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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business Standard
Lesley Downer's new book offers a grand panoramic tour of Japan's history
Japan has received far more than its share of natural disasters, most massive earthquakes, volcano eruptions, gigantic tsunamis and ravaging fires Listen to This Article The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer Published by Picador India xiv+258pages ₹599 A grand panoramic tour of Japan's history Shreekant Sambrani For the rest of the world, Japan conjures up a vision of unique sensual images and experiences: exquisite cherry blossoms, the ever-so delicately flavoured sushi, the highly stylised Noh and kabuki performances, the elaborately coiffed geisha dressed in an ornate kimono, the ethereal 17-syllable haiku, the ritualistic tea ceremony, aesthetic bamboo pavilions with tatami covered floors, extremely courteous, disciplined and equally industrious people worshipping their emperor (though no longer divine) — the list is endless. Even a veteran traveller is mostly unable
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Review of ‘Scarlet Sands' by Udayan Mukherjee
Udayan Mukherjee's Scarlet Sands, the second instalment in the Neville Wadia Mystery series, is engulfed in a web of murders, bureaucratic mess-ups, political power plays, and the silencing of witnesses and dissent. Set in Goa, the story draws sharp observations from, and mirrors, the current socio-political environment in India. At the heart of the story are Neville Wadia and his wife Shehnaz who have moved to Goa in hopes of a quiet life. Soon, Neville gets tangled up in the murder case of Joshua Davies, an investigative journalist who was pursuing various leads — from a money laundering racket in casinos, illegalities in the construction of Mopa airport to the activities of right-wing outfit Hindu Shresthata Sangh. This leaves a laundry list of suspects and motives for the murder. The novel feels eerily close to reality. It's a world where speaking out can cost you your life, and where money and influence dictate who gets justice. The author doesn't hold back when it comes to describing people in positions of authority and their relationship with power and money. The dialogues are sharp, and engaging. Just when you think you are lost deep within the story, the author throws in a new character, a fresh angle, and you're hooked all over again. With a keen reporter's eye and a novelist's flair for atmosphere, Mukherjee, a former business journalist, lays bare the systems that fail, the people who look away, and the few who choose to speak up despite the risks. Scarlet Sands is more than just a gripping mystery — it's an urgent, unsettling commentary on the country's shifting political and moral landscape. Scarlet Sands Udayan Mukherjee Picador India ₹450
