The Collector's Wife

by Mitra Phukan

This is the story of Rukmini who is married to the District Collector of a small town in Assam, and teaches English literature in the local college. On the surface, her life is settled and safe in the big, beautiful bungalow on the hill above the cremation ground, seemingly untouched by the toil and sufferings of the common folk living 'below'. And yet, each time there is an 'incident' in the district, the fear and uncertainty that grips the town finds a reflection in her own life. Assam is in the grip of insurgency and it is this thread that runs like a dark river through the novel and forms its backdrop.

Genres: India, Fiction, Indian Literature, Womens

376 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2005

Reviews

[Shalini M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard neither of the book, nor the author. So, this is one of the rare books that I bought on the basis of the blurb on the cover, and which did not disappoint.

It offers a wonderful insight into the life in a small town in the north-east. Set against the backdrop of insurgency in Assam, it is a poignant portrayal of the changes brought about by militancy, in the lives of people there.

The protagonist of the novel, Rukmini Bezobaruah, is married to the District Collector of a small town called Parbatpuri in Assam. It is easy to believe that she leads a very comfortable and content life, as part of privileged/elite section of the society. As the DC's wife, she enjoys the luxury of a big house located in a picturesque location, well staffed with servants, and an official vehicle at her disposal for any traveling she wants to do. However, in truth, she finds her life a banal monotone. Her husband is not able to spend much time with her and is becoming increasingly remote, primarily because of the demands of his job, but perhaps also because of the dullness brought about by years of matrimony. She is not yet a mother, and at times, faces contempt because of this reason, despite her elated position. Her own ambition of becoming a writer, or even of holding a regular job, have been thwarted, because of the society's expectations from her as the DC's wife. The only suitable (or perhaps, least disagreeable) work she can find, to fill her time, is as a part-time lecturer at the district college. Even here, though she is able to connect with some of her students, she is unable to interest them in poetry, or even in learning, as they become involved in the agitation. The tasks that she is expected to perform with easy grace - heading various societies, hosting community functions, visiting local club - she finds extremely boring and unsuited to her skills and her intellect. In all, she is facing an emotional and intellectual deprivation, and has more or less resigned to it.
She is able to beat this monotony and find some cheer in her life, when she finds a friend and a source of intellectual stimulation in Manoj Mahanta, a tyre salesman who visits her town once in a while. Her loneliness and distress leads to an intimacy between the two, and she reaches the cross-roads of life, a great dilemma.
However, the grip of terror has been tightening in the meanwhile, with frequent reports of kidnappings and murders, some of them close home. And then, the great turmoil of her life terminates with horrifying and tragic end.

Usually I do not prefer to outline the story, but in this case I felt a need, to be able to describe my impressions. It left me sad, thoughtful and moved, but overall I found it a good read. I wouldn't say that the story is something new. But the narrative is threaded together well, the main asset of the book though is the author's ability to convey the "mood" - the loneliness and desperation of Rukmini, the excitement of meeting someone new and of defying conventions, the freshness of love, despair and grief in the face of terror, are all very well described, are all very real. One can readily feel and empathize with Rukmini as she moves through various phases. The end is tragic, but then, so is life.

[Anushruti Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rather sad that such wonderful books are hardly visible in book stores. I picked this up during my visit to Zubaan. Great work!!

[Naveen Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pure gold. So refreshing read after long. Gives the same feeling while reading like that of “A suitable boy” by Vikram Seth.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was casting around on the internet, in the mood for a good Indian novel, and The Collector's Wife came up in a compelling review. I ordered the book and dove in. Within the first pages I came across significant spelling errors which really jarred me. I was enjoying the book but distracted by the frequency of the errors. Thankfully I got very good at overlooking all the mistakes and was completely consumed by the story. The story is modern and I found the insights into the Indian working environment (the main character teaches English at a local college), the interaction with servants, attitudes towards relationships - love and marriage, and the role of women in modern India - to be unlike anything I have read. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story and appreciates good writing - because the writing is very good. I am still shocked by the deplorable proofreading and the enormous number of errors. My copy was published by Penguin Random House India and should be an embarrassment. I wish another publisher would reprint the book - sans the myriad of glaring errors - including pages bound out of order. However, I am VERY glad I stuck with it because it IS a good book and Phukan is an excellent writer.

