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A review by underapileofbooks
The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara
4.0
This was an ambitious, thought-provoking novel, addressing big themes and spanning multiple genres, decades, and countries - all in under 400 pages - and I think it mostly worked.
There are three major storylines that are interwoven throughout the book: the story of King Rao’s childhood in India, where he grew up on his family’s coconut plantation; his immigration to the US as a young adult, and the creation of his Apple-like tech empire; and his daughter Athena’s life in the near-future among the “Exes” who have opted out of participating in the global “shareholder” government - where society runs on social capital as determined by an Algorithm - and instead live communally on the world’s islands. The story is narrated by Athena, who is being held in a correctional facility, charged with her father’s murder.
Vauhini Vara jumps seamlessly between historical and speculative fiction, telling the story of the Raos in layers that are slowly peeled back, each chapter adding nuance to the developing narrative. The book feels in some ways like a cautionary tale, raising important questions about capitalism and technology - and sounding alarm bells about the climate - but mostly stops short of suggesting answers. Overall, a very solid debut and a solid four stars for me.
There are three major storylines that are interwoven throughout the book: the story of King Rao’s childhood in India, where he grew up on his family’s coconut plantation; his immigration to the US as a young adult, and the creation of his Apple-like tech empire; and his daughter Athena’s life in the near-future among the “Exes” who have opted out of participating in the global “shareholder” government - where society runs on social capital as determined by an Algorithm - and instead live communally on the world’s islands. The story is narrated by Athena, who is being held in a correctional facility, charged with her father’s murder.
Vauhini Vara jumps seamlessly between historical and speculative fiction, telling the story of the Raos in layers that are slowly peeled back, each chapter adding nuance to the developing narrative. The book feels in some ways like a cautionary tale, raising important questions about capitalism and technology - and sounding alarm bells about the climate - but mostly stops short of suggesting answers. Overall, a very solid debut and a solid four stars for me.