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The Peacock Throne
October 31, 1984 begins like any other day for Gopal Pandey as he sets up his tea stall in a lane off Chandni Chowk - the most magnificent and crowded street in all Delhi. At its head lies Red Fort, once the home of the gem-encrusted Peacock Throne, symbol of the Mughal Empire's dazzling might, and of its downfall. By the end of the day, Indira Gandhi has been assassinated, violent riots have erupted and Gopal is the bemused possessor of a large sum of money. Fourteen turbulent years and four dramatic turning points in Indian history later, this illiterate, bumbling man stands on the verge of immense political power. Gopal's unlikely journey is a tale of accidents, scheming, murder and tragedy, religious and political rivalries, corruption and hubris. Irreverent, farcical and as enlightening as it is entertaining, THE PEACOCK THRONE is a novel of breathtaking scope and reach, which looks deep into the heart of human nature and into the soul of modern India.
754 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 15, 2018
"as enlightening as it is entertaining."
Yes, it really is. Most of the book takes place in and around Chandni Chowk. The story may be centered on Old Delhi, but it does show how actions that occur outside of the area affect the people who live and work there. There's politics, corruption, scheming, black money, and conflicts between the business class vs. laborers.
Yes, it really is. Most of the book takes place in and around Chandni Chowk. The story may be centered on Old Delhi, but it does show how actions that occur outside of the area affect the people who live and work there. There's politics, corruption, scheming, black money, and conflicts between the business class vs. laborers.
March 18, 2016
This book was a gift, given a couple of years back. India has always intrigued me so I finally cracked it open, choosing it over too many other gifted books I have also not yet read. Whenever I was forced to take a break from the break this book was intended to give me, I felt disrupted. Oh, the book has too many Indian references that would best be explained by footnotes instead of being sent to a glossary that is still devoid of many of the unfamiliar words encountered. And, like other 'edited books', there are some frustrating spelling and grammatical errors. But, the story is one that should be read by every person who claims to 'be for democracy'. The stories of corruption and distress might be sneered at by 'more modern democracies'. They are, instead, a tale of our general human hypocrisy where personal human comfort supercedes the rights of all others, especially the poor.
A compelling read, well written and spell-binding in its descriptions of a world that is ever changing in a geography where human populations overwhelm each other in a struggle for daily survival. Something the rest of the world needs to read about to learn some lessons in why our hypocrisy is even deeper,,,, because we claim to 'be better'.
A compelling read, well written and spell-binding in its descriptions of a world that is ever changing in a geography where human populations overwhelm each other in a struggle for daily survival. Something the rest of the world needs to read about to learn some lessons in why our hypocrisy is even deeper,,,, because we claim to 'be better'.
October 29, 2019
4.5/5 Historical fiction at its finest ! It took me 6 days to read this 750 page small print book and it was as if I have been living in Chandni Chowk for the past week with the ensemble cast. Its hard to recall a book in which there has been no protagonist and almost a dozen well-fleshed out central characters. Infact, the level of detailing and the introduction of the characters in the first 100 pages blew me away!
The book is divided into 5 parts - 1984, 1990, 1992, 1996 and 1998. The first three sections had tumultuous historical events as backgound and even after finishing the book I am not sure about the author’s political views. While the reader is immersed in the book, the author seems to be writing with a “nirmohi” pen. Was bored for a little while in the 4th section but the book was very well paced throughout.
Was reminded of Vikram Seth’s magnificent “A Suitable Boy” again and again. Seth wrote a book set in a single year and he didnt base it on any historical event. While I marvelled at Saraf’s knowledge, I found it impossible to comprehend how Seth got that encyclopedic knowledge to write “A Suitable Boy”. Please dont worry about the lengths of these books and just enjoy them.
Will be reading “Harilal & Sons” by the same author soon. It deals with a Marwadi trader moving from Bikaner (Raj) to Calcutta in 1899. My own family moved from Jhunjhunu (Raj) to Bombay somewhere around that time. Many of us Marwadis will discover our own lost family histories thru Saraf !
The book is divided into 5 parts - 1984, 1990, 1992, 1996 and 1998. The first three sections had tumultuous historical events as backgound and even after finishing the book I am not sure about the author’s political views. While the reader is immersed in the book, the author seems to be writing with a “nirmohi” pen. Was bored for a little while in the 4th section but the book was very well paced throughout.
Was reminded of Vikram Seth’s magnificent “A Suitable Boy” again and again. Seth wrote a book set in a single year and he didnt base it on any historical event. While I marvelled at Saraf’s knowledge, I found it impossible to comprehend how Seth got that encyclopedic knowledge to write “A Suitable Boy”. Please dont worry about the lengths of these books and just enjoy them.
Will be reading “Harilal & Sons” by the same author soon. It deals with a Marwadi trader moving from Bikaner (Raj) to Calcutta in 1899. My own family moved from Jhunjhunu (Raj) to Bombay somewhere around that time. Many of us Marwadis will discover our own lost family histories thru Saraf !
June 21, 2017
I loved the first half of the book. I loved the way it started off from after the Operation Bluestar , through the mandal commision & ayodhya demolition right till 1998
I loved exploring the kochas of old delhi & getting a fresh perspective on the politics
however at 700+ pages it was quite a taxing read.
I loved exploring the kochas of old delhi & getting a fresh perspective on the politics
however at 700+ pages it was quite a taxing read.
December 24, 2013
Lovely depiction of the world around Chandni Chowk: http://www.anureviews.com/the-peacock...
January 14, 2021
All in all a very fine written piece, enjoyable and interesting. Sometimes I pity the main character for being so simple and letting himself be led into different political rallies and for not being able to tell the truth from the lies... 2 big disappointments in this book: the title ... I would have thought the book to be more mystical and/or more historical... (It is woven through indian history, but not well explained) Foreign words and habits, this book is full of them, none of them are explained and the glossary is poor.
March 13, 2022
Overall, The Peacock Throne provides a fascinating picture of India’s underbelly. I am surprised that it has not been developed into a miniseries or a film. With its many cinematic set pieces and sprawling cast of characters, it seems to be ideally suited for a Netflix drama.
Readers familiar with South Asian politics and history may find some of it a bit boring but those new to the region will find it gives an interesting perspective on India.
More here: https://kabiraltaf.wordpress.com/2022...
Readers familiar with South Asian politics and history may find some of it a bit boring but those new to the region will find it gives an interesting perspective on India.
More here: https://kabiraltaf.wordpress.com/2022...
September 12, 2024
Well it is one big book so prepare yourself for a long haul through the back streets, petty politics and snobbery of New Delhi. With a rich cast of characters that would not shame Dickens it will be worth it even though you may get lost at times
May 28, 2017
Highly recommended for anyone who grew up in Delhi the late 1980's and early 90's...
May 4, 2020
Tough read because of character names & understanding the politics but most enjoyable and educational.
July 7, 2020
A splendid medley of political, religious and class struggles over the decades in the heart of Old Delhi.
April 25, 2014
This book has been characterized as the Indian War and Peace, and while it isn't that - for one thing, there is no Tolstoyesque historiography - it certainly approaches it in scope.
The raw power of the novel comes from its matter-of-fact portrayal of New Delhi between the years 1984 and 1998. Any commentary on the part of the author would have removed that power (and certainly been out of place in the 21st century; Tolstoy was able to get away with it, to a certain extent, because that's what his readership expected).
Instead, we have one Gopal Pandey, whose rise from chai stall proprietor to the very pinnacle of Indian society, from the downtrodden to (almost) the trodding upon, literally through no fault of destiny or karma but of chance, looks more like a modern-day Everyman than anything else, or-excluding Satan and Yahweh-a kind of reverse Job. It's rags to riches, certainly, but it's also so much more than that.
The novel is at times a bit subdued, and now and again I was left wondering whether an Indian would find it as fascinating as I did. There is, after all, the exoticism one must factor in as a non-Indian reader.
Then again, you have the same with Tolstoy, don't you? Like War and Peace, it is a long read.
But it's well worth the time.
Four stars.
The raw power of the novel comes from its matter-of-fact portrayal of New Delhi between the years 1984 and 1998. Any commentary on the part of the author would have removed that power (and certainly been out of place in the 21st century; Tolstoy was able to get away with it, to a certain extent, because that's what his readership expected).
Instead, we have one Gopal Pandey, whose rise from chai stall proprietor to the very pinnacle of Indian society, from the downtrodden to (almost) the trodding upon, literally through no fault of destiny or karma but of chance, looks more like a modern-day Everyman than anything else, or-excluding Satan and Yahweh-a kind of reverse Job. It's rags to riches, certainly, but it's also so much more than that.
The novel is at times a bit subdued, and now and again I was left wondering whether an Indian would find it as fascinating as I did. There is, after all, the exoticism one must factor in as a non-Indian reader.
