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Sylvia: Distant Avuncular Ends
Cajetan Pereira is Bhaubaab (brother-sir) to the people of the village he's made his home. Even as he searches for his 'roots' in Goa, Cajetan yearns for his childhood home in Tanzania, pouring that longing into the project of living near a boabab tree on soil that is his only for historical reasons.
Into this strange idyll walks Sylvia, a young woman in search of a story. As they discover a past connection and explore ways to build that relationship, the two bonds over the common violence that shaped their trajectories, and an uncanny friendship with their one time aspiring film star neighbour.
Over the course of the novel, Sylvia comes into kaleidoscope focus. She is colleague and friend, wife and prospective lover, and she is herself, living her many lives in many places.
Into this strange idyll walks Sylvia, a young woman in search of a story. As they discover a past connection and explore ways to build that relationship, the two bonds over the common violence that shaped their trajectories, and an uncanny friendship with their one time aspiring film star neighbour.
Over the course of the novel, Sylvia comes into kaleidoscope focus. She is colleague and friend, wife and prospective lover, and she is herself, living her many lives in many places.
181 pages, Hardcover
Published February 1, 2021
9 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
About the author
Maithreyi Karnoor
7 books33 followersMaithreyi Karnoor (also credited as Maithreyi Hughes) writes fiction and poetry and translates Kannada literary works into English.
'Sylvia' is her debut novel. Her second novel 'Hettavara Neralu' is in Kannada. 'A Handful of Sesame' by Srinivas Vaidya and 'Tejo Tungabhadra' by Vasudhendra are her translations of Kannada novels. They have both won the Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati prize for translation.
She is the 2022 Charles Wallace India Trust Fellow in writing and translation at Literature Across Frontiers and University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She is a finalist of the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize and a two-time finalist of The Montreal International Poetry Prize. Her poems are published in The Poetry Review, PN Review, Poetry London, and Poetry Wales.
Her short story collection 'Gooday Nagar' and her poetry collection 'Skinny Dipping in Tiger Country' are forthcoming in 2026.
Maithreyi was born in Hubli, India. She lives in Wales.
The TLS review of her debut novel 'Sylvia' https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/sy...
'Sylvia' is her debut novel. Her second novel 'Hettavara Neralu' is in Kannada. 'A Handful of Sesame' by Srinivas Vaidya and 'Tejo Tungabhadra' by Vasudhendra are her translations of Kannada novels. They have both won the Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati prize for translation.
She is the 2022 Charles Wallace India Trust Fellow in writing and translation at Literature Across Frontiers and University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She is a finalist of the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize and a two-time finalist of The Montreal International Poetry Prize. Her poems are published in The Poetry Review, PN Review, Poetry London, and Poetry Wales.
Her short story collection 'Gooday Nagar' and her poetry collection 'Skinny Dipping in Tiger Country' are forthcoming in 2026.
Maithreyi was born in Hubli, India. She lives in Wales.
The TLS review of her debut novel 'Sylvia' https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/sy...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 29, 2023
Karnoor’s writing style is SO enjoyable, thoroughly enjoyed this
August 13, 2021
We live life linearly. Growing, ageing and experiencing, we pass through events which stop us by to assert the primacy of time. Still, too often, we tend to dwell much upon the emotions we happen to go through – focusing hugely on our own desires and despairs. So much so that we lose sight of the only event which is bound to be certain – death. We overlook the fact that our lives, though lived in a linear manner, are also tangentially connected to lives of others, to all those people we come across. And taken together, the web that it creates, affirms our nothingness in the immensity of this design. Wouldn’t it be then wise to live the life in the constant knowledge of it. And not to take our own emotions too seriously, to make the journey bit easier for us.
Maithreyi Karnoor’s experimental novel appears to be an exploration of this idea. She gives us a character, Sylvia, and then proceeds to create a tapestry of life which includes warps of lives of the people she either meets or stumbles by, where her own life runs as an underlying nap, at times palpable while at others, invisible.
The novel is divided into two parts. Part I tells us the story of Bhaubaab, Sylvia’s uncle whom she happens to meet accidently, and of Lakshmi, Bhaubaab’s neighbour in a sleepy Goan village. Part II consists of nine distinct stories, telling the tales of its characters who may or may not be acquainted with Sylvia. At times, one wonders whether it is the same Sylvia in each story but the author doesn’t make it apparent. She weaves these stories with a confident hand, like a weaver who knows the design instinctively and doesn’t have to necessarily abide by the set patterns of construct.
The complete review appears here:
https://borderlessjournal.com/2021/08...
Maithreyi Karnoor’s experimental novel appears to be an exploration of this idea. She gives us a character, Sylvia, and then proceeds to create a tapestry of life which includes warps of lives of the people she either meets or stumbles by, where her own life runs as an underlying nap, at times palpable while at others, invisible.
The novel is divided into two parts. Part I tells us the story of Bhaubaab, Sylvia’s uncle whom she happens to meet accidently, and of Lakshmi, Bhaubaab’s neighbour in a sleepy Goan village. Part II consists of nine distinct stories, telling the tales of its characters who may or may not be acquainted with Sylvia. At times, one wonders whether it is the same Sylvia in each story but the author doesn’t make it apparent. She weaves these stories with a confident hand, like a weaver who knows the design instinctively and doesn’t have to necessarily abide by the set patterns of construct.
The complete review appears here:
https://borderlessjournal.com/2021/08...
September 26, 2023
This is a 'novel of interlinked short stories from India.'
It is interesting because of its form: the main character, Sylvia, is actually never a main character - in most stories we only catch a glimpse of her. She is a side character who may be referred to only in passing but she is the glue that binds the stories together and as a reader you start waiting for her to turn up and leave her mark on whoever is the main character of the story.
I found not all stories equally engaging, and I am sure there are many things I failed to pick up.
While the structure and form are intriguing, I was not blown away by the prose and the slightly simplistic style.
I did enjoy learning about rural Southern India - its diversity in languages, its strong cultural and religious rules about how to live.
