Gone Away: An Indian Journal

by Dom Moraes

One of the most unconventional travelogues ever written, Gone Away covers three months of Dom Moraes’ life spent in the subcontinent at the time of the Chinese incursions on the Tibetan border in 1959.

In that short time, a remarkable number of memorable things happened to him, some of them the sort of fantastic situations that could only enmesh a poet, perhaps only a young poet—a visit to a speak-easy in Bombay; an interview with Nehru and an hour spent closeted with the Dalai Lama in Delhi; and a meeting with the great Nepalese poet, Devkota, whom he found already laid out to die by the side of the holy river Basumati.

After a short stay in Calcutta, where he tried, with limited success, to investigate the lives of prostitutes, he went up to Sikkim, the north-eastern border state into which no visiting writer had been allowed for almost a year. Having made his way by jeep right up to the frontier, he ran into a Chinese detachment and was shot at, but escaped to safety.

Full of humour, felicity of phrase and oddity of behaviour, Gone Away communicates the special excitement of the traveller on every page. Unforgettably funny is the account of the Sikkimese soccer match played in an impenetrable mist and involving the loss of several footballs kicked over an adjoining cliff. Yet, though humour and irreverence prevail through the pages, this is a book which catches and holds the mood of modern India and illuminates as much as it entertains.

Genres: Travel, India, Nonfiction

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

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

[Chitra Ahanthem · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of the author’s visit to India for a three month stint in 1959, this book takes readers through the political and socio landscape of India through the eyes of Moraes of whom it is said: ‘InEngland he was an Indian poet in exile. In India he seemed to be an English poet in exile’. His success as a poet at the age of 19 yrs with a literary award to his name and his father’s name as a journalist in India opens many doors: from meeting the finest in the world of literature and art in India as well as his access to the highest political offices in the country and even Nepal and Sikkim which was then an independent kingdom.

Written by Moraes when he was 20 yrs old,Gone Away starts with the author catching up with Mulk Raj Anand who tells him how the ‘commercial film industry’ is driven on black money and how it has kept literary poets in its fold with the lure of money. The chapter on a meeting with Nehru might look more of a literary exchange about books and poetry but the dark political atmosphere at the time with talks of China’s incursions into Indian territory and the development of the presence of the young Dalai Lama and his peoples’ position in the country gives Moraes a unique position where his literary identity and his young age both are ice breakers for Nehru and the Dalai Lama to be more than just the political positions they occupy.  As wild as Moraes’ exploits in Nepal and then later, the alleys of Calcutta are, his meeting with a dying Devkota, hailed as the greatest Nepali poet is achingly emotional where two poets talk in gasps over metaphors, of poets and their writings.
This is a joy to read: the situations the author finds himself in, the people he gets to talk and how the talks transpire is just the half of it. The other half lies in the poet in Dom Moraes that appears in the writing style: the beauty in form and expression. This is recommended if you love to read personal insights that bring a touch of the larger scheme of things. 

Loved this one.

[Sandeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone Away - Dom Moraes
Rating - 4.5/5

Off late - I have been fortunate enough to really enjoy the books which I am reading, be it the Darjeeling one, or PG Wodehouse, there hasn't been a dull moment and to my luck, I could say the same thing with this book, in-fact this book bettered the others.

'Gone Away' is an outcome of Dom's travel in India during the year 1959. Dom pursued education in England and after having won a literary prize for poetry he was back in India for a short while.

The book starts with Dom meeting up with Mulk Raj Anand in Bombay and then with Khushwant Singh, Nirad Chaudhari, HHH Dalai Lama and then Pandit Nehruji. Accompanied by Ved Mehta he then travels to Nepal, then Calcutta where he meets Jamini Roy and Buddhadeb Bose and then heads off to Sikkim. Mind you the year was 1959, there was plenty of political turmoil and it was a post Independence India, which is what makes the book extremely interesting.

Dom's travel writing left me in a state of amazement and it took me a good few seconds to realize, this indeed was the writing of a 20 year old. The writing is simple, clear, concise and to the point. [Cannot imagine what my writing was at 20].

Dom Moraes quite literally (or may be subconsciously) through his writing, compels you to construct images in your mind, of places, of people, of landscapes, of the socio-political-economic situation of India, about life in general back then, all this with minimal effort.

Doing this in turn leads to a sense of satisfaction where in you put in your effort to visualize and reap the benefit of being part of the story or characters or getting involved much much more deeply. It feels much better than the instant gratification caused by a high resolution picture uploaded on the social media site. Hasn't the notion of contemporary travel turned to the same these days?

There we couple of downsides to the reading experience though, littered around the book are Dom's escapades with drinking, smoking which are not noteworthy mentioning when you have some high quality content and conversations. Also Dom's personal life has its own fair share of criticism base which we need to overlook in order to enjoy his literary contributions.

But the foundation of his travel and accessibility to people and places happens much due to his privilege, being son of a journalist did come with its benefits, but an equally responsible Dom, fully made use of the opportunities thrown at him, via travel via writing and left for the next generations some interesting and memorable pieces of writing. No doubt on that.

Keeping aside his vices and privilege, as a reader, I got to enjoy a peek into the India back then, when the British had left, we had our own governance and we were still emerging, technology was dated, all these lent a rustic vibe and background setting to me. What more could I expect? None I guess.

Cheers,

PS - Now i am longing to read other works of not just Dom Moraes but even Ved Mehta.

[Vivart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read. His writing is poetic, clear and full of metaphors. His episodes in Sikkim are funny. Very informative. His episodes with Nehru, the Dalai Lama, Mulk Raj Anand, Buddhadeva bose, Nepali poet Devakota, M.F Hussain are very beautifully written.

[Sourojit Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare and wonderful telling of the wanderings of Dom Moraes, fresh from Oxford, and thrust into the beating heart of post-independence India. From chats with Nehru to a misty encounter with the Chinese on the peaks of Nathu La. Dom Moraes brings forth a time, so far away, yet so very present beneath the layers of modernity imposed over it.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book entitled an Indian journey written by an English poet from oxford; sounds like a painfully boring read. But I'm glad that I took a chance on this hidden gem of a book. Less than halfway through the book I was already drawn in to the events and realize don't this book provided an interesting view of Indian culture and variations from communism spreading during the time of its publishing (1960).

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved his poetic descriptions of all of the cities he went to and people he met (especially the indigenous).

I know his works were written in a different era, but there is a definite feeling of the wealth he came from and loved in. I couldn't help thinking of Jack Kerouac, constantly being reminded of how the wealthy live next to the extreme poverty of the countries he was visiting.

An enjoyable read overall.