Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer

by Cyrus Mistry

At the very edge of its many interlocking worlds, the city of Bombay conceals a near invisible community of Parsi corpse bearers, whose job it is to carry bodies of the deceased to the Towers of Silence. Segregated and shunned from society, often wretchedly poor, theirs is a lot that nobody would willingly espouse. Yet thats exactly what Phiroze Elchidana, son of a revered Parsi priest, does when he falls in love with Sepideh, the daughter of an aging corpse bearer...

Derived from a true story, Cyrus Mistrys extraordinary new novel is a moving account of tragic love that, at the same time, brings to vivid and unforgettable life the degradation experienced by those who inhabit the unforgiving margins of history.

Genres: Fiction, India, Indian Literature, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Asian Literature

Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Cyrus Mistry is an Indian author and playwright. He won the 2014 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer. He is the brother of author Rohinton Mistry.

He is from Mumbai. He began writing at a young age as a playwright, but has also worked as a journalist and short-story writer. His first short was published in 1979. He has also written short film scripts and several documentaries.

He has recently been awarded the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for his novel 'Chronicle of a Corpse-Bearer'.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never have I felt anything this strong about a book in weeks!

A very surprising and impressive 5 🌟 read

I would recommend this book for those who love reading a book which

✔️Is short yet quite fast-paced and intriguing

✔️Adds a dash of heartbreaking romance

✔️A story with outstanding characters living a different life than the rest

✔️Discusses social issues which need to be addressed urgently

✔️Adds historical facts tastefully without a one-sided mindset and open for discussion

The narration is amazing!

I still cannot believe this book is not read by many yet. I am thoroughly impressed!

There are so many lines/quotes which you will be able to relate to but you will come across as something new, raw and honest.

Totally a must read.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Parsis are Gujurati speaking Zoroastrian believers, who live in India. Most of them live in or around Bombay, where the novel Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer, is set.

Fire is held sacred by the Zoroastrians. They worship in Agiarys, also known as 'Fire Temples'.

Traditionally, the Parsis dispose of their dead by placing corpses on the roofs of so-called Towers of Silence. They are left there so that vultures can pick them clean of flesh and other body parts that are likely to decay. Because fire is sacred to the Parsis, they do not cremate bodies as this would pollute the fire. Some Parsis are also buried. I have visited the Parsi Burial Ground in Malleswaram in Bangalore (which also has its own Towers of Silence), where I am writing this review. However, feeding the vultures is the preferred method of 'disposal'.

When a Parsi dies, his or her body is collected by the Khandias, who are also responsible for cleaning the bodies and putting them out for the vultures. The Khandias are regarded by other Parsis as being unclean or 'untouchable'.

So, when Phiroze, the son of the high priest of an Agiary and a truant who cannot pass his school-leaving exams, falls for Sepideh, the daughter of a Khandiar, and then subsequently marries her, he is banished from his father's home, and has to become a Khandia.

Cyrus Mistry writes his novel as if Phiroze was telling it. The story is mainly concerned with the complex ramifications and consequences of his relationship with Sepideh. It is a story of memory and romance set against a background of the ups and downs of being a Khandiar during the last few years that Britain ruled India (the 1940s). In addition, the author paints a sensitive portrait of aspects of Bombay life, which may already be no more than distant memories in the minds of a generation, which is beginning to die out.

Apart from being sensitively written, Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer provides an interesting and revealing insight into the lives of the Parsis, detailing, in particular, the fascinating traditions connected with the handling of the dead.

I have just ordered Mistry's first novel Radiance of Ashes

[Gorab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intrigued by Parsi life, picked this with lot of enthusiasm about death in Parsi community.
Loved this narration of tragedy, love, life and death, and most importantly the status of the corpse bearers in modern times.

Felt the prose was a bit dry, and I struggled for the initial 100 pages. Continued only for the plot.
However completed the latter half of the book in a single sitting yesterday evening.
The last 40-50 pages were brilliant!
Loved how it all came together, and the revelation towards the end.

Being a fan of his elder brother, I loved the subtle autobiographical hints - at how Pheroze felt inferior due to his elder bro's way with words and books. Not so subtle later, as one character was named Rohinton ;)

While this was a satisfactory read, revelaing great insights and info about Parsi community, it has incited more curiosity about the Towers of Silence in modern times.

Highly recommended!