3,5
It is interesting because of its form: the main character, Sylvia, is actually never a main character - in most stories we only catch a glimpse of her. She is a side character who may be referred to only in passing but she is the glue that binds the stories together and as a reader you start waiting for her to turn up and leave her mark on whoever is the main character of the story.
I found not all stories equally engaging, and I am sure there are many things I failed to pick up.
While the structure and form are intriguing, I was not blown away by the prose and the slightly simplistic style.
I did enjoy learning about rural Southern India - its diversity in languages, its strong cultural and religious rules about how to live.
3,5
November 5, 2023
Sylvia was reading aloud her previous day's writing to Bhaubaab one afternoon:
"It is that feeling Looking at a baobab from my height of three feet or so, it felt like it engulfed the whole sky. Its top branches seemed like a roof on the world. My parents, my brother and I used to visit the baobab just outside Dar es Salam in our battered car. I don't remember anything about those trips except standing there and gazing up at the imposing tree - the sky cut, fissured by its clawing branches."
Sylvia by Maithreyi Karnoor is published by the small independent Neem Tree Press:
Although this is a debut novel, Maithreyi Karnoor is an accomplished translator and poet and both influences are clear in an unusually structured story. Part I, over a third of the novel's length, introduces us to Cajatan Pereira, aka Bhaubaab, who has returned to is ancestral Goa, although from a different region, from a life spent in Africa and the UK, and his niece Sylvia, who visits him, starts to write his autobiography, and then moves on.
The second part of the novel is a series of loosely connected vignettes of others in Sylvia's orbit - as the author has explained: "We are all secondary characters in the lives of other people and that is how I chose to write Sylvia and spare her of my voyeuristic gaze."
The novel blends poetry with prose, both formally and stylistically with the relatively abrupt ending of many of the stories - "poetic denouments" per the author who has rejected the prose/poetry distinction saying "At a fundamental level all great writing – clever thoughts presented in beautiful words full of wonder, intrigue and simplicity that lead the reader to a quiet spot in their own minds – reads like poetry. The generic difference is that the ones with line breaks are shorter and more self-contained."
And terms from various languages infuse the text - some glossed, others covered by a glossary - the languages including Dakhani Urdu, Urdu, Malayalam, Sanskiry, Konkani, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Portuguese and Tulu.
It makes for a book I admired more than found fascinating - the absence of the titular character from the pages is an interesting editorial choice, but I'd have preferred if all of the stories told us something about Sylvia, even if only by her influence on others, but if this was the case it may have been too subtle for me. 3.5 stars
"It is that feeling Looking at a baobab from my height of three feet or so, it felt like it engulfed the whole sky. Its top branches seemed like a roof on the world. My parents, my brother and I used to visit the baobab just outside Dar es Salam in our battered car. I don't remember anything about those trips except standing there and gazing up at the imposing tree - the sky cut, fissured by its clawing branches."
Sylvia by Maithreyi Karnoor is published by the small independent Neem Tree Press:
Neem Tree Press is a vibrant, independent publisher of books that change and broaden perspectives. We seek out and amplify captivating and crucial voices, wherever they come from.
...
Our namesake, the neem tree, is known for its hardiness, resilience, and healing properties. Its generous shade-giving canopy invites villagers and travellers to gather, converse, and rest under it.
Our mission is to bring you, the literary traveller, the most thought-provoking, profound, and provocative stories from all over the world.
Although this is a debut novel, Maithreyi Karnoor is an accomplished translator and poet and both influences are clear in an unusually structured story. Part I, over a third of the novel's length, introduces us to Cajatan Pereira, aka Bhaubaab, who has returned to is ancestral Goa, although from a different region, from a life spent in Africa and the UK, and his niece Sylvia, who visits him, starts to write his autobiography, and then moves on.
The second part of the novel is a series of loosely connected vignettes of others in Sylvia's orbit - as the author has explained: "We are all secondary characters in the lives of other people and that is how I chose to write Sylvia and spare her of my voyeuristic gaze."
The novel blends poetry with prose, both formally and stylistically with the relatively abrupt ending of many of the stories - "poetic denouments" per the author who has rejected the prose/poetry distinction saying "At a fundamental level all great writing – clever thoughts presented in beautiful words full of wonder, intrigue and simplicity that lead the reader to a quiet spot in their own minds – reads like poetry. The generic difference is that the ones with line breaks are shorter and more self-contained."
And terms from various languages infuse the text - some glossed, others covered by a glossary - the languages including Dakhani Urdu, Urdu, Malayalam, Sanskiry, Konkani, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Portuguese and Tulu.
It makes for a book I admired more than found fascinating - the absence of the titular character from the pages is an interesting editorial choice, but I'd have preferred if all of the stories told us something about Sylvia, even if only by her influence on others, but if this was the case it may have been too subtle for me. 3.5 stars
February 8, 2023
An exceptional debut that takes risks with structure and is wholly justified in doing so because the end result is a triumph. The novel is divided into two parts. The first part concerns a story of a fateful meeting that is prompted by a chance clue. This part is almost like a self-contained novella in which all the details (both background and foreground) serve to tighten and enclose the evolution of the narrative. It is a closed fiction, perfectly modulated with a distinctive and confident authorial voice. It is pleasant and conventional but exhilarating.
The second part breaks apart the hermetic seal and allows incidents, feelings, moments of poignancy, wisdom and absurdity to spill out. This part is like a picaresque adventure but with shifting characters as well as a sequence of situations and scenes. Yet the randomness is only apparent. Everything is actually connected and the characters of the first part frame the unfolding mosaic of events in an unusual way, namely with the frame behind the picture rather than around it.
I thought that this novel was ingenious in many ways, not least because of the wordplay. But it was also deeply satisfying for all the casual reasons that readers pick up a novel, well written, full of rounded characters, with a finely judged balance to individual sentences, paragraphs and glimpses of lives. I am looking forward to seeing what Karnoor will produce next.
The second part breaks apart the hermetic seal and allows incidents, feelings, moments of poignancy, wisdom and absurdity to spill out. This part is like a picaresque adventure but with shifting characters as well as a sequence of situations and scenes. Yet the randomness is only apparent. Everything is actually connected and the characters of the first part frame the unfolding mosaic of events in an unusual way, namely with the frame behind the picture rather than around it.
