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I find war stories horrifying. They always send a shiver down my spine, even if they’re fiction. I guess that’s because you know something similar has probably happened somewhere and continues to happen across borders even today. Real-life accounts are worse because someone has actually suffered and you can’t fathom how humans can be so cruel to inflict unimaginable pain on others.

‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’ by Antonio Iturbe is based on the experiences of Czech teen Edita (Dita) Kraus who was a prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Though Iturbe interviewed Dita to write the novel, the book is actually a fictionalized account of real-life events.

Dita and her parents led a privileged life in Prague—her father was a reputed lawyer—before being taken to Auschwitz and then to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Besides narrating Dita’s experiences at the camp, Iturbe also richly imagines the lives of those around her while building a narrative that stays as close as possible to real instances.

When she was 14, Dita had one of the most dangerous jobs in the camp. She was to look after the eight books that prisoners had smuggled into Auschwitz. Books were forbidden—anyone found in the possession of one would be executed—and these books were used at the secret school started by prisoners for the children of Block 31.

Dita loves books, and takes her duty as librarian seriously. She’s forever mending torn pages and checking on those who are have borrowed the books to see if they are taking proper care of them during “school hours”. Dita also doesn’t hesitate to take risks. From sewing deep pockets in her clothes to hide books to disguising herself as a man to visit her ailing father to assuming her mother’s identity to spare her from carrying a corpse, Dita shows immense courage despite being acutely aware that death is just one wrong move away.

The violence in graphic. It hurts to read. People are dragged to gas chambers, already stuffed with dead bodies. They are beaten and starved—a lone piece of carrot in their soup is considered a luxury. And there is the ever-looming threat of becoming one of Dr Mengele’s lab rats. He is notorious for cutting up people without anesthesia, when not conducting life-threating experiments on them.

However, aside from the difficult content, reading the book is fairly easy. The words just flow and the stories seem to merge. No one is made to seem unnecessarily heroic. Holocaust sufferers and survivors are all heroes in their own rights and it is this fact that shines through in The Librarian of Auschwitz.

This is an important story not only because it’s about the power of hope in the gravest of situations but also because you realize the cost of war just isn’t worth it.  

“The Lovebirds” popped up on the new films section of Netflix this week. Going by its trailer, it definitely looked like an interesting rom-com. For one thing, with an inter-racial couple in the lead, it promised to be a fresh breath of air among the plethora of the new Netflix releases that have miserably bombed. But how many times have we been fooled by good trailers?

Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae) are one of those live-in couples who find it difficult to come to terms with their differences with the passage of time. The differences in opinions and lifestyles get so stark, they are on the verge of a breakup. In fact, they are discussing a split when a freak incident on the road has them on the run from the law and what looks like a criminal racket.

Honestly, The Lovebirds has a pretty run-of-the-mill story. Every other rom-com features estranged (or almost estranged) couples running for their lives from baddies who never seem to get hold of them. Then, in the face of imminent danger, they realize they’re made for each other and all ends well. So, basically, it’s the presentation of plots and sub-plots within a clichéd story that makes these films differ from each other.

The Lovebirds, slated for theaters in late-April this year under the famous Paramount Pictures, was forced into a Netflix release because of the global Covid-19 lockdown. It does try to present the overused rom-com formulae differently. There are two “non-white” characters as main leads in a romantic comedy that has nothing to do with race. Also, the pairing of a “black and brown” couple is quite unprecedented. At the same time, the casting allows filmmakers to make a few jibes at the “racial profiling” problems the US has faced of late.

But even with the talented Issa Rae and the experienced Kumail Nanjiani in lead roles, The Lovebirds falls into the trap of old tropes. Directed by Michael Showalter, it follows the couple around the streets of New Orleans to give life to this story, but in vein.

The screenplay lacks the strength to keep the film amusing through its 1hr 27 mins length. A movie of that length should pass in a jiffy but not The Lovebirds. It struggles to maintain the steady rhythm of an entertaining comedy and when the story moves to suspenseful moments and thrilling revelations, the lead-up is botched. There’s no method whatsoever, which makes this film boring.

Despite his experience, Pakistani-American actor Kumail struggles to keep up the energy his character requires. The actor, who’s played dozens of roles in films and television productions, doesn’t look quite comfortable in the lead. Issa as Leilani is also not a memorable character. Yet the blame for the lackluster acting should also fall on the shoulders of the writing team.

The Lovebirds is a film about how a pair of perfectly normal people would react when they suddenly find themselves in complicated situations. Being involved in more than one murder, running away from police, hiding from criminals, and at the same time snooping around for clues to solve the mystery—everything in the film called for a face-paced, action-packed tempo. Instead, what the audience gets, in Lelani’s own words, is “The Amazing Race with dead people.”

Who should watch it?

It’s not the worst movie we’ve watched and still better than the highly anticipated Indian zombie series that recently to atrocious reviews. If you enjoy a bit of romance and a bit of comedy, you might just enjoy The Lovebirds in bits and pieces.

The Lovebirds

Rating: 2 stars

Director: Michael Showalter

Actors:Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae

Run time: 1 hr 27 mins

Genre: Comedy

I don’t remember finishing a book and being this angry. ‘13 Reasons Why’ shouldn’t exist. But it does. And that makes me sad and mad. Jay Asher has written about an important issue—suicide—in the most insensitive and ridiculous manner ever.

Before 13 Reasons Why, Asher apparently only wrote humorous books. He clearly lacks the flair and the maturity to write on serious issues—I doubt his humor is any better, going by his sensibilities as evident in 13 Reasons Why.  

