If Arundhati’s book was crushing and made me aware of her intense journey which was tough and as basic as it could be - staying in 1 room without furniture's, or fan or food at times working for days on drug induced haze and working to get 2 meals in place. And of course her mothers anger leading to her detachment with her family. It also made me aware to some extent her views on Narmada Bachao Andolan, Kashmir, Naxalites - a fight to save their own space & earth being plundered by privatization and politics of faith. The second part eas dark and made me feel helpless and anxious of what is happening to these people. I know reading a book or contributing some money or writing about them won’t help. What they need is a physical support not some armchair activism. It was not depressing but it was intense sadness which is not personal just like I felt this week when I read about Wangchuk being arrested or I read about deaths in Gaza and many other places. Their helplessness is something I can feel but cannot do much about.
On the other hand, few weeks back I read with the same feverish & intensity A table for Two. A collection of short stories which were so uplifting that I have not read something like that. Of course his more famous book "A Gentleman from Moscow” was similarly uplifting where the worst situation was converted to a positive manner.
The stories in A table for two are simple and gentle, it deals with day to day life, with the contradictions & self beliefs or principles we live with. Stories we tell ourselves only to be told by the author to re-examine them without preaching. Stories like “Bootlegger” or “I will survive” have a quiet sense of suspense which ends in a moment of sadness or beauty or an unexpected but gentle twist.
Many books you read for all the above but Amor Towles beauty lies in his craft, his sentences, dialogues, description - it’s like the cinematography or editing can ruin or make a film. I am a fan of his craft. My book of the year.
https://www.amortowles.com/table-for-two-q-and-a/ read the authors interview. But after you have read the book.
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