I thought that this novel was ingenious in many ways, not least because of the wordplay. But it was also deeply satisfying for all the casual reasons that readers pick up a novel, well written, full of rounded characters, with a finely judged balance to individual sentences, paragraphs and glimpses of lives. I am looking forward to seeing what Karnoor will produce next.
September 17, 2023
A gentle experiment in form, with the prose that is as socio-political critique as it is exploration of intimacy. What I mean by gentle experiment in form is that, while the novel consists of interconnected fragments, the fragmentation is never jarring as it is often the case with formal experimentation. Also, circularity helps connect the dots, though some of the connections are left to be guessed at leaving the whole open. The prose is also, for a want of better term, gentle - it never over-reaches into sugary lyricism, while at the same time it is careful toward both the characters and the reader all the while dealing with horrible realities of poverty, cast and religion based exclusion, homophobia, misogyny, etc. I rarely like this kind of literature, but somehow here it works.
September 17, 2023
A collection of linked short stories written in English by an author/translator from southern India. I enjoyed the opening long short story/novella, in which a man of retirement age “returns” to his ancestral homeland in Goa despite never having lived there himself, and reading the unfolding of his family history alongside his settling into the village, including the appearance of his unknown to him niece, Sylvia. The subsequent nine short stories were just ok, each about a character with a tangential relation to Sylvia at some point in time extending from her childhood through several of her breakups/divorces. The best aspect of these is the accumulated perspectives and impressions they offer of life in an unfamiliar to me setting, but none taken individually are too memorable or go very deeply. This is particularly frustrating to me in the couple that deal with the mental health struggles of characters, and apparently the suicide of one.
May 18, 2021
For a debut novel, Maitreyi Karnoor weaves a magic with her amazing narrative technique in Sylvia. The novel is essentially about the possibility of the return of the native. However, as we progress into the work, we see each character essentially struggling with an esoteric inability to utterly belong.
There is nothing incredulous about the work. Maitreyi’s characters hover between an inability to meet the world on its terms and a partisan revolt against it’s conservatism. There is a deep sense of community too in her fiction, against which stand in relief the portraits of her characters. They are all in a sense several illuminations of a dark persona within the novel. The events are all linked vignettes. The thematic strand of quest cements the fragments snd the result is an interesting movement between memory and action.
The novel reads well.
— Ravichandra P Chittampalli.
February 5, 2022
What a phenomenal debut novel by Maithreyi Karnoor! "Sylvia" is a gripping read and unputdownable once you start with it. The characters are absolutely memorable and relatable, so sensitively and vividly sketched out that it's hard to not feel invested in and drawn into their stories! The urban, rural and small-town landscapes of Goa and Karnataka are portrayed in this novel with a rare flourish of authenticity. I was blown away by the wisdom, compassion and scintillating linguistic brilliance oozing from the pages. Maithreyi Karnoor is indeed a promising fresh new voice to look out for in Indian English literature!
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July 6, 2023In countless instances, much like those times when one unknowingly appears in a stranger's photograph, Sylvia emerges in the lives of others. Sometimes it is intentional, other times accidental. Sylvia assumes various roles: a colleague, a lover, and a friend. To some, she is merely an amusing anecdote, while to others, she represents a serendipitous encounter that sparks a profound transformation.
“Sylvia” invites introspection, encouraging readers to pause and contemplate the role they have played in the lives of others. I found myself pondering how I could approach others' stories with greater intention and gentleness, whether purposefully or inadvertently becoming a part of them.
Karnoor skillfully captures the diversity of India through her world-building. The book's glossary not only includes Hindi terms but also encompasses Malayalam, Urdu, Konkani, Kannada, Tamil, Arabic, and Tulu. Her cast of characters spans Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and agnostics, while her vivid settings transport us to Goa, Karnataka, and Odisha. The beautiful verses of poetry, the echoes of folklore, and the infusion of mythology all distinctly and undeniably embody the essence of Indian culture. Karnoor elevates Indian representation, particularly that of South India, to an unprecedented level.
What sets this book apart is its unique perspective, as its eponymous character is not its central figure. Instead, the narrative revolves around all the lives touched by Sylvia. From the captivating allure of her long-lost snake-charming uncle in the small town of Goa, enchanting both villagers and reptiles alike, to a family of skilled bonesetters with intriguing tales, and even a young woman who goes to great lengths to wash her hair, Sylvia leaves an indelible mark on each person she encounters. Think of this book as a feast, with every story presented as a delectable dish crafted from entirely different ingredient; Sylvia is akin to salt—a constant presence, not the main attraction, yet her absence would certainly be noticed.
“Sylvia” invites introspection, encouraging readers to pause and contemplate the role they have played in the lives of others. I found myself pondering how I could approach others' stories with greater intention and gentleness, whether purposefully or inadvertently becoming a part of them.
Karnoor skillfully captures the diversity of India through her world-building. The book's glossary not only includes Hindi terms but also encompasses Malayalam, Urdu, Konkani, Kannada, Tamil, Arabic, and Tulu. Her cast of characters spans Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and agnostics, while her vivid settings transport us to Goa, Karnataka, and Odisha. The beautiful verses of poetry, the echoes of folklore, and the infusion of mythology all distinctly and undeniably embody the essence of Indian culture. Karnoor elevates Indian representation, particularly that of South India, to an unprecedented level.
What sets this book apart is its unique perspective, as its eponymous character is not its central figure. Instead, the narrative revolves around all the lives touched by Sylvia. From the captivating allure of her long-lost snake-charming uncle in the small town of Goa, enchanting both villagers and reptiles alike, to a family of skilled bonesetters with intriguing tales, and even a young woman who goes to great lengths to wash her hair, Sylvia leaves an indelible mark on each person she encounters. Think of this book as a feast, with every story presented as a delectable dish crafted from entirely different ingredient; Sylvia is akin to salt—a constant presence, not the main attraction, yet her absence would certainly be noticed.
April 30, 2021
Do you miss travelling? Where would you go next when this is all over?