[Tariq Engineer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I am a Parsi, I knew next to nothing about the Khandias, the sub-caste responsible for handling the dead. The book was therefore an eye-opener. And while I had little sympathy for the main character - Phiroze - the book's vast cast of minor characters were engaging and the story interesting enough for me to keep turning the page.

I found the narration a bit stilted but some of the dialogue was excellent and I could hear the Parsi accents in my head. I wouldn't read it for the writing but I would read for the story.

[Jyotsna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars
NPS: 10 (Promoter)

Having grown up around the Towers Of Silence at Kemps Corner, Mumbai, this was a really interesting read for me. I have seen the vultures loom over the highest point, where the bodies are deposited, and was interested in understanding more about this Zoroastrian custom.

It had always been a hereditary profession. Generations of in breeding within families belonging to the sub cast of cops – together with the self imposed and socially enforced isolation – had entered them free, cash, awkward, and genetically unsound. How completely sad and despairing, then, that cop bearers continue to sperm and thrash about while trying to find ways to escape its inherited tyranny.

The khandias, or the corpse bearers are responsible for taking care of the dead in the Parsi or Zoroastrian community in India. The treatment of these corpse bearers is as good as those of untouchables or Dalits in the Hindu caste system.

The book spins a tale of one such corpse bearer (based on a true story) who leaves his middle class, priestly family to marry the daughter of another corpse bearer. But as he marries the love of his life, the new father in law keeps a condition that marrying his daughter will mean that the son in law will become a corpse bearer as well.

This is the story of Mehli Cooper of Bombay.

If you are from Mumbai, this book will be relatable for you. The lanes and the roads mentioned are where I spent my formative years, and it really took me back to my teenage days.

Mother would have given me two half-anna coins, just enough for my fare on the tram from Gowalia Tank to Mazgaon and back. These were terrific joy rights for me, as the tram slowly trundle through the crowded streets and Bazaars of the town. But at the end of my journey to Mazagaon, I always feel like visiting the Kangas. I felt close to Rohinton, but it was obvious to me that we belong to different world – and I could never feel entirely at ease under the fest, is eyes of so many bearers, steward and watchman.

I recommend this book for those who are from Mumbai, or from anywhere around the world, for a gateway into understanding the Parsi community.

[Smita Beohar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in pre-independence Parsi era, Chronicles is of a Corpse Bearer is the story of Phiroze Elchinda. Born to the head priest of ‘The Temple of Fire’, Phiroze is considered to be the blessed one. Born on a very auspicious day he is expected to take over his father in the priestly duties. Things however taken an unexpected turn when they realise that he is not academically a bright child; on the contrary he hates studies. He gallivants around Mumbai, breaks every rule in the book and finally does the unexpected by falling in love with Sepideh, the daughter of an ageing corpse bearer.

Parsi corps bearers are a little known community whose job is to carry bodies of the deceased to the Tower of Silence. Segregated and shunned from society, often wretchedly poor, theirs is the lot that nobody would willingly espouse and Phiroze, much to the chagrin of his revered father, does exactly that. What follows next is what the book is all about.

Often told in an impassioned manner the book moves you with the way it has been narrated. The plight of the community is such that the portrayal will affect you deep down. Imagine the life of people who make their living by carrying dead people on their shoulders, by cleaning them and by being a shunned by people of their community. Paradoxically, after death the shunners had to depend on these very corpse bearers for their last journey.

The book moves you and had such an effect on me that I went on to search about the aforesaid community and the Tower of Silence. What I had unearthed was something that I had never heard of before. I had goose bumps when I realised what Tower of Silence really is. If you don’t know what it is you can read about it here.

As far as the book is concerned, it comes with its flaws. The story which stems from the fact that Phiroze fell in love with a girl and leaves everything for her sadly lacks much talk about ‘her’, of course there is a section about her but a little more wouldn’t have hurt. I mean wouldn’t you want to know about the relationship which was so strong that it made a guy leave everything and take a down looked upon job?

But I loved the book because there is a dullness in it which grips you. There is a sombre mood in the whole narrative which you cannot escape. There is something about the writing that makes you turn pages though the portions where the author talks about the historical happenings which are not connected to the plot but just gives you a feel of the time and makes the proceedings drab but still there is something in the book which makes you turn the pages.

