A review by clara_mai
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

 Its hard to find words that describe Tomb of Sand, but I will try to sum up a few thoughts. First of all, it is astounding how few of the 735 pages that make up this story contain actual plot/action and still Geetanjali Shree manages to keep it interesting. Never was there a point where I found myself bored, even when she described the most mundane circumstances. One reason for this is the perspective from which said circumstances (situations, relationships, feelings, sceneries...) are examined, because it tends to be quite extraordinary. For instance, there are whole chapters spent on birds dreaming of saris or the history of a door, which then maps the dynamics of a whole family. Another factor, probably the most prominent is the language. It is playful in a way that I have never read before (all my respect to the translator, Daisy Rockwell, who in the translator's note writes about her efforts to convey the way Shree plays with the Hindi language) and has so much character that it takes on a life of its own. Especially toward the end, though, there is much more suspense also created on a plot level, which is executed excellently. Tomb of Sand touches on a variety of themes such as feminism, class, gender, history, folklore, global warming and religion and all of them are woven together in the context of the lives of a family in India, particularly an older woman and her daughter. As this novel "pays hommage to the rich tradition of subcontinental literature inspired by the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan" (Daisy Rockwell, translator) it also made me aware of historical events I previously knew very little about. I think the fact that this book made me think about birds, their way of understanding language and the world and their friendships, both among each other and to humans, on its own shows the impression that Tomb of Sand has the potential to leave. 
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