Reviews

All the Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy

sometimes_iread's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It is often when reading books that cover a character’s lifetime and the wider geopolitical landscape that I find it difficult to encapsulate my thoughts coherently. The scope is just far too broad for my limited perspective to fully comprehend. All the Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy is no different. 

Here, we meet Myshkin in his twilight years as he reflects upon his life and the impact his mother’s leaving had on it. We skip back and forth between Myshkin’s recollection of his childhood and his current life before he stumbles upon a packet of letters from his mother. This discovery rocks his beliefs and sets into motion a plan to reconcile the missing parts of his identity.

I have to admit that I was not invested in the story at the start. The ramblings of an old man can lean toward the self-important and, with all the callousness of the young(er), I wondered why I should care. It was only when Gayathri, Myshkin’s mother, and her relationship with her child was fleshed out that I was hooked. What can I say, I’m always drawn to stories of women and their uneasy relationships with the world. Freudian perhaps? 

Anyway, Roy paints a compelling picture of a woman at odds with the very idea of womanhood in 1920s India. The image of a caged bird comes to mind, aided by a nickname of Gayathri’s by one of her two artist friends. A sunbird’s beauty is stunning in the wild, but when placed in captivity, its brilliance can easily be dimmed. Similarly, Gayathri chafed under societal and familial expectations of womanhood and longed to be return to her roots as an artist. However, as with any held captive for a prolonged period, return to the wild is not easy and not all can make that transition. What more for Gayathri, considering the change motherhood brings, no matter how reluctant.

That aside, I found Myshkin’s journey to reacquainting himself with his mother poignant and bittersweet. There is just something sad about children realizing their parents’ personhood separate from themselves. Especially in such cases as this, when the child is profoundly impacted in ways that never should have been. Honestly, Myshkin’s grandfather might just be my favourite character in this entire book. Unassuming, astute, and supportive in the small ways that matter, this man truly is someone to aspire to. 

I’ve waxed long and lyrical on the characters but there is something to be said about the themes as well. Briefly, I thought the idea of the white savior quite well-handled. Yes, Walter and Beryl did swoop in and pull Gayathri out of her stifling home situation, but did they truly save her when she was constantly pining for her son? Plus, the idea of the white savior unable to save himself was rather satisfying too, because can anyone truly save themselves?

Once again, I’ve read a book that engages me and as a result, I’ve rambled on and on. If you actually read everything, thank you. I hope that it would reflect my appreciation for this book in some way or another.

Diversity meter:

Indian characters

Strong female characters 

becsmars's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

kevin_shepherd's review against another edition

4.0

"I need nobody else. I am contented and complete with my animals in a way I never have been with human beings. People think of my solitude as an eccentricity or a symptom of failure, as if I am closer to animals and trees because human beings betrayed me or because I found nobody to love. It is hard to explain to them that the shade of a tree I planted years ago or the feverish intensity of a dog fruitlessly chasing a butterfly provides what no human companionship can."

This isn't a particularly happy story. Myshkin Rozario is a boy growing up in a world where his father is emotionally detached, his mother is physically distant, and his homeland of India is on the precipice of World War II. This could have potentially been an immensely depressing read, but it wasn't. Anuradha Roy's prose really brings the natural beauty of India (and later Bali) to life, and her style fleshes-out her characters in such a way that you can't help but feel varying levels of understanding and empathy.

If you feel you're living in a dangerous era and you're seeking a respite through fanciful fiction, this is not your book. But if you think you're up for a gritty Indian excursion laced with hope and history and heartbreak, I highly recommend giving it a go.

dieuwkemonica's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Book was about 50 pages too long for my tast. 

cmwilliams29's review against another edition

4.0

Beautifully written. The characters are so developed and relatable, flawed in their own ways. A sad but simultaneously inspiring read.

cristiana_criss's review against another edition

4.0

Toate viețile pe care nu le-am trăit nu se limitează la o simplă poveste despre un băiețel abandonat de mama lui care încearcă să-i înțeleagă motivele, deși, la prima vedere, așa pare. Nu mă așteptam, însă, să descopăr o carte care abordează atâtea teme, și din perspective diferite, făcându-mă să o termin atât de repede. Nu pot să-mi dau seama ce m-a atras mai mult - libertatea pe care personajele feminine au susținut-o cu tărie, într-o lume în care nu le permitea așa ceva, sau frumusețea peisajelor prin care autoarea m-a purtat în cele 300 de pagini.
În India colonială, tânăra Gayatri se zbate între rolul de mamă și soție supusă și visul pe care îl avea încă de mică - să fie o artistă cunoscută și să călătorească. În urma întâlnirii cu doi străini (Walter Spies, un iubitor al artelor și naturii, și Beryl de Zoete, o feministă britanică îndrăgostită de dansurile orientale), Gayatri realizează limitele vieții ei alături de un soț naționalist care o desconsideră și o judecă pentru afinitățile ei artistice. Faptul că își abandonează familia (un gest condamnabil în cultura indiană), îi deschide drumul către noua ei viață în Bali, unde reușește să se dedice total picturii. În urma sa, Mîșkin, un băiețel de doar nouă ani, este lovit de sentimente contradictorii - confuzie, singurătate, dor, și chiar ură, înțelegând abia la bătrânețe, din câteva scrisori trimise de mama lui unei prietene, ce a însemnat pentru ea plecarea și ce greutăți a fost nevoită să depășească (bariera lingvistică, dorul de casă, boala, lipsa banilor).

Autoarea reușește să surprindă foarte bine aspecte din viața socială și politică de atunci, de la petrecerile specifice indiene, cu muzica, portul colorat și felurile condimentate de mâncare, până la naționalismul din colonia britanică, tensiunile din timpul războiului dintre olandezi și japonezi în Java și Bali și lagărele de la baza munților Himalaya. O carte cu un mix de credințe, viziuni politice, arte, peisaje și culori - ocru, verde smarald, portocaliu de apus.

„N.C. nu e în esență un om rău, înțeleg asta. (...) Oamenii îl respectă pentru că trăiește după reguli (...) și nici nu e indulgent cu propria-i persoană. Nu e indulgent nici cu nimeni altcineva. Nici măcar o clipă de odihnă! Mereu zbătându-se să fie important. E atât de plictisitor! Înainte să-ți dai seama, ești în mijlocul unei prelegeri, iar el crede că știe ce-i mai bine și tu nu ești decât o femeie prostuță care se înșală amarnic dacă nu ești de acord cu el sau cu Mukti a lui. (...) M-a umilit ori de câte ori a avut ocazia. Voia ca prietenii lui să râdă de mine și să mă trateze de sus. Ridiculiza cărțile pe care le citeam și picturile pe care le făceam. (...) Sau poate cu mine e ceva în neregulă - se zice că pentru femei casa, soțul și copiii sunt totul. De ce nu erau de ajuns pentru mine? Femeia aia niciodată n-a fost bună de nimic, o să decreteze mama lui Dinu în stilul ei teatral. Gayatri Rozario cea Capricioasă.”

ragsrags's review against another edition

4.0

Delicious! Read it for the layered unfolding of memory. The pace is measured (but a little too one-paced), the voice (especially Gayatri's) is tinged and poignant and human.

kavya09's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

nightowl22's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

bloodyfool0's review against another edition

3.0

I wanted to give this book a 4* rating at least.

The book starts very promisingly, but then it drags along until the final third.

The prose is not captivating enough like similar authors in this genre, so it becomes somewhat tedious. Without introducing spoilers, it is the "letters" that make this book really interesting.

Will try to provide a more in-depth review a bit later.