mohiuddin_'s review
5.0
It would have been more appropriate if it was called “Truth Love and a Heap of Malice”. The autobiography of the most celebrated and profane writer, Khushwant Singh is definitely worth a read.
As is the norm with Khushwant, this book is full of wit, humour, sex, malice and courage. Courage to speak and present his views. The book spans right from the pre-Independence era to the 21st century. It gives us a visual treat of the changing demographics of the Indian sub-continent especially the North and West of India and a major portion of present-day Pakistan.
Extensive travel throughout the globe and the myriad of diverse profession brought him closer to many of the subjects of his novels. His exploits with women of many nationalities and fearless recounting of the stories are endearing. The vivid and colourful description of the private life of many famous personalities who helped shape today’s India makes the book all the more intriguing. His take on various contemporary issues indeed makes it informative.
Though not much of a poet himself, but he liked quoting many Urdu couplets of Ghalib and others in his books which made the books more pleasant. He considered himself an agonist and also prepared an epitaph for himself;
“Here lies one who spared
neither man nor God;
Waste not your tears on him,
he was a sod;
Writing nasty things he regarded as fun;
Thank the Lord he is dead, this
son of a gun.”
His genre and style of writing has indeed been an inspiration to a nation of aspiring English writers. He died at the ripe old age of ninety-nine. His can be said to be a life well lived. His autobiography is more than a story of an individual. It can well be considered the jovial biography of an infant nation trying to come to terms with reality of the big bad world.
As is the norm with Khushwant, this book is full of wit, humour, sex, malice and courage. Courage to speak and present his views. The book spans right from the pre-Independence era to the 21st century. It gives us a visual treat of the changing demographics of the Indian sub-continent especially the North and West of India and a major portion of present-day Pakistan.
Extensive travel throughout the globe and the myriad of diverse profession brought him closer to many of the subjects of his novels. His exploits with women of many nationalities and fearless recounting of the stories are endearing. The vivid and colourful description of the private life of many famous personalities who helped shape today’s India makes the book all the more intriguing. His take on various contemporary issues indeed makes it informative.
Though not much of a poet himself, but he liked quoting many Urdu couplets of Ghalib and others in his books which made the books more pleasant. He considered himself an agonist and also prepared an epitaph for himself;
“Here lies one who spared
neither man nor God;
Waste not your tears on him,
he was a sod;
Writing nasty things he regarded as fun;
Thank the Lord he is dead, this
son of a gun.”
His genre and style of writing has indeed been an inspiration to a nation of aspiring English writers. He died at the ripe old age of ninety-nine. His can be said to be a life well lived. His autobiography is more than a story of an individual. It can well be considered the jovial biography of an infant nation trying to come to terms with reality of the big bad world.
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