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Морской конёк
Неемия родом из провинциального индийского города. Родители отправляют его в столичный университет и фактически запрещают возвращаться домой после скандала, в который был вовлечен его друг Ленни. Теперь Ленни заперт в психиатрической клинике, а Неемия — в собственном разуме. Его будни заняты лекциями, студенческими вечеринками и размышлениями об искусстве. Но встреча с Николасом, историком искусства, о котором говорит весь университет, меняет все. И последующие годы Неемия проводит между Дели и Лондоном, в попытках исцелиться от потери, призраков любви и воспоминаний о неидеальной юности.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 20, 2014
17 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Janice Pariat
13 books347 followersJanice Pariat is the author of Boats on Land: A Collection of Short Stories and Seahorse: A Novel. She was awarded the Young Writer Award from the Sahitya Akademi and the Crossword Book Award for Fiction in 2013.
She studied English Literature at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Her work—including art reviews, book reviews, fiction and poetry—has featured in a wide selection of national magazines and newspapers. In 2014, she was the Charles Wallace Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Kent, UK.
Her novella The Nine Chambered-Heart is out with HarperCollins India (November 2017) and HarperCollins UK (May 2018), and is being translated for publication into ten languages including Italian, Spanish, French, and German.
Currently, she lives in New Delhi with a cat of many names.
She studied English Literature at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Her work—including art reviews, book reviews, fiction and poetry—has featured in a wide selection of national magazines and newspapers. In 2014, she was the Charles Wallace Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Kent, UK.
Her novella The Nine Chambered-Heart is out with HarperCollins India (November 2017) and HarperCollins UK (May 2018), and is being translated for publication into ten languages including Italian, Spanish, French, and German.
Currently, she lives in New Delhi with a cat of many names.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 13, 2024
So damn sad and beautiful 🖤
Reminds me of Call Me By Your Name and The Bell Jar. Her writing is mesmerizing. It's so nostalgic, picturesque, appealing and calming.
I find the writing poignant, heavily light and dreamily realistic. I just love how the characters developed. I really love the chemistry between them and I love how quirky, realistic and charming they are inspite of their flaws and imperfections.
The characters are unpredictable as tomorrows.
The timeline keeps fleeting and changed according to the memories brought up and it keeps up with the narration well.
This isn't a book for everyone. It's rather slow at times which you would want to fast-forward and at times too engrossing that you would want to read some pages repeatedly because they hold precious moments that you wouldn't want to escape your memories.
There's a suspense throughout the narration, especially regarding two characters: one dead and the other missing. I won't guarantee you would like all these characters but they seem real and humane.
The plot deals with relationships, coming of age, sexuality and homophobia; death and grief.
Actually the whole book didn't need a wholesome plot because it felt like it was happening as I was reading it. And yes, it gave me the feeling of unpredictability like days after the day. It felt like I was living with the characters side by side while I am living my everyday life. I fell in love with their normal nothingness in quest of something precious, living life as it is.
No words can describe how I felt regarding the writing, the story, the characters and the ending put together.
Her books are so damn unique.
I feel if you like books by Haruki Murakami and Sally Rooney like I do, you will like this one.
Reminds me of Call Me By Your Name and The Bell Jar. Her writing is mesmerizing. It's so nostalgic, picturesque, appealing and calming.
I find the writing poignant, heavily light and dreamily realistic. I just love how the characters developed. I really love the chemistry between them and I love how quirky, realistic and charming they are inspite of their flaws and imperfections.
The characters are unpredictable as tomorrows.
The timeline keeps fleeting and changed according to the memories brought up and it keeps up with the narration well.
This isn't a book for everyone. It's rather slow at times which you would want to fast-forward and at times too engrossing that you would want to read some pages repeatedly because they hold precious moments that you wouldn't want to escape your memories.
There's a suspense throughout the narration, especially regarding two characters: one dead and the other missing. I won't guarantee you would like all these characters but they seem real and humane.
The plot deals with relationships, coming of age, sexuality and homophobia; death and grief.
Actually the whole book didn't need a wholesome plot because it felt like it was happening as I was reading it. And yes, it gave me the feeling of unpredictability like days after the day. It felt like I was living with the characters side by side while I am living my everyday life. I fell in love with their normal nothingness in quest of something precious, living life as it is.
No words can describe how I felt regarding the writing, the story, the characters and the ending put together.
Her books are so damn unique.
I feel if you like books by Haruki Murakami and Sally Rooney like I do, you will like this one.
October 18, 2016
A slow, gorgeous, incredibly moody novel, and the effect was that of sitting by a window looking out at pouring rain, and having a favourite, forgotten tune waft out to you from somewhere. It reminds you of things you thought you had lost, feelings buried and let go of. It meanders like a mountain stream, the story: it goes back and forth in time, memory, and through sheer weight of emotion. There are passages here that are worth coming back to over and over again.
I know very well the Delhi Pariat tells me about; I don’t know her London. But I felt it, I understood. I understood Nem, I understood Shantanu, I mourned for Lenny, I felt sad for Myra. I will carry them around with me, because at certain times in my life, I was each of them.
I’m not writing more because some of my friends have written immensely felt, beautiful reviews of this book, and I think they have said what I wanted to say. Janice Pariat is from now on going to be read with reverence. She gets it, you know? She really does.
I know very well the Delhi Pariat tells me about; I don’t know her London. But I felt it, I understood. I understood Nem, I understood Shantanu, I mourned for Lenny, I felt sad for Myra. I will carry them around with me, because at certain times in my life, I was each of them.