[Nanditha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mitra Phukan takes us through a town in Assam replete with conflicts, complex interpersonal dynamics, and strife with the aid of a central character Rukmini who is, as the title suggests, the District Collector's wife.

I have read a lot of non-fiction revolving around conflicts in different parts of the world. What Phukan has done smartly is to show us such conflicts through a fictional work that primarily follows one privileged person in a position of power (owing to her marriage). This makes it easier for us to digest the horrifying events taking place around the protagonist, even while masterfully conveying that no one, not even the most privileged, can evade sorrow and grief in such a state.

Additionally, what stood out to me while reading this book is how the protagonist's inner thoughts and personal conflicts ring true and realistic, owing to the writer being a woman herself. While this is not a generalisation, it definitely stood out for me and the characters were fleshed out far better, especially the mother-in-law daughter-in-law dynamic which was beautifully crafted. There was a a sense of realism and compassion in Phukan's writing which was lovely and engrossing to read.

[Trilok Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Placed in the disturbed areas of Assam, the book narrates the story around Rukmini Bezbaruah who happens to be The Collector's Wife (yeah, so no more a mystery).
The first half of the book is a little dull and full of clichés (the clichés continue in the subsequent chapters also). The events take a dramatic turn in the second half and they peak towards the end. There has been an extreme consistency in the character of the personages in the book - this absolutely stood out for me!
The narration is a lot Indian speak and the book is a page turner.

[Anisha Das · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much that happens in this book. It is a borderline domestic drama then anything else. It is story of an English lit proffesor who because of her marriage has to teach in a small town, where they don't really care about Chaucer and Shakespeare like she does. There is also a political unrest in the town, and she is again a part of it because of whom she is married to. And in all of this she finds a friend in someone.
It reminds me of the assamese film Aparoopa for some reason. Its good for a one time read.

[Khushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Collector's Wife by Mitra Phukan

Pub : 2005

Rukmini, the wife of Siddhartha Bezbarooah, the Deputy Commissioner of Parbatpuri, leads a life of privilege and social respectability. As a guest lecturer at a local college, she enjoys a degree of independence, yet her identity remains deeply tied to her husband’s position. Beneath this seemingly perfect existence, however, lies an unspoken void—after ten years of marriage, she remains childless. In a town where a woman's worth is often measured by motherhood, this absence becomes a source of quiet torment. Eventually, Rukmini and Siddhartha's growing incompatibility leads to emotional alienation, pushing her toward marital infidelity.

In the beginning, I found the writing style to be unnecessarily flowery and very slow-paced which had really annoyed me for a while, but after a few chapters, it gets better. I really loved how the novel explored small-town claustrophobia and the glorification of civil servants in India. Also the book is set in Assam, during the insurgency period of the 1980s, so the Assamese readers will find it quite interesting.

If you love books centered around the female experience within the boundaries of marriage in an Indian context, then please pick up this book 💌

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#bookreview #indianbooks #indianfiction #Assamese #womensfiction #readingcommunity #bookreviews #booktoread

[Ruthpearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story once I got into it. I wish it had continued for another chapter to learn what she did later. It is set in India and some words I did not understand but that did not effect the story line. At the time of the story, there were great insurrections going on creating terror, death to some diplomats and others. Meanwhile the seasonal rains were causing flooding. It became very intanse as the story went on.

[Pranoti Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a refreshing and engaging read. With detailed description of the region, its floura fauna, changing weather and the life of the people living in a small town nestled in Assam. The book tells us about the region, its people, their life and much more. It is interesting to read it from a female gaze. The small observations and the ongoing thoughts were so profound. I enjoyed reading it.

