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The apprentice
The apprentice is a novel totally different in tone from all other novels and writings of arun joshithe protagonist, ratan rathor, re[presents the quintessence everyman- a contrast to other protagonists as his intellectual level is much lower an unsophisticated youth, jobless, he comes to the city in search of a career, unsrupulous and ready to prostitute himself for professional advancement seduced by materialistic values, he takes a bribe to clear a large lot of defective weapons as a consequence, a brigadier, who is also his friend has to desert his post, and to escape ignomy commits suicide a penitent rathor avoids confessing his guilt but tries to achieve redemption by cleaning the shoes of devotees every morning at a temple
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 12, 2016
The Apprentice is an important book. It is also clearly one of the best (and least known) books by an Indian author. Written in 1975, its themes still clearly echo the contemporary situation of the Indian state. Besides, the ideas and themes in the book that are independent of the plot, are those that the well-known authors of the world have written about, time and again. And Arun Joshi has written with an authority that makes this book a great read for someone interested in exploring these themes -- the themes of memory, youth, hope, humiliation, war, morality (or the lack of it), vanity, war, relations, friendships, and indifference of the privileged, to name a few.
The book is a confession of Ratan Rathore - a man born in pre-independence India, who witnessed the freedom movement and the hopes attached with it, who had strong memories of his father getting killed in the revolution, who ventured to the capital of India in his youth trying to make a 'career', who rejoiced with the country when it became independent, who subsequently witnessed the fall of the nation and the degradation of the high values that had lead to its independence, who got along with the flow of the nation to sustain the growth of his 'career', who got muddled in the muddled moralities of a falling society, who took a bribe to clear an arms consignment for the Ind-China war, and who eventually had the realization of the grave impact of his losing the moral ground. This realization shattered this middle-aged man, and as it usually happens, made him reflect on his whole life.
This reflection is narrated to a young man, to us, to the new generation, to each new generation, with the thought that it will learn from the mistakes of the previous generation and realize the potential of youth to do better. He says - "There is hope as long as there are young men willing to learn from the follies of their elders." But do we really learn?
The book has many repeated themes. And with what beauty has Arun Joshi written about the themes!
Memory
"It is our humiliations, my friend, and not the conquests that dominate our memories."
"Some facts of life, like drowned sailors, surface only with time. And as one grows older, these forgotten bits are clearer than what happened last year, or last week, or this morning."
Youth
"There were other things that we did, things that young men do, things without meaning, except the meaning they acquire when youth is spent."
"Not much remains in a nation whose youth has lost its soul."
"The light eyes seemed shallow and deep by turn and they reminded me...of all the lost youth of the world, including mine."
"...because youth, my friend, is of no avail against the treacheries of older men. ...youth can conquer all but not the mischief of older men."
The above lines, spread out sequentially in the book, themselves describe the sequence of events and the rotting of the character of the narrator as he ages.
The relentlessness of nights
"Apart from all these, there are nights of humiliation, nights when you are ashamed of something, ashamed of yourself, when the darkness is full of insults, pointing fingers and mocking laughter."
"And night has a way of disarming you. The sun takes away something with it: your capacity to fool yourself, to lie and conceal."
"But the night, my friend, has a way of putting you in your place. It has no use for pompous prattle."
With equal brilliance, Joshi has explored other themes as well.
It is not a surprise that this book kept reminding me of The Fall by Camus -- other readers have noted the same elsewhere on the internet. Both are confessions by middle-aged men reflecting on their life and its gradual degradation. Both are top notch literary masterpieces. However, I would go on to say that The Apprentice is more realistic than The Fall, perhaps also because I can relate to its Indian-ness.
The book, although written in 1975, is still extremely relevant, and will continue to do so. There is no reason, then, that it should not be considered an Indian classic.
I wish more and more people read this book and appreciate the hidden gem of an author that Arun Joshi was.
Eagerly awaiting to lay my hands on "The Strange Case of Billy Biswas", lying on my bookshelf. :)
The book is a confession of Ratan Rathore - a man born in pre-independence India, who witnessed the freedom movement and the hopes attached with it, who had strong memories of his father getting killed in the revolution, who ventured to the capital of India in his youth trying to make a 'career', who rejoiced with the country when it became independent, who subsequently witnessed the fall of the nation and the degradation of the high values that had lead to its independence, who got along with the flow of the nation to sustain the growth of his 'career', who got muddled in the muddled moralities of a falling society, who took a bribe to clear an arms consignment for the Ind-China war, and who eventually had the realization of the grave impact of his losing the moral ground. This realization shattered this middle-aged man, and as it usually happens, made him reflect on his whole life.
