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When the River Sleeps
A lone hunter, Vilie, sets out to find the river of his dreams, a place from which he will be able to wrest a stone that will give him untold power. His is a dangerous quest—not only must he overcome unquiet spirits, vengeful sorceresses, and demons of the forest, but there are armed men on his trail as well.
In When the River Sleeps , Easterine Kire transports her reader to the remote mountains of Nagaland in northeastern India, a place alive with natural wonder and supernatural enchantment. As Vilie treks through the forest on the trail of his dream, readers are also swept along with the powerful narrative and walk alongside him in a world where the spirits are every bit as real as men and women. Kire invites us into the lives and hearts of the people of their rituals and beliefs, their reverence for the land, their close-knit communities, and the rhythms of a life lived in harmony with their natural surroundings.
“Reminiscent of García Márquez’s magic realism and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Native-American storytelling. At the end, though, this is a Naga story, unmistakably so, in its sense of place, time, and oral traditions.” —Paulus Pimomo, Central Washington University
In When the River Sleeps , Easterine Kire transports her reader to the remote mountains of Nagaland in northeastern India, a place alive with natural wonder and supernatural enchantment. As Vilie treks through the forest on the trail of his dream, readers are also swept along with the powerful narrative and walk alongside him in a world where the spirits are every bit as real as men and women. Kire invites us into the lives and hearts of the people of their rituals and beliefs, their reverence for the land, their close-knit communities, and the rhythms of a life lived in harmony with their natural surroundings.
“Reminiscent of García Márquez’s magic realism and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Native-American storytelling. At the end, though, this is a Naga story, unmistakably so, in its sense of place, time, and oral traditions.” —Paulus Pimomo, Central Washington University
264 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2014
33 people are currently reading
708 people want to read
About the author
Easterine Kire
28 books96 followersEasterine Kire (Iralu) is a poet, writer, and novelist from Nagaland. She is one of the finest story tellers from the region and has written several books in English including three collections of poetry and short stories. Her first novel, A Naga Village Remembered, was the first-ever Naga novel to be published.
Easterine has translated 200 oral poems from her native language, Tenyidie, into English. She has been actively involved in working on creating better opportunities for the Naga youth and nurturing and evangelizing the Naga folktales.
She is also the Founder-partner of the publishing house called Barkweaver, which publishes Naga folktales, children’s stories and real stirring stories of ordinary people. Easterine Kire has a Ph.D in English Literature from University of Pune.
Easterine has translated 200 oral poems from her native language, Tenyidie, into English. She has been actively involved in working on creating better opportunities for the Naga youth and nurturing and evangelizing the Naga folktales.
She is also the Founder-partner of the publishing house called Barkweaver, which publishes Naga folktales, children’s stories and real stirring stories of ordinary people. Easterine Kire has a Ph.D in English Literature from University of Pune.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 27, 2016
A lovely folklorish read that somehow feels leisurely in its pace despite so many events taking place. It was interesting to read the spiritual and supernatural being mentioned side-by-side with the Forestry Departement and modern state lines. The supernatural elements are quite enchanting at times and I liked the simple style of the prose, which brought to mind the oral traditions of folktales, almost like listening to the bedtime stories my eldest aunt used to narrate to put my sister and me to sleep. I found myself oddly hungry while reading the book as food has quite a place in it, though often simple, basic (but tempting) dishes. I would like to read more of this author and I definitely have a desire to visit Nagaland now.
March 22, 2019
Vilie, a lone hunter, sets off on a quest to find the dream river, 'the sleeping river' to find a mysterious 'heart stone's which grants unlimited power to the one who seizes it. His journey through the forest is not an easy one, with him facing many trials.
I loved this book for many reasons, the magical realism, the folklorish tone, the simple village life and myths and spirits. Kire unfolded the beauty of Nagaland (a state in North Eastern India) with each page through Vilie's journey. I loved the folklorish tone with undertones of magical realism.
~
Kire brought to life weretigers (part of Naga oral tradition) and malign widow spirits.
It mentally transported me to Nagaland. It was a beautiful book based in life in Nagaland. People's beliefs in spirits and the supernatural are abundant. The story sounded like a beautiful folktale which is passed from generation to generation.
The essence is very Naga in the true sense. Powerfully capturing the lives of village folk, it's a treasure trove of knowledge for people who are interested in knowing about native herbs and their uses.
