A Matter of Time

As a writer, Deshpande speaks with the voice of truth. The core of her talent is a profound understanding of the layered complexities of women's familial interactions, the nurturing friendships and smoldering silences of past deeds. She weaves the story of four generations of Indian women caught in the "metaphor of silence". When Gopal, in a rush of existential angst, tells his wife, Sumi, that he cannot stay married, he makes this decision in good faith. Unable to find joy in the small moments of family, he is hyper-aware of the fleeting nature of happiness. With the simple intention to be true to himself, he sets in place a series of events with tragic consequences. The most wrenching change is for Sumi, Gopal's beautiful still-young wife, who must return to live in her parents home with three young daughters. In her struggle for a new definition of herself, Sumi grieves and accepts the loss of her marriage, discovers untapped strengths within herself and possibilities for her future. Sumi begins anew knowing that "where I stand is always the center to me". Of the girls, Anu, the oldest, struggles hardest to understand how her everyday simplicity could change so drastically. She watches the grownups carefully: her mother, Sumi, her grandmother, Kalyani, and distant grandfather, Shripati. And Anu listens to old family stories in an attempt to comprehend the intricacies of the women's subtle alliances.No one is prepared for tragedy as they attempt to reassemble their hopes and dreams with an eye to the future. But life is ever unpredictable and this Indian family is dealt a blow that leaves them staggering for balance. In her powerful, quiet way, Deshpande lovingly renders her complex characters, bringing the reader into their home just long enough to love these women too, and mourn their loss, a rare gift in a writer.

This book is fantastic! Deshpande uses such incredible imagery, such rich detail, I felt like I was part of the book. While exploring the inner workings of the Indian brain, this book also deals with the strength and power of Indian family life. I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting, and would gladly read it again. I absolutely loved it!

Shashi Deshpande's book "A Matter of Time" is a "must" book for all those who are interested in the Indian way of thinking. In her book Deshpande tries to answer some very important questions like, "What is a relationship?", "What is life?", "What is death?", "Is death the final act which wipes out all that has been?" - questions that have bothered human beings from time immemorial. Seeped in Indian thoughts and philosophical thinking, rich in Indian images, the novel is a tapestry of human relationships. It is quite unconventional in the way it uses the relationships within a family to explore the ways open to a man who is disenchanted with the material world. Gopal who he is haunted by a feeling of emptiness walks out of his family life leaving behind his young and beautiful wife, Sumi and three daughters. Sumi accepts his decision even if she does not understand it, and concentrates on continuing to live. It is as if within her heart she knows that no human being has the right to chain up another one, that each person has to travel the path of life alone. Aru, the eldest daughter does not have this ripeness of outlook. Just 17 years of age, she thinks that justice is something which can be obtained in a court of law. She divides life into fair and unfair zones. Kalyani, the grand mother has led a macabre married life. Her husband has not talked to her for decades, and leads a solitary life in a room built on the top of the house. But the fact that he is there in the house seems to lend an air of respectability to Kalyani's life. She does not understand the loneliness of the heart, and neither understands why Gopal has walked out nor why Sumi takes it so calmly. Thus in this novel Shashi Deshpande brings together women of three generations and shows their different outlooks on life. As with her other books, a variety of experiences await the reader of this novel. What a reader gets out of this book very much depends on the his/her own mental frame work. This novel is not meant to entertain, but to enlighten.

I absolutly loved this book. The dynamics of the characters were outstanding and her ability to describe things in such detail made this book impossible to put down. This is one of those books you have to read more then once, and will do so gladly.