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A review by laura_trap
The Pathless Sky by Chaitali Sen
2.0
The best way to describe this book is that it is a still life portrait. The artistry was amazing, her lyricism held a deep realism but yet still poetic quality to it that was enjoyable. But the subject matter. Boring. Disappointing. Lackluster. The characters did not inspire any form of empathy, John was awful for most of the book, and Mariam...was so unimaginative. There was very little character development for anyone in the story. It centered around the deeply intense love between Mariam and John, the times they hated each other, the times they craved each other more than anything. The whole pregnancy thing made very little sense. It seemed to be a very random plot device thrown in to make conflict in the middle of the story, which made it even less of a thrilling read. I was more fascinated by paralells of geology (the actual physicality of the land) versus the very human symbolism placed upon it by people, governments, religions. But most of that theme was stripped away by vague mentions of what that importance was and the fact that the reader is never given an actual name for the country the book is in. It is heavily implied to be in the mid-nineteenth century and somewhere in the middle east. The descriptions have a very human quality to them:
"The terrain eventually became more feminine, less angular" p. 101.
Yes, part of that reflection of human qualities imposed upon the landscape, that people attach importance to the land they are. Her writing is hypnotic, and almost makes you forget how boring the plot is, how monotonous and selfish the characters are. The love between Mariam and John takes center stage at specific points in the book, then it slips back into the political unrest within this unnamed country. This book could not make up its mind on what it wanted to be. A commentary on the singular lives on individuals and how they are effected by the gears of politics and war? A love story that spans a lifetime? Maybe a story showcasing the landscape, the people, the government, and how they all are intertwined? I don't know. I walked away from this book not knowing really what type of story I was presented. It was so beautifully written that by the time I realized how boring the plot and characters were, I had fully committed and needed to finish the book.
"To chase the ghosts of mountains" p. 166
Yeah, that about sums up this book. To chase the ghost of a story. Bleh.
"The terrain eventually became more feminine, less angular" p. 101.
Yes, part of that reflection of human qualities imposed upon the landscape, that people attach importance to the land they are. Her writing is hypnotic, and almost makes you forget how boring the plot is, how monotonous and selfish the characters are. The love between Mariam and John takes center stage at specific points in the book, then it slips back into the political unrest within this unnamed country. This book could not make up its mind on what it wanted to be. A commentary on the singular lives on individuals and how they are effected by the gears of politics and war? A love story that spans a lifetime? Maybe a story showcasing the landscape, the people, the government, and how they all are intertwined? I don't know. I walked away from this book not knowing really what type of story I was presented. It was so beautifully written that by the time I realized how boring the plot and characters were, I had fully committed and needed to finish the book.
"To chase the ghosts of mountains" p. 166
Yeah, that about sums up this book. To chase the ghost of a story. Bleh.