The Memory of Elephants

by Boman Desai

Spurned by his first love, Homi Seervai, the Parsi genius from Bombay, creates a machine that lets him scan his brain for memories of the time he spent with her. The machine malfunctions, propelling him instead into his collective unconscious where he encounters ancestors and relatives, both dead and alive. In this wildly inventive book—available for the first time in the United States—Homi, blessed with the memory of elephants, discovers the splendor of his heritage as well as hope for the future.

Genres: India, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Nev March · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! This novel caught my interest and would not let go.

It’s a delightful empathetic story. I cannot recall another where I have so deeply felt the plight of a black family, and understood so viscerally how race impacts every interaction. That is the hallmark of superb writing. That unexplainable something that cannot be defined.

That I could so completely be immersed in fantastic realism is also remarkable because it’s not a genre I prefer. Here the fantastic/supernatural elements slip in so organically, so naturally that I accepted and went along, my curiosity rising with each page. There is no jarring strangeness that can make me toss aside paranormal fiction, because it has strained my credulity too far. No, here I was along for every minute of the ride.

The story pulled me in with questions, as I traced the female Elephant trainer's story and the lives that are woven through her tale. When the story reached India, there was a chapter that had me in tears. So poignant, so powerful. It is more than Desai's phenomenal research which creates this authenticity. It can only be something we call "soul."

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after meeting the author. who is Parsi. The book has an interesting premise of a college student who makes machinery that allows him to see not only his own past but the pasts of his ancestors, though he only goes a few generations back, and we see scenes from their lives and they speak to him. I enjoyed the first half more, when it was more historical. The back half is about his parents and his brother and himself in present times, which is the 1960's. He doesn't talk a lot about Indian history or Parsi culture but you need a mild understanding of it to be able to figure out what people are saying without looking at the glossary in the back.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original copyright for this book is 1988; the Univ. of Chicago Press didn't bring out its U.S. edition till 2001. I would give it 3.5 if fractions were possible here. The stories of generations of Parsi (Iranian immigrant) families in India are just fascinating. The "memoscan" frame is quite goofy, but I like the omniscient narration that it allows--or better said, the opportunity that all the family members have to tell their stories & open up their own point of view. The novel paints very thought-provoking pictures of the effects of British colonialism in India.

[Lysia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love magical realism and time travel and family history stories and Indian culture in all its forms. This book has all of that (well, time travel may be a bit of a stretch but the main character Homi does travel to see events of his family with them). Uniquely written insofar as Desai includes what are almost stage directions (phrases similar to "As if in a movie the view suddenly changed and began to pull out") - I could easily see this novel turned into a film.

[Kookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable. I loved the complex storyline and how it jumped back and forth in time, but I thought the reason our hero built his memory machine was the dumbest thing ever. I'm knocking off an entire star for that.

[Hellyhaye · Rating 1 out of 5]

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