Babel-17 – Samuel R. Delany

But for ‘house’ you have to end up describing ‘… an enclosure that creates a temperature discrepancy with the outside environment of so many degrees, capable of keeping comfortable a creature with a uniform body temperature of ninety-eight-point-six…’

A SF story, in words of Robert A. Heinlein, is one with “… conditions … [that] in some respect, [are] different from here-and-now … [but] an essential part of the story. The problem itself—the “plot”—must be a human problem … created by, or indispensably affected by, the new conditions … [and] it must not be at variance with observed facts …”.

The world of Babel-17 with the prevalence of inter-galactic travel, presence of incorporeal entities with human functions, and ability of humans to alter their bodies into grotesque forms that exist today, if at all, in the imaginations of some make it a entirely different world from ours. That a journey, ostentatiously taken to solve a critical problem, turns into a exploration of self and one’s relationship with the world is a genuinely human problem. Yet, nothing connects this journey of fears and wishes, and of understanding and acceptance, to the world that is created. And it is in creating this connection – using language, that is Samuel R. Delany’s greatest achievement in this novel.

Language, in Babel-17, is not used just a tool, to explore and uncover hidden recesses of the human mind; it is its main theme. In particular, Delany grapples with the role of language in human cognition and expression. In short, are we limited in our understanding of things and concepts because of our language? Or is there a transform from any one language to another, albeit in a convoluted way. Technically, linguists call this problem the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The plot relies on this hypothesis being true and Babel-17 starts off with a discussion of how a language differs from a code, implicitly implying that this hypothesis holds true. Yet, when Delany creates the definition of a house in a language that has temperature as the cognitive base, he moves away from the hard version of this hypothesis – something that has been proven to be false. This softening of position to create consistence with known scientific facts while ensuring that enough remains to lend credence to the plot is Delany’s most difficult endeavour.

And yet, the over-concentration on language results in an underdeveloped world. Delany flies through this new world, scarcely pausing to reflect, observe and describe. As a result, there is a strong dissonance between the two created worlds – the once inside the protagonists head, where language rules and the physical one outside of space travel and ghosts. Far too often the external world feels like an infringement on the first one rather than a natural extension. Also, the mental journey overshadows the physical journey, making the narrative extremely jarring.

Babel-17 is not a great novel. And yet, it failures are because of faults and impatience in execution, and not because of the smallness of ideas or being conservative in conception.

The Long Halloween – Jeph Loeb

This town isn’t big enough for two homicidal maniacs. – Joker

Yet, turning every page of The Long Halloween, one wonders how can there be two sane people in Gotham City. Not because the pages are filled with almost every single villain (Joker, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, The Riddler, Calendar Man) in the Batman canon. And not because the depressing atmosphere of Gotham seems to seep out of the pages to engulf the reader. Sanity can seem precious because, The Long Halloween shows in excruciating detail and with great humanity the journey into insanity and it becomes difficult not to identify with that journey.

On the surface, The Long Halloween is a classic whodunit mystery. Someone starts murdering people – underworld criminals – across Gotham. Only, the murders happen on holiday’s and the killer is dubbed, ingeniously, Holiday. No one knows who this Holiday is, but everyone seems intent on finding him/her: criminals to see who is stealing their thunder, Carmine Falcone to extract revenge for the death of this men and relatives, Batman to stop future killings, and Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent to uphold the spirit of the law. And this search and the elusive nature of Holiday takes it’s toll – psychological and physical – on all.

But maybe on none more than District Attorney Harvey Dent – the white knight of Gotham. One who carries the mantle of the cleaning up the mess – in a clean way. With every page turned, this mantle becomes a little heavier and it’s gloss a little duller. Dent needs help, but has no one to ask it from. He needs support, but his family life is crumbling faster than his psyche. Chasing ghosts in the back alleys of Gotham, he loses himself in the shadows. He becomes Two Face; the court mishap just bringing him out in open.

