Tristan and Iseult

Source - Wikipedia

When I chanced upon a first edition paperback of this tragic tale at NPL, I realized that it was time to read this book at least once. And thankfully the copy I picked up was a rare edition…a translation of the original by Joseph Bedier. Unfortunately though I couldn’t recall the foreword although it was well written.

Tristan is born prince of Lothian to King Rivalin and a princess of Cornwall. The prince is so named by his mother who shortly dies. And this is just the beginning of the many tragedies that mark Tristan’s life. The prince grows up to be handsome knight, leaves his kingdom to serve King Mark of Cromwall, his uncle and only living relation. Tristan’s undying devotion and bravery earn him enemies at court who fearing his growing power pressurize King Mark to marry. And Tristan is goaded into winning Iseult, the fair and pretty maiden of Ireland as a wife for his aging uncle. A dabble with the love potion gone wrong, Tristan and Iseult irk their fates by throwing themselves into a nicely doomed affair. After many foiled attempts, the affair does come to the notice of King Mark who blindly condemns the lovers and takes the harshest of measures to separate the lovers. Tristan moves to Brittany and marries Iseult of the White Hands, a namesake both in beauty and well name while Iseult of Ireland returns into the good books of her husband. How a seemingly simple happy ending turns into one of the greatest tragedies of all times forms the rest of the story. And so I closed the book quietly as I realized the folly of naming my 3rd dog and Pomeranian Tristan.

Tristan is a beautiful name but a beauty attached with tragedy. As for the knight himself, he struck me as a guy who was perpetually grieving and I felt sorry for him for getting his fate sealed on the day of his birth. That apart, the qualities that bring him glory also mark his end. And with that conclusion I decided not to over analyze his actions nor those of Iseult’s.

The story originates from an Irish legend, a celtic romance between a knight and a beautiful maiden and was passed down generations in the form of poetry. While this tragic tale has been adapted and retold in various forms across Europe, the 19th century opera version composed by Richard Wagner takes the cake and is considered one of the most beautiful and influential pieces of music. A must read for patrons of classic literature.

Like Water for Chocolate

Source - Wikipedia

“Now where have I seen this story before?” was my first thought on reaching page 3 of the book. And then I recalled that this story was aired as a TV series on Zee Network a long time ago and was one of my favorites!

Like Water for Chocolate could be a story of 3 sisters but it is not. This unique story revolves around a Mexican girl Josefita or Tita De La Garza and of her struggle to reclaim her love and independence from her over-bearing mother Elena. The youngest of Elena’s 3 daughters, Tita is literally shown the cold shoulder by her mother since childhood and ever since she can remember, her only companion has been Nacha. Tita is made aware of her terrible fate when Elena forces Pedro to marry Rosaura instead of Tita and watches smugly as Tita suffers through the humiliation. This is but the beginning of Tita’s struggle to survive her mother, her quest to reclaim her love and happiness. However, Tita doesn’t suffer alone as her emotions affect her family and friends through her cooking..for Tita is lauded as the best cook in her community.

Written as a “Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies”, each chapter begins with a lovely traditional Mexican recipe which gradually transitions into the actual story continued from the previous installment. These installments also include a recipe for every ailment that ails the human heart and mind.

The story is anything but happy from the beginning. As you follow Tita’s tale, you can’t but help sympathize with Tita yet get annoyed at her for not rebelling hard to win her rights. Tita is described as being born in a flood of tears, resultant of Elena chopping onions. You can easily note the way Elena seems to shower more affection on Rosaura and Gertrudis while distancing herself from Tita, more so because Tita’s father died after her birth leaving Elena to cope with the family and the ranch. Also, Elena’s background and her inability to control her life is seen through her domination over her daughters perhaps with the exception of Gertrudis who seems to have created a soft spot for herself inside her mother’s heart. Gertrudis is one of the minor characters of the plot but her role brings hope to Tita…the hope and courage to break away from Elena’s shackles as does Dr. John and his brief role in Tita’s life.

Another unique theme, something I haven’t come across in other books is the family tradition wherein the youngest daughter has to care for her parents until their death and must remain unmarried to do so. I’ve heard of this tradition being followed by some families in Goa but not elsewhere. Elena revokes this tradition and when Tita tries to question the authenticity of this tradition, she is punished severely for her impudence. Rosaura’s attempts to invoke this tradition in the case of her only daughter though is thwarted. As for title, I’ll leave it to you to figure out as did the author Laura Esquirel.

On the whole though, this book is worth a read owing to its unique story, the setting and the characters…not to mention the wonderful recipes to try out!

The Winter Garden

Having followed this book’s sale on B&N for awhile, I was delighted to find it for a friend in a used books store in NYC. This time it wasn’t just the cover page, but the blurb as well with its hauntingly beautiful and ethereal note depicting coldness, sadness and something more.

Meredith and Nina Whitson are sisters by blood but strangers in real life. One chooses family life over her dreams while the other is just the opposite, but they share a common trait – inability to rely on their families/partners in the hour of need. This trait is deeply rooted in their relation with their mother Anya, a woman they’ve known only to be cold and distant. The only semblance of any communication or connection the 3 ladies share is a fairytale, of a Russian Pheasant girl Vera and her Prince Sasha…a tale magical yet dark and dreadful. Meredith, Nina are forced to reunite with Anya on the death of their father Evan, who insists that Anya complete the fairytale once and for all. The reunion doesn’t come easily either..for when Anya retells the fairytale, the sisters begin to make the connection with their mother’s past.

