Time Mag's All time top 100 English Novels...

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Mistress - Anita Nair

Well, its typical Anita Nair book and i have just read ladies coupe apart from this, but still i feel most of her books would be like this. Its a good book, very true to life... So true that it can be very depressing. Its the story of Radha, Shyam, Chris and Koman. Its set in the backdrop of kerala and uses Kathakali as its basis. Each chapter begins with a beautiful explanation of one of the navrasaas and she provides an analogy from nature for each of the nine expressions. The story in itself is very depressing (not cynical, just depressing!) and whatever hope emerges is when she writes about Kathakali. Like when she explains about 'Bhayaanakam' or Fear, she says all the other eight feelings can be pretended, but when it comes to fear, it always gives the person away.

Now that i have read quite a few indian authors, i must say that they tend to generally write very depressing stuff... not all but majority of them. In such cases these IIM, IIT ones bring in those light moments and i guess thats why they sell more that others :)

An Equal Music - Vikram Seth

For some strange reason, this book keeps reminding me of Before Sunset. Maybe because of the references to Vienna and Venice or that the protagonist girl friend is called Julia. At certain places, i could even visualize Ethan Hawke and Julia Delpy!
An Equal Music is about Michael, a violinist who plays with a string quatert name Maggiore and the love of his life, Julia a piano player. The story flows like a calm river and you are just content with sitting on its shores and letting it take its course. Its spans 10 years of Michael life, 10 years in which he regrets having to leave Julia, is elated when they meet again only to realize that she is deaf and will never be able to play music with him again and his subsequent breakdown.
The book is filled with references to classical music and a person with certain basic knowledge might be able to appreciate it better.
Its not exactly a light read, neither is it philosophically like Shantaram. Its not even a feel-good kind of book, but surely worth a read.