A Hundred Secret Senses

Amy Tan has done some remarkable work when it comes to merging American and Chinese cultures into her writing. Especially in 'The Hundred Secret Senses'.

A first person narrative about the inter-cultural relationship between two women, Olivia and Kwan, who become sisters after Olivia’s father, on his death bed, confesses that he has an abandoned daughter in China. His last request – to bring her to America.

Kwan becomes Olivia’s worst nightmare, her typically Chinese ways embarrass and scare little Olivia. To add to this they are made to share a room. And Kwan soon reveals that she has ‘yin-eyes’ – she sees people who have died and now reside in the World of Yin.
More terrifying, her sister seems to relate to these ‘ghosts’ much better than she does to the living, except perhaps Olivia, who, despite her constantly cynical perspective, is the object of her undying affection.

“(Kwan) is like an orphaned cat, kneading on my heart…”

Kwan’s meddling ways and constant reference to her former life irk Olivia even after they have grown up and are married.

Despite her reservations, Olivia agrees to go on a journey back to the village where Kwan grew up. There she not only finds that Kwan’s stories may have a bit of truth to them, she also finds new passion for her husband Simon and a whole new respect for Chinese culture.

Amy Tan weaves in the American and Chinese accents so well, that you can actually feel Olivia’s frustration, as well as Kwan’s faithful belief of Oriental myths and ideology. The book effortlessly oscillates between the mystical stories of Kwan’s former life as Nunumu in the village of Changmian in the mid-nineteenth century and Olivia’s more modern, American dilemmas and relationship issues.

The worm does feel that the stories sometimes seem to meander, but being so very true to the character of Kwan, they become, none the less, very compelling. Kwan is both naïve and wise, funny and serious, helpful and frustrating.

And some of the storied she narrates made even the worms’ spine chill and moved her to leave the nightlight on.

Other than the fact that the cover is colourful, something that the worm’s six-month old niece loved, the book itself is a very good read – especially for a woman, a man might find it a tad too emotionally packed.

The worm likes novels that weave culture and tradition so beautifully to build up to a bittersweet conclusion without sounding trite.

And this book is far from trite.


Worm Rating – Highly Readable

Girl Alone

The worm loves reading. And it is a rare occasion when she finds a book that is just barely tolerable. And unfortunately Rupa Gulab’s ‘Girl Alone’ is one of those rarities.

About a Calcutta-born, cough syrup addicted woman, who is forcibly sent to Bombay for a job as a copywriter by her mother – or else an arranged marriage. She lives in a hostel where she finds herself, two best friends as well as a good man to top it all. You might want to call it a much less enjoyable Indian version of a Bridgette Jones’ Diary.

Arti, the protagonist, is addicted to cough syrup. She plunges head first it to a bottle whenever life kicks her in the shins. She makes abundant references to songs from varied genres of music sighting them all as her “rock collection”. And seeing as how she mightily quotes from intellectual books (think existentialism), it is unlikely that Arti herself, would be caught dead reading a book like ‘Girl Alone’.

It claims to help a single girl survive in Bombay with all the sleazy men abound, the back stabbing advertising world and the like. Interesting to note that one of her two sleazes is from Delhi. Hmmmm, that sounds about right.

The worm is not saying that the book is a terrible read – but she definitely does not recommend it as one of the good ones. It is sporadically witty and sporadically enlightening when it comes to the ways of the Bombay male – but mostly it has forced puns, lame comparisons and roll-your-eyes subjects, a sadly predictable ending.

The worm will admit though that if you want a light read-on-a-long-distance-bus-and-then-sell-it-at-a-flea-market kind of book, this is it.

Or if you have a really long, bad day in the toilet and have no time to be picky.


Worm Rating - Highly Blah

the worms reason for a blog

Books.

That’s the reason.

So many and so little time.

This blog shall be a compilation of summaries of the books the worm has read – a review if you will. You don’t need to value it. You can read whatever you want. That’s the beauty of reading.

So if you are reading this the worm urges you to remember that this is just one opinion.

This is the worm’s opinion.