I would strongly recommend this book to people who want to learn about a community which I don’t know exists today or not but existed once and lived a life which we cannot even imagine in our dreams. The book is recommended to people who love to read a little bit of literature and humanity. This book is a heartfelt account of a life which is scary & fascinating at the same time. Good English is an added advantage of the book ;)

[Vartika · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Rohinton Mistry is one of my favourite authors, and the only person so far to have had each of his novels shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I have read and re-read these, plus Tales from Firozsha Baag and The Scream, many a time – partly because they're just that good, partly because he hasn't put out any new writing in nearly two decades. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that his younger brother Cyrus also happens to be a prizewinning novelist!

Though his work shares many qualities and concerns with that of his émigré sibling, Cyrus Mistry is virtually unknown outside of his own community and a small sprinkling of Indian literati. I, like others , naturally found myself wondering if this didn't have something to do with the fact that he never left India, where the publishing landscape isn't quite as resource-rich and both readership and publicity opportunities for homegrown writers are much diminished. The author's prose style is beautiful, but ever-so-tedious and not very accessible, and his subject matter – the fate of the downtrodden within India's shrinking Parsi community – is unlikely to have piqued organic interest in the absence of international reknown (which is what helped bring his brother's novels to readers' attention in the country).

That being said, Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer is also not quite as polished a work of fiction as I had hoped for. Set during the prelude to Indian independence and based on a true story, this novel is narrated by Phiroze, the son of a revered Parsi priest, who decides to take up a life of segregation, poverty, and back-breaking labour as a corpse-bearer when he falls in love with Sepideh, the daughter of an ageing khandia (Khandias are the most downtrodden amongst Parsis, their oppression and stigmatisation comparable to that of the 'untouchable' dalit subcastes within the Hindu social order). Mistry here brilliantly evokes Bombay as it was in the early 1900s, focusing on the cultural customs, orthodoxies, and the attendant prejudices of a highly-influential but endangered religious minority; he also weaves in an account of the political developments in India during the Swadeshi and Quit India movements as observed by those not entirely sympathetic to or engaged with them. However, this comes at a cost to character development and plotting: Sepideh is integral to our understanding of Phiroze's story of loss and suffering, yet readers barely get a sense of what she was like beyond the facts of her identity and her tragic death. In fact, this holds true for other women in the story, too – including Phiroze and Sepideh's respective mothers – who are also instrumental to the plot, and are summarily killed off once their functional role in the novel's events has concluded.

There is also some sense of an outsider appropriating the voice of the oppressed here. On one level, this is exactly as intended, for Phiroze is an 'uppercaste' Parsi who comes to share the lot of the khandias later in life. His ocassional tone-deafness – such as when he calls his father "a kind man" right after he yells at one of his subordinates – also stems from this fact. However, his taking on the cause of the khandias feels generally uneasy because of the scant characterisation Mistry affords to the rest of his ilk. Phiroze's is a dispassioned, distanced account dulled by time and age, but it is least impactful because we are never given a chance to connect with or feel for the other characters around and alongside him – none of them feel wholly real.

In my opinion, this could have been a much stronger story had the author developed his characters better, and shown us a bit more of them than he tells us. As is, I found the narration quite stilted, and while I hate to compare, the attention put into making readers care about the secondary characters is precisely what makes the other brother's books so special.

Still, I'm glad to have made my acquaintance with Cyrus Mistry's writing, and I will read his other novel in hope that it speaks better to my tastes.

[Viju · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s probably a coincidence that the book I read after Shantaram and Milk Teeth (both set in Bombay) is also a book set in Bombay.

Set in the Parsi community which deals with the end of journey of parsis in their towers of silence, this chronicle is some great story-telling. Very non-linear and mostly told in first person, this book covers a lot of ground in just 240 pages. The World War 2, the pre-independence era, the post-independence era, the construction boom and more - all of it have a place in the story alongside the corpse bearer. And it does have its lighter moments in the form of intelligent dialog.

After a while, I was forced to use the dictionary app on kindle from time to time to understand the words. I’d have easily learnt 100-120 new words/word usages thanks to this book. And the brothers (Cyrus is Rohinton Mistry’s brother) both write so well!

[Meghna Pant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Completely underwhelmed by this book. By being snowballed under historical events and fact-recounting, the narrative focus shifts away from character build-up, a seamless plot, depth or poise, with so much telling and no showing. The only redeeming feature of this book is in educating people about the endearing and lovable Parsi community.

Would have worked better as creative non-fiction.

[Akarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite story! Immaculate narrative!

Oh! and all the hardships, miseries, and other 'onerous tasks' that a death brings, along with the grief and lachrymose period, for the loved ones of the deceased, and the different ways in which we react to them.
This book, if nothing more, will manage to leave you flabbergasted not by its beautiful lines (which of course, it does have some) but by author's candid observations of death's cruelty and human's callow response to it...
This book like every other well-written book will first seduce you by its sumptuous language, and then like every other great book will engross you by its magnanimity.

Come to this book not with the expectation of getting yourself acquainted with death itself but with everything else that we do (both deliberately and hastily) around ours loved ones' end time. Isn't it really great as a subject? For are we really capable of understanding death and it's atrocities. Has anyone- both who went before us and our contemporaries- ever fathomed death? Let's not digress any further. So what makes this book rather worth your time. As per me, the beauty of this book lies in teaching you about human behavior in both its magnanimity and savageness through and around the time of death.

So, how and why I accosted this book. I had very little idea as to what's really inside and frankly speaking it was more because of my unparalleled and sincere reverence towards Cyrus Mistry's brother Rohinton Mistry that made me go for this book. It was exactly the kind of trust that you have in your best friend's siblings; only that all you gain,sometimes, is sheer disappointment out of the trust you put in the first place.
But wait! and this wasn't a bad trust at all. It was more like a sumptuous tryst. I loved the book, all of it. It's a beautiful story. It's an immaculate narrative.
And oh the prose, the narrative, the story, and the spellbinding characters. The book had all of me while I was reading it, and is now among a few others that'll always stay close to my heart.

But above everything else, and totally irrelevant as it may sound to some, this book answered a rather important question to me. The question that- what really goes on in the minds of siblings of magnificent writers (regardless of the fame they possess) are like? What are their minds actually like? Do they feel the same thing as their writer brother/sister? Do their views on every aspect of life, do their answers to the two most prominent questions one of 'life' and the other of 'death' alike?
And yes, it answered me that while we live we might think how different we all are; it's the death that surfaces us out of this oblivion and unites us all back, somewhere far, very far...

[Shreya Vaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use a very simple strategy for liking or disliking books. There are books that make sense or make you learn something. And then there are books like Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer by Cyrus Mistry, which transport you to an unknown world. And books like these always leave me stunned and asking for more. A story about a less known cast of Corpse Bearers residing in Mumbai amongst Parsi community, Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer is a story that will leave you enlightened about a hidden world and at the same time, unsettled.

The story revolves around Corpse Bearers, a marginalized community that picks up the dead and is declared as untouchables by Zoroastrians. And one of them is our protagonist, Phiroze Elchidana, son of a Parsi priest who fell in love with Sepidah, daughter of a corpse bearer. Keeping in mind his tough childhood, Sepidah acts like a balm to his broken soul and dreams. And for her, he gives up everything including his life as a normal person.

To marry Sepidah, Phiroze becomes a Corpse Bearer and starts living in the Tower of Silence with others like him. He is declared as an untouchable and is shunned by the community. But all these things hardly matter to him, he only needs Sepidah. Until one day, even she is gone.

From that moment onward, the story starts progressing towards chronicling the life of Firoze as a Corpse Bearer. From getting an insight into his regular day of backbreaking work to his inner turmoil when he feels people grimacing and getting away from him, Firoze gives a narration so painful that it makes you sit up in your reading chair and think hard. You also get to visit the Tower of Silence, where Corpse Bearers leave the dead to be eaten by Scavengers, giving them the ultimate farewell from the world.

Shunned from the class structures, the Corpse Bearers don't get relief even when it comes to compensation and leaves. Whether there is flood or fire, Firoze keeps on collecting and cleaning dead and taking them to the Tower of Silence, remembering Sepidah and his daughter to soothe the pain in his heart and feet. You witness the cold vibes of a union/board which is formed to take up the woes of these people, but hardly they get any solace. Instead, they face flak even when they need to be heard, highlighting the plight of this hidden community.

When I picked up this grey colored book, I wasn't aware of the power and influence this book might have on a reader. The stories of Phiroze and other corpse bearers leave a mark on your thought process. Though the central plot revolves around the plight of corpse bearers, the horror of contamination that Parsi community is scared of is highlighted more. Mistry's voice is bold and unflinching, and hardly he restrains himself from sharing information with the reader.


The sorrows of Corpse Bearer can be defined in a single episode that I came across while reading this book. Phiroze was being molested by his superior, who always made life a living hell for him. And one day he gives in, making Phiroze feel ‘more human' because the molester saw him as ‘more than some cadaverous unclean thing’. Such is the class difference portrayed in the book.

