Submit your Article

I had heard of Riley Sager from some BookTubers I follow but I had never read any of his books. Like most authors, Sager gets mixed reviews. Some love his work, while others think he should stop writing. A BookTuber I love agrees with the latter and I usually like her recommendations. So, I thought I wouldn’t particularly enjoy his books but I was also intrigued.

‘The House Across the Lake’ is Sager’s latest thriller. His other works include ‘Final Girls’, ‘The Last Time I Lied’, ‘Lock Every Door’, ‘Home Before Dark’, and ‘Survive the Night’. A year ago, paperbackdreams, whom I follow on YouTube, posted a five-minute video, ranting about how terrible Survive the Night was. Apparently, it shouldn’t have been written. She says Sager comes up with great premises. Reading the blurb makes you want to pick up the books. But his stories, she says, always fall short.

I started reading The House Across the Lake with mixed feelings. I wanted to enjoy it but I thought I wouldn’t like it. I was surprised to find myself breezing through it. The writing wasn’t that great but the story was captivating. I didn’t see the twist coming at all. It blew my mind.

The story follows Casey Fletcher, a widow who is forced to retreat from her stressful life at her family’s tranquil lake house. Following the tragic death of her husband, she finds herself taking solace in glasses of bourbon. One day, she saves one of her neighbors from drowning in the same lake her husband had died in. Then, out of curiosity, boredom, or just nosiness, she starts spying on them. She tells herself she feels responsible for Katherine, having saved her life once.

Casey notices Katherine seems to be a little out of sorts. She believes her husband Tom might have something to do with it. Katherine too drops little hints that she isn’t happy with Tom.

Then Katherine disappears and Casey thinks Tom had something to do with it. Is something sinister going on? Or is her alcohol-addled mind playing tricks on her? The deeper Casey digs, the more complex things seem to be. But can we trust Casey?

I admit I had fun while reading the book. It was by no means the best thriller I had read but I also stayed up half the night to finish it. I had to know what was going on. Sager throws a curveball three-forth into the book and I literally put the book down to process what had just happened. I’m still undecided about whether I like that twist but I would definitely recommend The House Across the Lake to anyone who wants a spooky read.

Thriller

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58909880-the-house-across-the-lake  

The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager

Published: 2022

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 349, Paperback

Fiction centered on climate change is an emerging genre in the literary world. Arguably, there are only a handful of novelists who have incorporated climate change issues as a major theme in their works. After discovering Amitav Ghosh’s 'The Hungry Tide', I became acquainted with his work 'Gun Island'. Gun Island is also the first English book to receive the prestigious Jnanpith Award. I was mesmerized by the way Ghosh blends folklore with serious issues of climate change and a hotter planet. His writing style made me realize that climate change, often considered a research-based, scientific, and rational subject, can also be interpreted and narrated through ancient myths and fables.

We are accustomed to hearing and reading catastrophic news caused by climate change, ranging from floods to landslides, tsunamis to hurricanes, sandy storms, and more. These events have become so common in our daily dose of social media and news browsing that we are hardly moved by the significant loss of lives, habitats, and property. We have taken them for granted. But, Ghosh’s storytelling is unique. He draws on the Bengali fable of ‘Banduki Sadagar’, or the gun merchant, and transports us to the Sundarbans, the mangrove region of Bangladesh, where he intertwines the folklore of Manasa Devi, the goddess of snakes.

Deen, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, accompanies marine biologist Piya in her research work. Deen, a rare books dealer, is captivated by Bengali legends of the gun merchant and befriends Piya, who is studying the rare Irrawaddy dolphins. They travel to distant and remote places where human settlements are sparse, such as the Sundarbans, where they find villages that have disappeared in recent years. They are startled by the rising sea levels and the villagers' struggles due to lack of fresh water. The salt levels have increased to the extent that aquatic animals exhibited abnormalities.

Through the journeys of Piya, Deen, and Tipu, Ghosh reminds us of the threats posed by climate change. Deen and Piya discuss oceanic dead zones - the vast stretches of water with very low oxygen content, too low for fish to survive. These dead zones are rapidly expanding due to the runoff from chemical fertilizers. This runoff triggers a chain reaction that depletes most of the oxygen in the water. The phenomenon of oceanic dead zones is vividly illustrated in the novel, enabling general readers to comprehend the harsh realities of the climate crisis resulting from human actions.

The novel also discusses environmental degradation caused by refineries. During a conversation with Deen, Piya discusses refineries, which may be responsible for creating 'dead zones'. She reveals that she has been fighting against refineries through an alliance of environmental groups, but she exposes the dark truth that these refineries are run by giant conglomerates that line the pockets of greedy politicians. In Nepal as well, the exploitation of the Chure region has been a topic of discussion for various reasons, but it has been forgotten as the exploiters enjoy the support of politicians.

The novel delves into serious issues of dolphin beaching. The underlying cause of beaching is explored, where man-made sounds from submarines, sonar equipment, and similar sources can be potential triggers. Piya explains that marine mammals use echolocation to navigate, and disruptions to this navigation can cause them to become disoriented and stranded. It seems that the character of Piya, portrayed as a marine biologist, is intentionally crafted as an expert who discusses and shares the crises and scenarios caused by climate change. Deen appears as a curious learner, while Piya stands out as a profound expert.