~
This book is slow and leisurely in its pace, but it's enough to keep the reader engaged. I admit there were times when I felt like putting this book to my DNF pile, but my love for Easterine Kire is too stubborn to let it happen. I am glad I didn't give up on this book. Read it if you like magical realism, folklore tone and easy style of narration. Kire always wins me over with simple narration without being pompous and preachy.
I loved this book for many reasons, the magical realism, the folklorish tone, the simple village life and myths and spirits. Kire unfolded the beauty of Nagaland (a state in North Eastern India) with each page through Vilie's journey. I loved the folklorish tone with undertones of magical realism.
~
Kire brought to life weretigers (part of Naga oral tradition) and malign widow spirits.
It mentally transported me to Nagaland. It was a beautiful book based in life in Nagaland. People's beliefs in spirits and the supernatural are abundant. The story sounded like a beautiful folktale which is passed from generation to generation.
The essence is very Naga in the true sense. Powerfully capturing the lives of village folk, it's a treasure trove of knowledge for people who are interested in knowing about native herbs and their uses.
~
This book is slow and leisurely in its pace, but it's enough to keep the reader engaged. I admit there were times when I felt like putting this book to my DNF pile, but my love for Easterine Kire is too stubborn to let it happen. I am glad I didn't give up on this book. Read it if you like magical realism, folklore tone and easy style of narration. Kire always wins me over with simple narration without being pompous and preachy.
January 30, 2022
This story of a man's search for the heart stone is the story of a different life, a different world. A life in which weretigers retreat when called by name, where spirits hiss , scare and care, where kindness and love abound along with cruelty and avarice. Vilie a loner sets out on a journey with a mission, this is the story of his journey, the forests that shelter him, the people he meet, the spirits he encounter along the way. I liked the simple life of the villagers, their simple needs , simple meals and their beliefs in the treatment powers of various herbs.
A simple story told in a simple language with smallish chapters.
I learned about this book from Truck de India where the author mentions reading this book. It has won the Hindu prize for fiction in 2015.
A simple story told in a simple language with smallish chapters.
I learned about this book from Truck de India where the author mentions reading this book. It has won the Hindu prize for fiction in 2015.
April 7, 2016
A narrative that felt like a folk tale, the kind of stories that elders would narrate to you. Filled with folk elements and native symbolism and meanings, it was a beautiful and almost surreal journey through the hunter's world, the moral and spiritual struggles and victories. I was reminded strongly about the a sense of hope and goodness that exists in man which is rare to find these days, to realise how doing good selflessly is the kind of peace we earn and wisdom you gain from those acts and their consequences.
August 9, 2020
Vilie, a hunter, sets out to find a river and acquire from it a stone that will give him untold pfower. In his way lie many dangers, both natural and supernatural. But he is determined.
I'll not give away too much of Vilie's quest because I think it's meant to be read. But after the read, the wisdom remains. And knowledge can be power. In particular, a gem by the character Kani, about wealth and power, continues to return to my thoughts.
I loved this book for Easterine Kire's narrative brought Nagaland to life and its folklore too, the nature, the people, their customs, even the spirits. It made me want to visit Nagaland, to become enchanted by that beauty in person.
I'll not give away too much of Vilie's quest because I think it's meant to be read. But after the read, the wisdom remains. And knowledge can be power. In particular, a gem by the character Kani, about wealth and power, continues to return to my thoughts.
I loved this book for Easterine Kire's narrative brought Nagaland to life and its folklore too, the nature, the people, their customs, even the spirits. It made me want to visit Nagaland, to become enchanted by that beauty in person.
August 5, 2016
A very nice, slow paced book based on life in Nagaland. Here old ways of life still prevails. There is fairness and spirituality. The belief in spirits and supernatural phenomena is abundant. The story of Vilie the hunter leaving home for an adventure and what happens through his journey is a captivating tale. The whole story has an other worldly charm. More than everything else, I enjoyed the glimpse in to the lives of Naga folks of whom I hardly know anything (unfortunately).
March 13, 2022
4.5 *
For my Nagaland pick on my #ReadingIndia challenge, I chose When The River Sleeps by Easterine Kire.
During Black History Month, I have seen different reviewers, mostly Black, encourage readers to find books that centre Black joy. The history of Black oppression is real and has tangible impacts on many lives but it is not the only thing that Black art and Black lives encapsulate. In the same way, the history of the North East has frequently seen violent strife. And while it is real and must be read about and understood, unfortunately, it is most often the only thing one reads or hears about. So, Kire’s picture of a little corner of Nagaland was completely unfamiliar to me and refreshingly so. It is centred in a small cluster of mountains and valleys and villages, but seems filled with ideas that spread out of that geographical space and are relatable to many.
