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FLIPSIDE
Book
Fare
By
Dilip Bobb
At
first it was just fashion. Now it's become fashionable to have a season
for book launches, as if people read more at a certain time of the year.
A spate of such releases has just engulfed us, from thrillers to bruised
egos to Khushwant Singh's attempt to become the literary equivalent of
MacDonalds. Other authors, inspired by this, are busy at their manuscripts,
Here's what to expect.
Our Two
Glory Days by Saurav Ganguly: He couldn't stop talking about it in
interviews so now he's put it down between the covers. A ball-by-ball
account of the two matches India played against Australia and South Africa
at Nairobi and won. He is, of course, strangely silent about the matches
India
lost, including the shameful display at Sharjah, the reason being that
he can't find words to explain the performance. As a literary pursuit,
will only go to prove there's yet another reason to appoint a permanent
CBI investigator every time the Indian team plays.
The Match-Fixing
Report by Jitendra Prasada: It may be a little like Al Gore and George
Bush in terms of limited choice, but the battle for the post of Congress
president will still arouse some literary interest, if only to see inner-party
democracy at work. Or not, as is usually the case. Here's an inside account
of how sycophancy, an invisible coterie and a bit of muscle power can
ensure the survival of the unfittest.
Me and
my Chair by Jyoti Basu: One would imagine that the history of a single
piece of furniture would be the size of Mao's little Red Book. Not so.
This rivals the Encyclopaedia Britannica for volume and content, which
is hardly surprising considering the amount of time he spent sitting in
that chair. Having accommodated his posterior, it is now being preserved
for posterity. Comes with a special red bookmarx.
Mum's
the Word by Sonia Gandhi: This ultra-slim booklet will contain all
her public utterances since becoming Congress president. Just enough material
for reading at a traffic light waiting for the signal to change from amber
to green.
The Women
I forgot to Mention the Last time by Khushwant Singh: Hardly has the
ink dried on his last book when the next one hits the stands. Maybe bookstalls
should keep a permanent erection to accommodate his quickies. This is
the result of phone calls he received from women demanding to know why
they were left out of the last book. Or the one before. Look for it under
Humour, Fiction or Serious Reading since you will be as confused as the
bookseller.
How to
win Ten Crore by Manisha Koirala: Meant to be another of those A to
Zee general knowledge primers for those with stars in their eyeballs and
a lot of time on their hands, specially since she and Anupam Kher keep
interrupting each other at crucial moments. As in the show, this contains
a lot of unnecessary repetitions and explanations. Moreover, the clues
provided are more complicated than the original question. Think ten times
before you buy.
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