'We live in a small world' - a statement said everytime a mutual friend makes an appearance out of nowhere. Our lives are interwoven in ways we can only imagine, such that even after our time in this world, our memories keep the strings taught and in place. Stories linked make relationships bound.
'Sylvia: Distant Avuncular Ends' is a book that should be peeled off in layers to understand the deep significance each line and character portrays. For instance, the title of the book equates the name of he protagonist; if we go deeper we realise that Maithreyi Karnoor is very much similar to the protagonist, demonstrating the semi-autobiographic writing Sylvia Plath presents in her book 'The Bell Jar'.
Set in Goa and Karnataka with clashing cultures, the semi-Deccan semi-Malabar way of life and brief instances of rural settings make the book all the more authentic and realistic. It's a collection of ten stories, all of them atleast slightly involving Sylvia, such that she appears as a cameo in each story, forming the epicenter of a dreamcatcher of life in that universe.
Extensive wordplay, poetic prose, nomadic and thought-provoking settings make this book a philosophical work rather than a fictional one. It stands out as a debut that requires rapt attention and unlimited patience to contemplate and get through.
Thank you @westland_books and @sahilpr1109 for the review copy.
'We live in a small world' - a statement said everytime a mutual friend makes an appearance out of nowhere. Our lives are interwoven in ways we can only imagine, such that even after our time in this world, our memories keep the strings taught and in place. Stories linked make relationships bound.
'Sylvia: Distant Avuncular Ends' is a book that should be peeled off in layers to understand the deep significance each line and character portrays. For instance, the title of the book equates the name of he protagonist; if we go deeper we realise that Maithreyi Karnoor is very much similar to the protagonist, demonstrating the semi-autobiographic writing Sylvia Plath presents in her book 'The Bell Jar'.
Set in Goa and Karnataka with clashing cultures, the semi-Deccan semi-Malabar way of life and brief instances of rural settings make the book all the more authentic and realistic. It's a collection of ten stories, all of them atleast slightly involving Sylvia, such that she appears as a cameo in each story, forming the epicenter of a dreamcatcher of life in that universe.
Extensive wordplay, poetic prose, nomadic and thought-provoking settings make this book a philosophical work rather than a fictional one. It stands out as a debut that requires rapt attention and unlimited patience to contemplate and get through.
Thank you @westland_books and @sahilpr1109 for the review copy.
March 19, 2021
Finished reading 'Sylvia: Distant Avuncular Ends'.
The author Maithreyi Karnoor's writing is lucid, the characters are very well-chiseled. Be it Sylvia, Bhagirati, Reshma, Lakshmi, Shaila, Bhaubaab, OR my favourite character baobab the tree itself. I could connect to some parts of the characters she has created and certain incidents she weaves in deftly to lend a touch of contemporary flair to it. Perhaps that’s because I could relate to the places where they originate from. It’s this “small townness” that lends such a rich texture to her story-telling. Loved it!
Maithreyi's characteristic humour is hard to miss, her subtle political statements are impossible to ignore and the lines where her sassiness stands out unfailingly are the ones that made me go, “Wow!”. There are moments in the book that will have you melt, others make you laugh. The sudden twists and turns make you sit up and re-read the previous few paragraphs. It’s gripping!
The book is superbly fast-paced. Something you want to gobble up at one go. But I am a nibbler, especially if I like what’s in my hand.
The author Maithreyi Karnoor's writing is lucid, the characters are very well-chiseled. Be it Sylvia, Bhagirati, Reshma, Lakshmi, Shaila, Bhaubaab, OR my favourite character baobab the tree itself. I could connect to some parts of the characters she has created and certain incidents she weaves in deftly to lend a touch of contemporary flair to it. Perhaps that’s because I could relate to the places where they originate from. It’s this “small townness” that lends such a rich texture to her story-telling. Loved it!
Maithreyi's characteristic humour is hard to miss, her subtle political statements are impossible to ignore and the lines where her sassiness stands out unfailingly are the ones that made me go, “Wow!”. There are moments in the book that will have you melt, others make you laugh. The sudden twists and turns make you sit up and re-read the previous few paragraphs. It’s gripping!
The book is superbly fast-paced. Something you want to gobble up at one go. But I am a nibbler, especially if I like what’s in my hand.
April 4, 2022
4.5 stars
I loved the way Maithreyi has played with the structure of the novel. It's something between a novel and a short story collection. She takes the everyday mundane themes and weaves delicate themes. Every character is so unique yet so relatable. There is a soothing open endedness to each tale.
I loved the way Maithreyi has played with the structure of the novel. It's something between a novel and a short story collection. She takes the everyday mundane themes and weaves delicate themes. Every character is so unique yet so relatable. There is a soothing open endedness to each tale.
March 8, 2021
Maithreyi's book is extremely well crafted, very well written, funny, sassy, smart and unputdownable. It is the kind of book that one reads in one go since it is fast paced and gripping. Maithreyi writes herself, her life, her politics, and her humour into the book and it is a joy to discover the nuanced inter-textuality that she uses. When I finished the book I didn't want the story to end, and desired a sequel very much. As a reader I also want this book to be turned into a film since it tells a compelling and cinematic story. Characters like Lakshmi and Bhaubaab are unique and finely etched characters. Maithreyi has a unique voice which is spunky, contemporary, unencumbered, unpretentious, light and at the same time solemn. She gives us the kind of fiction that is relatable: it is not chick or dude or crick lit. It doesn't have the staple nation as a character, a stale trope characteristic of postcolonial Indian writing in English. Rather, Maithreyi presents to us small town India, people of Goa, Karnataka, small town and cosmopolitan. I await her next book with bated breath.
May 9, 2023
A good literary read with great scope by a talented author. I enjoyed the glimpses into the many different lives and worlds in India and the diaspora. The eponymous Sylvia was the most elusive of them all. I loved how as I moved towards the end things came together and I could see the many interconnections between different threads and characters; it has been very cleverly written! I want to go back and re-read to spot them all.
