What do you think?
Rate this book
Coromandel Sea Change
Blaise and Mary arrive at Patna Hall, a hotel on India's shimmering Coromandel coast, to spend part of their honeymoon. Patna Hall is as beautiful and timeless as India itself, ruled over firmly and wise by proprietor Auntie Sanni. For Mary it feels strangely like home.
In a week that will change the young couple's destiny, election fever grips the Southern Indian state and Mary falls under the spell of the people, the country - and Krishnan, godlike candidate for the Root and Flower party . . .
In a week that will change the young couple's destiny, election fever grips the Southern Indian state and Mary falls under the spell of the people, the country - and Krishnan, godlike candidate for the Root and Flower party . . .
Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
261 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Rumer Godden
153 books553 followersMargaret Rumer Godden was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
April 30, 2016
Oh this one holds some true clashes of temperament and entire worldview sensibility. It's entrenched within the culture of India and within a Coromandel coast hotel. Think much like the hotel "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" - that kind of setting but on a cove of that wild coast. It's in the week prior to a local election. The first pages of this novel list the myriads of hotel characters. Employers, clients, employees, associated neighborhood help and they run to the dozens. It's 4 pages in my book.
Here's the crux- it just DRENCHES the reader in Indian world reality for these humans and the township of this election. AND the animals, and there are 4 or 5 that have names and roles in the story. A donkey, an elephant, a bird, a squirrel, a shark- they all have roles.
But it's real. Too real for the common reader to fall in love with this story and plot. It holds the essence of disagreement. And a response to the culture. And to identification as an adult for two particular young women. One English, one Indian.
And by the end, there's several bitter and difficult twists that will hold surprise for the reader. And also the exact reactions (IMHO) to this story that some of the 2 star review posters seem to reflect for this book. I did read them this time, because I wondered way a Godden book could be evaluated so low.
BUT because it's like real life, and it is far more complex and difficult of result than most fiction in such glorious association and erotic locale, I understand others reactions.
The politico story thread is 5 star. What insight and marketing of the spirit and wonder of the Indian "spectacle"! The honeymoon story tears the heart. I've read it flew out of the autographical memory of Rumer Godden's first marriage. I know nothing of this but that blog sentence, but can I believe it, after reading this book.
This story will produce gut level cores of Indian density and reality for physical features- never forget that fact. I'm super glad I read it. This is not the novel to read if you do not want depth and like sugary, smiley-face and glorious sunshine stories of inter-action, similar to the movie I mentioned. Or need frenetic action of the principles every 4 pages. Instead it holds quotes of truth for Indian reactions from foreigners and much more of the ethnic and ironic. I too have seen people in my own life who have become embedded in India when they visit or reside- and others that are as much repealed to the opposite reaction and cannot wait to leave. Both valid to their core.
Those who have and hold to their chests concrete walls of political correctness and views may not be able to connect with this place, plot, designations, comparable evaluations in the spirit of the time it was written or by the definition of what they assume now in 2016. Or in the context for the outcome and epilogue either.
She knew India in her time. You can absolutely know that Rumer Godden had an Indian childhood.
Here's the crux- it just DRENCHES the reader in Indian world reality for these humans and the township of this election. AND the animals, and there are 4 or 5 that have names and roles in the story. A donkey, an elephant, a bird, a squirrel, a shark- they all have roles.
But it's real. Too real for the common reader to fall in love with this story and plot. It holds the essence of disagreement. And a response to the culture. And to identification as an adult for two particular young women. One English, one Indian.
And by the end, there's several bitter and difficult twists that will hold surprise for the reader. And also the exact reactions (IMHO) to this story that some of the 2 star review posters seem to reflect for this book. I did read them this time, because I wondered way a Godden book could be evaluated so low.
BUT because it's like real life, and it is far more complex and difficult of result than most fiction in such glorious association and erotic locale, I understand others reactions.
The politico story thread is 5 star. What insight and marketing of the spirit and wonder of the Indian "spectacle"! The honeymoon story tears the heart. I've read it flew out of the autographical memory of Rumer Godden's first marriage. I know nothing of this but that blog sentence, but can I believe it, after reading this book.
This story will produce gut level cores of Indian density and reality for physical features- never forget that fact. I'm super glad I read it. This is not the novel to read if you do not want depth and like sugary, smiley-face and glorious sunshine stories of inter-action, similar to the movie I mentioned. Or need frenetic action of the principles every 4 pages. Instead it holds quotes of truth for Indian reactions from foreigners and much more of the ethnic and ironic. I too have seen people in my own life who have become embedded in India when they visit or reside- and others that are as much repealed to the opposite reaction and cannot wait to leave. Both valid to their core.