In stark contrast to Dent is Batman, sharing the same obsession against crime and fighting the very same demons as Dent. But with no obligation other than his goal, he can fight without his hands tied unlike Dent. the shadows of Gotham’s streets do not scare for he is no more than a shadow himself. The Long Halloween, in the end justifies Batman’s hood and cape, for without it Gotham would lose it’s Dark Knight much like it’s White Knight and add another homicidal maniac in it’s ranks.

Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino

… around this time you could ask whether you’re real or fictitious. I, however, think that’s too easy, so I won’t ask that yet. Okay, my native land is the jungle. I visited America, but the visit was not fortuitous to me, but the implication is that it was to somebody else.

Multiple storylines. Mindless violence. Mexican standoffs. Long-winded monologues. Obscure cinematic references. Inglourious Basterds has all the above hallmarks of a Tarantino movie and more. However what makes Tarantino unique amongst directors is, not his using these hackneyed themes but, his ability to take this kitsch and turn it into a narrative that is novel and exciting. And it is in this construction of a riveting narrative that Inglourious Basterds spectacularly fails. And to think of it, this might just be Tarantino’s most linear script!

Tarantino’s skill as a film maker has always been to create strong point/s of identification for the audience with the primary characters on screen. With a point of identification established, the cliches suddenly get backstory – a context – and cease to be the ones heard before (Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs). And with a point of identification established, the audience is on a roller coaster ride and not just watching one.

Also in a certain way he makes his movies as puzzles – not in whodunnit terms but in how-did-it-happen terms. Throughout the movie, he is in charge of giving you the clues, and as audience your job is to figure the puzzle out in the smallest number of clues (Pulp Fiction). What this again enables him to do is to pull the audience into the narrative, become involved in it and immerse themselves in it.

The plot and setting of Inglourious Basterds makes both of the above difficult (maybe nigh impossible) to achieve. WW 2 and Holocaust is a theme much written about and  much filmed, but rarely in playful terms. By treating this setting in his usual obliquely humorous fashion, Tarantino suddenly alienates the viewer. And while the major protagonists are all fictional, the presence of the historical figures just does not allow a viewer to slip into the boots of Aldo Raine or Colonel Lander. And in failing to get this involvement running, Inglourious Basterds fails.

And yet, all of the is not to say it is unwatchable. This is Tarantino’s most ambitious work since Pulp Fiction. There are still enough moments in the movie where one can only say (in retrospect), “how the hell did he do that”. And then most importantly the failure of Inglourious Basterds is due to ambition and not mediocrity.

American Gods – Neil Gaiman

God is a dream, a hope, a woman, an ironist, a father, a city, a house of many rooms, a watchmaker who left his prize chronometer in the desert, someone who loves you – even, perhaps, against all evidence, a celestial being whose only interest is to make sure your football team, army, business, or marriage thrives, prospers, and triumphs over all opposition.

How does an author con the reader without poisoning the reading experience? In a book where so many cons are described in detail, and so many magic tricks are demystified, the best is Neil Gaiman masking American Gods for 90% of the book as a grand clash of civilizations and ideologies before really exposing it as nothing but the selfish quest for power by a few individuals.  And these are no mere individuals – but gods. A vareigated bunch – Norse, Slav, Egyptian, Hindu – called into godless America to protect those who just dropped anchor on these alien shores, they are dying. For people have new gods – media, technology – and no longer need to believe in them. This belief with the associated prayers and sacrifices is the lifeforce of gods, and for some these drastic times call for drastic measures.

American Gods is also Neil Gaiman’s ode to the USA. Not the USA of Wall Street denizens or the Hollywood population. And definitely not the USA of big technology, bigger media and biggest retail. Gaiman’s narrative takes us through the heart of US – to towns whose populations are lesser than the number of people in Empire state building. It is the US of roadside motels and the highway attractions, of local communities, local issues and local pride. Gaiman’s US is resigned to losing its way of life to chain stores and mass produced commodities. And the protagonist, Shadow, has all that is good about America – punctilious, hardworking, simple – and yet much like a Greek tragedy is fated to suffer (reminds anyone of Forrest Gump?).

