Friday, March 06, 2009

A bookstore near you

Remember how I said the release of Shahid's Collected Poems was the best news I'd had all year? Well, thrilled as I am about that, there is one other publishing event that I'm even more excited about. That's the release of études, a collection of short fiction by my dear friend and occassional alter ego Aseem Kaul, now available - either in bookstores or online - to those of you in India. A book, needless to say, I strongly urge you to go buy (or at least find in your local book store and read the back cover of).

Not that études is a great book or anything. There are days when I'm not even sure it's a good book. But it's different and fun and bizzarely imaginative and there are so many different pieces in it that you're bound to like something. Plus if you're sitting around reading this blog you're not exactly spoiled for choice are you?

As a matter of fact, regular readers of this blog may find significant similarities between the writing on this blog and the work in études. It may even, at times, be hard to tell the two apart. This is not, however, reason to type 2,569 indignant blog posts and put them up on DesiPundit. The writing seems similar not because Mr. Kaul has been stealing my work (nor because I've been stealing his - how dare you even suggest such a thing!), but because the two of us think so much alike that sometimes it's as though we have a single extremely demented mind between us.

What this overlap in styles does mean is that if you enjoy reading this blog you're almost certain to enjoy études, and should go out and buy it without a moment's further hesitation. Not only will you get a nicely bound collection of classic Falstaff-like pieces that you can pass on to your grandchildren, you'll also get to read 16 brand new (Never seen before! Untouched by hand!) stories that cover such diverse topics as deviant omelet recipes, kinky sex, a retelling of the Orpheus myth as a Fernando Meirelles short and the horrifying secret behind Facebook. Plus that way you can enjoy the blog / website that goes with the book with a clear conscience. And if enough of you buy the book it will restore light and hope to my world so that I won't kill myself out of sheer depression and may even go back to writing posts that are more than two sentences long [1].

Those of you who live outside India are, I'm afraid, going to have to wait before you can get your hands on the book - I'm told the book will eventually be available on Amazon, but I can't say when / if that will happen. I did manage to get hold of a few copies myself, but shall be distributing those to people who:

a) will sign off on my dissertation
b) will do my taxes
c) are sleeping with me
d) have slept with me
e) would sleep with me if they didn't have this rare, little-known medical condition
f) are liable to beat me up if I don't give them copies (hi MR!)

in that order.

The rest of you can either be good dutiful children and buy the book the next time you're in India, or watch this space for further information on availability, while hopefully whetting your appetite for the book by reading about it on the site.

Happy Reading!

[1] and with footnotes

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

awesome ... perfect timing!!

And I was wondering where you were going with things till I got to point f :)

PS: you know you will get beaten up if you've said unkind things about me, right? or at the least, you'll be left to sleep in the street tomorrow night..

Falstaff said...

MR: Ya, well. Just for a moment there I had this fantasy about you doing my taxes. Then I realized it was never going to happen.

Space Bar said...

now which one to congratulate?

(and only two comments so far and one of them falsie's reply? i fully expected this to have at least 30-40 comments.)

is it already in bookstores or will one have to wait a couple of weeks?

Anonymous said...

hmm .. no straight guy has ever told me their fantasies involved me doing their taxes. QED re the gayness (not that there's anything wrong with it) .. wonder how to break it to your girlfriend ;)

Anonymous said...

The book is not available in chennai ( Odyssey and Landmark ) and they haven't the foggiest idea what I am talking about. So need more publicity yes ? While I don't suggest you get drunk and dance naked but how about ensuring the book is available in the stores first before we spread the message around ? :)

equivocal said...

Congratulations-- to Aseem, that is!

Anonymous said...

Hey Hey Hey!! Congratulations..to Aseem! And you too, of course! :)

Hope this is just the...second(?) in a long line of books yet to come.

~N.

Unmana said...

Yay! Congratulations! I have to go out and look for it.

Szerelem said...

be in India next month - so will go out and get it. And congratulations - to both of you?

Anonymous said...

In other words Aseem Kaul could be writing as Falstaff, right ? :)

congratulations. to both of you.

km said...

Way to go.

//I love the book's title.

Unknown said...

Oh cool. Sounds like I can get this second hand then. More than one option too. I am liking this.

??! said...

