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‘Simsara’ is a good book that offers a unique perspective on the  existing gender, caste and class differences in the society as well as regionalism, culture, values, ghosts, worship, and recognition of human behavior. Written by Nepali journalist and author Basanta Basnet, and based in his hometown of Taplejung district, the strongest aspect of the novel is its use of imagery—a massive pillar bearing the weight of a house, a lonely house that has lost its warmth, a flower blooming on a tree, an old bird wailing, a weak animal, or a human life bound by the chains of compulsion.

The book is poetic and metaphorical. The characters are entrenched in their circumstances and have a lot of psychological trauma and baggage. The story is narrated in first person but in some places you feel like you are hearing the author’s voice and not the character’s, which I think is mainly due to the writing style. In some instances, you get to see how silence can be more terrifying than speech. There is a lot of serious thought given to even the most trivial thing and that, along with the simple, evocative language, makes the novel highly enjoyable. 

A really promising character in the novel is Samvat who passed his SLC in the second division. He has failed to make his parents see that a joint family isn’t an ideal situation. With his parents in the same house, his relationship with his wife suffers and the couple fail to have the daughter they always wanted. His complex emotions give depth to the story. Babu’s character, on the other hand, isn’t able to prove himself as the main pillar of the household. He has no affection for his wife and teenage son. The newly married Kanchi also has no such attachment. Simsara is a swamp where both the father and the son are stuck. 

Simsara basically takes us through a world from the perspective of a teenager. There is a lot of adolescent psychology in it. But we must not mistake it for young adult fiction as the elements of familial relationship in the book make it a must read for people of all ages. The novel makes you ponder about many things like love, guilt, and survival. It’s not the author’s job to take sides and Basnet doesn’t indulge in it either. As humans, we are likely to take sides but authors aren’t allowed that luxury and in Simsara, Basnet shows the turmoils his characters go through and what makes them who they are without judgement. If you are familiar with Basnet’s previous works, you will know what to expect from his writing but Simsara feels refreshing in terms of the world it delves into. 

The book heavily discusses issues of our social, political, gender, religious, and caste differences. As a reader personally I was very affected by the child psychology and trauma in Simsara. We don’t realize how deep rooted these issues are and how badly it affects people. We tend to turn a blind eye to it and reading Simsara made me realize how harmful that can be. Basnet’s third published work Simsara is a fascinating and inspiring story about how our misguided cultural, political, and familial beliefs can have deep psychological impacts.

Fiction

Simsara

Basanta Basnet

Published: 2024

Publisher: FinePrint

Pages: 265, Paperback

It must be the weather because I don’t really understand what else could be the reason behind my inability to read these days. I just can’t seem to concentrate. This generally does not happen to me and I’ve noticed that when it does, it’s usually when my body can’t adjust to the changing climate. I’m uncomfortable and unable to focus.

But I also can’t not be reading. It’s something that grounds me and without a book to keep me company, I feel lost and I’m more likely to be irritated. So when I occasionally hit a reading slump, I find myself gravitating towards certain kinds of books. These are usually light visual reads, or books that I have loved in the past. Picking these up fills me with a sense of nostalgia and takes my mind off things. Here are three of my favorite things to pick up when I’m unable to read long works of fiction.

Archie comics

I was a voracious reader of the Archie comics series when I was in school. Ekta Bookstore used to stock them, and I found myself picking up a new one every time I went there with my parents to buy school books and stationeries. I still have all of them (easily over a hundred volumes), though they are battered and bruised with age. It’s a goofy series about a bunch of American teenagers and their high school antics. The characters are varied and you are bound to have a favorite. I pick up a random comic whenever I find myself unable to read and I’m transported to a delightful world of easy friendships and heartwarming connections.

Spy X Family 

This manga series about a fake family that includes a spy, an assassin, and a telepath is outrageous and fun. There are 15 volumes in the series and I guarantee you will be binge reading them once you start. The storytelling and illustrations by Tatsuya Endo follows Loid Forger who has to build a fake family for a mission he has been given. But the daughter he adopts turns out to be a telepath and he has no idea that the meek woman he has chosen for his wife is actually an assassin. There’s an anime television adaptation of the series as well. I recommend reading the books and watching the series simultaneously as it makes for a really wholesome experience.

Aesop’s fables

These are a collection of short stories that teach moral lessons. The children’s stories come in slim illustrated volumes and feature animals as narrators. Most of us have heard the stories of the hare and the tortoise and the fox and the grapes. The Greek storyteller Aesop tells many other such stories that impart wisdom and teach you the value of kindness, patience, love, and faith among others. You can find most of these stories online and they make great short reads. I would highly recommend these stories when you are in need of some guidance in life.

“Kaal Sanga Kusti” is an unconventional biography of a man who has lived and fought death throughout his life both as a former Gorkha soldier and as a cancer survivor. The book authored by Chun Bahadur Gurung encapsulates all the ups and downs of Captain Aash Bahadur Gurung’s memorable and determined life, from his difficult childhood in rural Khewang (reidentified today as Okhle), Syangja, his experience at the British Army, his stint with the Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) in Brunei, as a virtuous social worker, and finally, to his valiant defeat of stage-four prostate cancer at the age of 82. 