In addition to portraying geographies and habitats devastated by climate change, the novel also shares instances of migration and the pivotal role climate change plays in the migration of humans and other animals. Characters like Tipu risk their lives crossing seas and islands to reach Italy. They face obstacles from state authorities, the seas, and foreign individuals who are involved in human trafficking. The stories in 'Gun Island' exhibit elements of magical realism, presenting folklores in a way that mirrors the real world, including chance encounters.

The novel also presents irony about the indifference towards climate change in a satirical manner. An international conference is hosted by a museum to celebrate their acquisition of a special edition of a popular Shakespearean book. However, the city where the conference takes place is engulfed in a wildfire for several days. Airlines, local transportation services, and conference organizers display indifference towards the wildfire, treating it as a natural occurrence. Eventually, due to the relentless wildfire, the organizers are forced to relocate the conference venue at the last minute to the place where the narrator is staying.

The increasing number of bark beetles is also discussed in the novel. Findings suggest that these beetles are expanding their range as the mountains warm up. They invade forests by tunneling inside tree bark. The novel draws connections between bark beetles, forests, and wildfires. The stories of the suffering of Bangladeshi people due to climate crises, such as cyclones and floods, are also presented. Strong winds capable of tearing roofs off houses and rising water levels are evident in various parts of Bangladesh. These personal stories of suffering resonate with the natural calamities faced in our own world.

The novel consistently carries the theme of the climate crisis from beginning to end. Through Bengali folktales and fables, it warns us about the potential apocalyptic world. The novel is, in fact, an alarm, reminding us of our role in exploiting and devastating the planet for short-term gains and vested interests. Rather than being prescriptive about our actions, it vividly portrays and envisions the consequences of the climate crisis escalating at an unstoppable pace.

I’ve once been scolded by a relative for saying I didn’t want children, at least not yet. She told me I was not doing ‘what I was meant to do’ and depriving my parents of the right to be grandparents. She said children would complete me, and that not having them was out of the question. I shouldn’t even be thinking such horrid thoughts.

Fast forward a few years and a miscarriage later, I still don’t have a strong maternal urge to have children. If it happens, fine, but I don’t think I will feel empty and incomplete if I don’t. In our society, having children is made out to be such a natural progression of life that you are almost looked down on if you aren’t pregnant within a couple of years of marriage.

But what’s also true is that many women are choosing to have children later in life—in their 30s and even 40s—or at least wait a few years after getting married. They want to be financially secure before being responsible for a baby. Some want to focus on their careers for a while. They believe having a baby will slow their progress and shift their priorities and they don’t want that at the moment. I also have a couple of friends who don’t want children. While all this is normal, our society doesn’t think so and women who deviate from the norm are considered misfits and lectured.

Emma Gannon’s debut novel ‘Olive’ explores this very theme. The protagonist, Olive, doesn’t want to have children. She’s never wanted them and now that she’s in her 30s she’s even more certain of it. Her best friends are having babies or trying to conceive but “that doesn’t make her ovaries twitch”. She breakups with her boyfriend of nine years when he suggests they might want to start a family. But she feels her friends—Cecily, Bea, and Isla—are moving on without her. They are no longer as accessible as they were before they were parents or were trying for a pregnancy.

Olive is a thought-provoking read that explores motherhood, fertility, female friendships, relationships, and what it means to be true to yourself when everyone around you wants you to conform. I just wish Gannon had been a little more empathetic in her writing. Very often the characters come across as selfish and annoying. Some topics like veganism and infidelity are discussed so lightly that the tone is almost mocking. Something feels a little off but the story isn’t one that you come across regularly so you might want to overlook the little niggles.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52928287 

Olive

Emma Gannon

Published: 2020

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 409, Paperback

‘I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’ by Baek Sehee is less than 200 pages long. The chapters are short too. You will be able to read it in a single sitting. But you won’t be done with the book so soon. You will want to keep rereading passages and dipping in and out. I’m not someone who likes to underline and write in her books but my copy of ‘I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’ is filled with scribbles and notes. I wanted to be reminded of some things over and over again.

Part memoir, part self-help, the book is a record of the therapy the author received for dysthymia, or persistent depressive disorder (a state of constant, light depression). Written by a young woman who is struggling through life, caught in a web of mood swings and ups and downs, the book is highly relatable and discusses fairly common issues like low self-esteem, jealousy, anger, etc. It also highlights how social media and society put pressure on us to conform—look a certain way, behave a certain way, etc—and how that can have a detrimental effect on our mental health.

Baek Sehee decided to open up her sessions to the world by writing a book because she wanted others who were going through the same problem as hers to know that they weren’t alone. Early on, in the introduction, she admits that the next book she writes might not be as honest but she will try to do everything she can to help those going through mental health issues.

Baek Sehee’s book quickly became a Korean bestseller. It was even recommended by a BTS member. Mental health problems are highly stigmatized in Korean society, despite highly stressful work and social environment being a leading cause of suicides among youths. This book sheds light on what it’s like living with mental health issues and how getting help can prevent problems from escalating. I Want to Die But ‘I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’ is an insightful and eye-opening take on the importance of acknowledging mental health conditions as any other health problem and how therapy can be a boon.

Memoir

I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki

Baek Sehee

Translated into English by Anton Hur

Published: 2018

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 194, Paperback