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The House of Blue Mangoes
In 1899, in the south Indian village of Chevathar, Solomon Dorai is contemplating the imminent destruction of his world and everything he holds dear. As the thalaivar, or headman, of Chevathar, he seeks to preserve the village from both catastrophe and change, and the decisions he makes will mark his family for generations to come. A gripping family chronicle, The House of Blue Mangoes spans nearly half a century and three generations of the Dorai family as they search for their place in a rapidly changing society. The novel brings vividly to life a small corner of India, while offering a stark indictment of colonialism and reflecting with great poignancy on the inexorable social transformations of the subcontinent.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
67 people are currently reading
1895 people want to read
About the author
David Davidar
16 books200 followersDavid Davidar is an author and publisher. He was educated at Madras (now Chennai) and Harvard University (where he obtained a diploma in publishing). In 1985, while still in his mid-twenties, he became one of the founding members of Penguin in India, where he edited or published authors like Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy, Vikram Seth, Vikram Chandra, Rohinton Mistry, and Salman Rushdie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
May 16, 2018
I was taken in by the cover. And guess who went out and bought/planted a mango tree? No, TWO mango trees! Yeah. I am a dangerous reader.
This three-generation look at the adventures of a family in India, interlinks with historical facts. It's a purely fictional world, however, but written so skillfully that I searched for place-names in vain. In the village by the sea, Solomon sees life change and the rest of the story follows his sons and grandchildren. The caste system, WWII, India's independence are all weaved into this epic tale and, for the most part, kept me turning the pages.
When Daniel encountered it, he was overwhelmed by its qualities — the pale green skin, the orange-yellow flesh and above all the taste: a distinctive sweetness balanced by a slight tartness.
Did I feel the heat, the humidity, the smell from the sea? Could I taste the fictional Chevathar mango, feel the softness of the ripe fruit? In a terrific telling, that's how I get involved in such a book. Alas, I came close but couldn't quite get to the point I wanted to amid the swirling events. The writing is good but I just had no empathy for the characters. I think David Davidar does a much better job describing the physical environment, which kept me pegged to the page. But that extra uplift was missing for me, sigh. Still, a decent epic.
And now I will have my own mangoes.
Book Season = Summer (golden light)
This three-generation look at the adventures of a family in India, interlinks with historical facts. It's a purely fictional world, however, but written so skillfully that I searched for place-names in vain. In the village by the sea, Solomon sees life change and the rest of the story follows his sons and grandchildren. The caste system, WWII, India's independence are all weaved into this epic tale and, for the most part, kept me turning the pages.
When Daniel encountered it, he was overwhelmed by its qualities — the pale green skin, the orange-yellow flesh and above all the taste: a distinctive sweetness balanced by a slight tartness.
Did I feel the heat, the humidity, the smell from the sea? Could I taste the fictional Chevathar mango, feel the softness of the ripe fruit? In a terrific telling, that's how I get involved in such a book. Alas, I came close but couldn't quite get to the point I wanted to amid the swirling events. The writing is good but I just had no empathy for the characters. I think David Davidar does a much better job describing the physical environment, which kept me pegged to the page. But that extra uplift was missing for me, sigh. Still, a decent epic.
And now I will have my own mangoes.
Book Season = Summer (golden light)
October 20, 2019
*Minor spoilers ahead*
The House of Blue Mangoes is an attempt at writing an epic multi-generational saga, but like most of these stories, it flounders at the end and the family becomes gradually more and more boring. Solomon Dorai is a non-Brahmin Christian, belonging to a caste that appears to be somewhat high on the scale. He is also rich and is the head of the village. Succeeding him are his two sons, Daniel and Aaron, and succeeding them is Kannan. The House of Blue Mangoes is the story of these three generations of men. Make no mistake, this is a book about men.
The book is split into three parts, one for each generation. The first one is set in Chevathar, where Solomon rules with an iron hand. He, for me, was an unsympathetic character. His wife, Charity, was the more interesting character, but her feelings were always subsumed into whatever her husband was doing at the moment. In this part, Davidar tackles some of the caste and gender issues and it looked rather promising. But after dying unnecessarily for male pride, the mantle passes on to Daniel.
Daniel was interested in education and was despised by his father and brother for not being a warmonger. He and his mother lived with his maternal grandfather after Solomon's death and Daniel came into his own there. He studies medicine and his fame soon spreads far and wide. Then suddenly he decides to return to Chevathar because male name lineage blah blah. The story drifts away at this point as Daniel sets out to bring his entire extended family together. I really failed to see the motivation behind all this effort.
Daniel's child, Kannan, was doing fine until he fell in love with the wrong woman. He enters the world of the British and tries to become a brown sahib. There are pages and pages of hunting a tiger, and then HE returns to Chevathar. Pointless.
The book might as well be called Dysfunctional Fathers and Submissive Mothers. I did have a problem with the way there was no strong motivation for Daniel and Kannan to return to Chevathar. I don't buy the 'male lineage love in DNA' crap. Daniel was pretty much brought up by his mother and his maternal grandfather, so why not show this loyalty to Nagerkoil, where his mother was from? Wasn't he 50% from there too? As for Kannan, there was no connection with Chevathar for him.