The obsession of clean-unclean in the Parsi community has been shared deeply in Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer. You also hear stories from other Corpse Bearers, sharing their plight. How even their most talented kids do not stand a chance of surviving in the world, all thanks to their "untouchable" status. It is a life where you cannot afford to be hungry, especially when you fainted on the road itself whilst carrying a corpse, and dropping it on the ground, bringing shame to the community and your work and also suspension.

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer is a story that doesn't have a plot, it only has one narrative voice sharing the plight of a sect that carries dead and is declared as untouchables. A life that promises them escape from the cycle of rebirth and death if they perform their duties, turns out in the end, makes them only into glorified untouchables. Even his fellow men at death, treat a corpse bearer's every inch like dirt.

All in all, Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer is a masterpiece that you should not miss. There might be no plot or twist, but there is definitely a voice so powerful that will keep on echoing until you replace it with another brilliant chronicle.

[Mircalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

storia triste della sfiga intergenerazionale e della eterna impossibilità di sfuggirle

Elchi è un poveretto che per amore è precipitato giù dalla scala sociale del suo paese, ora già nasci in India e sei davvero in odore di sfortuna, poi nasci facendo parte della comunità parsi e qua cominciamo ad andare peggio, e infine, pur essendo per nascita destinato a sfangare la fame, ti innamori della figlia del tipo che prepara i cadaveri e quindi per sposarla precipiti giù dal tuo piedistallo, e a questo punto sotto di te non ci sono nemmeno i ratti, se poi ci aggiungiamo che sei un asino senza speranza e che tuo suocero gioca sporco perchè ha un conto sospeso con tuo padre il quadro è completo: ti tocca reincarnarti per sfuggire alla sfiga

scritto bene e avvincente, ma la sfortuna è tale che nemmeno un elemento magico solleverebbe le sorti di questo poveretto...e qua comunque di magia se ne vede poca...

[Neethu Raghavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story about the lives of Corpse Bearers of the Parsi community is from early 1900 in or around Bombay. The pre-independent days of struggles are mentioned in many places. Parsi communities worship Fire and there place of worship is the "Fire temple"
The life of corpse bearer is narrated by Phiroze, who was born as the Son of a Priest at FireTemple but became an untouchable by choice who washes corpses and is responsible for absorbing all the harmful rays from the corpse and its soul to his body. The Parsis then neither bury the dead bodies nor burn them, instead feed the vultures with it. But there is romance, family sentiments and many more to the emotions but what outstands is the feeling towards their religion.
It was a great experience reading about culture and traditions very different from what I had seen or experienced. A must-read for all who wish to explore varieties.

[Sookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

chronicle of a corpse bearer isn't just a tragic love story. its story of the city, of the people, of a culture and a sub section of a society that is shunned for what it does that no one wants to do. written as a personal narrative, the narrator presents the reader with his observations and allows the space for them to arrive at their own conclusions. the writing is spectacular though often repetitive, relying at times on style than on substance. not every time we need multi layered metaphor to bring home a point that was made only couple of pages ago. the book suffers from this in the middle but it can be easily ignored for the story its telling.

one thing is certain. Mistry brothers for sure can write.

[Asha Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Unforgettable tale of the Parsi Corpse bearers

Moving, eye-opening, rivetting, engaging. This story will remain with you forever and you'd want to forgetallabout the plight of Phiroze but you won't be able to.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up
Simply amazing -- and if anyone is looking for something well out of the mainstream and very different, give this one a try.


for a longer review, you can click here; otherwise, read on.

At the age of eighty, Phiroze Elchidana (Elchi) sets down his life story. The son of the head priest of a Zoroastrian fire temple, Elchi lived with his parents and his brother Vispy. Elchi flunks his graduation exams, and while supposedly studying for the retake, he takes to wandering all over the city of Bombay instead, later recalling his solo outings as "the best moments of my youth." One day, he finds himself at Doongerwaadi Hill, the estate of the Towers of Silence, where he starts spending all of his time enjoying "the sanctuary of its woods". It is a Parsi religious estate where, after certain rituals, the dead are placed for the vultures and the hot sun "in a final act of charity."

