The Living Mountain

by Amitav Ghosh, Devangana Dash (Illustrator)

In my dream I was a young girl, growing up in a valley that was home to a cluster of warring villages, high in the Himalaya. Overlooking our Valley was an immense, snowy mountain, whose peak was almost always wreathed in clouds. The mountain was called Mahaparbat, Great Mountain, and despite our differences all of us who lived in the Valley revered that mountain: our ancestors had told us that of all the world’s mountains ours was the most alive; that it would protect us, and look after us – but only on condition that we told stories about it, and sang about it, and danced for it – but always from a distance.

For one of the binding laws of the Valley, respected by all our warring villages, was that we were never, on any account, to set foot on the slopes of the Great Mountain.

Genres: Short Stories, Indian Literature, Fiction, India, Adventure, Climate Change Fiction, Nature

35 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Amitav Ghosh is an Indian writer. He won the 54th Jnanpith award in 2018, India's highest literary honour. Ghosh's ambitious novels use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of India and South Asia. He has written historical fiction and non-fiction works discussing topics such as colonialism and climate change.
Ghosh studied at The Doon School, Dehradun, and earned a doctorate in social anthropology at the University of Oxford. He worked at the Indian Express newspaper in New Delhi and several academic institutions. His first novel, The Circle of Reason, was published in 1986, which he followed with later fictional works, including The Shadow Lines and The Glass Palace. Between 2004 and 2015, he worked on the Ibis trilogy, which revolves around the build-up and implications of the First Opium War. His non-fiction work includes In an Antique Land (1992) and The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable (2016).
Ghosh holds two Lifetime Achievement awards and four honorary doctorates. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest honours, by the President of India. In 2010, he was a joint winner, along with Margaret Atwood, of a Dan David prize, and in 2011, he was awarded the Grand Prix of the Blue Metropolis festival in Montreal. He was the first English-language writer to receive the award. In 2019, Foreign Policy magazine named him one of the most important global thinkers of the preceding decade.

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two friends, our unnamed narrator and his friend Maansi, while deciding on a theme for their book club for the year ahead stumble across the word ANTHROPOCENE- a term that is making waves and Maansi, in particular, is quite keen on. However, as the narrative progresses Maansi shares a vivid dream she has had that has left her more than a little unsettled. Her dream tells the story of Mahaparbat, the Great Mountain which shelters several warring villages that are settled in the Valley high in the Himalayas. Though life is not easy, the indigenous population lives under the protection of the Mountain enjoying the bounty of the natural resources that draw life and are nourished by the Mountain. The mountain is revered by the villagers, who sing and celebrate in its praise following the customs passed down by their ancestors. The binding rule was that those from the valley were not to set foot on the slopes of the Mahaparbat. Of all the natural resources available to the inhabitants of the Valley, The Magic Tree, whose wood, leaves, fruit and nuts each yield multiple uses, is particularly special. The nut attracts special attention and is in high demand for its multiple benefits. Trading Week, the annual trade and commerce between the Elderpeople of the Valley and those from the Lowlands, take place at the pass of the Mountain beyond which outsiders are not permitted. After a representative from a group of people who call themselves Anthropoi expresses curiosity and requests access to Great Mountain and is denied the same in keeping with the Law of the Valley, interests swiftly evolve into action on the part of the Anthropoi, who invade the Valley and take control over the inhabitants, their resources and the Great Mountain.

“Their savants had studied all that was told to their envoy, and they were convinced that unbeknownst to us, great riches-minerals, metals and the like- were hidden within the mountain. We were unaware of this because we were a credulous and benighted people, who believed our Mountain was alive. The savants of the Anthropoi were unmatched in their wisdom and they decided that since we were not making any use of the mountain’s riches, they were fully justified in seizing them and taking whatever they wished.”

What follows is a series of events that begins with the subjugation of the indigenous population by the Anthropoi and exploitation of natural resources, and ultimately lead to revolt, infighting, and destruction brought on by the utter disregard for the consequences of the actions of man against nature.

“How dare you speak of the Mountain as though you were its masters, and it were your plaything, your child? Have you understood nothing of what it has been trying to teach you? Nothing at all?”

