Review of " eleven Minutes".

Dear friends,
In this thread when I read the name of the book “ Eleven Minutes” & that it talks about feminine sexuality, it did ring a bell in my mind, ofcourse, connecting the two & I bought the book to read through it !
I have never reviewed a book so far, ofcourse with the exception of reviewing it to myself, whether to read it a few more times or stack it in the bookshelf. But this book made a profound impact on me, that I feel compelled to share it with my friends in this forum. The subject being so explicit, I also feel that my senior citizen status gives me an added advantage, to review this.

. Maria had no choice except to allow life to decide her profession as a prostitute.To survive, she had to be the best, there was no alternative.. She realised, men came to her because they were lonely at the top & were in some kind of emotional pain . She learnt the trick of putting them at ease & realised that the world revolved around something that took only 11 mts.

In spite of her profession, she is portrayed as a very dignified person, which makes me admire her very much

Her quest for intellectual improvement is surprising, because we feel it is very disconnected to her profession ! In her we see a delightful combination of Innocent Girl, Femme Fatale & Understanding Mother ! Is not every woman a combination of the above three ? What facet surfaces, depends on the situation life offers to one at various stages.

Her sense of duty to go back to Brazil & help settle her mother & father with buying a farm, is very touching. In her adventure with Terrence, she experiences the mysterious union of pain & pleasure. She felt closer to God. But when she spent the next day with Ralf, he showed her a different kind of suffering that had also given her a strange pleasure ! He made her understand that the search for happiness is more important than the need for pain. Her experience with Ralf, with a detailed description of what happens between a man & a woman in them is not just “ fire” but the “ core of fire “ !

The subject, a very delicate one, has been so deftly handled, that we don’t find any portion repulsive, as we usually find in such books. In fact, I would go to the extent of suggesting, every woman to read this, to know better about her own sexuality. We always imagine, it is harsh, difficult & shocking. But it need not be despised & needs to be understood in the proper perspective.

Love & regards,
Chithra.

Dear Chitra ma'am
It was quite interesting to go thro ur review. U have handled the subject very sensibily as even an extra word may make the isuue discussed embarassing. U have been subtle and there is an element of shyness beneath the message which would tempt readers to know more about the book.
luv
bhugan

Dear Mrs Chithra,

First, I must say that your review of Eleven Minutes is well-written, lucid and compelling. Second, I must confess that I am positively disqualified to review your review, since I have not read the book. It is cheeky on my part and I am sure none of the writers in IL will like that. But I will come back to my second point and also say why I feel your review is good.

As, you have rightly said, the topic is sensitive but needs to be discussed. And your years-not just in age but in life & living, give you a vantage point to review the book as a work of fiction and in relation to real life. When you say that this is the 'core of fire' and this is what man-woman relationship is all about- you share that maturity with the readers (and readers to be).

In reviewing Maria- a commercial sex worker with intellectual desires and emotional demands, you have sketched a MonaLisa picture that makes us think about her repeatedly. She comes across as a woman above average, who distinguishes between different clients and the value they impart to her. Also, she appears to be a woman who senses the want of people like her mother.

As I said earlier, it is presumptuous on my part to comment on your review. But as I said it is a good review, because it is:

lucid- brief and to the point, you have drawn attention to the book and your experience as a reader

well-written-conveys the gist of the story without judgement, without fear or favour

compelling- it makes me want to go and buy the book and read it.

And therein, you have achieved all that is required for the perfect review.

Dear Chitraji,
I read 11 minutes long back and hinted about it in this forum. I wanted to write a detailed review as you did. But then I thought it would be embarrasing for the members to read the review written by a man on such a sensitive subject.
You did it very well. Without crossing the limits of decency you have done full justice to the author of the novel.
When one of my stories was published in Vikatan a few weeks ago one reviewer said that I had walked on razors edge. One wrong step I would have hurt myself. I think I should make over that compliments to you for your excellent maiden-review (which incidentally reviews the mind and body of a maiden)
Looking forward to more such reviews from you,
regards,
sridhar

Dear bhugan,
Yours was the maiden review for my maiden review !
Thanks for your nice words.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Vidya,
Thankyou for the mail. It is very encouraging to read that you liked how I had written.
This being my first attempt, I did have reservations about whether I should write at all. But i liked the characterisation of Maria immensely & wanted to pay my tribute to her, if I can say so !
in spite of the story-line, it is a very clean book, rather compelling to read. Maria's words that " desire is not what you see, but what you imagine " did set me thinking - it is so true !
If my review has kindled a desire in you to buy & read the book, I think my job is done.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Sridhar,
Let me request you at the outset to call me Chithra ! This "ji" tag is embarassing me !
I am totally a " raw hand" in the literary circle of I L . But still I liked the book so much that I thought all ladies should read it. Hence I attempted this review !
Yes, I fully agree that it was like walking on a razor's edge ! I feel immensely pleased at the encouragement you have given me about my writing.
Regards,
Chithra.

Dear Mrs.Chitra,

I had also read this book on 11 minutes after Sridhar's recommendation. But i did not have the guts to discuss this topic. since the main role is a prostitute, though i felt one with her i could not discuss my feelings- thanks for bringing this character Maria out! I can see many of our members have responded positively. Your review was wonderful, it does not look like a Maiden review!

At this point i must say i got to read ZAHIR, Paulo Coelho's, latest one which is still more intriguing and brings out the relationship of a husband and wife! And more recently , last week i found another of his books, THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM, excellent one , brings out the evil and good nature in a person and the struggle the whole village goes through....if you can get hold of these don't miss them.
I find it difficult to get these books in english, so i requested my husband to buy them when he travels to India.
I must say here that though i am not a great cook, i did try out the microwave gajjar ka halwa, and it was an instant hit here among the indians and i have shared the recipe with many of them.

I will keep an eye on this section to see if there r any more book reviews from you!
with best regards

Dear Sudha,
This is my first interaction with you, so please accept my warm regards.
Yes, Sudha, it is my maiden review though, neither me nor Maria are maidens !
As you say, I was also a little hesitant initially, but on this ( rare?) occasion , my age was an advantage. Her dignified behaviour almost compelled me to write a few lines about her. I am now reading " the Alchemist". Now, I do want to read the other two as well !
Last but not least, thank you for the mention about Gajjar Halwa !
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Dear Mrs. Chitra,
Great to hear from you. I am looking forward to your review of THE ALCHEMIST also!
Let's see if you too feel the same way like i felt after you get through some of this author's other books.

Can you suggest any other good books that you have read ?
regards,