Satirizing the society

India that is Bharat by Som Ranchan

Vrinda Publications. Pages: 104. Price: Rs. 200/-

Satire is a powerful literary weapon, comprising invective, wit, humour, sarcasm and irony, which are deployed to stem the rot in a society and trigger off transformation therein. Originally satire was written in verse ridiculing and scorning folly and vice. Its tradition goes back to the ancient Romans when Gaius Lucilius wrote thirty books of satires in verse. Then there was Horace who used gentler language and subtler technique. Of course, modern English literature is rich with works of the likes of Ben Johnson, Butler, Dryden, Mark TwainMark Twain, Jonathan Swift, GB Shaw, Alexander Pope and many others.

In this collection Ranchan uses vivid imagery and acerbic wit to hit the high and mighty in order to wake them up to their responsibilities. But this collection is not just a political satire; it casts a sardonic eye on the societal warts too, involving women, bureaucrats and much else. Certainly, worthy of your personal library.

The Tribune
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090816/spectrum/book8.htm