The book begins with hunter Vilie setting out to find the heart stone that the sleeping river holds. And, of course, like many quest stories, he has interesting experiences on the journey. But the actual finding and obtaining of the heart stone seems fairly easy. It is the keeping of it and being worthy of having it that is the tougher part and that makes the story very interesting.
The tale blends the mundane reality of nettle harvesting women sharing their rice gruel with Vilie as he stops to rest en route to the sleeping river with the fantastical elements of weretigers and spirits and, of course, the mysterious powers of the heart stone itself. This blending of real and unreal is almost seamless and thoroughly entertaining.
There are very few really vile people in the book although they are not totally absent, and there seems to be a sort of nostalgia for a world that is disappearing. Although Kire does not sugar-coat the realities of living in tough, difficult-to-access terrain. It’s just that most of the people who inhabit these places seem to have so little and seem so willing to share it. And the village councils seem so unlike the Khaps that one hears of more often on the news. I found myself envious of the sense of community and compassion that many of the characters seemed to share without fanfare.
Vilie himself is a wonderful character and I think I would have loved to meet him. The book is his journey of self-discovery which provides an opportunity to think about general human concerns, like our perception of self and how it is shaped. To Ate, a young girl convinced that she is a Kirhupfümia (a woman who can hurt or kill a person simply by pointing her finger at them), Vilie says, after he has convinced her that she has no such powers, ‘You are so much more powerful now than you have ever been before. You are the new person that you believe you are, and that new person is full of life, not death. Your power will help to build up, not destroy.’
And wise old fisherman Kani who helps VIlie in the last leg of the quest, shares, ‘What joy will wealth afford you when you do not know the secret of living with peace and faith in your fellow men?’ A lesson we can all learn at a time when apparently 1% of India’s population owns something like 30% of its wealth, while the bottom 50% owns about 6% of the country’s wealth and the machinations of ruling powers seem to want to strip a particular community of any wealth it owns.
I found the book a quick and fascinating read and one that made me think about more than I had expected to when I first read the blurb.
For my Nagaland pick on my #ReadingIndia challenge, I chose When The River Sleeps by Easterine Kire.
During Black History Month, I have seen different reviewers, mostly Black, encourage readers to find books that centre Black joy. The history of Black oppression is real and has tangible impacts on many lives but it is not the only thing that Black art and Black lives encapsulate. In the same way, the history of the North East has frequently seen violent strife. And while it is real and must be read about and understood, unfortunately, it is most often the only thing one reads or hears about. So, Kire’s picture of a little corner of Nagaland was completely unfamiliar to me and refreshingly so. It is centred in a small cluster of mountains and valleys and villages, but seems filled with ideas that spread out of that geographical space and are relatable to many.
The book begins with hunter Vilie setting out to find the heart stone that the sleeping river holds. And, of course, like many quest stories, he has interesting experiences on the journey. But the actual finding and obtaining of the heart stone seems fairly easy. It is the keeping of it and being worthy of having it that is the tougher part and that makes the story very interesting.
The tale blends the mundane reality of nettle harvesting women sharing their rice gruel with Vilie as he stops to rest en route to the sleeping river with the fantastical elements of weretigers and spirits and, of course, the mysterious powers of the heart stone itself. This blending of real and unreal is almost seamless and thoroughly entertaining.
There are very few really vile people in the book although they are not totally absent, and there seems to be a sort of nostalgia for a world that is disappearing. Although Kire does not sugar-coat the realities of living in tough, difficult-to-access terrain. It’s just that most of the people who inhabit these places seem to have so little and seem so willing to share it. And the village councils seem so unlike the Khaps that one hears of more often on the news. I found myself envious of the sense of community and compassion that many of the characters seemed to share without fanfare.
Vilie himself is a wonderful character and I think I would have loved to meet him. The book is his journey of self-discovery which provides an opportunity to think about general human concerns, like our perception of self and how it is shaped. To Ate, a young girl convinced that she is a Kirhupfümia (a woman who can hurt or kill a person simply by pointing her finger at them), Vilie says, after he has convinced her that she has no such powers, ‘You are so much more powerful now than you have ever been before. You are the new person that you believe you are, and that new person is full of life, not death. Your power will help to build up, not destroy.’