Sylvia contains so much meaning in its short 150 pages. I enjoyed the focus on identity, family, home and roots. I loved the symbolism of the Baobab tree, and I loved how you can see it as having as many roots above as below. It was interesting to see the impacts on individuals of migration from India to Africa under the British Empire, later followed by mass migration of these communities as countries achieved independence. Sylvia explores serious topics, including; abuse, mental health, deprivation, caste, prejudice, sexuality and education.
I liked how words were interspersed from different Indian languages. There's a handy glossary at the back of the book, (which I didn't realise, and had fun Googling instead!)
Karnoor's prose is lyrical and I'd be interested in reading her poetry.
Sylvia contains so much meaning in its short 150 pages. I enjoyed the focus on identity, family, home and roots. I loved the symbolism of the Baobab tree, and I loved how you can see it as having as many roots above as below. It was interesting to see the impacts on individuals of migration from India to Africa under the British Empire, later followed by mass migration of these communities as countries achieved independence. Sylvia explores serious topics, including; abuse, mental health, deprivation, caste, prejudice, sexuality and education.
I liked how words were interspersed from different Indian languages. There's a handy glossary at the back of the book, (which I didn't realise, and had fun Googling instead!)
Karnoor's prose is lyrical and I'd be interested in reading her poetry.
August 20, 2022
First things first, the cover 😍😍😍. To be honest, 70% the design of the cover made me go for #Sylvia. It's designed by Harshad Marathe.The guy did total justice to it.
.
.
Now coming to the story. There are several characters in it and their lives are intertwined with each other. Of them all— the name Sylvia keeps popping up either as direct contact or a distant relationship throughout the narrative.
.
.
Though the first half engrosses you well, from the second half it gets difficult to tell the branch from the roots.
.
.
Even then, all in all you would definitely want to turn the page over.
.
.
Now coming to the story. There are several characters in it and their lives are intertwined with each other. Of them all— the name Sylvia keeps popping up either as direct contact or a distant relationship throughout the narrative.
.
.
Though the first half engrosses you well, from the second half it gets difficult to tell the branch from the roots.
.
.
Even then, all in all you would definitely want to turn the page over.
May 27, 2023
2.5 stars
The book starts off well, I loved the setting of the rustic Goan village, and the cast of quiet, introverted characters. While I wasn't a fan of the distant third-person narrative, I still found myself warming up to the story and characters as I read on, only to find my growing interest in these characters brought to an abrupt end. I spent the rest of the book waiting for them to show up and being disappointed.
The second part of the book, which is about two thirds, is an anthology of stories about people who are very loosely related, linked through mentions of "Sylvia". I, in my humble opinion, don't think that it qualifies as a novel. Having said that, once I started looking at these stories as almost stand-alone stories and not part of the bigger "novel" I was able to enjoy them. The author has a knack for creating very real, vivid and interesting characters; the writing is beautiful. One complaint I have about these stories is that the endings felt abrupt and half hearted. The book is only 176 pages long, there was potential for at least 50 more pages, by developing the stories further.
All said, I feel the author has immense talent and potential, there's no doubt in my head about it. This however was not the book for me. Her best is yet to come. I'll be on the lookout for her next.
The book starts off well, I loved the setting of the rustic Goan village, and the cast of quiet, introverted characters. While I wasn't a fan of the distant third-person narrative, I still found myself warming up to the story and characters as I read on, only to find my growing interest in these characters brought to an abrupt end. I spent the rest of the book waiting for them to show up and being disappointed.
The second part of the book, which is about two thirds, is an anthology of stories about people who are very loosely related, linked through mentions of "Sylvia". I, in my humble opinion, don't think that it qualifies as a novel. Having said that, once I started looking at these stories as almost stand-alone stories and not part of the bigger "novel" I was able to enjoy them. The author has a knack for creating very real, vivid and interesting characters; the writing is beautiful. One complaint I have about these stories is that the endings felt abrupt and half hearted. The book is only 176 pages long, there was potential for at least 50 more pages, by developing the stories further.
All said, I feel the author has immense talent and potential, there's no doubt in my head about it. This however was not the book for me. Her best is yet to come. I'll be on the lookout for her next.
May 9, 2023
When we first meet the eponymous character of Maithreyi Karnoor’s debut, Sylvia (2021) she’s a freelance travel writer working on an article about baobab trees in India. These trees, with their bulbous trunks and “clawing branches”, have stood for over a thousand years, their seeds having been transported from Africa by long-forgotten migrants. Similarly, her uncle Bhaubaab is from Tanzania and has retraced his grandfather’s Goan heritage in search of a home. The play between baobab and Bhaubaab sets up a clear contrast between something securely rooted in time and a man looking to root himself but is also just one of many puns that feature in an experimental novel that’s breezy to read but rewards a slower approach.
The book takes the form of the baobab with the chunkier first part comprising a single tale that acts as a base for the latter half, a series of nine intertwined short stories that represent the branches. In these, the Sylvia we see visiting her uncle comes and goes, passing through others’ lives - as friend; as colleague; as wife - and the indelible marks left along the way. Admittedly, it can be confusing to bring these stories together, given their non-linearity and subtle references to each other, but it’s a solvable jigsaw asking some effort from the reader.
However, given Karnoor’s obvious penchant for wordplay, there’s another Sylvia resonating through the book, and that’s the forest that surrounds the villages, providing an ecological angle. Beginning with well-water affected by landfill, we see the encroachment of civilisation on a way of life once isolated within the forest. Deforestation leads to roads and gated communities; it leads to the loss of traditions and cultures. When Bhaubab, on capturing a snake says “it does not need to die for being in my way”, it feels like a plea for the forest against the entropy of progress.
It’s a novel that seems to be about so much that it sometimes feels like it’s about nothing. Karnoor touches on religion, superstition, motherhood, depression, poverty, class, traditions, social media, and more, but ultimately, in a few recurring motifs, it’s about the idea of home and how its characters, whatever their experiences, find their individual comfort. Home, as Bhaubaab learns is “an ephemeral idea”. Such temporary comforts nourish as the book celebrates the minutiae and meaning of our lives against a more cosmic scale.
