THE POINT OF RETURN by SIDDHARTHA DEB

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image from here

Pure delight. Brilliant, poignant and beautiful.

There is something about Indian authors which I like- the maturity in their writing, the raw emotions and sharp images and the unfailing indigenous love and attachment to the land and to its people- related or not.

The author talks about the relationship between a father and a son. The book is divided into four parts- Arrival, Departure , Terminal and Travelogue. The first part talks about the various ‘arrivals’ , the second about good byes, the third sees the narrator reflect and reminisce and the final part sees him linking the first three and finishing the picture.

The book takes us into the political landscape of the North-East and talks about ‘change’ and its effect on people and places. It shows how a honest common man can be taken for a ride by the system and how his entire life’s effort can be made marginal because someone(a politician)  wants something.

Babu, the son, is a character with whom you can easily relate to- impatient, boisterous and does not know how to interact with the father. The father, Dr.Dam, somehow reminds me of the ‘common man’. Unfailing in his duty but a victim of the politics and discrimination.

The authors shows us how many in our country are forced to see themselves not as ‘Indians’ but identify themselves with people of ‘their’ language or ‘their’ race. You cannot help but think that this is the author’s personal story. I love the way he has draws a ‘new’ town and paints the landscape. And the emotions- they seem alive!

Overall this is a book which you will enjoy, if you like ‘serious’ books- books with emotion, thoughts, feelings and of course life.

rating:- 9/10

originally posted here.

Vishesh Unni Raghunathan (37 Posts)