Just finished reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowlands (Alfred Knopf, New York, 2013). Some preliminary thoughts: I would say my reaction is mixed; first of all, I have to congratulate Lahiri for moving away from the stereotypical “South Asian migrant” trying to ‘assimilate” to the United States. Her depiction of the lowlands, marshes, river, monsoon are indeed very good. Nonetheless, there are several aporia and loopholes we why till the end I could not say, “This is awesome”. First of all, the background and network of the “political” (The main reason for the Naxalbari movement) was not explore, its international connection, and how it changed the political landscape in parts of India and hence the lives of many people (which is the central theme of the story, the personal), and brought in many issues which form the basis of parliamentary debate now in India is never laid down; also, and this is perhaps more important, Lahiri never delved into the question, why this “movement” (it was much more than merely killing a constable or a Vice Chancellor), failed to change the vast middle class of India/Bengal, and the latter is important for the central theme of this book is the “personal” (the failure of the Naxalbari movement or “communists’ in India to make the “personal” ‘political” which is why “rape” or “domestic violence” was never politicized), the brutality of the police could have been depicted a little bit more… but that is not a gross slip. Several things seemed to be to be “imposed” and marred the natural flow of the narrative and I would question Lahiri’s motive for these Why the sudden imposed meeting with Holly (to bring in eroticism in Subhas’s life?), the one lesbian encounter of Gauri (PC?). the sudden meeting with Richard (to have Subhash meet a life partner), Bela’s daughter (PC? single mom post paternity) . Gauri’s nature and her (probable) unease with violence could have been elaborated by the author, but it was left for the imagination of the audience, was Gauri a “natural” rebel, who would have left Udayan if he had lived to go on her own path? Also, Lahiri could not catch the vast landscape change of Calcutta, the encroachment of the corporate real estates on land and landfill. In addition, maybe there were a couple of factual errors (an author can of course be forgiven, Charu Majumdar did have Master’s degree as far as I remember, but the book said something else, also Kanu Sanyal did have some ideological difference with Majumdar, and this was important for the narrative, as it could have been the point of Udayan’s ideological disillusionment if he had lived and if the author brought this out, she could have shown Gauri’s disillusionment with the movement, even towards the end). What disappointed me most was the end, I expected the novel (forgive me author you are the Supreme here), to end in the LOWLANDS, where probably a new apartment complex or Mall was being raised depicting the “new post modern” ethnoscape of the urban indian, a bit leftists, a bit centrist, a bit secular humanist, a bit neo conservative nationalist, a bit feminist, a bit misogynist, castists, racists.. this was missing at the end.. Nonetheless, I enjoyed while reading it, and as a philosophy teacher identified with a contemporary, Gauri, and I hope Lahiri will continue to write with more vision and depth..
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 15:20:06 +0000
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