The Cat and Shakespeare: A Tale of Modern India

by Raja Rao

The Cat and Shakespeare is a gentle, almost teasing fable of two friends. Govindan Nair is an astute, down-to-earth philosopher and clerk, who tackles the problems of routine living with extraordinary common sense and gusto, and whose refreshing and unorthodox conclusions continually panic Ramakrishna Pai, Nair's friend, neighbour and narrator of the story. This evocative novel brings alive the raw texture of life in Trivandrum, and delights in its humour.

Genres: Fiction, Indian Literature, India, Literature, Novels, Philosophy

165 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Raja Rao (Kannada: ರಾಜ ರಾವ್) has long been recognised as "a major novelist of our age." His five earlier novels—Kanthapura (1932), The Serpent and the Rope (1960), The Cat and Shakespeare (1965), Comrade Kirillov (1976) and The Chessmaster and His Moves (1988)—and three collections of short stories—The Cow of the Barricades and Other Stories (1947), The Policeman and the Rose (1978) and On the Ganga Ghat (1989)—won wide and exceptional international acclaim.

Raja Rao was awarded the 1988 Neustadt International Prize for Literature which is given every two years to outstanding world writers. Earlier, The Serpent and the Rope won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honour. More recently, Raja Rao was elected a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.

Born in Mysore in 1909, Raja Rao went to Europe at the age of nineteen, researching in literature at the University of Montpellier and at the Sorbonne. He wrote and published his first stories in French and English. After living in France for a number of years, Raja Rao moved to the US where he taught at the University of Austin, Texas.

Notable work(s):
Kanthapura (1938)
The Serpent and the Rope (1960)

Notable award(s):
Sahitya Akademi Award (1964)
Padma Bhushan (1969)
Neustadt International Prize for Literature (1988)
Padma Vibhushan (2007)

Reviews

[LibraryCin · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

What the *bleep* was that!!!? Is there such a thing as “philosophical fiction”? That may have been this. I don’t think there was any kind of plot. From what I could gather there as a man with a wife and a mistress (one, I’m not sure which, was “woman”… not “a woman”, just “woman”). He has a daughter (“child”, not “a child”, just “child”). He works. A boy child got sick, a cat appeared somewhere along the way, a boss died, the mistress was pregnant (and I think had a baby). I think. The book gets the extra half star for what I think I actually followed in the book (since I was surprised that I managed to follow anything – at least I think I did!). Sorry if any of what I mentioned as a spoiler – my apologies if I’ve ruined the book for anyone!

[Sookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raja Rao is a beloved writer. My father grew up reading his works, and was a fan. The cat and Shakespeare was in one of the last batch of books my father bought before he passed away. After reading this, I feel that my dad and I would have shared same thoughts on this novella.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. at all. Though I can easily relate to characters and understand the colloquialism that comes with language and culture, it still isn't what it sets out to be.

The philosophy bits is entirely frustrating at best and really irritating at worst. Its that two bit conversation happening between two people where a normal statement is made to be sound entirely profound, when its not.

The language in this novella is interesting. Its quite colloquial and there is a lilt to it that's quite, I would say, south Indian. Its hard to explain but while reading, translating to my native language, worked pretty well. Maybe that's why some lines in the book sound "off".

Having said that, I will be picking up Kanthapura in coming few weeks. One of the most acclaimed books by this author and also one of his beloved works.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cat and Shakespeare - raja rao.