I’m not writing more because some of my friends have written immensely felt, beautiful reviews of this book, and I think they have said what I wanted to say. Janice Pariat is from now on going to be read with reverence. She gets it, you know? She really does.
February 18, 2015
Picture this: You have fallen in love. I mean deeply and madly. Your feelings are reciprocated and it is spring all the time of your life. Like in a fairy tale life is indeed beautiful. But one day suddenly your lover walks out of your life without a trace. No apologies, no break-up letter, not even a harsh word. Your lover has vanished into thin air leaving you helpless, scarred, shattered, clueless and baffled.
This is somewhat the state we find Nehemiah in when the novel opens. Jilted by his lover – an art historian, Nicholas. Yes, it is about homosexual relationship and Pariat has dealt it with such candidness that made me wonder whether the characters are lifted from her own life, even as the novel is said to be inspired by the Greek mythology of Poseidon and his male devotee Pelops.
The novel shuttles between past and present, and between Delhi, Shillong and London. The narrative, however, is smooth and does not get jolted as it switches between time and geographies.
The description of Delhi and the events surrounding it are done beautifully. Even the city’s mind boggling heat comes across as something very sublime that you want to embrace it. Like in Kamala Das’s poem “Hot noon in Malabar”.
You will never look at North Delhi the way you may have it in your mind after reading the book. Or perhaps you will begin to love it more.
Besides, if you have stayed in North Campus as a student or even otherwise you will be able to relate to some of the situations the writer has drawn. Like the hostel atmosphere and house parties with cheap drinks and smoke.
Pariat brings alive the atmosphere of London equally well or at least the places where artists and writers hangout and also the gloom that the city’s famous winter brings.
The description of the places and emotions of people written in lyrical and poetic prose is supported by an engaging plot. Secrets are revealed and surprising twists hook our attention that is likely to propel the readers to wrap up the book in three or four sittings.
Call it surreal, but many a times I felt like that I was being sat by Pariat under the shade of a massive tree and told the story. And it does not matter whether Nehemiah will find his lover at the end, you will want the book to never end or so I felt.
I became a fan of Pariat after reading her collection of short stories “Boats on Land”, which is her first book and “Seahorse” is her first novel. With “Seahorse” I have become her disciple now and will be waxing eloquence about her art with all the book lovers there.
What Pariat says about seahorse in the book:
“Seahorses are strange creatures. Upright, they glide, rather than swim, moving with the current.
In lieu of scales, their skin stretches thinly over strong bony plates, intricately patterned in stripes, spots, swirls and speckles. Translucent yellow, electric green, liverish red, orange in love. They mate for long, if not for life.
Somewhere in China, they’re dried, and powered, dipped into soup, and whisky, believed to bestow everlasting virility and youth. They belong to that rarest of fish families marked by male pregnancy. And, most marvellous of all, they dance. A ritualistic courtship at dawn. They entwine their tails and float in unison, spinning gracefully through the water. They change colour. They dip, and rise, coordinated ballet partners in a routine long and exhaustive.”
This is somewhat the state we find Nehemiah in when the novel opens. Jilted by his lover – an art historian, Nicholas. Yes, it is about homosexual relationship and Pariat has dealt it with such candidness that made me wonder whether the characters are lifted from her own life, even as the novel is said to be inspired by the Greek mythology of Poseidon and his male devotee Pelops.
The novel shuttles between past and present, and between Delhi, Shillong and London. The narrative, however, is smooth and does not get jolted as it switches between time and geographies.
The description of Delhi and the events surrounding it are done beautifully. Even the city’s mind boggling heat comes across as something very sublime that you want to embrace it. Like in Kamala Das’s poem “Hot noon in Malabar”.
You will never look at North Delhi the way you may have it in your mind after reading the book. Or perhaps you will begin to love it more.
Besides, if you have stayed in North Campus as a student or even otherwise you will be able to relate to some of the situations the writer has drawn. Like the hostel atmosphere and house parties with cheap drinks and smoke.
Pariat brings alive the atmosphere of London equally well or at least the places where artists and writers hangout and also the gloom that the city’s famous winter brings.
The description of the places and emotions of people written in lyrical and poetic prose is supported by an engaging plot. Secrets are revealed and surprising twists hook our attention that is likely to propel the readers to wrap up the book in three or four sittings.
Call it surreal, but many a times I felt like that I was being sat by Pariat under the shade of a massive tree and told the story. And it does not matter whether Nehemiah will find his lover at the end, you will want the book to never end or so I felt.
I became a fan of Pariat after reading her collection of short stories “Boats on Land”, which is her first book and “Seahorse” is her first novel. With “Seahorse” I have become her disciple now and will be waxing eloquence about her art with all the book lovers there.
What Pariat says about seahorse in the book:
“Seahorses are strange creatures. Upright, they glide, rather than swim, moving with the current.
In lieu of scales, their skin stretches thinly over strong bony plates, intricately patterned in stripes, spots, swirls and speckles. Translucent yellow, electric green, liverish red, orange in love. They mate for long, if not for life.
Somewhere in China, they’re dried, and powered, dipped into soup, and whisky, believed to bestow everlasting virility and youth. They belong to that rarest of fish families marked by male pregnancy. And, most marvellous of all, they dance. A ritualistic courtship at dawn. They entwine their tails and float in unison, spinning gracefully through the water. They change colour. They dip, and rise, coordinated ballet partners in a routine long and exhaustive.”
