- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (Jun 28 1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0679752471
- ISBN-13: 978-0679752479
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 1.6 x 20.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 431 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #9,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This deft and delightful novel depicts the life and culture on the banks the Indian river Narmada.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
A sequence of delicate, tragic stories by the author of Raj (S. & S., 1989) evokes the profound presence of tradition and desire along the banks of the holy river Narmada. A retired bureaucrat, initially ignorant of the river's bright and dark powers, hears these stories as he encounters their protagonists: a privileged young executive bewitched by a mysterious lover; a neophyte Jain monk moving from opulence to poverty; and an intense ascetic who resurfaces in a surprising reincarnation. For all the horror and passion of the tales, the bureaucrat remains little moved until book's end. Readers too may be more intrigued and edified than moved. As in folktale, the stories' dynamics dominate their characters, who serve primarily to illustrate cultural and religious forces. For public libraries, particularly where an interest in things Indian is strong.
- Janet Ingraham, Wor thington P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
- Janet Ingraham, Wor thington P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Winding down the thread,
By A Customer
This review is from: A River Sutra (Paperback)
This book was profound, but easy enough to read in a La-z-boy if thats your style. It's a series of short stories all joined by a common thread, the narmada river. Filled with hindu ascetics and Indian playboys, A River Sutra should be the first book you read about India-its kind of like a primer to India's often ignored jungles. This book flows, and its not sketchy like some other writers who write about India.
4.0 out of 5 stars
To become human...,
By "kneetwo" (Miami, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A River Sutra (Paperback)
The body of water referred to in the title, A River Sutra, is the Narmada River which is India's holiest river believed to possess mystical healing and cleansing powers. The promise of the river attracts a variety of characters with different motivations. The stories are otherwise completely detached from each other in person and circumstance except for their common relation to the narrator; more so to the narrator's supposed renunciation of the world.Many may argue that the mutuality of the stories would lie in the River Narmada; although the river does flow throughout the novel and it is an obviously strong force in each traveler's tale, it does not function as aptly a unifier as the narrator. The river is omnipresent in the background and it is the shared destination amongst the trekkers; yet it does not combine the stories in any other way. The narrator, however, receives a final enlightenment at the completion of the anthology which ties the novel together. Initially, he boasts that he has rejected the world in his decision to relocate to the jungle and he equates his distance from modern civilization to complete denial of the "real" world. However after he has heard the many versions of renunciation from the visitors and Tariq Mia, only then does he realize the true meaning of the word and the action. The sutra, or the common thread, of the book is the narrator's rejection of the world; the purpose of the book is to portray the narrator's romanticized renunciation versus the harsh reality of true abandonment. Each narrative is embedded with an archetypal morally based theme pertaining to evolving stages of human existence and the penance that we must offer for our human faults. There are three objects of renunciation in the novel - material, love and life. The book is about external sources erupting into the life of the unmasked narrator and catapulting him onto a spiritual awakening upon the backs of these people's narratives. The title utilizes the word "sutra" which signifies a collection of aphorisms; the book characterizes these teachings in the bodies and renunciations of the river's visitors and the narrator, as the student to these narratives, represents the common thread.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Story,
By "maymozer" (United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A River Sutra (Paperback)
My teacher for AP Literature suggested that I read this book, and I'm thrilled that I did. The story takes place on the Narmada River, which is quite possibly believed to be the holiest place on Earth. The main character encounters various travelers who share their stories with him, and although every story is beautiful, unique, and often surprising, they are bound together through love, faith, and almost always music. Gita Mehta explores the different forms of love, the connecting force of faith, and highlights much of this with music. One of the questions I have to answerwhen responding to this book for class is what type of reader is needed to enjoy this book. This is the only book I've ever read where the only answer I can give is "a pulse." This book combines eloquent writing with fascinating stories, and there is nobody that I wouldn't encourage to read it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
