HT Picks; New Reads

This week’s list of interesting reads includes a book on the mystic and poet, Kabir, a Japanese novel that will appeal to anyone who’s had to recover from a broken heart, and a reimagining of Gond rebel Komaram Bheem’s fight against British colonialists

An introduction to the life, ideas and poetry of Kabir

This week’s pick of good reads includes an introduction to the mystic poet Kabir, a Japanese novel about recovering from a broken heart, and a work on legendary Gond rebel Komaram Bheem. (HT Team)

308pp, ₹499; HarperCollins (An essential introduction to the phenomenon that is “Kabir”)

Kabir is a name that has resounded powerfully in the Indian imagination for over 500 years. But who is Kabir? And what is it about his vision and his poetry that make him such a vital force, an irresistible voice?

Drunk on Love argues that Kabir is not just one person but an idea that belongs to the people of India, who have preserved and nurtured it as a living tradition over an incredible span of time.

In a flowing, conversational style, the book captures his life as told through popular legends, his poetry which has been quoted and translated extensively, and his vision, which it explores in depth through key concepts such as Jheeni, Raam, Guru, Sahaj, Shoonya, and others.

An essential introduction to the phenomenon that is “Kabir”, Drunk on Love presents the poet, as he is described, quoted and loved in popular imagination.*

Books and broken hearts

162pp, ₹399; Manilla Press (A movingly profound book that will appeal to anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.)

When 25-year-old Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru’s pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop.And as summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.Quirky, beautifully written, and movingly profound, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will appeal to readers of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Cat Who Saved Books, and anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.*

Life and times of a Gond rebel

80pp, ₹200; Hyderabad Book Trust (Reimagining Gond rebel Komaram Bheem’s fight against the British colonists.)

Bhoopal animates the life and times of the legendary Gond rebel, Komuram Bheem. Beautiful descriptions of life in a forest-dwelling community amidst nature are contrasted with the precarious nature of their existence and the ruthless exploitation they are subject to by outsiders and the state. Based on anecdotes and scant evidence Bhoopal reimagines Komaram Bheem’s fight and rebellion in a far more powerful and poignant way than the myths that surround this larger-than-life icon. Scholar Bhangya Bhukya calls it a fine blend of ballad, myth and storytelling and adds that the author “shows us how a sensitive writer can transform narratives of the past that are alive in communities into compelling historical fiction”.*

*All copy from book flap.