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The Crow Eaters
At the dawn of the 20th century in Pakistan, Freddy Junglewalla moves his family — pregnant wife, baby daughter, and Jerbanoo, his rotund mother-in-law — from their ancestral forest home to cosmopolitan Lahore. He opens a store, and as his fortunes grow, so does the animosity between Freddy and his mother-in-law. While Freddy prospers under British rule, life with the domineering Jerbanoo is another matter entirely. This exuberant novel, full of rollicking humor, paints a vivid picture of life in the Parsee community.
269 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
97 people are currently reading
2850 people want to read
About the author
Bapsi Sidhwa
21 books374 followersBapsi Sidhwa was a Pakistani novelist who wrote in English and was resident in the United States.
She was best known for her collaborative work with Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta: Sidhwa wrote both the 1991 novel Ice Candy Man which served as the basis for Mehta's 1998 film Earth as well as the 2006 novel Water: A Novel, on which Mehta's 2005 film Water is based. A documentary about Sidhwa's life called "Bapsi: Silences of My Life" was released on the official YouTube channel of " The Citizens Archive of Pakistan" on 28 October 2022 with the title " First Generation -Stories of partition: Bapsi Sidhwa".
She was best known for her collaborative work with Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta: Sidhwa wrote both the 1991 novel Ice Candy Man which served as the basis for Mehta's 1998 film Earth as well as the 2006 novel Water: A Novel, on which Mehta's 2005 film Water is based. A documentary about Sidhwa's life called "Bapsi: Silences of My Life" was released on the official YouTube channel of " The Citizens Archive of Pakistan" on 28 October 2022 with the title " First Generation -Stories of partition: Bapsi Sidhwa".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
February 24, 2021
Well,nobody actually eats crows in the book.
Bapsi Sidhwa is well known as Pakistan's first major English language novelist.She belongs to the tiny Parsi community whose numbers continue to dwindle.They are almost threatened with extinction,as a religious community.
This book is an entertaining account of their way of life,in early 20th century Lahore.They worship fire,and leave their dead in the "towers of silence" where wild animals and vultures can tear off pieces of their flesh.
For me,the best thing about the the book was Sidhwa's trademark humour.She has a natural gift for it.Ironically,it was the same humour which offended some Parsis and made the novel a bit controversial.
The bigger significance of this book is that it finally introduced a Pakistani English language novelist to a wider,international audience.Sidhwa had a real struggle publishing it,but later success followed.
Bapsi Sidhwa is well known as Pakistan's first major English language novelist.She belongs to the tiny Parsi community whose numbers continue to dwindle.They are almost threatened with extinction,as a religious community.
This book is an entertaining account of their way of life,in early 20th century Lahore.They worship fire,and leave their dead in the "towers of silence" where wild animals and vultures can tear off pieces of their flesh.
For me,the best thing about the the book was Sidhwa's trademark humour.She has a natural gift for it.Ironically,it was the same humour which offended some Parsis and made the novel a bit controversial.
The bigger significance of this book is that it finally introduced a Pakistani English language novelist to a wider,international audience.Sidhwa had a real struggle publishing it,but later success followed.
April 13, 2024
I haven’t read enough novels based in Pakistan and I haven’t read Sidhwa before either. It is set in Lahore and covers just almost fifty years from just before the start of the twentieth century until just before partition. Sidhwa is a Parsi and the novel focuses on the Parsi community in Lahore. Sidhwa was born in Karachi and brought up in Lahore, so she is writing about an area she knows and a community she knows. The reception of the novel was mixed, especially in the Parsi community, but over time it has become accepted.
At the centre of the novel is Faredoon (Freddy) Junglewalla and his family which consists of his wife Putli, his mother-in-law Jerbanoo and his three children. This is a family chronicle with Freddy at centre stage, especially his relationship with his mother-in-law which is fiery and unpredictable. Although the idiosyncrasies of his children also begin to be more prominent as the novel progresses. Freddy is a successful businessman and has relationships with the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and British communities.
This is essentially a comic novel, but with elements of tragedy as well. A good deal of the comic interplay is between Freddy and Jerbanoo. For me the comic element was a little trying and sometimes became a little too central and overpowering. For me there was too little societal context. It’s a bit vaudeville at times. I didn’t dislike this and it was entertaining. I suppose I am just a bit underwhelmed.
At the centre of the novel is Faredoon (Freddy) Junglewalla and his family which consists of his wife Putli, his mother-in-law Jerbanoo and his three children. This is a family chronicle with Freddy at centre stage, especially his relationship with his mother-in-law which is fiery and unpredictable. Although the idiosyncrasies of his children also begin to be more prominent as the novel progresses. Freddy is a successful businessman and has relationships with the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and British communities.
This is essentially a comic novel, but with elements of tragedy as well. A good deal of the comic interplay is between Freddy and Jerbanoo. For me the comic element was a little trying and sometimes became a little too central and overpowering. For me there was too little societal context. It’s a bit vaudeville at times. I didn’t dislike this and it was entertaining. I suppose I am just a bit underwhelmed.
December 26, 2017
The Crow Eaters is an excellent novel that skillfully describes family problems. It addresses serious historical and cultural issues of Parsi Community in a humorous way. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it
January 20, 2018
I have a beef with South-East Asian authors. It seems that (the ones i have read; jhumpa lahiri, the god of small things)deliberately have underlying depressing themes to their novels. I mean it makes sense, misery is easier to do than satire or comedy. But it always makes me feel like my emotions are being exploited. As if I am being told how to feel something, and I dislike that immensely.