What I did enjoy about the book was the detail with which it was written. Whether it was about caste conflict or mangoes or tea or tiger hunting, every single thing was researched in detail and expressed in a very interesting manner. The independence struggle remained in the background, though I would have loved to have seen more of it in the book. The portrait of village life is amazing and is basically what sustained me through this book. Who cares if the story doesn't make sense? Just look at all these descriptions of village roads!
The first part is the best. After that, the story just goes downhill. The third part is pretty much pointless. However, I think the book is worth a read because it is a pleasure to read about the daily life in its different facets a hundred years ago. Tamil Nadu comes alive in this book, and not many authors can actually achieve that feat!
The House of Blue Mangoes is an attempt at writing an epic multi-generational saga, but like most of these stories, it flounders at the end and the family becomes gradually more and more boring. Solomon Dorai is a non-Brahmin Christian, belonging to a caste that appears to be somewhat high on the scale. He is also rich and is the head of the village. Succeeding him are his two sons, Daniel and Aaron, and succeeding them is Kannan. The House of Blue Mangoes is the story of these three generations of men. Make no mistake, this is a book about men.
The book is split into three parts, one for each generation. The first one is set in Chevathar, where Solomon rules with an iron hand. He, for me, was an unsympathetic character. His wife, Charity, was the more interesting character, but her feelings were always subsumed into whatever her husband was doing at the moment. In this part, Davidar tackles some of the caste and gender issues and it looked rather promising. But after dying unnecessarily for male pride, the mantle passes on to Daniel.
Daniel was interested in education and was despised by his father and brother for not being a warmonger. He and his mother lived with his maternal grandfather after Solomon's death and Daniel came into his own there. He studies medicine and his fame soon spreads far and wide. Then suddenly he decides to return to Chevathar because male name lineage blah blah. The story drifts away at this point as Daniel sets out to bring his entire extended family together. I really failed to see the motivation behind all this effort.
Daniel's child, Kannan, was doing fine until he fell in love with the wrong woman. He enters the world of the British and tries to become a brown sahib. There are pages and pages of hunting a tiger, and then HE returns to Chevathar. Pointless.
The book might as well be called Dysfunctional Fathers and Submissive Mothers. I did have a problem with the way there was no strong motivation for Daniel and Kannan to return to Chevathar. I don't buy the 'male lineage love in DNA' crap. Daniel was pretty much brought up by his mother and his maternal grandfather, so why not show this loyalty to Nagerkoil, where his mother was from? Wasn't he 50% from there too? As for Kannan, there was no connection with Chevathar for him.
What I did enjoy about the book was the detail with which it was written. Whether it was about caste conflict or mangoes or tea or tiger hunting, every single thing was researched in detail and expressed in a very interesting manner. The independence struggle remained in the background, though I would have loved to have seen more of it in the book. The portrait of village life is amazing and is basically what sustained me through this book. Who cares if the story doesn't make sense? Just look at all these descriptions of village roads!
The first part is the best. After that, the story just goes downhill. The third part is pretty much pointless. However, I think the book is worth a read because it is a pleasure to read about the daily life in its different facets a hundred years ago. Tamil Nadu comes alive in this book, and not many authors can actually achieve that feat!
June 21, 2009
I read this because I read comparisons to Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, which I loved, but Davidar's book is not in the same league. The House of Blue Mangoes starts out strong and contains some beautiful passages, but overall it is a mess, disjointed, poorly edited, and a little bit pointless. The characters are very one-dimensional and never make any sense. Points of view occasionally change mid-paragraph; new plots come out of nowhere even at the very end.
I could have forgiven some of the clunky writing and wild leaps of plot if I had cared at all about any of the characters. None of the three main characters is remotely likeable or interesting. "Unlikeable" I could forgive, but I never had the sense that the author really understood his characters' motivations, either. Stuff happens to them, and they have big revelations, but none of it is tied into anything we've been shown or understood about these characters. The bad guys are bad, bad, bad (particularly the Anglo-Indian hussy in the final section of the novel), the good guys are pretty bad too although the author seems to think they are just well-rounded, and overall, by the end I was just rooting for the tiger.
The tiger does not even show up until about 380 pages into a 400-page novel, and then is a major plot point as well as symbolic of ... uh, something. And that probably tells you all you need to know about The House of Blue Mangoes.
I could have forgiven some of the clunky writing and wild leaps of plot if I had cared at all about any of the characters. None of the three main characters is remotely likeable or interesting. "Unlikeable" I could forgive, but I never had the sense that the author really understood his characters' motivations, either. Stuff happens to them, and they have big revelations, but none of it is tied into anything we've been shown or understood about these characters. The bad guys are bad, bad, bad (particularly the Anglo-Indian hussy in the final section of the novel), the good guys are pretty bad too although the author seems to think they are just well-rounded, and overall, by the end I was just rooting for the tiger.
The tiger does not even show up until about 380 pages into a 400-page novel, and then is a major plot point as well as symbolic of ... uh, something. And that probably tells you all you need to know about The House of Blue Mangoes.
July 19, 2014
There are two angles I'd like to take when writing about this book.
The book as an experience:
As an experience this book satisfies the Tamil whim in me in every which way. The descriptions, the names, the settings, the conflicts - every single aspect of what I can only define as mann vaasanai (the raw smell of the earth) hits the marks effortlessly. Considering just that, I'd give five stars to this book anyday. Kudos to Davidar for having retained the terms in Tamil, infusing them into the dialogue, allowing you to make the book your own, revel in the atmosphere it creates. What Kannan feels when he finally returns to Chevathar, I felt as an essence from cover to cover. Its a rewarding experience and nothing short.
