Monday, August 07, 2017

Stranded!




I just finished reading Vaseem Khan's The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star, and-- seriously-- being stranded with retired police inspector Ashwin Chopra and his one-year-old elephant, Ganesha, could go either way. 

As far as being compatible, I think all three of us would get along just fine. Chopra and I tend to like the same things, and since we come from such different cultures, we could learn a lot from each other. I know I'd certainly want to learn more about Mumbai, India. I love animals, too, and would relish being able to get to know such a young elephant, especially one as talented as Ganesha.

No, the only troubles I can see are twofold. One, Chopra has a bad heart, and I'm no kind of doctor or nurse. If Chopra were to "pop his clogs" (as they say in the UK), not only do I not want to bury someone, I don't know how the elephant would react, since they are very attached to one another. Would Ganesha pine away? Yikes. I might be forced to dig some big holes....

The second possible spot of bother I can foresee is all about food and water. Ganesha seems to be addicted to chocolate. If there's none on the island, how's he going to react? As far as that goes, this island we're stuck on had better be well-provisioned. Elephants tend to eat a lot, regardless of the existence of chocolate, and there needs to be enough for all three of us.

Oh oh. I just had another thought. Chopra better not be expecting me to cook!


How would this work out for you? Which book did you just finish reading, and who is the main character? Is he/she the type of person you'd want to be stranded on an island with? Do tell-- inquiring minds are dying to know!
 

 

16 comments:

  1. I'm not sure how well that would work out for me, Cathy. I just finished re-reading Cara Black's Murder in the Marais, 'starring' Parisian PI Aimée Leduc. Don't get me wrong; she has courage, she's smart, and she's resourceful. But she's a real city person. Hmmm.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean. I don't think I'd relish being stranded with her, especially if she started talking about mixing up my wardrobe. ;-)

      Delete
  2. I would be on the island with Maggie Hope as I just finished Mr. Churchill's secretary. The time period of the book was 1940 and Maggie was a young woman who just finished at Wellesley and ready to start on her PHD at MIT.

    She went to London to sell her grandmother's house. So I would hope when we are this island she would be the age she is in the book and not a rolled forward 2017 age. She would be close to 100 and would probably need special care. I am thinking too deeply about this.

    Anyway, I think she would be a fascinating island companion with her tales about Winston Churchill and the experiences of living in London during WWII. I believe she and I would be compatible. She lives with a group of young women in her grandmother's home and seems easy to get along with. She is very resourceful and an excellent problem solver so I think if you had to be stranded, she would be a good character to be with.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should have mentioned that the book was written by Susan Elia MacNeal.

      Delete
    2. If all goes well, I'll be seeing MacNeal at The Poisoned Pen Saturday. I'm looking forward to it.

      I think you're right about Maggie. She'd be a good'un to be stranded with!

      Delete
    3. Hope you enjoy the author event, that's one I'd love to see! And I agree, Maggie is very resourceful and would be a great companion in a situation like that!

      Delete
    4. I believe The Poisoned Pen will be recording the event. If it is, I'll include the link with my recap.

      Delete
  3. I finished Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Science fiction. When people turn 75 they can enlist in the Galactic military and fight aliens in defense of Earth colonies out in space. The main character is John Perry and he is quite interesting. Good book and I'm getting old enough to consider enlisting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So am I, and there are days when I would love to kick some alien butt! Might have to check this book out. Thanks!

      Delete
  4. I just finished A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas and to be honest, don't know if Charlotte Holmes would be the most chatty partner to be stranded with. In fact, I wonder if she would think I was worthy enough!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugh. Sounds like someone I'd stay on the other side of the island from!

      Delete
  5. Omigosh, what a question to ponder.

    I'd be stuck on the island with Manon Bradshaw, a police detective created by Susie Steiner.

    Now, if I'd been stuck with her after the first book, Missing, Presumed, I'd be annoyed. She was not taking care of herself at all and acting in self-defeating behavior.

    However, in Persons Unknown, she has gotten her act together more or less and is determined to have a child and to save her adopted son. And she does whatever she can in both goals.

    So, I think I'd be OK on that island with her. She would know how to get things done and how to try to get help. There wouldn't be healthy food because she eats poorly, the British equivalent of fast food. But because we'd be on an island, perhaps on a tropical island, I'd count on a lot of fruit and plants. She'd be looking for take-out dinners.

    She'd be a good conversationalist if she didn't complain too much, as she is interesting. Her children would have to be with her so that's another consideration. Would I need to help?

    It would be interesting and complicated, with much thought needed by both of us.

    Now, if I had to be stranded on an island with the previous protagonist, Aaron Falk, star of The Dry, I think that would work out. He's goal-oriented, resourceful and thoughtful. He'd find food, rig up what's needed, try to find help, and be good at conversation,without complaining. He'd just get the job done, and I could relax, enjoy the scenary, and not worry about a thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of the two, I think I'd prefer Aaron. That "no complaining" goes a long way with me!

      Delete
  6. Yes, true.

    I must add that while Aaron Falk is hooking up a hammock for me, I'd be going back to the shipwrecked boat to find my books so I could read on that island.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes! A good lesson: Always have books stashed somewhere.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!