THIS BOOK, however though, was none of the above. It was satire done so well, that i found myself laughing out loud so many times. It is in no way a light read, but its deep meaningful satire that makes you feel the ridiculousness of some of the things that pervade in our culture. Its an excellently written book, and if you want to diversify your portfolio of authors, i highly recommend it!
THIS BOOK, however though, was none of the above. It was satire done so well, that i found myself laughing out loud so many times. It is in no way a light read, but its deep meaningful satire that makes you feel the ridiculousness of some of the things that pervade in our culture. Its an excellently written book, and if you want to diversify your portfolio of authors, i highly recommend it!
August 13, 2018
جنگل والا صاحب بیپسی سدھوا کے انگریزی ناول "دی کرو ایٹرز، The crow eaters" کا اردو ترجمہ ہے.
ناول ایک پارسی شخص فریدون (فریڈی) کی زندگی کے گرد گھومتا ہے جو بیسویں صدی کے اوائل میں غربت سے تنگ آ کر اپنی بیوی، ساس اور بچی کے ساتھ خوشحالی تلاشنے نکلتا ہے اور لاہور میں سکونت پذیر ہو جاتا ہے. یہ لوگ ہجرت سے پہلے جنگل کے علاقے میں رہنے کی نسبت سے جنگل والے مشہور ہوتے ہیں.
فریڈی جو ایک قابل، خوبصورت، محنتی اور موقع شناس شخص ہے جلد ہی لاہور کے کاروباری حلقوں میں نام اور مراسم پیدا کر لیتا ہے اور اسکا گھرانہ خوشحال پارسی خاندانوں میں شمار ہونے لگتا ہے مگر ساری زندگی اپنی ساس کی حاکمانہ، خود پرست اور جاہلانہ طبیعت کی بھینٹ چڑھتا رہتا ہے اور اس سے مقابلہ کرنے کی مقدور بھر کوشش میں سرگرداں. ان کی نوک جھونک اور چپقلش مشرقی رشتوں میں باہم پنپتی چھوٹی چھوٹی بے نام الجھنوں کو عیاں کرتی ہے.
فریڈی کی بیوی پٹلی ایک وفا شعار اور شوہر پرست عورت ہے جو فریڈی کی کامیاب گھریلو زندگی میں معاون ہے.
فریڈی کا ایک بیٹا یزدی کسی پری چہرہ کی زلف کا اسیر ہو جاتا ہے اور جوگ سنجوگ کے رستوں کا مسافر بن جاتا ہے. ایک بیٹا جوانی میں مر جاتا ہے اور سب سے چھوٹا بیٹا بلی باپ کے کام کو آگے لے کر چلتا ہے.
ناول پارسیوں کے مخصوص طرزِ زندگی، رہن سہن، روایات، عقائد، انکے باہمی بھائی چارے اور آپسی قرابت داری کی عکاسی کرتا ہے اور ساتھ ہی انیسویں صدی کے اوائل کے لاہور کی منظر کشی بھی بخوبی کرتا ہے.
جنگل والا صاحب ان ناولوں کی صف میں کھڑا ہے جو کسی خاص مقصد یا کسی ایک زاویے کے عکاس نہیں ہیں بلکہ قاری کو ایک ساتھ ہی ہلکا مزاح، روایت، انسانی نفسیات، معاشرت، تاریخ اور زندگی کے نشیب و فراز کی حقیقت پسندانہ تصویر پیش کرتے ہیں.
جنس زندگی کی ایک حقیقت ہے مگر اسکا حددرجہ بے باکانہ اظہار تخلیق کو گہنا دیتا ہے. یہی چیز تحریر میں کچھ جگہوں پر نا مناسب سطور کا اضافہ کرتی محسوس ہوتی ہے.
ناول ایک پارسی شخص فریدون (فریڈی) کی زندگی کے گرد گھومتا ہے جو بیسویں صدی کے اوائل میں غربت سے تنگ آ کر اپنی بیوی، ساس اور بچی کے ساتھ خوشحالی تلاشنے نکلتا ہے اور لاہور میں سکونت پذیر ہو جاتا ہے. یہ لوگ ہجرت سے پہلے جنگل کے علاقے میں رہنے کی نسبت سے جنگل والے مشہور ہوتے ہیں.
فریڈی جو ایک قابل، خوبصورت، محنتی اور موقع شناس شخص ہے جلد ہی لاہور کے کاروباری حلقوں میں نام اور مراسم پیدا کر لیتا ہے اور اسکا گھرانہ خوشحال پارسی خاندانوں میں شمار ہونے لگتا ہے مگر ساری زندگی اپنی ساس کی حاکمانہ، خود پرست اور جاہلانہ طبیعت کی بھینٹ چڑھتا رہتا ہے اور اس سے مقابلہ کرنے کی مقدور بھر کوشش میں سرگرداں. ان کی نوک جھونک اور چپقلش مشرقی رشتوں میں باہم پنپتی چھوٹی چھوٹی بے نام الجھنوں کو عیاں کرتی ہے.
فریڈی کی بیوی پٹلی ایک وفا شعار اور شوہر پرست عورت ہے جو فریڈی کی کامیاب گھریلو زندگی میں معاون ہے.