Then again, you have the same with Tolstoy, don't you? Like War and Peace, it is a long read.
But it's well worth the time.
Four stars.
Read
October 18, 2011Nous sommes en 1984, à Delhi. Le matin se lève sur le bazar joyeux et bigarré du plus grand marché de la ville, Chandni Chowk, gigantesque complexe de petites boutiques où il se vend de tout. Gopal Pandey, marchand de thé chai, s’éveille en sursaut et s’apprête à ouvrir son échoppe quand il se rend compte que la foule du marché est en émoi. Bientôt la rumeur lui parvient : le Premier ministre, Indira Gandhi, vient d’être assassinée. C’est très vite la confusion. Les esprits s’enflamment, les communautés s’affrontent dans un embrasement populaire qui dégénère : les Hindous crient vengeance contre les Sikhs. Dans le chaos, Gopal recueille quelques hommes qui tentent d’échapper à l’émeute – y compris un certain Gyani Singh, dont personne ne sait qu’il est accusé d’être l’assassin d’Indira… « Qu’arriverait-il si “l’homme de la rue”, dont les politiques font si grand cas, accédait soudain aux plus hautes fonctions ? Aucun personnage n’incarne mieux l’âme de l’Inde moderne qu’un misérable vendeur de thé au cœur d’or, à moitié aveugle, animé par la volonté de faire main basse sur tout ce qui croise son chemin. » Sujit Saraf
March 31, 2016
A novel that takes place in the very heart of India: the legendary, sinister, despised and cherished neighborhood of Chandni Chowk, Delhi - Old Delhi - the crossroads of the brutal reality that is India.
I know this neighborhood better than most outsiders, because I have lived there. Therefore, this novel perked my own specific interest and gave me the patience to read this very big tome of often choppy prose and at times disjointed weave of plot lines. I think the author bit off more than he could chew, but Chandni Chowk is more than anyone could ever chew, so I gave hime the benefit of the doubt. I suspect it would be very hard reading for someone unfamiliar with this India to understand how Partition, prostitution, castes, traditional businesses, poverty and lowest of politics have met in Chandni Chowk, but it is indeed a real picture of exactly how people really survive and attain their desires in this world - through well-carved characters.
I know this neighborhood better than most outsiders, because I have lived there. Therefore, this novel perked my own specific interest and gave me the patience to read this very big tome of often choppy prose and at times disjointed weave of plot lines. I think the author bit off more than he could chew, but Chandni Chowk is more than anyone could ever chew, so I gave hime the benefit of the doubt. I suspect it would be very hard reading for someone unfamiliar with this India to understand how Partition, prostitution, castes, traditional businesses, poverty and lowest of politics have met in Chandni Chowk, but it is indeed a real picture of exactly how people really survive and attain their desires in this world - through well-carved characters.
March 19, 2012
My rating is actually 3.5.
Firstly, it was a good read, a piquant tale.
I was giving it a 3 but then the characters came to my mind especially sohan lal and gopal 'das' pandey and I could not help but add a further 0.5. It is nodoubt a magisterial work where the story covers 14 yrs is details. Sujit is a painter and you can actually see the gradual changes and incidents in chandni chowk, where the
whole story travels. It is rich in humour, satire, anger and celebration and greed, not only of the seths with huge bellies but every one around from prostitutes, both local and trafficked, to chaivala to bangladeshi immmigrants to police officers.
The story at times seems to hang in air and its not until a couple of pages are gone by that you find the track. I think 754 pages were a few too many and hence could be compressed to be rated a 4 or a 4.5
Firstly, it was a good read, a piquant tale.
I was giving it a 3 but then the characters came to my mind especially sohan lal and gopal 'das' pandey and I could not help but add a further 0.5. It is nodoubt a magisterial work where the story covers 14 yrs is details. Sujit is a painter and you can actually see the gradual changes and incidents in chandni chowk, where the
whole story travels. It is rich in humour, satire, anger and celebration and greed, not only of the seths with huge bellies but every one around from prostitutes, both local and trafficked, to chaivala to bangladeshi immmigrants to police officers.
The story at times seems to hang in air and its not until a couple of pages are gone by that you find the track. I think 754 pages were a few too many and hence could be compressed to be rated a 4 or a 4.5
April 28, 2010
It is a quintessential Chandni Chowk novel. Life of rich baniyas with protruding bellies, Bangladesi immigrant kids who live by wit, of social climbers, Muslims that patronize Jama Masjid and poor from all classes.