March 4, 2018
Half the fascination of Seahorse lies in Janice Pariat’s retelling of the love story of Poseidon and his apprentice Pelops. The skilful way in which Pariat weaves in references to the original myth: the sea horses, Nicholas’s love for water and swimming and his aquarium, Nicholas’s references to winged horses. Nem going overseas. The scar on Nem’s shoulder. The woman whose father chases down her suitors and kills them… Yes, Poseidon may be disguised here as art historian Nicholas, Pelops may appear as Nehemiah ‘Nem’, the boy from a small town in the North-East who comes to Delhi University to study and falls in love with Nicholas, but they’re recognizable enough.
If, that is, you know the legends surrounding Poseidon and Pelops. Which I didn’t, when I began reading this book. I knew who Poseidon was, but that was it.
As a result, my initial reaction to Seahorse was of curiosity: what was this all about? As the story began to move forward—slowly, far too slowly for my liking—I began to get impatient. By the time I was midway through, I was beginning to check every now and then how many pages I had left to read.
While I appreciate good language, unless the story is gripping, fine prose begins to pall. This was what happened after a while with Seahorse: the lyricism and the poetry of Pariat’s prose are all very well, but I just couldn’t identify with any of the characters. Their motivations didn’t ring true for me (and how come just about everybody seemed to be bisexual?) and I ended up a bit bored. The fact that I knew nothing of the Poseidon-Pelops story meant, too, that the cleverness with which it had been recreated did nothing for me. (The fact that I was not even tempted to look up the story is perhaps telling in itself).
I guess Seahorse was just not my type of book. The story didn’t appeal to me. But the language is beautiful (“Brevity should not be scorned, for it bears no indication of the absence of depth. Else, dismiss the sunrise, the arietta, the haiku”) and the imagery at times brilliant (Pariat’s word pictures of just about everything—from rural England to the Delhi Ridge—are superb). That is what makes me give this book a three-star rating: I did admire it at times.
If, that is, you know the legends surrounding Poseidon and Pelops. Which I didn’t, when I began reading this book. I knew who Poseidon was, but that was it.
As a result, my initial reaction to Seahorse was of curiosity: what was this all about? As the story began to move forward—slowly, far too slowly for my liking—I began to get impatient. By the time I was midway through, I was beginning to check every now and then how many pages I had left to read.
While I appreciate good language, unless the story is gripping, fine prose begins to pall. This was what happened after a while with Seahorse: the lyricism and the poetry of Pariat’s prose are all very well, but I just couldn’t identify with any of the characters. Their motivations didn’t ring true for me (and how come just about everybody seemed to be bisexual?) and I ended up a bit bored. The fact that I knew nothing of the Poseidon-Pelops story meant, too, that the cleverness with which it had been recreated did nothing for me. (The fact that I was not even tempted to look up the story is perhaps telling in itself).
I guess Seahorse was just not my type of book. The story didn’t appeal to me. But the language is beautiful (“Brevity should not be scorned, for it bears no indication of the absence of depth. Else, dismiss the sunrise, the arietta, the haiku”) and the imagery at times brilliant (Pariat’s word pictures of just about everything—from rural England to the Delhi Ridge—are superb). That is what makes me give this book a three-star rating: I did admire it at times.
August 28, 2016
So this book is a retelling of the Poseidon myth, which is really interesting.... don't think I've heard of that being done before. It's about a young man who is emotionally crushed by the death of his first love and falls in love with another man who helps put him back together, but then that man suddenly leaves him. years later he meets that man's half sister and becomes involved in her life in ways he hadn't anticipated. There's some things here I thought could have been tied together better--but the sentence writing is really lovely and poetic. A good indie press pick!
April 14, 2016
Another disappointing ending! I can't talk about the book without ruining the ending so I'll just say.... you might as well read the first five pages and then the last five pages, and you'll get the whole story. Most frustrating ending I've read in a long time. Beautiful imagery, though.
August 28, 2018
2.5 stars.
The writing was a bit too flowery for me to actually sift through to the substance, and the ending fell really flat for me. I enjoyed reading about Nem as a character, but didn't really feel that much for him, no matter how much the prose wanted me to.
The writing was a bit too flowery for me to actually sift through to the substance, and the ending fell really flat for me. I enjoyed reading about Nem as a character, but didn't really feel that much for him, no matter how much the prose wanted me to.
June 16, 2017
3.75/5stars
is it strange that I want to compare this to "Exit West"? Maybe it's because I read the two books very close together, but this book really does remind me of it - but, much better done.
I'm not gonna lie, this book is confusing. It's one of those books that if you don't really every single word you're gonna miss something. and while some people say skim reading is bad, I'm an expert skim reader - or, really, I'm not sure if what I do is skim reading? I just kind of read chunks of words all at the same time, rather than just one after another. Does that make sense? Well, either way, this book I couldn't read normally, I had to actually pay attention to each and every word or I was flipping back pages to figure out what the heck was happening.
But, I really enjoyed this book! Similar to "Exit West" this story is about two relatively young people coming together to help each other through mutually difficult times because they understand each other more than others do.
The writing is pretty. To others, people would probably find it beautiful, but to me - I HATE flowery writing. The author sugar coats things with so many layers I sometimes had to read several pages just to figure out what the hell they were talking about cause the author and the characters would never just come straight up and SAY it (ie; what happened to Nem's friend Lenny.) Also this book takes place around 2010ish? and they can't just say "gay" or "bisexual" like come on.
But, I did end up enjoying this! The middle part was very slow and honestly was the longest but could have been put into just a handful of pages, but the first and last parts were GREAT. I really REALLY enjoyed them (once I figured out what the hell was going on lol). The characters are great and very very real and fleshed out with real worries and real stories to them.
