Book Review: Imagine No Vowels

Roy Phoenix바카라�s Alphabetica is a celebration of imagination바카라�the magic fuel that ignites creativity. He has dextrously conjured a planet called 바카라�Typewriter바카라�, where Letters, Punctuations, Signs and Numerals cohabit in a spirit of 바카라�unity in diversity바카라�. The alphabet as a metaphor to narrate his satire on majoritarianism is a stroke of genius. The parallels unfold when the jealous Y criticises the appeasement policy 바카라�favouring바카라� the Vowel Minority, denying the Consonants the article 바카라�an바카라�. Y further provokes the majority Consonant devotees by reminding them that they gave birth to Alphabetica as the 3,500-year-old Phoenician Consonants. Whereas the Vowels are Greek intruders who later tricked their way to corner an unfair 38 per cent word share of the dictionary. This becomes Y바카라�s 바카라�why바카라� for the 바카라�Rise of the Consonants바카라� campaign. 

While building Y바카라�s vicious yet charismatic character, Alphabetica takes us on a journey that explores the playbook of the tyrant 바카라�Great Dictator바카라�, who ruthlessly eliminated the minority바카라�the human Vowels. Y uses his weapons of fear and plays the victim card to convince Consonants that Vowels will soon bring about their extinction. When Y becomes the Supreme Leader of the Consonant majority, the 바카라�Brown Shirts바카라� force the oppressed Vowels to seek exile in Numerica바카라�the neighbouring land of Numbers. This then silences Planet Typewriter with the death of words.  

This cerebral work of fiction draws from the little known etymological facts about the English alphabet, which owes its origins to the Greek and Latin scripts and ancient Phoenician abjads. At one level, Alphabetica is a clever satire that uses humour, wit, irony and sarcasm to draw parallels of patriotism that has been hijacked by jingoism. All the characters are caricatures of Earthlings. There바카라�s E, the hated standup comedian with the maximum word share. The dumb sycophant X, Y바카라�s muscular vigilante. S is the spy who carries the calling card of an investigative journalist. Scholar C is too scared to speak up against tyrant Y. There바카라�s more to laugh about바카라�the silly squabbles, mushy romances and quirky gigs at their favourite 바카라�Italics바카라�, the pub where they 바카라�ink바카라� their blues away. 

Planet Typewriter has its benefactor too. Interestingly, the Letters call him the 바카라�poet바카라�, but for the Numbers, he is the 바카라�writer바카라�. One planet, two Gods. His wife is the accidental teacher of Letters who eavesdrops from under the keyboard. A classic case of flawed education that doesn바카라�t allow for interactivity. Perhaps the poet of Alphabetica influences Roy to produce such delectable figures of speech, lipograms, pangrams, logograms, digraphs and ligatures. Then there are the incredible secrets about the 12 lost letters, Y바카라�s Achilles' heel, and the 27th letter of the English alphabet. All this makesAlphabetica a treat for lovers of English literature.  

On another level, Alphabetica is a utopian fantasy. The chapters 바카라�Epiphany바카라� and 바카라�Oneness바카라� read like parables. Here we discover the 바카라�Mahatma바카라� of Planet Typewriter바카라�the humble Ampersand. As the logogram of 바카라�&바카라�, this conjunction never divides but only joins. 바카라�Oneness바카라� ably establishes the challenges of a coalition Opposition that takes on the unified force of the Consonant majority. Comprising disparate groups of Vowels, Numbers, Punctuations & Signs, the coalition is fraught with problems of one-upmanship. Ampersand persuades them to make the cause the leader, rather than a single representative of a coterie. That reminds us of the Pancha Pandavas, united for Dharma by one Krishna. 

Satire is a complex subject that can be lost on people who can바카라�t draw parallels. Even George Orwell's Animal Farm suffered initial rejections.Alphabetica demands serious reading but rewards generously. Alphabetica is a collector's item waiting to be discovered with the richness of its text and powerful illustrations. Primarily because it empathetically demonstrates that the tyranny of the majority is a problem that we see at every level of our society. Especially for the differently-abled who are defined and disfranchised by the mainstream majority. Roy illustrates this by presenting Q as the less privileged who needs U to be heard.  

Roy has the unique gift of telling the truth without malice. His humour is subversive and has been employed to remind us of our tryst with humanity. Perhaps that compels Alphabetica to end with a positive message of hope and doesn't stop at a dystopian 바카라�Imagine No Vowels바카라�. Instead, it forces us to 바카라�Imagine all the people sharing all the world바카라�. What a charming way to reinforce our belief in the ancient ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.