This reflection is narrated to a young man, to us, to the new generation, to each new generation, with the thought that it will learn from the mistakes of the previous generation and realize the potential of youth to do better. He says - "There is hope as long as there are young men willing to learn from the follies of their elders." But do we really learn?
The book has many repeated themes. And with what beauty has Arun Joshi written about the themes!
Memory
"It is our humiliations, my friend, and not the conquests that dominate our memories."
"Some facts of life, like drowned sailors, surface only with time. And as one grows older, these forgotten bits are clearer than what happened last year, or last week, or this morning."
Youth
"There were other things that we did, things that young men do, things without meaning, except the meaning they acquire when youth is spent."
"Not much remains in a nation whose youth has lost its soul."
"The light eyes seemed shallow and deep by turn and they reminded me...of all the lost youth of the world, including mine."
"...because youth, my friend, is of no avail against the treacheries of older men. ...youth can conquer all but not the mischief of older men."
The above lines, spread out sequentially in the book, themselves describe the sequence of events and the rotting of the character of the narrator as he ages.
The relentlessness of nights
"Apart from all these, there are nights of humiliation, nights when you are ashamed of something, ashamed of yourself, when the darkness is full of insults, pointing fingers and mocking laughter."
"And night has a way of disarming you. The sun takes away something with it: your capacity to fool yourself, to lie and conceal."
"But the night, my friend, has a way of putting you in your place. It has no use for pompous prattle."
With equal brilliance, Joshi has explored other themes as well.
It is not a surprise that this book kept reminding me of The Fall by Camus -- other readers have noted the same elsewhere on the internet. Both are confessions by middle-aged men reflecting on their life and its gradual degradation. Both are top notch literary masterpieces. However, I would go on to say that The Apprentice is more realistic than The Fall, perhaps also because I can relate to its Indian-ness.
The book, although written in 1975, is still extremely relevant, and will continue to do so. There is no reason, then, that it should not be considered an Indian classic.
I wish more and more people read this book and appreciate the hidden gem of an author that Arun Joshi was.
Eagerly awaiting to lay my hands on "The Strange Case of Billy Biswas", lying on my bookshelf. :)
May 26, 2013
A bildungsroman narrated by the protagonist to the youth in general. It is told in the aftermath of Indo-China war of 1962. The book essentially portrays a shift in collective national psyche through the ramblings of the protagonist over a period of 40s to 60s - from a fervent desire to free the nation to a hope of building a righteous and just society once the British left and active collusion in corruption thereon and gradual indifference to the rot to the final realization and effort of salvaging a semblance of respect for oneself.
Published in 1975, this hard hitting tale still holds stark relevance to our present times. A must read and highly recommended.
Published in 1975, this hard hitting tale still holds stark relevance to our present times. A must read and highly recommended.
April 16, 2021
This is a novel written a long time ago by author Arun Joshi, entirely in the first-person narrative. Rathan Rathore, the protagonist narrates his life story and confesses to all the wrong doings in his life. Finally, the novel ends with a good unexpected twist wherein we get to empathize with him.
April 18, 2023
A book which reflects the true nature of humans. How we rationalize every decision just to maintain self-respect or avoid guilt over something we have done wrong.
October 20, 2013
THE APPRENTICE is a novel totally different in tone from all other novels and writings of Arun Joshi. The protagonist, Ratan Rathor, represents the quintessence Everyman - a contrast to other protagonists in so far as his intellectual level is much lower. An unsophisticated youth, jobless, he comes to the city in search of a career; unscrupulous and ready to prostitute himself for professional advancement Seduced by materialistic values, he takes a bribe to clear a large lot of defective weapons. As a consequence, a brigadier, who is also his friend, has to desert his post and, to escape ignomy, commit suicide. A penitent Rathor, avoids confessing his guilt, but, tries to achieve redemption by cleaning the shoes of devotees, every morning, at a temple. THE APPRENTICE attacks materialistic values but with a different strategy. Ratan Rathor wades through corruption to arrive at an understanding of life and its affirmations. According to World Literature Today, "the novel is cast in a series of Browning-like monologues, to a boy to whom the protagonist, burdened with sorrow of 'a wasted life', lays bare the motives, aspirations, dilemmas and frustrations of his past." ARUN JOSHI (1939-1993) was educated in India and USA. He got his Masters Degree in Management from the M.LT. His five novels and a collection of short stories won him critical acclaim and a recognition as an author of rare sensitivity and exceptional talent. The Last Labyrinth was selected for a prestigious Sahitya Academy Award, India's highest literary honour.
April 16, 2019
Read it when you’re ready to hold a mirror to yourself, your peers, your community and “living” itself. Especially if you live as an urban homo-sapien in a capitalist world.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews