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Toad in my garden
Set in Allahabad, northern India, this is the story of two women - one young, one middle-aged - whose sleepy lives in a sleepy town are shaken and changed by a visitor to their insular world. Their lives are turned upside down to reveal the worst and the best of the people around them.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 1, 2023
You grow up with Megha through her childhood holiday languor, hostel escapades to the terrace and empty houses with literary minded friends, a pre-teen and teen crush on an adult man who in her eyes is a superstar saviour from her dull often indifferent family, a challenging work-life...
Damayanti is a housewife in her mid-40s whose personality is a vague memory hidden in her husband's insecure restrictions. Her self-respect is daily stamped under his unending infidelities. Someone reminds her of her talent and possibilities with it, inspiring her to live with head held high, and grow and be fulfilled outside the confines of her family. The two near parallel stories both blend towards the end. Set in the '90s this novel is the first and only one yet by Ruchira Mukherjee. Wonder how many more intelligent writers we have whose books are buried under the piles of brainless cellulose-bundles churned out by publishers who can't think beyond the market. Neither unnecessarily analytical nor boringly superficial. Anyone who grew up in Allahabad and Benares, or Lucknow and Calcutta in the 90's especially will find their world reflected here. An excellent book to gift - to others or oneself!
Damayanti is a housewife in her mid-40s whose personality is a vague memory hidden in her husband's insecure restrictions. Her self-respect is daily stamped under his unending infidelities. Someone reminds her of her talent and possibilities with it, inspiring her to live with head held high, and grow and be fulfilled outside the confines of her family. The two near parallel stories both blend towards the end. Set in the '90s this novel is the first and only one yet by Ruchira Mukherjee. Wonder how many more intelligent writers we have whose books are buried under the piles of brainless cellulose-bundles churned out by publishers who can't think beyond the market. Neither unnecessarily analytical nor boringly superficial. Anyone who grew up in Allahabad and Benares, or Lucknow and Calcutta in the 90's especially will find their world reflected here. An excellent book to gift - to others or oneself!
December 30, 2024
s'alright
May 6, 2015
This book completely captured me. It's been a long time since I have been so immersed in a novel and the main reason for it was the writing. It was magical; sensual, poetic, pull-at-heartstrings, read-sentences-five-times-over, kind of magical.
The characters are well-developed, in particular Damyanti, a housewife bound by tradition who ends up breaking all the rules and living life on her own terms. But even the smaller characters are vibrant and colorful and the town of Allahabad is brought richly and beautifully to life. It deals with important themes: coming-of-age, parenthood, marriage, tradition and the only reason it did not get five stars is because I found the ending too neat and quick; I would have liked the relationship between Megha and Ashwin to have developed more as I did not feel fully invested in it by the end.
With grace and humor, Mukerjee tells a tale of loneliness, seduction and ultimately, liberation and I recommend it with more than a little envy to those who have not yet heard of this gem.
The characters are well-developed, in particular Damyanti, a housewife bound by tradition who ends up breaking all the rules and living life on her own terms. But even the smaller characters are vibrant and colorful and the town of Allahabad is brought richly and beautifully to life. It deals with important themes: coming-of-age, parenthood, marriage, tradition and the only reason it did not get five stars is because I found the ending too neat and quick; I would have liked the relationship between Megha and Ashwin to have developed more as I did not feel fully invested in it by the end.
With grace and humor, Mukerjee tells a tale of loneliness, seduction and ultimately, liberation and I recommend it with more than a little envy to those who have not yet heard of this gem.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2013
An old book but well written. Again i was bit apprehensive but found the book to be good.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews