Book: Calcutta Exile
Author: Bunny Suraiya
Pages: 256
How Long It Took Me To Read: 1 day
Read On: Paperback
Plot Summary: Calcutta, 1959... a time when the city's social and cultural maosaic included Indians, the British and Anglo-Indians, who belonged to neither community but claimed kinship with the English.The Ryans are a typical middle-class Anglo-Indian family. The head of the family, Robert, a senior executive with a managing agency, has dreams of going 'home' to England as soon as he can. His wife, the beautiful Grace, however, is unsure about leaving her comfortable life in india. Their two daughters, Shirley and Paddy, are meanwhile discovering new emotions and relationships which will make them cross invisible but inflexible boundaries. The Ryan household also includes Ayah and her husband Apurru, a middle-aged Muslim couple who are making their own plans to go home - to an East Pakistan they have never seen. Also working in the same agency house as Robert is Ronen Mookerjee, the anglicized misfit son of a barrister who belongs to the Bengali landed gentry.
Through the stories of these men and women, Calcutta Exile evokes a bygone era of one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the world. It also raises questions about individual and collective identities, the foremost among which is: where is home.
General Thoughts: I stumbled on this book while randomly browsing on Amazon, I have read articles by Bunny Suraiya for ages but I didn't know she had a book out. I picked it up because the plot sounded great and had all things I am fond of reading about- Calcutta, the 1960s and questions of home and identity. Also this book was available for super cheap.
I am glad I got my hands on it, I absolutely loved this book.
Things I Liked:
1. The writing was great, easy, simple and pace of the book was amazing too. It moved quickly and had me gripped. I read this book way past my bedtime, I just couldn't put it down.
2. I loved the setting and time period of this book. Calcutta and the 1960s was a great time to read about. A new-ish country, modern ideas and the old way of life clash wonderfully.
3. The characters were fleshed out fantastically, there were so many characters, main and supporting but I felt like we got to know each and every one of them. We really got to know who they were and what drove them. I loved getting to know Ryan family- as a whole and each individual member.
4. The question of home and identity is always interesting to read about. Especially this situation of being Anglo-Indian and strongly identifying with one part of your supposed dual identity. Robert Ryan thinks of himself as vehemently as English. He turns his nose down on all things India and thinks himself better than Indians, he has ironically never even been to England and India is the only country he knows. Even his food preferences are typically Indian, yet he is dying to move to 'home'. To a country he doens't even know, he wants to leave all that is familiar behind to embark on a new life in a unknown land.
5. Another thing done very cleverly in this book is the juxtaposition of Robert- who thinks he is as good as English and Ronen- who is Indian born but has spend a significant portion of his life in England and is more English/British than Robert will ever be. Similarly, Paddy meets and falls in love with a man who has studied in England and is more westernized in his tastes than Paddy is.
6. I loved the relationship and bond between the servants in the Ryan household and the Ryan girls- Shirley and Paddy. They are so devoted to these girls and love them with all their hearts. It was sweet to read about their close relationship.
7. Even though the Ryan family was the main focus of this book, Ronen's story line was also given due importance and it was a nice story and very interesting to read about, his student life in London, his rather messed up family life and his wife Reela- a very interesting secondary character.
Rating: 5/5
I loved this book!
5. Another thing done very cleverly in this book is the juxtaposition of Robert- who thinks he is as good as English and Ronen- who is Indian born but has spend a significant portion of his life in England and is more English/British than Robert will ever be. Similarly, Paddy meets and falls in love with a man who has studied in England and is more westernized in his tastes than Paddy is.
6. I loved the relationship and bond between the servants in the Ryan household and the Ryan girls- Shirley and Paddy. They are so devoted to these girls and love them with all their hearts. It was sweet to read about their close relationship.
7. Even though the Ryan family was the main focus of this book, Ronen's story line was also given due importance and it was a nice story and very interesting to read about, his student life in London, his rather messed up family life and his wife Reela- a very interesting secondary character.
Rating: 5/5
I loved this book!
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