The Constant Princess

Author: Philippa Gregory



This woman is fast becoming my favourite-of-the-month author. Instead of starting on the books I bought earlier, I borrowed this from my sister during my short trip back to KL. My verdict? A good historical romance that would leave you crying and asking yourself: Is this for real?


It is the story of Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife and mother of Mary Tudor. The story starts with a fire in a battlecamp, when Katherine - or Catalina as she was known in Spain - was five years old and her mother, Isabella of Castille, was fighting against the Moors of al Andalus. Catalina, the Infanta of Spain, was the youngest and spent her first years of childhood on the campaign trail. She shares the wonderment of the Alhambra as the conquering Christian monarchs make it their home:

But the little doorway is like a keyhole to a treasure chest of boxes, the one opening out from another. The man leads us through them like a slave opening doors to a treasury. Their very names are a poem: the Golden Chamber, the Courtyard of the Myrtles, the Hall of the Ambassadors, the Courtyard of the Lions, or the Hall of the Two Sisters. It will take us weeks to find our way from one exquisitely tiled room to another. It will take us months to stop marvelling at the pleasure of the sound of water running down the marble gulleys in the rooms, flowing to a white marble fountain that always spills over with the cleanest, freshest water of the mountains.

Betrothed at a young age to Arthur, the 'Rose of England', Catalina grows up with an intense purpose to fulfill her destiny as the Princess of Wales, and later Queen of England. Her determination takes her to England where she faces her future father-in-law Henry VII, her timid husband-to-be, his domineering grandmother Lady Margaret Beaufort and meets charming young Prince Harry, who would later become the Prince of Wales and Catalina's husband after the death of Arthur.

The book is built on the premise that Catalina lied when she said her marriage to Arthur was never consummated, hence allowing for the marriage to Arthur's younger brother after his death. As the story goes, Catalina and Arthur were a passionately loving young couple and made great plans to rule England together. The name Katherine was given to her by Arthur, who made her promise, on his deathbed to become Queen of England by marrying Harry.

Katherine, as a historical figure, is obviously a favourite of the author. Throughout the book she is depicted as a woman of strong faith and courage, with hardly any faults. Certainly a contrast to how Anne Boleyn was represented in 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. The last chapter of the book covers the events in 1529, when Henry sought an annulment to their marriage so he could marry Anne instead. Even then, Katherine insisted that she was the rightful Queen of England, holding fast to the promise she made to her true love, Arthur.

'I shall do this for you,' I say fiercely in my mind, to my beloved. 'You wanted this lie. I shall do it thoroughly. If it is going to be done, it must be done thoroughly. It has to be done with courage, conviction; and it must never be undone.'

My Reading List

Non-Fiction:

1. Mavericks at Work by William C Taylor & Polly G Labarre
2. History of God by Karen Armstrong
3. You've Got to Read this Book! by Jack Canfield & Gay Hendricks

Fiction:

1. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
2. The Queen's Fool/The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory (double volume)
3. The House of Blue Mangoes by David Davidar

All by the end of the year. Ambitious, no?

The Outliers

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

I'm not quite sure how to classify Malcolm Gladwell's books - business, sociology, self-improvement? - but they definitely make for interesting reading.

This book deals with success, or rather the contributing factors to success. In a way, he demystifies the concept of sheer outstanding talent, and highlights instead the importance of opportunities, circumstances and even family background.

What I found interesting was his acknowledgement that certain races (Chinese, Jewish) are more successful in specific industries or activities, but that it has nothing to do with genes. Instead, it is the result of cultural traits shaped by such things as geography and history.

I found it relevant to support the current industrial need for capability development, especially the 10,000 hour rule (the minimum amount of time you need to spend practising something to become an expert in that area). Assuming it's your full time job, at 40 hours a week, that'll amount to almost 5 solid years before becoming a specialist.

The Tipping Point

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

This book talks about creating and spreading change as epidemics - mostly in a socio-cultural context, but he also draws references from the spread of diseases. Pretty interesting stuff, with a lot of case studies ranging from history, children's television, smoking and crime.

Ultimately, it boils down to 3 main factors:

1. The persons involved - Connectors, Mavens & Salesmen
2. The form of the message - Stickiness Factor
3. The environment - Power of Context

Item 1 explains the 3 different types of personality that you need in a Change Agent - they must either have a lot of contacts (Connector), a lot of information (Maven) or a lot of enthusiasm (Salesman). Sometimes a Change Agent may be a combination of two or all three.

lThe second issue deals with the nature of the message, and here the book shares different strategies that one can use to make the message more appealing and sticky.

Lastly, change can only stick if the environment allows it - a horseman riding through the night, for example, is more memorable than one riding in broad daylight.

All in all, it kept me hooked - and that's a lot to say for a piece of non-fiction. I'd make this compulsory reading for those working in Change Management. And also for parents with very youn children.