ರಾಜಾ ರಾವ್ ಅವರ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ‌ಬಹಳ ಗಹನ ಚಿಂತನೆಗಳ ಗುಚ್ಛ. ಭಾರತದ ಪುರಾಣಗಳ,ತತ್ವಶಾಸ್ತ್ರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೊಂಚವಾದರೂ ಅರಿವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಇದು ಗುರುತಿರದ ಕಾಡಲ್ಲಿ ಕಣ್ಣು ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟ ಹಾಗೆ.
ಗೋವಿಂದನ್ ನಾಯರ್ ಮತ್ತು ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪೈ ಎಂಬ ಇಬ್ಬರು ಕ್ಲರ್ಕ್‌ಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ನಡೆಯುವ ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆಗಳೇ ಇಡೀ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ತಂತ್ರ. ಇವರಿಬ್ಬರೂ ತಿರುವನಂತಪುರಂನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಕ್ಕಪಕ್ಕದ ಮನೆಯ ವಾಸಿಗಳು.
ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪೈ ತನ್ನ ಕುಟುಂಬವನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಅವನಿಗೆ ಪತ್ನಿ,ಮಗಳು,ಮಗ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ. ಆದಾಗ್ಯೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಟೀಚರ್ ಶಾಂತಾ ಜೊತೆ ಪ್ರಣಯ ಸಂಬಂಧವಿದೆ. ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಮದುವೆ ಬೇಕಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವಳ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಮಗುವಿದೆ. ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪೈಗೆ ಸ್ವಂತದ ಮನೆ ಕಟ್ಟುವ ಹಂಬಲ. ಗೋವಿಂದನ್ ನಾಯರ್‌ ತತ್ವಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಆಕರ್ಷಕವಾಗಿ ಮಾತನಾಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಬೇಟೆಗಾಗಿ ಕಾದು ಕೂತ ಬೇಡ ಸಮಯ ಕಳೆಯಲು ತಾನು ಕೂತ ಮರದಿಂದ ಸೊಪ್ಪು ಕಿತ್ತು ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬೆಳಗೆದ್ದು ನೋಡುವಾಗ ತಾನು ಕೂತ ಮರ ಬಿಲ್ವ ಪತ್ರೆ ಮರದ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಶಿವಲಿಂಗ. ನಾವೂ ಹಾಗೆ ಬಿಲ್ವ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಅಂತ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.ಹೀಗೇ ಬೆಕ್ಕೊಂದು ತನ್ನ ಮರಿಯ ಕುತ್ತಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಚ್ಚಿ ಸಾಗುವಂತೆ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನೂ ಯಾರೋ ಹೊತ್ತು ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂಬೆಲ್ಲ ಉಪಮೆಗಳ ಬಳಸಿ ಮಾತಾಡಬಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೇ ಅವನು ಮತ್ತು ಅವನ ಮಗ ಶ್ರೀಧರ (ಇವನು ಜ್ವರ ಬಂದು ಸಾಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪೈ‌ನ ಆರು ವರ್ಷದ ಮಗಳ ಈ ಏಳು ವರ್ಷದ ಪೋರನಿಗೆ ಮದುವೆ ಮಾಡಿಸುವ ಮಾತಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ) ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪೈ ಹುಷಾರು ತಪ್ಪಿ ಮಲಗಿದಾಗ ಶುಶ್ರೂಷೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ.
ಗೋವಿಂದನ್ ನಾಯರ್ ಮೇಲೆ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ಆರೋಪ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವನ ಬಾಸ್ ಕಛೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ತಾನು ತನ್ನ ಬಾಸ್‌ನ ನಿರ್ದೇಶನದಂತೆ ಇದೆಲ್ಲ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಕೋರ್ಟಿಗೆ ಬೆಕ್ಕನ್ನು ಕರಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದು ಗೋವಿಂದನ್ ನಾಯರ್ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಬೆಕ್ಕು ಗಲಿಬಿಲಿಗೊಂಡು ಓಡಿದಾಗ ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕವಾಗಿ ನಾಯರ್‌ನ ಬಾಸ್‌ನ ಸಹಿ ಕಡತಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವುದು ಪತ್ತೆಯಾಗಿ ನಾಯರ್ ನಿರ್ದೋಷಿ ಎಂಬುದು ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಶಾಂತಾ ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪೈ ಜೊತೆಗೇ ಬಂದು ಇರುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ಕಲ್ಪನೆ, ಪುರಾಣ, ತತ್ವಶಾಸ್ತ್ರದ ಅನೇಕ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳು ವಾಸ್ತವ ಮತ್ತು ಕಲ್ಪನೆಯ ಗೆರೆಯನ್ನು ಅಳಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

ತುಂಬಾ ಆಳದ ಓದು ಇದು.ನನಗೆ ದಕ್ಕಿದಷ್ಟು ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ನನ್ನ ಮಿತಿ.