That said,
The book as a novel:
As a novel, the book has gaping holes. It begins with brilliant flair, Davidar has a strong knack at painting pictures that automatically hook you right in. The first part of the book, Chevathar reads like the formulaic plot of a Tamil naatamai (village leader) movie. If you are a Tamilian you will know the elements by-heart. But, Davidar writes convincingly. You understand and sympathise with Solomon Dorai for all the pain that goes into administering his motley village and even the violence you can take in stride if not condone.
Where the book fails, in my opinion, is taking off from where Chevathar ends. While mapping Aaron and Daniel's lives, there are too many elements coming into play, so all the 'showing' from the 1st part becomes outright 'telling'. Aaron and Daniel don't grow in front of your eyes, you are told they've grown up like that, so you can't quite relate to them, especially not when there's an illogical making-up happening between two brothers who loathed each other for life. The weakest character development was that of the senior Daniel. Perhaps, Ramadoss should've been given a voice and Daniel's story told from his eyes. Doraipuram as a section failed to impress.
Which brings us to Pulimed, again a disappointment. While Kannan as a character had strong potential (there are obvious conflicts here, Daniel tries not to put pressure on Kannan like Solomon did with him, yet there are grey areas) he is not used to his fullest capacity against his father, against his family. The boy does not have a strong need to get away from his family (the push), which logically he must do, go through the process so that he can come back home again (the pull.) Kannan's story runs off swiftly, none of the underlying emotions exposed. It was like watching a character's progression in fast-forward motion, or within the space of a single song as happens in a typical Tamil movie.
And aside from all of this there's the Indian War of Independence as another layer, one we are told to ignore because Daniel does not like politics and hence Kannan doesn't either. Yet, the British identity conflict forms the basis of Kannan finding his place. This doesn't quite tie up. Usually when your lead characters don't care about something, you tend to not care too, so Freddie and the laddies and that goddamn Mrs.Stevenson (who ironically gets two chapters of character development when so many other characters could've used some!) don't bother you too much except as a bunch to be tolerated.
And what's with the tiger? I understand the need for an analogy to denote a character coming to a take-off point to hunt for a deeper inner meaning (Aaron had his well. Daniel had his first leech patient.) but this was just not quite enough because Kannan just whined through the whole thing.
If there's one conflict-freedom-identity based movie that Tamilians love, it is Devar Magan; The book follows a similar plot. The movie with its honest plot and haunting performances left a mark for eternity on our hearts. The only part in this book that comes close to achieving that is the 1st section. But just so. If only a few critical plot points and characters could've been put to better use. (starting with that blasted Vakkeel Perumal!) The book loses its way after Chevathar. But Chevathar was brilliant.
The book as an experience:
As an experience this book satisfies the Tamil whim in me in every which way. The descriptions, the names, the settings, the conflicts - every single aspect of what I can only define as mann vaasanai (the raw smell of the earth) hits the marks effortlessly. Considering just that, I'd give five stars to this book anyday. Kudos to Davidar for having retained the terms in Tamil, infusing them into the dialogue, allowing you to make the book your own, revel in the atmosphere it creates. What Kannan feels when he finally returns to Chevathar, I felt as an essence from cover to cover. Its a rewarding experience and nothing short.
That said,
The book as a novel:
As a novel, the book has gaping holes. It begins with brilliant flair, Davidar has a strong knack at painting pictures that automatically hook you right in. The first part of the book, Chevathar reads like the formulaic plot of a Tamil naatamai (village leader) movie. If you are a Tamilian you will know the elements by-heart. But, Davidar writes convincingly. You understand and sympathise with Solomon Dorai for all the pain that goes into administering his motley village and even the violence you can take in stride if not condone.
Where the book fails, in my opinion, is taking off from where Chevathar ends. While mapping Aaron and Daniel's lives, there are too many elements coming into play, so all the 'showing' from the 1st part becomes outright 'telling'. Aaron and Daniel don't grow in front of your eyes, you are told they've grown up like that, so you can't quite relate to them, especially not when there's an illogical making-up happening between two brothers who loathed each other for life. The weakest character development was that of the senior Daniel. Perhaps, Ramadoss should've been given a voice and Daniel's story told from his eyes. Doraipuram as a section failed to impress.
Which brings us to Pulimed, again a disappointment. While Kannan as a character had strong potential (there are obvious conflicts here, Daniel tries not to put pressure on Kannan like Solomon did with him, yet there are grey areas) he is not used to his fullest capacity against his father, against his family. The boy does not have a strong need to get away from his family (the push), which logically he must do, go through the process so that he can come back home again (the pull.) Kannan's story runs off swiftly, none of the underlying emotions exposed. It was like watching a character's progression in fast-forward motion, or within the space of a single song as happens in a typical Tamil movie.
And aside from all of this there's the Indian War of Independence as another layer, one we are told to ignore because Daniel does not like politics and hence Kannan doesn't either. Yet, the British identity conflict forms the basis of Kannan finding his place. This doesn't quite tie up. Usually when your lead characters don't care about something, you tend to not care too, so Freddie and the laddies and that goddamn Mrs.Stevenson (who ironically gets two chapters of character development when so many other characters could've used some!) don't bother you too much except as a bunch to be tolerated.
