An atlas of impossible longing : a novel
Record details
- ISBN: 9781451608625 (pbk.)
-
Physical Description:
319 pages ; 22 cm
print - Edition: First Free Press trade paperback edition.
- Publisher: New York : Free Press, 2011.
- Copyright: ©2008.
Content descriptions
General Note: | Originally published: Great Britain : MacLehose, 2008. Includes a reading group guide. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Cast of characters -- Prologue -- Part I: Drowned house -- Part II: Ruined fort -- Part III: Water's edge -- Glossary -- Acknowledgments. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Orphans -- Fiction India -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction India -- History -- Partition, 1947 -- Fiction Bengal (India) -- Fiction |
Genre: | Domestic fiction. Romance fiction. |
Available copies
- 14 of 15 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Smithers Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 15 total copies.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Smithers Public Library | F ROY (Text) | 35101000330154 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2011 March #1
Born out of wedlock to a tribal girl and housed at an orphanage under the uncharacteristically compassionate aegis of a local businessman, Mukunda is eventually adopted by Amulya's family upon his death. Of no discernible caste, Mukunda makes his way as a shadowy adjunct in a household that includes a senile grandmother, suspicious aunt, widowed cousin, and, most importantly, Bakul, a girl near his age. Her mother died in childbirth, and as the bond between the two motherless children blossoms, Bakul's father, Nirmal, Amulya's youngest son, becomes increasingly concerned that their innocent play may lead to inappropriate passion. Nirmal sends Mukunda away to boarding school, ostensibly for his own good, thus instilling a sense of rejection and abandonment that Mukunda will fight the rest of his life to overcome. An incandescently evocative debut novel filled with wrenching tragedy as well as abiding passion, Roy's panoramic, multigenerational tale of desire, revenge, and loss is filled with the rhythms and values of India's rich and varied subcultures. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2011 February #2
Together since the ages of six and four, Mukunda and Bakul are best friends living under the roof of Amulya and his wife, Kananbala, in Songarh, a small town in India. Bakul is the daughter of Nirmal, Amulya's son, who works as an archaeologist; her mother died tragically after childbirth. Mukunda is an orphan without caste or religion whom Amulya sponsored until he brought him to live with his family. As they reach their teen years, it is decided that Mukunda and Bakul should be separated, even though it's evident to the reader that they are destined to be together. At one point, a depressed, frustrated Mukunda consults an astrologist, who looks at his palm and sees "a veritable atlas...rivers of desire.... Your palm is nothing but an atlas of impossible longings." VERDICT Roy, who works at an independent publishing house in Delhi, is a fabulous storyteller with a true gift for transporting the reader right into the heat, smells, and sights of India. Humorous passages, colorful descriptions, and a sprinkling of native words blend to concoct a poetic novel easily read again and again. A complete success and an excellent choice for a discussion group.âLisa Rohrbaugh, National Coll., Chicago
[Page 101]. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2011 January #3
Roy's impressive American debut covers multiple generations of an Indian family from the turn of the 20th century to India's partition. Three distinct sections revolve around Amulya, who runs an herbal medicine and fragrance business; his mentally ill wife, Kananbala, who spies on the goings-on of her English neighbors from the room Amulya keeps her locked in; their sons, Kamal and Nirmal; their wives; Nirmal's daughter Bakul, whose mother died in childbirth; and finally Mukunda, an orphan that Amulya helps support, at which point Nirmal brings Mukunda home as a companion for Bakul. Tales weave backward and forward, and characters wallow in their longings, occasionally taking action; Mukunda and Bakul form a lasting bond that doesn't change with their circumstances. The book unfolds in third person until the final section, when Mukunda steps in as narrator to provide a welcome personal perspective on years of events. Roy is especially good at sensory description, making the sounds, smells, and feel of Bengal come vividly to life. Cultures may differ, but longing and love are universal. (Apr.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2010 PWxyz LLC