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A review by readingwithathena
The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay
4.0
I reread a handful of books repeatedly because I glean something new from the text each time. I anticipated The Far Field being one of those books, simply because I'd consider myself more politically conscious than I was in 2019 (during my first read) or even 2022 (during my second).
Though I've tried to pick apart the text to find a greater, deeper meaning, I come up empty. Not because there is no meaning, but because I'm overthinking it.
The Far Field is a book about power, privilege, and trauma. What do you do with it? Can you ever be free of it? If you can't understand the trauma of occupation despite witnessing it firsthand are you ever capable of understanding? Our narrator, Shalini, is a self-described coward whose journey is well-intentioned, but ultimately destructive to everyone she'd come to love.
I originally rated this 5 stars, but have dropped it down to 4. Maybe if I read it again in a year or two, I'll raise it up again.
Though I've tried to pick apart the text to find a greater, deeper meaning, I come up empty. Not because there is no meaning, but because I'm overthinking it.
The Far Field is a book about power, privilege, and trauma. What do you do with it? Can you ever be free of it? If you can't understand the trauma of occupation despite witnessing it firsthand are you ever capable of understanding? Our narrator, Shalini, is a self-described coward whose journey is well-intentioned, but ultimately destructive to everyone she'd come to love.
I originally rated this 5 stars, but have dropped it down to 4. Maybe if I read it again in a year or two, I'll raise it up again.