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alex_emilia_smith's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
0.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism
zakcebulski's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Well... that was... something.
I was recommended this book by a coworker who told me that for their money, this was the best romance story ever written. I have to say that I disagree.
I found this book to just be very strange.
This book is semi-autobiographical, taking place from the perspective of Alain, who is a stand-in for the author- Mircea Eliade.
The basic story is that Alain is working in Bengal under an engineer. The engineer invites Alain to stay at his house, and when doing so, Alain gradually falls in love with the engineer's 16 year old daughter- Maitreyi.
I thought that the love aspect of this book was the strangest part for me, bar none.
It starts off with Alain feeling odd at the perceived advances of the young girl, and gradually he starts believing her to be in love with him.
He forces a kiss upon her, and it turns out that she was acting in a customary way which a pair of siblings would act in Bangel. If that doesn't make Alain feel like a real horse's ass! But, unperturbed, Alain continues to seek out Maitreyi, and they have a series of romantic trysts.
This is eventually found out by Maitreyi's younger sister, who, innocently enough, tells the rest of the family what has been happening. This results in the engineer- Alain's fuckin' boss- kicking him out of the house.
Now, that is a very condensed version of the events, but, all in all, that is about what the book amounts to. I think it suffices to say that I was not a huge fan of the romance of this book. This is due in large part because of the fact that Alain is 33 years old while Maitreyi is 16... but, upon researching this book, I found that Eliade was 23. Now, 23 and 16 is still not good, but, it is much better than 16 and 33...? I can't find a reason for why the fuck he aged his stand in a decade. It is a very fucking weird decision in my humble opinion.
One thing I can praise the book for is that the build up for the romance is well done. The characters are written in a very complex way, and you get the feeling that they are actually growing, and having their feelings develop over time. I thought that this was very well done, and was a nice change of pace from other romances where people are in love just because we are told they are.
As well, the characters are written in a very believable way. I constantly enjoyed how the characters felt very realistic, very complex. That was such a nice thing to read, as I felt that as the book progressed that the characters were growing and their intentions were becoming more clear, as well.
I also appreciated the way that the social divides and the racism amongst the characters is maneuvered through. It was written in a way which was able to help illustrate the divide very well. I admittedly have a lot to learn regarding racial divides in India in the 1930s. But, I thought that it was very well conveyed how people have an instilled hatred of other people for no reason. It was heartbreaking to know that the caste system and racial divides were stronger than the love which Maitreyi and Alain were purported to have had.
Above all, I have to praise the writing of this book. I think that Mircea Eliade's writing is absolutely gorgeously written. The way in which he is able to capture the subtleties of being in love, or the crushing despondence that comes with a break up, or even the uncertainty of if you are really in love, or if you are more in lust, are so well done. I can not think of a time wherein I read human emotions which were captured in such a poignant way, without coming off as schlocky or trite. This, certainly, comes from the fact that, again, this book is a bit auto-biographical, or a fictionalized version of the real events, but, still, I think capturing these feelings is a huge success.
A portion of the book that I admittedly did not like was the ending. There is a tepid sort of epilogue wherein after losing Maitreyi, Alain flees to the mountains and has sex with a random Finnish woman who appears. This all occurs so as to say that he still thinks about Maitreyi at every waking moment. I don't know, I just thought that this was a ham-fisted attempt to reiterate the amazing emotional writing which had been showcased expertly in the proceeding 150 pages.
I don't know if I am super keen to sprint out and read more Eliade in the future, but, I do have an interest in reading Maitreyi's version of this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, and Racism