It’s not easy to bucket American Gods. In parts it is a road trip, a retelling of traditional mythologies and an exploration of the American psyche. In Neil Gaiman’s own words he wrote American Gods as “big and odd and meandering” book. At 600 plus pages it is definitely big. With a litany of characters and multiple plot lines it is definitely meandering. And the fact that a majority of characters are gods makes the everyday normal look odd. But American Gods goes beyond these adjectives. It is also a study of avarice and gratitude, of trust and betrayal, of revenge and forgiveness – for even gods in their follies and greatness are human.

How does an author con the reader without poisoning the reading experience? In a book where so many cons are described in detail, and so many magic tricks are demystified, the best is Neil Gaiman masking American Gods for 90% of the book as a grand clash of civilizations and ideologies before really exposing it as nothing but the selfish quest for power by a few individuals.  And these are no mere individuals – but gods. A vareigated bunch – Norse, Slav, Egyptian, Hindu – called into godless America to protect those who just dropped anchor on these alien shores, they are dying. For people have new gods – media, technology – and no longer need to believe in them. For some these drastic times call for drastic measures.

American Gods is also Neil Gaiman’s ode to the USA. Not the USA of Wall Street denizens or the Hollywood population. And definitely not the USA of big technology, bigger media and biggest retail. Gaiman’s narrative takes us through the heart of US – to towns whose populations are lesser than the number of people in Empire state building. It is the US of roadside motels and the highway attractions, of local communities, local issues and local pride. It’s an USA resigned to losing its way of life to chain stores and mass produced commodities. And the protagonist, Shadow, has all that is good about America – punctilious, hardworking, simple – and yet much like a Greek hero is fated to suffer (reminds anyone of Forrest Gump?).

It’s not easy to bucket American Gods. In parts it is a road trip, a retelling of traditional mythologies and an exploration of the American psyche. In Neil Gaiman’s own words he wrote a “big and odd and meandering” book. At 600 plus pages it is definitely big. With a litany of characters and multiple plot lines it is meandering. And the fact that a majority of characters are gods makes the everyday normal look odd. But American Gods goes beyond these adjectives. It is also a study of avarice and gratitude, of trust and betrayal, of revenge and forgiveness – for even gods in their follies and greatness are human.

Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh

The truth is, sir, that men do what their power permits them to do. We are no different from the Pharaohs or the Mongols: the difference is only that when we kill people we feel compelled to pretend that it is for some higher cause. It is this pretence of virtue, I promise you, that will never be forgiven by history.

Sea of Poppies is tale of movement – of people, of ideas, of dreams and of fears. Its characters move, mostly by circumstance or force, and some by choice, from places and societies they were born into, to lands and bonds that go beyond their imaginations. Amitav Ghosh’s narrative traces the movement of the myriad characters into the ship, Ibis, where they forge bonds that can only emerge from the shared joys and travails of a long journey.

As a novel, Sea of Poppies is interesting for a range of different reasons: it’s orchestral structure and form, the deft handling of a history that often goes unspoken,  the enlivening of tensions that arise when a new society is formed and it’s effortless bridging of the gap between tales of “sea” and “land”. Ghosh’s mastery over the novel form is apparent as he effortlessly guides the story from the dusty plains and crowded cities through the rivers into the, often placid and occasionally furious, sea. The characters, from the rustic Deeti and Kalua to the urbane Raja or the vagabond Zachary are as different in their stations as are notes from a rumbling drum and a soothing violin. That the author combines these disparate pieces into a single seamless narrative makes this novel worth reading for anyone.

