Short takes
By
Randeep
Wadehra
The
prisoner of paradise
by Romesh Gunesekera
Bloomsbury.
Pages: 389. Price: Rs. 550/-
What is it about a nation’s
colonial past that draws writers to it frequently? One can understand Europeans
indulging in nostalgia, but the locals, or “natives”? Although one comes across
heaps of literary verbiage on the Raj days in India this novel, by a writer of
Sri Lankan origin, is set in Mauritius circa 1825. Gunesekera conveys the
island’s natural beauty through the reactions of Lucy Gladwell – a teenager who
has just arrived from England. Its rich and colourful flora, the bright
sunshine etc are in direct contrast to London suburbia’s gray bleakness. Lucy
Gladwell is orphaned and her aunt, Betty Huyton, takes her away to Mauritius
where her uncle, George Huyton, is a Superintendant. The palatial house,
luxurious furnishings, material comforts and being top-of-the-heap in the local
society is something that Lucy takes time getting used to. Europeans,
comprising French, Dutch and British settlers, rule the roost while African
slaves, Indian convicts and locals form the bottom of the heap.
There is the usual display of
white supremacist and racial prejudices against the island’s coloured people, which
is balanced with the exiled Sri Lankan Prince’s contempt for Africans. Injustice
and exploitation cause great resentment against the Europeans. Things come to a
boil when the indentured labourers from India are not allowed to have a temple
of their own as the “Hindoo heathen” have no such rights even if they are free
men. Although characters like Narayene and Kishore feature in the novel it is
basically an elitist narrative. The bittersweet affair between Lucy and the
coloured interpreter, Don Lambodar, provides romantic love element. However,
the narrative neither intrigues the reader nor holds his attention for long.
Predictable stuff.
Let me
tell you about Quinta
by Savia Viegas
Penguin.
Pages: 254. Price: Rs. 299/-
This book too harks back to the
colonial era although the narrative continues into the post-liberation India.
Set in the sylvan Goa, the quasi autobiographical novel is basically the tale
of a Goan landlord family – known as bhatkars – of Portuguese descent
who own estates and other properties in Carmona. It swings back and forth in
time, and is narrated through the perspectives of several characters – the easy
going Tito, who could be roused into action when provoked, as happened when his
grand daughter-in-law California tried to pull a fast one on him with the help
of a co-conspirator named Tim. Both Tim and California are of Russian descent
and are lovers.
This is a story of not just the
Viegas family’s inexorable disintegration but also the changing socio-economic
profile of the Goan society. The “callow” and “swarthy” locals, who used to
depend upon the bhatkars for sustenance, become economically
better-off thanks to employment abroad and on various merchant navy ships. The old
order’s going to seed also tells on the family’s discipline, leading to its
gradual decline. And then there are some revelations of dark secrets.
The last
letter by Aditya
Neogi
Benten Books.
Pages: 111. Price: Rs. 95/-
Sagar is a Punjabi businessman –
well connected and immensely prosperous. He is married to Shalini – a rich,
intellectually negligible, Punjabi beauty – and has a “beautiful” son Tipu.
Sagar should be a happy man. But, he is dissatisfied with his marital life for
lack of cerebral and emotional compatibility. On a trip to Kolkata he meets
Madulika – a young Bengali beauty who is also an accomplished singer and a
hosteller. Sagar falls madly in love with her for her intellectual ability. His
passionate epistles receive cold response initially but soon she gives in and
becomes his Shagorika. Sagar helps her become a film star. Just when they begin
to contemplate marriage things take a turn for tragic denouement. This
epistolary novella should attract young, lovelorn readers.
Published in The Tribune dated March 11, 2012
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