Book picks; new reads
On the reading list this week is an intimate look into the journey of a legendary Indian classical musician, and a novel set across Asia at the peak of the brutal Delta wave
Notes from a legend
My Life: Story of an Imperfect Musician is the freewheeling autobiography of Ustad Allauddin Khan, the legendary Indian classical musician and founder of the Maihar–Senia gharana. Transcribed from his spoken accounts at Santiniketan in 1952 and translated from Bengali to English for the first time, the book offers an intimate look into his tumultuous journey — from his modest beginnings in Tripura to becoming a revered guru and maestro.
In his candid yet commanding voice, Allauddin Khan recalls his spiritual devotion to music, years of gruelling training, battles with poverty and his uncompromising integrity. He narrates his encounters with saints, ustads, nawabs and commoners with equal vividness that is punctuated with humour, rage and humility. The book sheds light on his unconventional personality — fierce, loving, deeply principled — and his immense contribution to Indian classical music, not just as a performer but also as a mentor. Enriched with an introduction by his pupil Ravi Shankar, and rare photographs, My Life is not merely a chronicle of musical excellence but an invaluable glimpse into the spirit of a man who lived for, and through, music.*
{{/usCountry}}In his candid yet commanding voice, Allauddin Khan recalls his spiritual devotion to music, years of gruelling training, battles with poverty and his uncompromising integrity. He narrates his encounters with saints, ustads, nawabs and commoners with equal vividness that is punctuated with humour, rage and humility. The book sheds light on his unconventional personality — fierce, loving, deeply principled — and his immense contribution to Indian classical music, not just as a performer but also as a mentor. Enriched with an introduction by his pupil Ravi Shankar, and rare photographs, My Life is not merely a chronicle of musical excellence but an invaluable glimpse into the spirit of a man who lived for, and through, music.*
{{/usCountry}}Deception and hope in a bleak time
{{/usCountry}}Deception and hope in a bleak time
{{/usCountry}}In a posh Delhi colony, Shamsher Singh looks on as a man carries around a corpse looking to give his friend a decent burial. His is a privileged life, and yet, the Covid-19 pandemic has ripped open all the insecurities and anxieties of his past. In locked-down Beijing, Mei must come to terms both with her stepfather’s demands and her budding relationship with Farid, Shamsher Singh’s neighbour. In Bangkok, Changez Khan finds an unexpected kindness, but he has his own ghosts to suffer. And in Jakarta, Nina, Mei’s mother, must overcome both her husband’s insufferable isolation and her daughter’s loneliness. As the body count continues to mount and death steps ever closer, lies are exposed, and deceptions unraveled. But there is always hope.
Set across Asia at the peak of the brutal Delta wave, The Pretenders is a novel about finding love, freedom and human connection even in the bleakest of times. Between the sprawling apartments of Delhi’s posh colonies and the loneliness of Bangkok’s streets, The Pretenders takes one to the heart of what it means to be human, set in a time when humanity itself was on the edge. Policemen, predators, the privileged and the under-privileged – everyone must confront their demons to discover what it is they are pretending about.
Ambitious, lyrical and reflective, The Pretenders is the pandemic novel we’ve all been waiting for.*
*All copy from book flap.