While the technical wizardry is unquestionable, the greatest triumph of Sea of Poppies is that it is a subtle but utterly damning satire of British colonial rule. Ghosh does not use the plot or the characters to caricature the colonials; in the truest Orwellian legacy he uses language. The sun might look to be rising indefinitely on the British empire and free trade might have taken its position alongside Bible as yet another undeserved gift to the natives, but the tongue spoken by the British in India is as unintelligible to any English speaker in any age as is the Bhojpuri or Bengali of the locals, or the bastard vocabulary of the lascars at sea. All these people need Ghosh, an Indian writing in understandable English to make their voices heard. In other words, the British masters are share greater fellowship with the populace they loathe than the inhabitants of an island across seven seas. In reducing the masters to the same level as the subjugated in their ability to communicate, Ghosh mocks and shows the essential contradiction in the colonial psyche.

For all the above reasons and also for the fact that it is fun to read, Sea of Poppies is a must read. And in a rather disconnected note, I cannot understand how the Booker committee thought Aravind Adiga’s White Tiger is a better piece of literature.

Night and the City – Jules Dassin

Harry is an artist without an art …, that is something that could make a man very unhappy, …, groping for the right level, the means with which to express himself.

The best examples of film noir (Double Indemnity, The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon) rarely rely on the strength of their characters to achieve excellence. They succeed by bringing out the palpable fear in the dark corners of the urban landscape and by tying together these shadowy images into a taut narrative. Jules Dassin’s Night and the City achieves all of this but what separates it from the pack are the characters that populate the screen.

Unlike the glum, angsty but essentially morally upright protagonists (Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon) we have Harry Fabian, a rogue, who is at once likeable and detestable. He is smart, ambitious and often “works as hard as 10 men”. But he is also an escapist, preferring to fly his way to the top rather than working through the trenches. The viewer constantly on an emotional tenterhook: is Harry to be pitied as a victim of circumstance or is his fate a result of his own misdemenours meriting no sympathy? Similarly, the archtypical vamp, Helen, is no longer a purely scheming woman; she just wants to scheme her way out of her suffering. And though she is indirectly responsible for the violent denouement, she cannot be squarely blamed.

While Night and the City breaks away from noir norms in characterization, it reinforces and enchances them in mis-en-scene and narrative style. Dassin films the alleys and streets of London at their shadowy best. In closeups, his camera exquisitely captures the expression of the most primeval of human instincts – the fight to survive. And though the narrative has its foggy bylanes, they all meet together in the end for the almost apocaplyptic ending. For in the world created by Dassin, redemption is not an option.

Night and the City is a directorial masterpiece and perfect example of how to tell a story on screen. It’s greatest success is to induce in the viewer’s mind a dichotomy of emotions for the onscreen characters drawing them further into the movie. A must watch for any serious movie buff.

Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell

First the good – Malcolm Gladwell is a kickass storyteller.

And now to the bad – he can, in all possibility, only tell stories without any substance. His new work Outliers suffers from the same problems that made Blink! a magnet for parodies (I personally love Blank?) and The Tipping Point seem like a ripoff (read Micromotives and Macrobehavior by Thomas Schelling instead). The basic argument he makes in Outliers can be effectively communicated in an essay of few pages and even that won’t be original.

In Outliers, Gladwell tries to break down the cult of genius; that people like Einstien, Mozart, Picasso just appear and succeed irrespective of their background and culture. He posits that chance – by the way of opportunities recieved, family background and cultural legacy – plays a much greater role in the success of these geniuses than one tends to imagine. I agree that, immediately off the head, this is not the way a lot of people think about these outliers. But once phrased, the statement does not require too much explanation: and definitely not a book with an explanation.

Common sense tells us that the opportunities a person gets in life are contingent on the social and financial standing of his parents. Further, even the most brilliant guy then has to put in a lot of effort in turning opportunity into something tangible. And to make it really great, the external world should be ready and primed for this opportunity. And lastly, if you are out to change status quo you will be better off coming from confrontionist culture rather than a passive one. In short, if Bill Gates parents weren’t rich, or he did not spend enough time programming in school, or the world was not ready for computers, or he did have a problem with confrontations, he would not be the richest man in the world.