But being sustained on a melting pot of ideas doesn’t always make Sylvia an engaging work. A lack of immediacy in the later stories keeps us some distance from the action and the seemingly random order of the tales brings cloudiness to a book full of blue skies. However, the prose is light and colourful, and positively bristles with enjoyable wordplay (“Heresy and hearsay are closely connected.”). Where an older Sylvia worries that her medication is suppressing “the springs of kaleidoscopic imagination”, it seems Karnoor has had no problem tapping their source.
The book takes the form of the baobab with the chunkier first part comprising a single tale that acts as a base for the latter half, a series of nine intertwined short stories that represent the branches. In these, the Sylvia we see visiting her uncle comes and goes, passing through others’ lives - as friend; as colleague; as wife - and the indelible marks left along the way. Admittedly, it can be confusing to bring these stories together, given their non-linearity and subtle references to each other, but it’s a solvable jigsaw asking some effort from the reader.
However, given Karnoor’s obvious penchant for wordplay, there’s another Sylvia resonating through the book, and that’s the forest that surrounds the villages, providing an ecological angle. Beginning with well-water affected by landfill, we see the encroachment of civilisation on a way of life once isolated within the forest. Deforestation leads to roads and gated communities; it leads to the loss of traditions and cultures. When Bhaubab, on capturing a snake says “it does not need to die for being in my way”, it feels like a plea for the forest against the entropy of progress.
It’s a novel that seems to be about so much that it sometimes feels like it’s about nothing. Karnoor touches on religion, superstition, motherhood, depression, poverty, class, traditions, social media, and more, but ultimately, in a few recurring motifs, it’s about the idea of home and how its characters, whatever their experiences, find their individual comfort. Home, as Bhaubaab learns is “an ephemeral idea”. Such temporary comforts nourish as the book celebrates the minutiae and meaning of our lives against a more cosmic scale.
But being sustained on a melting pot of ideas doesn’t always make Sylvia an engaging work. A lack of immediacy in the later stories keeps us some distance from the action and the seemingly random order of the tales brings cloudiness to a book full of blue skies. However, the prose is light and colourful, and positively bristles with enjoyable wordplay (“Heresy and hearsay are closely connected.”). Where an older Sylvia worries that her medication is suppressing “the springs of kaleidoscopic imagination”, it seems Karnoor has had no problem tapping their source.
April 23, 2023
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The book tells the story of a diverse cast of characters in contemporary Goa, all of whom are united via their interaction (big or small) with the eponymous Sylvia. It's a collection of scenes across times and locations, each highlighting another angle of life in that environment and community. Each glimpse has its own depth and richness, and, together, they make up a compelling and complete tapestry that is spellbinding in its richness.
I found the book absolutely terrific. While I struggled a bit to see how the red thread of Sylvia runs through all the various scenes, it didn't affect the thrill and joy I felt with every new scene. This could easily have come across just as a set of loosely connected stories, but it really came across as something more complete. Having finished the book, I was left with a strong and vivid impression of the subtext of what the lives of our protagonists feel like. There is a sense of serenity and calm, despite the quotidian difficulties and struggles that everyone faces. There was also something incredibly intimate in how the story was told - the scenes were deeply revealing, allowing the reader to make up their own mind about the ecosystem in which each scene occurred.
I was also absolutely impressed with the depth of character development, especially given the very brief runway given to each. The strength of the author is apparent in each of these glimpses - the characters are alive and kicking. There is something even of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and Anton Chekhov in each of these stories.
This was a great experience, albeit a bit unusual in its structure. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary India, but also anyone who enjoys high quality literature, especially when it comes in unusual forms.
The book tells the story of a diverse cast of characters in contemporary Goa, all of whom are united via their interaction (big or small) with the eponymous Sylvia. It's a collection of scenes across times and locations, each highlighting another angle of life in that environment and community. Each glimpse has its own depth and richness, and, together, they make up a compelling and complete tapestry that is spellbinding in its richness.
I found the book absolutely terrific. While I struggled a bit to see how the red thread of Sylvia runs through all the various scenes, it didn't affect the thrill and joy I felt with every new scene. This could easily have come across just as a set of loosely connected stories, but it really came across as something more complete. Having finished the book, I was left with a strong and vivid impression of the subtext of what the lives of our protagonists feel like. There is a sense of serenity and calm, despite the quotidian difficulties and struggles that everyone faces. There was also something incredibly intimate in how the story was told - the scenes were deeply revealing, allowing the reader to make up their own mind about the ecosystem in which each scene occurred.
I was also absolutely impressed with the depth of character development, especially given the very brief runway given to each. The strength of the author is apparent in each of these glimpses - the characters are alive and kicking. There is something even of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and Anton Chekhov in each of these stories.
This was a great experience, albeit a bit unusual in its structure. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary India, but also anyone who enjoys high quality literature, especially when it comes in unusual forms.
March 8, 2021
Sylvia:Distant Avuncular Ends by Maithreyi Karnoor is a book that standsout defiant, but with a firm grasp over a reader’s attention and intellect. It is abook that is a novel and is also a collection of stories that beats down anyattempt to put it down somewhere. It is a book where the strands do not cometogether but go their own separate ways, maybe coming together briefly buttaking different off beaten tracks.
The ties and connection between people within families and outside form an integral core of the book and the people it brings to you. There is a strong undercurrent of the mental aspect of what drives a character to do a certain thing or in how he/she comes across as. The significance of 'avuncular' is one strand that holds throughout the book. Divided into two sections, the book brings you three protagonists in the first part whose lives and whose connection to one another, you begin to savour and hope to follow ahead. But then the second section starts and you rake through the stories and the themes and the characters to look for the remains from the first section only to realize that you have been had and that this is fiction within fiction!
This is a book for readers willing to surrender themselves to the craft of writing and word play. I had to read the book four times to be able to see what was missing in my reading has been an experience indeed. It told me that the writing was compelling and seductive, that it would not let me get off its hook that easily. Recommending for readers who are ready to embark on a unique literary experience!
Full review here: https://bookandconversations.wordpres...