Anya’s fairytale is set during the Siege of Leningrad (Russia) in WW II, when Russian women were witnesses to a number of inconceivable atrocities committed by Stalin’s government. These come to light through the Vera’s thoughts, her tribulations in her role as a young daughter and mother and her struggle to survive with meagre hopes and abundant grief that constantly shadows her. It is described at the beginning that Anya is color blind through reference to the decor of her home, Belya Nochi but as the tale progresses, you get that strong feeling that it is a metaphorical description of Anya’s mental state, a residue of her past. Evan brings her a new life and with it the hopes of recreating everything she lost, and here the author leaves it to the readers’ imagination to conclude whether Anya ever accepted her life in America.

The other symbolic reference to Anya’s past is the book title, The Winter Garden, which originates from Anya’s own garden at Belya Nochi that characterizes Anya’s past…her country, her family and the people she lost, and is the source of Anya’s comfort and connection to reality. As with other books by Kristin Hannah, the subject of this tale is mother – daughter relationship and the imprints that parents leave on their children. Although parents may brush off their children’s attributes as not being related to them, they will find on introspection that it is quite the opposite…for a child can learn only from its parents. That is what happens to Meredith and Nina as they subconsciously pick on Anya’s cold and aloof nature and project it on each other and their confused partners. Gradually as Anya opens up to her children, the sisters’ find new beginnings. For all the above reasons, I’m still pondering whether a physical copy or an ebook would make sense for my personal library.

Camille or The Lady of the Camellias

Camille was first published in 1848 and later converted to plays which have gained popularity over the novel. The novel’s well-written introduction proves to be a valuable guide and sets context on the contents and timeline of this novel. The author Alexander Dumas fils makes references to the tale of Manon Lescaut and Chevalier Des Greiux highlighting the contrasts between the characters and lifestyles of the 2 courtesans as well as their lovers.

Narrated by an unknown person, the novel begins with the death of Marguerite and the auctioning of her personal possessions by her creditors.  It is followed by the arrival of Armand Duval in Paris, and the narrator goes on to describe Duval’s efforts to exhume and re-bury Marguerite all of which adds a macabre twist to the story. Afterwards the chapters are narrated by Armand as he divulges his past to the unknown narrator and the story goes thus -

Marguerite is a well known courtesan in Paris and is, both admired and feared by men and women alike. Dumas attributes this to Marguerite’s strong yet sensitive spirit which akin to the delicacy of the Camellias creates an alluring persona. And Armand like many others before him falls hopelessly in love with Marguerite.

Dumas depicts Marguarite in a favorable light comparing her persona and presence to the light and delicate nature of the camellias yet she is shown to possess a strong spirit that is pure…untainted by her profession. And just as the camellias wither in a day, so is Marguerite’s death depicted…a result of her enduring suffering from tuberculosis. And in a bid to pacify the astonished audience and to leave no doubt of his disapproval of a Courtesan’s life, Dumas smartly attributes Marguerite’s suffering to God’s will…the final judgement perhaps.  The novel when taken without this allegory is a beauty in itself but takes on a heavy note once you start to ponder. The only exception to Armand’s character is that unlike the others before him, he proves his unwavering love by admitting his shortcomings freely and tracing Marguarite’s last moments until the very end.

Camille is also notable for its brilliantly detailed depiction of the parisian life and the world of courtesans during the 19th century in France. The book by itself is quite descriptive but it may also help to read it with the aid of a guide. Camille is definitely well worth the read and an addition to the personal collection!

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Set in the 17th century Delft, Holland, Girl with a Pearl Earring centers around Johannes Vermeer’s painting Girl with a Pearl Earring, now displayed at a museum in Hague. The novel begins with a young girl named Griet being employed as a maid in Vermeer’s household in Delft. Griet’s efficiency at work and her ability to understand the color palette endears her to Vermeer while raising the ire of his wife Catharina and the rest of the household. The only person in the household who seems to understand Griet is Maria Thins, Vermeer’s mother-in-law.

Narrated by Griet, the novel chronicles Griet’s life in the Vermeer’s household, her dilemma at finding herself attracted to her master, the constant clashes with Catharina and finally, becoming an unwilling subject for a painting commissioned by Vermeer’s patron. How does all this attention bode for Griet and what becomes of her forms the conclusion of course.

I couldn’t think of a better to summarize the highlights of this novel than as below -

Vermeer’s life – Very little is known about this elusive artist and his personal life. So Chevalier tried to present an insight into Vermeer’s life by building the painting around a fictional maid while retaining Vermeer’s inner thoughts and personality as vague and secretive.

Baroque period and its effect on artwork - Constant references were made to the fact that Vermeer was an artist from the Baroque period. This was a period where art acquired a new definition with artists being given the freedom to paint/depict ordinary people and their daily tasks or an ordinary landscape in their artwork. Griet makes this observation in a indirect way by comparing the contrasts between the paintings displayed in Vermeer’s house vs. the subjects painted by the artist himself.

And finally there is the question of the genre itself as it is a historical fiction where romantic undercurrents are subtle yet strong as painted between Griet and Vermeer. While the characters do not succumb to their desires owing to their stations in society, their feelings are constantly conveyed their demeanor and expressions. The inspiration again seems to have been derived from the painting itself…through the expressions of the unknown girl. As for character analysis, Tracy Chevalier has created a most amazing array of people with a distinct set of characters that bring a sort of balance to the novel…like the layers bring depth and life to a painting. Definitely worth a read!