Those who have and hold to their chests concrete walls of political correctness and views may not be able to connect with this place, plot, designations, comparable evaluations in the spirit of the time it was written or by the definition of what they assume now in 2016. Or in the context for the outcome and epilogue either.
She knew India in her time. You can absolutely know that Rumer Godden had an Indian childhood.
February 6, 2017
Rumer Godden’s Coromandel Sea Change is a book best approached with little information. Let’s just say that this exotic novel focuses on an old-fashioned hotel, Patna Hall, run by Anglo-Indians to the highest specifications. To this hotel come an ill-suited couple on their honeymoon — the hidebound junior diplomat Blaise Browne and his exuberant, free-thinking, much-younger wife, Mary. Married less than a month, the couple is already at odds, as he tries to control her and thinks more of his position than of his wife’s feelings. Can a trip to India change the course of their lives?
This bittersweet novel, first released in 1991, must have been set in 20th century India; after all, a local parliamentary election plays a large part in the novel and Mary Browne encounters a female constable. That said, the feel of Coromandel Sea Change definitely harks from before independence and partition, and Godden, who lived in India, off and on, for most of her life, truly captures the sights, sounds, smells and — well, sensation — of the country, as well as delivering a valentine to the high standards of hotels run by families, which deliver the service and luxury of a bygone day in this day of sterile chain hotels which try to overwhelm you with excess and über-modern gleaming glass and steel. Give me Aunti Sanni, Colonel McIndoe, and Patna Hall any day of the week, thank you.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Open Road Media in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so, so much for reissuing this gem!
This bittersweet novel, first released in 1991, must have been set in 20th century India; after all, a local parliamentary election plays a large part in the novel and Mary Browne encounters a female constable. That said, the feel of Coromandel Sea Change definitely harks from before independence and partition, and Godden, who lived in India, off and on, for most of her life, truly captures the sights, sounds, smells and — well, sensation — of the country, as well as delivering a valentine to the high standards of hotels run by families, which deliver the service and luxury of a bygone day in this day of sterile chain hotels which try to overwhelm you with excess and über-modern gleaming glass and steel. Give me Aunti Sanni, Colonel McIndoe, and Patna Hall any day of the week, thank you.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Open Road Media in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so, so much for reissuing this gem!
January 13, 2009
I love Rumer Godden. Her style charms me, and I mean that in the sense that I become enrapt in her magical bookscapes. Coromandel Sea Change is about an Englishwoman who goes to India on her honeymoon and becomes deeply involved in the local politics. It sounds like it would be about "real things" but it's really about inner things...falsehood and truth, and the nature of reality. The Indian background is dreamlike, almost mystical, and it makes a perfect contrast and backdrop for Mary's sharp, painful, oddly fascinating confrontation of the reality of, among other things, her new marriage.
July 24, 2025
I find it impossible not to like anything written by Rumer Godden, and this one quickly won me over despite some features that ought to have turned me off.
To begin with, it is quite dated in its depiction of southern India; but then, Godden wrote about the India she had known as a young woman, so it is undoubtedly accurate for its time. And the whole thing is shamelessly romantic, by far the most romantic of the six Godden books I’ve read thus far. But even that failed to put me off; the story, the setting and the characters are so rich that I find it impossible to quibble.
At the centre of the tale we’re confronted by a dreadfully mismatched pair of newlyweds: Mary, enthralled with the locale and its inhabitants, the sheer exoticism of it all, while her insufferable stuffed-shirt of a husband—Blaise St. John Browne “with an e”—detests everything he encounters and insists on attempting to domineer over his bride. Whatever prompted these two to marry remains a mystery.
From the outset, one is sure to be reminded of that charming film “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” although this hotel, Patna Hall, shares with the Marigold only its exotic location, the Hall being the epitome of luxurious accommodation—at least of the Indian variety.
Rumer Godden was determined to make sure her readers got the full treatment, immersing us in every detail of landscape, vegetation, climate, culture, language, and especially the chaos of Indian politics. As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that it cannot end very well; but, like any good dramatist, she provides light relief through moments and events of sparkling humor.