And what's with the tiger? I understand the need for an analogy to denote a character coming to a take-off point to hunt for a deeper inner meaning (Aaron had his well. Daniel had his first leech patient.) but this was just not quite enough because Kannan just whined through the whole thing.
If there's one conflict-freedom-identity based movie that Tamilians love, it is Devar Magan; The book follows a similar plot. The movie with its honest plot and haunting performances left a mark for eternity on our hearts. The only part in this book that comes close to achieving that is the 1st section. But just so. If only a few critical plot points and characters could've been put to better use. (starting with that blasted Vakkeel Perumal!) The book loses its way after Chevathar. But Chevathar was brilliant.
June 12, 2012
I suspect I might have felt as if I were skimming this book, even if I hadn't been skimming it in fact. The pace seemed rushed at times, and overall the story felt superficial. Maybe because it was. I'm not sure this was actually a story, to tell the truth. Certainly the characters were not characters. I think this was simply an excuse to depict colonial India from the late nineteenth century leading up to independence, and to have the characters serve as mouthpieces for various Indian and British viewpoints on the colonial experience.
The story begins with Solomon Dorai, the leader of his village, dealing with a tempest taking place. It continues with Solomon's sons, Daniel, a doctor, and Aaron, a drifter-turned revolutionary. The final part of the book focuses on Daniel's son, Kannan, and his complicated relationship with the British.
These multi-generational sagas have become a cliche of mediocre historical fiction, and this one was particularly poorly done in my opinion. I never came to empathize with the stick-figure characters or to care about the banal plotlines. The whole colonial situation in India and the varying perspectives on it was more interesting than anything else about the book, but I think I would have been better off reading a non-fiction treatise about it. If you like reading novels set in India, there are better ones out there.
The story begins with Solomon Dorai, the leader of his village, dealing with a tempest taking place. It continues with Solomon's sons, Daniel, a doctor, and Aaron, a drifter-turned revolutionary. The final part of the book focuses on Daniel's son, Kannan, and his complicated relationship with the British.
These multi-generational sagas have become a cliche of mediocre historical fiction, and this one was particularly poorly done in my opinion. I never came to empathize with the stick-figure characters or to care about the banal plotlines. The whole colonial situation in India and the varying perspectives on it was more interesting than anything else about the book, but I think I would have been better off reading a non-fiction treatise about it. If you like reading novels set in India, there are better ones out there.
May 17, 2012
A truly exhilarating book because it has many layers of complexity. It may be a little difficult for people not of Indian origin to fully comprehend some of the social issues relating to caste.
What makes the book all the more exciting is that though there are references to caste, Davidar does not explicitly mention the actual names of the caste groups involved but drops certain historical and socio-cultural clues that only an insider within the caste or a cultural and social historian may pick up on.
Being a member of the community and caste mentioned in the book enabled me to appreciate the book at a totally different level and live vicariously through the experiences of many of the characters who I could relate to.
At heart, Davidar uses the story creatively and passionately to explore several macro themes.
Tradition vs change
Conservatism vs liberalism
The past vs modernity
Conformity vs non-conformity
Arranged marriages vs romantic love
Perhaps what made the book all the more endearing was that Davidar showed how many individuals are often out of place in both polarities but fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. As the offspring of immigrant parents who left India several decades ago and having been born and brought up outside the Indian sub-continent, I could relate to all the issues in the book and that feeling of being trapped inbetween two very different worlds, both mutually opposed to each other and feeling ne'er at home anywhere, East or West.
A truly, brilliant book of remarkable cultural complexity, The House of Blue Mangoes is a must read for all people of the South Asian Diaspora.
What makes the book all the more exciting is that though there are references to caste, Davidar does not explicitly mention the actual names of the caste groups involved but drops certain historical and socio-cultural clues that only an insider within the caste or a cultural and social historian may pick up on.
Being a member of the community and caste mentioned in the book enabled me to appreciate the book at a totally different level and live vicariously through the experiences of many of the characters who I could relate to.
At heart, Davidar uses the story creatively and passionately to explore several macro themes.
Tradition vs change
Conservatism vs liberalism
The past vs modernity
Conformity vs non-conformity
Arranged marriages vs romantic love
Perhaps what made the book all the more endearing was that Davidar showed how many individuals are often out of place in both polarities but fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. As the offspring of immigrant parents who left India several decades ago and having been born and brought up outside the Indian sub-continent, I could relate to all the issues in the book and that feeling of being trapped inbetween two very different worlds, both mutually opposed to each other and feeling ne'er at home anywhere, East or West.
A truly, brilliant book of remarkable cultural complexity, The House of Blue Mangoes is a must read for all people of the South Asian Diaspora.
March 31, 2024
The book started really well. The story spans three generations. First two generations went very good. The last generation, which was inspired by author’s own experience according to the author, was dragged so much. I started wondering when it will finish. The first generation experienced the start of British rule but caste war was predominant.
The second generation included two brothers, one fought against British through violence and the other brother who never wanted to engage in violence became siddha doctor and became rich through a beauty cream and other medical products. He also established a community of his caste/family and conducted annual meet of tastings of variety of mangoes to emphasize that blue mangoes are the best.
The third generation married a British woman against his father’s wish and became a manager of tea estate and socialized with British estate managers. And the friction, etc. Did not engage my attention.