Overall, I enjoyed this. was it perfect? no. But I did enjoy my time reading it and would suggest it to people who like slower, basically plotless books that explore characters and grief rather than have a bunch of really exciting things happening.
is it strange that I want to compare this to "Exit West"? Maybe it's because I read the two books very close together, but this book really does remind me of it - but, much better done.
I'm not gonna lie, this book is confusing. It's one of those books that if you don't really every single word you're gonna miss something. and while some people say skim reading is bad, I'm an expert skim reader - or, really, I'm not sure if what I do is skim reading? I just kind of read chunks of words all at the same time, rather than just one after another. Does that make sense? Well, either way, this book I couldn't read normally, I had to actually pay attention to each and every word or I was flipping back pages to figure out what the heck was happening.
But, I really enjoyed this book! Similar to "Exit West" this story is about two relatively young people coming together to help each other through mutually difficult times because they understand each other more than others do.
The writing is pretty. To others, people would probably find it beautiful, but to me - I HATE flowery writing. The author sugar coats things with so many layers I sometimes had to read several pages just to figure out what the hell they were talking about cause the author and the characters would never just come straight up and SAY it (ie; what happened to Nem's friend Lenny.) Also this book takes place around 2010ish? and they can't just say "gay" or "bisexual" like come on.
But, I did end up enjoying this! The middle part was very slow and honestly was the longest but could have been put into just a handful of pages, but the first and last parts were GREAT. I really REALLY enjoyed them (once I figured out what the hell was going on lol). The characters are great and very very real and fleshed out with real worries and real stories to them.
Overall, I enjoyed this. was it perfect? no. But I did enjoy my time reading it and would suggest it to people who like slower, basically plotless books that explore characters and grief rather than have a bunch of really exciting things happening.
June 11, 2021
Reading Pariat with someone, I consider to be an act of intimacy.
Beautiful, beautiful book. So many thoughts about it. Wrote a bit too, spoke a lot about it.
The hook that's missing in this, I absolutely love it. But, only Ms Pariat and she alone is allowed to do this to me.
The visual treat that this book is, ahhhh. Ofcourse it's appealing to all senses, which is absolutely lovely, but oh god the symbolism that's drawn from stuff lying around is breathtaking.
READ IT. READ THIS. READ ALL OF PARIAT's BOOKS!
Beautiful, beautiful book. So many thoughts about it. Wrote a bit too, spoke a lot about it.
The hook that's missing in this, I absolutely love it. But, only Ms Pariat and she alone is allowed to do this to me.
The visual treat that this book is, ahhhh. Ofcourse it's appealing to all senses, which is absolutely lovely, but oh god the symbolism that's drawn from stuff lying around is breathtaking.
READ IT. READ THIS. READ ALL OF PARIAT's BOOKS!
January 17, 2023
Janice Pariat's writing has the depth of an ocean and feels like a dead sea where the reader can float endlessly.
The book has a magnetic force which will keep pulling you back till the last page. Yet you will wish for more.
The book has a magnetic force which will keep pulling you back till the last page. Yet you will wish for more.
October 15, 2018
I first came across Janice Pariat at the Hindu LitFest this year. She discussed something that eludes me now, with Sebastian Barry. I don't remember the substance but I do remember being impressed. Besides Seahorse was a queer novel by an Indian writer, of course I had to read it!
The best thing about this book is without doubt the prose. There is something lyrical in the way Pariat writes. There are lot of metaphors and imagery and the whole novel reads like a poem. Arundhathi Roy has a similar poetic effect with God Of Small Things. But whereas her work is somehow grounded and earthy, Pariat's is ethereal and sort of just floats about. You can trace the arcs of her imagination yourself and get lost in this existential beautification that her novel brings to life. It might not be reasonable to compare this work to Roy's but since we are here what I can say is that this work lacks the strong sense of substance that was there in Roy's. There are a lot of undercurrents in God of Small Things. Here these are just tiny buffeting waves - there are no great thematic explorations. There is homophobia and its lesser known cousin internalised homophobia. There is the romanticisation of the absent, some touches about what a death of a friend could mean, art, music and what not. But there is just a feathery touch through everything. Like a good poem perhaps, there is a lot left to the imagination and I am sure every person would view this novel a different way.
What was perhaps most disappointing for me though was that this novel became very Westernised after sometime. All references, be it of art, music or mythology was European. Now this is all the fault of my expectations and has nothing to do with the book as such. Janice Pariat never promised an "Indian" novel and I cannot deny that this might be very relatable for someone from Delhi perhaps. All I have left with is my own disenchantment and hence the 3 stars. Until next time Janice Pariat!
The best thing about this book is without doubt the prose. There is something lyrical in the way Pariat writes. There are lot of metaphors and imagery and the whole novel reads like a poem. Arundhathi Roy has a similar poetic effect with God Of Small Things. But whereas her work is somehow grounded and earthy, Pariat's is ethereal and sort of just floats about. You can trace the arcs of her imagination yourself and get lost in this existential beautification that her novel brings to life. It might not be reasonable to compare this work to Roy's but since we are here what I can say is that this work lacks the strong sense of substance that was there in Roy's. There are a lot of undercurrents in God of Small Things. Here these are just tiny buffeting waves - there are no great thematic explorations. There is homophobia and its lesser known cousin internalised homophobia. There is the romanticisation of the absent, some touches about what a death of a friend could mean, art, music and what not. But there is just a feathery touch through everything. Like a good poem perhaps, there is a lot left to the imagination and I am sure every person would view this novel a different way.
