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The Remix of Orchid | Rs 250 | Written and published by A N Nanda

There are some stories that make a point, and stop. And then there are others that make a point and don’t stop. Rather, they fade into the end. One wonders what manner of a story would require such a fade.

Perhaps a story about a place. Because places don’t really end. They just stretch out into other places.

A N Nanda’s The Remix of Orchid has the Andaman islands at its centre. Though the book features husbands and wives, thieves, undersea divers and even ghosts, the star of the tale remains the island paradise.

Even when the requirements of narrative take the reader to places as far removed from the Andamans (geographically and otherwise) as the Howrah railway station and a little-known pre-independence Indian township, the reader remains rooted in the island.

The nature of the stories vary from the mundane – a couple wondering if the stranger in their drawing room has really brought their lost son back or is he an imposter; to the downright wacky – a man on board a ship dreaming of a postal deity and realising that he has accidentally sent the letter meant for his girlfriend to his wife.

The stories, in essence are about love. Love a man has for a woman, a person has for his future, love an islander has for the place. Love that is forbidden, love of freedom.

Nanda’s style is long drawn and almost draining. Also, it doesn’t help that the language is chipped in several places. His stories would probably appeal to an enthusiastic reader interested in travel and places, but as just stories, they suffer due to the author’s choice of thick words. Perhaps an editor could have made a difference. But then again, that’s just my opinion.

To the author’s credit, he does bring to life the otherwise little known universe of the Andamans. It is obvious that he has enjoyed writing his stories and the joy shows. The choice of theme itself does credit to the author by placing him in the line of illustrious names like Ruskin Bond, who incidentally, wrote the foreword to Nanda’s book.

Ruskin Bond says one’s “…choice of reading a book on the Andaman’s should start right here.” If you are into places, you will probably like The Remix of Orchid. If lazy prose is not your thing, skip it.

Posted on Monday, August 13th, 2007 at 1:16 pm and filed under books, reviews.

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