فریڈی کا ایک بیٹا یزدی کسی پری چہرہ کی زلف کا اسیر ہو جاتا ہے اور جوگ سنجوگ کے رستوں کا مسافر بن جاتا ہے. ایک بیٹا جوانی میں مر جاتا ہے اور سب سے چھوٹا بیٹا بلی باپ کے کام کو آگے لے کر چلتا ہے.
ناول پارسیوں کے مخصوص طرزِ زندگی، رہن سہن، روایات، عقائد، انکے باہمی بھائی چارے اور آپسی قرابت داری کی عکاسی کرتا ہے اور ساتھ ہی انیسویں صدی کے اوائل کے لاہور کی منظر کشی بھی بخوبی کرتا ہے.
جنگل والا صاحب ان ناولوں کی صف میں کھڑا ہے جو کسی خاص مقصد یا کسی ایک زاویے کے عکاس نہیں ہیں بلکہ قاری کو ایک ساتھ ہی ہلکا مزاح، روایت، انسانی نفسیات، معاشرت، تاریخ اور زندگی کے نشیب و فراز کی حقیقت پسندانہ تصویر پیش کرتے ہیں.
جنس زندگی کی ایک حقیقت ہے مگر اسکا حددرجہ بے باکانہ اظہار تخلیق کو گہنا دیتا ہے. یہی چیز تحریر میں کچھ جگہوں پر نا مناسب سطور کا اضافہ کرتی محسوس ہوتی ہے.
December 30, 2021
One of my absolute favourite genres is the Indian family saga. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in a very small nuclear family and all celebrations were therefore a fairly small affair that I love these stories of large families and their fortunes through the generations but whatever the reason, I love reading them.
Sidhwa gives us the story of Faredoon Junglewalla a man who feels he is destined for great things and so embarks on a lifetime of social climbing. We meet him as a young man at the start of his ascent, travelling from his village in central India to the more opportune city of Lahore. The period nature of the book is evident from the fact that in 1903 (the year our story starts) Pakistan did not exist as a nation and so Lahore is still part of India but also for the fact that the character of his mother-in-law Jerbanoo is a staple of mother-in-law jokes from the early seventies when the book was written. “Take my mother-in-law…No please someone take her!”
Jerbanoo and Faredoon spend a lifetime in conflict, constantly in each other’s presence from the outset of his marriage. Much of it is comic, on their trek to Lahore he sends her off on tasks so he can have some privacy with his wife, their meal time animosity and deliberate goading of each other over the finest cuts are very funny and her behaviour as a guest of an English acquaintance is truly monstrous. There are some darker aspects to this power struggle which save it from being a cliched Bernard Manning sketch.
Faredoon is a charismatic figure: handsome, charming, wise and successful. That is not to say he is without faults. He can be underhanded, duplicitous and hypocritical. He also embodies the confused and conflicting attitudes to British rule at the time. He is known throughout the book as Freddie, choosing to anglicise his name in order to smooth his business dealings by being on friendly terms with the British, he and his wife attend dinners more suited to a London Gentleman’s Club, he send for the English doctor as they are considered superior yet he becomes permanently estranged from his second son after he refuses to allow him to marry an Anglo-Indian girl (ironically the perfect embodiment in some ways of the life Freddie chooses to live). To say too much more about the plot would be to ruin it and I wouldn’t deprive anyone of enjoying the journey with the Junglewallas.
Like all families this novel has its moments of farce, of tragedy, of disputes and of overwhelming love. It was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.
Sidhwa gives us the story of Faredoon Junglewalla a man who feels he is destined for great things and so embarks on a lifetime of social climbing. We meet him as a young man at the start of his ascent, travelling from his village in central India to the more opportune city of Lahore. The period nature of the book is evident from the fact that in 1903 (the year our story starts) Pakistan did not exist as a nation and so Lahore is still part of India but also for the fact that the character of his mother-in-law Jerbanoo is a staple of mother-in-law jokes from the early seventies when the book was written. “Take my mother-in-law…No please someone take her!”
Jerbanoo and Faredoon spend a lifetime in conflict, constantly in each other’s presence from the outset of his marriage. Much of it is comic, on their trek to Lahore he sends her off on tasks so he can have some privacy with his wife, their meal time animosity and deliberate goading of each other over the finest cuts are very funny and her behaviour as a guest of an English acquaintance is truly monstrous. There are some darker aspects to this power struggle which save it from being a cliched Bernard Manning sketch.
Faredoon is a charismatic figure: handsome, charming, wise and successful. That is not to say he is without faults. He can be underhanded, duplicitous and hypocritical. He also embodies the confused and conflicting attitudes to British rule at the time. He is known throughout the book as Freddie, choosing to anglicise his name in order to smooth his business dealings by being on friendly terms with the British, he and his wife attend dinners more suited to a London Gentleman’s Club, he send for the English doctor as they are considered superior yet he becomes permanently estranged from his second son after he refuses to allow him to marry an Anglo-Indian girl (ironically the perfect embodiment in some ways of the life Freddie chooses to live). To say too much more about the plot would be to ruin it and I wouldn’t deprive anyone of enjoying the journey with the Junglewallas.
Like all families this novel has its moments of farce, of tragedy, of disputes and of overwhelming love. It was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.
