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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
So much of the news that we see wherever we turn over the past 12 months or so has been about refugees and immigrants. Not just the tragedies coming out of Syria and Turkey, crossing over to Western Europe, but also the appalling xenophobia tumbling endlessly out of Donald Trump and his ilk. What a shatteringly sad time we live in. And now this, shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker prize. I suspect not just for its sensitive and beautifully paced story telling, but also for the picture it paints of the depressing impossibility of being able to 'make it' in that western 'civilisation' those from third world countries so desperately want to get to.
In this case, we read about young Indians, from both the sub-continenent and British born, both middle class and dirt poor. It could be compared to a much more modern 'A Fine Balance', but far sadder and wretched in both spirit and outcome. There is an excellent piece about this book at http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/19/the-year-of-the-runaways-sunjeev-sahota-review-political-novel So I won't go into a plot summary and commentary on this as it is all said so very well in the Guardian review.
Having lived in India for a year which was essentially 24 hour culture shock and left me in a whirl wind much of the time, I have found that contemporary Indian writing helps make sense of the huge chaos, to the Western eye, that is Indian society. The characters in this novel also live chaotic lives, materially and emotionally. Throughout there is a sense of hopelessness, of never being able to improve one's lot in life, and yet the positivity of youth, I suspect, is what keeps them going. And being in Sheffield, it would seem, is a whole lot better than being an untouchable in Punjab - Tochi, or trying to repay debts to loan sharks - Avtar, or of not having the right connections to break out of a set in stone middle class government clerical career - Randeep. For the British born Narinder, her desperation to flee her father's control and impending arranged marriage take her from London to Sheffield. They are all runaways, fleeing their prescribed destinies, looking for something, anything else.
Although very Indian in its setting, its dialogues, and minutiae, I expect it tells the very same story that poor migrants all over the world tell. Not an easy read, but by the end things have shifted somewhat for all the characters, and they may well be living better lives than those prescribed for them. If anything, reading this should teach us how to be more compassionate to those less fortunate than ourselves in this complicated world we live in.
In this case, we read about young Indians, from both the sub-continenent and British born, both middle class and dirt poor. It could be compared to a much more modern 'A Fine Balance', but far sadder and wretched in both spirit and outcome. There is an excellent piece about this book at http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/19/the-year-of-the-runaways-sunjeev-sahota-review-political-novel So I won't go into a plot summary and commentary on this as it is all said so very well in the Guardian review.
Having lived in India for a year which was essentially 24 hour culture shock and left me in a whirl wind much of the time, I have found that contemporary Indian writing helps make sense of the huge chaos, to the Western eye, that is Indian society. The characters in this novel also live chaotic lives, materially and emotionally. Throughout there is a sense of hopelessness, of never being able to improve one's lot in life, and yet the positivity of youth, I suspect, is what keeps them going. And being in Sheffield, it would seem, is a whole lot better than being an untouchable in Punjab - Tochi, or trying to repay debts to loan sharks - Avtar, or of not having the right connections to break out of a set in stone middle class government clerical career - Randeep. For the British born Narinder, her desperation to flee her father's control and impending arranged marriage take her from London to Sheffield. They are all runaways, fleeing their prescribed destinies, looking for something, anything else.
Although very Indian in its setting, its dialogues, and minutiae, I expect it tells the very same story that poor migrants all over the world tell. Not an easy read, but by the end things have shifted somewhat for all the characters, and they may well be living better lives than those prescribed for them. If anything, reading this should teach us how to be more compassionate to those less fortunate than ourselves in this complicated world we live in.
Good, but short of great. It's just a reminder of how damn hard is it to write an outstanding book. Again, good, simple writing, interesting characters, but just a bit lost in the complexity of it. Kicks off well, but then there are these back-stories from the old country - so long that you kind of lose connection with the plot in the new country.
In the end, bit of a Hollywood ending, and a feeling of an accomplished, but not outstanding book.
In the end, bit of a Hollywood ending, and a feeling of an accomplished, but not outstanding book.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Het heeft een maand geduurd om dit boek uit te lezen. Reden? Het verhaal blijft oppervlakkig waardoor het niet blijft hangen. Aan het eind van het boek haalde ik nog steeds de namen van de hoofdpersonen door elkaar.