To begin with, it is quite dated in its depiction of southern India; but then, Godden wrote about the India she had known as a young woman, so it is undoubtedly accurate for its time. And the whole thing is shamelessly romantic, by far the most romantic of the six Godden books I’ve read thus far. But even that failed to put me off; the story, the setting and the characters are so rich that I find it impossible to quibble.
At the centre of the tale we’re confronted by a dreadfully mismatched pair of newlyweds: Mary, enthralled with the locale and its inhabitants, the sheer exoticism of it all, while her insufferable stuffed-shirt of a husband—Blaise St. John Browne “with an e”—detests everything he encounters and insists on attempting to domineer over his bride. Whatever prompted these two to marry remains a mystery.
From the outset, one is sure to be reminded of that charming film “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” although this hotel, Patna Hall, shares with the Marigold only its exotic location, the Hall being the epitome of luxurious accommodation—at least of the Indian variety.
Rumer Godden was determined to make sure her readers got the full treatment, immersing us in every detail of landscape, vegetation, climate, culture, language, and especially the chaos of Indian politics. As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that it cannot end very well; but, like any good dramatist, she provides light relief through moments and events of sparkling humor.
October 12, 2007
The chief attraction of this book is its exotic locale -- a luxury seaside hotel in India. Godden is a master at capturing the essence of a place. Reading Coramandel Sea Change is probably the closest I'll ever come to lounging around a gorgeous resort.
This is also a story of sexual repression, which I believe was inspired by Rumer's first marriage to Lawrence Foster. It's impressive that she could conjure such bitter scenes years after her own disastrous honeymoon. She gives an interesting account of this trip on the documentary that appears on the Criterion Collection's DVD of The River.
All in all, this is not my favorite Godden story, but it is a solid book that lends added insight to this author's fascinating life.
This is also a story of sexual repression, which I believe was inspired by Rumer's first marriage to Lawrence Foster. It's impressive that she could conjure such bitter scenes years after her own disastrous honeymoon. She gives an interesting account of this trip on the documentary that appears on the Criterion Collection's DVD of The River.
All in all, this is not my favorite Godden story, but it is a solid book that lends added insight to this author's fascinating life.
July 7, 2017
My love of Southern India might cloud my rating a bit, but as this is the second time I've read this book, I doubt it. It's so cinematic, and the characters so well written, that the pleasure in a well-rounded novel hasn't faded.
May 14, 2018
3.5 stars. This is my third Rumer Godden novel, chosen at random, and I really like her prose.
Mary, the lonely daughter of an English diplomat, has married in haste her first lover: her father’s ambitious secretary. While on her honeymoon at an old-fashioned resort on the coast of India, she falls in love with the hotel, and with the proprietor Auntie Sanni, and by extension all of India. She is bewildered by her new husband’s distinct lack of enthusiasm.
The locals are preparing for an election, and Mary is vastly impressed by the beautiful Krishnan, the candidate for the Root and Flower Party. He has “blue-black skin”, an Oxford education, and a distaste for the corruption of Indian politics. He’s very kind and gentle, and is strongly contrasted with Mary’s husband. This isn’t a romance novel, though. Mary’s attraction is spiritual rather than sexual.
The hotel is immensely romantic; every bit as alluring to the reader as it is to Mary. The staff and the collection of English visitors are good secondary characters. The time period isn’t exactly specified, but the story feels so old-fashioned that it’s startling when Aunti Sanni speaks of acquiring a computer to handle their accounts.
Part of the ending is telegraphed early on, when the arrogant Englishman is forbidden . At the end of the book Mary is making decisions while still intoxicated by her recent experiences, and one wonders if she’ll feel the same way when she leaves the shelter of the resort.
Mary, the lonely daughter of an English diplomat, has married in haste her first lover: her father’s ambitious secretary. While on her honeymoon at an old-fashioned resort on the coast of India, she falls in love with the hotel, and with the proprietor Auntie Sanni, and by extension all of India. She is bewildered by her new husband’s distinct lack of enthusiasm.
The locals are preparing for an election, and Mary is vastly impressed by the beautiful Krishnan, the candidate for the Root and Flower Party. He has “blue-black skin”, an Oxford education, and a distaste for the corruption of Indian politics. He’s very kind and gentle, and is strongly contrasted with Mary’s husband. This isn’t a romance novel, though. Mary’s attraction is spiritual rather than sexual.
The hotel is immensely romantic; every bit as alluring to the reader as it is to Mary. The staff and the collection of English visitors are good secondary characters. The time period isn’t exactly specified, but the story feels so old-fashioned that it’s startling when Aunti Sanni speaks of acquiring a computer to handle their accounts.