The second generation included two brothers, one fought against British through violence and the other brother who never wanted to engage in violence became siddha doctor and became rich through a beauty cream and other medical products. He also established a community of his caste/family and conducted annual meet of tastings of variety of mangoes to emphasize that blue mangoes are the best.
The third generation married a British woman against his father’s wish and became a manager of tea estate and socialized with British estate managers. And the friction, etc. Did not engage my attention.
November 4, 2014
A brilliant read, exceptionally well imagined & written, I'm just surprised that this book isn't better known.
December 30, 2013
The beginning was rather slow, may be because it is set in the late 1800's. After that I got used to the writing style and the story picked up. Solomon Dorai who tries to maintian peace among the various castes in Chevathar, his sons Aaron and Daniel both heading different priorities and Solomon's grandson Kannan are the main characters of a tri generational saga that involves the rule of the Raj, Daniel's money making scheme, Aaron's rebellion against the British, Kannan's work in the tea estate among the British and man eating tigers
September 16, 2014
A sweeping saga in a way reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One hundred years of solitude.
It is the end of the 19th century and headman Solomon Dorai of the village of Chevathar in Southern India is desperately fighting against a world that is changing and to hold the remaining members of his family together and for them to uphold the traditional ways of their lifestyle but against the political and social unrest at this period this is nigh on impossible.
Life changes and moves on and you see the family members slowly but finally slip away and live their own lives in careers of their own choosing but no matter where they are the family are in one way or another always drawn back to Chevathar and the past.
Can the final descendent Kanaan, really bring life back to Solomon's dream of a little family community in Chevathar for future generations for the Dorai family name to live on and perpetuate into the years ahead or has the social climate gone too far?
A wonderful epic that centres all around the Dorai family's adventures and lives and is finally brought full circle in an exciting climax involving Kanaan.
Beautiful and poetic imagery evokes the mysticism and idyllic landscape.
A must for any fans of literature set in India.
Well worth reading.
It is the end of the 19th century and headman Solomon Dorai of the village of Chevathar in Southern India is desperately fighting against a world that is changing and to hold the remaining members of his family together and for them to uphold the traditional ways of their lifestyle but against the political and social unrest at this period this is nigh on impossible.
Life changes and moves on and you see the family members slowly but finally slip away and live their own lives in careers of their own choosing but no matter where they are the family are in one way or another always drawn back to Chevathar and the past.
Can the final descendent Kanaan, really bring life back to Solomon's dream of a little family community in Chevathar for future generations for the Dorai family name to live on and perpetuate into the years ahead or has the social climate gone too far?
A wonderful epic that centres all around the Dorai family's adventures and lives and is finally brought full circle in an exciting climax involving Kanaan.
Beautiful and poetic imagery evokes the mysticism and idyllic landscape.
A must for any fans of literature set in India.
Well worth reading.
June 23, 2020
The title of this book is what drew my attention.. it is derived from a particular type of mango that thrives in the soil of the place this story is set in and is called Neelam meaning blue..
Set in a village in the erstwhile Madras Presidency, this is a story of three generations of a family.
It portrays village life in South India at the turn of the nineteenth century brilliantly, covering the rituals, festivals, large family celebrations and also the caste conflicts and ugly war mongerers who stir up trouble for their own advantage.
Solomon Dorai is the head of the village and like his father and grandfather and countless others before him, he tries his best to keep the peace between people of the two main castes..Andavar and Vedhar, in the village. With their differing religious practices and places of worship, these two groups step warily around each other and try to co exist. But there is constant trouble and a time comes when none of the leaders nor the padre can stop the bloodshed that ensues.
Solomon's sons go their own ways with the elder succeeding at becoming a medical man and making it big away from his village in Nagercoil. The second part of the book, which is divided into three parts tells the story of Daniel who is painfully aware that he could not become the son his father always wanted.
The women of this family are a quiet presence in the background, not consulted, never acknowledged, but always there to pick up the pieces. Solomon's wife Charity and Daniel's wife Lily are both representative of this quiet strength.
As the struggle for Indian independence intensifies, the third generation of the Dorai family begin their life journey. Daniel's son, Kannan, moves away from the family home to marry the woman he loves and make a life for himself. And this is where the story rambles a lot as it tries to incorporate too many things that do not seem relevant to what came before.
It is a good read nevertheless, one that sketches a portrait of a part of India that is often neglected in books of the time! For this reason alone, this saga is worth a read.
Set in a village in the erstwhile Madras Presidency, this is a story of three generations of a family.
It portrays village life in South India at the turn of the nineteenth century brilliantly, covering the rituals, festivals, large family celebrations and also the caste conflicts and ugly war mongerers who stir up trouble for their own advantage.
Solomon Dorai is the head of the village and like his father and grandfather and countless others before him, he tries his best to keep the peace between people of the two main castes..Andavar and Vedhar, in the village. With their differing religious practices and places of worship, these two groups step warily around each other and try to co exist. But there is constant trouble and a time comes when none of the leaders nor the padre can stop the bloodshed that ensues.
Solomon's sons go their own ways with the elder succeeding at becoming a medical man and making it big away from his village in Nagercoil. The second part of the book, which is divided into three parts tells the story of Daniel who is painfully aware that he could not become the son his father always wanted.
The women of this family are a quiet presence in the background, not consulted, never acknowledged, but always there to pick up the pieces. Solomon's wife Charity and Daniel's wife Lily are both representative of this quiet strength.