Falsie:
Good man that - Aseem, not you. You're evil, as everyone knows (but nice evil).

At least he's having better luck than poor Day Falstaff (or night Falstaff, for that matter) in getting things published.

Unknown said...

Do pass on my congatulations to this Aseem Kaul!

Anonymous said...

Great news about the book, am a Flipkart devotee, will pronto buy it.

Convey my hearty good wishes to Mr.Kaul please

;-)

Anonymous said...

Just read some that's available online. "The Past" is not bad at all.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

and no copies at all, falsie, for those who leave behind copious comments on your blog?

I could sleep with you, you know. Better than signing off on your dissertation I suppose. Then again, I'd much rather do your taxes than either of those.

n!

Anonymous said...

Oh and please congratulate young Aseem, too.

My favourite was always Revolutionary Etude. I never did achieve the Allegro Con fuoco. More like Adagio con efforto.

n!

Anonymous said...

Forget the book written this Aseem person you are sharing your demented mind with. You can get people to do your taxes! congrats.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to this Aseem guy.
I guess I’ll have to wait :( .
For taxes, it depends how complex they are and how much money you made –but if you’re broke and the earnings are uncomplicated there is voluntary assistance(VITA). I’m sure one of those good-hearted kids would appreciate the gift. Or he’ll sell it on Amazon (and I could buy it).

Annamari

Anonymous said...

many congratulations to your alter ego! I'm sorry my subcontinental bookbuying spree came a month too early; but szerelem will kindly smuggle me a copy, and I look forward to reading it very much.

Tabula Rasa said...

way to go!

Anonymous said...

Congrats man! I picked it up at the friendly neighborhood Landmark today, and it's terrific stuff. Superb writing, beautifully produced. You should be so proud! :)

I haven't visited your blog in ages, btw, and had no idea a book was coming. Did a doubletake when I saw the name on the shelf. A most pleasant surprise.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to ofcourse the alter ego- finally the book is out. So how do i get my hands..just about any bookstore in India or only the chosen ones by your alterego...

Unknown said...

Congratulations, look forward to getting my hands on it..

when is your first session of signings?

Anonymous said...

This is so neat! Aseem has given me suggestions on my writing when I first started writing (he's my dad's colleague's son) and I was looking up his new book online, and came across your post on it! Not that I haven't read your blog before. I have, but that you and Aseem are friends is cool :) Say hi to him for me then!

Anonymous said...

Um...Aseem...is this you?

Oh god!

Anonymous said...

congrats Aseem!! awesome news.

Raj Lalwani said...

I didn't realise that's your name!

Picked up the book today evening. Something in the few vignettes I read caught my attention. Have enjoyed your blog posts and comments elsewhere on the blogosphere. Will get back to you after reading the book some more...

portmanteau said...

"c) are sleeping with me
d) have slept with me"

Does that mean numerous copies, or only very few?
Curious minds wish to know :)

Congratulations.

Unmana said...

I looked for it at the nearest Crossword but they didn't have it :-(

It's a wonderful life! said...

Great book! Sigh ,if only you were gay..I would so marry you.

It's a wonderful life! said...

Great book! Sigh ,if only you were gay..I would so marry you.

Anonymous said...

considering the possibility that the book is unlikely to be a trashy best-seller, may i request the readers of this blog to try landmark instead of crossword and odyssey. that is where i picked up my copy.

chandni said...

awesome news falstaff!

I am going to copy today...just u wait and see :)

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

first of all, congratulations!
second, i will, as recommended in astute comments above, try Landmark for a copy soon-ish.
third, wait, i had a third point, i forgot what it was. Oh heck.

dipali said...

Picked it up yesterday and loving it! Congratulations to both of you, Falstaff and Aseem:)

Shilpa Colluru said...

I finally managed to get my hands on the book!
It's brilliant! You're brilliant!
Congratulations :)

SS said...

Bought the book today, found it in Crossword, Hiranandani, Mumbai. Read a few stories already. I really like them!

chandni said...

I am loving it. The book I mean. I love the back cover!

the mad momma said...

:) congratulations. I was expecting something of this sort soon! shall dash out and pick up a copy since I cannot do my own taxes to begin with, am not eligible to sign off on your dissertation or planning to sleep with you.