Literary Birthday Book Reviews for July

During July, “Literary Birthday Book Reviews” is celebrating two authors of different time periods.  The first is William Makepeace Thackeray who was born on July 18, 1811 and lived in Calcutta, India (British India) until 1816.  When his father died, he moved to England where as an adult, after squandering most of his inheritance on gambling and two failed newspapers he began “writing for his life.” His most notable work is the novel Vanity Fair, but highlighted in this review is a children's tale, The Rose and The Ring.  This story was created as a fireside pantomime that served as Twelfth Night entertainment for Thackeray's children and other children under the care of a governess friend. Traditionally on the “twelfth night,” stories were shared as part of the festivities that conclude the twelve days of Christmas, or Christmastide.  Seems like an appropriate read following West Jefferson's Christmas in July celebration! Thackeray who enjoyed cartooning, drew a cast of characters to use when telling his story, which later became illustrations for a printed copy of The Rose and The Ring, published in 1855.  The entire book can be read online in Google Books' collection of public domain titles.   This book was also released as a BBC TV mini-series in 1953.  Although I couldn't find the video to watch, there is an opera of the story on YouTube.   

William Makepeace Thackeray

The story is a satirical fantasy about royalty and their attitudes on appearances and marriage.  As things begin, Prince Giglio gives his mother's ring to his cousin, Princess Angelica. Unknowingly the ring was bestowed with special powers by Fairy Blackstick to make the wearer most beautiful, and Giglio becomes smitten by Angelica.  Prince Bulbo, from a neighboring kingdom, is visiting and has a magic rose that also makes him irresistible, and most handsome, causing Angelica to fall madly in love with him. Beauty is only skin-deep among these shallow characters and during an argument the ring is tossed out the window and discovered by Angelica's governess, Countess Gruffanuff, who is most hideous, until she puts the ring on her finger.  Countess Gruffanuff convinces Giglio to sign a paper that promises he will marry her.  Later the Countess gives the ring to Angelica's chambermaid, Betsinda.  The poor maid is thrown out of the castle when she draws affections of the King and both Princes.  The story twists and turns around these characters with incidents of royal tantrums that lead to near executions by beheading and being thrown to the lions.  Luckily there is magic to intervene and a surprise is in store when the true identity of Betsinda is revealed.   At times, this medieval story sort of reminded me of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones.  I have to say that Thackeray uses some weird names and references, such as Knights of the Pumpkin, noble families from The House of Broccoli and The House of Sauerkraut, and then there is the Marquis of Spinachi.  I think this book would appeal to those who like amusing intricate plots with exaggerated characters.  As a bonus, following the story of The Ring and The Rose, a collection of ballads is included in this book. In describing Thackeray, Britannica Encyclopedia states, “He wrote to be read aloud in the long Victorian family evenings, and his prose has the lucidity, spontaneity, and pace of good reading material.” Here are a few lines that highlight his poetic style: Now the toils of day are over, And the sun hath sunk to rest, Seeking, like a fiery lover, The bosom of the blushing west - from “Serenade”

For adult readers Rohinton Mistry's book Family Matters is featured in celebration of the author's birthday on July 3, 1952.  Misty, who also began life in India, was born in Bombay.  In 1975, he immigrated to Canada with his fiancé.  This is his third novel, published in 2001, and deals with domestic crisis amidst a corrupt, poverty-stricken background.  On contemplating this novel's title, the word “matters” can be interpreted as either a noun or a verb.  I became much attached to the characters and felt they all mattered in the end, both individually and as a whole family unit.  When considering the title as a noun, it is easy to explain that the focus of the story is how siblings deal with an aging parent who is suffering from Parkinson's disease.  Nariman, the patriarch of the family has become bedridden after a fall that has left him with a broken ankle. Living in cramped quarters with his daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons is difficult.  Nariman has two other adult step-children who avoid the responsibilities of helping out with care-taking and expenses.  There are also painful memories of past mistakes that haunt Nariman, and as the story unfolds each character is transformed by the choices they make.  

Mistry highlights Indian culture and religion in his story by including Orthodox Zoroastrian practices and rituals in the routines of his characters.  With Indo-nostalgia, Mistry weaves a story full of customs and foods that celebrate daily life as well as special occasions.  When meeting to discuss the novel with friends, we watched a documentary on Zoroastrianism, a religion that dates back to the 5^th century.  It is amazing that they have kept the same temple fire burning all these years!  I will always remember this when lighting a stick of sandalwood incense. Taking inspiration from a quote by Nariman, who refuses to eat his birthday dinner on everyday plates, we enjoyed couscous and curry chicken on the best china. “There's only one way to defeat the sorrow and sadness of life - with laughter and rejoicing. Bring out the good dishes, put on your good clothes, no sense hoarding them. Where is the cut-glass vase and the rose bowl from your wedding? The porcelain shepherdess with her lamb? Bring them all out, Roxana, and enjoy them.” 

Rohinton Mistry

 I was surprised to find that in spite of cultural differences there were some family scenes that struck home, proving that we all have some things in common.  There was also reference to the riots of Bombay that took place in December 1992, and the political party Shiv Sena.  I find learning enjoyable while immersed in a fictional story, and this can often lead me to search for more information on things I am not sure about.  When looking up the Shiv Sena to find out more about their radical ways, I discovered that the founder of this group was Bal Keshav Thackeray! I tried to find out if there was a connection anywhere to William Makepeace Thackeray and I discovered that Bal Keshav was a cartoonist in his early career days.  Other than cartooning and the same last name I couldn't find a shared bloodline, but I thought again about the random ways these book selections complemented each other.   The atmospheric tone of this story allowed me to imagine what this exotic country is like and to “armchair travel” across the world.   Mistry's dialect-filled writing style, full of regional language and slang brings the setting to life. I'd recommend this book to those who like religiously diverse characters, who although may be very different have relatable qualities that will allow readers to identify with their emotions and experiences.