Part of the ending is telegraphed early on, when the arrogant Englishman is forbidden . At the end of the book Mary is making decisions while still intoxicated by her recent experiences, and one wonders if she’ll feel the same way when she leaves the shelter of the resort.
September 20, 2016
Rumer Golden is one of my favorite authors. She can tell a story! In this book we travel to the Patna Hall Hotel in India. I could really picture this place in my mind as Ms Godden described it so well. Run by the queenly Aunt Sannie, the hotel if full to over flowing as it is the week before a big election in this area. A young married couple, the Brownes, caught my interest right away. Blaise Browne is a young diplomat just married to the daughter of a diplomat. Mary is just 18 and seems surprised to find that marriage is not all she thought it would be. Seems her young husband has changed in the month of their marriage and not in a good way. But Mary has changed as well. She finds India fascinating where Blaise finds it barely bearable. And so begins a tale that is brought with intrigue and heartbreak for several guests at the hotel. This was a 'beach" read for me as I am on vacation and it was the perfect book for afternoons at the beach.
August 31, 2015
A nice story, charming even, marred unfortunately by glaring anachronisms. The book came out in 1991, but it's impossible to tell when the book is set. The main characters, uptight young British diplomat and his teenage bride, have a conflict of a kind that couldn't imaginably happen more recently than the 1960s. The election belongs to a time that could be any time after the invention of the helicopter, but before mobile phones. Late in the novel, one of the characters mentions that the hotel really ought to have a computer, even though until that point in the story, the hotel has been managing on two party-lines, one of which is always occupied by a yellow journalist at their hotel, a detail that seems similarly stuck in the 1960s with his telephone-filed stories of innuendo and malice.
September 1, 2012
Disappointing. I fell in love with the author after reading In This House of Brede, but this book wasn’t on the same level at all. There is a certain lyrical quality to the writing but the content was lacking. There were also tones and themes I was disappointed to see from a Catholic author. Free spirits (including free love) seems to be the order of the day in this novel.
December 20, 2009
Lightly entertaining but not one of her most interesting (Black Narcissus, The River). Takes place over one week in a hotel on the south east coast of India during a local election. Between the hotel staff and the guests, there are lots of characters and stories but the characters are a bit stereotypical (I had to wince when an American woman said something was "real fun") and the events a bit predictable. Interesting descriptions of the area, food, and politics but overall not much depth.
September 15, 2017
3.5 Stars and a promise to myself to look for other books by this author-
I really enjoyed this English invasion of India at Auntie's hotel by the sea, peppered with wonderful characters and undeniable respect for India's people, culture and religions.
Heartbreaking situation for a honeymoon couple in one respect, but it was uncommonly modern thinking for this author. Vivid portrayals of enchanting scenes to remember.
I really enjoyed this English invasion of India at Auntie's hotel by the sea, peppered with wonderful characters and undeniable respect for India's people, culture and religions.
Heartbreaking situation for a honeymoon couple in one respect, but it was uncommonly modern thinking for this author. Vivid portrayals of enchanting scenes to remember.
August 10, 2020
A young woman has a life changing experience at an Indian seashore hotel. The sights and sounds of India with a tight story line.
November 9, 2024
Emotionally deft, choate and delectable reading. A newlywed British couple honeymoons at an old-fashioned, spa-type getaway hotel on the beautiful Coromandel coast. The exact time it takes place is not known, ostensibly 20th-century India.
I really enjoy finding these not-well-known, back-list sorts of books. I could picture Coromandel Sea Change as being a Turner Classic film, one that had a really big budget! As it is, I am fortunate that the library has these older books available. Rumer Godden is not a particularly well-known author but you may be familiar with one of her other works, Black Narcissus (which I have not yet read). Other of hers which I have read is An Episode of Sparrows, it too being just very special.
Highly recommend.
I really enjoy finding these not-well-known, back-list sorts of books. I could picture Coromandel Sea Change as being a Turner Classic film, one that had a really big budget! As it is, I am fortunate that the library has these older books available. Rumer Godden is not a particularly well-known author but you may be familiar with one of her other works, Black Narcissus (which I have not yet read). Other of hers which I have read is An Episode of Sparrows, it too being just very special.
Highly recommend.
December 28, 2016
Many people are bewitched on their first encounter with India. Bewitched or repelled.
