Eating the Indian air: Memories and present-day impressions

by John Morris

hardcover

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

294 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads

Major Charles John Morris, CBE (1895–1980), known as John, was a British mountaineer, anthropologist and journalist, and controller of BBC Radio's Third Programme.

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few of the anecdotes and musings were good, but largely John Morris' memories of his revisit to India fell a little flat. The travels in his book took him just over a year in 1967-68, and he revisited places he had spent time in the British Gurkha Regiment, and other places that appealed to him.
One of the more interesting explains the book's title: A slightly fanciful translation of a common phrase in Hindi 'to eat the air' means to take a stroll, a little journey, or an excursion.

Another amusement from the chapter on Benares (Varanasi): There was one old man I particularly noticed. He had lost both legs and squatted alone in a corner on a bundle of rags that looked verminous. He begged in a continuous high-pitched wail. Why, I asked, is the poor creature not in a hospital. 'Your foreigners; you do not understand,' said the guide I had taken on for the morning. 'This man is famed for the most successful beggar in our holy city, and is reputed to be one of the richest men in Benares.' My query as to why he did not then retire was quickly brushed aside. 'It is true he need no longer work, but he does not wish to deny the pilgrims the merit they acquire from giving to him'.

And another from Cochin, finding himself short of reading material: Unfortunately a bookstall did not provide a solution to my problem. Besides a good selection of south Indian newspapers in various languages... there was a choice among five books only: Beekeeping in India; The Right Way to Keep Pet Fish; an English-Russian phrase book; Dracula; and a paperback edition of 'All's Well that Ends Well' of which the last 30 pages had been torn out.

[Neelakantan K.K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's important to keep in mind that John Morris was born in 1895, served in India and the surrounding subcontinent around 1915-1930, and that this book is a personal memoir of his travels through India in 1966-67.

That being said, I found Morris's style to be stiff and extremely pompous. He's given to making judgements about everyone he meets. What I found most annoying was his tendency to generalize about an entire section of people based on his observations of a few people. He's also a bit of an apologist when it comes to discussing the British occupation of India.

However, the book is not entirely without merit. It's an account of India at a time when it was not at its best. Morris also travels fairly extensively and makes mention of various architectural aspects of the various cities he visits.

Some of Morris's criticisms are justified, no doubt, but his gratingly pompous style of writing makes him come off as a curmudgeonly, insular, elderly and ossified British man, which he probably was when he visited India again.

It might be an enjoyable book but I did not like it. It's useful to have as an account of 60s India.

[Dillon Patel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Christmas present which turned into my 24th book of the year! An interesting travel across India including lots of places we shared, 2 stars for a few outdated and prejudiced views which permeated the odyssey across India.

[Helen Geng]

Read October 2021