![Book review: Cobalt Blue]()
Drama |
Once during an intense conversation, a friend of mine told me that the Indian regional literature is much more forward thinking than what it appears to be. Far far more than what we are still fighting for in English. And then he recommended me Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar.
I didn’t think much of it and put it in the back burner, like I usually do. Out of a whim I picked this without much expectations, thanks to the weird experiences I had with other Indian books written in English. So let us see how the Cobalt Blue turned out, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: Cobalt Blue
Author: Sachin Kundalkar, Translated by Jerry Pinto
Genre: Fiction – Drama, romance, LGBTQA
Characters: Tanay, Anuja and Aseem Joshi, the tenant aka the painter
Setting: Pune, Maharashtra, India
Plot
Set in Pune, a tier one Indian city, Cobalt Blue revolves around siblings Tanay and Anuja and their typical middle class Maharashtrian family. Their elder brother Aseem conforms to the norms of the society in every sense.
And to make their ends meet they taken in a youthful painter whose independent, carefree attitude is almost infectious as a paying tenant. He occupies the single bed room that their grandparents had used when they were alive and still has the lingering scent of Amurtanjan, (a pain relief balm) used by them.
The book consists of two parts. The first is a second person narrative of Tanay addressing the tenant and talks about their loving relationship and how hurtful it is to live without him. And slowly the reason why the tenant is not living with them anymore is revealed.
The second part forms Anuja’s narration, set about six months after she returns home after her elopement with the tenant. Her diary entries tell us more about the events that led her to fall for the tenant, their elopement and him subsequently abandoning her.
Both Tanay and Anuja hadn’t realized that they had fallen for the same person. How their conservative family handle to the fact their young children falling for the same person and how the siblings handle their broken hearts form the rest of Cobalt Blue.
My initial thoughts
I loved the unusual story and it was not very apparent initially that the siblings loved the same person which made it more interesting. I felt connected to their family setting almost immediately. I was fascinated how seamlessly the author interwove not only the themes of homosexual and heterosexual love, but also the family’s love to their off springs despite how difficult and new it was for them.
It was quite ironical to observe who easy for the tenant and Tanay to spend hours with each other alone in their separate room and nobody questions their actions. On the other hand, Anuja has a very difficult time finding ways to talk to him, without the prying minds and questionable comments.
But when the table turned, Tanay is forced to hold his feelings for the tenant as well as his emotions to himself, while Anuja’s emotions are relatively unbridled. She suffers with depression and suicidal thoughts and her family remains supportive (comparatively) despite her rebellious actions. Yes it is a sad truth that the Indians at large are still outright homophobic (though it is mostly the elder ones), let us not even go there and the author captures the Indian mentality perfectly.
The best thing about Cobalt Blue was how the author handled the theme of homosexuality in such a matured way. Cobalt Blue is not a lot about discovering, exploring or even defending sexuality but just accepting it as is. I can’t believe this book was first published in 2006 and the author was a mere 20 year old at that time of him writing this book. I am swept away!
Things that worked for me
- All the characters and the relationships were handled matured. You can’t just paint a person in the bad light, (yes even or especially the tenant).
- Remember the last time I was let down by translation? Jerry Pinto, of Em and the Hoom fame, did a great job.
- I loved how things were left unsaid and undone. Sometimes less is enough.
- The book stayed true to the Indian culture and still if you change the city to any other developing nation the story would still work.
Things that didn’t work for me
I had a hard time thinking of something to talk about under this heading and I was at loss, which you know is rare. Anyway here it goes.
- It might feel a little, very little, slow initially but the simple and lyrical prose would get you through. Just read this!
- Once you get to the point of all or most knots unraveled the story becomes predictable and ordinary. But the simple and lyrical prose would get you through. Just read this, already.
- Sometimes, Anuja does come out as annoying, during her acting out phase, but it kinda understandable when you are ditched by someone you loved.
Sigh, I can’t think of anything else to say in the negative light.
Bottom – line
I totally loved this one and Cobalt Blue has definitely made more receptive
to translated works, especially from the Indian writers. I would recommend Cobalt Blue to anyone who loves a contemporary romance set in a family background and LGBTQA themes.
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Have you read this book? Do you like translated works? Have they ever let you down or you one of those ever lucky people? Let us chat.
![Book review: Cobalt Blue]()
Sunday Musings |
G’morning people,
Though we don’t have an autumn season around here I am gonna have to shout out ‘The Fall is here!’. The temperature has fallen and we are so close to hoodie weather. I love this time of Dubai, and Halloween decorations are everywhere. And more horror movies and books.
On the other news, I got some indoor plants this week and I am testing out how long I take to let it die. I am being totally serious, I think I have some serious ill luck when it comes to plants and I am doing my best. I have been digging up a lots of blogs and this time I am equipped better, I hope.
What I read this week:
I am reading A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard.
What I watched this week:
Did any of you know Netflix is finally streaming the Jane the virgin Season 4? Yaas! I love it and am currently binging on it.