What makes this biography unconventional is the author’s approach to not only depicting Captain Gurung’s life but also enriching the readers by providing overlooked and neglected narratives, such as the tale of the once glorious Mukhiya system of Kewang, the might of Duma Gurung, who defied the Bhirkote Rajas, the struggles of being a “Laure,” and the science behind the holistic approach to healing.

At its core, however, the book centers on Captain Gurung, starting from his agrarian days when he worked for days on end, tirelessly, as a “Bause” in his native village of Kewang. Those days were both difficult and formative for him, particularly after the death of his father. The book captures the wonderful ethos of traditional Nepali society, much to the credit of the author. Similarly, the book’s focus on Daxmi Gurung, Captain Gurung’s mother, is emotional and might hit home for many readers. Daxmi endured much during her life. Widowed young, she raised Gurung and his three siblings independently. Her wisdom and tenacity continue to influence Captain Gurung even to this day.  

In his late teens, Gurung’s aspirations grew, and the desire to enroll in the British Army intensified. The book covers his conscription process in Paklihawa, setting up the readers for the next phase in his life. The biographer, Chun Bahadur Gurung, then, places the readers right in the middle of the 1962 Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, where Gurung, now a “fit for fight” British Gorkha soldier, showcases his ability to navigate through various impediments in the dense jungles of Indonesia. This section of the book is an interesting read as it grabs the readers’ attention with its tension and realism. The book also brings forth the inequality prevalent in the British Army, as Captain Ash recounts he and his fellow Nepali soldiers being subjected to unfair treatment.

Lasting eight chapters and chronologically tied, the author takes some time to get to Captain Gurung’s battle with cancer. And here, the focus is on the holistic approach to healing, which Captain Gurung credits as his remedy. The author accentuates the importance of the combination of spiritual, medical, ayurvedic, and familial harmony against a debilitating and soul-crushing disease like cancer. This, today, is unorthodox and might even surprise modern readers. But the intention of the book is to highlight how effective alternative remedies can be if synergized with medical science. And while the book lapses into over-expositions for evidence, it just about manages to keep the narrative interesting. 

The author’s dedication towards telling an authentic story is discernible as sufficient references are provided to back his argument. But the book sometimes digresses and bears the burden of being an academically credible work. This results in regular fluctuations in the pace it strives to maintain, which might throw off some readers. Also, the constant shift from B.S to A.D. and vice versa creates unwanted confusion. Nevertheless, the book addresses various contemporary social issues by drawing on historical analysis and the experiences of Captain Gurung, which makes it a unique reading experience, and with simple language, the book is seamless, despite its issues with pacing. “Kaal Sanga Kusti” is a must-read as you get a first-hand account of victory over cancer by a man whose life is nothing short of a parable. The journey is emotional, enlightening, and definitely thought-provoking.

‘Norwegian Wood’ is the book that made Haruki Murakami a household name in Japan (as well as the rest of the world after it was translated into English in 2000). It’s a book everyone in Japan has read according to Jay Ruben, the book’s translator.  And that says a lot about the book’s popularity considering Murakami has written several novels, short story collections, as well as memoirs.

Murakami’s readers shot to millions after the publication of Norwegian Wood but it apparently depressed the author. He could deal with fame but the sudden stardom was too much for him so he moved to the United States in 1991. It was only in 1995 that he returned to Japan but he had his terms and conditions: He would not appear on television to talk about his work.

One would wonder what a masterpiece Murakami must have written to have a whole nation going crazy over him. Norwegian Wood was different from everything he had written till then. He had never written a straight, simple story. It was a challenge for him. But he enjoyed writing it and it was perhaps that joy of telling a story that lent his writing a whole other dimension. It was also perhaps what made readers connect with his work.

Norwegian Wood is essentially a story about love, loss, and longing. And we all can relate to these emotions pretty well. It’s written in first person narrative style. The main character is Toru Watanabe and he reminisces about his college days in Tokyo when he was in love with a girl. The book explores his relationship with two women, Naoko and Midori Kobayashi. Each of the three characters experience loss and grief and have his/her own ways of dealing with it. You could also call it a coming of age story of a sensitive young man who doesn’t fit into the conventional norms of society.

I had read Norwegian Wood when I was in college. I remember enjoying it but it didn’t get me hooked on Murakami as it did for some of my other reader friends. I had a few friends who read Murakami back to back because they were so bowled over by Norwegian Wood. I didn’t pick up Murakami’s other works until much later. But reading his other works made me want to reread Norwegian Wood. Most of his stories are bizarre and you need time to wrap your head about them. So I can understand the appeal of a simple story like Norwegian Wood, where things feel relatable but there’s still the Murakami style intrigue that you have come to expect and love.

Rereading Norwegian Wood as an adult felt surreal. I got the feeling of ‘been there done that’ that brought lost memories to mind and forced me to ponder over some of the things I had done. I feel it’s a good book to pick up in your late teens or early 20s, when you are trying to make sense of the world and where you fit in it. But if you haven’t read Murakami and you aren’t in your teens or early 20s, don’t let that stop you from reading the book. It’s not a fun story. It’s intense, complicated, and sad too. But it’s a good story that is well worth your time. 

Fiction

Norwegian Wood

Haruki Murakami

Translated in English by Jay Ruben

Published: 1987

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 389, Paper