As the struggle for Indian independence intensifies, the third generation of the Dorai family begin their life journey. Daniel's son, Kannan, moves away from the family home to marry the woman he loves and make a life for himself. And this is where the story rambles a lot as it tries to incorporate too many things that do not seem relevant to what came before.
It is a good read nevertheless, one that sketches a portrait of a part of India that is often neglected in books of the time! For this reason alone, this saga is worth a read.
September 20, 2020
I had a very strange reading experience with this one. I listened to the audiobook, and after the first chapter, I was convinced that I read it before, probably when it first came out. But as soon as I got past the first chapter, none of it was familiar. As I listened, I kept thinking, "I don’t remember this at all. But wait, is this the one where someone goes on a hunt of a man-eating tiger in this strange V-shaped ravine?" Sure enough, about 10% from the end, the main character of that section goes to a strange ravine to hunt a man-eating tiger. So I remembered the beginning and the ending, but I had amnesia about the vast middle of the novel. I think that’s because it sagged. A lot. In fact, I almost stopped listening but made myself stick with it one more hour and by then, there was a mother character I liked—and by the time she died, I was too invested to quit. But all in all, I would say this book could have been better.
May 10, 2015
The only part of the book that inspired any emotion in me was the first section, specifically the treatment of women and interactions between castes. All of that emotion was negative.
After Daniel decided to go back home, I lost interest and skimmed much of the rest of the book. Even though Kannan was much more likeable as a person, he seemed to have no real depth. What did he learn through his experiences that will help him run Doraipuram? I just can't see him sticking around once his mother and uncle are gone.
After Daniel decided to go back home, I lost interest and skimmed much of the rest of the book. Even though Kannan was much more likeable as a person, he seemed to have no real depth. What did he learn through his experiences that will help him run Doraipuram? I just can't see him sticking around once his mother and uncle are gone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2019
I loved this book. Partly, I think, because of.mynpersonal connection to South India but also because if the way the family saga plays out. My only negative comment would be that, towards the end, the book seemed to fall away, slightly. At the beginning, ai found myself very invested in Solomon and his family, by the end, the characterisation of the family members seemed to take second place to the wider picture, which was a shame. Occasionally the description was quite dense, and this seemed to be the case more at the end of the book. But, nevertheless, a fabulous read
May 21, 2014
A classy book that combines the elements of life in a small town, of joint families and south Indian culture and especially one family's struggle to remain united over 3 generations... all this against the backdrop of the British Raj, wwII and the struggle for Indian Independence. The only reason I couldn't give this novel 5 stars is this 421 pages book tried to convey too much info that soon had me speed-reading certain sections.
September 12, 2020
This book - which describes the ups and downs in a Tamilian Christian family - is at its best an indictment of caste, patriarchy, and British colonialism. However, although it starts off well it’s plot becomes bogged down in repetition and fails to hold sufficient narrative tension to remain interesting. It achieves a degree of lyricism in its attention to detail and depiction of a specific period and location in Indian history. However Davidar is no Qurratulain Hyder or OV Vijayan. His attention to details at times waxes monotonous and the plot stagnates well before the first half of the book. It’s a pity because Davidar seems capable-of much better writing than evidenced here.
February 28, 2014
Tamil movie meets a rambling mega soap opera
Reviewed here http://thebookstoryblog.wordpress.com...
Maybe it should have been three different books. A trilogy or something.
Chevathar. Having watched endless Tamil movies with caste wars, this part of the book played in my head as a Thevar Magan-like movie with Kamal Hassan playing Solomon Dorai and Napolean as Muthu Vedhar. Detailed descriptions and lyrical prose bring the entire village to life, but somehow, the characters fail to linger in your mind. Solomon isn’t built on a solid foundation. His role in the book ends too quickly and though it is his legacy that is supposedly carried over in the next two sections, you don’t feel his presence anywhere. I expected a little more about Joshua, but he came and went in a flash. It is strange that the caste doesn’t get even a passing mention in the other two sections of the book.
Doraipuram. The only character I really liked was Aaron. The accidental Freedom Fighter. Daniel wasn’t a well chalked out character. I couldn’t place what exactly he was or what he wanted to be. Did he want to be the thalaivar or not? Was Doraipuram his dream or his ego trip? It seemed very contrived, the way the settlement was built and populated. Characters just popped in and out without giving you the opportunity to actually know them. That gossiping woman who had an entire chapter dedicated to her, I read the book two days ago but seem to have forgotten her name already. Such forgettable pieces of characters.
Pulimed. Was the tiger woven into the tale just to give the name of the place more impact? Or did the author just remember the Jim Corbett book he read long ago and decide to plug it in? If this had been a separate book, this would have had more weight. The brown man in a white man’s domain with an inbetween wife having an identity crisis. Life on a remote tea estate tucked in a corner of South India when Britain was at war and India was on the cusp of independence was very well described. But again, Kannan aka Thirumoolan isn’t someone you’d remember or quote long after you’ve finished the book.
A lot of Tamil words and references have been peppered in. I wonder how non Tamil readers, leave alone non Indian readers can relate. Calling this book an epic or a saga or any other cliched term is an exaggeration, but it is worth a read if you have a lot of time and no expectations.
Reviewed here http://thebookstoryblog.wordpress.com...
Maybe it should have been three different books. A trilogy or something.