Amitav Ghosh’s “The Living Mountain: a Fable for Our Times” is an exquisitely written story that packs a punch in its 35 pages. Deceptively simple with folk-tale-like elements and descriptions, this allegory can be interpreted as a cautionary tale as well as a simplistic yet vivid depiction of colonialism, climate change, exploitation of man and nature, and the far-reaching effects of commercialism and abuse of natural resources fueled by the greed and avarice of men. This is a tale for everyone with so much depth in what is such a timely and relevant little story. I wish it were longer than 35 pages. The simple black and white illustrations by Devangana Dash that accompany the prose are quite lovely. This is a book meant to be read , reread, shared and talked about.

I was fortunate to get my hands on the audiobook which I listened to after reading the story a couple of times and I must commend the narrators, Pallavi Bharti and Ranjit Madgavkar for their mesmerizing rendition of this story.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, HarperCollins Publishers India, for the advance review copy.

Now that I have just read the book I'm in a daze as to how I haven't heard of this amazing short fable yet!

Filled with amazing black ink illustrations in between the pages, I am amazed at how well the fable has been told in just a few pages. Well done I would say!

This is the story about Mahaparat, the Living Mountain, and why the story is relevant today, specially during the difficult times we are facing now because of the pandemic.

A timely production with a refreshing story, I appreciate the book so much.

A book for everyone and each of us will learn something new from this short book.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to Harper Collins India and NetGalley for a review copy of this story.

The Living Mountains: A Fable of Our Times by Amitav Ghosh is a short work, less than novella length, which explores a range of themes including colonialism and the attendant exploitation of people and resources, devaluing of traditional knowledge, de-sacralisation and disenchantment, and greed and commercialisation which become a vicious cycle destroying the very ‘spirit’ of nature.

The story opens with the narrator and his online bookclub friend Maansi, two people who only interact on books and know little else of each other, discussing possible themes for the next year’s reading. Maansi proposes the ‘anthropocene’ a term both are unfamiliar with and volunteers to come up with a reading list. After some silence from her for a while, the narrator receives a message about a book she read on the theme being so very different from what she’d expected the ‘anthropocene’ to be, one which triggered off a tale, part dream, part memory of a story her grandmother had once told her, and it is this she shares with the narrator.

The story is of a people who lived under the benevolent protection of a mountain, the Mahaparbat, which gave them all they needed to live happy, contented lives, and which was treated as sacred and never interfered with.

It would protect us and look after us—but only on condition that we told stories about it, and sang about it, and danced for it—but always from a distance.

But that was until someone from the people called the Anthropoi arrived, who coveted the treasures of the mountain, dubbed its people ‘credulous and benighted’ for not having taken them, colonised, enslaved and exploited, belittled their knowledge and practices, setting off a chain from which there could be no return.

The savants of the Anthropoi were unmatched in their wisdom and they decided that since we were not making any use of the mountain’s riches, they were fully justified in seizing them and taking whatever they wished.

And when the colonised finally rebel and reclaim their space, starting to follow in the path the colonisers have set before them as model, once again they are found fault with, and all blame for any harm placed on them.

We are the Anthropoi, we always know best.

They would not admit that it was not the manner of climb that was to blame for our troubles—it was the climb itself.

By the time the value of their knowledge and their approach is reached, it is seemingly too late…

This is a short but powerful and effective story in that it is able to convey so much and set one’s mind thinking on a range of issues (which—and I say this only from reviews I’ve read, since I’m yet to get to the book—the author has explored earlier in his nonfic—The Nutmeg’s Curse), in its few pages. A disconnect with, and disrespect for nature are still norms by which we live (irrespective of all claims to the contrary), and while their impacts in the form of the pandemic and climate concerns ought to have taught us a lesson, ought to get us to rethink the relentless greed, the exploitation, the destruction that we still perpetuate, the book raises the question of whether we have really learnt our lesson (no), and more so, is the lesson we’ve learnt the right one?

I loved how the author put forth the notion of the life-force, the spirit of the mountain (as a stand in for nature more broadly), which has been destroyed as a result of unthinking human intervention. I couldn’t help but think of Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis here which too, explored this idea of animals losing their powers to talk and so on, and trees losing their spirit because of human intervention.

A very relevant book, and one that needs to be not only read but acted on as well.