Tempted by Words

From the departure hall to the boarding gates at KLIA, one has to walk past the duty-free section with your usual array of perfumes, chocolates and toys. One of my weaknesses was also there: books. I almost always end up buying something to read when I travel alone, even when I already have a book in tow.

This time, the promotion (10% discount for 2 books, 15% discount for 3) really caught my attention. Initially all I wanted was a magazine that cost less than RM10. But then a fictionalised history snared me. 5 minutes later, by the time I left the cashier, I had exchanged RM120 for a magazine, a novel and two other books. It almost cost me my flight, too.

I haven't started on any of them yet, though. I still have my original travel companion to finish.

Inkheart

Author: Cornelia Funke

I bought it almost a year ago, just after the movie came out. I really wanted to watch the movie, but wanted to read the book before catching the celluloid version. Anyhow, the book took much longer than expected - I stopped reading it halfway several months ago and only picked it up again several weeks later. By then movie was no more, and I had lost interest in it anyway.

It is, after all, a children's book. The beginning was eventful enough, almost like 'Lord of the Rings' with an apparent stranger suddenly showing up, and seemed to set the pace quickly enough. Halfway through, however, I realised that while it would have been terrifying enough for a 12-year-old, it did not have enough suspense to keep me hooked. The 'diabolical celebrations' seemed pretty tame for this mother of three.

What I like about the book, though, is the way it is structured.

This book was written by a book-lover, about book-lovers, for book-lovers.

'Inkheart' precedes each chapter with an excerpt from another book. The excerpt sets the tone for the story, such as the following before Meggie and her father start their journey 'Going South' with apprehension:

"Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wild World," said the Rat. "And that's something that doesn't matter, either to you or to me. I've never been there, and I'm never going, nor you either, if you've got any sense at all."

Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

And so, while the story itself may not make it one of your all-time favourites, you may be introduced to several that may.

Ceritalah: Malaysia in Transition

Author: Karim Raslan

This book is a collection of articles written for 'The Sun' between 1994 and 1995 - divided into 4 main segments; as well as a piece from the New Straits Times Annual 1994.

The articles cover the following aspects of Malaysia: Culture & Society, Political Life, People & Places and a special segment covering the 1995 Election.

Throughout the pieces, the writer explores and addresses the contradictions of his upbringing and his world view - his father was born into Perak nobility, while his mother is an Englishwoman. After his father's death, his family relocated to England. He is, as he claims, 'a child of the NEP' but like many who have benefitted from it through overseas education, is not 'without criticism of the policy'.

The single article from the New Straits Times, entitled 'Roots', takes us down a personal memory lane as the writer recalls the events surrounding his father's death and reminisces the 'olde Worlde' Perak that his father was born into. It is an interesting piece that highlights a turning point in the social and cultural aspects of our nation's history - the line dividing the past and post-independent Malaya, the gaps between different generations. There is a hint of melancholia as the writer attempts to put together an image of a father he lost at the young age of 7.

The Culture & Society and People & Places segments showcases the best of his writing - the sharp observations, the self-deprecating humour and his candid feelings about his surroundings and his sociocultural background. You could almost picture him sauntering along the pavements of Cape Town or drinking 'oily black coffee' in Taiping through the descriptions of the places he visits.

In the Political Life segment, he writes of several prominent political figures - Dr Mahathir, Anwar Ibrahim, Hishamuddin Hussein. Here, I felt, he was a bit guarded - almost as if he was afraid to toe the line. He admits as much in one article which was a follow-up to a piece written on Dr Mahathir. To quote another essay from another segment,

"Basically, you're damned if you're boring and damned if you're not. Which leaves the half-world between the 'lines' as your only refuge."

Since the articles were written back in 1995, it is interesting to note the differences between what was a foregone conclusion then and what has actually unfolded 14 years since. This is especially so when the subject is Anwar Ibrahim, who was at the zenith of his UMNO career back then. In an article entitled 'Follow The Leader,' this is what the author says about the prospect of Anwar, then the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, succeeding Dr Mahathir as the country's Premier:

"To be frank, we have little chance of altering what is a done deal. When the time comes, there will be the transition from PM to DPM and that will be that.
We will clap our hands on the sidelines and then go back to work. Under normal circumstances, I would complain like hell because I don't feel that I, as a Malaysian voter, have had very much say in the appointment and selection of the next PM. However, the man chosen is bright, intelligent, well-read, ambitious and determined - all the ingredients needed for the job.

My concern now lies with the question: who will the DPM be looking to in turn to succeed him?"

Well, we all know how THAT turned out, don't we?

Good Omens

Authors: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

I was in one of those moods when I picked this book. Correction: My sister picked it out for me from her vast collection of fantasy at my request for something 'light and fun' to read. Halfway through the the 2nd chapter, I realised it was a parody of 'The Omen' (not something I particularly want to think about while I'm pregnant) but was already having too much fun to stop.