March 6, 2024
An interesting story who's only direction and purpose seemed to be to keep moving foward. The Parsi culture, the Indian history it is set in, and the varied and well developed characters, all very well managed to keep things afloat in a very snail-paced, rather ordinary plot. Didn't mind much the extravagant writing, a trait common in the sub-continental writers of the olden days, and found it rather beautiful. The book had its moments, but forced me at times to pick up other books in parallel to it in order to keep satisfying my literary needs.
December 24, 2023
For Pakistan, my book club chose this. Bapsi Sidhwa wrote a light-hearted and funny novel about a Parsi family at the turn of the 20th century. All I know about the Parsis is that they are a mysterious minority in Western Asia, originally from Persia, but spread all over India, Pakistan and even abroad. Freddy Mercury from the band Queen was from a Parsi family that lived in Zanzibar (Tanzania). Is it a coincidence that the main character is also called "Freddy" (Faredoon Junglewalla)? At the beginning of the novel, we see him moving to Lahore from Central India with his wife Putli and his mother-in-law Jerbanoo. It's the latter, who becomes the clown of the novel and Freddy, the notorious anti-hero. There's not really a main message of the book, but it wants to give the reader a general picture of who the Parsis are since they are a disappearing society and some general family dynamics. Parts of it I found funny, while other parts were predictable. It was the lack of purpose in the novel that made it hard for me to continue reading. Sometimes I just lost interest in the story. I recommend this book for people who want to read something about Parsis. For Pakistan, I think we could've found a better book.
"Freedom of choice is a cardinal doctrine in the teaching of Zarathustra. A child born of Zoroastrian parents is not considered a Zoroastrian until he has chosen the faith at the Navjote ceremony. Zarathustra in his Gathas says:
Give ear to the Great Truths. Look within with enlightened mind (lit: flaming mind) at the faith of your own selection, man by man, each one for himself.
And this freedom of choice extends also to Good and Evil, aspects of God Himself. Evil is necessary so that good may triumph. Yet Evil by itself does not exist, it is relative, depending upon the distance from God at which the individual stands upon the Path of Asha - the Eternal Truth - the grand cosmic plan of God."
"Freedom of choice is a cardinal doctrine in the teaching of Zarathustra. A child born of Zoroastrian parents is not considered a Zoroastrian until he has chosen the faith at the Navjote ceremony. Zarathustra in his Gathas says:
Give ear to the Great Truths. Look within with enlightened mind (lit: flaming mind) at the faith of your own selection, man by man, each one for himself.
And this freedom of choice extends also to Good and Evil, aspects of God Himself. Evil is necessary so that good may triumph. Yet Evil by itself does not exist, it is relative, depending upon the distance from God at which the individual stands upon the Path of Asha - the Eternal Truth - the grand cosmic plan of God."
February 15, 2019
Early 20th century, Lahore. A Parsee family treks to Lahore and in their small community become wealthy traders. The book ends with Freddy, the patriarch, on his deathbed forecasting the blood letting of the Indian/Pakistan partition and the risks to the small minorities like the Parsis.
The book is a set of events in Freddy's family life and the culture of their religion. The best parts were when the author lets herself go and writes a vaudevillian skit of humour.
The book is a set of events in Freddy's family life and the culture of their religion. The best parts were when the author lets herself go and writes a vaudevillian skit of humour.
February 4, 2016
A young Parsi merchant called Faredoon 'Freddy' Junglewalla from Central India drags his wife, child and indomitable mother-in-law over a thousand miles in a rickety cart to start a new life in Lahore.
The Junglewalla's swell the size of the small community from four families to five, but despite being taunted as "crow eaters" by the local Sikh children -due to the volume of their conversation- they find a tolerant home and a good place to conduct business.
Unfortunately for Freddy, he can't always find the same comfort inside his own home. His mother-in-law, Jerbanoo, becomes the bane of his life, even as his wealth and influence grow in the community and beyond.
Swindled by a traveling insurance salesman, Freddy considers both his 'wants' and his 'needs' to contrive a drastic, decidedly non-Indian solution to his problems.
The Crow Eaters is that most difficult of narratives to pull off by any novelist, let alone a first-timer as Sidhwa was - a breezy, light-hearted picaresque on the surface, but tough as old boats underneath, with a vein of tough blood pumping noiselessly throughout.
There is an air of family legend passed down and embroidered somewhat over the years, myths within which Sidhwa can see the essence of life, a force far stronger than honesty and sentimentality.
The Parsi Indians of 1900 were a 'fatalistic people...unconditionally resigned to the ups and downs of life', so Freddy's insurance fraud is a culturally unthinkable act; a Western act, if you will.
The Jungewallas revere the English, from copying their mannerisms to the seal of authority invested in their appropriated proverbs. 'Had someone suggested to them that Englishmen, too, defecate, they might have said, "Of course ... they have to, I suppose"'.
Still, magic and superstition has as much influence on their characters, right from the cradle, after all they are descended from the Magi; yet all the multi-varied gods of the more dominant Indian religions are also given a token of reverence.
The business of making money and favourable marriages is Freddy's true religion though, his ruthlessness in these tasks rival those of any patriarch I have encountered in Indian literature, which is saying something.
Both Freddy Jungewalla and his nemesis Jerbanoo are hardly likable characters, nor does anything astounding happen in the story, yet Sidhwa kept me enthralled from start to finish with her skillful way of presenting her characters without blame or praise.
She also has a way with a yarn, which she can spin with a charm and humour which delights, despite any darker implications.
The Junglewalla's swell the size of the small community from four families to five, but despite being taunted as "crow eaters" by the local Sikh children -due to the volume of their conversation- they find a tolerant home and a good place to conduct business.
Unfortunately for Freddy, he can't always find the same comfort inside his own home. His mother-in-law, Jerbanoo, becomes the bane of his life, even as his wealth and influence grow in the community and beyond.
Swindled by a traveling insurance salesman, Freddy considers both his 'wants' and his 'needs' to contrive a drastic, decidedly non-Indian solution to his problems.
The Crow Eaters is that most difficult of narratives to pull off by any novelist, let alone a first-timer as Sidhwa was - a breezy, light-hearted picaresque on the surface, but tough as old boats underneath, with a vein of tough blood pumping noiselessly throughout.
There is an air of family legend passed down and embroidered somewhat over the years, myths within which Sidhwa can see the essence of life, a force far stronger than honesty and sentimentality.
The Parsi Indians of 1900 were a 'fatalistic people...unconditionally resigned to the ups and downs of life', so Freddy's insurance fraud is a culturally unthinkable act; a Western act, if you will.
The Jungewallas revere the English, from copying their mannerisms to the seal of authority invested in their appropriated proverbs. 'Had someone suggested to them that Englishmen, too, defecate, they might have said, "Of course ... they have to, I suppose"'.
Still, magic and superstition has as much influence on their characters, right from the cradle, after all they are descended from the Magi; yet all the multi-varied gods of the more dominant Indian religions are also given a token of reverence.
The business of making money and favourable marriages is Freddy's true religion though, his ruthlessness in these tasks rival those of any patriarch I have encountered in Indian literature, which is saying something.
Both Freddy Jungewalla and his nemesis Jerbanoo are hardly likable characters, nor does anything astounding happen in the story, yet Sidhwa kept me enthralled from start to finish with her skillful way of presenting her characters without blame or praise.
She also has a way with a yarn, which she can spin with a charm and humour which delights, despite any darker implications.
June 16, 2021
3.5 stars. A hilariously cheeky wild ride of a novel. I can't wait to read more of Bapsi Sidhwa's books.
August 7, 2020
Recensione originale: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/202...
I Parsi sono una comunità fuggita dall'Iran nell'VIII secolo, in seguito alla conquista islamica della Persia, e rifugiatasi in India, nel Gujarat. Ad oggi molti sono emigrati in altri Paesi del mondo, ma l'intera comunità resta sparutissima, circa 100.000 persone. I Parsi sono i seguaci dello zoroastrismo, o mazdeismo, e hanno addirittura un progetto dell'UNESCO interamente dedicato a loro, Parzor. Fra i Parsi famosi vanno citati Freddy Mercury e Zubin Mehta, oltre all'autrice di questo libro, Bapsi Sidhwa, una delle più famose scrittrici pakistane. Ora vive negli Stati Uniti e infatti scrive in inglese.
Non avrei saputo niente di tutto questo se non avessi letto questo libro, una saga familiare Parsi, che mi ha fatto nascere una grande curiosità nei confronti di questa comunità.
Protagonista del libro è Faredoon Junglewalla, un giovane Parsi agli inizi del Novecento: appena sposato decide di abbandonare il suo villaggio e trasferirsi a Lahore con moglie e suocera al seguito. Partono su un carretto, all'avventura, in cerca di fortuna. All'epoca il Pakistan non esisteva ancora e Lahore era in India, a sua volta parte dell'Impero britannico.
La suocera, Jerbanoo, ha appena undici anni più di Faredoon (detto Freddy), e la moglie Putli è una ragazza di appena sedici anni. Jerbanoo è il personaggio che più si attacca alla pelle quando si legge questo libro: antipaticissima senz'altro, ma bizzarra e in pratica macchiettistica. Rimasta vedova da poco, è costretta a seguire la figlia e il genero, estremamente controvoglia. Durante il viaggio nasce fra Jerbanoo e Freddy un odio che durerà in eterno, anche con risvolti drammatici. E tuttavia, sebbene gli avvenimenti drammatici non manchino in questo libro, rimane un romanzo leggero e spensierato, anche divertente.
La saga di Freddy è densa di avvenimenti che lo porteranno a diventare uno degli uomini più ricchi e influenti di Lahore. Freddy è, in generale, un personaggio che mi è stato simpatico, anche se ha dei tratti indubbiamente oscuri, in particolare c'è stato un episodio che mi ha dato molto fastidio, un fastidio quasi fisico. Da lì mi è diventato insopportabile, ma rimane comunque un personaggio scoppiettante e interessante da seguire.
Allo stesso modo seguiremo le avventure di uno dei suoi sette figli, ma non svelerò niente per non guastarvi il piacere della lettura.
Un romanzo molto interessante che, come dicevo, fa venire voglia di approfondire la conoscenza di questa comunità che agli occhi di noi occidentali non può che apparire bizzarra, con la sua adorazione per il fuoco e la sua fede cieca negli oroscopi, oltre alle curiose usanze come quella di disporre le salme dei propri defunti in delle "torri del silenzio" dove vengono lasciati agli avvoltoi.
I Parsi sono una comunità fuggita dall'Iran nell'VIII secolo, in seguito alla conquista islamica della Persia, e rifugiatasi in India, nel Gujarat. Ad oggi molti sono emigrati in altri Paesi del mondo, ma l'intera comunità resta sparutissima, circa 100.000 persone. I Parsi sono i seguaci dello zoroastrismo, o mazdeismo, e hanno addirittura un progetto dell'UNESCO interamente dedicato a loro, Parzor. Fra i Parsi famosi vanno citati Freddy Mercury e Zubin Mehta, oltre all'autrice di questo libro, Bapsi Sidhwa, una delle più famose scrittrici pakistane. Ora vive negli Stati Uniti e infatti scrive in inglese.
Non avrei saputo niente di tutto questo se non avessi letto questo libro, una saga familiare Parsi, che mi ha fatto nascere una grande curiosità nei confronti di questa comunità.
Protagonista del libro è Faredoon Junglewalla, un giovane Parsi agli inizi del Novecento: appena sposato decide di abbandonare il suo villaggio e trasferirsi a Lahore con moglie e suocera al seguito. Partono su un carretto, all'avventura, in cerca di fortuna. All'epoca il Pakistan non esisteva ancora e Lahore era in India, a sua volta parte dell'Impero britannico.
La suocera, Jerbanoo, ha appena undici anni più di Faredoon (detto Freddy), e la moglie Putli è una ragazza di appena sedici anni. Jerbanoo è il personaggio che più si attacca alla pelle quando si legge questo libro: antipaticissima senz'altro, ma bizzarra e in pratica macchiettistica. Rimasta vedova da poco, è costretta a seguire la figlia e il genero, estremamente controvoglia. Durante il viaggio nasce fra Jerbanoo e Freddy un odio che durerà in eterno, anche con risvolti drammatici. E tuttavia, sebbene gli avvenimenti drammatici non manchino in questo libro, rimane un romanzo leggero e spensierato, anche divertente.
La saga di Freddy è densa di avvenimenti che lo porteranno a diventare uno degli uomini più ricchi e influenti di Lahore. Freddy è, in generale, un personaggio che mi è stato simpatico, anche se ha dei tratti indubbiamente oscuri, in particolare c'è stato un episodio che mi ha dato molto fastidio, un fastidio quasi fisico. Da lì mi è diventato insopportabile, ma rimane comunque un personaggio scoppiettante e interessante da seguire.
Allo stesso modo seguiremo le avventure di uno dei suoi sette figli, ma non svelerò niente per non guastarvi il piacere della lettura.
Un romanzo molto interessante che, come dicevo, fa venire voglia di approfondire la conoscenza di questa comunità che agli occhi di noi occidentali non può che apparire bizzarra, con la sua adorazione per il fuoco e la sua fede cieca negli oroscopi, oltre alle curiose usanze come quella di disporre le salme dei propri defunti in delle "torri del silenzio" dove vengono lasciati agli avvoltoi.
August 12, 2023
An astonishing book which I thoroughly enjoyed. The story and characters contain the confusing delights and sorrows of life, told in such a captivating and suble way. I loved the descriptions of the weather and seasons. Jaebanoo is the priceless glue that holds the story together in terrifying splendour.
March 22, 2023
I’ve never really read a book which makes me laugh out loud but this one did: on multiple occasions. This was surprisingly funny.
I’ve now read two books by Bapsi Sidhwa: I really liked this one better than An American Brat.
August 29, 2014
i often wonder how can bapsi sidhwa manages to write such wonderful stories..... the dying man is talking sense to his family .... the beginning is entirely different from what turns the novel takes immediately after the opening... Freddy famous as jungle walla sahib made his way towards Lahore where he found his great fortune. he manages to live in the swirl of the artificial life around him and he becomes extremely cunning later on... i loved that part of the novel where he is desperate to get rid of his mother in law and she being stubborn enough manages to live a very long life. he leaves no stone unturned when he makes the plan of burning his own house by lighting the fire in it but even then her being alive is a great surprise for the reader and the jungle walla sahib as well.
sidhwa has created a great character of him who has both the good and the bad qualities in the very nature of him and he is both appealing and repulsive to the readers.
his wife putly is actually a puppet at times when she is required as a wife but she uses her veto when she is a mother. Patric Stephan writes about this book as..
As in a lot of family stories, the joys, annoyances, and tragedies as well as the emotional responses to such events are tightly woven all through “The Crow Eaters”. The book lays bare the fact that most families from all over the planet have the same fundamental existence. The only differences lay in the details of the lives of the people. Trouble with one’s mother-in-law, worrying about money and so on will seem familiar to the reader. On the other hand, other problems are unique to the Jungle walla's time and place. For example, worrying about arranged marriages, or Parsi death rituals will not be familiar to most modern readers, but will still be compelling.
The prose is lively and easy going. The book is a joy to read; equally bawdy, emotional and serious all at the same time. This novel is well worth the time to read.
sidhwa has created a great character of him who has both the good and the bad qualities in the very nature of him and he is both appealing and repulsive to the readers.
his wife putly is actually a puppet at times when she is required as a wife but she uses her veto when she is a mother. Patric Stephan writes about this book as..
As in a lot of family stories, the joys, annoyances, and tragedies as well as the emotional responses to such events are tightly woven all through “The Crow Eaters”. The book lays bare the fact that most families from all over the planet have the same fundamental existence. The only differences lay in the details of the lives of the people. Trouble with one’s mother-in-law, worrying about money and so on will seem familiar to the reader. On the other hand, other problems are unique to the Jungle walla's time and place. For example, worrying about arranged marriages, or Parsi death rituals will not be familiar to most modern readers, but will still be compelling.
The prose is lively and easy going. The book is a joy to read; equally bawdy, emotional and serious all at the same time. This novel is well worth the time to read.
July 15, 2025
log shakespeare padhte hai to understand human nature and great writing, mujhe lagta hai the world would be a better place agar hum bapsi sidhwa jaise authors padhe to understand human nature and great writing.
May 18, 2015
This is a much more light-hearted read than the „Ice-Candy Man (Cracking India)“. Although not totally devoid of tragedy it is mostly funny and entertaining while providing some insight into Indian society and especially into the Parsee community.
It tells the story of the ups and downs of the Junglewallas, a Parsee family who move from Central India to Lahore to seek and find their fortunes.
Pride of place is given to the histrionic, maddening, indestructible Jerbanoo, mother-in-law and bane of patriarch Faredoon’s existence.
For me, the story loses some of its charm when the next generation, Faredoon’s stingy son Billy, takes over the book. He’s a fairly unsympathetic and uninteresting character and although we return to Faredoon on his death-bed the winding-down oft he story is slightly unsatisfactory.
It tells the story of the ups and downs of the Junglewallas, a Parsee family who move from Central India to Lahore to seek and find their fortunes.
Pride of place is given to the histrionic, maddening, indestructible Jerbanoo, mother-in-law and bane of patriarch Faredoon’s existence.
For me, the story loses some of its charm when the next generation, Faredoon’s stingy son Billy, takes over the book. He’s a fairly unsympathetic and uninteresting character and although we return to Faredoon on his death-bed the winding-down oft he story is slightly unsatisfactory.
Read
August 9, 2011After reading the American Brat, I was thoroughly amused by The Crow Eaters. It is a comic picaresque which keeps the reader captivated with the light humor, suspense, and romance. The life and times of Freddy were described in a prolix yet interesting way. Although Freddy (Freedon Junglewalla) is the main character of the book, the story revolves around other members of his family and his influence on them. The skirmish encounters between Freddy and his mother-in-law (Jerbanoo) brought humor into the book.
Sidwa gave a refreshing account of India at the turn of the last century, beautifully describing the beliefs and customs of the Parsees. Last but not the least, Sidwa's characters were true to the title, "the crow eaters".
Sidwa gave a refreshing account of India at the turn of the last century, beautifully describing the beliefs and customs of the Parsees. Last but not the least, Sidwa's characters were true to the title, "the crow eaters".
March 20, 2018
A story about a parsee family in Lahore back in 1920s. This novel was my first introduction to any parsee family, their customs and their religion off course. very well written. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. Highly recommended for those who want to read a novel full of knowledge.
March 9, 2018
Absolutely loved it. Story telling is amazing and you immediately hooked to it. A Parsi family in Lahore and relationship of Son in Law and Mother in Law keeps you interesting through out the journey. This is my first read of Bapsi Sidhwa, looking forward to read more of her work.
May 8, 2010
I LOVE DIS BOOK...I ENJOYED IT ...ALOT...BUT FROM LITERARY POINT OF VIEW ITS BASED ON RELATIONSHIPS , MARXISM , N SOCIETY FROM PAKISTANI CONTEXT...
October 7, 2023
I would say I liked this rather than loved it, though it's very readable and quite funny. The characters did at time seemed more caricatures than anything, though, and while I think that this is intentional, it meant I did not always feel much warmth for them. Also, I appreciate this is just the times it represents but the hyper narrow representation of women and their opportunities was just rather bleak and made me sad.
3.5 stars perhaps? I'll round down as I'm not sure it's a book I'll think about much now I've finished it, though I did learn a lot about Parsee culture which was very interesting and it gives a very compelling sense of Pakistan (or India really) pre-partition as well.
3.5 stars perhaps? I'll round down as I'm not sure it's a book I'll think about much now I've finished it, though I did learn a lot about Parsee culture which was very interesting and it gives a very compelling sense of Pakistan (or India really) pre-partition as well.
January 18, 2019
Meh... just meh.😒
August 20, 2021
this book just moves from one thing to the next
January 16, 2019
This book befuddled me. I wanted to like it so much more than I did. To me, it felt like a long string of vignettes or short stories that were forced together in one novel that didn't fully manage to capture my attention. Sure the attention to historical detail was interesting and the humour (at the Parsi community's expense) was worth a giggle here and there but overall was not very happy that this was my second book of the year's reading list. Hopefully the next 50 will be better!
August 16, 2025
Took me a bit to get into the story. Found all the shenanigans to be a bit too cringe at the start, but then eventually, I saw the charm in them. The arson arc, the Janam Patri regarding Soli, the huge wedding, and the London excursion were the best bits for me. Very wholesome, and full of hilariously portrayed family drama. Actually, loved the whole last half of the book, when the characters had finally all settled inside me.
Overall, a fascinating insight into the Parsee community. It was heartwarming to see how unified they are.
Overall, a fascinating insight into the Parsee community. It was heartwarming to see how unified they are.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2022
Since I read Ice-candy Man by Sidhwa. My expectations from her were relatively elevated, and to my delight, I was not disappointed reading The Crow Eaters. This novel covers all the syncretism of India before the partition and its high-functioning chaos. Sidhwa moved the Junglewallas across India to Simla and Bombay and lastly to London. Describing the subcontinent at the turn of the last century portraying its varied customs and traits with contagious humor.
The novel opens with the Faredoon Junglewalla (Freddy). A Parsi philanthropist, businessman, and an overall fraud moves his family (including his happily unmodernized wife Putli, children, and his only nemesis mother-in-law Jerbanoo) to Lahore from Central India in order to make good fortune and a comfortable niche for himself.
The novel tightly wovens the joys, annoyances, bawdy emotions, and tragedies all at the same time with such compliance. The nuisances seem familiar to the reader because most of the families from all over the planet have the same fundamental existence. The only distinction lay in the details of the people's lives.
In the prosperous middle years of Freddy's life, the hideous reality strikes him when the prophecy of Gopal Krishan turned into a truth. Out of the seven children, his eldest boy Soli died of typhoid in his blossoming youth. It shattered Freddy and to crown the misery his middle son Yazdi abandoned them after the awful verity of the Anglo-Indian prostitute Rossy. The only son Billy got married to a captivating aristocrat girl Tanya. Sidhwa wickedly represented the idea about how in the repressed atmosphere love grows astonishingly on nothing. It sprouts in the oddest places at the oddest times and takes the most bizarre forms.
Freddy lived a reliable life and got succeeded in providing a promising future to his children and attaining a rare distinction, respect, and gratitude among his community. He died at the age of sixty-five. His name is invoked in all the major ceremonies performed in Punjab and Sindh, an ever-present testimony to the success of his charming rascality. This book is well worth the time to read.
The novel opens with the Faredoon Junglewalla (Freddy). A Parsi philanthropist, businessman, and an overall fraud moves his family (including his happily unmodernized wife Putli, children, and his only nemesis mother-in-law Jerbanoo) to Lahore from Central India in order to make good fortune and a comfortable niche for himself.
The novel tightly wovens the joys, annoyances, bawdy emotions, and tragedies all at the same time with such compliance. The nuisances seem familiar to the reader because most of the families from all over the planet have the same fundamental existence. The only distinction lay in the details of the people's lives.
In the prosperous middle years of Freddy's life, the hideous reality strikes him when the prophecy of Gopal Krishan turned into a truth. Out of the seven children, his eldest boy Soli died of typhoid in his blossoming youth. It shattered Freddy and to crown the misery his middle son Yazdi abandoned them after the awful verity of the Anglo-Indian prostitute Rossy. The only son Billy got married to a captivating aristocrat girl Tanya. Sidhwa wickedly represented the idea about how in the repressed atmosphere love grows astonishingly on nothing. It sprouts in the oddest places at the oddest times and takes the most bizarre forms.
Freddy lived a reliable life and got succeeded in providing a promising future to his children and attaining a rare distinction, respect, and gratitude among his community. He died at the age of sixty-five. His name is invoked in all the major ceremonies performed in Punjab and Sindh, an ever-present testimony to the success of his charming rascality. This book is well worth the time to read.
May 24, 2014
Bapsi Sidhwa's 'Ice Candy Man' is a classic; therefore my expectations were already high when I started reading 'The Crow Eaters' and much to my joy, I was not disappointed.
The story is on the charming Parsi community to which Bapsi herself belongs and captures their domestic and social life with much ease. The novel also tells us about the progressive Parsi community and its contribution towards India. Though the novel is not that "funny" as some of the reviews suggest but that no where belittles it awesomeness.
I would suggest everyone to read it; meanwhile I am off to order Bapsi Sidhwa's another novel!!
The story is on the charming Parsi community to which Bapsi herself belongs and captures their domestic and social life with much ease. The novel also tells us about the progressive Parsi community and its contribution towards India. Though the novel is not that "funny" as some of the reviews suggest but that no where belittles it awesomeness.
I would suggest everyone to read it; meanwhile I am off to order Bapsi Sidhwa's another novel!!
February 6, 2017
so I picked this up in Thailand for free at a little exchange place. The title is what sold me, and the fact that there were few other English books.....
I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised how it kept my interest. It several stories about a particular family, and did not follow a simple formula with a clear climax and resolution....more character driven...which I actually like better.
I also enjoyed reading about a particular people group and time period I, honestly, am pretty ignorant about.
The author is clever and I caught myself laughing out loud at a few of the stories.
I'd say definitely worth the read for something different, informative and entertaining.
I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised how it kept my interest. It several stories about a particular family, and did not follow a simple formula with a clear climax and resolution....more character driven...which I actually like better.
I also enjoyed reading about a particular people group and time period I, honestly, am pretty ignorant about.
The author is clever and I caught myself laughing out loud at a few of the stories.
I'd say definitely worth the read for something different, informative and entertaining.
August 11, 2025
This is very much a novel of it's time, an account of the life of a Parsi family moving from central India to Lahore. It pokes fun at everyone, Indian and English, and the traditions of the times.
It's a series of little stories set at important points in the family history, and mostly pretty light and humorous.
The one point that I really couldn't forgive was the section dealing with the treatment of a fourteen year old girl forced into prostitution. I realise that Bapsi Sidhwa would have a very different experience of women's rights than me, and that this was probably a reflection of the time and culture, but to make light of child rape was a bit much for me.
It's a series of little stories set at important points in the family history, and mostly pretty light and humorous.
The one point that I really couldn't forgive was the section dealing with the treatment of a fourteen year old girl forced into prostitution. I realise that Bapsi Sidhwa would have a very different experience of women's rights than me, and that this was probably a reflection of the time and culture, but to make light of child rape was a bit much for me.
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