What was perhaps most disappointing for me though was that this novel became very Westernised after sometime. All references, be it of art, music or mythology was European. Now this is all the fault of my expectations and has nothing to do with the book as such. Janice Pariat never promised an "Indian" novel and I cannot deny that this might be very relatable for someone from Delhi perhaps. All I have left with is my own disenchantment and hence the 3 stars. Until next time Janice Pariat!
January 4, 2016
Janice paints her words with a crushing melancholy that is overwhelming in parts but you consistently need to draw yourself in, steady yourself up, and go on, like Nem does. This book is about sexuality at its most elegant, and unadulterated form woven around the cocoon of memory. Silken prose, with sparkles of poetic gold.
We relate to a book because we like to associate. Like a great man once said( actually it is Stephen King)," Descriptions begin in the writer's imagination but should finish in the reader's." Seahorse is too exhaustive in its descriptions of places and people, and it gets difficult to associate the relevance. We all have our own many Nicholases. Different place. Different time. Deadly memories. And I for one would have liked to slap a few faces onto this Nicholas, but had to constantly pull that plug off in order to accommodate the author's Nicholas. Janice gives us a feast but the meal would have been as good.
Interesting book. Graceful writing. But if asked to pick my favourite between this and her Boats on Land, the latter wins hands down.
We relate to a book because we like to associate. Like a great man once said( actually it is Stephen King)," Descriptions begin in the writer's imagination but should finish in the reader's." Seahorse is too exhaustive in its descriptions of places and people, and it gets difficult to associate the relevance. We all have our own many Nicholases. Different place. Different time. Deadly memories. And I for one would have liked to slap a few faces onto this Nicholas, but had to constantly pull that plug off in order to accommodate the author's Nicholas. Janice gives us a feast but the meal would have been as good.
Interesting book. Graceful writing. But if asked to pick my favourite between this and her Boats on Land, the latter wins hands down.
November 14, 2016
The book in a word is agony; sheer agony that will make you weep over lost love, endless anticipation, lies, betrayal, cruel fate and more. It took me too long to finish the book for it had too much of an impact on me. I cried on matters that I thought I am done and dusted with.
Apart from the not-so-usual romance plot, few things impressed me a lot. Janice’s poem like prose, profound detailing and imaginary, and the way time periods swung back and forth. I ardently felt that the long and intricate descriptions carried the whole emotion of the book. Each character had a sorrowful story that was difficult to listen to. It did leave me wonder about the weirdness of love, life, people and circumstances. Towards the end, I was almost numb to the inexplicable oddity of human emotions.
The book made me a great fan of this amazingly talented author. I am sure I'll be reading more of Janice's works soon. The book isn’t an easy read, but definitely is worth. Highly recommended.
PS: Thank you my friend for recommending this book. It helped in many ways.
Apart from the not-so-usual romance plot, few things impressed me a lot. Janice’s poem like prose, profound detailing and imaginary, and the way time periods swung back and forth. I ardently felt that the long and intricate descriptions carried the whole emotion of the book. Each character had a sorrowful story that was difficult to listen to. It did leave me wonder about the weirdness of love, life, people and circumstances. Towards the end, I was almost numb to the inexplicable oddity of human emotions.
The book made me a great fan of this amazingly talented author. I am sure I'll be reading more of Janice's works soon. The book isn’t an easy read, but definitely is worth. Highly recommended.
PS: Thank you my friend for recommending this book. It helped in many ways.
May 16, 2017
4.5 stars.
This book was brilliant. It whispered to me the whole time, sometimes in conspiracy, sometimes shyly. But it engulfed me whole.
We need more books like this in the indian Market. Such a beautifully written book, it wrings my heart that Nem went through all that he did.
Simple brilliant.
This book was brilliant. It whispered to me the whole time, sometimes in conspiracy, sometimes shyly. But it engulfed me whole.
We need more books like this in the indian Market. Such a beautifully written book, it wrings my heart that Nem went through all that he did.
Simple brilliant.
January 19, 2020
This book is so incredibly special for me. With poetic writing and character development on par with books like Song of Achilles and Call Me by Your Name, I don't think I'll read a better book this year. Tender, moving and full of desire, Seahorse is more of a contemporary fable embedded in Greek classic mythology.
June 3, 2021
Filled with breathtakingly surreal prose, the narrative of Seahorse and the story of Nem can be comprehended by anyone who has loved and lost- and the road to rediscovery can be an immensely painful one but it is all worthwhile! Gold!
August 28, 2024
For someone who can't keep up with slow paced books, this was a delight to read!
June 7, 2018
Absolute waste of precious reading time.
January 2, 2016
In Seahorse, Janice Pariat weaves a hauntingly captivating tale of a wandering soul looking to fill the void left by unsatisfactory familial relations, newfound self perceptions and a lackluster lifestyle. Nehemiah is an English Major student of Delhi University whose grief upon the loss of a loved one is swept aside through his interactions with a professor from his college. Nicholas becomes more than just a confidante to Nem and so his sudden disappearance leaves Nem devastated. Years later, an anonymous message sends Nem on a frantic chase to look for Nicholas and seek answers to questions that have been brewing in his mind all along.