The book got some really bad reviews—from BookTubers and reviewers I follow—but I still picked it up thinking it couldn’t be that terrible. I started it with an open mind, prepared to contest those who said the book glamorized suicide, or belittled a serious mental health problem. At most I thought Asher must have gotten some details wrong and readers and critics were being much too harsh on him.

But no. The book is awful.

Okay, I’m going to put my anger aside and try to be reasonable here as I calmly present my case as to why 13 Reasons Why belongs in the dumpster.

First, the very premise is flawed. Hannah Baker, a high school student, decides to commit suicide. Before taking the pills to end her life she records a series of audiotapes holding a few people accountable for her actions. The people she ‘blames’ for her not wanting to live anymore are students like her with their own problems. Why, if at all, Hannah’s problems are more important than the girl sitting next to her in class is not something Asher gives any thought to, thus making Hannah seem shallow and selfish.

Next, Hannah mails the tapes she makes to the first person on it with instructions to mail them to the person who follows the receivers’ name on the tape when he or she is done listening. And they can’t destroy the tapes because someone has the second set and they will be made public if the chain is broken. This just seems demented—like Hannah is spiteful and seeking revenge, like she doesn’t want people to live because she decided she wouldn’t.

Also, Hannah talking about what made her feel bad are everyday problems of a regular teenager. Besides rumors affecting people the way rumors can, nothing anyone did warrants any blame. If someone doesn’t respond to you the way you want them to, does that make him bad? And what’s with the narrative that bullying leads to suicide? It’s never that simple.

The ending of the tape—or Hannah’s story—is also problematic. Spoiler alert: Hannah goes to her guidance counselor as a last resort before committing suicide. He seems to have a genuine interest in her problems and wants to help her work it out. But something in her snaps and she bursts out of his office, despite him repeatedly asking her to wait. Hannah, running down the hallway of the school, looks back at the office door and when it stays shut and the counselor isn’t rushing after her, decides that she is done with life. Every scene seems superficial and stupid—and you can’t afford to do that when you have taken up a grave topic like suicide.

13 Reasons Why could have been a positive message about the importance of treating other people with kindness and realizing how your actions can affect others. What it is instead, owing to fickle writing and horrible character development, is a bitter suicide note where you feel no empathy for the victim.

Fiction

13 Reasons Why

Jay Asher

Published: 2007

Publisher: Penguin Books

Language: English

Pages: 288, Paperback

It has become a trend of sorts for government officials to write books after their retirement. The seasoned bureaucrats put their years of experience and expertise into writing. Nepal Ma Udarbad, Prayog Ra Parinam (‘Liberalism in Nepal: Experiments & Results’) is one such book written by former auditor general and finance secretary Bhanu Prasad Acharya.

The book is not just a record of the author’s experiences, as he clarifies in the introduction. Launched a few months ago, the book is a compilation of different dimensions of the country’s tryst with liberalism. The author also introduces to the readers semantic politics—an area that deserves more discussion.

There have been many debates about liberalism in Nepal. But there have been very few free and fair ones as people tend to interpret it in their own ways. We often hear that economic liberalism started in Nepal after the 1990 political changes has not benefited the country. The author subtlely poses the question of whether it is liberalism or its practitioners who should be blamed for its supposed failure in Nepal.

Acharya mostly treads on neutral ground. His experiences as the auditor general and the finance secretary are most impartially presented. Perhaps the book would have been more enjoyable had he also talked about some of his personal challenges. But he doesn’t, but neither does he resort to slandering or accusing anyone.

The book is divided into eight sections, with each except the last containing theoretical information. Before entering a subject, the author lays out historical evidence and theoretical background. He often quotes world-renowned economists, philosophers and politicians on most of the topics, which shows his skills as an investigator and researcher. The author's tireless work is also reflected in the list of references. Reading the 469-page-book is a breeze given its use of simple words and its easy presentation style, which should also make it useful for students.

Acharya has done a good job of showing the relation between liberalism and its practitioners, and explaining the development of liberalism, the role of public and private sectors in liberalism, the politics of foreign aid, and public financial accountability.

In the second chapter the author discusses industry and trade under economic liberalization. The efforts of India and China in economic reform, experience of privatization and its weaknesses, and development of the private sector are also highlighted. The history of Nepal’s WTO membership is examined in detail, as are the ensuing economic reforms.

The writer has provided detailed information on foreign investment in Nepal, liberalization in trade and service sectors, and protection of intellectual property rights. Some other interesting topics include: the role of regulatory bodies, the parallel economy (black market), and dissatisfaction with liberal policy implementation. But readers may not find detailed information on these popular topics.

In subsequent chapters, the author discusses liberalization of the financial sector, bad debts, and donor interest. Contemporary examples help us understand about syndicates, revenue, and the efforts and challenges of liberalization in health and education.

Another strength of this book is the use of data. The author has ample statistics to back his arguments. He could have added his own ideas based on experience, but he doesn’t. Instead, he makes the book rich by combining various theories and facts.

There are two additional sections on the author’s experiences as the auditor general experience and while working in the Nepali bureaucracy. Although the information is useful, it has not been analyzed in connection with liberalism. Toward the end of the book, the author also discusses his experiences with former prime minister Marichman Singh Shrestha and former finance minister Dr. Yadav Prasad. They are interesting too albeit irrelevant to the topic at hand.

In the last part of the book, the author offers some suggestions. Emphasizing the importance of a liberal state, he suggests focusing on institutional development and state-building. He brings up general issues such as respecting a person’s merits, investing in education, and ensuring accountability. He emphasizes a change of mindset and going beyond conventional ways to understand development.

This book is a combination of in-depth research and experience. The simple presentation of different topics will be of immense help for all students of political economy. Educational institutions can use it as a reference for the study of political science and economics.