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A review by meowlvika
Kanthapura by Raja Rao
3.0
2.5ish/5
I don't know what to feel about this book actually.
Did I enjoy it? In bits and pieces, yes.
Was it the plot? Nope.
The language? Nope.
The characters? Nope.
But I still enjoyed it. Is it because its Raja Rao, a big name in Indian English literature? Perhaps it's because I have a 1966 copy stolen from a grandaunt, belonging to a lady who is apparently not my grandaunt.
But yes. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly I enjoyed about the book.
The language did not really bother me (as it did to other readers). It's probably because I have developed an immunity to ponderous language after pondering over books on indian eng lit in school. (And developed the talent of boring people too, apparently). Or maybe because I have grown up around that kind of language being spoken everyday, from 7 to 9.
The language is very much an oral folktelling on paper. It reminds me of the way grandmothers make you sit with chai and biscuits, and start recounting tales. My own grandmother would call random people randomly to tell them about the son of the daughter of an aunt of my father's cousin, who would be spoken of today and forgotten tomorrow. It is this exact thing you notice with the protagonist in the story. And you can tell from the outset that she is old and possibly a widow. Quite an overused stereotype.
As for the plot, it is typical of stories written during the freedom struggle. I enjoyed the way Rao painted the movement taking place on the village level, because minus the basic history, individual accounts are hadd to come by. So yes. A story written by a man who lived during the freedom movement gives you a glimpse of the society, the people, their retaliations, and more importantly, how they might have been persuaded to join the struggle.
Characters. Not satisfactory. I feel like, I barely know anyone except Moorthappa. However, when I link the randomness with which the names are dropped with the narrative style (+the stereotype of the old grandmas), they make complete sense.
Yes. Yes. Moorthappa. Of course. I know Moorthappa. And Ramappa, yes yes. I know her. And yes yes. I've heard about (rather read about) the spitting woman (whatever her name was).
The characters are exactly like what I suggested 2 paragraphs before. They are spoken of today, forgotten tomorrow. You read one page, you forget them in the next. You only remember them if they are spoken of incessantly. There's also this quaint rural Indianess I find in Rao's characters (especially in the way they interact with each other)
Moorthappa's character, while not the best, is very characteristic of a city-educated Indian during freedom struggle. His shift from Gandhism to Nehruvism is I believe symbolic of Gandhi yielding the charge to Nehru (as he himself said, I think after Civil Disobedience? Not sure. You might want to check that.) The popularity of Nehru, his take on socialism, and the ease with which he inspired youths also add to the reason for Moorthy's shift, and as such, despite its abruptness, doesn't come as a surprise. His behaviour, at various stages, are also very much in tune with the way congressmen behaved in the early days of freedom struggle.
Anyway, its an okayish book. You don't lose anything if you don't read it. However, if you do read it, I'd suggest jotting down the names of the characters while you read. It'd help you form connections easily. They can be quite confusing. Especially if you leave the book midway (like I did.)
I don't know what to feel about this book actually.
Did I enjoy it? In bits and pieces, yes.
Was it the plot? Nope.
The language? Nope.
The characters? Nope.
But I still enjoyed it. Is it because its Raja Rao, a big name in Indian English literature? Perhaps it's because I have a 1966 copy stolen from a grandaunt, belonging to a lady who is apparently not my grandaunt.
But yes. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly I enjoyed about the book.
The language did not really bother me (as it did to other readers). It's probably because I have developed an immunity to ponderous language after pondering over books on indian eng lit in school. (And developed the talent of boring people too, apparently). Or maybe because I have grown up around that kind of language being spoken everyday, from 7 to 9.
The language is very much an oral folktelling on paper. It reminds me of the way grandmothers make you sit with chai and biscuits, and start recounting tales. My own grandmother would call random people randomly to tell them about the son of the daughter of an aunt of my father's cousin, who would be spoken of today and forgotten tomorrow. It is this exact thing you notice with the protagonist in the story. And you can tell from the outset that she is old and possibly a widow. Quite an overused stereotype.
As for the plot, it is typical of stories written during the freedom struggle. I enjoyed the way Rao painted the movement taking place on the village level, because minus the basic history, individual accounts are hadd to come by. So yes. A story written by a man who lived during the freedom movement gives you a glimpse of the society, the people, their retaliations, and more importantly, how they might have been persuaded to join the struggle.
Characters. Not satisfactory. I feel like, I barely know anyone except Moorthappa. However, when I link the randomness with which the names are dropped with the narrative style (+the stereotype of the old grandmas), they make complete sense.
Yes. Yes. Moorthappa. Of course. I know Moorthappa. And Ramappa, yes yes. I know her. And yes yes. I've heard about (rather read about) the spitting woman (whatever her name was).
The characters are exactly like what I suggested 2 paragraphs before. They are spoken of today, forgotten tomorrow. You read one page, you forget them in the next. You only remember them if they are spoken of incessantly. There's also this quaint rural Indianess I find in Rao's characters (especially in the way they interact with each other)
Moorthappa's character, while not the best, is very characteristic of a city-educated Indian during freedom struggle. His shift from Gandhism to Nehruvism is I believe symbolic of Gandhi yielding the charge to Nehru (as he himself said, I think after Civil Disobedience? Not sure. You might want to check that.) The popularity of Nehru, his take on socialism, and the ease with which he inspired youths also add to the reason for Moorthy's shift, and as such, despite its abruptness, doesn't come as a surprise. His behaviour, at various stages, are also very much in tune with the way congressmen behaved in the early days of freedom struggle.
Anyway, its an okayish book. You don't lose anything if you don't read it. However, if you do read it, I'd suggest jotting down the names of the characters while you read. It'd help you form connections easily. They can be quite confusing. Especially if you leave the book midway (like I did.)