And wise old fisherman Kani who helps VIlie in the last leg of the quest, shares, ‘What joy will wealth afford you when you do not know the secret of living with peace and faith in your fellow men?’ A lesson we can all learn at a time when apparently 1% of India’s population owns something like 30% of its wealth, while the bottom 50% owns about 6% of the country’s wealth and the machinations of ruling powers seem to want to strip a particular community of any wealth it owns.
I found the book a quick and fascinating read and one that made me think about more than I had expected to when I first read the blurb.
September 14, 2019
Ville a hunter, wakes up from a dream, ventures out to search for the heart-stone; that holds the power of the river that's asleep. And this stone is guarded by wailing-angry-widow-spirits.
Many attempts have been made at magical realism in Indian English writing, and I didn't like them. My personal opinion is that magical realism needs a deep connection with nature, may be never explicitly explored in the text; but the traces of that connection always shows in the words written. And I have always argued that North East India is the most fertile ground to plant the seeds of magical realism in.
Easterine Kire, pens our deep connection with nature for the national readership to gawk at (sorry to be mean). Ville's journey is a physical and metaphorical one. He walks through the enchanting forests of Nagaland, meets people who have morphed into tiger spirits, finds a village of all women with magical powers, and other hunters who help in his quest.
But the book reminds us that man-nature relationship can be harmonic and sustainable, nature can be preserved if our needs are shared and limited within a community. Kire gives us an intimate view of how the communities work as place of support and at times discrimination.
The forest is Ville's wife, a provider and a protector, who needs to be treated as an equal. There are different forms of antagonists in the story, each one is a personification of human greed. It's not a hero's journey but an ordinary man heeding to the call of nature.
What I loved most is that Ville is not a young man; a middle-aged bachelor, who meets and forms respectful bonds with various women. He meets Ate who is quarter of his age, instead of the obvious age is a number romance trope, he treats her like a daughter he never had and decides to help rebuild her life. Now this kind of wholesome and nurturing masculinity is very hard to find in modern day narratives.
Though set in contemporary time, the story runs parallel to a world that's untouched by the overwhelming presence of technology, though Kire drops hints of destruction and deforestation lurking in every nook and corner, Ville is a man of nature he cannot imagine a life without natute. He is a hunter and guard of the forest, he is employed by the forest department. His interactions only happen with the villages he passes through and spirits he overwhelms.
It's the ending of the book, that left me with huge sense of loss. For someone who has grown up with hills always in view, I could understand the fear of losing all the green around us. Greed cannot be defeated permanently, it's always there in some form or another waiting to bite a chunk out of the land or the mountains or the land.
The story can double as a mythical tale as well, like a story that gets told generations after generations yet it's meaning remains allusive.
Many attempts have been made at magical realism in Indian English writing, and I didn't like them. My personal opinion is that magical realism needs a deep connection with nature, may be never explicitly explored in the text; but the traces of that connection always shows in the words written. And I have always argued that North East India is the most fertile ground to plant the seeds of magical realism in.
Easterine Kire, pens our deep connection with nature for the national readership to gawk at (sorry to be mean). Ville's journey is a physical and metaphorical one. He walks through the enchanting forests of Nagaland, meets people who have morphed into tiger spirits, finds a village of all women with magical powers, and other hunters who help in his quest.
But the book reminds us that man-nature relationship can be harmonic and sustainable, nature can be preserved if our needs are shared and limited within a community. Kire gives us an intimate view of how the communities work as place of support and at times discrimination.
The forest is Ville's wife, a provider and a protector, who needs to be treated as an equal. There are different forms of antagonists in the story, each one is a personification of human greed. It's not a hero's journey but an ordinary man heeding to the call of nature.
What I loved most is that Ville is not a young man; a middle-aged bachelor, who meets and forms respectful bonds with various women. He meets Ate who is quarter of his age, instead of the obvious age is a number romance trope, he treats her like a daughter he never had and decides to help rebuild her life. Now this kind of wholesome and nurturing masculinity is very hard to find in modern day narratives.
Though set in contemporary time, the story runs parallel to a world that's untouched by the overwhelming presence of technology, though Kire drops hints of destruction and deforestation lurking in every nook and corner, Ville is a man of nature he cannot imagine a life without natute. He is a hunter and guard of the forest, he is employed by the forest department. His interactions only happen with the villages he passes through and spirits he overwhelms.
It's the ending of the book, that left me with huge sense of loss. For someone who has grown up with hills always in view, I could understand the fear of losing all the green around us. Greed cannot be defeated permanently, it's always there in some form or another waiting to bite a chunk out of the land or the mountains or the land.
