Book Review 4: Black Beauty

Well, I was going through the What to expect series for the toddlers. For the seventeenth, eighteenth months, it was prescribed by the author to teach the toddlers on kindness towards animals. And it so happened in the weekend, I chanced to see the movie "Black Beauty". So, I decided to revisit Black Beauty-the book. It is first of its sorts-a written propaganda against cruelty towards animals. The book appeals because of its simplicity and short episodes of stories interweaven by a common theme of kindness and the character of Black Beauty.
There is a kind of fatalism running throughout as the horse passes hands through and its happiness, health and life depends on the kindness of each owner or the lack of it. The novel, as it progresses, becomes a bit redundant at some point. But the condition of the horses used at war really moves you and the post war life of such war horses is really pitiable.
What is really inspiring is the condition under which the author had to write this children's masterpiece. Confined to the condition of lifetime invalidity, she chose to write about the thing she loved most-horses. Female victorian novelists or pre victorian had very limited exposure to outdoor experiences and did not have "rooms of their own".
Georgette Heyer, whose novel i am currently reading wrote her first novel to amuse her sick brother. Sudha Narayanmurthy, who gave up her career for Narayanamurthy is authoring several books. For some women, creativity is born out of suffering, like afro american women writers or out of sheer boredom. Instead of accepting life as it is or grudging men their freedom or power, these women step forward and create masterpieces.
Worth a revisit!

Book Review 3: Memoirs of a Geisha

At first, it looked to me very much as a chick lit in chinese setting. The war scenes and other unpleasant realities started evolving this into a greater type of fiction. Of all the characters, Pumpkin's character was a surprise, but still the book ended very much in a chick lit fashion only. The book is surely a page turner and the 4 rating is because of the narrative strength. More research on this book has been an eye opener-controversy (which seems to best way to garner publicity nowadays) with the real geisha feeling "used" and betrayed and suing the author, the factual innaccuracies pointed out by many japanese readers, and the striking resemblance of geisha tp their indian counterparts "Devadasis".
A few similarities, I could find:
Devadasis and Geisha enjoyed high social status in the pre-colonial days.
While geisha performed at tea houses, devadasis performed at temples. Both can be seen primarily as entertainers, trained from a very young age on various art forms. Devadasi literally means "servant of God" and they were dedicated to temple dancing and were married to the "deity" of the temple they danced in. Geisha were sold out to okiya's and had to learn shamisen, dancing, singing, and tea ceremony. They were merely entertainers and had no spiritual obligations. To both, marriage would mean end of profession. As and when a devadasi or a geisha becomes old, they adopt younger girls, train and then manage the daily affairs of the younger ones. Most often, geisha or devadasis are sold out young girls, or they are dedicated to temples as offerings, or they are the natural daughters of the older ones. The older geisha/devadasis adopt younger ones in the hope that they will be taken care of in their old age. Both of them have exclusive patrons (in geisha terms, a danna) and these patrons are usually the ones who begin with the deflowering ceremony
( in geisha terms "mizu age") and then enjoy sexual relationship with them through out their patronage. Rivalry  between themselves is very common in both the communities. The one between sayuri and hatsumomo is striking and carries the book till a point.
Colonialism ended both the systems and their misinterpretations marked the end of the respect and the revival of these systems post colonial era. Temple dancing was banned by British and okiyas by the American as both the systems were mistaken for prostitution. We carry on with the misinterpreted mindset.
History has much to be rewritten about.
On the whole, it can be seen as a good read, and a foriegner's interpretations of east asian culture. For an accurate insight into Geish'a world, other books like Geisha in Gion and The Pleasure Quarters can be taken. This should simply be taken as yet another good story told well.