Blaise hated the bazaars, the smell of human excrement in the gutters, the cooking smells of mustard oil and ghee, the over ripe fruit with their cloud of flies, the starving children, the cheap, man made goods. But his eighteen-year-old, newly wed wife had spent a lifetime sheltered in school. "I want to see it whole," she insisted. She was tired of club people and westernized Indians.
Blaise and Mary's marriage was perhaps doomed from the beginning. After they had made love, Blaise asked her father for her hand in marriage--because her father was his boss and it was the right thing to do. She had thought she was in love. Their unsuitability is brought into deep relief at the Patna Inn on the beautiful and dangerous Coromandel Coast.
The hotel and city was buzzing with campaigning before the local election, the hotel rooms full. The young couple are given a romantic, open beach house. Mary loves it. Blaise complains about the lack of running water and privacy. When they are visited by a donkey, Mary wants to give it sugar; Blaise wants the dirty beast away.
Wandering alone at night, Mary meets the charming Krishnan, a Western educated candidate posing as Krishna to draw voters to him. He is taking a vow of silence, and dressed in a loin cloth, his lips painted blue, he will parade through the streets, his hand held in blessing.
Remember all is fair in love and war. Politics now are a war, a bitter, greedy war and I have to fight Padmina Retty in every way I can...Indian politics are corrupt, venal..."
Krishnan's idealism and personal charm draw Mary to assist him in his campaign. He sends a message inviting her to be on his lorry dressed as the goddess Radha, a Hindu goddess. The plain Mary is dressed in a gauze and gold tissue sari, her face is painted, and she decked with beads and flowers and bracelets of gold.
"It's this Kirshnan. You're under a spell...Lots of girls go in at the deep end when they first meet Indians....He's using you."
Mary will not behave appropriately as the wife to a man in Blaise's position as a rising young diplomat. In the meantime, the provocative and treacherous dark skinned beauty Kuku has fallen in love with the handsome Nordic Blaise. Things spin out of control, and no one can stop it. But in the end Mary learns how to love--everyone, anyone.
Mary doesn't know, doesn't dream...This isn't England or even Europe. It's such a violent place.
Rumer Godden's dramatic novel is filled with memorable characters with interesting side stories and vivid descriptions of Godden's beloved India.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Blaise hated the bazaars, the smell of human excrement in the gutters, the cooking smells of mustard oil and ghee, the over ripe fruit with their cloud of flies, the starving children, the cheap, man made goods. But his eighteen-year-old, newly wed wife had spent a lifetime sheltered in school. "I want to see it whole," she insisted. She was tired of club people and westernized Indians.
Blaise and Mary's marriage was perhaps doomed from the beginning. After they had made love, Blaise asked her father for her hand in marriage--because her father was his boss and it was the right thing to do. She had thought she was in love. Their unsuitability is brought into deep relief at the Patna Inn on the beautiful and dangerous Coromandel Coast.
The hotel and city was buzzing with campaigning before the local election, the hotel rooms full. The young couple are given a romantic, open beach house. Mary loves it. Blaise complains about the lack of running water and privacy. When they are visited by a donkey, Mary wants to give it sugar; Blaise wants the dirty beast away.
Wandering alone at night, Mary meets the charming Krishnan, a Western educated candidate posing as Krishna to draw voters to him. He is taking a vow of silence, and dressed in a loin cloth, his lips painted blue, he will parade through the streets, his hand held in blessing.
Remember all is fair in love and war. Politics now are a war, a bitter, greedy war and I have to fight Padmina Retty in every way I can...Indian politics are corrupt, venal..."
Krishnan's idealism and personal charm draw Mary to assist him in his campaign. He sends a message inviting her to be on his lorry dressed as the goddess Radha, a Hindu goddess. The plain Mary is dressed in a gauze and gold tissue sari, her face is painted, and she decked with beads and flowers and bracelets of gold.
"It's this Kirshnan. You're under a spell...Lots of girls go in at the deep end when they first meet Indians....He's using you."
Mary will not behave appropriately as the wife to a man in Blaise's position as a rising young diplomat. In the meantime, the provocative and treacherous dark skinned beauty Kuku has fallen in love with the handsome Nordic Blaise. Things spin out of control, and no one can stop it. But in the end Mary learns how to love--everyone, anyone.
Mary doesn't know, doesn't dream...This isn't England or even Europe. It's such a violent place.
