Across the Lakes

Travelling with a friend has its pros and cons. The disadvantages of having to debate which road to take and which lodgings are most suitable are usually offset by the joy of experiences shared, the wonder and laughter provoked by unfamiliar sights, sounds, scents and customs. This joy is multiplied when your travelling companion is a formidable storyteller and has a profound knowledge of the country and culture being explored. And so, on page 1 of our journey, you took me firmly by the hand and led me into the city. "The Dhakuria Lakes are the lungs of South Calcutta. Once upon a time they marked the boundary of the city, beyond them lay the railway lines and beyond those the fields and villages. Now of course they have all been absorbed into the metropolis and today, when you cross the Dhakuria Railway Bridge, you enter the new districts of the city, beginning with Jodhpur Park and going all the way up to Garia." This reminds me of Tolkien, leading the reader into an unknown world, secure in the knowledge that each of the unfamiliar names will be given their true meaning and weight as the journey proceeds. At first I wanted to rush ahead, frustrated by the pace of our progress. But I could hear you whisper: "Patience, dear fellow, patience. All will be revealed in good time." And so you led me gently through the four disparate lives of your protagonists until they were eventually inextricably linked. Only later did I realise that, like Tolkien, the gentle pace and elaborate exploration of each life were essential in assigning the exact weight required to fully understand the events that were to unfold and each character's unique response and role. And I marvelled, once again, at the power that fiction has to explore a culture in a manner that is far more vibrant and perhaps even "factual" than non-fiction. I am convinced that I have learned more about India from your book than I would have had I travelled the length and breadth of the country for several months. The latter experience might have given me the full sensory impact, but the characters would have moved aimlessly, without purpose. I would not have understood their plight, nor the duties and customs that steer their movements. There is much more to say, many more questions to be answered, but for now I will end off by thanking you for your expert guidance, your wonderful evocation of a country and culture that I long believed was impenetrable, beyond my understanding.

Realistic characters and well observed dialogue, although one is never truly drawn into the story. An accurate portrayal of modern India- if only the ending had not been such a contrived coincidence.