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A review by santreads
The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay
5.0
What I’ve always loved about good books is that every person has a different take away from it. They might be similar, but they each mean something different to someone - based on their past, based on what they read and what they understood.
The Far Field was a book I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. I don’t know why it took so long to come to India, but I’m glad it did. The book is about Shalini and her journey - we flit from the past to the present with each chapter where we understand her relationship with her mother (who she has recently lost) - who she was as a person, her relationships with the people around her and her friendship with one man in particular, Bashir Ahmed, a salesman from Kashmir.
To me this book was about dealing with loss and grieving and finding oneself. When you lose someone close to you, you feel untethered. I think that’s what Shalini was looking for when she decided to go to Kashmir to find Bashir Ahmed. The journey that proceeded was that of a human being in pain and wanting to belong. So yes, Shalini might not seem like the most likable character. But she was human.
I devoured this book because it not only spoke beautifully of the human condition but of the political scenario in Kashmir which we all know is less than ideal, now more than ever.
The fact that this is Madhuri Vijay’s first book awes me. Sure, it could have been a bit crisper but I loved it nonetheless. 100% recommend this to people for its beautiful characterization and raw and realness.
The Far Field was a book I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. I don’t know why it took so long to come to India, but I’m glad it did. The book is about Shalini and her journey - we flit from the past to the present with each chapter where we understand her relationship with her mother (who she has recently lost) - who she was as a person, her relationships with the people around her and her friendship with one man in particular, Bashir Ahmed, a salesman from Kashmir.
To me this book was about dealing with loss and grieving and finding oneself. When you lose someone close to you, you feel untethered. I think that’s what Shalini was looking for when she decided to go to Kashmir to find Bashir Ahmed. The journey that proceeded was that of a human being in pain and wanting to belong. So yes, Shalini might not seem like the most likable character. But she was human.
I devoured this book because it not only spoke beautifully of the human condition but of the political scenario in Kashmir which we all know is less than ideal, now more than ever.
The fact that this is Madhuri Vijay’s first book awes me. Sure, it could have been a bit crisper but I loved it nonetheless. 100% recommend this to people for its beautiful characterization and raw and realness.