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A review by namakurhea
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree
4.5
Reading the blurb, I was expecting it to be a wholesome story of an old woman reinventing herself in her later years; a journey of self (re)discovery with a dose of domestic drama thrown in. Well, be prepared because this book will knock you out like a flying elbow manuever in WWE match.
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The book is divided in 3 parts and mind you: the first 2 parts are paced very slow. It does contain themes of gender roles, the individual vs the community, and some interesting family dynamics. The story is at times told by this god-like narrator who can jump back and forth in the timeline and shifts from narrating the story from above into becoming a minor supporting character or an animal. There is a lot of whimsy in the narration and a bit of dark humor, kinda like the narrator of “Ludo” (it’s a Hindi film available on netflix). There is a lot of “ha?” parts of the story…but word of advice: don’t stress yourself over these stuff anymore. That’s why when part three came, you’re going to be surprised. It features Partition a lot in the third part. The whimsy transitions into something darker and painful.
.
After finishing I reread the first chapter and I was like “dude the whole story is right there in the first part all along!!” A lot of the strange things happening in the first part makes sense! To quote directly from the book: “This particular tale has a border and women who come and go as they please.” And YES IT IS. It really is!! Borders here are not simply geographical ones. It is also the borders between parent and child, sister and brother, woman and man, past and present. This book is a beautifully told story of women who push past these borders and is brilliantly translated by Daisy Rockwell. You finish this book and you’ll be like “OK I understand why this is shortlisted for Booker”. It features an octogenarian heroine, amazing worldplay, shocking plot twists, and pays homage to literary traditions inspired by the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan.
.
I’ve only read this and “Cursed Bunny” but “Tomb of Sand” does have major WINNER vibezz for the Int’l Booker Prize.
.
Edit: OMG IT WON!
.
The book is divided in 3 parts and mind you: the first 2 parts are paced very slow. It does contain themes of gender roles, the individual vs the community, and some interesting family dynamics. The story is at times told by this god-like narrator who can jump back and forth in the timeline and shifts from narrating the story from above into becoming a minor supporting character or an animal. There is a lot of whimsy in the narration and a bit of dark humor, kinda like the narrator of “Ludo” (it’s a Hindi film available on netflix). There is a lot of “ha?” parts of the story…but word of advice: don’t stress yourself over these stuff anymore. That’s why when part three came, you’re going to be surprised. It features Partition a lot in the third part. The whimsy transitions into something darker and painful.
.
After finishing I reread the first chapter and I was like “dude the whole story is right there in the first part all along!!” A lot of the strange things happening in the first part makes sense! To quote directly from the book: “This particular tale has a border and women who come and go as they please.” And YES IT IS. It really is!! Borders here are not simply geographical ones. It is also the borders between parent and child, sister and brother, woman and man, past and present. This book is a beautifully told story of women who push past these borders and is brilliantly translated by Daisy Rockwell. You finish this book and you’ll be like “OK I understand why this is shortlisted for Booker”. It features an octogenarian heroine, amazing worldplay, shocking plot twists, and pays homage to literary traditions inspired by the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan.
.
I’ve only read this and “Cursed Bunny” but “Tomb of Sand” does have major WINNER vibezz for the Int’l Booker Prize.
.
Edit: OMG IT WON!