The story can double as a mythical tale as well, like a story that gets told generations after generations yet it's meaning remains allusive.
August 2, 2016
To unfold the great power of the heart stone, Vilie , a lone hunter sets on a quest to find the ‘Sleeping River’. But the trek through the forest isn’t an easy one. There is danger with every move. He is accused of a murder and the restive spirits leave no stone unturned to set him lifeless.
A Fascinating tale of a man who claims to be ‘wedded’ to the forest. This powerful narrative will take you to the distant forests of Nagaland. Kire has beautifully weaved in myths, beliefs, communal rituals and the folk tradition of the tribals that one could get a vivid picture of their ways of life. She takes you to a world, where there is no distinction between magic and reality, where spirits share an equal space with the mortals and everyone lives in harmony with nature. In an easy and conversational manner, Kire explores universal wisdom and faith through the character of Vilie. There is a strong presence of supernatural element, occult and witchcraft.
She subtly tries to mould our perspective of the Naga people by exhibiting their simplicity and innocence.
Winner of the Hindu prize for fiction 2016, this book would be of interest to all those who want to connect to the hearts of Naga people, explore their ways of living. To sum it up- A brilliant narrative!
A Fascinating tale of a man who claims to be ‘wedded’ to the forest. This powerful narrative will take you to the distant forests of Nagaland. Kire has beautifully weaved in myths, beliefs, communal rituals and the folk tradition of the tribals that one could get a vivid picture of their ways of life. She takes you to a world, where there is no distinction between magic and reality, where spirits share an equal space with the mortals and everyone lives in harmony with nature. In an easy and conversational manner, Kire explores universal wisdom and faith through the character of Vilie. There is a strong presence of supernatural element, occult and witchcraft.
She subtly tries to mould our perspective of the Naga people by exhibiting their simplicity and innocence.
Winner of the Hindu prize for fiction 2016, this book would be of interest to all those who want to connect to the hearts of Naga people, explore their ways of living. To sum it up- A brilliant narrative!
March 23, 2020
Mixed feelings about this one: Esaterine Kire’s When the River Sleeps works only if you read it for the writing that takes you to the ways and lives of people living in a small village in Nagaland.
The story is one-dimensional as it stays firmly on the adventures of Vilie, a solitary hunter. Vilie works for the Forest Department to ensure protection of the Tragopans in the forest and is constantly haunted by dreams of a river from where he has to snatch a stone that is said to bestow untold power. Kire mixes Naga folklore and fables, peppering the concoction with life lessons on life,forgiveness and moving on in life. The narrative is embellished with the socio communal life of the Naga people in villages and their belief systems as readers follow the many adventures that Vilie encounters on his journey- one filled with supernatural elements. Unfortunately, the supernatural elements comes across as flat and end up as mere plot devices for they fail to stir up the narrative. The ending is abrupt and makes you wonder what is missing from the writing.
If you are looking for a light read, this makes the cut.
The story is one-dimensional as it stays firmly on the adventures of Vilie, a solitary hunter. Vilie works for the Forest Department to ensure protection of the Tragopans in the forest and is constantly haunted by dreams of a river from where he has to snatch a stone that is said to bestow untold power. Kire mixes Naga folklore and fables, peppering the concoction with life lessons on life,forgiveness and moving on in life. The narrative is embellished with the socio communal life of the Naga people in villages and their belief systems as readers follow the many adventures that Vilie encounters on his journey- one filled with supernatural elements. Unfortunately, the supernatural elements comes across as flat and end up as mere plot devices for they fail to stir up the narrative. The ending is abrupt and makes you wonder what is missing from the writing.
If you are looking for a light read, this makes the cut.
January 31, 2021
"Sky is my father, Earth is my mother, stand aside death! Kepenuopfü fights for me, today is my day! I claim the wealth of the river because mine is the greater spirit. To him who has the greater spirit belongs the stone"
Wandering spirits.
Age-old legends.
A series of unfortunate events.
A magic stone.
A dangerous river.
These are five aspects that describe the book.
'When the River Sleeps' is a story revolving around Vulie, a man of respect and wilderness,setting out to fulfill what he thinks is his life's purpose. What he encounters along his path is the essence of this book that leaves the reader either broken or content.
What makes this book special? The beautiful depiction of Nagaland and its natural landscape, heartwarming and bright characters, an unwavering stance on the spirit-human connection, to name a few. Bordering on magical realism, the ending left my heart in knots and took me a while to gather my thoughts. I definitely wish more people talk about this book!
Wandering spirits.
