B. NAIR 
Shakespeare on a Train 
And Other Real-Life Stories

These episodes from the roller-coaster life of one man take us to the Alps where he loses his son; the Parisian hotel where he survives malaria; and the wild, high seas where he hangs on to a rope ladder praying for his life. In these true stories, he survives a bloody coup in Africa and travels in an airplane standing in the aisle. He blocks a presidential motorcade but is still alive and free. He uses a Shakespearian quote to escape from a tormentor on a crowded train in rural India. We see him offloaded from a flight in Freetown. We also see him mercifully accommodated in another flight when he reports at the wrong airport in London. His first encounters with steak in Paris and cheese in Africa make us laugh. As do his encounter with peanut selling girls and the mistaken ‘overnighter’ suitcase. The pre-schooling model of the author’s childhood memories must make us realise how lucky we are today. The chunk of chicken at the Abidjan airport and the method used by the author to obtain a driving licence add a touch of hilarity. And indeed, the young man going to the university with a perforated shirt demands our sympathy. While the rogue elephant in Ngorongoro gives us a fright, the domesticated Indian elephant will make our eyes moist.