Het boek is opgedeeld in de vier seizoenen van het jaar en beschrijft het leven van Avtar, Randeep, Tochi en Narinder. Drie jonge mannen op zoek naar geluk in Engeland omdat hun huidige leven in India niets opbrengt. Als lezer volg je hun geschiedenis en de beweegredenen om hun moederland te verlaten. De jongemannen hebben het vervolgens zwaar in Engeland en worden als grof vuil behandeld. De achtergebleven familieleden laten ze in de waan dat alles goed gaat. Zo lang er maar geld gestuurd wordt, kunnen ze de illusie in stand houden.
Met de huidige ontwikkelingen rondom de vluchtelingencrisis is dit boek interessant om nu te lezen. Het is alleen jammer dat het niet aan mijn verwachtingen kon voldoen. De afsluitende epiloog roept ook alleen meer vragen op in plaats van te zorgen voor een voldaan gevoel.
Het boek is opgedeeld in de vier seizoenen van het jaar en beschrijft het leven van Avtar, Randeep, Tochi en Narinder. Drie jonge mannen op zoek naar geluk in Engeland omdat hun huidige leven in India niets opbrengt. Als lezer volg je hun geschiedenis en de beweegredenen om hun moederland te verlaten. De jongemannen hebben het vervolgens zwaar in Engeland en worden als grof vuil behandeld. De achtergebleven familieleden laten ze in de waan dat alles goed gaat. Zo lang er maar geld gestuurd wordt, kunnen ze de illusie in stand houden.
Met de huidige ontwikkelingen rondom de vluchtelingencrisis is dit boek interessant om nu te lezen. Het is alleen jammer dat het niet aan mijn verwachtingen kon voldoen. De afsluitende epiloog roept ook alleen meer vragen op in plaats van te zorgen voor een voldaan gevoel.
Oh dear! This is one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time...
I can`t say this was a pleasant read but it was an incredibly valuable one. I didn´t know very much about life in India or what it is like for people from India who come to the UK seeking a better life for themselves and their families, so this story has been educational as well as eye-opening for me.
Anything from chuckling to a sharp intake of breath out of shock was involved on my side and my heart broke for several of the characters.
It doesn´t matter if you think you will not be able to relate to the storyline, if you are allowed to vote for things that potentially impact on immigration laws and the way immigrants are treated in the western world, you should read this. And even if you are not allowed to be involved in those decisions, you should still read it!
I can`t say this was a pleasant read but it was an incredibly valuable one. I didn´t know very much about life in India or what it is like for people from India who come to the UK seeking a better life for themselves and their families, so this story has been educational as well as eye-opening for me.
Anything from chuckling to a sharp intake of breath out of shock was involved on my side and my heart broke for several of the characters.
It doesn´t matter if you think you will not be able to relate to the storyline, if you are allowed to vote for things that potentially impact on immigration laws and the way immigrants are treated in the western world, you should read this. And even if you are not allowed to be involved in those decisions, you should still read it!
That could be the winner of 2015 Booker, the very story, the characters, the storytelling - of the first class. Kind of the book that leaves the lasting mark. Stirs your conscience, messes with views and beliefs. Great Literature as should be.
Two young Sikhs, Avtar and Randeep, have a shit life in India so they emigrate to England and have a shit time there too. The ins and out of family piety, gangmasters and visa marriages. Horrific Hindu intercommunal violence back home. It’s all very different from The Jewel in the Crown!
It starts with a couple of Sikh migrants working on building sites in England, then flashes back to their growing up in India. Another boy, Toshi, suffers his village being burnt to the ground during Navratri by Hindu fanatics who chase them on motorbikes and kill his pregnant sister. They travel to England together - Avtar has to donate a kidney to raise the money. They are both put up by one of their aunts in Ilford, but their 2 UK-born cousins are horribly rude to them. Randeep contracts a ‘visa marriage’ with Narinder Kaur, which after a year he can get permanent leave to stay. By contrast Avtar has a student visa.
It starts with a couple of Sikh migrants working on building sites in England, then flashes back to their growing up in India. Another boy, Toshi, suffers his village being burnt to the ground during Navratri by Hindu fanatics who chase them on motorbikes and kill his pregnant sister. They travel to England together - Avtar has to donate a kidney to raise the money. They are both put up by one of their aunts in Ilford, but their 2 UK-born cousins are horribly rude to them. Randeep contracts a ‘visa marriage’ with Narinder Kaur, which after a year he can get permanent leave to stay. By contrast Avtar has a student visa.
A great read. The last 6 pages were a bit of a let down.
This is one of the most difficult books I've ever had to read, and yet I read it in seven days. I couldn't put it down. It shatters all my illusions about immigration and life in another country. I will have to compose my thoughts to write a real review.
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated