The Shuddering Stones, a romantic and social novel with Canadian and Indian contents by Jay Gajjar released

 

‘Shabdasetu’ - A literary group of Toronto-- had arranged a special launching and book signing proram of Jay Gajjar’s new English novel The Shuddering Stones at the Radhakrishna Temple in Scarborough. A large number of literary group attended the ceremony where Mr. Ratibhai Chandaria was also honoured for his great achievement of establishing Gujarati Website Dictionary on internet. Mr. Chandari performed the Launching Ceremony of Mr. Jay Gajjar’ s novel.

Mr. Prakash Modi, a man of  literature reviewd Mr. Gajjar’s novel and he remarked about Mr. Gajjar and his  book “In diaspora literature Jay Gajjar, a Gujarati novelist and story writer’s name is now well known and well established in North America.  Jay Gajjar is a prominent Indian writer who has so far  published seven novels and two short stories collections. His short stories, about 300 are published in several well-known periodicals and dailies and some of them broadcasted on All India Radio. His several novels and short stories publish regularly in Toronto and American weeklies, news papers and magazines. Mr. Gajjar was also invited for the first time as an Indian language writer  to read a chapter from his Gujarati  novel ‘Kachi Matinu Ghar’ in 2004 and again in 2005 to read a chapter from his newly published novel  ‘Timirna Tej’  by the Word on the Street Festival  in Toronto, Canada.

          ‘The Shuddering Stones  is the translation of his Gujarati novel ‘Paththar Thar Thar Dhruje. widely aclaimed by the critics and had won many readers hearts.  It was first  published in Gujarati in the weekly supplement of “Gujarat Samachar” (a Gujarati daily circulation of about three million copies in India in addition to circulations in USA, Canada and UK) and then published as a book by Rannade Prakashan, Ahmedabad, India.  A TV serial producer has also  filmed a TV serial of his novel ‘Paththar Thar Thar Dhruje.’

“The Shuddering Stones” is a romantic and social novel with Canadian and Indian contents, reflecting a society of two cultures- eastern and western. A very generous multimillion businessman Vike of Indian origin, living in Canada who thinks of humanity at the every step of his life. During his journey to India to start a new industry in Bombay, he meets a very charming, beautiful, intelligent and very smart air hostess named Meena. During general discussion in the flight of sixteen hours with her, he finds out the tragedy of her life. Without any expectations or mal intention in mind, he inspires to help her to get her mother who is in the mental hospital because of sexually abused by a coworker, back to normal life by spending lots of money. The young lady Meena mentally gets attached to him and dreams a new life but the multi millionaire businessman does not get physically attracted. He considers her a best friend and shows selfless divine love. Meena later meets a young man and with the advice of Vike, she plans to marry him. Vike’s daughter, when kidnapped in India Meena’s boyfriend helps to get her rescued from the kidnappers.

 The tragedy starts in Meena’s life when she can’t get a baby from her husband who was one time involved in drugs. The doctor advised couple to get a child by the new technique of insemination means injecting some unknown donor’s sperms. Hearing this alternative, he urges Meena to go to Vike for whom she has a soft corner, and beg for a child from him. Meena considers it a sin for a married woman to go to another man for a child. He tries to convince her by narrating a well known story. She and readers too get puzzled:: what to do and not to do.  The lines at the end of novel are touchy and inspiring.

 The novel ends then with a universal question: What is right and what is wrong? The end has a modern trend which may not be acceptable to the old or orthodox generation of India or any part of the world. The story ends leaving the final decision to the imagination of smart readers..One critic says, “You, the reader must decide.”

            One of the critics remarks about the title, “The title is excellent (it immediately arouses the reader’s curiosity), and you have a likeable protagonist.”

            What is wrong and what is deemed right by circumstance and human attachment? Is it best to follow a path of wisdom that leads upward in a lonely spiral or the unlit path of love that might lead to both enslavement and passion.”

            After such long appreciation he expressed his congratulatiions to Mr. Gajjar for such a fine book and his literary success.

            Then the book signing ceremony was performed and great number of people took advantage of having this book signed by Mr. Gajjar  for their personal library. Mr. Gajjar’s novels, short stories and articles are regularly appearing in several newspapers of Toronto and people enjoy his literary talents reading them.       

 

From a press release

Prakash Modi, for ‘Shabdasetu

 

“The Shuddering Stones” by Jay Gajjar, published by Jada Press, Kennessaw, Georgia, USA

Pages 315, Price US$17.95