[Suraj Alva · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're into metaphysics, then this is your heaven. The central point is...The student (Rama, the MC) has ambitions, desires. But lets them be. Then, comes the Guru (Govinda), who guides the latent to fruition and half completion (the house is finally built of two storeys instead of three). Why? The student knows naught the reality of the world. But the Guru knows.

Is cat unreality and Shakespeare reality? Then is ambition unreality that needs to become reality? Then does that mean that unreality comes before reality, thus there is no unreality? Because unreality is simply a part of reality?

It is fun to go on such musings. But what the novel is to me is language. Nowhere will you find such elevating poetry. Prose and poetry are not separate but are one (ha!). It is pure sensual pleasure reading this novel. Wit also plays its part, gathering a few laughs.

Want a sensory experience of a South Indian town/ village with a metaphysical twist? Then, you must read.

[Nivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cat and Shakespeare: A Tale of Modern India by Raja Rao is a sweet little book set in Trivandrum, India during World War II. Trivandrum, now called Thiruvananthapuram, is known for its art and culture on which both its title and story-setting are based. What I enjoyed reading this book was its unusual yet ordinary everyday characters, instant philosophy in their conversations (although in some places I didn't quite get the depth of the philosophy), simple yet Indianized language which transports you to the long-gone era.

[Cinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read some Indian classics and decided to pick up The Cat and Shakespeare. This book was all over the place. The almost 40+ page introduction was a massive pain in the ass to get through. Some of the language took me back to my high school days, where I believed that a string of incomprehensible questions was the heart of being edgy and philosophical. Most of the book was just some word salads packaged into sounding “metaphysical.” This book didn’t make me introspect, nor did it amuse me. It just infuriated me. Having said all this, when you remove all of the fluff, some themes do come to life. The mother cat represented surrendering oneself to the almighty god/universe. Govindan Nair was the guru/ teacher figure who I suppose is being compared to Shakespeare because of his ability to dissect the happenings of life. (That in my opinion, is a massive stretch.) The ration shop symbolised the corruption seeping into our lives/ systems. Heck, perhaps the three-storey house represented heaven, earth and the underworld. When the imagery was digestible, it was pleasant. I wish the book stopped being pretentious and just gave us the flipping story! Ugh. I’m still so pissed! At least the book was short. Haha!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Besides Salman Rushdie, I haven’t read much from the Indian Subcontinent, just a little Rabindranath Tagore, R.K. Narayan, and Arundhoti Roy. Taking up The Cat and Shakespeare, I’ve begin to fill in a significant gap in my reading knowledge. Fortunately, there are other works from the region that have been sitting on my bookshelves for years. More to read!

Set in 1941, The Cat and Shakespeare is a short novel–novella really–narrated by a very contented man, Ramakrishna Pai, who is a clerk in a government ration office. He likes his job. He loves his family, his wife, son, and daughter. He adores the woman, not his wife, who is bearing him a child. Most of all, he loves his friend and neighbor, Govindan Nair, who is thoughtful, knowledgeable, creative, compassionate, and articulate. He is a force that makes things happen. For Ramakrishna and Govindan, there is always time to reflect and philosophize about life. There is a joy to thinking–discoursing about life and the world–that draws the two men together. Even when tragedies happen, the men reset to contentment pretty quickly.

I read this novel first while traveling, which may not be the best time to read a story from an unfamiliar culture (or one with which I am not very familiar). While I understood the reflective contentment–or contented reflection–that shaped the narrative, I felt like I had missed elements of the plot, and so I reread the book, which felt much more coherent the second time around. Basically, the story hangs on Ramakrishna’s desire for a three story house. Much else happens, but the through-line is about the house, and, of course, it ends happily.

