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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
There were many things I wanted "A State of Freedom" by Neel Mukherjee to be because it is a book that is truly brimming with rich characters, a brilliant storyline and Mukherjee's outstanding ability to write about the common man as it truly is. His characters encapsulate the very essence of being a human being, trapped by the circumstances of society, of inequality and of class differences within a south-asian setting.
A State of Freedom has five stories that are not related through characters (except some) but rather through a common theme of class differences, privilege or lack thereof and the struggles of everyday life regardless of how wealthy a person may or may not be. The first and last story being the shortest and the third one being one of the hardest I have had to read (TW: Animal cruelty), I did find myself enjoying every single one of them. Mukherjee has mastered the art of latching onto the reader and writing characters that you might fully despise but also deep down, sympathise with.
For instance, I found myself craving for a quick demise for a certain character in the third story, a more physical and aggressive one but what the author gave me instead had me sit still for a while and really reflect back on the power of emotional defeat and how gut-wrenching it can be compared to anything physical.
Now onto the reason I couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars is simple; I found it extremely difficult to finish the third story because of how disturbing it was. I also felt disconnected to the characters because I went into reading this book as a singular story and it was five, mainly different stories.
I am very big on inner feelings and how a book makes ME feel and this is something I wrote while reading through this book and this might not apply to you as a reader but felt important for me to mention: while reading a state of freedom, i thought about the lives we lived as children, with our mother or aunt playing with our hair, singing sindhi lullabies and telling us folklores about ghosts, unrequited love and how the chicken let a fox eat it whole because it cared so much. our children will never know the safety or… for a lack of better word, the familiarity or the sense of what that meant, what those moments meant to me or those like myself. i left home at 20 so i live between two worlds. the world of my sweet karachi that has so much to offer and yet so little to fulfil that promise of offering and the european world, unknown to me but something that maybe the most familiar thing my children may have to what karachi is to me.
A State of Freedom has five stories that are not related through characters (except some) but rather through a common theme of class differences, privilege or lack thereof and the struggles of everyday life regardless of how wealthy a person may or may not be. The first and last story being the shortest and the third one being one of the hardest I have had to read (TW: Animal cruelty), I did find myself enjoying every single one of them. Mukherjee has mastered the art of latching onto the reader and writing characters that you might fully despise but also deep down, sympathise with.
For instance, I found myself craving for a quick demise for a certain character in the third story, a more physical and aggressive one but what the author gave me instead had me sit still for a while and really reflect back on the power of emotional defeat and how gut-wrenching it can be compared to anything physical.
Now onto the reason I couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars is simple; I found it extremely difficult to finish the third story because of how disturbing it was. I also felt disconnected to the characters because I went into reading this book as a singular story and it was five, mainly different stories.
I am very big on inner feelings and how a book makes ME feel and this is something I wrote while reading through this book and this might not apply to you as a reader but felt important for me to mention: while reading a state of freedom, i thought about the lives we lived as children, with our mother or aunt playing with our hair, singing sindhi lullabies and telling us folklores about ghosts, unrequited love and how the chicken let a fox eat it whole because it cared so much. our children will never know the safety or… for a lack of better word, the familiarity or the sense of what that meant, what those moments meant to me or those like myself. i left home at 20 so i live between two worlds. the world of my sweet karachi that has so much to offer and yet so little to fulfil that promise of offering and the european world, unknown to me but something that maybe the most familiar thing my children may have to what karachi is to me.
Tough to read at times, but a hard-hitting reminder of the exploitation so many people live through in modern India.
This was a hard read and I was overwhelmed with pain at many times throughout this book. These are five stories about different individuals trying to make a life for themselves against
so e very hard circumstances. The story of man and his bear was very hard to read because the scenes that depict the training of the bear. The story of the two sisters and the different journeys that they embark on was my favourite. Mukherjee is a great writer and this book will stay on my mind for a very long time.
so e very hard circumstances. The story of man and his bear was very hard to read because the scenes that depict the training of the bear. The story of the two sisters and the different journeys that they embark on was my favourite. Mukherjee is a great writer and this book will stay on my mind for a very long time.
I read this book after so thoroughly enjoying Neel Mukherjees’s previous work “The Lives of Others”, justly shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker prize. My high expectations were well rewarded with this wonderful but disturbing novel set in modern-day India.