Chevathar. Having watched endless Tamil movies with caste wars, this part of the book played in my head as a Thevar Magan-like movie with Kamal Hassan playing Solomon Dorai and Napolean as Muthu Vedhar. Detailed descriptions and lyrical prose bring the entire village to life, but somehow, the characters fail to linger in your mind. Solomon isn’t built on a solid foundation. His role in the book ends too quickly and though it is his legacy that is supposedly carried over in the next two sections, you don’t feel his presence anywhere. I expected a little more about Joshua, but he came and went in a flash. It is strange that the caste doesn’t get even a passing mention in the other two sections of the book.
Doraipuram. The only character I really liked was Aaron. The accidental Freedom Fighter. Daniel wasn’t a well chalked out character. I couldn’t place what exactly he was or what he wanted to be. Did he want to be the thalaivar or not? Was Doraipuram his dream or his ego trip? It seemed very contrived, the way the settlement was built and populated. Characters just popped in and out without giving you the opportunity to actually know them. That gossiping woman who had an entire chapter dedicated to her, I read the book two days ago but seem to have forgotten her name already. Such forgettable pieces of characters.
Pulimed. Was the tiger woven into the tale just to give the name of the place more impact? Or did the author just remember the Jim Corbett book he read long ago and decide to plug it in? If this had been a separate book, this would have had more weight. The brown man in a white man’s domain with an inbetween wife having an identity crisis. Life on a remote tea estate tucked in a corner of South India when Britain was at war and India was on the cusp of independence was very well described. But again, Kannan aka Thirumoolan isn’t someone you’d remember or quote long after you’ve finished the book.
A lot of Tamil words and references have been peppered in. I wonder how non Tamil readers, leave alone non Indian readers can relate. Calling this book an epic or a saga or any other cliched term is an exaggeration, but it is worth a read if you have a lot of time and no expectations.
August 7, 2017
I first encountered the Dorais when I picked up a Penguin collection of excerpts from several works published by that company. Since then I had wanted to read the book. I was not disappointed. Davidar textures his novel well. The history is somewhat immediate, hence I was completely hooked. I have a weakness for well written multi-generational stories and I was satisfied to a great extent with the way the story unfolds, the way the characters are written, the way Davidar's writing infuses the fictitious setting of Chevathar with life.
What I really liked about the writing was that there was little exposition and explanation. For example, Davidar does not explicitly the reader things like the fact that a wedding thaali comes from Hindu practices but is used by Tamil Christians as well. He also does not point out to the way people are named from both the Bible and Hindu scripture: Apart from Solomon, Daniel and Aaron, there is Ramadoss (meaning one who serves Ram) or Kannan (the diminutive associated with Krishna). Davidar doesn't try to explain how India functions and that is the best thing about the book. If the reader is as clueless as the beleaguered British - portrayed with both sympathy and simmering anger in the book - the author doesn't seem to mind.
The male characters were written well. To me, Solomon's portrayal was the best of the lot. Kannan could have been given a few more pages to round him off I think. His arc was quite weak - the childhood never really explored, the youth was restricted to his lusting after Helen. His life as an adult working with the British planters is written well. Another ill-developed setting was the Daniel-Aaron dynamic during their childhood. Aaron's dislike of Daniel for his peaceable nature seems to serve as a plot device only. A bit of explanation there would have been good since the dynamic becomes significant in the second act.
The women are there but only portrayed from the perspective of the men. They are not given voices of their own (except for some of the British women). It is probably because the setting of the story is in a deeply patriarchal society. I haven't read any of Davidar's other works, hence I have no reference point to say whether he writes female characters well. Within the setting of the story, the lack of female voice makes sense.
Overall, a well written and enjoyable book.
What I really liked about the writing was that there was little exposition and explanation. For example, Davidar does not explicitly the reader things like the fact that a wedding thaali comes from Hindu practices but is used by Tamil Christians as well. He also does not point out to the way people are named from both the Bible and Hindu scripture: Apart from Solomon, Daniel and Aaron, there is Ramadoss (meaning one who serves Ram) or Kannan (the diminutive associated with Krishna). Davidar doesn't try to explain how India functions and that is the best thing about the book. If the reader is as clueless as the beleaguered British - portrayed with both sympathy and simmering anger in the book - the author doesn't seem to mind.
The male characters were written well. To me, Solomon's portrayal was the best of the lot. Kannan could have been given a few more pages to round him off I think. His arc was quite weak - the childhood never really explored, the youth was restricted to his lusting after Helen. His life as an adult working with the British planters is written well. Another ill-developed setting was the Daniel-Aaron dynamic during their childhood. Aaron's dislike of Daniel for his peaceable nature seems to serve as a plot device only. A bit of explanation there would have been good since the dynamic becomes significant in the second act.
The women are there but only portrayed from the perspective of the men. They are not given voices of their own (except for some of the British women). It is probably because the setting of the story is in a deeply patriarchal society. I haven't read any of Davidar's other works, hence I have no reference point to say whether he writes female characters well. Within the setting of the story, the lack of female voice makes sense.
Overall, a well written and enjoyable book.
October 14, 2024
Mango is known as the king of fruits for a reason, and a very good one. Sampling mangoes from different regions and luxuriating in their taste is the best part of Indian summers I believe. When you come across a title that talks about blue mangoes, you blindly add the book to your shelf. That's how it started.
