From Publishers Weekly
Small slices of life in Bombay and Calcutta, intensely observed and exquisitely described, characterize the stories in Chaudhuri's first collection, after the highly praised novels Freedom Song and A New World. These vignettes, rendered in minute, sensuous detail, rarely relate a dramatic event; rather, they illuminate a moment in time. It's a measure of this talented writer's skill that on the small scale of 16 stories he is able to conjure, with sunstruck clarity, the different qualities of these cities and their inhabitants. Most of the tales are set between the 1970s and the present day (with the exception of two based on the Ramayana), and the characters are generally upper-middle-class. Some are minor administrators, others are employees of British industries; most appear content to adopt British language and customs. The incongruity of grafting Western standards on an ancient culture is central to many of these tales, and in the title story and elsewhere, Chaudhuri subtly mourns the fading of tradition. In other stories, and in two autobiographical selections, the protagonist is a would-be writer, and it's clear that many of Chaudhuri's themes come from his pampered upbringing in Bombay. In the affecting "The Old Masters," the narrator realizes that the financial and social success his ambitious father had achieved for the sake of his family will be "leveled out" by a son who vows to make a living through literature. "The romance of literature," the quality of being "enveloped in [the] contentment of reading," is summoned with both concrete detail and mystical yearning. One wishes, however, that some of the Indian terms and other references had been explained. For instance, David Davidar is mentioned but not identified, and it's unlikely that the average reader will know that he is India's most famous publisher.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
From Library Journal
The clash of cultures and lifestyles in modern India is palpable in this first book of stories by Calcutta novelist Chaudhuri (Freedom Song: Three Novels). In "The Man from Khurda District," Bishu, a cleaner, and his wife, Uma, are totally dependent upon the good will of their employer for all of life's necessities. Then they are fired and are forced to leave the housing provided for them: "Now that phase of their lives, which, after all, was so relatively brief that they had hardly become used to it, was ending, and another was about to begin." In stark contrast is the life we are shown in "White Lies," in which a successful CEO and his wife can have whatever they desire, including a guru. The everyday lives and diversities revealed here are beautifully described, but the use of many native words, unexplained and not evident by context, detract from the stories' effectiveness. The selections have no plot, their sole purpose evidently being to portray the many facets of Indian culture. These short, teasing vignettes left this reader wanting more. Patricia Gulian, South Portland, ME
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