The ties and connection between people within families and outside form an integral core of the book and the people it brings to you. There is a strong undercurrent of the mental aspect of what drives a character to do a certain thing or in how he/she comes across as. The significance of 'avuncular' is one strand that holds throughout the book. Divided into two sections, the book brings you three protagonists in the first part whose lives and whose connection to one another, you begin to savour and hope to follow ahead. But then the second section starts and you rake through the stories and the themes and the characters to look for the remains from the first section only to realize that you have been had and that this is fiction within fiction!
This is a book for readers willing to surrender themselves to the craft of writing and word play. I had to read the book four times to be able to see what was missing in my reading has been an experience indeed. It told me that the writing was compelling and seductive, that it would not let me get off its hook that easily. Recommending for readers who are ready to embark on a unique literary experience!
Full review here: https://bookandconversations.wordpres...
May 2, 2023
I’m struggling with how to start this review. I though it was going to be a straightforward novel but what I felt was more like a memoir mixed with an anthology of short stories. It’s beautifully written and constructed and I read it in one day, with breaks to think about it - it is quite a short book at under 200 pages. As a novel i.e. one story, I found it a bit disjointed, but as a collection of clever and thought provoking prose it was wonderful.
Briefly, the first half of the book tells the story of Cajetan Pereira who has returned to his homeland and rebuilt a dilapidated home within sight of a mystical Baobab tree and Lakshmi, his young neighbour who has returned home from Bangalore after an horrific accident killed his two friends. The two of them are building a close friendship and when Cajetan’s niece Sylvia comes into their lives close bonds are forged until one day Sylvia just ups and leaves. The second half is composed of 9 short stories some with Sylvia as a character but most where she is just a fleeting mention.
Did I get understand all the nuances of this complex story? No probably not, in fact I definitely didn’t understand the inclusion of some of the short stories but that really didn’t matter. Sylvia was but a glimpse in some lives and I was left wondering about her future. A complex, at times disturbing read but one you need to savour rather than rush through.
Briefly, the first half of the book tells the story of Cajetan Pereira who has returned to his homeland and rebuilt a dilapidated home within sight of a mystical Baobab tree and Lakshmi, his young neighbour who has returned home from Bangalore after an horrific accident killed his two friends. The two of them are building a close friendship and when Cajetan’s niece Sylvia comes into their lives close bonds are forged until one day Sylvia just ups and leaves. The second half is composed of 9 short stories some with Sylvia as a character but most where she is just a fleeting mention.
Did I get understand all the nuances of this complex story? No probably not, in fact I definitely didn’t understand the inclusion of some of the short stories but that really didn’t matter. Sylvia was but a glimpse in some lives and I was left wondering about her future. A complex, at times disturbing read but one you need to savour rather than rush through.
May 22, 2021
"The baobab is called the upside down tree. When the leaves are shed, the bare branches resemble roots. The tree appears as if it has been planted in the intangible sky." - Sylvia, Maithreyi Karnoor
Maithreyi Karnoor is famous for her poetry and it feels like in her debut novel she tried to form a story through poems , the result is Sylvia. The novel can be separated in two sections. The first section is an age old story, a man coming home after years of separation and finding family but the second section is where she shines.
When a foreigner returns to his native town in Goa in search of peaceful quiet and a tree which reminds him of his home, baobab, a tree which is not a native of India but brought by Portuguese colonisers, he unexpectedly finds himself with a friend and a long lost neice who he didn't know existed till that moment. The story ends leaving you desiring more.
In the second section, you see stories colliding, with Sylvia being just a background character or sometimes just being a passing reference, her life touches all these characters as their touches hers. This section is which felt like a poem to me, something you write for yourself and the audience interprets what the poet wants to say. This was all I was doing, trying to interpret. A good take on storytelling, would look out for her next work.
Maithreyi Karnoor is famous for her poetry and it feels like in her debut novel she tried to form a story through poems , the result is Sylvia. The novel can be separated in two sections. The first section is an age old story, a man coming home after years of separation and finding family but the second section is where she shines.
When a foreigner returns to his native town in Goa in search of peaceful quiet and a tree which reminds him of his home, baobab, a tree which is not a native of India but brought by Portuguese colonisers, he unexpectedly finds himself with a friend and a long lost neice who he didn't know existed till that moment. The story ends leaving you desiring more.
In the second section, you see stories colliding, with Sylvia being just a background character or sometimes just being a passing reference, her life touches all these characters as their touches hers. This section is which felt like a poem to me, something you write for yourself and the audience interprets what the poet wants to say. This was all I was doing, trying to interpret. A good take on storytelling, would look out for her next work.
May 3, 2023
Sylvia by Maithreyi Karnoor is a beautifully powerful and articulate read.
Firstly, this was not what I was expecting at all. I was expecting a straightforward novel and it was anything but (in the best kind of way). The plot was complex and very intriguing, it was almost like a collection of short stories with different characters all woven together with one common denominator: Sylvia. I found it fascinating to read.
The characters were really brought alive, despite the short amount of time we got to get to know them. I did find myself flicking back to the list of character names, which I actually found really helpful, and I felt added to the book instead of taking away from it as I sometimes feel is what happens in other books.
The first section was my favourite as I felt that I really got to know Bhaubaab and was really invested in his story. The second section left me hungry for more from the characters as I felt we only got a little taste of them, which I suppose can be good or bad, depending on what the reader is looking for.
The writing has a beautiful poetic flair to it and is so brilliant to read. It really makes you want to savour the writing and all the layers to it.
Overall, it’s an absolutely stunning book, inside and out.
Thank you, Neem Tree Press and Anne (Random Things Tours), for my copy.
May 22, 2023
For a small, thin book this really does pack a literal punch. The story centres around Sylvia ( and yes, she is named after one of my favourite poets Sylvia Plath who passed away at a tragically young age) and the role she plays in different peoples lives.
We first come across Sylvia when she arrives in Cajetan Pereira's garden in search of a story. The narrative around Sylvia nad how she affects the different characters we read about, no matter how briefly, is told in such a way that you, as the reader, can imagine her as the Baobab tree in which she is the trunk and the branches are the different people who are linked to her in some way, either strongly, as in the branches, or a glimpse like the small twigs and leaves.
This is a story cleverly told as it draws the reader into each character, wondering what the connection is going to be and often this is not clear until near the end of the story, all of whom has a different relationship.
