A Time for India
“I don’t like the soup Sudhir” SC whispered next to me. “Let’s just get through with this S… We can leave after this” I consoled him. He and I were due for a dinner date. We were all sitting at Kamat Bugle Rock. “This is the book I’ve co-authored” Lakshmi said as she passed a copy around the table for everyone to see. I remembered the first mail she and I had exchanged after we had gotten back in touch – after a life-altering span of over two decades. She’d mentioned about it in her mail. Lakshmi, Bala, Shashi, Vasantha, Meena and I had gathered in Bangalore to muse over the nostalgia of a bygone era – our school days. (May be I’ll write a separate post on the reunion).
“May I have a copy of it Lakshmi?” I asked “I didn’t find it in any bookshop”. “Of course Sudhir. You won’t find one in India probably” Lakshmi replied. She expressed her disappointment over the review KB Ganapathy (I hope I’ve got the spelling right Lakshmi!) had written in Star of Mysore where Lakshmi had worked many years ago. As I left early from the reunion gathering, Lakshmi handed me an autographed copy of her book.
I didn’t immediately read it. I had just started reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I also had False Impression (J Archer) to read. I thought I’d read ‘A Time for India’ at leisure. When I spoke to Lakshmi last she asked me “How did you find it?” “Watch my blog. I’ll post a review”. This is an attempt to keep my promise.
“A Time for India” is written by Dan Ellens and Lakshmi has contributed several chapters to it. The book largely is about Mr. Ellens’ two year stay in India and his experiences of living/working/travelling here. Lakshmi chips in with her insights into the Indian history and culture. It is difficult to ‘slot’ this book into any particular genre. Sometimes I felt it was an attempt at writing a travelogue and at others it was like an introduction to India to the uninitiated Americans.
Dan Ellens’ enthusiasm to write about his India Experience is palpable. He definitely has a story to tell too. There are several interesting anecdotes too that bring a smile (or even a chuckle or two). And, one soul-searching question – when his son Kirk assumes that he’s a native and not an expatriate. But all these things fail to hold the book together. The reader’s interest waxes at times and wanes at others. What could have been a winner on the lines of ‘The Inscrutable Americans’ turns flat. It appears that Dan doesn’t have a flair for writing. He doesn’t have the vocabulary of an author. Even the funniest of encounters he has experienced turn prosaic due to a lack of imagination in his narrating style. At times his writing borders on the banal and resembles an India Travel Guide penned in a tearing hurry.
Condensing the entire history and culture of India into a few chapters (of not more than 6-7 pages each) is not a task that many would venture into. And the onus to do it for this book is on Lakshmi. It would be unfair to criticise her efforts as she tries to provide as much information and as succinctly as possible. But one can’t expect those few pages to do justice to either the vast history or the humongously rich and diverse culture of India. It can be noticed that very little of South Indian history is written about in the book. And of North Indian society or culture. It surely wouldn’t be an oversight. It’s natural that Lakshmi would focus on the South Indian culture (Tamil to be more precise) when she writes about Indian culture (the chapters on religion and customs). But Lakshmi your narration at times is way too pat when giving live examples of current India – you sure could’ve come up with something better than naming people Ram and Shyam!
The book doesn’t become a racy read either. Dan decides to club all similar things together. Like his travels around the country, all the festivals he celebrated, the culture-curry, etc. Had an attempt been made to write it chronologically than being laconic and had it also recounted some of the experiences of the other family members too (Cathy and the children – though the author mentions in the preface that they would every evening share their day’s comical experiences at the dinner table they don’t appear in the book), the book certainly would’ve been more enjoyable. Also I found the constant reference to lizards extremely unfunny and jarring.
Then there are several factual errors in the book. Bhutan, for one, was NEVER a part of India. And Vijayanagar Empire was founded in South India and not Central. The Buddha lived in the 6th Century BC. I would have loved to argue also about the ‘theories’ that have been made use in the book while reconstructing the Indian history. But then Lakshmi wasn’t writing a history book. And she does have the liberty to choose the theory that fits her best.
If only Dan had a better editor the book could have been turned around, rewritten a bit and rearranged a bit more to make it interesting, witty and a wonderful account of living in India. Then I wouldn’t have had to disappoint Lakshmi with my write-up on something close to her heart. Certainly this is not the vehicle for Lakshmi to showcase her writing talents. All she has to do is to dive deep into her own rich experiences (including teaching English to children in Mysore) to write a wonderful book. I hope she’ll consider that and oblige us with an independent work of her own!
“May I have a copy of it Lakshmi?” I asked “I didn’t find it in any bookshop”. “Of course Sudhir. You won’t find one in India probably” Lakshmi replied. She expressed her disappointment over the review KB Ganapathy (I hope I’ve got the spelling right Lakshmi!) had written in Star of Mysore where Lakshmi had worked many years ago. As I left early from the reunion gathering, Lakshmi handed me an autographed copy of her book.
I didn’t immediately read it. I had just started reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I also had False Impression (J Archer) to read. I thought I’d read ‘A Time for India’ at leisure. When I spoke to Lakshmi last she asked me “How did you find it?” “Watch my blog. I’ll post a review”. This is an attempt to keep my promise.
“A Time for India” is written by Dan Ellens and Lakshmi has contributed several chapters to it. The book largely is about Mr. Ellens’ two year stay in India and his experiences of living/working/travelling here. Lakshmi chips in with her insights into the Indian history and culture. It is difficult to ‘slot’ this book into any particular genre. Sometimes I felt it was an attempt at writing a travelogue and at others it was like an introduction to India to the uninitiated Americans.
Dan Ellens’ enthusiasm to write about his India Experience is palpable. He definitely has a story to tell too. There are several interesting anecdotes too that bring a smile (or even a chuckle or two). And, one soul-searching question – when his son Kirk assumes that he’s a native and not an expatriate. But all these things fail to hold the book together. The reader’s interest waxes at times and wanes at others. What could have been a winner on the lines of ‘The Inscrutable Americans’ turns flat. It appears that Dan doesn’t have a flair for writing. He doesn’t have the vocabulary of an author. Even the funniest of encounters he has experienced turn prosaic due to a lack of imagination in his narrating style. At times his writing borders on the banal and resembles an India Travel Guide penned in a tearing hurry.
Condensing the entire history and culture of India into a few chapters (of not more than 6-7 pages each) is not a task that many would venture into. And the onus to do it for this book is on Lakshmi. It would be unfair to criticise her efforts as she tries to provide as much information and as succinctly as possible. But one can’t expect those few pages to do justice to either the vast history or the humongously rich and diverse culture of India. It can be noticed that very little of South Indian history is written about in the book. And of North Indian society or culture. It surely wouldn’t be an oversight. It’s natural that Lakshmi would focus on the South Indian culture (Tamil to be more precise) when she writes about Indian culture (the chapters on religion and customs). But Lakshmi your narration at times is way too pat when giving live examples of current India – you sure could’ve come up with something better than naming people Ram and Shyam!
The book doesn’t become a racy read either. Dan decides to club all similar things together. Like his travels around the country, all the festivals he celebrated, the culture-curry, etc. Had an attempt been made to write it chronologically than being laconic and had it also recounted some of the experiences of the other family members too (Cathy and the children – though the author mentions in the preface that they would every evening share their day’s comical experiences at the dinner table they don’t appear in the book), the book certainly would’ve been more enjoyable. Also I found the constant reference to lizards extremely unfunny and jarring.
Then there are several factual errors in the book. Bhutan, for one, was NEVER a part of India. And Vijayanagar Empire was founded in South India and not Central. The Buddha lived in the 6th Century BC. I would have loved to argue also about the ‘theories’ that have been made use in the book while reconstructing the Indian history. But then Lakshmi wasn’t writing a history book. And she does have the liberty to choose the theory that fits her best.
If only Dan had a better editor the book could have been turned around, rewritten a bit and rearranged a bit more to make it interesting, witty and a wonderful account of living in India. Then I wouldn’t have had to disappoint Lakshmi with my write-up on something close to her heart. Certainly this is not the vehicle for Lakshmi to showcase her writing talents. All she has to do is to dive deep into her own rich experiences (including teaching English to children in Mysore) to write a wonderful book. I hope she’ll consider that and oblige us with an independent work of her own!
Labels: Book Review, Books, Friends
posted by Quintessential Critic (Sudhir Narayana) @ 11:04 AM
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