At the age of 17, while accompanying his mother to a funeral there, Phiroze happens to notice a young girl who then disappears; upon returning the next day, she finds him. As he notes, "it only took that first physical touch," and they knew they were destined to be together. The girl is Seppideh (Seppy), whom, unknown to Phiroze, is an estranged first cousin as well as the daughter of one of the khandhias, or Parsi corpse bearers, who bring the corpses to the Towers of Silence and prepare them for mourners and their ultimate fate. Her father demands that if the two continue to see each other, Phiroze must marry her, work and live out his life as a corpse bearer, a situation that will make Phiroze a pariah to his family and all outside of this small community. Despite his father's wishes, Phiroze gladly accepts the terms. The remainder of the novel focuses on his life in this very traditional and secluded community, which in time, slowly begins to undergo change, while on the outside, India is rapidly changing, moving from the end of its colonial period into independence and partition, and later, on into the modern era.

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer is a love story, a story of a son's relationship with his father, and it reflects largely on love and loss, life and death. It also offers a look at this very insular community of khandhias. The author examines the marginalization of this group in the bigger context of society -- including how their work affects the lives of their children when they're ready to enter the wider world --, the working conditions that these people were forced to endure, and how many of the people chose this life to escape the horrific poverty that would otherwise be their fate. There's more -- I'm only scratching the surface here. I also love how the author writes, combining dark humor, honest emotion and some genuinely moving moments, all sprinkled throughout with ironic touches to create a wonderful and extremely readable story.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It is a beautiful and moving tale that totally captivated me.

[Richa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book got me interested. The title is very arresting. A book about a 'corpse bearer' promises to be really different. Especially if the corpse bearer belongs to a religion as secretive and guarded like the Zonastrianism. When you see its written by a Parsi, your mind tells you it should be good. Add the fact that it is a literary prize winner, you get a hot mug of tea (or coffee of hot chocolate), fold your legs under you, become thoroughly comfortable in an easy chair and get completely prepared to be sucked in deep in the narrative.

I did just this and... got ruthlessly disappointed!

This book could have been so rivetting and engaging, insightful and profound... but alas! It is just a novel (really) with an engaging backdrop. (Well well... sigh!)

Where shall I begin?
First, there is no proper order to the story. I think, the book could have ended after the second chapter and the third was an after-thought. Mistry could have easily re-arranged the chapters. The editor could have, I am sure. There would have been some semblance of a flow to the narrative then.

Secondly, the book covers a long period - pre-Independence to after Independence when Farida grows up - but, surprisingly, there is so less told! Just a string of disjointed incidents!

Third, the Parsis are known for their eccentricities and rigidness. The author had so much meat, so much juice at his disposal... why didn't he use it? Why serve up a bland dish with just a hint of olive oil, when you can make a lavish feast?! Considering, he belongs to that faith and MUST know a lot as first hand knowledge, plus, he has evidently researched the Parsi corpse bearers. This is so 'less' if I may say so...

Fourth, the book touches upon death and religion (considering the premise), but there too, it is touched extremely fleetingly, almost casually. Agreed, this is a personal story of one man, but, no harm in making it a little bit thought provoking? The things Mistry does manage to say are common to almost all 'untouchable' or 'base' religious services. Hindu scavengers, crematoriam workers, low castes, prostitutes, lepers, any member of any profession that deals with death, extrement, disease or immorality. I could find nothing really new in this book...

The narrative and the language is very good. The various landmarks of Bombay (current Mumbai) brought nostalgia and it was sheer pleasure reading the names! Mistry does have skills and it wasn't a pain to read or understand this book. But, I guess my issue, in short is that, I think I expected more than this book actually had to offer.

I don't think I would read another Cyrus Mistry any time soon.

[Roshan Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My introduction to Parsi community and Parsi way of life was Rohinton Mistry's "Such a Long Journey". His brother Cyrus Mistry's book "Chronicle of A Corpse Bearer" explores the Parsi corpse bearers called Khandia. Parsis have a unique funeral system where they leave the dead bodies on a high structure called 'The tower of silence' to be eaten by vultures. They also believe that a dead body will contaminate them by touch or close presence. Due to this, the handling of the corpse and the funeral rites are done by the Khandias. The Khandias are considered untouchables and forced to live a life of servitude and utter disregard.