The story revolves around an angel, Aziraphale (Israfil, peniup sangka kala?) and a devil called Crowley, the serpent who tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Both of them were stationed on Earth as agents of their respective Masters to put things in place leading up to the Apocalypse. However, after spending thousands of years on this world with only each other as familiar company and having acquired a taste for earthly pleasures, they strike a partnership to avoid the Apocalypse from happening.

Trust Pratchett to come up with the hilarious dialogue. And you can always bet on Gaiman to provide the 'other dimension' to your everyday objects and people, like War and Pollution. Okay, so War and Pollution is not exactly everyday stuff but what else do you read about in the news?

It seemed close to blasphemy reading this novel (God knows what was going through their minds while they wrote it), but admittedly it was just too good to put down. Even if you're not planning on reading the whole book, at least read the authors' biography:

For those who really need to know, Terry Pratchett was born in
Buckinghamshire, England, in 1948. He has managed to avoid all the really interesting jobs authors take in order to look good in this kind of biography. In his search for a quiet life he got a job as a Press Officer with the Central Electricity Generating Board just after Three Mile Island, which shows his unerring sense of timing. Now a full-time writer, he lives in Somerset with his wife and daughter. He likes people to buy him banana daiquiris (he knows people don't read author biographies, but feels this might be worth a try).

Neil Gaiman used to be a journalist, but gave it all up to write
comics, which he claims are a totally valid late-twentieth-century art form, and he's even won awards for them, so that's all right. He's 5'11" tall, owns a number of black T-shirts, and although he's not overly keen on banana daiquiris, is always very flattered when appreciative fans send him money (he's read Terry Pratchett's biography, and, although he doubts that this will have any effect, figures what the hell).

Now excuse me, but I need to go catch up on all those Discworld novels.

Ayat-Ayat Cinta

Author: Habiburrahman El Shirazy



This book, which has been turned into a movie and a song, is REALLY REALLY good.



Go out and read it.

And those of you who still wonder what 1 Malaysia stands for, just read the first few chapters to give you an idea.

Memanusiakan manusia. I like...

Neverwhere

Author: Neil Gaiman

This book belongs to my sister. Halfway through reading it, I realised that I have actually seen parts of the original TV miniseries back in London - the book is a novelisation of the TV show. I didn't follow the miniseries - there must have been a serious lack of eyecandy to get me properly hooked - but the book I like very much.

The idea of people and events, conveniently sidelined by the rat-racers, falling through the cracks of London to exist in a parallel world - now who would have thought of that? A universe where an Angel called Islington resides under the watch of Afro-Anglo monks (Blackfriars, anyone?) and an elderly Earl holds Court on a moving Underground train. The most ingenious of all - Knightsbridge as a scary district. How true is that?

What struck me was how the villainous pair in this book is similar to the twosome in Terry Pratchett's 'The Truth': a short one with the words and brains partnering a huge hunk of a man who is mostly brawn. I suppose it is a prerequsite for bad guy characterisation, like the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine. Another similarity is one of the villain's penchant for fine antiques.

I'm not saying much more. Read it to find out.

Girls of Riyadh

Author: Rajaa Alsanea

I first read about this book and author about a year ago, in a magazine interview. She is from Saudi Arabia, but at the time of the interview was studying somewhere in the Western hemisphere. The interviewer was surprised when Alsanea remarked approvingly of a mini-dress a passerby was wearing: "I'll wear it as a top over jeans," she commented. Well, in her own words, "The Western world still perceives us either romantically, as the land of the Arabian nights... or politically, as the land that gave birth to Bin Laden and other terrorists."

As for me, I had always perceived Saudis to be the role model of religiosity and piety. After all, their kingdom is the birthplace and final resting place of our prophet Muhammad PBUH, and one of the King's official titles is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (referring of course to al-Haraam in Makkah and al-Nabawi in Madinah). This impression was shattered somewhat when I went there for Hajj two years ago, and did leave me feeling a tad disappointed. So reading this book - although the first few pages seem to entice the reader with promises of scandal and what not - was not such a shock for me.

The premise is broadly similar to 'Sex and the City' although still very much within the confines of Muslim society: a tale of a quartet of girl friends in Riyadh looking and lamenting of love. Well, technically, only 3 of them are actually lamenting, whilst the fourth didn't seem bothered about not having a man in her life until she ended up being the only one with a fairytale relationship. As the author's apparent goal was to highlight the trials and tribulation of love, this fourth girlfriend had only 3 or 4 chapters dedicated to her, the most memorable of which is a retelling of a highschool escapade involving videotapes (and no, they're not that type of videos either).

The most interesting part about the book is the way the chapters are structured: as weekly emails sent to a mailing list from an anonymous writer (again, parallels with Carrie Bradshaw, except the writer is not one of the quartet). Otherwise, there is nothing much to shout about, except that Saudi girls - at least those in Riyadh's 'velvet class' - are not much different from the rest of us.

I'll take the Arabian Nights any time.

Read more reviews here.