The Simoquin Prophecies

I got back to work from vacation, and as usual my reading speed has diminished considerably. There's something about relaxed reading of escapist fantasy books like The Simoquin Prophecies that is posturally incompatible with intense work. Oh, well.

But my respect for Samit Basu has increased considerably. When I started reading the book, I commented that it didn't pull me in as much as I'd hoped. I think that right at the beginning, Basu may have given off a slight "trying too hard" vibe. It may also be the fact that the book I read just before this one was Sea of Poppies, which might have increased expectations -- an eating-a-sweet-just-before-tea kind of problem. But as I read on, I realized that Samit Basu, like Amitav Ghosh, is able to keep his book on an even keel. The fundamental nature of the story doesn't change. It doesn't sound enthusiastically written at places and listless at others. The humour stays up, and Basu comes up with hilarious gems at regular intervals. The situations in the book are often familiar, but usually engrossing. He keeps his prose interesting without sounding like a class 10 student trying to impress the examiner in the ICSE board exams.

Good job, Samit!

Covers for Samit Basu's Books

I saw this cover for the German version of one of Samit Basu's GameWorld books:


Compare with the Indian version:


While the Indian version is nice, the German one is much more evocative and appealing (although the glowering eyes do diminish it a bit). The German version immediately makes me wonder what the story is about. Whose castle is that? What quest is that rider on? Why does s/he have a hood? The Indian one is just all right, I look at it and flip to the next page.

I wonder why Indian publishers are lackadaisical about cover publicity? Surely they know that people do judge a book by its cover? I wouldn't buy the argument that the Indian cover is more appealing to Indians, because I'm pretty sure it's not.

The Simoquin Prophecies

Just started reading The Simoquin Prophecies, the first book of the GameWorld trilogy by Samit Basu. The dude is just 28 now, and according to Wikipedia was only 22 when The Simoquin Prophecies was released!

The first thing that struck me about this book is its tonal similarity to Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld series. I got the feeling Basu set out to write an Indian version of the Fantasy-spoof.

So far, Basu seems to be doing a good job. The humour is good, the allusions are recognizable and cute, and the writing is natural. The storytelling: I'm not hooked yet, and I definitely don't understand some of the superlative praise heaped on the book, but maybe I will in a few pages.

I'll update once I read a little more.

Wah, Ghosh!

I just finished Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh. I have to say: Wah, maestro! This was a real zabberdust book. It puckrows a chuckeroo's interest and really doesn't let go. The only complaint is I have to wait a long time for the next two books in the series!

Heartily recommended to all Indian readers -- non Indians too, but they might find it a bit more difficult to follow or identify with.