Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hooter: Coming of age story of 2 boys understanding life in their unique ways

Aristotles and Dante - the title itself is super catchy and makes it sounds like a PhD thesis but that is where you never judge a book by its cover or title. Ari and Dante are two teenage boys - probably misfits in their community which lets them bond and make a deep friendship as their contrasting personalities make chalk and cheese best of friends. They each help the other evolve into their understanding of the world around them.

The typeface makes this a very young adult genre and easy reading - rhythmic writing to an extent. It does tug at nostalgia as you put yourselves into the shoes of a teenage you losing your innocence as you come to terms with the realities of life. It is also a rare perspective of a queer teenage romance in contemporary literature.

That said, it still feels like a YA and doesn't have the breadth or depth of writing to fascinate broader spectrum of readers.

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Review: The Gift of Rain

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hooter: The complexity of human relationships in the face of adversity against the backdrop of WWII in Penang

The complexity of human relationships especially when made adverse by the situation is an area the author navigates through brilliantly in this novel - war, opposing nations, different backgrounds growing up - the author pushes the protagonist through varying relationships that are easy to be black and white but the humanity in each one of the characters pushes it to gray.

Born to an English business man and his Chinese wife, the protagonist navigates life as a local in Penang whilst World War II looms. His friendship and training under a Japanese stranger Endo-san raises a lot of suspicions, whilst reconnecting with his estranged grandfather who had disowned his daughter when she married an Englishman to making friends with the son of a Chinese triad leader - there are many human emotions he has to tackle with. Mixed with prevalent times of Malay peninsula, the horrors of war as the Japanese cycled across the peninsula , he stands conflicted at every point of his life and the rains being metaphorical as they wash away any hopes he has at each turn.

The historical and cultural context of the 1930s-1940s of Penang along with the intricacies and complexities of human relationships make for a good read, even if it can be simmeringly slow in parts like a light drizzle on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The pot pourri of Chinese, Japanese, Malay and a squeeze of British cultures make for an unique delicacy .

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Review: The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hooter: Multi generational epic with the common thread of the fear of drowning

If Malayalees and Medicine are your go to, this book combines the cultural echoes of Kerala with a pinch of Madras (currently Chennai) through the journey India itself has as a country from pre-independence to post Independence. In the mix of that historical and cultural context come a mix of multiple characters - most related to one family across generations as they deal with coming of age and coming of death and everything in between.

The book tries to capture a lot - medical procedures, religious customs, societal relations , health pandemics (not the covid kind) and makes for a good read but you need helluva patience to get through it all as it slowly grinds through the western ghats with its sharp descents and sharper ascents as you trek through similar sceneries for a while to suddenly have a breath taking moment that seems worth it and you toil even further.

Big shout out to my favourite character - Big Ammachi who is the backbone of the family through generations.

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