‘Not Quite a Disaster After All’ book review: Running the course

Express News Service

Buku Sarkar’s intriguingly titled book, Not Quite a Disaster After All, traces the life path of a Bengali girl named Anjali from her childhood spent in a Kolkata manor to the NYC neighbourhood, which eventually becomes home to her some years later. The trail switches from an upper-crust lifestyle to a gritty one, and as the protagonist comes open to the reader, quite like her story, we recognise it to be an organic process.

At the start of the book, we see Anjali as a child of privilege, with a defined sense of entitlement as well as an equally sharp self-awareness, patronising poorer cousins and domestic help alike. That jagged shard of intelligence that is always part of the child, however, portends an interesting future for her, and the reader isn’t too surprised when, many years later, an acquired surface polish melds well with her innate privileges in life. And no, there’s no checking of privilege here.

There is a strong strain of melancholia that runs through the stories, and this reviewer chose to see it as yet another natural outcome of sorts for those in search of their identity. That Anjali, and to a lesser extent her friend, Anita, eventually develop a defined backbone is made clear, but it is equally clear that their battles, if not the war itself, are all hard won. Their vulnerabilities simmer just below the surface, and all the blasé attempts to display a world-weary veneer don’t quite hide those anxious nerves jumping all over the place. The two are constantly patching up the tears that frequently appear in the fabric of their lives, and the reader cannot help but sympathise.

Anjali’s rocky relationship with a junkie bartender is written about in such a forthright manner that all the bruises show. That too is the case with Anita’s less-than-ideal marriage, where neglect and disinterest now rule the roost.

The final chapter, which is also the title of the book, is a cracker of a story where we watch the 40-something Anjali seeing to just about every little detail of her book launch, in the process laying bare her vulnerabilities, sensitivities, and her ability to drive those around her mad. The six stories in this novella might trace Anjali’s path, but deliberately leaves it open-ended, art imitating life closely.

The picture on the jacket of the book is an eye-catching one. There’s someone lounging bare-legged on a bed, staring out at a bleak landscape of brownstone buildings. The reader immediately wishes to know who the person is, and just what they are doing with their life. Well, Not Quite a Disaster After All tells the reader all. Or almost all. With people like Anjali, some mysteries must remain.

Not Quite a Disaster After All
By: Buku Sarkar
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 212
Price: Rs 499

<br /> Buku Sarkar’s intriguingly titled book, Not Quite a Disaster After All, traces the life path of a Bengali girl named Anjali from her childhood spent in a Kolkata manor to the NYC neighbourhood, which eventually becomes home to her some years later. The trail switches from an upper-crust lifestyle to a gritty one, and as the protagonist comes open to the reader, quite like her story, we recognise it to be an organic process.</p> <p>At the start of the book, we see Anjali as a child of privilege, with a defined sense of entitlement as well as an equally sharp self-awareness, patronising poorer cousins and domestic help alike. That jagged shard of intelligence that is always part of the child, however, portends an interesting future for her, and the reader isn’t too surprised when, many years later, an acquired surface polish melds well with her innate privileges in life. And no, there’s no checking of privilege here.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>There is a strong strain of melancholia that runs through the stories, and this reviewer chose to see it as yet another natural outcome of sorts for those in search of their identity. That Anjali, and to a lesser extent her friend, Anita, eventually develop a defined backbone is made clear, but it is equally clear that their battles, if not the war itself, are all hard won. Their vulnerabilities simmer just below the surface, and all the blasé attempts to display a world-weary veneer don’t quite hide those anxious nerves jumping all over the place. The two are constantly patching up the tears that frequently appear in the fabric of their lives, and the reader cannot help but sympathise.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Anjali’s rocky relationship with a junkie bartender is written about in such a forthright manner that all the bruises show. That too is the case with Anita’s less-than-ideal marriage, where neglect and disinterest now rule the roost.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>The final chapter, which is also the title of the book, is a cracker of a story where we watch the 40-something Anjali seeing to just about every little detail of her book launch, in the process laying bare her vulnerabilities, sensitivities, and her ability to drive those around her mad. The six stories in this novella might trace Anjali’s path, but deliberately leaves it open-ended, art imitating life closely.</p> <p>The picture on the jacket of the book is an eye-catching one. There’s someone lounging bare-legged on a bed, staring out at a bleak landscape of brownstone buildings. The reader immediately wishes to know who the person is, and just what they are doing with their life. Well, Not Quite a Disaster After All tells the reader all. Or almost all. With people like Anjali, some mysteries must remain.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Not Quite a Disaster After All<br /> By: Buku Sarkar<br /> Publisher: HarperCollins<br /> Pages: 212<br /> Price: Rs 499<br />