The Sweetness of Life – Françoise Héritier

There are many self-help books out there in the world. Some purport to tell you how to live your life, while others teach you how to manage your money. But once in a while, you’ll find a book that tells you the importance of enjoying life; of really being in touch with your inner self on a level that brings you pure joy. The first book that made me think like that was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. But just recently I read The Sweetness of Life by Françoise Héritier & saw how this concept of real joy could really be experienced through words.

Héritier is Emeritus Professor at the College de France & is usually writing books on anthropology.  She got an idea to write a book about the simple things that bring about the ‘sweetness in life’ when her psychologist apologized for taking a ‘stolen’ holiday for a week.

This inspired her to think about who was stealing what? If he felt so guilty about living his life, didn’t that mean that it was actually work that was actually stealing his life from him? That it was work that was keeping him from experiencing the smaller things that make up the essence of life.  So she asked him & herself one simple question; “how much time is left for the average person to enjoy those activities that are the sweetness of life?”

So she writes about all the small & big experiences that amaze & astound her every day.  From smaller things like ‘collecting mulberries’ or ‘phone calls made with no reason’ or ‘feeling your heart leap to bigger experiences like ‘seeing a pair of lions silently cross the trail in moonlight’ or ‘seeing Fujiyama or Kilimanjaro’ or the slightly hedonistic ‘sitting in the sun in the Piazza Navona in Rome in February while you eat a rocket salad & drink a glass of Orvieto’

While it’s easy to feel guilty about all the things you’re missing out on from this book; the other angle is that we need to start giving more attention to the things around us that we take for granted. It’s like the asthmatic patient who can help us understand the value of every breath.

This book struck a special chord with me because I remember how my first job in retail was depriving me of life. I finally quit the job when I missed the birth & 1st birthday of my younger niece; two experiences that I can never repeat.

This concept of slowing down & seeing the beauty of everyday maybe an easier concept to grasp for us who are older but it is true nonetheless. This beautiful, imaginative, evocative book is a wonderful up-close look into the collage that is our life. Or maybe it is a gorgeous book with visual imagery that spells out how to slow down, smell the roses, and feel the mystery & majesty that is our life.

TL;DR version: You can use this book as a bucket list of all the things & experiences you must aim for before you cannot feel them anymore.

Shiva Trilogy by Amish

Talking about a trilogy is easy; there’s just so much to talk about . I’d like to start at the beginning; the language. While the language & the dialogues are definitely better than Chetan Bhagat; they are also needlessly dumbed down. It’s almost like the girls who act dumb to get the big, smart man.

Having gotten that out of the way; let me admit – I LOVED the books.  Yes it dragged it parts and yes the author Amish tries too hard to explain the stories but it all adds up to a rollicking read. (I’m so glad I found a book I can say that about!)

The first book is called The Immortals of Meluha. We start with the premise that all Indian gods were actually mortal & that it was mythology that made them Gods. Amish then goes on to amazingly tie-in the stories everyone knows about Shiva with a fictional storyline.

Shiva is the leader of a tribe of Gunas from the area near Lake Mansarovar. To save his tribe from the various everyday struggles they face, Shiva accepts an offer to join the advanced civilization of Meluha. They have beautifully planned cities, great governance & have developed the formula for the ‘Somras’ – a drink that grants longevity. Drinking it causes Shiva’s neck to turn blue; bringing to life an old legend of how the Neelkanth (the blue-throated lord) would save the world from evil.

Playing their part in making him realize his importance to Indian society is a list of characters that is a veritable who’s who of Indian mythology. From love interest Sati, to Nandi, Brihaspati & even Daksha; all these characters are well drawn & explained with great depth.

In the background, we also get an insight to the architecture, science & systems that were around in ancient India. The world Amish draws for us is so cool that it reminded me of steam-punk!

The three distinct empires are also well described; the methodical, systematic & rule-bound Suryavanshi Meluhans, the self-willed, headstrong, creative & individualistic Chandravanshi Swadweepans & the Naga Dandaka. The Nagas are the cursed race, looked down upon by both Suryavanshis & Chandravanshis due to the bodily deformities they suffer.

Shiva is still trying to adapt to his new life when he has to lead a war after an attack that appears to have orchestrated by the Chandravanshis & the Nagas. Displaying great military know-how & tactics, Shiva wins but manages to change everything he thought was true.

Entering the world of the second book, The Secret of the Nagas, is a necessary evil after the cliff hanger the first book leaves you on. The story of the deformed Nagas is so very well explained that on its culmination, I had goose bumps.  

This book also introduces the fearsome Parshuram & Shiva’s son with Sati, Kartik; both names that featured in many of my Amar Chitra Katha books. There are two more characters central to the book but all I’ll tell you about them is that just their stories alone are worth the price of the book. The actual secret of the Nagas however, leads to a pretty predictable ending.

The trilogy ends with The Oath of The Vayuputras; a book that aims to tie up all loose ends. Shiva faces his toughest decisions, faces really unpalatable truths & finally leads the readers to a conclusion that is not only dramatic but also unnecessary.

With the world around him asking for more from him, Shiva tries to do everything & be everywhere. But that tactic brings big trouble to those he holds dearest. Now if you know your mythology, you know where this is going… but I bet you won’t be able to stop yourself from watching everything go down in flames.

TL;DR version: The Shiva trilogy by Amish may not be well written or have a great ending; but the research & thought gone behind executing this trilogy deserves all the love it has gotten for the author. It’s a fun masala mix with a great backdrop of mythology.