The Cat and Shakespeare simply feels domestic. Ramakrishna begins by talking about his job, family, and current house, which is by the sea. His wife’s name is Saroja, his daughter Usha, his son Vishak, and he wants his kids to go to good schools. Ramakrishna wants to be rich and have a bigger house, though, with a sacred tree in the yard which would extend Shiva’s protection of the house. As counterpoint to Ramakrishna’s domesticity is his fascination with Govindan Nair, whose wit, knowledge, and compassion inevitably makes him the center of attention whenever he is present, which is most of the time. His philosophy: in the world, the kitten is carried by the mother cat, and we all want to be the kitten. This feline philosophy recurs throughout the books and acts as a kind of reset point when Ramakrishna or Govindan bring it up. It would be fabulous to be rich, but rising to the level of clerk is okay, too. Govindan is all about Ramakrishna’s three story house. Happiness is simple: you just have to know the footpaths.

Set during WWII, the war functions in two ways. 1) As a philosophical backdrop, sign of a sick world that is severely out of balance and the reason for environmental disasters like droughts and the plague of “British” boils that is tormenting the Indian population. For Govindan and Ramakrishna, Hitler and Churchill are equally at fault for the world’s problems. 2) Real effects: Ramakrishna suffers from the boils at the beginning of the book, and Govindan–a medicine man, too–drives those British boils out by having Ramakrishna consume a noxious dung paste, allowing Ramakrishna to evacuate the foreign disease. Govindran philosophizes about the efficacy of bowel movements. The triumph of the local and homeopathic. More pointedly, a few of the minor characters have had husbands who have gone to fight for the British and died, so the men’s wives and families are suffering emotionally and financially. The world is a mess, and local solutions may be the best way forward. Rao develops an interesting and sometimes comic criticism of colonialism, but it does not dominate the book.

To take the job in the ration office, Ramakrishna has had to move far from his wife, Saroja, and family. In the new locale, he falls for another woman, Shantha, whom he considers “not just a woman but woman.” She also falls for him and bears him a son. Although concerns about his wife give him some pause–she and their son do not join him���his love for Shantha restores his happiness. Also, his daughter, Utha, comes to live with him to attend a Belgian convent school. Shantha becomes another reason Ramakrishna wants to build a new house. Seemingly everyone supports Ramakrishna’s desire for a new house. Ramakrishna’s current landlords, a childless husband and wife, help because they love Usha. They are good people. Govindan helps through his position at the ration office. Shantha sells her property so that Ramakrishna can build his house. Govindan invokes his feline philosophy, “the cat always meows” to get what it wants.

The ration office may seem a rule-driven bureaucratic space for the distribution of food (rice) and ration cards, but in Rao’s portrayal it is a very human space filled with mothers, children playing, and lots of people in need. Govindan plays with the children. For him, the office is about caring for others, “Give unto me love that I love.” Ration cards are missing, because Govindan has gone the extra mile to care for others in need, like the families of the men who have died in the war. In the world that Rao creates here, everyone (almost) is good, deserving of support and aid. Happiness is the baseline, and to make or keep people happy is a moral imperative. Govindan is almost magical in his dedication to helping others.

Bad things do happen in the novel. Ramarishna’s wife, Saroja, is estranged and denies to their son that Ramakrishna is his father. Govindan’s son, Shridhar, dies of pneumonia. The head of the ration office, Bhoothalinga Iyer, who suffers from asthma, dies–of shock? cat dander? a weak heart?-- after the office cat jumps on him. Govindan is accused of fraud and put on trial. Nonetheless, whatever disturbances death, estrangement, or accusations cause, characters recover their contentment and move forward. Happiness is the emotional default setting of the novel.

The book’s title, The Cat and Shakespeare, remains a mystery until a later scene at the ration office. To goof Govindan and his feline philosophy, another employee brings in a cat in a large rat cage and sets in on Govindan’s desk. Govindran is upset at the treatment of the cat, which should be free to wander about and catch rats, but he does not get upset. Instead, Govindran is inspired by the cat to do a little Hamletesque extemporizing– “A kitten, sans cat, that is the question ”--involving the others in the office in the repurposed soliloquy.. He then moves on to a Latin lesson, leading the office to identify the cat as felinus persiana. All this fun redirects the office away from the humiliation of the cat in a cage, but then the cat jumps on the asthmatic boss who inexplicably dies, which leads Govindan to wonder if Polonius suffered from asthma. Govindan is always creative and imaginative, even in the face of death.