I love Rafael Solano and obviously if you knew he looks like this, you would too. And that he is kinda good person (I know the judgement is still out on that) helps.
On the blog
I spent quite some time on my blog and I hope this continues. So here is a quick recap on what happened on my blog this week.
Around the blogosphere
Here are a few of gems among the millions of posts I read this week. I love ’em and I thought you would too.
- Evalinah from Avalinah’s Books wrote a post on her guilty pleasure reads.
- Are you a writer or wanna be one? Marcia from Trendy Simple Life shared a great post with writing resources just to help you.
- While we are on the topic of writing resources, here is one more from Jenn’s Bound to Writing to help you out further.
- What comes after writing? Nichole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction tells us about a few things that she found about publishing through her experience.
- I love blogs with brilliant graphics and Flipping thru the pages by Simant is one of them. She writes a post on the importance of having decent graphics on your blog.
I will be linking today’s post with Caffeinated reviewer’s Sunday post Meme.
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How did your week go? Do you watch Jane the Virgin? What other shows are you watching right now? Let us talk.
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Quizzes & Tags |
I love it when I relate to the characters of a book I love. And I was super excited to created this quiz, so that you can find out which Female Literary Character you are similar to!
Don’t you feel better when you find some characteristics of yours in another person, even if it just in a book, and that you are not all alone in this world? I do.
Here is your chance to find out which female literary character from the literary world is your twin is by answering few questions. Let me know who you are.
You may like these too
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Let’s chat
Who is your female book twin? Can you related to your twin Female literary Character? Are there any other bookish quizzes that you have tried and liked? Let me know in the comment section.
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Quizzes & Tags |
It has been a while since I did a bookish tag on my blog and that is when I stumbled upon the A-Z bookish questions tag on Youtube. The tag is pretty simple. I get to answer questions that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
Sounds easy, right? No.
My mind went completely blank and I somehow couldn’t remember even the last book I read. Sigh. Thankfully Goodreads came to my rescue.
A-Z Bookish questions Tag
Otherwise I am sure I never would have these bookish questions for another ten days. So let us get on with this okay?
Author you’ve read the most books from:
I just headed to Goodreads and checked out my most read authors who unsurprisingly turned to be Sidney Sheldon, followed by Jeffrey Archer.
I had a phase when I read only their books. Glad I came out of it and became more open to other authors.
Best Sequel Ever:
I usually don’t read series. But I think the last series that I read completely and enjoyed was the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer.
Currently Reading:
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
Drink of Choice While Reading:
I wouldn’t dare to eat or drink while reading.
E-reader or Physical Book?
Of late I am picking E books over physical books. I moved thrice in the last few years and I lost so many books in the process. And I am now afraid to start collecting again.
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:
I had a crush on Cross De Lena from The Last Done by Mario Puzo. I am afraid no one would remember the Mafia Don anymore. (Hint: He is like the Godfather).
Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:
Recently I read a translated work of Korean fiction by Han Kang called the Vegetarian. I can safely say it was pretty weird!
Hidden Gem Book:
I found this gem out of accident and I ended up reading the whole series. I think everyone should give it a chance The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne.
Important Moment in your Reading Life:
I think finding about Goodreads about 5 years ago must be it. I had been blogging for a while then but still I wanted a place to find more books.
Just Finished:
Just finished Nordic King by Karina Halle as part of my A- Z reading challenge for 2018.
Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:
I rarely read Fantasy and Sci-fi. I am not averse to them, but I don’t feel inclined to pick them up easily.
Longest Book You’ve Read:
I think it should be ‘Gone with the Wind’ by Margret Mitchell. I have ‘IT’ by Stephen King on my TBR for a long time now but the mere size of it is intimidating me.
Major book hangover because of:
I usually have a hangover for most of the books. I typically take half the day off before I start another one. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood gave me a major book hangover. I think I took 2-3 days to recover and then I jumped into watching the Netflix adaptation.
Number of Bookcases You Own:
I have 3 book shelves currently, each at a different city that I call home. But as I said I lost quite a number of books and I have almost stopped buying physical books.
One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
I rarely re-read books except for the classics. I think the last book I re-read was ‘And then there were none‘ by Agatha Christie.
Preferred Place To Read:
I love reading during my commute, so that used to be the train. But now I read a lot in my bed, just before catching my beauty sleep.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:
This is a hard one, given that I am obsessed about quotes, especially from books.
I love Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson and not a week goes by without me quoting something from his comics. I have so many of them that I love and am sharing here some of my favorites.
Reality continues to ruin my life.
It’s not denial. I’m just selective about the reality I accept.
I’m killing time while I wait for life to shower me with meaning and happiness
Reading Regret:
I don’t think I regret reading any book, even the ones that I hated or DNF-ed (rarely). But I do regret that I didn’t read some of those childhood classics when I was younger, as reading them as an adult hasn’t been the same.
Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
I don’t read books as a series, usually. On the rare occasion I do, I make sure all of the books in the series are already published. You know, waiting is for suckers. (Sorry, but not sorry)
Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
As any book worm would, I am gonna whine that this is a hardest thing I have ever done, not literally. Yet I told you I would answer all the questions, so here I go:
- And then there were none by Agatha Christie.
- And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Unapologetic Fangirl For:
I totally have been adoring Khaled Hosseini and Gillian Flynn‘s writing for a while now.
Update: I literally fan-girled when I met Markus Zusak, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black et al in real life. Read more about it here!
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:
I do not follow book releases so seriously. I am more of a backlist reader and ARC reviewer.
Worst Bookish Habit:
I can’t get myself to give up on books aka DNF easily, which means even if I don’t like a book I would struggle through it.
X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
I don’t have many books on my physical book shelf. So I am gonna do the same with my Google Play which I totally depend on for reading my e-books.
So the 27th book is The Fourth Monkey Killer by J D Barker which I reviewed here.
Your latest book purchase:
The last book I bought was The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, which turned to be too long for my taste.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late)
I stayed up all night reading They both die at the end by Adam Silvera.
But I am not sure if it was the last book that kept me up, I am just looking through Goodreads list for the answers. I am just guessing, so let me be please.
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Can you answer these A-z Bookish questions Tag? What do you think about my answers? What is your worst bookish habit? Let us chat.
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Classics |
There is something with South East Asian Literature that I can’t put my finger to, they always leave me confused whether I like them or not. I picked Kitchen by Yoshimoto worrying if I will get it, especially seeing that it has several raving reviews on Goodreads.
I didn’t want to read the blurb and jumped directly into the book. Read on to know how that went.
About the book
Book Name: Kitchen
Author: Banana Yoshimoto
Genre: Fiction – Modern Classic, Literary,
Characters: Mikage Sakurai, Yuichi and Eriko Tanabe
Setting: Tokyo, Japan
Plot
Kitchen begins with Mikage Sakurai grieving the death of her grandmother, in their kitchen. Yuichi and his mother Eriko takes her in as she has no other family left. Mikage throws herself into cooking and food, which becomes part of her heart and dreams.
Eriko is a transvestite, who runs a gay night club and lives with her son Yuichi who studies at Uni. He was a man for a long time until his wife died and then he changes ‘her face and her everything’ with the help of operations. The busy mother – son gets closer to Miakge through her home cooked dinners, until Mikage moves away to pursue her culinary dreams.
A few months later Eriko is murdered by a smitten man. Tides change and it is now Yuichi that has to face the loss and grief. How Mikage helps Yuichi to cope with the loss and how her passion for food keeps the friends sane forms the rest of the story in Kitchen.
Kitchen is followed by a shorter tale named Moonlight Shadow in which the theme of grief and loss of beloved ones continue. Satsuki lost her boy friend Hitsohi to an unforeseen road accident. She picks up running to push her sorrows away. Hitoshi’s brother who lost his girlfriend in the same accident dresses in her favorite costume as a cope up mechanism.
Satsuki meets Urara who tells her a way that can help her find a closure. Read the story to know if they find what they seek.
My initial thoughts
Yoshimoto’s Kitchen is full of eccentric characters and I can’t think of a better word than weird right now to describe the plot.
The leads in both the tales attempt to seek hope and overcoming of their destitution after the death. But how they attain that is way different.
Though both the stories are very minimal and to the point, I loved them like a fresh breath of air. Some stories make us long for more but Kitchen in all its incompleteness felt complete. I don’t want to know what Satsuki or Yuichi, who stayed in my mind long after I finished reading, did anymore because I know (and hope) they will be better.
Here is where I am lost. I dunno if I love or hate Yoshimoto’s writing. There were places when the writing felt right and there were places that were just off. I might have to read more of Yoshimoto’s to conclude whether it was the writing or the translation that failed to make me love it. Or maybe that was how the book was intended to be.
Things that worked for me
- The simplistic narration talks about ordinary people leading a mundane life but had profound effect on me.
- Yoshimoto’s writing is not polished or lyrical, in fact it does not even mince words (but that might be just the translation), yet the simple prose hits the point at most places.
- I loved the usage of Kitchen as a metaphor and letting it play a character in the story.
Things that didn’t work for me
- Kitchen is not a plot driven novel. And if you are looking for one with lots of twists and turns, you will be severely disappointed.
- I felt the translation seemed off at places but I am not sure if it was intentional.
- I am still not sure if the usage of transvestite and transgender is accurate. I think they were used interchangeably in the book, I might be wrong.
Bottom-line
If you liked The Vegetarian by Han Kang, you might like Kitchen as well. You may like this one or not, but I am sure it will leave a lasting memory either way, just like it did for me.
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Have you read this or anything from Japan? Do you like books that are not plot oriented? What other countries do you like me to read about? Let us talk.