Does this hypothesis surprise you? If it does, definitely read Outliers. If it does not but you have bought it, take it on your next long journey as a book thats reasonably interesting without being taxing. And finally if you haven’t bought it and are thinking about buying it, think again!

Crooked Little Vein – Warren Ellis

Certain works are meant to outrage the reader. Primarily it is done by the choice of subject matter or the language employed. At other times a disjoint narrative or a unnatural choice of characters do the trick. Warren Ellis is no stranger to this art and in Crooked Little Vein, his first novel, he employs all the above techniques to anger, frustrate, confound and befuddle the reader. This Ellis does, as in his earlier graphic novel Transmetropolitan, to bring out the dark underbelly of the modern society in starkest possible manner.

Ellis novel traces one particular assignment that out-of-work detective Mike McGill gets from the US secretary of state. The task is to trace down the alternate Constitution of the United States that was lost by an ex-president in a night of debauchery. He and Trix, the self-proclaimed expert on all things hidden and nasty, get down to the task of finding the lost book and in the process explore the worst nightmares of any “good society”. And in the process debunks the thesis that there can be a society for the free and the brave that is just and fair to everyone around – and any attempt to impose a moral framework will be twisted and force the human mind into depravities beyond normal human thought.

All of the above makes for excellent subversive material but not excellent literature. Crooked Little Vein apparently is apparently a sideways hat tip to Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs but it terms of its narrative comes nowhere close. The disjointedness in the plot is neither indicative of the characters mental state nor is it a function of the environ it is set in. Essentially a detective novel, the plot never arrests the readers attention through sheer whodunit drama. It seems Ellis’s prose suffers because of the lack of a visual element unlike in graphic novels where they fill in the gaps in the text.

In the end, Crooked Little Vein remains a short quick read that you will forget by the time the next book is finished. For a better introduction to Ellis’s work I would strongly recommend Transmetropolitan.

Predictably Irrational – Dan Ariely

We usually think of ourselves as sitting in the driver’s seat, with ultimate control over the decisions we make and the direction our life takes; but, alas, this perception has more to do with our desires – with how we want to view ourselves – than with reality.

One standard critique of standard economic theory is the construct of a perfectly rational man. No human being however is perfectly rational, even in a very basic economic transaction. However, irrationalities are seen as random i.e. not repeatable and hence intractable for scientific inquiry. Dan Ariely and other behavioral economists over the years have focused on tackling these irrationalities in our choices so that they can be incorporated into policy making and other applications of economic theory. Predictably Irrational is an attempt to bring to bring this field into mainstream much like Freakonomics and The Undercover Economist did for standard economics.

Some of the findings reported are very simple – once you sit down and think about it. For example, it is not rocket science that one’s head kind of goes screwy in times of great emotional or physical stress. But that is not the main point – the crux is that we never take into account these behavioral deviations when in decision making mode. While this can be disastrous for individuals, it can also weigh heavily on how policies are structured and things are marketed. For example, a nation of people procrastinating on savings and living beyond their means lead to the current credit crisis. But in some of the more subtle findings , the author comes to his element. Chapters on relative thinking, supply & demand, our reactions to zero cost goods & cost of social norms are in my opinion must reads for any marketeer and pricing expert.

The methodology employed clearly has some flaws. Our decisions do not remain constant for any situation; they change in interaction with others. In the chapter on cheating and dishonesty for example, the experiment never sees the effects of people talking with each other. Also the rewards and risks in any of the experimental situations does not model the true nature of these forces in real life. A more detailed critique of behavioral economics outlines these and other problems.

Predictably Irrational as a book, is an unique mix of popular economics, business concepts and self-help ideas. The author sometimes adopts the preachy tone, especially in the self-help mode (no wonder I hate those books). But the insights presented here make these minor irritations a temporary blip in one of the most interesting books I have read.