Govindan uses the cat in his defense against the fraud charge. He is accused of giving a woman 109 rupees from the ration office, funds that she is not registered to receive. Govindan tells of how his deceased boss, Iyer, met this woman in a brothel, where she worked because her husband died in the war. Iyer has a generous heart, tells Govindan the story and directs him to take money to the widow, which he happily does, because he too has a generous heart. Where is the proof? Govindran claims that the office cat knows and persuades the judge, after arguing about the nature of knowledge and who can know what, to allow the cat in court. Once there, the cat wanders around the court, stopping at the file folder which holds the original order, signed by Iyer, to deliver the rupees to the widow. Always have faith, the cat will provide. Govindan's feline philosophy is vindicated. He still serves jail time, though, since he was an accessory, but according to Ramakrishna that little matters because Govindan is always free, in mind and spirit.

The book ends happily. Ramakrishna’s life goes along swimmingly. His son is born. Shantha gives him the money to build the house, and two stories are built. He is promoted to secretary of the Temple Grants Department, and in the last line of the novel he hears “the music of marriage.” A nice little comedic flourish.

The Cat and Shakespeare was worth a second read. Most book are. The first time around I was distracted by the happiness that marks the narrative and most of the characters. Somehow, I don’t expect fiction–or poetry or plays for that matter–to be so happy. Once I got used to the happiness and trusted Govindan’s feline philosophy that we are all kittens dependent on the care of a mother cat, I was better able to follow the plot and its turns toward happy outcomes on a second reading.

[Gouthami · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book set in Trivandrum, soon after Independence. I guess there is a depth to the book that I didn't quite get - which is where the title is from. What I did enjoy were the detailed characters, some very unusual, all very human and the kind of instant philosophy they all spout. The language used is simple and Indian. Reminded me of H Hatterr in parts. In a way the book does describe the "exotic" in India, with some surprises such as the mistress and the sex worker. They are so everyday and ordinary, that in the 21st century, I am surprised! Overall the book transports you to another era, one with a lot more hope.

[Alisha Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wish i had the know-how and philosophical resources to understand the deeper connotations of the ideas and symbols in the text. They are simple and profound just on the surface. Keep an open mind while going into it. I’ll definitely keep going back to this book during different phases in life, trying to find the Truth in its ever changing form <3

[Shivani Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Metaphysics galore! Also, low-key humorous. People don't lie when they say that this book reads like a song; it indeed does. In an all, quite unlike anything I've read before.

[Ankit Ramteke · Rating 1 out of 5]

The absolute wanking by a Nair Metaphysician with his Brahmin sidekick. Though written by the grand-daddy of Indian Brahmin Fiction-Raja Rao, somehow in this novel the protagonist is a Nair as Nairs were neo-Brahmining themselves. This short novel is for those who have a lot of free time or are Brahmins as in their pursuit of Knowledge they have all the free time in the world. Intellectual onanism is an exercise in which many philosophers dabble but Brahmin philosophers have carved out a niche for themselves and are now supreme masters of this field. This ‘text’ is a classic for only one reason that, it has been declared classic by other brahmins, a simple reason. In the introduction of the Penguin edition of this book, another brahmin R. Parthasarathy pontificates the caste system as the survival of Indian tradition where the profane and pure co-exist. The Brahmins in their sophist dealing with the caste system at times are just soo charmingly cute that I want to squeeze, smash, and crush them with a hug.

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest. I think this book was a lot of metaphysical wank. I enjoyed the last 10 but the first 150 pages were hard to swallow.

In the Penguin Modern Classics edition, the introduction for this was about 40 pages, which was a fair chunk of the book. I skip the introduction in most fiction that I read, but I found that it was necessary after getting through half the book - not that it helped.

While the intro gave some context on the difference between Western writing and the Indian mind, the bit about the book was only discussed within 5 pages. It also told that I would need to know the author back to front so that I don't "misread" the book.