[Tishya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Despite the shoddy editing and the ?spelling mistakes, I actually thought this book had potential. It has a very interesting backdrop for the story, a likeable protagonist and a plot that you do actually get invested in with some very insightful and beautifully worded lines here and there. I would have liked if they edited out a lot of the unnecessary flowery language(sigh Indian writer of early 2000s) and focused more of the sociopolitical aspects.

[Jaidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be reading it for the first time as it is prescribed in our syllabus and I m excited for it

[Kojagari Mandal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate that I had to spend 300 rupees on it

[Pratichi Priyambada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had potential but became cliched too soon

[Pallavi · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting book in the start, but later its just too slow and i did not like the ending as well. Too many details about the small town and it is repeating over and over.

[Parasmita Borah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 💫

[Blessy Babu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left a pierce in my soul
blended with feminism,political violence
especially about the struggles faced by those 'wives'of government officers who are forced to migrate

[Sister Boom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Collector's Wife is a beautiful capsule of a time, a place and its people. Mitra Phukan shows us the warmth and subtle wit of the Assamese and we start to feel quite familiar in the staff room of the university, on Parbatpuri's MG Road and in the hilltop home of Rukmini and Siddharth. We listen with interest to Rukmini's conversations with her mother-in-law, reading between the lines. We make friends, we get annoyed, we trust and mistrust the cast of characters over some 300 odd pages and then we have to share in their pain, the joys and perils of a good novel!

[Arti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Collector’s Wife by Mitra Phukan is a story set in the backdrop of Parbatpuri in Assam. The story revolves around Rukmini Bezboruah, the wife of the District Collector, Siddhartha Bezboruah who lives in a bungalow on a hill which overlooks the cremation ground of Parbatpuri. They seem to have a very understanding relationship.

She is a lecturer in English at one of the local colleges and has her own circle of colleagues and Priyam Deka is one of her friends. She is busy with her routine life and is a very balanced person. She is unhappy that she does not have children. She meets Manoj Mahanta who works in a tyre company and they become friends.

Her parents-in laws live in Guwahati, in the same house in where her husband had been born. His father is a retired college professor and his mother, a school teacher. They dote on her and she likes them very much.

Her husband is busy with the incidents in the district which include abductions, shoot outs and killings. There are certain incidents in the book which really made my spine shudder.

Overall, a very captivating book , but the end could have been better.

[Karuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

With due respect to the captivating plot of this book, it is its mood, its ambience which forbids me from keeping my mind away from it. Mitra Phukan has entrenched the all so human sensitivities, thoughts and emotions of Parbatpuri's permanent and temporary residents with the extremities of the seasons in Assam. She masterly syncs the natural abundance and simultaneously ravenousness of the Red River, of the protection and nourishment it nurtures within, and its fatal oblivion to the societal games of struggle and power playing out at her banks. A very sensual, gripping tale of loneliness, revolt and fate.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me completely gripped all the way through and I now feel bereft I've finished reading it! When I reached the end I lay awake for hours: the impact on the central character's life and the questions it raises was so powerful.

It is well written and the author has the ability to describe the natural surroundings and climatic conditions of the area as well as to craft the characters in a way that evokes compassion and understanding. This is a work which deserves to be passed on, recommended and discussed.

[Muskan Jaiswal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I read in high school and had a huge impact on me. This is one of the most brilliant works by an Indian author. The novel has shades of Rabindranath Tagore's Home and the World. A recommended read for all.

[Aditi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent story to make a film.

Loved the way each of the 3 characters were woven together but the end is sadenning

[Arunav Gogoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book .. I found the Location of the plot as a cocktail between the whispering pines of Shillong and the hot and humid Guwahati

[Rajat Bansal · Rating 4 out of 5]

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