Age-old legends.
A series of unfortunate events.
A magic stone.
A dangerous river.
These are five aspects that describe the book.
'When the River Sleeps' is a story revolving around Vulie, a man of respect and wilderness,setting out to fulfill what he thinks is his life's purpose. What he encounters along his path is the essence of this book that leaves the reader either broken or content.
What makes this book special? The beautiful depiction of Nagaland and its natural landscape, heartwarming and bright characters, an unwavering stance on the spirit-human connection, to name a few. Bordering on magical realism, the ending left my heart in knots and took me a while to gather my thoughts. I definitely wish more people talk about this book!
June 19, 2019
It reads like a folk-tale, but not in a good way. Drab and simplistic, with moralising and one dimensional characters. There's a great emphasis on spiritual strength and living life spiritually clean; the story includes a lot of supernatural elements to this end.
Set in Nagaland, it's about a hunter called Vilie who sets out to catch a river sleeping for god knows what reason. He meets a bunch of people on the way there, and a few more on the way back. Vilie, unexceptionally, is a boring character, too, and is annoying since he's also the protagonist.
The only good I take out of this book is the hazy picture it paints of the Naga life and their culture.
Set in Nagaland, it's about a hunter called Vilie who sets out to catch a river sleeping for god knows what reason. He meets a bunch of people on the way there, and a few more on the way back. Vilie, unexceptionally, is a boring character, too, and is annoying since he's also the protagonist.
The only good I take out of this book is the hazy picture it paints of the Naga life and their culture.
October 24, 2021
The landscape itself provides the knowledge of Naga spiritualism. Before converted to Christianity, Naga people followed animism which subscribes to the idea of "life" in every elements on planet earth. This novel shows deeper knowledge about the medicinal plants, spirit sighting, unclean forest, taboos and many more quintessential aspects of being in a world of Naga belief system.
May 10, 2017
It was a smooth read. Loved the fictional names. But the end was abrupt from 50th chapter to 51st. Author could have saved Vilie in the form of weretiger..🤔
October 29, 2018
Part folklorish with underlying currents of magic realism. Based in Nagaland, part of the book managed to mentally take to the life there
January 17, 2024
Decent.
August 15, 2025
(read in Norwegian) 3.75 ⭐️
March 23, 2018
‘When the River Sleeps’ is an unassuming fictional book that has the power to keep the reader warped with attention. The vivid and detailed narration of the story, keeps the reader glued to the book till one turns the last leaf.
The story revolves around Vilie, a man in his forties, who ventures out to get a stone from mysterious sleeping river. The setting of the story is based on the far flung village life and wild forests, which are infested by spirits. Just as there are human villages, there are also certain forests that are inhabited by the spirits. The spirits are presented to be as real and powerful as human beings. The evil spirits would attack human beings especially those who fear or those who are weak hearted.
The suspense of the story and the spirit infested jungle, hold the reader’s imagination and evoke goosebumps. The author throws light on the culture of the Naga people, ethos, hospitality for the strangers, hard-earned livelihood, and how elders would take major decisions. In fact, the reader is given the glimpse of how the early Naga Society live and thrive on.
My personal note: the ending of the story is abrupt. If Vilie could overcome the villain and continue to protect the forest, it would have been better. However, there might be reasons why the author wanted to give a twist at the end of the story. Every adventure in the story is well knitted. Judging from its power to captivate the reader's mind, I will not be surprised if this novel is adapted for a feature film.
The theme of Authenticity seems to stand out prominently, in this fiction. Vilie risks his life to get the magical stone from the mysterious river. In spite of care, it got lost. However, there is something more valuable than the magical stone which Vilie has, which no one can steal. It is his ‘Authenticity of heart.’
When the River Sleeps
Easterine Kire
Kire, Easterine. When the River Sleeps. Zubaan, 2014.
The story revolves around Vilie, a man in his forties, who ventures out to get a stone from mysterious sleeping river. The setting of the story is based on the far flung village life and wild forests, which are infested by spirits. Just as there are human villages, there are also certain forests that are inhabited by the spirits. The spirits are presented to be as real and powerful as human beings. The evil spirits would attack human beings especially those who fear or those who are weak hearted.
The suspense of the story and the spirit infested jungle, hold the reader’s imagination and evoke goosebumps. The author throws light on the culture of the Naga people, ethos, hospitality for the strangers, hard-earned livelihood, and how elders would take major decisions. In fact, the reader is given the glimpse of how the early Naga Society live and thrive on.
