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A review by marko68
A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
5.0
‘We’d paid our price in blood and now, we proclaimed, Calcutta was a British city. Five minutes here would tell you it was no such thing. But that didn’t mean it was Indian. The truth was, Calcutta was unique.’ P29
Calcutta, 1919… the British Raj. A melting pot of colonialism, nationalistic culture and subjugation and the backdrop to Gandhi’s non-violent revolution that ultimately saw the end of British rule in the mid-20th century.
Such is the setting for Abir Mukherjee’s excellent novel, ‘A Rising Man’, first in the Captain Sam Wyndham series. And what an awesome read it is. Mukherjee delves deeply into the reality of the oppression, racism, segregation, and cultural divide that characterised much of British India. There are so many layers to everything that Mukherjee pivots this story around .. the layers of colonialism and the effects of the Empire are blatant and the value of hindsight in 2024 cannot be underestimated. However, I was left in a very reflective state, wondering how far we have really come. And while it’s easy to see the log in the eye, it’s much less easy to see the similarities or legacies of colonial attitudes that are subtle, damaging and deeply entrenched today. Sure there are the obvious discriminations and abuse of privileged power, but the subtle biases and behaviours that divide and separate are much more sinister and subversive.
“It was seductively easy to fall into the casual racism upon which the whole place was built”… p257.. ain’t that still the truth today?
A Rising Man centres around Captain Sam Wyndham, newly arrived in Calcutta following his own fair share of tragedy and suffering during World War 1. With very little left to live for, he finds himself in a post in the British Raj in the Indian Civil Service as a captain in the police force. Within two weeks, he is embroiled in a murder case that has its tentacles everywhere in an increasingly volatile political landscape.
His sidekick, Sergeant Banerjee is actually a powerful supporting actor and I can see this duo teaming up in future instalments in a powerful way. Banerjee, softly spoken, respectful and one who ‘knows his place’ is quietly resistant, offering up carefully chosen words to challenge the British ‘moral superiority’ and mindset.
I loved the way Mukherjee brings to light some of the historical elements of the time including the unbelievable massacre in Amritsar which I honestly had no idea about…
This was an excellent book. I can’t wait to read more. 5 stars.
Calcutta, 1919… the British Raj. A melting pot of colonialism, nationalistic culture and subjugation and the backdrop to Gandhi’s non-violent revolution that ultimately saw the end of British rule in the mid-20th century.
Such is the setting for Abir Mukherjee’s excellent novel, ‘A Rising Man’, first in the Captain Sam Wyndham series. And what an awesome read it is. Mukherjee delves deeply into the reality of the oppression, racism, segregation, and cultural divide that characterised much of British India. There are so many layers to everything that Mukherjee pivots this story around .. the layers of colonialism and the effects of the Empire are blatant and the value of hindsight in 2024 cannot be underestimated. However, I was left in a very reflective state, wondering how far we have really come. And while it’s easy to see the log in the eye, it’s much less easy to see the similarities or legacies of colonial attitudes that are subtle, damaging and deeply entrenched today. Sure there are the obvious discriminations and abuse of privileged power, but the subtle biases and behaviours that divide and separate are much more sinister and subversive.
“It was seductively easy to fall into the casual racism upon which the whole place was built”… p257.. ain’t that still the truth today?
A Rising Man centres around Captain Sam Wyndham, newly arrived in Calcutta following his own fair share of tragedy and suffering during World War 1. With very little left to live for, he finds himself in a post in the British Raj in the Indian Civil Service as a captain in the police force. Within two weeks, he is embroiled in a murder case that has its tentacles everywhere in an increasingly volatile political landscape.
His sidekick, Sergeant Banerjee is actually a powerful supporting actor and I can see this duo teaming up in future instalments in a powerful way. Banerjee, softly spoken, respectful and one who ‘knows his place’ is quietly resistant, offering up carefully chosen words to challenge the British ‘moral superiority’ and mindset.
I loved the way Mukherjee brings to light some of the historical elements of the time including the unbelievable massacre in Amritsar which I honestly had no idea about…
This was an excellent book. I can’t wait to read more. 5 stars.