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A Bend in the Ganges
India, 1939. Gian, a Gandhian pacifist, commits a murder; Debi-dayal, an ardent revolutionary, is caught while setting fire to a British plane. Both men are sent to the Andamans penal colony. In the beehive life of the prison, they work in opposite camps-pro-British and anti-British. During World War II, when the Japanese take over the islands, all the convicts suddenly find themselves free. Gian and Debi manage to return to India only to get sucked into the violence of Partition.
An epic saga of a nation in transition, A Bend in the Ganges, now available in a stunning new edition, depicts the cataclysmic events leading up to Partition and the conflict that arises between ideologies of violence and non-violence.
An epic saga of a nation in transition, A Bend in the Ganges, now available in a stunning new edition, depicts the cataclysmic events leading up to Partition and the conflict that arises between ideologies of violence and non-violence.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
22 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Manohar Malgonkar
32 books53 followersManohar Malgonkar was an Indian author in the English language of both fiction and nonfiction.
Malgonkar was born in a royal family, and educated at Bombay University. He was an officer in the Maratha Light Infantry, a big game hunter, a civil servant, a mine owner and a farmer, and he also stood for parliament. Most of that activity was during the build up to Indian independence and its aftermath, often the settings for his works. The socio-historical milieu of those times form the backdrop of his novels, which are usually of action and adventure. He also wrote non-fiction, including biography and history.
Malgonkar lived in a remote bungalow, at some distance from the town of Belgaum, Karnataka. His only child Sunita (educated at the famous Lawrence School Sanawar) died at a young age.
Malgonkar was born in a royal family, and educated at Bombay University. He was an officer in the Maratha Light Infantry, a big game hunter, a civil servant, a mine owner and a farmer, and he also stood for parliament. Most of that activity was during the build up to Indian independence and its aftermath, often the settings for his works. The socio-historical milieu of those times form the backdrop of his novels, which are usually of action and adventure. He also wrote non-fiction, including biography and history.
Malgonkar lived in a remote bungalow, at some distance from the town of Belgaum, Karnataka. His only child Sunita (educated at the famous Lawrence School Sanawar) died at a young age.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 29, 2015
Although I usually do not read Indians authors in English, this exception turned out to be fruitful. Manohar Malgonkar's A Bend in the Ganges explores the lives of three people during the time of partition.
Written in a straightforward yet appealing manner, the author presents two sides of the British Raj. One, those who think the British are oppressors and must leave immediately, one way or the other. And one who think the British are fair and just are the only people capable of civilising India.
I had often wondered what prompted so many Indians to support the British. This books sheds a little light into it. When Gian, one of the protagonists is thankful that his court case will be presided over by a British Judge, one who cannot be bribed and is fair, we can see the troubles so many Indians faced from their own people.
Debi on the other hand is a pro Japanese and Anti British young man who resorts to violence rather than the more popular non violence protests. Both the characters interact a few times and change each other's lives for better or for worse.
Sundari, the female protagonist holds her own against the two male leads. A woman, whose imagined life is shattered and is forced to slowly change her nature entirely.
With a story that is interesting and a narration that is fluid, A Bend in the Ganges is well worth reading.
Written in a straightforward yet appealing manner, the author presents two sides of the British Raj. One, those who think the British are oppressors and must leave immediately, one way or the other. And one who think the British are fair and just are the only people capable of civilising India.
I had often wondered what prompted so many Indians to support the British. This books sheds a little light into it. When Gian, one of the protagonists is thankful that his court case will be presided over by a British Judge, one who cannot be bribed and is fair, we can see the troubles so many Indians faced from their own people.
Debi on the other hand is a pro Japanese and Anti British young man who resorts to violence rather than the more popular non violence protests. Both the characters interact a few times and change each other's lives for better or for worse.
Sundari, the female protagonist holds her own against the two male leads. A woman, whose imagined life is shattered and is forced to slowly change her nature entirely.
With a story that is interesting and a narration that is fluid, A Bend in the Ganges is well worth reading.
June 23, 2022
This is one of the most authoritative novels dealing with the background of Indian Independence and the communal riots in the Punjab.
Malgonkar has tried to present before us a dominant narrative against the milieu of the bothersome times of India. It is a mesmerizing novel in which evens move at high-speed and the reader is kept in invariable apprehension up until the last page. It is also an action packed novel built round the most earth-shattering events in the recent history of India.
The action of the novel ranges from domestic to national bloodshed.
The setting of the plot is equally genuine and possesses a sort of documentary soundness.
Malgonkar has selected the most abnormal background — the terrorist movement, the Andaman jails, the native head-hunters, the great explosion in Bombay Harbour and the communal turmoils in the Punjab.
In his prefatory note, Malgonkar says, “Only the violence in this story happens to be true; it came in the wake of freedom, to become a part of India’s history. What was achieved through non-violence, brought with it one of the bloodiest upheavals of history; twelve million people had to flee, leaving their homes; nearly haifa million were killed; over a hundered thousand women, young and old, were abducted, raped, mutilated.”
Bend in the Ganges raises the elementary issue of the meaning of violence and non-violence.
The novel initiates with the terrorist movement, and ends with the communal riots of the post-partition period.
The hero is Debi Dayal, the son of a well-known magnate of Lahore. He, Shafi Usman and others are all the members of a radical group which is fighting the British in its own way.
The novel in fact describes how slowly drop by drop, communal venom sours and embitters the lives of freedom workers and converts them into communal militants.
This group of young revolutionary students, the freedom fighters blows up railway tracks, bridges and so on.
Shafi Usman, under communal frenzy, betrays Debi Dayal. Debi is transported to the cellular jail in the Andamans, beyond the black waters.