Spanning across three generations, The House of Blue Mangoes was a journey that transported me to the lush landscapes of coastal India. From the very first page, I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of the setting. The mango trees, with their rich green foliage and blue fruits, invited me into the world of the small village where the story unfolds.
The narrative beautifully weaves together the lives of its characters, each one distinct and relatable. I found myself particularly drawn to the protagonist, Solomon, who navigates the complexities of family, tradition, and the harsh realities of life.
As I delved deeper into the story, I appreciated the author's lyrical prose, which painted a rich tapestry of emotions. The dialogue felt authentic, capturing the nuances of the characters' experiences.
The book's exploration of social issues, such as caste and gender roles, opened my eyes to the complexities of our society. While there's a lot going on, I couldn't really pinpoint where the author was leading to or what I wanted out of it, which was a miss for me.
Much of Daniel's (Solomon's son) life is drawn from the author's own and the way history is interspersed within the narrative had me reaching out to look up events and places. The first two generations, kept me on my toes while the third felt a little drag. Davidar's descriptions of lush green tea plantations was the only saving grace.
The House of Blue Mangoes wasn’t just a story for me; it was a reminder of the beauty of human resilience and the intricate web of life that binds us all together.
Spanning across three generations, The House of Blue Mangoes was a journey that transported me to the lush landscapes of coastal India. From the very first page, I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of the setting. The mango trees, with their rich green foliage and blue fruits, invited me into the world of the small village where the story unfolds.
The narrative beautifully weaves together the lives of its characters, each one distinct and relatable. I found myself particularly drawn to the protagonist, Solomon, who navigates the complexities of family, tradition, and the harsh realities of life.
As I delved deeper into the story, I appreciated the author's lyrical prose, which painted a rich tapestry of emotions. The dialogue felt authentic, capturing the nuances of the characters' experiences.
The book's exploration of social issues, such as caste and gender roles, opened my eyes to the complexities of our society. While there's a lot going on, I couldn't really pinpoint where the author was leading to or what I wanted out of it, which was a miss for me.
Much of Daniel's (Solomon's son) life is drawn from the author's own and the way history is interspersed within the narrative had me reaching out to look up events and places. The first two generations, kept me on my toes while the third felt a little drag. Davidar's descriptions of lush green tea plantations was the only saving grace.
The House of Blue Mangoes wasn’t just a story for me; it was a reminder of the beauty of human resilience and the intricate web of life that binds us all together.
March 2, 2012
The story spans around 3 generation of Dorai clan, starts with Solomon Dorai, then his sons Daniel and Aaron, finishes with Kannan the grandson. Using the backdrop of India’s start of struggle towards independence, the writer has portrayed a fascinating tale of family saga set in South India, which fights their own battle to keep the family together. It’s totally an absorbing read and I enjoy it very much. As far as I know, stories set in South India particularly from Tamilnadu are hard to come by, and David Davidar has capture the taste, colors and essence of south beautifully. Though not a masterpiece but definitely one of the best.
July 8, 2019
I enjoyed this well-written, immense saga spanning three generations in the Tamil region of India. The characters were both lovable and enigmatic. Although the villages were as fictitious as the characters, this didn't bother me. The different perspective offered of the Raj, caste system, and the nationalist movement was elucidating and informative. The tendency of one of the native characters to adopt the style, language, and habits of the colonizers in the mistaken belief that he would eventually be treated as an equal was disheartening and quite likely a common habit among natives working in close proximity to the colonizers.
September 13, 2012
Interlaced with historical events leading to Indian Independence, Davidar's family epic spans 3 generations of a land-owning family in Southern Tamilnadu. Enriched with several interesting characters and painting a realistic vignette of the turmoils of caste strife and western influence in British India, the novel is mostly successful (in the first half) before the narration starts to meander into several sub-plots and digressions. Nevertheless, worth exercising your patience and giving this a read.
May 29, 2007
The House of Blue Mangoes is a family saga that takes place in India. The story follows the Dorai family for about 50 years starting at the close of the 19th century. The story weaves the family's history with the history of India. The family deals with issues including the caste system , British colonialism and Indian nationalism.
October 25, 2020
Newfound love for Asian Literatures.
Loved how the writer kept the storyline engaging although the tale travels across three generations of Dorai family. The narrative of village life was nostalgic and healing. Staging of events was perfect where this can be called a ready screenplay for directors who would like to make films.
Loved how the writer kept the storyline engaging although the tale travels across three generations of Dorai family. The narrative of village life was nostalgic and healing. Staging of events was perfect where this can be called a ready screenplay for directors who would like to make films.
April 17, 2007
Got this one used at a library sale. I love those multi-generational pieces, of which this is one. It happens to have some fascinating mango history/trivia embedded in it, too. Mmmmmm, I love mangoes.
November 20, 2020
Amazing cultural sweep, arching generations which made me consider my position as a twenty-something female in 21th century America. I consider what it would be like to be a daughter in the turn of the 19th century India, and how much I take for granted my quick temper and tongue.
August 9, 2010
This rich and textured book follows the complexities of caste and family heritage in a fictional south Indian town during the 20th century. A pleasure to read, and a tale of very grand scope.
Recommended.
Recommended.
June 18, 2012
I liked it and found it easy to get into but I would have liked to have seen more development of the character of Harrison and the killings in Pulinad at the end of the story.
May 22, 2012
Great!
August 29, 2012
So huge a story it could gave been a trilogy. A very classy read
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