4.5 stars

[Harun Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

পরিবেশ রক্ষা বিষয়ক গল্প। এটা শুনে কাহিনি নীরস মনে হতে পারে। কিন্তু অমিতাভ ঘোষ অত্যন্ত স্বল্প পরিসরে ঘন সন্নিবিষ্ট ও উপাদেয় এক গল্প শোনালেন যার প্রতিটা লাইন নিয়ে বিশাল বিশাল ব্যাখ্যা দেওয়া সম্ভব।"জাগ্রত পর্বত" আমাদের পুরো সভ্যতারই ইতিহাস।

[Preeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another masterstroke by Amitav Ghosh. I realize he doesn't need 300+pages to illustrate the message of Climate change.

[Come Musica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amitav Ghosh in questo breve apologo, vuol far riflettere i lettori su quali saranno le conseguenze dell’umanità se non si ha cura della natura. L’uomo pensa da sempre di dominare la natura e, soprattutto negli ultimi due secoli, di pari passo con il progresso tecnologico, non ha fatto altro che violentarla. È solo davanti alle catastrofi imminenti, iniziano a sorgere i primi interrogativi:

“E noi? Potevamo noi tornare indietro? No, anche questo ormai era impossibile; perché anche i nostri corpi si erano assuefatti a quella droga, all’aria sottile che si respirava a quell’altezza, e all’eccitazione che accompagnava la nostra ascesa. Né la nostra gente ci avrebbe consentito di tornare indietro. Laggiú nella Valle erano piú disperati che mai e ci esortavano ad arrampicarci ancora piú in fretta. Non c’era alternativa. Bisognava continuare a salire. E cosí facemmo, ma adesso col cuore pesante, perché era impossibile ignorare che ogni passo ci avvicinava alla catastrofe.”

La Montagna ritorna a pulsare quando un’anziana rievoca una delle vecchie danze, legate alla saggezza antica:

“E una volta che ebbe trovato il giusto passo, accadde un fatto strano, un miracolo: riuscimmo a sentire le vibrazioni sotto i nostri piedi, come se la Montagna rispondesse alla danza. Restammo tutti sbalorditi, soprattutto i sapienti degli Anthropoi. «Avevate ragione!» esclamarono. «La montagna è viva! Sentiamo sotto i piedi il battito del suo cuore. Ciò significa che dobbiamo occuparci della povera, cara montagna, dobbiamo averne cura, dobbiamo accudirla».”

Ma ancora una volta gli uomini sono sordi perché non hanno orecchie per capire quello che la Montagna (Natura) sta dicendo loro.

[Akash · Rating 4 out of 5]

'প্রাণপর্বত বা দ্য লিভিং মাউন্টেন' পরিবেশ ও সংস্কৃতি বিপর্যয়ের রূপক। বর্বরযুগ আর মানবযুগের সংঘাত। অতীত সংস্কৃতি আর ঐতিহ্যকে ভুলে উন্নতির লোভে নিজেদের ধ্বংস করার ক্রীড়া-কৌতুক।

গল্পের আরম্ভ পাঠচক্রের বই বাছায়ের মাধ্যমে। পাঠচক্রের সক্রিয় সদস্য মানসী অ্যানফ্রোপোসীন যুগকে জানতে ইন্টারনেটে বইয়ের সন্ধান চালাতে থাকে। একপর্যায়ে একটা অনলাইন পাঠ্যতালিকা থেকে একটা বই বেছে নিয়ে পড়তে শুরু করে। যেখানে ছিল একটা প্রত্যন্ত দ্বীপের হতভাগ্য মানুষগুলোর চরম বিপর্যয়ের কথা। তারপরই গল্পে আসল চমক আসে। যেখানে অদ্ভুত কিছুর সাক্ষী হবে পাঠক।

আমরা বর্বরযুগ থেকে মানবযুগে চলে এলেও আমাদের শিকড় ভুলে যাচ্ছি। বিজ্ঞানের যুগে শিল্প-সাহিত্য-সংস্কৃতি মূল্যহীন মনে হচ্ছে আমাদের। কল্পনা বিলাসী মন আর সুখের অসুখের যন্ত্রণাময় বিষণ্ণতার মধুকে আবেগীয় মূর্খতা ভাবছি শুধু উন্নতির ধোঁকায় পড়ে। সামান্য উন্নতির লোভে আমরা পরিবেশ আর সংস্কৃতির চরম বিপর্যয় ঘটাচ্ছি। যা আমাদের জন্য ধ্বংস ডেকে আনছে শীঘ্রই। তবে আমাদের অবশ্যই মনে রাখতে হবে যে, আধুনিক মানবীয় যুগেও বিজ্ঞানের মতো শিল্প-সাহিত্য-সংস্কৃতির অবদান অনুরূপ।

শিল্প-সাহিত্য-সংস্কৃতি ব্যতীরেকে বিজ্ঞান মূল্যহীন। দুইটাই এগিয়ে যায় সমাল তালে। একটাকে বাদ দিয়ে অন্যটা মূল্যহীন। আর এহেন উন্নতির লোভ আমাদের বিভ্রান্ত করে, অন্ধ করে, বধির করে, ধ্বংস করে।

পিচ্চি উপন্যাসিকা। এক বসায় যে কেউ পড়ে শেষ করতে পারবে। সুকান্ত চৌধুরীর সারানুবাদ জলের মতো। প্রকাশনী: আনন্দ পাবলিশার্স। বইতে ব্যবহৃত চিত্রালংকরণগুলো গল্পকে ভালোভাবে বুঝতে সহায়তা করেছে। মূল ইংরেজি ভাষায় বইয়ের নাম 'The Living Mountain'.

[Laura V. لاورا · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho trovato questo volumetto dello scrittore indiano Amitav Ghosh (1956) mentre curiosavo in biblioteca.
La vicenda narrata sembra una sorta di favola dal sapore ecologista sullo sfondo di una valle ai piedi dell'Himalaya; ne è protagonista un'enorme montagna dalle cime innevate e avvolte dalle nubi. Gli abitanti della valle la chiamano la Grande Montagna, Mahaparbat, e da sempre la rispettano nutrendo nei suoi confronti vera e propria venerazione. Al centro di queste pagine, l'equilibrio nel rapporto uomo-natura che, quando si incrina, provoca disastri, come viene narrato da Ghosh attraverso una prosa semplice e scorrevole.

[Daniele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amitav Ghosh affronta temi moderni come la crisi ecologica e il rapporto uomo/natura, attraverso la forma della favola.
Ci narra la storia di una comunità che vive in armonia con una montagna sacra, che provvede ai loro bisogni, finché l'equilibrio viene spezzato dall'arrivo degli "Anthropoi", una popolazione che vede la montagna solo come una risorsa da sfruttare incessantemente.
Il racconto è una metafora delle conseguenze della visione antropocentrica e predatoria che ha portato e sta portando alla devastazione del pianeta e ci invita a riflettere su colonialismo, sfruttamento indiscriminato e la perdita di una connessione rispettosa con il mondo naturale che ci circonda.
Bello.

[Gorab · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book with a deep profound message.
Loved the theme of Man vs Nature, the anecdotes and parables used for progress, and most importantly that last message for all those enthusiasts trying to "Save" planet earth!

Do yourself a favour by spending 20 mins with this book.

[Samiur Rashid Abir · Rating 4 out of 5]

নাহ, অনুবাদের নামটা পছন্দ হয় নাই। প্রাণপর্বতের চেয়েও আরোও ভাল নাম অবশ্যই দেয়া যাইত।

পরিবেশরক্ষা সচেতনতামূলক হিসেবে বইটা বেশ কাজে দিতে পারে। অনেকটা এরকম একটা কাহিনী জেমস রোলিন্স এর অ্যামাজনিয়া বইটাতেও আসছে। অইটায় ছিল সুপ্রাচীন বৃক্ষ, আর এখানে পর্বত।

[readers creators · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really short book, but with a significant meaning. This is my first read by the author, I wouldn’t say I am stunned because 35 pages are not enough for me to say much about writing, my focus shifted completely to just the metaphorically hidden meaning this story has.
Ghosh wrote about a simple fable, a living mountain, villagers, and the invaders. These all were given names, in the very beginning I felt like I have been thrust to sit beside my grandmother and I am barely 10 years old. Reading this made me nostalgic.

While reading this book, I became nostalgic and revisited my younger self. But as I finished it, I realize the meaning it imparted to me. Ghosh placidly put that meaning in the story for his readers to observe on their own.

He talked metaphorically about the current climate crisis and its upcoming impact. He beautifully framed the modern developers who blame it all on natural forces, and traditional ones who blame human factors for these drastic changes, and he portrays a condition of both of them joining up in long run. Because individually they are persistent in highlighting their reason, despite focusing on what they are actually arguing about.

A very short, impactful read. After reading this you will be nostalgic, aware, and inspired to do your part.

[Deepak Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read, however, the themes explored in it were not that deep. I did not also particularly like the abrupt ending. Cautionary tales like this need to have an endgame, a sort of retribution that was sorely lacking.

To be honest, the ending is eerily similar to Carlin's monologue.

"We’re so self-important. Everybody’s going to save something now. “Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails.” And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. Save the planet, we don’t even know how to take care of ourselves yet."

[Elankumaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

வாழும் மாமலை ❤️
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இயற்கைக்கும் மனிதகுல வளர்ச்சிக்கும் இடையிலான முரண் போக்கையும் அதன் விளைவுகளையும் மையமாகக் கொண்டு அமிதாவ் கோஷ் எழுதிய நம் காலத்து அ நீதிக்கதை இந்த ‘வாழும் மாமலை’. அமிதாவ் கோஷின் எழுத்தில் நான் வாசித்த முதல் படைப்பு இது. புனைவின் களத்தில் வைத்து காலத்திற்குத் தேவையான கருவை கதையாடியிருக்கிறார்.
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இயற்கையை அடக்கியாளும் மனிதனின் அதிகாரப் பேராசையையும் அதில் அகப்படும் மூத்தகுடிகளின் கையறு நிலையையும் பின் அவர்களுக்குள்ளேயே நிகழும் மாற்றங்களையும், தம் பழமைகளையும் நம்பிக்கைகளையும் மறந்த குடிகளின் பரிதாபத்தையும் சொல்லிச் செல்லும் கதை இறுதியில் இயற்கையின் பேராற்றலை உணர்த்தும் வகையில் முடிவடைகிறது.

[ari 🪷 · Rating 2 out of 5]

rtc

[Shuvo · Rating 3 out of 5]

অমিতাভ ঘোষের নাম অনেক শুনেছি। পড়ার ইচ্ছে ছিল। এটা দিয়েই শুরু হলো..

[Aadrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟

It is amazing how such a short story can leave such a huge impact and convey such important messages.

It's about a small community living in a valley under the great mountain. They believed the great mountain to be alive and powerful. That it would protect them and sustain them as long as they admired it but from a distance. But then came the anthropoi and and tried to conquer the mountain throwing aside the old beliefs and tales of people. The conquest as you can imagine does not end well.

After all it was about believing in the power of nature and nature's revenge to balance out the world. It is as advertised, a fable of our times.

[Rahmanuddin Shaik · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very short read. Talks of how humans exploit nature and nature in turn takes its revenge.
The symbolism is mesmerizing.

[Amit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short novella talking about a very important topic. leaves a lot more desired and could have been longer . Author does not do justice to either the premise, or the story. Very Abrupt ending .

[Rakhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tiny book that can be read in an hour or two gives us content to mull over for months. Amitav Ghosh presents this magic for the readers through his no-nonsense, simple yet majestic craft Living Mountains.

The Living Mountain by Amitav Ghosh



Living Mountains by Amitav Gosh
Description
The book is set against the background of two friends reading about the Anthropocene. Like one of them, I had to google the term too. Further, the author takes us seamlessly to the foothills of the mountains that respond to the worshippers with their feet. The mountain that moves, the mountain that lives. While the tribal inhabitants are content with their life, a bunch of foreign trespassers changes their lives irreversibly and how the mountains respond to it is the crux of the story.

Blurb
A new story from internationally renowned author Amitav Ghosh, The Living Mountain is a cautionary tale of how we have systematically exploited nature, leading to an environmental collapse.


Recounted as a dream, this is a fable about Mahaparbat, the Living Mountain; the indigenous valley dwellers who live and prosper in its shelter; the assault on the mountain for commercial benefit by the Anthropoi, humans whose sole aim is to reap the bounty of nature; and the disaster that unfolds as a result.

The Living Mountain is especially relevant today when we have been battling a pandemic and are facing a climate catastrophe: both of which are products of our insufficient understanding of mankind's relationship with nature, and our sustained appropriation and abuse of natural resources. This is a book of our times, for our times, and it will resonate strongly with readers of all ages.



My review
If we think deeply it is easy to realize that we are the inhabitants that the author refers to. How in the name of infrastructure and development, we dredge the heart of nature pulling the life out of it without realizing that we are slowly squeezing out our own life force. The book is a dystopian fantasy that in the near future will prove to be prophetical as human actions are responsible for the downfall of nature.
One has to approach the book with an open heart and widened perspective so as to fathom the metaphor.
When the tribals climb up the mountain along with the trespassers, the readers are forced to introspect. How in the rat race we forget our roots and where we came from is depicted in no uncertain terms. It is an irony as to how we blame the universal power that we call God for the repercussions of what we do. The book is about that old woman who grimaces at us when we land up where she expected us to and we are forced to hug her and say I should have paid heed to you.
However, the author got carried away with the fictional fantasy that we want the readers to tread and missed where the plot took off from. Be it a dream or a story within the story, the characters, in the beginning, are forgotten and are not mentioned in the climax. Had an extended scenario of the effects of the dream or reality been pitched into, the effect of the book would have been manifold.

This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z 2023
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[Libros_libri_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prendete una tisana calda o una tazza di cioccolata e circondatevi dai piccoli della vostra famiglia per leggere a voce alta una storia che vi rimarrà impressa nella vostra mente, perché non vi sarà difficile associare la storia con quello che le grandi potenze mondiali stanno facendo al nostro pianeta.

La storia di una tribù che ai piedi dell’Himalaya difende a capa e spada la montagna che è la loro fonte di vita. Ma un giorno, degli stranieri, senza il minor rispetto per le loro leggi, per le loro credenze calpestano tutto quello che trovano al suo passo per impossessarsi delle ricchezze che LA MONTAGNA alberga nel suo interno…

Un racconto che mescola magia e realtà costringendoci a valutare più equamente il nostro rapporto con la natura prima che sia troppo tardi.

Buona e meravigliosa lettura a tutti voi

[Sudeepa Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Living Mountain is a fable, a parable that can be interpreted in multiple ways.

In a short content form of around 37 pages, Amitav Ghosh describes how humans have lived/are living in the Anthropocene age. Every action or decision of ours that outweighs nature can fit into this modern-day parable.

The short length could be unsatisfying for novel readers, but it has a message that will continue to be a warning for this decade and beyond.

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was first read by Amitav Ghosh and I have had his books in my bookcase for many years now. But this was a short little dream that I completed with a little sleep in between. This was a nice little read and it's unlike any book I had before.

People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put, I absolutely love reading, so I have made it my motto to Forever Keep on Reading. I love reading everything except for self-help books, even occasionally. I read almost all the genres but YA, Fantasy, and Biographies are the most read. My favorite series is Harry Potter, but then there are many more books I adore. I have bookcases filled with books that are waiting to be read so I can't stay and spend more time on this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

[Anushree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the audiobook. It was an immersive experience that lasted about 36 minutes. This story is archetypal in its journey and scope. A fresh attempt at retracing the hackneyed road to doom when mankind disrespects and mutilates nature. The story is fascinating in its portrayal of how the relationship between man and nature evolves and devolves as he reveres and then exploits the bounty that was never his to claim. Ripe with insight and ringing with recognition, this is a story too relevant to our times when mindful consumerism is essential to keep the planet habitable for humans and their survival.

[Sneha · Rating 4 out of 5]

this story explores the topics of colonialism, exploration of natural resources, and the extent of man's greed. It is a story of a group of people living in harmony under the protection of Mahaparbat or the Great Mountain, which they treated as sacred until a group of outsiders invade their privacy as well as colonize their minds for the worse. This short conveys so much and gives a lot of food for thought.

[Naddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very relatable in current times ..

[Sagnik Chakraborty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful ! As is expected of Ghosh ❤️

Such a multilayered short story. A fable of our times indeed.
I could relate the fable to so many different things - our society, history, morality, environment and so much more.
It would have been better if this would have been a full length novel.

[Amit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Small but relevant book. Summarises the whole story of climate/environment disaster we are heading towards.

[Ritika Nigam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In our valley, wisdom had always resided with the women"

[Anonymous · Rating 3 out of 5]

AG has always been vocal about the tussle between human and the nature which has led to the impending doom we refer to as ‘climate change’. This is one of those short tales of the theme which infers to the fragile ecology of the Himalayas.