FASTING, FEASTING

FASTING, FEASTING

by

Anita Desai

ISBN 0-099-28963-6

Cover image taken from internet

After reading the children's book The Village by the Sea by Anita Desai, I moved on to her adult novel Fasting, Feasting after coming upon it in the local MPH bookstore. I have read this book several times and without fail, I always enjoy the first part far more than the second part. It is divided into Part I and Part II. Part I introduces us to Uma, the bumbling, clumsy somewhat simpleton spinster totally under the control of her ageing parents. Papa is an old retired small town lawyer and Mama the stereotyped conservative, old fashioned Indian mother. Uma has a younger sister Aruna who is the opposite - prettier, smart, vain, sassy, ambitious....basically all the things Uma isn't. When the girls were teenagers, a brother was born - Arun and being the only boy, of course his parents favoured and pampered him in the typical fashion that only Asians are able to comprehend. The narrative moves seamlessly between the present (when Uma is middle aged) and the past, that is when the girls were at school and then when they were of marriageable age. Even though I'm not Indian and this story is set in India, I identify so strongly with all the characters because somehow, they are so familiar to me. I recognise them because there is always a relative or a friend who shares the same idiosyncrasies like Uma and the rest of her family. When the writer describes Papa, i keep thinking how much he resembles a certain relative of mine. Grumpy, gruff, self-important, enjoys making others feel uncomfortable and prefers to be a big fish in a small pond. The reader can't help but feel sympathy for Uma - by virtue of her age and 2 failed attempts to marry her off, she is now destined to be at her parents' beck and call. Simple of mind with a almost childish outlook on life, Uma seems to be the main character in Part I and the through the narrative, you get a fair idea about middle class social norms in India and how girls and women are treated, despite fathers being educated. Societal norms and traditions reign supreme and anyone challenging them must  be prepared to be a somewhat outcast or even shunned. I can't place the era in which the story is set but my guess would be anything between the 50s to the 70s. I think this was done on purpose because the writer wanted to show that certain prejudices, cultural and societal values withstand the test of time.

Part II is all about Arun when he leaves India to study in some small town in America. Being a sheltered kid from a conservative family in India going to the US is some kind of culture shock for him though it's all bottled up inside him. Arun is the kind of character I feel like giving a good hard shake and a slap across the head. He is this silent, colorless kid who doesn't seem to talk properly. Only mumbles incoherent answers and tries to run away. Perhaps its his upbringing that has made him that way. So living with his foster family is like pure torture to him even though his host "mom" tries her best to make him feel comfortable and at home. 

Overall, Fasting, Feasting is a fantastic read and if you are a fan of Anita Desai, this is not to be missed. The prose is richly descriptive without overwhelming fancy language and the attention of the reader is easily held even though there is no complex plot. That is Desai's appeal to me.....the ability to describe the ordinary in such an interesting manner with just enough attention to detail.

THE VILLAGE BY THE SEA

THE VILLAGE BY THE SEA

 by 

Anita Desai

The Village by the Sea is a book I have read numerous times and will continue to re-read. My copy is a hardcover which is still in mint condition save for yellow age spots which is common enough. I am careful with my books when I read them and I never like to crack the spine which will spoil the binding or turn pages roughly. In that sense, I am anal about what I call “respecting the book”. When I open the title page, it says A Village by the Sea – An Indian Family Story. My name is handwritten on the same page with the date of acquisition (19th October 1997) purchased at MPH, 1Utama, Kuala Lumpur.

At the back, the price tag is still clear. RM13.90 for a hardcover. What a bargain. Sadly, after that era, the price of books went up astronomically. Today, a book like this would cost perhaps between RM30 to RM40.

Like many enduring books featuring children, there is a common mistake to label this as “children’s fiction” or a book which is only fit for children. By today’s standards, it wouldn’t even be under “Young Adult” fiction. The theme and the message is appealing to readers of any age whether young or old, in my opinion.

If you go to Wikipedia, you will see that this book won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in 1983. Now, I don’t read a book just because it has won a prize. In this case, it is clear why Anita Desai won the prize. Her style of writing, the storyline, the plot…..it goes far beyond an entertaining read. The story certainly stayed with me after I finished it.

Basically, the story is about a pair of siblings, Lila and Hari. Life in an Indian village is tough and with parents who cannot care for them and the family, they are forced to take on adult roles. Luckily, there are some kindly adult characters who go out of their way to make life bearable despite their own troubles living in a remote fishing village (Thul) and an over populated city like Bombay. I am not going to write a summary of the plot here because it is already available on Wikipedia.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK

This was my first Anita Desai book and since I have always had a soft spot for Asian writers, it didn’t take much to convince me to buy it at the bookshop. More rare is an Asian writer who features children prominently in the plot.

I can relate to Indian culture. Here in Malaysia, we aren’t strangers to Indian culture so it’s always nice to read a story about something you are familiar with. This includes the clothes, the language and the food, among others.

The Universal message of hope and perseverance and determination to overcome the odds makes me identify strongly with the book and its characters. The characters don’t high and sigh and weep helplessly about their predicaments. They get up and get on with life the best that they can!

It is a book which is in my Comfort Reading Category. Once in awhile, I turn back to the old stories which I first read when my life was much simpler and carefree.

No violence. No drugs. No depravity. No sexual assault, battery or rape. Need I say more? The newspapers and internet are already full of such stories if I want a slice of today’s world.

The writer’s vivid descriptions of the village of Thul and the city of Bombay which is told in simple vocabulary yet richly descriptive. Since I have never been to India, this makes me want to visit Bombay someday. I dislike the way some Asian writers tend to write with all the bombastic words and complicated flowery sentences so as to show their prowess in the English language.

WOULD I READ IT AGAIN?

Most definitely YES!!! (Said with much enthusiasm even after having read it say, 6 to 7 times since I bought it).

NOTABLE or FAVOURITES QUOTES/EXCERPTS

Chapter 11

Hari said, “Mr. Panwallah, you celebrate Coconut Day and Diwali and yet you are not a Hindu, are you? I thought you are a Parsee and celebrate only the Parsee festivals.”

“Oh no, no, no boy,” cried Mr Panwallah comically. “What would the fun of that? And why should I miss the fun of all the Hindu and Muslim festivals?  No, no, I believe in sharing everything, enjoying everything. That is why I have so much fun, eh? No gloom for me, eh?”

(Note : for someone like me who lives in Malaysia, this paragraph carries a lot of meaning).

STAR RATING

5/5