I picked this up for a book club and the synopsis was so intriguing I had no doubts about starting it as soon as I got it. This book is unique in the way it is formatted as well as the writing style. It has no chapters but is sectioned into three parts. The way the novel is phrased doesn’t give you a distinct beginning, middle and end. There are tons of flashbacks used; some so abruptly placed, it took me a while to realize that it was a scene from Nem’s past. Pariat’s writing style is fluid and mesmerizing. Lines and paragraphs felt like waves lapping over my mind, receding and leaving their essence behind. Nem’s story is a tad bit draggy and simplistic. It is not fast paced or thrilling and so I had to make an effort to keep reading. But every time I thought I should take a break, some metaphoric line or philosophical quote would pull me back in. The main USP of this book would probably be that it is a retelling of Poseidon and Pelops’ myth. However, I didn’t know the backstory so I had nothing to compare this retold version with. Themes of homosexuality, estrangement, death, betrayal are explored in this novel. While I didn’t feel compelled to read the book, there was so much intensity and content in it that I wanted to finish it. Many a times I sympathized with Nem for he appeared to be so lonely and needy. His family too seemed rigid and not very loving. I didn’t love the book, neither did I hate it. Nem’s story is far removed from such matters of fluctuating choices we readers make. There was something increasingly motionless about the story – like a still lake. If you are philosophical or like retellings, you should give Seahorse a try.
I picked this up for a book club and the synopsis was so intriguing I had no doubts about starting it as soon as I got it. This book is unique in the way it is formatted as well as the writing style. It has no chapters but is sectioned into three parts. The way the novel is phrased doesn’t give you a distinct beginning, middle and end. There are tons of flashbacks used; some so abruptly placed, it took me a while to realize that it was a scene from Nem’s past. Pariat’s writing style is fluid and mesmerizing. Lines and paragraphs felt like waves lapping over my mind, receding and leaving their essence behind. Nem’s story is a tad bit draggy and simplistic. It is not fast paced or thrilling and so I had to make an effort to keep reading. But every time I thought I should take a break, some metaphoric line or philosophical quote would pull me back in. The main USP of this book would probably be that it is a retelling of Poseidon and Pelops’ myth. However, I didn’t know the backstory so I had nothing to compare this retold version with. Themes of homosexuality, estrangement, death, betrayal are explored in this novel. While I didn’t feel compelled to read the book, there was so much intensity and content in it that I wanted to finish it. Many a times I sympathized with Nem for he appeared to be so lonely and needy. His family too seemed rigid and not very loving. I didn’t love the book, neither did I hate it. Nem’s story is far removed from such matters of fluctuating choices we readers make. There was something increasingly motionless about the story – like a still lake. If you are philosophical or like retellings, you should give Seahorse a try.
April 23, 2016
"Maybe this is why people write. Because we are constantly on the verge of unimaginable loss. And this careful arrangement of lines is a way of saying 'Let it always be there."
There's a thin line between prose and poetry, and Janice Pariat pirouettes across it like a mesmerizing tightrope dancer. So many beautiful lines that made me actually close the book for a second, just to savour them and let it sink in.
This book reminded me so much of Sense of an Ending. I can't put a finger on what exactly it was - the beautiful prose that danced around ideas more than the story, that feeling of being young and lost and shipwrecked in college, the invocations of hearty English food - roast beef sandwiches, custard and hot cocoa - like calling out to deities, the ambiguity of time and memory, - right down to the glorification of a raging douchebag, who leaves broken people in his wake. But I somehow liked this a lot better than Sense of an Ending. It kills me to say I haven't figured out the exact reasons and it's going to bug the crap out of me until I do. It could be because, even amidst all the meandering (which is a very intentional storytelling style, chosen for good reason), unlike Julian Barnes' protagonist, Nem holds on to your heart and refuses to let it go. You care about his scars.
I don't know. I think I'll have to re-read Sense of an Ending to figure it out. But I'm so glad I read this book.
As an afterthought: between this and the Gabriel Garcia Marquez monstrosity I read before it, I've officially reached my threshold for secret, forbidden romances bursting with "angst, pining and unsaid words". Nope. I need a major genre switch after this.
There's a thin line between prose and poetry, and Janice Pariat pirouettes across it like a mesmerizing tightrope dancer. So many beautiful lines that made me actually close the book for a second, just to savour them and let it sink in.
This book reminded me so much of Sense of an Ending. I can't put a finger on what exactly it was - the beautiful prose that danced around ideas more than the story, that feeling of being young and lost and shipwrecked in college, the invocations of hearty English food - roast beef sandwiches, custard and hot cocoa - like calling out to deities, the ambiguity of time and memory, - right down to the glorification of a raging douchebag, who leaves broken people in his wake. But I somehow liked this a lot better than Sense of an Ending. It kills me to say I haven't figured out the exact reasons and it's going to bug the crap out of me until I do. It could be because, even amidst all the meandering (which is a very intentional storytelling style, chosen for good reason), unlike Julian Barnes' protagonist, Nem holds on to your heart and refuses to let it go. You care about his scars.
I don't know. I think I'll have to re-read Sense of an Ending to figure it out. But I'm so glad I read this book.
As an afterthought: between this and the Gabriel Garcia Marquez monstrosity I read before it, I've officially reached my threshold for secret, forbidden romances bursting with "angst, pining and unsaid words". Nope. I need a major genre switch after this.
January 2, 2016
A small note to everyone whose reading the novel, Janice has all the soundtracks mentioned in her book on her website. I was upset about finding out about this after I finished the book and not before. I have never read anything like Seahorse better. Janice Pariat is amazing, the words flow so effortlessly from page to page. She manages to take seemingly simple stories and write them in a way that's heartrending. The book is beautiful. The story? I don't know. Perhaps, in the end, I'm just not mature enough. I want more, more to understand what happens after this. What does Nehemiah do in the end? I loved the book, but somehow I doubt I'll go and buy any more of her novels. Does that make sense?
January 19, 2016
We all are incomplete in some way or the other. Most of the incompleteness caused by the loss or emptiness of our beloved ones. The empty space can never be re-occupied but love can make us move past the void and wounded place. The presence of a person in the past brings you as much joy as sorrow, his absence does in the present. Either way, we always are incomplete, with sorrow in the past and happiness in the present. Seahorse! One hell of an emotion!
June 11, 2016
Undeniably beautiful. But not absorbing enough to make us forget its lack of interesting events. If this weren't a novel and if those uninteresting, borderline pretentious characters were vacuumed out, we'd have an amazing book of poetic metaphysical ponderings that I would've loved. Still worth a read though! It would definitely appeal to those who are into Greek mythology.
August 30, 2019
It's a lonely book and a beautiful one at that. Pariat shows brilliance in pieces which hits home and the story moves slowly and smoothly in the first three quarters. The last quarter of the book is chaotic, there are loopholes in the story and honestly the progression of story had me bothered.
November 5, 2017
tenderly beautiful, like being underwater for a long time and finally, finally reaching the surface
October 31, 2019
(Review first published in Shelf Awareness).
Janice Pariat's Seahorse begins with the day on which a man named Nicholas disappeared, leaving his younger lover, Nehemiah, a college student in New Delhi who is the narrator of this tale. Who Nicholas is, and why he is important to Nehemiah, is slowly revealed.
Nicholas was an art historian, whose entry into Nehemiah's life upended everything the student thought he knew. Their unequal affection, the way Nehemiah's awe amused and pleased his older lover, reveals Nehemiah's youthful naïveté, which Pariat describes with a skilled touch of wonder and discovery. She intensifies the distance between these two lovers by alluding to the myth of Poseidon and Pelops with water imagery and other references. The role Nicholas played in the younger man's life begins to unravel as Nehemiah deconstructs his memories of the man he'd worshipped. Nicholas had his secrets, as do other characters throughout the story, yet Nehemiah's nearly childlike innocence leaves him oblivious to the layered lives of his companions. After Nicholas vanishes unexpectedly, Nehemiah feels confusion and, even after years have passed, is unable to move beyond his brief affair, hoping Nicholas will re-enter his life.
Pariat's choice to tell this story using a retrospective narrator allows her to tease out each character's secrets. In this way, she elicits empathy for them and reveals them as wonderfully complicated and flawed people, giving the story a quiet tone of inevitable melancholy. The mystery surrounding each of them propels the narrative forward until the most intimate connections become clear. Seahorse portrays the beauty inherent in the impossibility of ever truly knowing another person.
Janice Pariat's Seahorse begins with the day on which a man named Nicholas disappeared, leaving his younger lover, Nehemiah, a college student in New Delhi who is the narrator of this tale. Who Nicholas is, and why he is important to Nehemiah, is slowly revealed.
Nicholas was an art historian, whose entry into Nehemiah's life upended everything the student thought he knew. Their unequal affection, the way Nehemiah's awe amused and pleased his older lover, reveals Nehemiah's youthful naïveté, which Pariat describes with a skilled touch of wonder and discovery. She intensifies the distance between these two lovers by alluding to the myth of Poseidon and Pelops with water imagery and other references. The role Nicholas played in the younger man's life begins to unravel as Nehemiah deconstructs his memories of the man he'd worshipped. Nicholas had his secrets, as do other characters throughout the story, yet Nehemiah's nearly childlike innocence leaves him oblivious to the layered lives of his companions. After Nicholas vanishes unexpectedly, Nehemiah feels confusion and, even after years have passed, is unable to move beyond his brief affair, hoping Nicholas will re-enter his life.
Pariat's choice to tell this story using a retrospective narrator allows her to tease out each character's secrets. In this way, she elicits empathy for them and reveals them as wonderfully complicated and flawed people, giving the story a quiet tone of inevitable melancholy. The mystery surrounding each of them propels the narrative forward until the most intimate connections become clear. Seahorse portrays the beauty inherent in the impossibility of ever truly knowing another person.
January 6, 2021
My introduction to Janice Pariat was quite accidental- a search for writing on nature leading me in a convoluted fashion to her Instagram page. As I read her words, I was utterly mesmerized by the way she imbues everything she touches with a sense of whimsy, even when writing about matters mundane. When I started reading Seahorse, I knew I would have to submerge myself in the world she has woven so carefully.
.
Seahorse is many things. A romance for some. A tale of remembrance for others. And a scintillating journey of art and music for still others. For me, it was a bit of everything. Through the relationship between Nem and Nicholas or even Nem and Lenny, it took me back into my own past, to the times in my life when I have been so wholly engrossed in and besotted by a person that I have felt myself recede into the background until I can hear only their voice in my head. Has it happened to you? Have you started to forget who you were before you met that person, so involved are you in memorizing them? Pariat knows to be gentle with such memories- with the continuous forgetting and remembering, the falling apart and re-building. There is, in her writing, such empathy that you know that the story has been her story or some version of it. It has also been mine, especially when it finds itself in the by-lanes of North Campus, the familiar haze of smoke-filled rooms and evenings stretching forever. The London she describes is the London of my dreams, a place brought to life for the reader through the intimacy of her experience.
.
There is a certain stillness and heaviness in the story-telling, the kind that makes you check outside for rain. Not a lot happens, but at the same time you find yourself changed at the end of the book. You find yourself more, better for having read it. It leaves you with a bittersweetness of the past on your tongue and a greater, deeper understanding of human emotions in your heart.
.
.
Seahorse is many things. A romance for some. A tale of remembrance for others. And a scintillating journey of art and music for still others. For me, it was a bit of everything. Through the relationship between Nem and Nicholas or even Nem and Lenny, it took me back into my own past, to the times in my life when I have been so wholly engrossed in and besotted by a person that I have felt myself recede into the background until I can hear only their voice in my head. Has it happened to you? Have you started to forget who you were before you met that person, so involved are you in memorizing them? Pariat knows to be gentle with such memories- with the continuous forgetting and remembering, the falling apart and re-building. There is, in her writing, such empathy that you know that the story has been her story or some version of it. It has also been mine, especially when it finds itself in the by-lanes of North Campus, the familiar haze of smoke-filled rooms and evenings stretching forever. The London she describes is the London of my dreams, a place brought to life for the reader through the intimacy of her experience.
.
There is a certain stillness and heaviness in the story-telling, the kind that makes you check outside for rain. Not a lot happens, but at the same time you find yourself changed at the end of the book. You find yourself more, better for having read it. It leaves you with a bittersweetness of the past on your tongue and a greater, deeper understanding of human emotions in your heart.
.
October 21, 2017
Seahorse was nothing short of a magical experience. The way its written is sheer music or poetry.
Nem is a literature student in DU. He is roaming aimlessly one day so, as he can't sit on the lawn due to scorching Delhi heat, he attends a lecture by a guest lecturer, Nicholas, on Representation of the Buddha in art. This encounter made possible by slim coincidence (or destiny if you believe in it) results into them having a passionate relationship.
But one day, Nicholas disappears without leaving behind any trail for Nem to follow.
Some years later, Nem is working for an art journal in South Delhi when he is awarded a fellowship to London. While he is in a recital program in London, he recieves a note from Nicholas which plunges him into a frantic search for the art historian.
The characters are as real as they can be. they are not white or black but lead grey.
I went with my friends to a beach when I first came to Kerala. That side of the beach is not known to many people. Only some tourists or a few people lurk around there. It was the most breathtaking place. When I was standing at the shore, the water didn't touch my feet, so I went further. The second time also the water didn't come up to me. It was as if the sea was calling me towards it. I felt the same for this book. Every page was like a wave. Breaking at the shore. Drenching my feet. The next wave breaking nearer to the sea.
Nem is a literature student in DU. He is roaming aimlessly one day so, as he can't sit on the lawn due to scorching Delhi heat, he attends a lecture by a guest lecturer, Nicholas, on Representation of the Buddha in art. This encounter made possible by slim coincidence (or destiny if you believe in it) results into them having a passionate relationship.
But one day, Nicholas disappears without leaving behind any trail for Nem to follow.
Some years later, Nem is working for an art journal in South Delhi when he is awarded a fellowship to London. While he is in a recital program in London, he recieves a note from Nicholas which plunges him into a frantic search for the art historian.
The characters are as real as they can be. they are not white or black but lead grey.
I went with my friends to a beach when I first came to Kerala. That side of the beach is not known to many people. Only some tourists or a few people lurk around there. It was the most breathtaking place. When I was standing at the shore, the water didn't touch my feet, so I went further. The second time also the water didn't come up to me. It was as if the sea was calling me towards it. I felt the same for this book. Every page was like a wave. Breaking at the shore. Drenching my feet. The next wave breaking nearer to the sea.
December 19, 2017
#glbt #love #greekmyth
Whoever hasn't, read it!
I completed this book a few months ago and today I'm doing the review.
Well, if you ever think of reading this book, make sure you have straight three hours free and read it in one sit. It's beautiful, poetic and the author has played with words so efficiently...it just makes you happy.
The story is actually a retelling of Poseidon and Pelope love story. And not once did it feel like I already know the story.
What I didn't like was the sluggishness of the plot. Well, that could be a beauty of the book too, if seen in different light.
The best part was how the author has ended the book. There's no decision made my Nem there. If you were Nem, what would be your decision, and that's the ending for you.
Just read it.
Whoever hasn't, read it!
I completed this book a few months ago and today I'm doing the review.
Well, if you ever think of reading this book, make sure you have straight three hours free and read it in one sit. It's beautiful, poetic and the author has played with words so efficiently...it just makes you happy.
The story is actually a retelling of Poseidon and Pelope love story. And not once did it feel like I already know the story.
What I didn't like was the sluggishness of the plot. Well, that could be a beauty of the book too, if seen in different light.
The best part was how the author has ended the book. There's no decision made my Nem there. If you were Nem, what would be your decision, and that's the ending for you.
Just read it.
April 6, 2021
Rating: 3.5 stars.
This was very much like a flawed masterpiece. It almost has everything that makes it one. The writing? Immersive. The aesthetics/setting? Immaculate. The drama? Hooking. It has everything that I should be gratified by.
And yet.
It never quite reaches there. It gets very close. But it never touches the victory mark. Maybe it is the severe lack of answers from that . Or the character not being given the complete arc I was looking for them to get. It left me with more (unsatisfying) questions than it did with answers. And while I can make peace without answers usually - in this particular regard, I would have preferred some.
Still a worthwhile read though. If anything, the drama hooks you.
This was very much like a flawed masterpiece. It almost has everything that makes it one. The writing? Immersive. The aesthetics/setting? Immaculate. The drama? Hooking. It has everything that I should be gratified by.
And yet.
It never quite reaches there. It gets very close. But it never touches the victory mark. Maybe it is the severe lack of answers from that . Or the character not being given the complete arc I was looking for them to get. It left me with more (unsatisfying) questions than it did with answers. And while I can make peace without answers usually - in this particular regard, I would have preferred some.
Still a worthwhile read though. If anything, the drama hooks you.
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