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A review by serendipitysbooks
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Tomb of Sand begins with 80 year old Ma, depressed and in bed following the death of her husband. One day she disappears and when found insists on moving in with her daughter. The last past of the novel involves Ma and her daughter travelling to Pakistan; and it is here the pace picks up and the tension increases. But in many ways the plot is not the point of this novel.
It was such a unique reading experience, thoroughly absorbing, even though the main character doesn’t get out of bed for more than one hundred pages. The playful, poetic wordplay made the book a delight to read, but you definitely have to be in the mood for a slow, meandering read where not a lot happens for two-thirds of the book. You also have to be up for a challenging read where you have to pay attention - the narrative perspective shifts frequently - and isn’t confined to human or even animal characters. There’s also a range of styles and techniques to keep things interesting - anthropomorphism, magical realism, stream-of consciousness, and what I’ve learnt are some particularly Hindi storytelling techniques.
One of the many themes explored in this novel is borders and how artificial and confining they are, almost as if they are crying out to be broken. And there are so many borders that are challenged in this book. Ma makes a spirited challenge to the concept of geo-political boundaries and also to many boundaries dictated by social convention and familial expectations. Rosie’s existence is a challenge to the gender-binary boundary. Beti also lived her life in a way contrary to traditional gendered expectations. The division between living and not-living, between life and death is also challenged. It love be the parallels since this book and its translation have also extended and broken through boundaries, in ways that have provided the reader with such a unique and special reading experience.
It was such a unique reading experience, thoroughly absorbing, even though the main character doesn’t get out of bed for more than one hundred pages. The playful, poetic wordplay made the book a delight to read, but you definitely have to be in the mood for a slow, meandering read where not a lot happens for two-thirds of the book. You also have to be up for a challenging read where you have to pay attention - the narrative perspective shifts frequently - and isn’t confined to human or even animal characters. There’s also a range of styles and techniques to keep things interesting - anthropomorphism, magical realism, stream-of consciousness, and what I’ve learnt are some particularly Hindi storytelling techniques.
One of the many themes explored in this novel is borders and how artificial and confining they are, almost as if they are crying out to be broken. And there are so many borders that are challenged in this book. Ma makes a spirited challenge to the concept of geo-political boundaries and also to many boundaries dictated by social convention and familial expectations. Rosie’s existence is a challenge to the gender-binary boundary. Beti also lived her life in a way contrary to traditional gendered expectations. The division between living and not-living, between life and death is also challenged. It love be the parallels since this book and its translation have also extended and broken through boundaries, in ways that have provided the reader with such a unique and special reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Transphobia
Moderate: Death