Personally I don't feel obliged. I took another day just to read up on the philosophy behind the book and Raja Rao's writings, just in case I can find something to salvage from the book. I didn't, and I still find that this thing is a lot of wank.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot of this tome revolves around the story of two friends --- Govindan Nair and Rama Krishna Pai and deals with corruption in the rationing department. Govindan is a poor clerk in the Rationing office at Trivandrum getting only Rs. 45/- p.m. while Rama Krishna is a divisional clerk. The two live in neighbouring houses. When Pai falls ill he is very well looked after by Govindan Nair and his son Sridhar. Shantha, a schoolteacher, also looks after Pai. Pai falls for her and in due course develops debauched relations with her.

Accused of corrupt and fraudulent practices in his office, Nair pleads his innocence and says that whatever he did, was done under the orders of his boss, Boothalinga Iyer. Iyer is a steadfast Brahmin and seems to be a religious man, always quoting Sanskrit texts. Iyer, however, dies of heart failure because a cat abruptly jumps on his baldhead. When the case comes up in court, Govindan Nair throws the entire blame on his boss who was now dead. Nair insists on carrying the cat as a witness in the court. The cat creates good fun by jumping all over the court room.

The prosecution bases its case on a document on which there is Govindan Nair's signature. But as the judge is handling the paper, a sunbeam from the ceiling falls on the paper and under the light, below Govindan's signature, Boothalinga Iyer's signature is revealed. This proves that Govindan Nair is not guilty of corruption and the court declares him innocent.

As Govindan Nair says, "Destiny chooses the exact time for your redemption." Then he says, "Ah, Sir, you need the mother cat, the only thing which can rid the world of rats and make men feel protected like the kitten which the mother cat carries by the scruff of the neck and carries to a place of safety. That is why he is so carefree. Learn the way of the kitten. Then you are saved. Allow the Mother cat, sir, to carry you."

The case against Nair is dismissed. Rama Krishna Pai starts living with his mistress, Shantha and his wife, Saroja, lives in the village with her son, Vithal.

The novelist comments, "Normally the story should have stopped there. But is life normal? Is the cat in the court normal? Is death normal? Is Shantha's life with Pai normal (she not married to him and such a wife)? And Saroja such a married spouse (and living far away where the Dutch once landed), and she keeping Vithal and telling him, "Your father is no father. Your real father is the sun. Worship him."

To put it in plain words, this tome deals with a plot of a short story and is too reedy to be the leitmotif of a full-length novel. The narrative is not a closely-knit one. Random philosophical discussions on a variety of topics, most of which are not even connected to the plot makes reading tedious at times. Nevertheless, setting aside all absurdities and crudities, this tome shows us Raja Rao’s wonderful command over the English language. The novel is full of symbolism -- the cat, the wall, the ration office, the scales, are all symbols, and they reveal their significance in the main body of the novel.

[Rahul Verma · Rating 3 out of 5]

There seem to be no boundaries in and to his writing. Normal acts and philosophy keep merging into each other, to make you home to the dreamy state that life is. His style sets you free from the bounds of usual structured writing and makes the mind so light. The sense of time in the story keeps getting warped, and still it seems natural. As the story proceeds, the metaphysical themes are explored more, and left open to the reader's interpretation.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A philosophical inquiry into life that defies the time it's been set in. What could be different in the novel from the conversations of today is the absolute authority with which caste and gender pervades all discussions of the characters. Of course, they are discussed today, but in a completely different light.

[Mehreen Shaikh · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a whimsical sing-song feel to this book, I enjoyed the odd humour and upbeat storytelling. I wouldn’t say ‘go get this book right away!’ But if you want to explore different writing styles, this would be a good suggestion.

[Gagan Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

plain stories through talks about random thoughts existence,objects, their properties, space , conceptual analysis, blah blah blah

[Chaitanya Sharma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably I was too stupid to get the hidden meaning, but I didn't understand the book at all. It had little for me apart from the mellow description of pre-independence Trivandrum.

[Trepkos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to wonder how any person retains their sanity while living in India. I can say that because my dad's family was from Calcutta.

[Nikita Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those books which make you go like ‘???’ but also ‘why am I thinking so much’

[Vanya Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book was its music. When you start reading it and you get into the rhythm of the book, you are singing the book!

[Inrisrini]

first book i read a book written Indian style even though it is English....very touching.