There is another character Gian Talwar, a village boy who is Debi’s college mate. He happens to kill a person who has killed his brother in the village and so he is also transported to the Andamans.
We are shown the hard life that the prisoners have to lead in the Andarnan cellular jail. Malgonkar’s description of the horrible conditions of the prisoners in the cellular life is as vibrant as it is lifelike and down-to-earth.
A misinterpretation arises between Debi and Gian. Then the Second World War breaks and the British have to pull out from the Andarnans. …
The novel thus becomes a story of blood and tears. Like his all other novels. Bend in the Ganges deals with the Chekhovian theme of disintegration and disillusionment commanding a universal relevance.
Malgonkar has tried to present before us a dominant narrative against the milieu of the bothersome times of India. It is a mesmerizing novel in which evens move at high-speed and the reader is kept in invariable apprehension up until the last page. It is also an action packed novel built round the most earth-shattering events in the recent history of India.
The action of the novel ranges from domestic to national bloodshed.
The setting of the plot is equally genuine and possesses a sort of documentary soundness.
Malgonkar has selected the most abnormal background — the terrorist movement, the Andaman jails, the native head-hunters, the great explosion in Bombay Harbour and the communal turmoils in the Punjab.
In his prefatory note, Malgonkar says, “Only the violence in this story happens to be true; it came in the wake of freedom, to become a part of India’s history. What was achieved through non-violence, brought with it one of the bloodiest upheavals of history; twelve million people had to flee, leaving their homes; nearly haifa million were killed; over a hundered thousand women, young and old, were abducted, raped, mutilated.”
Bend in the Ganges raises the elementary issue of the meaning of violence and non-violence.
The novel initiates with the terrorist movement, and ends with the communal riots of the post-partition period.
The hero is Debi Dayal, the son of a well-known magnate of Lahore. He, Shafi Usman and others are all the members of a radical group which is fighting the British in its own way.
The novel in fact describes how slowly drop by drop, communal venom sours and embitters the lives of freedom workers and converts them into communal militants.
This group of young revolutionary students, the freedom fighters blows up railway tracks, bridges and so on.
Shafi Usman, under communal frenzy, betrays Debi Dayal. Debi is transported to the cellular jail in the Andamans, beyond the black waters.
There is another character Gian Talwar, a village boy who is Debi’s college mate. He happens to kill a person who has killed his brother in the village and so he is also transported to the Andamans.
We are shown the hard life that the prisoners have to lead in the Andarnan cellular jail. Malgonkar’s description of the horrible conditions of the prisoners in the cellular life is as vibrant as it is lifelike and down-to-earth.
A misinterpretation arises between Debi and Gian. Then the Second World War breaks and the British have to pull out from the Andarnans. …
The novel thus becomes a story of blood and tears. Like his all other novels. Bend in the Ganges deals with the Chekhovian theme of disintegration and disillusionment commanding a universal relevance.
August 19, 2011
I was a little apprehensive before I started reading it. I didn't judge by the cover, as the cover art was pretty impressive, but it didn't seem like a book that would evoke my interest during the summer holidays.
The book is a fictional account of India's fight for independance, which brings together the unconciously interlinked lives of Indian citizens. It takes a while for the story to pink up, put keeps you busy till then with the historical facts and characteristics of life during this time period.
Written from the point of view of an Indian, it accurately brings out the culture of India. The individual stories of each character in the book, captures the lifestyle of different members of society.
An engrossing story that accurately dipicts the Freedom fight and division of India; manages not to bore the reader, a feat for a historical book.
Epic ending that forces reality back, reminding you that reality isn't always a happy ending.
The book is a fictional account of India's fight for independance, which brings together the unconciously interlinked lives of Indian citizens. It takes a while for the story to pink up, put keeps you busy till then with the historical facts and characteristics of life during this time period.
Written from the point of view of an Indian, it accurately brings out the culture of India. The individual stories of each character in the book, captures the lifestyle of different members of society.
An engrossing story that accurately dipicts the Freedom fight and division of India; manages not to bore the reader, a feat for a historical book.
Epic ending that forces reality back, reminding you that reality isn't always a happy ending.
September 1, 2014
It's a novel that leaves you aghast... A painful narrative that shatters and makes you question ' was there no way the massacre could have been prevented?' The author describes various events of the Indian freedom movement and presents both the violent and non violent means adopted by the nationalists. He traces the building communal tension and the final impact of it on the lives of men and women.
Through the lives of Debi-dayal, Gian, Shafi the writer examines the different dimensions of the freedom movement. As the novel progresses we see how with the growth of communalism religious identity overpowers ones personal beliefs, emotions and sense of right and wrong. The author also creates a powerful female character in Sundari who not only asserts herself over her husband and walks out of their marriage but shows her fearlessness in the wake of the pre-independence violence.
The author leaves it to us to frame our opinions regarding the different approaches adopted by the Indian leaders to fight for independence.
The range of events covered in the novel impart an epic grandeur to it.
Through the lives of Debi-dayal, Gian, Shafi the writer examines the different dimensions of the freedom movement. As the novel progresses we see how with the growth of communalism religious identity overpowers ones personal beliefs, emotions and sense of right and wrong. The author also creates a powerful female character in Sundari who not only asserts herself over her husband and walks out of their marriage but shows her fearlessness in the wake of the pre-independence violence.
The author leaves it to us to frame our opinions regarding the different approaches adopted by the Indian leaders to fight for independence.
The range of events covered in the novel impart an epic grandeur to it.
April 11, 2025
After my last blog post on Gabo, I realised that I had not paid any homage to my favourite Indian authors that I admired longer, who I swore by and who certainly left their impress on me as a person. Two of them, Mulk Raj Anand and R.K. Narayan, pioneered Indian writing in English – the so-called Indo-Anglian writing – a hundred years back. Each in his own way started a “genre”, while the third, Khushwant Singh the Irrepressible Sardarji, was unputdownable till the end.
