Under Something of a Cloud: Selected Travel Writing

by Dom Moraes

‘He painted pictures in vivid colours to the songs of flutes.’—Khushwant Singh

Under Something of a Cloud spans a lifetime of Dom Moraes’ work to select the very best of his travel writing. Featured in this volume is a vividly recollected childhood tour of Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and Australia with his father, Frank Moraes, and his mother, Beryl, who was then rapidly sliding into madness; a darkly comic account of a trip to the Sikkim-Tibet border, amidst rumours that the Chinese would soon attack India; and a thrilling adventure among the Dani tribe in Indonesia who, at that time, were reputed to be cannibals.

Also included here are Moraes’ sojourns among dacoits in the Chambal valley, one of whom, Lacchi, he helped spring from police custody; the account of a heart-wrenching meeting with a man in Bhagalpur in Bihar who had acid poured into his eyes by the police; and encounters with women victims in Ahmedabad, soon after the riots in 2002, which left him shattered.

With a keen sense for atmosphere, colour, understated wit and unfailing empathy for the underdog, Dom Moraes brings to life people and places like few other writers anywhere can. Not only will fans of the author love Under Something of a Cloud, it will also appeal to readers of world-class travel writing and connoisseurs of timeless prose.

248 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2019

About the author

Dominic Francis Moraes (19 July 1938 – 2 June 2004) was an Indian writer and poet who published nearly 30 books in English. He is widely seen as a foundational figure in Indian English literature. His poems are a meaningful and substantial contribution to Indian and World literature.

Reviews

[Gayatri Manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes a special kind of fool to read a collection of stellar travel writing while stuck indoors in lockdown.

[Deevena Jemima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a captivating style of writing. Words forming pictures in your mind as you skim across the page. The last excerpt in book was heartbreaking..maybe because so many similar incidents have been happening lately. I felt so helpless. What is human life worth? Where does it end? Why is violence allowed?

[Mayur Shett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. This was my first time reading anything by Dom Moraes and was pleasantly surprised. I generally speed through when a author starts describing nature or the geography of a place but the way Dom Moraes describes the surroundings, rather invites you to be part of it, is just beautiful. There are some very heart breaking moments in the book, like his interviews with the political prisoners in Indonesia and his visit to Nepali poet Laxmi Prasad Devkotta on his deathbed. A great book to start reading more stuff by Moraes.

[Sadiq Kazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author (now much missed) should be read to understand what vivid imagery is all about. Brilliant travel essays spanning from Sri Lanka to Shillong and Nepal to Indonesia, culminating in a short essay on Ahmedabad recovering from the aftermath of the 2002 communal riots.