The novel is narrated by Phiroze, born in a priest's household. Phiroze, although born in a family of high religious status, chooses to become a corpse bearer. His decision makes him break all ties with his family and he experiences the life of an untouchable. The novel talks about the condition of Khandias, their life (which is anything but pretty), and exposes the religious hypocrisy which promises them freedom from the cycle of birth and death in return for their nobel job and yet treats them like dirt in their current life. The novel spans the life of Phiroze and starts in pre independent India of 1940s goes back to his childhood and again moves forward to 1960s. The novel is essentially a love story. The love that gives purpose to a man and is taken away too soon. There aren't many happy moments in the book. A sense of gloom always hovers over the pages. The book is also a great insight into the Parsi community, its beliefs and practices. It's set in Bombay and the city also comes alive and plays its part. Although the story keeps revolving in and around Dongarwadi -- the place which houses The Tower of Silence -- the rapidly changing Bombay also gets its share of limelight. Towards the end it becomes more of a personal story rather than the community's story and ends on an ambiguous supernatural note.

The novel is based on a real person named Mehli Cooper and Cyrus Mistry's research is very detailed. The Parsi community and the unique funeral practice had fascinated me for long and this book gave me all that I wanted. The novel is very well written and kept me hooked from page one. I will recommend it to anyone who wants to read a beautiful and crushing story and learn about a community that's not talked about much in the mainstream.

[Ashish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me on my quest to read more books by Indian authors. The main gripe of mine when it comes to books like these is that they often dwell on the same old issues when it comes to India; poverty, caste system, gender-issues,etc. So much so, that it has kind of become a cliché and a trope. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those who believes these things dont exist or shouldnt be written about; sweeping these things under the carpet is not the solution and just reeks of denial, but once in a while I would love to read a book set in india which doesn't dwell on them all that much. Its not a tall order, or so I feel.

This book provides a very good insight into the Parsi community of Bombay, and the problems plaguing it. The book deals with the choice of orthodoxy vs reform when it comes to religious practices and how a religion evolves. It is based in pre-independence India, and the book provides a good look for the sake of posterity, considering the state of the Parsi community right now.

The thing I loved about the book the most is its vivid imagery of pre-independence Bombay, a city I love, and call my home now. Bombay of a simpler time, much more pure and virginal, before being encroached and built upon, and called the "Jewel of the British Raj". Reading about the various places and areas mentioned and having visited them, really is a burst of nostalgia and longing for the times of yore.

The Indian Freedom struggle and World war II provide an effective background against which the book is set, dealing with the loss of a loved one, how religion can cause people to drift apart and how people act the way they do. The writing is brilliant amd quite lyrical at times.

[Divya Pal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant glimpse into the little known ‘brotherhood of death’ within the chthonic Parsi community. Here is an example of the touching juxtaposition of morbidity with the appreciation of nature’s radiance

Carrion work...the constant consanguinity with corpses... the smell of sickness endures; the reek of extinction never leaves the nostril.
Outside the wire-meshed window, a sprig of pale orange bougainvillea swayed slightly. As I climbed out of bed, the rays of a fledgling sun touched the treetops lightly with a golden brush. The sky was deep blue and softly luminous, without a speck of cloud.

It is puzzling that despite the mind-boggling wealth of the Parsis and their well-known charitable deeds, there are still indigent members of the community – living and suffering in squalor.
Humanity has polluted Earth in many ways. Diclofenac - a pain relieving, anti-inflammatory medicine is used both in humans as well as in animals. Animal carcasses with traces of the drug in their bodies were consumed by vultures, causing liver toxicity in these scavenging birds, leading to the eventual extinction of vultures - so crucial for the disposal of Parsi corpses.
Spoiler alert: There is a segment that could well be the script of the farcical Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.

[Sayantan Ghosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the dirty little secrets that honorable families take to their graves, this book deals with those we don't speak of in the already dwindling community of the Parsis; the 'nussesalars'. Largely an unflinching, melancholic yet often funny tale about social-discrimination, but at it's heart is the story of one man's undying love, his urge to exist and be heard.

[Sudeepta Pradhan (booksteaandmore) · Rating 3 out of 5]

For full review visit https://booksteaandmorecom.wordpress....

The book is focussed on the Parsi community in India based out of Mumbai. It follows the story of Phiroze son of a Parsi priest who falls in love with Sepideh. Sepideh is the daughter of a Parsi corpse bearer. The Parsi Corpse bearers have the task of taking the Parsi corpses from their homes to the tower of silence and cleaning them. They are looked down upon and often they stay together segregated from the other Parsi community.

The Parsi corpse bearers are often poor and are looked down by others. Thus when Phiroze decides to marry Sepideh with conditions set down by her father life take a different turn for Phiroze’s family. As time passes a facet of every family member is revealed.

The strength of the book lies in its plot and how in its brevity the author is able to paint a vivid portrayal of India on the verge of getting independence. We are also able to understand the various customs and traditions of the Parsi community which often we are not privy too. The character development is what keeps you hooked to this as each person becomes more relatable as if they are shredding a layer after layer and in the end, the soul is barred. The philosophical musings of this book are profound which makes you read them again and again.

[Abinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written like a biography of a corpse bearer in the Zorastrian community.

The book also deals with various issues that is prevalent in the times before India attained freedom such as untouchability, Caste divide, Freedom movement and how insignificant it was in the lives of people in the lower caste which were fighting for its bread. How money played a major role in society and how rules are bent for them. There are even small elements of homosexuality and sexual harassment, though there is no more than a couple of pages to them. There is also a comparison of how vultures were slowly becoming extinct in India and the dwindling Zorastrian population.

The book though written like a diary doesn't make you feel for the protagonist in spite of his multiple hardships. This is a drawback for me. A very well written book which introduced some customs of a minority in the country is enlightening.

[Shreya Ganju · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonderfully written about the life of the protagonist Phiroze, the son of a Head Priest who takes up the job of a Corpse Bearer to marry the daughter of one of the Corpse Bearer- considered untouchables in the Parsi Community.
It was a great experience reading about the cultures and traditions of Parsis which is now a dwindling community. It is a must-read for all who wish to know about a religion other than theirs.

[Kartik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in pre Independence Bombay, this book follows Phiroze Elchidana, a Parsi from the community's corpse bearer caste. It follows his story as lives through an exile from his family, his initiation into the corpse bearer caste, and the rest of his life. The day he becomes a corpse bearer caste, he becomes a pariah in the eyes of observant Parsis, whose very touch can pollute them.

The book features Phiroze's many musings on the nature of life and death, and how his experiences as a corpse bearer shape them, as he watches the "unstoppable merry-go-round of human suffering" over the years.

Detailed descriptions of Parsi rituals and numerous customs and traditions add an extra cultural dimension to this book, especially given how little people outside the community know of them. It also touches upon Parsi orthodoxy, and the stubborn attempts of the conservatives to keep the corpse bearers in misery and to stifle reformist voices within the community.

The book's language felt superfluous and unnecessarily verbose at points, and the love story that is so pivotal to Phiroze's life and by extension his story felt unconvincing. Some of the flashbacks do not add much to the story except to describe rituals.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronicles of a corpse bearer - Cyrus mistry.

ನನಗೆ rohinton mistry ಮತ್ತವರ ಕಸಿನ್ ಸೈರಸ್ ಮಿಸ್ತ್ರಿ ಬರಹಗಳು ಇಷ್ಟ. ಆದರೆ ತನ್ನ ಕಸಿನ್‌ಗೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿದರೆ ಇವರಲ್ಲಿ ಲವಲವಿಕೆಯ ಅಂಶಗಳು ‌ಕಡಿಮೆ. ಮೆಲಾಂಕಲಿ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ.

ಇದು ಕೂಡ ಪಾರ್ಸಿ ಜನಾಂಗದ ಕುರಿತಾದದ್ದೇ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಣ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಮಾಡುವವನೊಬ್ಬನ ಬದುಕಿನ ಹಳವಂಡಗಳ ಕುರಿತಾದದ್ದು.

ಗದ್ಯದ ಲಯ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಯಿತು. ಆದರೆ ಇಡೀ ಕತೆ ಡಿಪ್ರೆಸಿಂಗ್.

[Sreesha Divakaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer is a story in which a lot is written, but very little is said. On the whole, considering the potential of the subject matter at hand, I feel a tad underwhelmed by the book. The title rouses one’s interest, but the title may just be its most interesting part.

Read more here: Rain and a Book

[Nanditha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, vivid, and organic - this book taught me a lot about the Parsi community including their rituals, practices, the religion, and the discriminatory practices which exist.

[Pooja Mazumdar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overbearing because of its use of garish words and for no reason. Loved it only because I got to know a little more about the Parsi community and it's tradition. A very lose plot and a very sad finish. Leaves you begging for closure !

[Devorica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two and a half stars. This book gave me a mixed feeling. The knowledge of a community was fascinating, but sentence structure was long and arduous. The story lacked depth of characters and did not have a very satisfactory ending. The subject was delightful, but the execution was lackadaisical.