My personal note: the ending of the story is abrupt. If Vilie could overcome the villain and continue to protect the forest, it would have been better. However, there might be reasons why the author wanted to give a twist at the end of the story. Every adventure in the story is well knitted. Judging from its power to captivate the reader's mind, I will not be surprised if this novel is adapted for a feature film.
The theme of Authenticity seems to stand out prominently, in this fiction. Vilie risks his life to get the magical stone from the mysterious river. In spite of care, it got lost. However, there is something more valuable than the magical stone which Vilie has, which no one can steal. It is his ‘Authenticity of heart.’
When the River Sleeps
Easterine Kire
Kire, Easterine. When the River Sleeps. Zubaan, 2014.
November 24, 2020
This book promises a lot of potential that it fails to fulfill. Even if simply read as a fable about good and evil, it is barely alright. Kire sprinkles her narrative with a lot of natural imagery and Naga folklore; and while these by themselves are quite enticing, I felt that she, somehow, failed to weave a compelling narrative out of it all. The prose is coarse, and even if so on purpose (perhaps?), it still lacks the deft touch of a gifted prose writer. The plot is not well-knit and the scenes are too rushed. The chapters are too short and too many. It takes away the flow of the reader and blocks any sort of continuity that could have been built. There are no ebbs and flows to her prose in this book. There is only a flat, monotonous narration that attempts at didacticism at times. There are flashes of a skilled writer in the book, but that's all they end up being: just flashes. But despite all these, I'm quite hopeful that her other books may make more fruitful reading. I will certainly try out other works in her oeuvre before passing any indictment on her as a writer.
October 15, 2022
Easterine Kire, currently living in Norway by birth is an inhabitant of Kohima, Nagaland (1959). She was a poet, short story writer and novelist. Her tales are based on the lives of Nagaland and are drawn from her indigenous Naga culture. She was the first Naga poet in India to have her poetry published in English in 1982. In 2003, she wrote A Naga Village Remembered, the first Naga novel in English. Easterne Kire holds a PhD in English Literature from Poona UniversityShe and was awarded Bal Sahitya Puraskar by Sahitya Academy in 2018 and the Governor's Medal in 2011 for her excellence in Naga literature. Her novels: A Terrible Matriarchy (2007) Mari (2010) Son of the Thundercloud Bitter Wormwood (2011) Don't Run, My Love (2017)When the River Sleeps (2016)The Dancing Village (Children’s Book)Walking the Roadless Road: Exploring the Tribes of Nagaland (2019)Spirit Nights.
The Plot-line:
“When the river is asleep, it is completely still. Yet the enchantment of those minutes or hours when it sleeps is so powerful, that it turns the stones in the middle of the river bed into a charm. If you can wrest a stone from the heart of the sleeping river and take it home, it will grant you whatever it is empowered to grant you. It could be cattle, women, prowess in war, or success in the hunt. That is what is meant by catching the river when it is asleep. That way you can make its magic yours. The retrieved stone is a powerful charm called a heart-stone.”
The story is about Ville, a hunter whose life centres around the forest and river. Mysteries surrounding the forest provoked the lines of its people to live in constant fear & apprehensiveness. Ville sets on a journey to find the sleeping river and got a stone from its bosom that has mysterious power. And he takes his readers through the routes he follows ... This novel depicts the tribal ways of life and their beliefs. And Villie's journey gained some touch of atonement with his experience and wisdom as well as the dangers of life. The spirituality that the novel permeated lies in Villie's realization that not that stone, Peut his power lies in his strength.
For a detailed review visit my site: blogalvina.com
The Plot-line:
“When the river is asleep, it is completely still. Yet the enchantment of those minutes or hours when it sleeps is so powerful, that it turns the stones in the middle of the river bed into a charm. If you can wrest a stone from the heart of the sleeping river and take it home, it will grant you whatever it is empowered to grant you. It could be cattle, women, prowess in war, or success in the hunt. That is what is meant by catching the river when it is asleep. That way you can make its magic yours. The retrieved stone is a powerful charm called a heart-stone.”
The story is about Ville, a hunter whose life centres around the forest and river. Mysteries surrounding the forest provoked the lines of its people to live in constant fear & apprehensiveness. Ville sets on a journey to find the sleeping river and got a stone from its bosom that has mysterious power. And he takes his readers through the routes he follows ... This novel depicts the tribal ways of life and their beliefs. And Villie's journey gained some touch of atonement with his experience and wisdom as well as the dangers of life. The spirituality that the novel permeated lies in Villie's realization that not that stone, Peut his power lies in his strength.