The book is made up of the stories of five very different characters, almost like five novellas woven together into a single novel by their common struggles, and through a loose but tragic narrative thread. All five characters, in their different ways, tell us about a struggle for freedom and yearning for a better life. Through their journeys we witness the brutal reality of poverty, class struggles, corruption and inequality in contemporary India.
Each of the protagonists is very richly drawn. Whilst we might empathise with their fights to survive, we will not necessarily sympathise with the characters themselves. Such is the case for Lakshman, the man who abandons his badly treated wife to horrifically exercise dreadful cruelty on training a dancing bear with who he travels through villages scraping together a living.
The novel begins in a luxury hotel in Agra. Neel Mukherjee invites those few people who might be so lucky to stay in such places to be aware of the realities of the lives of millions of characters struggling in their daily lives outside.
The book is made up of the stories of five very different characters, almost like five novellas woven together into a single novel by their common struggles, and through a loose but tragic narrative thread. All five characters, in their different ways, tell us about a struggle for freedom and yearning for a better life. Through their journeys we witness the brutal reality of poverty, class struggles, corruption and inequality in contemporary India.
Each of the protagonists is very richly drawn. Whilst we might empathise with their fights to survive, we will not necessarily sympathise with the characters themselves. Such is the case for Lakshman, the man who abandons his badly treated wife to horrifically exercise dreadful cruelty on training a dancing bear with who he travels through villages scraping together a living.
The novel begins in a luxury hotel in Agra. Neel Mukherjee invites those few people who might be so lucky to stay in such places to be aware of the realities of the lives of millions of characters struggling in their daily lives outside.
as an examination of the complex issue of class in india this was successful. but there are other books that have a similar premise. and as a compilation of short stories (which i would argue is what this is) i would say it comes up short. there was never really any explanation of the only two characters that were connected (or why they didn't get along). and i will admit that i had to skip ahead a bit during part III, it was just a little too much to read.
These loosely connected short stories paint a powerful, visceral picture of class divisions in India. Some of the stories are harder to read than others (one in particular about a dancing bear), but they're all full of characters and emotions that sink into your bones. It's beautifully written, and I know it will stick with me for a long time.
While the writing was beautiful, I could never find myself in this book. It did not capture me and I struggled to finish it.
I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a very well written and super depressing look at inequity in modern India.
This is a very well written and super depressing look at inequity in modern India.
Absolutely hated this book that is nevertheless well-written. Would love to have a chat with the author about the intent of this novel that strips hope from anyone trying to better their situation.
Through a series of loosely interconnected stories in India, Mukherjee describes prejudice and class within the various sects, complete with abuse, filthy living conditions, lack of education, and more. The story where a supremely poor man believes he can turn a captured bear into a money-making entertainment scheme just about did me in as he nearly destroys the animal over many pages and yet the bear still offers him kindness.
There are no happy endings here. The brightest spot was that a woman working three jobs was able to send a nephew to Germany for his education. These people were stuck in poverty and abuse even when there are signs of interest in reading and self-improvement.
I suspect the author might say he wrote this book in order to shock people so that the status quo may change. It was disheartening to the point of nausea, so unfortunately many readers may never pick it up.
Through a series of loosely interconnected stories in India, Mukherjee describes prejudice and class within the various sects, complete with abuse, filthy living conditions, lack of education, and more. The story where a supremely poor man believes he can turn a captured bear into a money-making entertainment scheme just about did me in as he nearly destroys the animal over many pages and yet the bear still offers him kindness.
There are no happy endings here. The brightest spot was that a woman working three jobs was able to send a nephew to Germany for his education. These people were stuck in poverty and abuse even when there are signs of interest in reading and self-improvement.
I suspect the author might say he wrote this book in order to shock people so that the status quo may change. It was disheartening to the point of nausea, so unfortunately many readers may never pick it up.
A collection of 5 short stories following the attempts of individuals at a better life in India. A lovely patchwork is woven of these people's lives and the success or harm they achieve when trying to rise above their circumstances. The novel highlights the sharp contrast between the haves and have-nots and puts on display the disparity between them that will be easily recognizable to anyone in a developed or developing country.