BY ANNE CROWLEY
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAID
“A spellbinding story of two young people whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years – an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity.
“Sonia, an aspiring novelist who recently completed her studies in the snowy mountains of Vermont, has returned to her family in India, fearing she is haunted by a dark spell cast by an artist to whom she had once turned for intimacy and inspiration.
“Sunny, a struggling journalist resettled in New York City, is attempting to flee his imperious mother and the violence of his warring clan. Uncertain of their future, Sonia and Sunny embark on a search for happiness together as they confront the many alienations of our modern world.
“A love story, a family saga, and a rich novel of ideas.” Penguin Books Australia.
MY THOUGHTS
Kiran Desai’s novel is a long, expansive saga – ambitious in scale, with journeys across continents and generations. The attentive detail lavished on its myriad of characters, even animals, makes even the most mundane events, like a Delhi family selecting their evening meal, come alive. The book’s winding roads and side stories mean it’s not a quick read, but it’s deeply immersive if you’re willing to invest the time.
The story explores a wide range of themes – cultural contrasts between India’s family and community and America’s individualism, racism and social hierarchies, and magic realism that blurs the lines between superstition and the surreal. Food is a recurring motif; Sonia even writes about the history of the kebab. The lives of servants and their interdependence with employers are explored, as is corruption. The two most striking themes are loneliness and coercive control.
Loneliness is portrayed in nuanced ways. Sonia’s family in India can’t imagine loneliness, confusing being alone with feeling lonely, and many are lonely despite constant company. Sonia is acutely aware of loneliness in America, admitting, ‘I spend all my time trying to pretend I’m not lonely. If you are lonely, you feel ashamed, and the only relief to your shame is being alone, which is what makes you lonely in the first place’. For both Sunny and Sonia, loneliness arises first from exile and displacement – from homeland, family and culture – and then persists as they become estranged from their sense of self.
Coercive control and abuse also figure prominently: Ilan’s manipulation of Sonia, Sonia’s father’s dominance over her mother, Sunny’s mother’s grip on him. Each character’s long struggle to break free is depicted with empathy. Sonia’s mother’s triumph – choosing her own happiness and casting off guilt – stands out, offering Sonia a role model.
Though too long, the novel is beautifully written, often ironic and humorous. Circular arguments are amusing: ‘A man can only change a system when he is in a position of power, and to get to a position of power he must perpetuate exactly what he wishes to transform.’ Contrasts of weight and light recur – Sonia is ‘too weighted by sadness, too light from emptiness,’ and Sunny swims ‘to exchange the heaviness of his guilt for an unbearable lightness of being’.
I enjoyed the book, though some plot detours felt unnecessary. Yet, their inclusion meant there was something for everyone in my book club. If you’re willing to take your time, Desai’s novel offers a wealth of insight and experience.