However, I decided that I would start with the fourth, the officer and the gentleman. Belonging to a princely family of the Maharashtra region, Manohar Malgonkar was commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry just before the World War II and saw action in Burma. The experiences of these early career days found ample reflection in his first novel, the “Distant Drum”. Incidentally this was also my first Malgonkar novel. I still remember the book – a red clothbound Indian edition with already yellowing pages, borrowed from the library of the Andhra University. It opened my eyes to the wonder that was (and still is, to a large extent) the Indian Army.
“Distant Drum” chronicles important early years in the life of the protagonist, a career officer named Kiran Garud. Malgonkar takes us with him to Burma and shows us the horrors of the Eastern Front first hand; involves us in an indiscretion that leads to the suicide of a brother officer, an Englishman; shows us the dramatic change in the attitudes of people, from politicians to the officer class themselves, with the coming of Independence; introduces the new class of “Indianised” officers then joining the Army, who, in many ways, were the very antithesis of the existing Anglicised officer class; and more than hints at the coming rot in both the country and the Army.
Over everything else, “Distant Drum” is a magnificent recounting of the izzat and elan of life in one of the greatest modern armies of the world at an important time in its history. Its most memorable and poignant scene is the meeting in no man’s land (for a drink !) between Kiran and a Pakistani officer (Salim?). Commissioned into the same regiment before Partition, they were now officially enemies.
Malgonkar displays his full faculties in ample measure in this first novel. It was indeed a riveting read for a starry eyed boy from a small mofussil town aspiring to become an engineer.
My next Malgonkar was “A Bend in the Ganges”. The name derives from a quote from the Ramayana. It was a pale green clothbound British edition, Chatto & Windus, much thicker than “Distant Drum”. The story also had a much broader scope. “Distant Drum” must have been well received in the West for Malgonkar to get a Western publisher for “A Bend”, a rare enough honour for an Indian author in those days. “A Bend” chronicles life and aspirations of youth during the freedom struggle and ends with the Independence. The idealistic protagonist is imprisoned in the Cellular Jail in Andamans for his role in a terrorist act against the British government. He escapes during the Japanese occupation of Andamans, lives under an alibi in the South for some time, and returns to his native Punjab only to witnesses the horror of the Partition. The slow breakdown of trust and age-old relations between the two communities is masterfully, unforgettably related.
My next was “Princes”. It was a red cloth-bound, probably also Chatto & Windus. “Princes” is a masterly chronicle of the lives of the feudal upper crust of the country during the pre-war years, bringing to life their mores and preoccupations. Curiously, it parallels Mulk Raj Anand’s “Private Life of an Indian Prince” – there are so many similarities! Not sure which one got written first. I don’t remember the story too well (I expressly did not re-read any of the books reviewed here, as I wanted to write this homage based on my original impressions), but the two incidents I mention below should give the reader a measure of the book.
In the first, the teenage protagonist, a prince, goes through an initiation ceremony that involves plucking out and eating the eye of a deer cooked whole at a state banquet. Even though horrified at the prospect, he manages this without incident – to the great relief of his family, for whom, a failure on his part would have resulted in a serious loss of face. In the second, the prince, now a young man, buys a hat he fancies on the Mall at Simla, but can not get himself to carry it; he is not used to doing any manual work. So he hires a coolie for carrying the hat for him!
I was fated to read my fourth (and so far, the last) Malgonkar only much later, in 1986. By then much had changed in my life. I had become a householder with a modest salary, and both the time and money for books were short. I no longer had access to the great library of my alma mater. I picked up an Indian paperback edition of “Bandicoot Run” at a railway bookstall only because it was the cheapest book on display, the author was familiar, and it promised to be a “spy thriller”. It did not disappoint. It actually starts where the earlier novels end. “Bandicoot Run” is really many things to many people, besides being a thriller of sorts; it is a sympathetic recounting of how the Englishmen who broke class taboos and stayed back in India after Independence fared; similarly of Anglo Indians as a community; of the preoccupations, the mismanagement and the squalor of 1960’s India; and lastly, the deadly cat-and-mouse game between Indian and Pakistani armies.
True to form, it also has interesting tit-bits of Army life, such as a few hilarious instances of hikmat-mali (Army term for minor misdemeanours), which might have really happened. But most importantly, it is an account of the rot in the Army, recounted through several thinly disguised incidents. Kiran Garud returns in this novel as a General. His career is sought to be destroyed by the unscrupulous General Behl who gets his just desserts at the end.
The most interesting character in “Bandicoot Run” is the protagonist himself. It is the most autobiographical of Malgonkar’s novels. The non-career officer who commands a file morgue during his last days in the army, who is a bit of a shikari with a distaste for misleading even a stranger, the Captain Saab who prides himself in retiring young and becoming a country squire quietly endears himself to the reader.
I was unaware of Malgonkar’s passing till recently, till a chance search brought up his obituary. I felt saddened. I also felt sad that his daughter, an only child, whose arrival and early schooling are so quietly celebrated in “Bandicoot Run”, should precede him.
The obituary and the Wikipedia entry have a few personal details. However, I am surprised by the long list of books, most of which I was unaware of.
Malgonkar was a great writer whose worth and contribution have never been sufficiently recognised and acknowledged. He wrote with great sincerity, passion, and mastery. Nobody else could bring to life the India of mid-20th century the way he did. Like a true gentleman, he quietly made his contribution and stepped aside. What a contrast to the self-advertising and marketing gimmicks of many of today’s writers!
One last word before I close this homage. All my favourite Indo-Anglians have lived long, well into their 90’s !
Mulk Raj Anand Born 1905 Died 2004
Khushwant Singh Born 1915 Died 2014
R. K. Narayan Born 1906 Died 2001
Manohar Malgonkar Born 1913 Died 2010
However, I decided that I would start with the fourth, the officer and the gentleman. Belonging to a princely family of the Maharashtra region, Manohar Malgonkar was commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry just before the World War II and saw action in Burma. The experiences of these early career days found ample reflection in his first novel, the “Distant Drum”. Incidentally this was also my first Malgonkar novel. I still remember the book – a red clothbound Indian edition with already yellowing pages, borrowed from the library of the Andhra University. It opened my eyes to the wonder that was (and still is, to a large extent) the Indian Army.
“Distant Drum” chronicles important early years in the life of the protagonist, a career officer named Kiran Garud. Malgonkar takes us with him to Burma and shows us the horrors of the Eastern Front first hand; involves us in an indiscretion that leads to the suicide of a brother officer, an Englishman; shows us the dramatic change in the attitudes of people, from politicians to the officer class themselves, with the coming of Independence; introduces the new class of “Indianised” officers then joining the Army, who, in many ways, were the very antithesis of the existing Anglicised officer class; and more than hints at the coming rot in both the country and the Army.
Over everything else, “Distant Drum” is a magnificent recounting of the izzat and elan of life in one of the greatest modern armies of the world at an important time in its history. Its most memorable and poignant scene is the meeting in no man’s land (for a drink !) between Kiran and a Pakistani officer (Salim?). Commissioned into the same regiment before Partition, they were now officially enemies.
Malgonkar displays his full faculties in ample measure in this first novel. It was indeed a riveting read for a starry eyed boy from a small mofussil town aspiring to become an engineer.
My next Malgonkar was “A Bend in the Ganges”. The name derives from a quote from the Ramayana. It was a pale green clothbound British edition, Chatto & Windus, much thicker than “Distant Drum”. The story also had a much broader scope. “Distant Drum” must have been well received in the West for Malgonkar to get a Western publisher for “A Bend”, a rare enough honour for an Indian author in those days. “A Bend” chronicles life and aspirations of youth during the freedom struggle and ends with the Independence. The idealistic protagonist is imprisoned in the Cellular Jail in Andamans for his role in a terrorist act against the British government. He escapes during the Japanese occupation of Andamans, lives under an alibi in the South for some time, and returns to his native Punjab only to witnesses the horror of the Partition. The slow breakdown of trust and age-old relations between the two communities is masterfully, unforgettably related.
My next was “Princes”. It was a red cloth-bound, probably also Chatto & Windus. “Princes” is a masterly chronicle of the lives of the feudal upper crust of the country during the pre-war years, bringing to life their mores and preoccupations. Curiously, it parallels Mulk Raj Anand’s “Private Life of an Indian Prince” – there are so many similarities! Not sure which one got written first. I don’t remember the story too well (I expressly did not re-read any of the books reviewed here, as I wanted to write this homage based on my original impressions), but the two incidents I mention below should give the reader a measure of the book.
In the first, the teenage protagonist, a prince, goes through an initiation ceremony that involves plucking out and eating the eye of a deer cooked whole at a state banquet. Even though horrified at the prospect, he manages this without incident – to the great relief of his family, for whom, a failure on his part would have resulted in a serious loss of face. In the second, the prince, now a young man, buys a hat he fancies on the Mall at Simla, but can not get himself to carry it; he is not used to doing any manual work. So he hires a coolie for carrying the hat for him!
I was fated to read my fourth (and so far, the last) Malgonkar only much later, in 1986. By then much had changed in my life. I had become a householder with a modest salary, and both the time and money for books were short. I no longer had access to the great library of my alma mater. I picked up an Indian paperback edition of “Bandicoot Run” at a railway bookstall only because it was the cheapest book on display, the author was familiar, and it promised to be a “spy thriller”. It did not disappoint. It actually starts where the earlier novels end. “Bandicoot Run” is really many things to many people, besides being a thriller of sorts; it is a sympathetic recounting of how the Englishmen who broke class taboos and stayed back in India after Independence fared; similarly of Anglo Indians as a community; of the preoccupations, the mismanagement and the squalor of 1960’s India; and lastly, the deadly cat-and-mouse game between Indian and Pakistani armies.
True to form, it also has interesting tit-bits of Army life, such as a few hilarious instances of hikmat-mali (Army term for minor misdemeanours), which might have really happened. But most importantly, it is an account of the rot in the Army, recounted through several thinly disguised incidents. Kiran Garud returns in this novel as a General. His career is sought to be destroyed by the unscrupulous General Behl who gets his just desserts at the end.
The most interesting character in “Bandicoot Run” is the protagonist himself. It is the most autobiographical of Malgonkar’s novels. The non-career officer who commands a file morgue during his last days in the army, who is a bit of a shikari with a distaste for misleading even a stranger, the Captain Saab who prides himself in retiring young and becoming a country squire quietly endears himself to the reader.
I was unaware of Malgonkar’s passing till recently, till a chance search brought up his obituary. I felt saddened. I also felt sad that his daughter, an only child, whose arrival and early schooling are so quietly celebrated in “Bandicoot Run”, should precede him.
The obituary and the Wikipedia entry have a few personal details. However, I am surprised by the long list of books, most of which I was unaware of.
Malgonkar was a great writer whose worth and contribution have never been sufficiently recognised and acknowledged. He wrote with great sincerity, passion, and mastery. Nobody else could bring to life the India of mid-20th century the way he did. Like a true gentleman, he quietly made his contribution and stepped aside. What a contrast to the self-advertising and marketing gimmicks of many of today’s writers!
One last word before I close this homage. All my favourite Indo-Anglians have lived long, well into their 90’s !
Mulk Raj Anand Born 1905 Died 2004
Khushwant Singh Born 1915 Died 2014
R. K. Narayan Born 1906 Died 2001
Manohar Malgonkar Born 1913 Died 2010
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2022
What a novel!
As mentioned in another review, I discovered the hard cover novel in my boarding secondary school's library of ancient novels. That library was a treasure trove of history, of some of the best books ever written.
Manohar Malgonkar "finished work" (as we say in my country)! Coming from a diverse country that is a former British colony (we had our own independence in 1960), I understand the setting of this story and the factors that led to its climax - the partitioning of India after its indeendence from Britain. The "divide and conquer" ruling/conquering strategy which the British perfected was also used in my country. While in India, there is a caste system and religious diversity - Sikhs, Budhists, Hindus and Muslims; in Africa we have religious (Christian, Islam and Traditional worship) and tribal diversity - in a region you would find more than 20 tribes who (very importantly) regarded each other as independent and separate even if they spoke similar languages. After using force to unite such regions, these tribal/religious differences and cracks were used to maintain control by playing one over the other or prodding those tribal cracks if there were thoughts of a united front that would overthrow the administration of the British empire. Same applied in India after the establishment of the British Raj - caste (tribe) + religion. Same template.
In Africa, especially my country, those cracks are STILL causing conflicts and threatening the peace and properity of the region and the unity of the continent. In my country, before and after a 3 year bloody tribe motivated civil war, there is an agitation for a division of the country similar to India's partitioning and the agitation is very much active in 2022 especially as the leader of the group is undergoing a trial for treasonable offences. But I digress.
This novel introduced me to a lot of details about India that I have not forgotten, including Indian sculpture like Kumarappa, Uma Maheshwari, Nityananda, Khajuraho and Ajanta as well as Deities like Lakshmi, Shiva, Vishnu (Narasimha), Saraswati to mention a few. I also enjyed the description of India's food diversity and it took me almost a decade to experience it in reality and through the internet. Also words like "verandah" which are common where I come from but took on a different meaning when used on buildings in India. Where I come from, we interchange "balcony" and "verandah", "lift" and "elevator" but in this setting, verandah felt authentic. Like this was the source of that word. I also enjoyed the description of the fauna and flora, especially the flora. India is blessed with a variety of vegetation that in my mind's eye created this place of raw, scented, spicy and passionate beauty. Trees like jacaranda, sisal, hyacinth, eucalyptus, casuarina, gulmohar (delonix regia) lining streets, in the wild or shading residences added to my love of green spaces amd my dream of having a home surrounded my trees. A glimpse into the luxurious natural beauty of India.
The plot began with the caste system and how a marriage outside it split a prominent family into two and eventually led to a major land dispute that raged on for years culminating in multiple deaths. It was also about how colonial rule affected two people from opposite sides of the social ladder and their different approaches towards achieveing an independent country. This of course came at a huge price anticipated by some and/or ignored by others. It talked about the difference between British administration, Japanese and the local administration. Again, I can identify with this because pro-independence authors from my country wrote about similar struggles and the corruption of the indigenous people preparing to take over from the British. It ridiculed Indian servility born from a century of being made to serve the British while favored few were given privileged positions - religion, tribe, caste of course taken into consideration and exploited to control the indigenes. My country's 1st republic's elections were marred by accounts of rigging and a rush for the privileged by birth or education to take over the shoes of the departing colonial administrators. The result for decades has been corruption, a war, bad governance, poverty and a brutal police force. The legacy of colonization by divide and conquer.
Manohar did not shy away from the violence which he stated in the Forward was the only real aspect of this work of fiction. It was a tale of struggle, revolution, change, and a fight for survival. I highly recommend it.
As mentioned in another review, I discovered the hard cover novel in my boarding secondary school's library of ancient novels. That library was a treasure trove of history, of some of the best books ever written.
Manohar Malgonkar "finished work" (as we say in my country)! Coming from a diverse country that is a former British colony (we had our own independence in 1960), I understand the setting of this story and the factors that led to its climax - the partitioning of India after its indeendence from Britain. The "divide and conquer" ruling/conquering strategy which the British perfected was also used in my country. While in India, there is a caste system and religious diversity - Sikhs, Budhists, Hindus and Muslims; in Africa we have religious (Christian, Islam and Traditional worship) and tribal diversity - in a region you would find more than 20 tribes who (very importantly) regarded each other as independent and separate even if they spoke similar languages. After using force to unite such regions, these tribal/religious differences and cracks were used to maintain control by playing one over the other or prodding those tribal cracks if there were thoughts of a united front that would overthrow the administration of the British empire. Same applied in India after the establishment of the British Raj - caste (tribe) + religion. Same template.
In Africa, especially my country, those cracks are STILL causing conflicts and threatening the peace and properity of the region and the unity of the continent. In my country, before and after a 3 year bloody tribe motivated civil war, there is an agitation for a division of the country similar to India's partitioning and the agitation is very much active in 2022 especially as the leader of the group is undergoing a trial for treasonable offences. But I digress.
This novel introduced me to a lot of details about India that I have not forgotten, including Indian sculpture like Kumarappa, Uma Maheshwari, Nityananda, Khajuraho and Ajanta as well as Deities like Lakshmi, Shiva, Vishnu (Narasimha), Saraswati to mention a few. I also enjyed the description of India's food diversity and it took me almost a decade to experience it in reality and through the internet. Also words like "verandah" which are common where I come from but took on a different meaning when used on buildings in India. Where I come from, we interchange "balcony" and "verandah", "lift" and "elevator" but in this setting, verandah felt authentic. Like this was the source of that word. I also enjoyed the description of the fauna and flora, especially the flora. India is blessed with a variety of vegetation that in my mind's eye created this place of raw, scented, spicy and passionate beauty. Trees like jacaranda, sisal, hyacinth, eucalyptus, casuarina, gulmohar (delonix regia) lining streets, in the wild or shading residences added to my love of green spaces amd my dream of having a home surrounded my trees. A glimpse into the luxurious natural beauty of India.
The plot began with the caste system and how a marriage outside it split a prominent family into two and eventually led to a major land dispute that raged on for years culminating in multiple deaths. It was also about how colonial rule affected two people from opposite sides of the social ladder and their different approaches towards achieveing an independent country. This of course came at a huge price anticipated by some and/or ignored by others. It talked about the difference between British administration, Japanese and the local administration. Again, I can identify with this because pro-independence authors from my country wrote about similar struggles and the corruption of the indigenous people preparing to take over from the British. It ridiculed Indian servility born from a century of being made to serve the British while favored few were given privileged positions - religion, tribe, caste of course taken into consideration and exploited to control the indigenes. My country's 1st republic's elections were marred by accounts of rigging and a rush for the privileged by birth or education to take over the shoes of the departing colonial administrators. The result for decades has been corruption, a war, bad governance, poverty and a brutal police force. The legacy of colonization by divide and conquer.
Manohar did not shy away from the violence which he stated in the Forward was the only real aspect of this work of fiction. It was a tale of struggle, revolution, change, and a fight for survival. I highly recommend it.
July 13, 2024
“At a bend in the Ganges, they paused to look at the land they were leaving” the famous epigraph from the Ramayana gives Manohar Malgonkar’s stellar masterpiece its title and identity, making it an unparalleled Partition saga.
This was my second read by the author which was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, one that keeps you on the edge with a curious anticipation of what’s to happen next.
Gian Talwar and Debi-dayal, students from the same class are convicted for two grave crimes. Gian with murder and Debi-dayal for conducting terrorist activities (violent attempts to disrupt the British administration). Both boys have strong views about participating in the freedom movement to liberate India from the clutches from the British rule.
Gian is a pacifist who believes in non-violence, Debi-dayal believes in disturbing the administration through revolutionary means. They are the part of the last batch of convicts sent to the Andamans Cellular Jail before the Japanese takeover the islands from the British. Set in 1939, this book is immensely comprehensive as it captures the multiple ideologies and strategies that worked towards emancipation. The non-violence movement in its various forms be it the civil disobedience or the swadeshi movement, revolutionary stints by those who believed in action to rupture the system, caste-politics, communal violence or the class of people that enjoyed the privileges of the colonizers are highlighted in detail. Time and again one witnesses the hypocrisy of the British rule under the garb of being a “just system” . A stark reality of racial discrimination is omnipresent throughout the story be it the jibes by the British officers, their preferences, a greed that felt like a natural right based on the colour of one’s skin and simply vacating the land occupied to save one’s own skin at the cost of those already suffering are expressed in a sound and realistic context.
What’s real in this plot of fiction is the description of the horrors of the British rule, the violence after the sudden departure of the British and the uncertain boundary of the partition. Communal violence, gruesome assaults on women and children, loot and killings are the consequences of the chaos during the divide. These horrors often raise the serious doubts about the impact of non-violence as a strategy to liberate the country, proving that violence existed amidst non-violence, waiting for the opportune moment to attack those despised. One faces the dilemma of accepting non-violence as a useful path to freedom in the Indian struggle for freedom after the unfruitfully long years of not making a collective attack on those who are ruling one’s home, also contemplating the reasons of hostility amongst those who preferred religion and divided a land that had a history of co-existence and diversity.
Malgonkar’s premise is a timeless and tragic reality written in the most empathetic and coherent manner. I’ll always remember him as an author who called a spade a spade but grace and assertion.
Verdict: Highly recommended for lovers of meaningful historical fiction and classic partition literature. It discovers more than one can imagine.
This was my second read by the author which was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, one that keeps you on the edge with a curious anticipation of what’s to happen next.
Gian Talwar and Debi-dayal, students from the same class are convicted for two grave crimes. Gian with murder and Debi-dayal for conducting terrorist activities (violent attempts to disrupt the British administration). Both boys have strong views about participating in the freedom movement to liberate India from the clutches from the British rule.
Gian is a pacifist who believes in non-violence, Debi-dayal believes in disturbing the administration through revolutionary means. They are the part of the last batch of convicts sent to the Andamans Cellular Jail before the Japanese takeover the islands from the British. Set in 1939, this book is immensely comprehensive as it captures the multiple ideologies and strategies that worked towards emancipation. The non-violence movement in its various forms be it the civil disobedience or the swadeshi movement, revolutionary stints by those who believed in action to rupture the system, caste-politics, communal violence or the class of people that enjoyed the privileges of the colonizers are highlighted in detail. Time and again one witnesses the hypocrisy of the British rule under the garb of being a “just system” . A stark reality of racial discrimination is omnipresent throughout the story be it the jibes by the British officers, their preferences, a greed that felt like a natural right based on the colour of one’s skin and simply vacating the land occupied to save one’s own skin at the cost of those already suffering are expressed in a sound and realistic context.
What’s real in this plot of fiction is the description of the horrors of the British rule, the violence after the sudden departure of the British and the uncertain boundary of the partition. Communal violence, gruesome assaults on women and children, loot and killings are the consequences of the chaos during the divide. These horrors often raise the serious doubts about the impact of non-violence as a strategy to liberate the country, proving that violence existed amidst non-violence, waiting for the opportune moment to attack those despised. One faces the dilemma of accepting non-violence as a useful path to freedom in the Indian struggle for freedom after the unfruitfully long years of not making a collective attack on those who are ruling one’s home, also contemplating the reasons of hostility amongst those who preferred religion and divided a land that had a history of co-existence and diversity.
Malgonkar’s premise is a timeless and tragic reality written in the most empathetic and coherent manner. I’ll always remember him as an author who called a spade a spade but grace and assertion.
Verdict: Highly recommended for lovers of meaningful historical fiction and classic partition literature. It discovers more than one can imagine.
March 9, 2023
Don’t you love it when you go into a book with little expectations but that book ends up blowing your mind and becomes your favorite!
I was lucky enough to experience the same with this book.
This book is an Indian Historical Fiction set during the time of independence of India. At the centre of the story are our two main characters, Gian who is a Gandhi pacifist, and Debi-dayal who is an ardent revolutionary. Sundari, Debi-dayal’s sister, is also a central character to this story.
After just reading few pages, I was completely sucked into the story. I feel like the writing of this book is the main reason why I was instantaneously hooked, plus the storyline and the storytelling was amazing as well. But above all, it was Gian and Debi-dayal who took this story to unachievable heights. These two characters were the heart of the story.
I am not someone who has read too much of historical fiction set in my own country, and reading this book kinda opened my eyes. Even though this story was fiction but the events that took place were real. The horrors of the British rule and the consequence of partition can be seen in this book.
I do not cry easily when reading any book but I was sobbing my eyes out by the end. I got so attached to the characters and my heart was just breaking for all of them.
Overall, I think this book is a masterpiece and a must read, especially to Indian readers. I am so so so glad I said yes to review this book because otherwise I’d have never picked this one up. This book is now one of my all time favorite, and I cannot recommend it enough.
I was lucky enough to experience the same with this book.
This book is an Indian Historical Fiction set during the time of independence of India. At the centre of the story are our two main characters, Gian who is a Gandhi pacifist, and Debi-dayal who is an ardent revolutionary. Sundari, Debi-dayal’s sister, is also a central character to this story.
After just reading few pages, I was completely sucked into the story. I feel like the writing of this book is the main reason why I was instantaneously hooked, plus the storyline and the storytelling was amazing as well. But above all, it was Gian and Debi-dayal who took this story to unachievable heights. These two characters were the heart of the story.
I am not someone who has read too much of historical fiction set in my own country, and reading this book kinda opened my eyes. Even though this story was fiction but the events that took place were real. The horrors of the British rule and the consequence of partition can be seen in this book.
I do not cry easily when reading any book but I was sobbing my eyes out by the end. I got so attached to the characters and my heart was just breaking for all of them.
Overall, I think this book is a masterpiece and a must read, especially to Indian readers. I am so so so glad I said yes to review this book because otherwise I’d have never picked this one up. This book is now one of my all time favorite, and I cannot recommend it enough.
March 2, 2023
💭Imagine being able to pen down a perfect blend of what goes inside your mind and as well as on the outside. How many of you can Imagine !? A bunch of people would say yes and the rest wouldn't. I've got your back the "Rest and Left people", now this Bookset comes into play.
👀 After reading a handful of various Fiction works, I can say that these ones are the right fit for you if you want to read some real classic India Fiction works, the ones that you can relate with.
📣He has been a writer, a columnist, a army officer, a civil servant and a miner. One can precisely see that the inspiration he took from these roles into portraying the events and people around them into his works. The mentioned books, capture different stories around the same timelines, with various aspects.
📌The best thing I've liked about these works is the emotional and philosophical portrayal of the character towards the situations and events in their life. These are moderate sized books.
📌If you find yourself related to what's mentioned above and wish to read something different yet relatable to the Indian culture then this might be the right choice for you.
👀 After reading a handful of various Fiction works, I can say that these ones are the right fit for you if you want to read some real classic India Fiction works, the ones that you can relate with.
📣He has been a writer, a columnist, a army officer, a civil servant and a miner. One can precisely see that the inspiration he took from these roles into portraying the events and people around them into his works. The mentioned books, capture different stories around the same timelines, with various aspects.
📌The best thing I've liked about these works is the emotional and philosophical portrayal of the character towards the situations and events in their life. These are moderate sized books.
📌If you find yourself related to what's mentioned above and wish to read something different yet relatable to the Indian culture then this might be the right choice for you.
February 16, 2023
A story centred on two men with opposing ideologies in the freedom struggle of India- Debi-Dayal Tekchand and Gian Talwar, the former being a radical revolutionary and the latter being a follower of Gandhi. This characterization bears little impact on them beyond the premise, as they both evolve to engage in acts outside of their ideologies and teachings, driven by personal circumstance.
The story is set approximately from 1935-1945. A decade of changing landscapes in the country, as the freedom struggle evolves into the internal divide between Hindus and Muslims and the Partition.
This book weaves the political circumstances of the country with very human, almost ordinary stories and emotions. The pace of the novel is also great, keeps one gripped. Especially as someone who usually does not enjoy fiction, this was a beautiful (although heartbreaking) read.
The story is set approximately from 1935-1945. A decade of changing landscapes in the country, as the freedom struggle evolves into the internal divide between Hindus and Muslims and the Partition.
This book weaves the political circumstances of the country with very human, almost ordinary stories and emotions. The pace of the novel is also great, keeps one gripped. Especially as someone who usually does not enjoy fiction, this was a beautiful (although heartbreaking) read.
March 1, 2024
"A Bend in the Ganges" by Manohar Malgonkar focuses on the narrative of two young adults, Gian Talwar & Debi Dayal. Gian, who is an ardent follower of non-violence, falls victim to circumstances and commits murder. Debi, on the other hand, is a revolutionary in his pursuit of the freedom movement and is involved in a crime. Both college pals meet each other in the Andaman penal colony (a.k.a. Kala paani).