I have so far just read two parts of the book, in which I have come across about 20 characters already. It is engrossing and interesting to read about their intersecting lives.
Books covers the political climate around a decade. For that, it relies heavily on national events like 1984 massacre and Mandal Commission. It is interesting to know how each individual's psyche worked during such events.
P.S: I came across a flaw though during the events of 1990, a character laments how Rajiv Gandhi harmed the country before he died. But Rajiv died in 1991.
I have so far just read two parts of the book, in which I have come across about 20 characters already. It is engrossing and interesting to read about their intersecting lives.
Books covers the political climate around a decade. For that, it relies heavily on national events like 1984 massacre and Mandal Commission. It is interesting to know how each individual's psyche worked during such events.
P.S: I came across a flaw though during the events of 1990, a character laments how Rajiv Gandhi harmed the country before he died. But Rajiv died in 1991.
January 25, 2016
I just came back from a combination business, writing-research trip to India and Dubai. This is a phenomenal book: one can learn far more from fiction than from a travel guide: I toured the Chandni Chowk and Red Fort area based upon reading this book......!
3 Apr 08 this is a slow read for me.....currently at page 500 but still enjoying it.
I finished it....I enjoyed it.....but it did 'fall down' towards the end. I find, more frequently than I'd like, that some books with really great starts have poor endings.........Ah, but the first 600 or so pages was really good!
3 Apr 08 this is a slow read for me.....currently at page 500 but still enjoying it.
I finished it....I enjoyed it.....but it did 'fall down' towards the end. I find, more frequently than I'd like, that some books with really great starts have poor endings.........Ah, but the first 600 or so pages was really good!
September 27, 2011
A very intriguing book & hard to put it down once started. Sujit Saraf has beautifully portrayed how low people stoop for money and power. The story opens with the day Indira Gandhi assassinated by her sikh bodyguards & the riot which started against the Sikh community. How it affected the lives of those in Chadni Chowk, Old Dehli makes the core of the story against the political background of India. This is one of the books which I was drawn to instantly when I set my eyes on it, and never regret it. The 750 pages of the book are spell-bounding.
March 28, 2013
Could have been two books ! " The PM is a lion... surrounded by tigers who are his ministers... You will be a wolf, an MP ... MLAS , A FOX, A JACKAL AND A HYENA- agressive but cowardly... COUNCILLORS ARE MONKEYS They swing from branches and chatter thru the night. The jungle is rich in animals- mayors, state ministers....You do not need to learn about all of them . Just remember to cower before the lion, and the tiger. Glare at the jackals,hyenas and foxes. Eat the snake and scorpions (shopkeepers) and crush the insects (poor ) p609 and other insights into politics and life in general
September 21, 2007
Sprawling novel covering several characters based in and around a Delhi neighbourhood between 1984-1998. The glossary comes in very handy, as do a couple of Indian workmates, but over the course of 600+ pages, one can fully immerse oneselves in the intersecting lives, events and politics of what is almost a desi version of "Mr Smith goes to Washington".
February 12, 2012
I have just read this book for the second time and loved it. It is a rich tapestry of Indian political and everyday life between 1984 and 1998 as seen through the eyes of a group of people working and living around the Delhi market of Chadni Chowk. The storyline, the characters and the style are all perfectly executed and one can smell and feel India with all its spices and shit.
September 2, 2016
I put this down a while ago and not sure I can bring myself to go back to it. 80 pages or so in, and I've met more characters than I can even begin to remember, and we're still only a few hours into the same day. Sadly, just too dense for me at this point in time...
December 20, 2008
Loved it!
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May 17, 2009The Peacock Throne by Sujit Saraf (2007)
February 8, 2010
I loved this - couldn't put it down. It really brought Delhi and the political scene from an ordinary man's point of view to life.
December 2, 2010
This gargantuan novel was written by a NASA scientist. It has drawn very many threads of my year in India together.
July 23, 2011
interesting story a slog at times as it was very wordy
November 8, 2012
loved this book...could smell and feel india through the pages....a real turner...and brings all the characters to life and they are all so realistic...loved it so much:)
April 8, 2016
A long book with some great characters that possibly needs reading more than once to take it all in. Lots of interesting stuff about India which is always a good thing.
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January 31, 2017... What is another word for "please, never again, I hated every minute of this"?
Got, painfully, to page 91, every page was boring beyong words.
Got, painfully, to page 91, every page was boring beyong words.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews