politics

Pachauri’s Book

29 Comments

Since “everyone” (i.e. 1, 2, and 3) broke this story before me, I know you already know Pachauri has published a book many describe as smut or porn. I haven’t read it, so I can’t say whether it really is pornographic, but it’s protagonist does appear to fondle many women’s breasts and engage in numerous sexual encounters. The quotes I’ve read also read like very boring porn.

Lucky for me, I found news not discussed at other blogs:

  1. The book is published by Rupa publications; the publication date appears to be Jan 1, 2010. It’s listed here.

  2. The book launch took place on Jan 8, 2010 at the Raj Hotel in Mumbai. It was given some rather high praise!

    Actor Rahul Bose, who read out an excerpt from the book, said, “It reminded me of The Razor’s Edge (by W Somerset Maugham).”

  3. I can’t report the Amazon.com sales rank of “Return to Almora” because I couldn’t find the novel listed at Amazon.com.

Since the book has technically been available since Jan 1, I can’t help wondering why the story only hit the UK press this week. Maybe the editors at The Telegraph waited for a slow news day to post the story?

Out of curiosity, are any of you inclined to order the book just to be able to post passages in comments? To find out if it’s smut, soft-core or hard-core porn? I’m curious, but not curious enough to order the book!

29 thoughts on “Pachauri’s Book”

  2. For the cause of Science I would purchase and read it but I do not wish to give Mr. P any of my cash. Also, as a male I doubt I would find the story of any possible interest.

  6. It’ll be fun to see who sells more copies, Dr P and his smutty little book (that’s Return to Almora not the IPCC AR4 report) or the excellent “A W Montford” and The Hockey Stick Illusion.

  7. JohnRS–Pachauri’s edition appears to cost $20 USD and doesn’t seem to be available in paperback. That strikes me as expensive for something in the bodice-ripper genre.

  8. The excerpts seem pretty bad, but it’s awfully hard–er, difficult–to write a good sex scene.

  11. A short review from an Indian newspaper:

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/book-mark/Return-to-Almora-A-spiritual-potboiler-/articleshow/5491811.cms

    The conventional meaning of “potboiler”
    http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pot1.htm

    Sounds like character development by what they preach. Probably pretty tiresome but, of course, with “socially redeeming value.”

    Also remember this:
    http://www.campusprogress.org/filmtv/2728/bollywood-kiss-kiss-hug-hug
    I would venture that our friend Pachauri has found another venue for gaining publicity for himself.

  13. Tim W (Comment#31600) January 31st, 2010 at 6:16 pm
    “. . . it’s worse than we thought”

    Thanks, Tim for a very good chuckle.

  14. I wish Dr. Pachauri well in his literary career. He is obviously a very accomplished individual and my hat is off to him. Railroad engineer, IPCC muckie muck, businessman and artist. A real Renaissance man.

    Whether you agree with his role at IPCC or not, he definitely has brass stones.

    Cheers

  17. Odd to compare it to “The Razor’s Edge”, which is about a disillusioned WWI veteran. It’s not Maugham at his best, and Maugham didn’t write sex scenes.

    Must have something to do with Indian mysticism, which features in “The Razor’s Edge”.

    There’s a dreadful film adaptation starring Tyrone Power, of all people.

  18. Re: bugs (Feb 1 01:42),

    Bugs go to your local dvd rental shop and take out a movie called Joyeux Noelle.
    Time out and a little humour is ok.
    p.s. He wrote the book, he can take the heat (pun)

  19. At his best, Maugham is depressing. Don’t all the stories go: Initially, the protagonist has a really, truly depressing life. Then he realizes that you can get used to life being depressing, then it’s less horrible because you no longer have to live with the disappointment of thinking life could be better.

  20. I’ll wait for the movie version. Besides, I’m ghostwriting a coming-of-age novel called Return to Altoona. It’s about a young geophysicist’s “statistical awakening” following encounters with the women’s hockey team at a certain Ivy League university and a gang of bikers at an I-80 rest stop. I can’t reveal much, but the Kinsey Report is referred to many times. So far, my favorite line is spoken by a female post-doc who murmurs these words into the hero’s ears after intense night of data in-filling. “You are so superb after mean-taking. I know that standard deviations turn you on, but have you ever been bi-modal curious?”

  22. I’m sure the story line is – ahem – ROBUST!

    PS
    For those who get into climate bondage and related practices, you can read all about the “climate whipsaw” here…

  23. James, even worse than the Tyrone Power version, look for the one starring Bill Murray. He did a version after the success of Ghostbusters, and it almost killed his career.

  24. Maugham?

    The one you have to read is Cakes and Ale. Masterful, wonderful appreciative insight. If you read the extracts from this character’s book, no, there is no comparison. Maugham could write, and he understood, he knew how sensuality forms part of life and personality and plays out in them.

    Even if you don’t know who it is actually about. If you do, your sense of the power of his insight will only increase.

    No, Cakes and Ale is not in any way depressing. You leave it saying to yourself, yes, that is really how it is.

  25. Re Somerset Maugham – but goodness, his works make good movies! Favorite is Rain with Joan Crawford.

  26. People are being too hard on Mr. P. If he wants to write steamy “bodice ripper” pulp, it’s his business. Erich Segal managed to be a professor of literature in the Ivy League besides writing cinema pulp like Love Story. (He also wrote the screenplay for Yellow Submarine.)

    Who knows, perhaps Mr. P. will make a lasting contribution to pop culture with one of his literary efforts. I’d be happy to see him spending MORE of his time on them.

  27. michel,

    Lucia stated “…Then he realizes that you can get used to life being depressing, then it’s less horrible because you no longer have to live with the disappointment of thinking life could be better.”

    You said “No, Cakes and Ale is not in any way depressing. You leave it saying to yourself, yes, that is really how it is.”

    Sounds like the same thing to me!!

  28. Lucia:

    At his best, Maugham is depressing. Don’t all the stories go: Initially, the protagonist has a really, truly depressing life. Then he realizes that you can get used to life being depressing, then it’s less horrible because you no longer have to live with the disappointment of thinking life could be better.

    Don’t read Maugham’s novels, read his short stories, they’re his real treasure. In fact, a good example was just mentioned “Rain” starring Joan Crawford in the fab movie version.

    Also try “The Ant and the Grasshopper”, which I think would sink your thesis.

    – J

Comments are closed.