Decline and Fall - a sad book

 One more disadvantage of advancing age - many, very many books, and movies appear to be the ones one has already read/seen. And often they are.

I got a good book suggestion (with difficulty) - Serious men by Manu Joseph. A satire about life in a large Indian metro. Had a serious theme of class struggle and caste discrimination too. And the style was quite good.

I was feeling proud - aha, I am reading an Indian book - I am being a patriot! 

But then there was a nagging feeling, I know this story from some where. Turned out I have already watched the film version of the book. (By the way, the Hindi movie is also called Serious men and is directed by Sudhir Mishra and stars Nawazuddin Siddique. It is good!)

Sad, I would have liked the book. And I would have completed it.

Then I picked up the sequel to 'Catch 22'  - Closing Time by Joseph Heller. Joseph Heller writes marvelous books. But as I am reading, I have the same feeling - I might know this story. I have already read the book, but I don't mind re-reading it.

Anyway, all these book hunting have a reason behind. I completed the book 'Decline and fall' within a week. Aha, reader in me has arisen. She needs a little bit more practice.

Decline and fall by Evelyn Waugh is a dark comedy about a English man in 1920s. But little did I realize it is too dark for my comfort.

Picture this - a school sports event is taking place. To start a running race, one of the teachers fires a gun. This promptly hits the leg of one of the children called  Tangent. (Yes his name is really Tangent - and his family name is Circumference. I am not kidding). He starts howling. But the rest of the students/ teachers/ parents are not worried at all.

His leg worsens - then it has to be amputated. And finally he dies.

Yes, this dark! And the tragi-comic events which shape the life of young Paul Pennyfeather are even  sadder than this. Too sad for my liking. 

The way some students playing a prank, causes Paul to be expelled from college. Which results in him losing his inheritance. Which makes him work for a living, in a quite bad school in a remote place etc etc. 

I agree that life plays hilarious tricks with some people. And I also know that, books of this genre exaggerate everything in the name of satire. But, no, I did not like the book.