Book Reviews 2024

Book Reviews
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
There are times when I find myself in long writing hiatuses, often fueled by procrastination and distractions. One of my biggest distractions is Facebook. During one such break, I read A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul—a book that deeply resonated with me as an expatriate and, earlier in my life, as an immigrant worker.
The novel vividly captures the experience of living a "double life," navigating the complexities of uprooting and rerooting while forging ahead. The protagonist, born and raised in Africa but with Indian heritage, faces the challenges of being a perpetual outsider. Despite his family's generational ties to the land, he is confined to a segregated world shared with other foreigners, dominated by the lingering influence of colonial powers.
The story takes a turn when the local population asserts ownership of their country, driving out the remnants of colonial rule. However, the absence of a structured transition leads to chaos, as a newly independent nation struggles to find its footing. This scenario, familiar to many post-colonial societies, often results in upheaval before stability is achieved.
Naipaul skillfully portrays the infancy of such a nation, led by a President whose well-intentioned but impractical vision of progress highlights the pitfalls of uneducated and shortsighted leadership. The result is a cycle of incompetence, war, and widespread despair.

The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez
This book, a blend of essays and interconnected stories, unfolds during the pandemic, with New York as its backdrop. It explores the "great migration" of urban residents fleeing to remote locations in search of safety. As lockdowns confined people to unfamiliar settings, individuals with opposing personalities were forced to coexist and navigate their differences.
The author reflects on her life at age 65 while caring for a parrot—a task she unexpectedly takes on during the pandemic. Through this experience, she encounters the parrot's former caretaker, a millennial, and their initially indifferent relationship evolves into one of tentative kindness.
Throughout the narrative, Sigrid Nunez intersperses reflections on literature and authors, adding layers of depth and intrigue. While some details may fade from memory, the book offers a poignant meditation on human connection and resilience during times of isolation.

Trust by Hernan Diaz
Trust is a complex, layered narrative exploring multiple interpretations of the same story. It revolves around a power couple: the husband, a Wall Street magnate, and the wife, a philanthropist. Their lives become the subject of a fictionalized account that portrays the wife as a tragic figure—a psychotic and schizophrenic woman whose death results from early experimental treatments for mental illness.
Years later, the husband attempts to rewrite the narrative, casting himself and his wife in a more noble light. However, his version remains unpublished due to his sudden death. Decades later, a researcher delves into the couple’s true story, uncovering the hidden truths behind the layers of fiction and self-serving revisions.
At its heart, Trust examines authenticity and the masks people wear to conform to societal expectations. It explores the tension between truth and narrative, challenging readers to question the stories we choose to believe.

Fraud by Anita Brookner
This novel delves into the theme of self-suppression, exploring how people often act contrary to their true desires to maintain peace, avoid rejection, and conform to societal expectations. In doing so, they suppress their authentic selves, sacrificing joy, talents, and dreams for a life of perceived acceptability.
The protagonist’s journey is one of liberation—she eventually abandons these restrictive norms and sets out to rediscover her true self. Although she loses significant years of her life to conformity, her ultimate freedom and self-realization serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of staying true to oneself.
2024-12-25 17:22:38
bookreviews

Readings (part1)

I am trying to return to my good old habits. At my senior age, I now have the privilege of filtering tasks—choosing those that bring me the most joy and setting aside those that don’t. Leisurely habits, like internet surfing and social media, are beginning to feel more like distractions than sources of fulfillment. They are entertaining, but as a means of self-enrichment, they fall short. Personally, I lean toward good old reading and creative self-expression. These are timeless traditions that cannot be replaced simply because new technologies are more exciting or trendy.

Take art, for example. Creating art is far more fulfilling than merely consuming it through a screen. Similarly, reading a webpage that summarizes a book pales in comparison to reading the entire book yourself and forming your own impressions. This principle applies to sciences, learning, and skills—they are more enjoyable and enriching in their raw, unprocessed forms. It’s akin to food: the meals you plant, harvest, and prepare yourself are more satisfying than those bought from a store.

When I was young, I was always pressed for time. In the hustle of earning a living, I often paused and prayed for a future when I could stop working and indulge in the things I love—like reading. We’ve all had those moments when we were young and busy, vowing to pursue our passions once we had the time, assuming we’d still have the health and resources to enjoy them. Time is our most precious resource, and the last thing we want is to squander it when it finally becomes ours to control.

Now, in my retirement, I’ve discovered a new challenge: taming the technology that could easily consume this hard-earned free time. I’m talking about the internet and, more specifically, social media. At one point, I was deeply immersed in it. But over time, I realized it was pulling me away from the dreams I had nurtured in my youth. I had envisioned retiring to a quiet village, surrounded by fields, forests, and mountains, reading book after book, journeying into different worlds, and meeting fascinating characters. I even dreamed of creating my own characters.

Instead, I found myself caught up in the digital world. Meanwhile, the family I once imagined spending my time with is fading. My siblings and old friends are passing away, one by one. The generation before me is already gone, leaving only my peers and me, each confronting the same inevitable decline.

This realization has brought urgency to my remaining time. Now, my focus is on creating memories and storing meaningful experiences. Technology plays a role in this; I take pictures of everything I encounter and store them digitally. Some of these images I post on social media, which has its benefits. However, the initial promise of social media—to connect us with family and friends—has been overshadowed by algorithms designed to addict users, measuring self-worth through likes and views.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this business model, I’ve realized that pursuing likes and views can easily become a trap. For someone like me, it’s easy to mistake fleeting digital engagement for potential success. Yet the reality, based on my own experience, is that it’s often a futile pursuit. The saddest part is how these platforms can hypnotize you, luring you into an endless cycle of scrolling—image after image, reel after reel—until hours of precious time have vanished.

I’ve resolved to take control. I now limit my social media use to two hours a day. This time includes creating digital content to store the imagery and events of my life, which I can revisit when I’m no longer able to experience them physically. I imagine myself in a nursing home, alone in my room, holding these snapshots of a life once filled with action. To me, that is the greatest value of today’s technology.

But there is something else equally important.

Every individual is uniquely gifted. I firmly believe that each of us has talents—something we excel at because we seek it out, practice it, and share it enthusiastically with others.
(to continue)
2024-12-05 20:56:55
bookreviews