The story is set in India’s pre-independence era, is replete with twists and turns. It takes us through various dynamics of the freedom movement, including World War II, Japan taking control over Andaman, and the Hindu-Muslim riots prior & post partition. In all given circumstances, each character translates human emotions and turmoil.
While some of the detailing may be a little tedious, the solid plot holds the story's grip. This book literally took me to the struggling days of India's independence. Ideal for readers seeking classic literature on the partition.
The story is set in India’s pre-independence era, is replete with twists and turns. It takes us through various dynamics of the freedom movement, including World War II, Japan taking control over Andaman, and the Hindu-Muslim riots prior & post partition. In all given circumstances, each character translates human emotions and turmoil.
While some of the detailing may be a little tedious, the solid plot holds the story's grip. This book literally took me to the struggling days of India's independence. Ideal for readers seeking classic literature on the partition.
February 6, 2022
Andamans was a setting in Swarup's Latitudes of Longing
Andaman Islands, British prisons for Indians
non-violence
partition - illustrative experience of characters, horrors of partition = civil war/holocaust
Andaman Islands, British prisons for Indians
non-violence
partition - illustrative experience of characters, horrors of partition = civil war/holocaust
January 17, 2019
Fabulous
January 10, 2021
The plot was a little circular but I really liked learning about the modernish culture of India and their perspective of WWII
January 30, 2024
Bit of a drag and the writer looks like a confused man. Sounds like a very far fetched retro movie with the set pieces not matching the era.
April 15, 2024
DNF. The author's sympathy towards rich class and the glorification of siblings rivalry put me off within first few pages
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April 26, 2009This book written by an Indian writer Manohar Malgaonkar is an exceptional Historical fiction novel. But the mindset of Indians to forget and forgive the excesses committed on them by the invaders, this book should have been a master-piece in the Indian Literature. The writer was a Military Offcial and had seen many historical events himself.
He also wrote a Historical Book by the name "The Men Who Killed Gandhi" which is well researched and a must read for the History Buffs, who are not polluted by the leftist historians.
He also wrote a Historical Book by the name "The Men Who Killed Gandhi" which is well researched and a must read for the History Buffs, who are not polluted by the leftist historians.
July 28, 2014
Quit India movement, World War II, Cellular Jail and its legendary tortures, British Indian Prisoners of War, Japanese invasion of Rangoon and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Indian National Army, Debauchery of the Indian Royalty, Bombay Explosion, Partition and finally the Indian independence.
It helps that the author spent prime of his youth serving in Maratha Light Infantry, comes from a royal background, ended up being a civil servant and had access to all the events written in the novel, this makes it more credible than the other works from various schools of historiography.
It helps that the author spent prime of his youth serving in Maratha Light Infantry, comes from a royal background, ended up being a civil servant and had access to all the events written in the novel, this makes it more credible than the other works from various schools of historiography.
November 13, 2009
This book reads like a movie. I was particularly impressed the way the protagonist were etched out and the reversal in their characters towards the end. The portions about the partition really evoked anger in me and it was only stoked by the authors incisive comments about the role of british in dividing and ruling. How is it possible that people rather than rejoicing the newly won freedom rather decide to raze out each other in the name of relegion?
September 9, 2013
A novel of Modern India is what Malgaonkar calls this - the modern here referring to the pre-independence days of India. The story of a set of friends - one coming from a poor farmer's family and going on to become a Gandhian, the other the son of a rich business man, going on to become a deadly terrorist. The twists and turns that these hapless characters take, in the face of the gale wind of freedom movement and partition, is certainly worth a read
October 20, 2022
An incredible journey with characters well developed and a fascinating look at India in this time. Some questionable choices in how Malgonkar writes the working class and women, but I suppose that is to be expected considering his background. There is also a ... disturbing excusing of the British, even a fawning (if critical) adoration. I'll not deign to weigh in on Malgonkar's perspective, but it is very noticeable.
September 19, 2013
This story might be a work of fiction but surely thousands of families faced such a trauma in what could be termed as the saddest and most violent chapters in world history. The story line keeps you glued to the book with each new page bringing in a new dose of fear and excitement. Overall i liked the book as it made me sad the most..
June 9, 2016
violence is always present in the shadows of non violence, it cannot be killed very easily. this novel is an epic tale of two characters's life involving violence, and how religion made their life a miserable one and how gandhi's non violence truly never achieved anything. guilt, love, friendship, betrayal, family bond, independence. This one is truly a masterpiece, not.acknowledged by many.
July 5, 2014
The book barely fits the genre of 'historical fiction'. It's depiction of the days preceding Partition and Freedom are thread-bare, almost insulting. However as a simple drama, it is passable, and at intervals, even genuinely creative.
January 10, 2015
Fantastic and shocking. A little wordy in places. Well worth your time. Mr. Malgonkar's descriptions took me right back to Mother India. The violent upheaval is heartbreaking and the terrorism and fight continues to this day.
June 3, 2015
If you enjoyed the movie Earth - this book will expand on that so well. This was recommended by 2 people who grew up in India and moved to America as Medical Drs. A great read. A can't put down book.
November 13, 2016
Had this book, not being in my course I won't have read it. Inspite of being a partition novel, it couldn't blow my mind away. The novel encompasses a vast spectrum of cataclysmic events, ranging from Japanese invasion, World war II and partition of India.
April 4, 2012
A great Indian book.
June 21, 2012
Love love loved this book.
July 6, 2015
Really struggled to finish this novel because of its repulsive fascist overtones.
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