For me this was a wonderful story that epitomises how one person can have many different relationships of varying lengths and strengths, each just as important in their own right.
We first come across Sylvia when she arrives in Cajetan Pereira's garden in search of a story. The narrative around Sylvia nad how she affects the different characters we read about, no matter how briefly, is told in such a way that you, as the reader, can imagine her as the Baobab tree in which she is the trunk and the branches are the different people who are linked to her in some way, either strongly, as in the branches, or a glimpse like the small twigs and leaves.
This is a story cleverly told as it draws the reader into each character, wondering what the connection is going to be and often this is not clear until near the end of the story, all of whom has a different relationship.
For me this was a wonderful story that epitomises how one person can have many different relationships of varying lengths and strengths, each just as important in their own right.
April 26, 2023
Novella set in INDIA
There are 2 parts to this short novel. In the first part Sylvia, a writer, makes an effort to connect with her Uncle Cajetan Pereira (otherwise known as Bhaubaab) who is looking for a property. What he finds is something that is so run down that extensive work is needed. He befriends his young neighbour, Lakshmi and their lives intertwine (at first over the process of catching a snake and learning the differences between the varieties!). Part 2 introduces further characters whose lives overlap, with appearances by Sylvia, the leitmotif characters of the title.
Whilst Bhaubaab is settling into his new house, Sylvia is in Karnataka and there she espies the baobab trees. These large trees represent longevity and solidity, standing in stark contrast to the lives that are described milling around, standing witness to generations of people, coming and going, living and dying.
The prose here is stand out, it is delicately put together and a pleasure to read.
There are 2 parts to this short novel. In the first part Sylvia, a writer, makes an effort to connect with her Uncle Cajetan Pereira (otherwise known as Bhaubaab) who is looking for a property. What he finds is something that is so run down that extensive work is needed. He befriends his young neighbour, Lakshmi and their lives intertwine (at first over the process of catching a snake and learning the differences between the varieties!). Part 2 introduces further characters whose lives overlap, with appearances by Sylvia, the leitmotif characters of the title.
Whilst Bhaubaab is settling into his new house, Sylvia is in Karnataka and there she espies the baobab trees. These large trees represent longevity and solidity, standing in stark contrast to the lives that are described milling around, standing witness to generations of people, coming and going, living and dying.
The prose here is stand out, it is delicately put together and a pleasure to read.
May 16, 2023
What can I say about this great little read....first of all, at under 200 pages it was short enough and intriguing enough to read in a day, I really enjoyed it.....the quality of the writing is incredible, I'm not sure I've ever called writing smooth before but I am struggling to find another word to do it justice. I am not surprised to learn that Karnoor is well known for her poetry - it feels lyrical in its flow with a draw that keeps you fully immersed.
The book itself is set out in 2 parts - first we meet Sylvia's uncle, Cajetan, fondly introduced in the opening pages as 'Bhaubaab', then we meet Sylvia who has arrived to meet him, and is interested in writing her Uncle's memoirs. We learn more in this part about Sylvia and Cajetan's family history. Part two was like little testaments and stories from those who had family or friendship connections with Sylvia. I enjoyed some of these more than others, particularly 'The Cat Named Insomnia' and I know this is a book that I will be thinking about for days.
The book itself is set out in 2 parts - first we meet Sylvia's uncle, Cajetan, fondly introduced in the opening pages as 'Bhaubaab', then we meet Sylvia who has arrived to meet him, and is interested in writing her Uncle's memoirs. We learn more in this part about Sylvia and Cajetan's family history. Part two was like little testaments and stories from those who had family or friendship connections with Sylvia. I enjoyed some of these more than others, particularly 'The Cat Named Insomnia' and I know this is a book that I will be thinking about for days.
July 23, 2021
Maithreyi Kanoor writes a multilayered story. It is about Sylvia's life and so many others who are a part of it in some way or another, her uncle, her parents, her classmates, friends, people she's touched in some ways or has been touched by. It's narrated the way we live the story of our lives- something that feels linear but never is. Karnoor has written it in such a lucid way, with such an ease that it's only towards the end that the reader realises how the dots have been connecting all this while. Sylvia is a simple book on the surface, but a story of great depths beyond that surface. Read in a day and thought about for days later, Sylvia is a book I'm glad to have found. It's easy to read but not so simple after all. Recommended to all those looking for a meaningful story.
March 8, 2021
It's a marvellous offering. Enjoyed Sylvia with immense relish: savoured, sipped, nibbled and stretched reading it as much as I could. Didn't want the book to end; sad that I've finished reading it. Although I shall return to it again sometime, that doesn't wipe away the sadness of the stories ending.
Maithreyi, for your very first work of fiction, it is so ripe; the book's flow, evocative prose, words chosen with care for their exact resonance...
I wish you infinite power with words to continue the magic you have woven, a tapestry that captivates by giving word, image and form to all the rasas and more
Maithreyi, for your very first work of fiction, it is so ripe; the book's flow, evocative prose, words chosen with care for their exact resonance...
I wish you infinite power with words to continue the magic you have woven, a tapestry that captivates by giving word, image and form to all the rasas and more
October 4, 2023
Sylvia is an intriguing debut from Maithreyi Karnoor and Neem Tree Press. The image of the baobab tree on the cover is the touchstone for the book: a novel anchored by a 50-page story, followed by nine shorter pieces, recalling the baobab with sturdy trunk and short branches. It's a book that I liked the idea of more than the experience of reading it. For one thing, the straightforward prose didn't match the innovative form. The stories were, for the most part, competently told but no more. I appreciated the way Karnoor gave us a main character in fragmentation, appearing and re-appearing in different guises across the stories. Certain themes were handled well like migration, displacement, home-making, what makes a family, and others. I can't point to any particular story as a favorite, although certain scenes and images were done well. In many ways, this read like a rough draft of a novel, points of departure that could have been explored in more depth. Brevity is a virtue, but often this felt like a summary of a novel rather than a novel. I wonder if a good editor might have turned this into something special. Karnoor is a writer to watch, though, and I hope she continues to experiment with narrative and the novel form.
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