Scan barcode
meisterkanz's review
3.0
Undertow was a breezy read. The plot intertwines a dysfunctional family and the political landscape of Assam. It was refreshing to read a book set in Assam, and details some of the politics, culture, and the city of Guwahati.
The biggest takeaway from this book is that one should speak up for the right things. The repercussions of speaking out for the right things always have an easier way of arriving at an amicable solution.
Being ostracized by both the families is not a good thing at all and makes the people doubt themselves a-lot. Torun spending more time contemplating rather than taking a decision is very much relatable. I felt emotional when Torun swallowed his pride and apologized to Loya. And also when Loya called Torun “Koka” for the first time.
To be honest, I did not like the ending. It was needless for such a calm & mellow plot. It felt like the remake movies that add extra bits to the original story.
But I felt thankful to Jahnavi for this book even if it messed up my head in the final few pages.
The biggest takeaway from this book is that one should speak up for the right things. The repercussions of speaking out for the right things always have an easier way of arriving at an amicable solution.
Being ostracized by both the families is not a good thing at all and makes the people doubt themselves a-lot. Torun spending more time contemplating rather than taking a decision is very much relatable. I felt emotional when Torun swallowed his pride and apologized to Loya. And also when Loya called Torun “Koka” for the first time.
To be honest, I did not like the ending. It was needless for such a calm & mellow plot. It felt like the remake movies that add extra bits to the original story.
But I felt thankful to Jahnavi for this book even if it messed up my head in the final few pages.
namakurhea's review
4.0
Another #TheJCBPrize2020 longlister! What strikes me the most in Jahnavi Barua’s writing is her very strong sense of space and place. She breathes life into river Brahmaputra; it’s a character in and of itself. People who want to learn how to write geography should definitely check out Jahnavi Barua’s writing. Book also tackles themes of identity, insider-outsider, and home.
plaski's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
vidyareads's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A book that travelled to me from India via a family relative. A book that was all over #bookstagram when it was released a few years ago. A book that rightfully SHOULD be all over bookstagram😊
Here’s why this should go on your TBR
- India, specifically Assam. I’ve never been to the northeast states of the mothership and I should. The nostalgia factor was high!
- The Brahmaputra River. I knew of it from school geography lessons, news, TV etc, this book made it real. I felt I was actually standing on the river’s banks
- The streets of Assam, the food and the Yellow House where most of the book is set in
- Memorable characters
- I was thinking about the craft of writing while reading this book. And in which books do I do that you ask ? In the REALLY good ones !
- Even that ending made sense. I read a couple of reviews and seemed that was the one thing a few didn’t like, but it made sense to me, back to the above craft
Loved it! Would highly recommend obviously 😊
kash_reads's review
4.0
Highlights:
"Kinship ties were never felt more keenly than on days they were loosened or severed: at weddings when girls left to join another family, on graduation when children left home to study and, most of all, at deaths, when a bond snapped never to be replaced again. "
Thoughts :
I read this book as a part of #LITwithIndianLit, though this book was on my TBR ever since it was longlisted for the JCB Prize. Undertow is a simple story of three different generations of a dysfunctional family dealing with conflicts most families are privy to. The majority of the book is from Loya's perspective who returns to her ancestral roots in Assam where her orthodox grandfather Torun lives, with whom her mother has not talked since her inter-caste wedding. Jahnavi's writing is almost poetic at the same time easy to understand, by the end of the book, you want to get up, pack your bags and move to Assam. She puts up a lucid account of the beauty of the place, the hills, the river, the plants as if it's all happening in front of your eyes. Since the book is from Loya's point of view, it provides an outsider's understanding of the state, especially the political turmoil.
The story overall is very real, the characters feel like the people around you and so their inner turmoils and their resolution provides comfort to you. The end of the book is well.. debatable. For me, the end was a bummer, but I can see how it was necessary. Overall the book brings out the beauty of Assam like no other. ( I am definitely planning a trip soon, hopefully, will see the yellow house
"Kinship ties were never felt more keenly than on days they were loosened or severed: at weddings when girls left to join another family, on graduation when children left home to study and, most of all, at deaths, when a bond snapped never to be replaced again. "
Thoughts :
I read this book as a part of #LITwithIndianLit, though this book was on my TBR ever since it was longlisted for the JCB Prize. Undertow is a simple story of three different generations of a dysfunctional family dealing with conflicts most families are privy to. The majority of the book is from Loya's perspective who returns to her ancestral roots in Assam where her orthodox grandfather Torun lives, with whom her mother has not talked since her inter-caste wedding. Jahnavi's writing is almost poetic at the same time easy to understand, by the end of the book, you want to get up, pack your bags and move to Assam. She puts up a lucid account of the beauty of the place, the hills, the river, the plants as if it's all happening in front of your eyes. Since the book is from Loya's point of view, it provides an outsider's understanding of the state, especially the political turmoil.
The story overall is very real, the characters feel like the people around you and so their inner turmoils and their resolution provides comfort to you. The end of the book is well.. debatable. For me, the end was a bummer, but I can see how it was necessary. Overall the book brings out the beauty of Assam like no other. ( I am definitely planning a trip soon, hopefully, will see the yellow house
dancingbibliophile's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ankita_g's review
4.0
I was a little conflicted about whether to give this book a 3 or a 4 star, after finishing it. The ending kind of ruined the whole experience for me, but until then the book was SO good! Right before writing this review, I decided not to rate it lower just because I personally didn't like the ending; it is objectively too good to be a 3-star read.
'Undertow' is extremely well-written, and is an emotional roller-coaster from the very first page. As an Assamese who has spent considerable time at her grandparents' place in Guwahati, most of the characters felt very familiar. I felt like I was wrapped under a comfortable, warm and fuzzy blanket during most parts of the book.
'Undertow' is extremely well-written, and is an emotional roller-coaster from the very first page. As an Assamese who has spent considerable time at her grandparents' place in Guwahati, most of the characters felt very familiar. I felt like I was wrapped under a comfortable, warm and fuzzy blanket during most parts of the book.
shutupdivs's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
first of all, thank you mrs. barua for the wonderful rep !!! us axomiyas are a teeny weeny fraction of this gigantic world and yet you make us feel so seen and so understood <3 i really liked the writing style and the way assamese culture, our natural heritage, and our ways of life were described. my heart goes out to the bereaved shri torun ram goswami, but atleast the loss of his beloved granddaughter loya has brought his daughter back to him. my only complaint with the book is the way the story attempted to close off. i thought it was a rather hasty and ill judged ending. anyway, i'm happy stories of assam and northeast india are finding their place in the mainstream indian narrative. joi ai axom
look_whos_reading's review
4.0
Undertow is such a breathtakingly beautiful story of family and love and loss. In a recent interview with the author, she mentions that she intended for this story to be universally appealing. I'm here to vouch for that. The minimalistic lifestyle and descriptions of a simple, uncomplicated life reminded me of growing up in a small town where the daily hustle-bustle was all you needed to lead a full life. This story speaks of a life where history, culture, politics and education are all intricately related and are part of a daily conversation.
The character of Torun reminded me of my own grandfather, successful, self-made, proud, arrogant even, a creature of habit and devoted to his family. Usha reminded me of my grandmother who silently toiled in the background but earned the title of solid matriarch of the family. I related to the entourage Torun maintains around him - a gardener, a cook, a maid, the fish seller, the postman... the team that helps run your household and who depend on you to put a roof over their head in turn. It's really an emotional story of belonging to a place, a society and a culture. It really is universally relatable.
If there was one thing I found pulling me back from a complete immersive experience, it was the hasty editing/proof-reading that went into the book. Every few pages, I found myself being sucked slowly into the atmosphere when suddenly there'd be a jarring grammatical mistake or incomplete phrase (I counted four instances)... I might sound like I'm being too picky here but it's such a short story and so exceptionally well-told that I guess I expected a cleaner finished product.
Nevertheless, please read this story if you love evocative prose or stories that harness emotions, and especially if you grew up in India in the 70's or 80's. I cannot recommend this book enough.
The character of Torun reminded me of my own grandfather, successful, self-made, proud, arrogant even, a creature of habit and devoted to his family. Usha reminded me of my grandmother who silently toiled in the background but earned the title of solid matriarch of the family. I related to the entourage Torun maintains around him - a gardener, a cook, a maid, the fish seller, the postman... the team that helps run your household and who depend on you to put a roof over their head in turn. It's really an emotional story of belonging to a place, a society and a culture. It really is universally relatable.
If there was one thing I found pulling me back from a complete immersive experience, it was the hasty editing/proof-reading that went into the book. Every few pages, I found myself being sucked slowly into the atmosphere when suddenly there'd be a jarring grammatical mistake or incomplete phrase (I counted four instances)... I might sound like I'm being too picky here but it's such a short story and so exceptionally well-told that I guess I expected a cleaner finished product.
Nevertheless, please read this story if you love evocative prose or stories that harness emotions, and especially if you grew up in India in the 70's or 80's. I cannot recommend this book enough.