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A review by nerdese
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree
3.0
3.5/5
This is an absolutely remarkable achievement of a novel and a feat of translation, but I confess I may not have been in the right mindset or headspace to truly take it all in, or not totally equipped to handle how complex it was.
The prose is poetic and free flowing, and the novel shirks many narrative conventions, all of which are incredibly impactful and moving. But over the course of 600+ pages, it can be difficult to digest. I did feel that I may be missing context, in the novel and historically, to really understand the trauma of Partition and how it manifested for Ma. That said, this novel does make me want to seek out more literature of this era and subject, to dig into its long ranging impacts, and perhaps see this book in a new light. Who knows, my opinion and thoughts may change over time as I sit with this book.
I think this is more a case of me not being in the right place to absorb and appreciate a novel, than any fault of the novel itself. It is certainly worth the time and effort to read especially if you are willing to cast off expectations of what a novel can be and let yourself be truly immersed in the wonders of the language and the journey.
This is an absolutely remarkable achievement of a novel and a feat of translation, but I confess I may not have been in the right mindset or headspace to truly take it all in, or not totally equipped to handle how complex it was.
The prose is poetic and free flowing, and the novel shirks many narrative conventions, all of which are incredibly impactful and moving. But over the course of 600+ pages, it can be difficult to digest. I did feel that I may be missing context, in the novel and historically, to really understand the trauma of Partition and how it manifested for Ma. That said, this novel does make me want to seek out more literature of this era and subject, to dig into its long ranging impacts, and perhaps see this book in a new light. Who knows, my opinion and thoughts may change over time as I sit with this book.
I think this is more a case of me not being in the right place to absorb and appreciate a novel, than any fault of the novel itself. It is certainly worth the time and effort to read especially if you are willing to cast off expectations of what a novel can be and let yourself be truly immersed in the wonders of the language and the journey.