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A review by look_whos_reading
Undertow by Jahnavi Barua
4.0
Undertow is such a breathtakingly beautiful story of family and love and loss. In a recent interview with the author, she mentions that she intended for this story to be universally appealing. I'm here to vouch for that. The minimalistic lifestyle and descriptions of a simple, uncomplicated life reminded me of growing up in a small town where the daily hustle-bustle was all you needed to lead a full life. This story speaks of a life where history, culture, politics and education are all intricately related and are part of a daily conversation.
The character of Torun reminded me of my own grandfather, successful, self-made, proud, arrogant even, a creature of habit and devoted to his family. Usha reminded me of my grandmother who silently toiled in the background but earned the title of solid matriarch of the family. I related to the entourage Torun maintains around him - a gardener, a cook, a maid, the fish seller, the postman... the team that helps run your household and who depend on you to put a roof over their head in turn. It's really an emotional story of belonging to a place, a society and a culture. It really is universally relatable.
If there was one thing I found pulling me back from a complete immersive experience, it was the hasty editing/proof-reading that went into the book. Every few pages, I found myself being sucked slowly into the atmosphere when suddenly there'd be a jarring grammatical mistake or incomplete phrase (I counted four instances)... I might sound like I'm being too picky here but it's such a short story and so exceptionally well-told that I guess I expected a cleaner finished product.
Nevertheless, please read this story if you love evocative prose or stories that harness emotions, and especially if you grew up in India in the 70's or 80's. I cannot recommend this book enough.
The character of Torun reminded me of my own grandfather, successful, self-made, proud, arrogant even, a creature of habit and devoted to his family. Usha reminded me of my grandmother who silently toiled in the background but earned the title of solid matriarch of the family. I related to the entourage Torun maintains around him - a gardener, a cook, a maid, the fish seller, the postman... the team that helps run your household and who depend on you to put a roof over their head in turn. It's really an emotional story of belonging to a place, a society and a culture. It really is universally relatable.
If there was one thing I found pulling me back from a complete immersive experience, it was the hasty editing/proof-reading that went into the book. Every few pages, I found myself being sucked slowly into the atmosphere when suddenly there'd be a jarring grammatical mistake or incomplete phrase (I counted four instances)... I might sound like I'm being too picky here but it's such a short story and so exceptionally well-told that I guess I expected a cleaner finished product.
Nevertheless, please read this story if you love evocative prose or stories that harness emotions, and especially if you grew up in India in the 70's or 80's. I cannot recommend this book enough.