After the legends are all gone, who takes over? Perhaps Roy can take a guess and hazard a book.

8212; Anuradha Raman

BRAHMINS 038; BUNGALOWS
By Kavita Watsa
Penguin India
Price: Rs 295

A well-written book that packs quite a historical punch, Brahmins 038; Bungalows is certainly not meant for the Lonely Planet tribe. Unless it aims to educate them, say, to help them evolve into seasoned travellers.

Watsa sweeps through South India 8211; from Srirangapattana, Mysore and Bangalore to Goa, Madras, Pondicherry and other locales in between, finally ending her travels in Kodaikanal. She includes local anecdotes and provides historical colour.

The narrative is bittersweet. While the descriptions are poignant, Watsa evokes a sense of frustration in the reader, as she bears witness to the neglect of many historical ruins8230;like the fort at Srirangapattana, for example. This is, after all, part of the legacy of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, not to mention the British Empire. The author skims through the exploits of the main players in each area, which makes for an informative read.

The narrative is peppered with references to descriptions by famous travellers, like Ibn Battuta. Watsa also quotes various historians and British Army officers, including Winston Churchill, who served in Bangalore in 1896. She documents Elihu Yale8217;s donations to St. Mary8217;s Church in Fort St. George in Madras, adding that people aren8217;t encouraged to explore the fort, let alone be made aware of its history.

The fact that the author has some sort of connection to most of the places she has written about is a bonus.

8212; Amrita Tripathi

WORMWOOD
By G.P. Taylor
Faber 038; Faber
Price: pound;3.25

There is a discernible trend in contemporary publishing. Innovators tend to hunt in packs. If The Da Vinci Code has suddenly got everybody rifling through Renaissance texts, Philip Pulman8217;s fantasy classics have wrought their own revolution. Taylor is a self-professed expert on the paranormal, and in Wormwood proves himself to be quite a storyteller. The setting is mid-eighteenth century London, and the prized text is the Nemorensis, which holds all the secrets of the universe. Predictably all kinds of characters are after it, but the adventure at hand is punctuated with many unpredictable turns. Take care, check your nerves before opening the book on a stormy monsoon night.