For a detailed review visit my site: blogalvina.com
January 2, 2019
I liked the book. It kept me engrossed with every page. You will look forward to how and what Ville’s adventures will unfold next. This book will own you while you are reading it.
It is the adventure in the forest that keep us going when I failed to understand the true powers of the heart stone, spiritual enlightenment which it might bring to its possessor. But be assured to leave your heart behind in the Forest when you finish reading the book.
Characters may not have developed fully and clearly in the book You may keep guessing true intentions of its characters until the end but once read, you might actually wanna go back to the Ville’s adventure all over again and hoping it would never end.
Kudos to Eastrine Kire for keeping us glued to the seat until the end but I was looking for something more in this book, probably something revelatory.
However I would love to read more of the author.
March 3, 2022
It is not wrong to have wealth but your relationship to your wealth defines everything else.
I loved it just because it is so different than anything you get to read now-a-days. Set in the north-east of India and deeply deeply rooted in the folklore, lives and culture of the forest and people there.
Our umbilical cords are buried here, and we would always be restless if we tried to settle elsewhere,”
Of course there is magic but not the Harry Potter kind. The mystic and the spirit kind. The characters believe in things that you never would, yet you find them endearing for their honesty. There is anger and violence and rage but there is no deceit. And that is delightful.
Ate showed little sign that she had in fact lost her life some hours ago.
Then there is that.
I loved it just because it is so different than anything you get to read now-a-days. Set in the north-east of India and deeply deeply rooted in the folklore, lives and culture of the forest and people there.
Our umbilical cords are buried here, and we would always be restless if we tried to settle elsewhere,”
Of course there is magic but not the Harry Potter kind. The mystic and the spirit kind. The characters believe in things that you never would, yet you find them endearing for their honesty. There is anger and violence and rage but there is no deceit. And that is delightful.
Ate showed little sign that she had in fact lost her life some hours ago.
Then there is that.
November 9, 2020
DNF at 80%. I was really absorbed in Vilie's journey, but something about the story didn't connect with me and I didn't want to know what happens to him after a certain point. That means, I didn't care much about the story after the page in which I stopped reading.
Three stars are for three factors.
1. For Easterine's description of the villages and the various customs of Nagaland
2. Staying true to the folklore
3. Vilie's characterization
I wouldn't recommend it much, but you can still go for it, given that it is an award-winning novel.
Three stars are for three factors.
1. For Easterine's description of the villages and the various customs of Nagaland
2. Staying true to the folklore
3. Vilie's characterization
I wouldn't recommend it much, but you can still go for it, given that it is an award-winning novel.
February 19, 2018
A very smooth and quick read, this adventure tale shines in not differentiating between the humdrum tasks of a Forest Department employee in one chapter and encounters with were-tigers & spirits of the forest in another. The book treats both as equally plausible realities in the life of Vilie, its protagonist. The conclusion is a little abrupt but it is still feels special as it is based in cultures and lifestyles not frequently encountered in Indian fiction, in this case that of Nagaland.
September 16, 2017
The book is a very subtle adventure tale set in the Naga hills. The book narrates an interesting tale set upon cultural background of a few of the Naga tribes. It can be described as a folktale or even Magic Realism. The book for the most part is quite thrilling as well but it still makes the reader realize from time to time that it's not fantasy and rather people's real beliefs.
September 15, 2020
The narrative prowess of the author stands out since the very beginning of the first chapter.
The book metaphorically revolves around a man's struggle to get the most precious of things or services which would impart him whatever one wishes for. The journey of Villie depicts many events that one may come across one's life.
The book leaves you wiser and with a good heart.
The book metaphorically revolves around a man's struggle to get the most precious of things or services which would impart him whatever one wishes for. The journey of Villie depicts many events that one may come across one's life.
The book leaves you wiser and with a good heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2018
A simple mystical fable set in Naga hills. Quick easy read, you feel like travelling with Vilie. I can't help but compare with Chetan Raj Sreshtha's The King's Harvest and think that I enjoyed that more.
May 22, 2017
It was damn boring. I generally don't say that about books but this one totally bored me.
October 12, 2017
Interesting views on the life and mysteries of the forest and sustainable outlook of tribes and their relationship with the forests.
July 14, 2018
Well,to be concise , an Indian version of James Rollins...
The author seems to be in a hurry ,otherwise it's ok....
The author seems to be in a hurry ,otherwise it's ok....
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