Rumer Godden's dramatic novel is filled with memorable characters with interesting side stories and vivid descriptions of Godden's beloved India.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
May 21, 2018
Very evocative of the place. I was swept up in the atmosphere and cared deeply about the donkey, Slippers, less so about the characters. I was frustrated by the ending in terms of the relationship between Mary and Krishnan. While I liked the innocence of their interactions, the ending seemed to purposely avoid the natural trajectory of their feelings for each other. Moreover Mary”s decision to go work in the slums of Calcutta felt wrong to me. She seemed on a path to being “adopted” by Auntie Sanni and helping her with the hotel. Finally, Blaise was a character out of colonial days, like Ronny in Passage to India, not in times when computers exist. So while i was very much absorbed in the book. I felt it was flawed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2020
The imagery is beautiful. The way everything is described almost wants you to paint it (which I did). However having said that, that was the thing I liked most about the book. I found the story line kind of boring and slow and I found I only kept reading because I thought that Something must happen in order for this to be a story. So I kept reading in hopes that the story line would get more interesting, of which it did but only at the very end. So overall I wouldn’t recommend it necessarily as the story line was a let down but I did enjoy learning a bit about the Indian culture and picturing the imagery that was described.
July 25, 2016
As I noted at the time, "the book had a slow start and generally didn't do much to sustain my interest."
One interesting quote from the book: "None of us should marry, unless we love a man so much we would go through hell for him, which we probably have to do."
One interesting quote from the book: "None of us should marry, unless we love a man so much we would go through hell for him, which we probably have to do."
June 28, 2017
Makes you want to travel to India.
July 20, 2018
Dinner burns in the pan, laundry goes unfolded, all the tasks of the day are laid aside in favor of a good book. This was such a book and now that it's finished, I am both exhilarated and bereft.
May 24, 2023
3.5 I read this when I was younger and loved it, but maybe I have become more cynical in my old(er) age, but I felt it was rather naive.
August 4, 2020
Just a shade less than 4 stars. This is one of Rumer Godden's India books, published in 1991, long after she left India to live in the UK. It is set in a hotel on the southeastern coast. If you enjoyed 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' by Deborah Maggoch, you might like this one.
'Coromandel Sea Change' has a timeless feel to it. That it is set after the Partition of 1947 can be determined from little details, but it is resolutely a story that deals with politics in the most idealized and local of ways. A political campaign for a seat in Parliament in Delhi forms the core of the story for the various characters to move around. Auntie Sanni is the proprietress of the Patna Hotel and she rules her domain with a benevolent but strong hand. Each week brings a new set of residents. The week our story is set finds some of the political campaigners in residence, a group of Americans who are studying archeology, Sir John and Lady Fisher, and a newlywed couple, Blaise and Mary Browne. It is this young couple that provides much of the drama, for Mary has fallen in love with India and Blaise has not. That they are ill-suited seems obvious to everyone, but how is their unhappy situation to be resolved? Complications ensue when Mary becomes fascinated with Krishnan Bhanj, the candidate of the Root and Flower Party. Her involvement in the campaign furthers her alienation from her young husband. Drama and tragedy follow, with a subdued resolution.
It is an old-fashioned type of storytelling with little or no introspection. The descriptions of the hotel and countryside are vivid. The characters who are not in love with India, Blaise and a few others, are treated rather harshly. I began to feel pity for young Blaise, whose life has spun away from him, because Mary would never let him control her. He is trying to play by the old rules, which no longer apply. There is a great deal of modern sensibility in regards to race, cast, and feminism, but a few remarks about homosexuality mar it.
I have read several books by Rumer Godden and enjoy her writing very much. But she can be a prickly and demanding author. One quirk is that a paragraph may start with one character speaking, only to have his/her thoughts or those of another character superimposed on the dialog. This is not always clear from the punctuation, so I frequently had to stop to untangle if someone was speaking or thinking.
If you are interested in stories about India, you may enjoy this.
'Coromandel Sea Change' has a timeless feel to it. That it is set after the Partition of 1947 can be determined from little details, but it is resolutely a story that deals with politics in the most idealized and local of ways. A political campaign for a seat in Parliament in Delhi forms the core of the story for the various characters to move around. Auntie Sanni is the proprietress of the Patna Hotel and she rules her domain with a benevolent but strong hand. Each week brings a new set of residents. The week our story is set finds some of the political campaigners in residence, a group of Americans who are studying archeology, Sir John and Lady Fisher, and a newlywed couple, Blaise and Mary Browne. It is this young couple that provides much of the drama, for Mary has fallen in love with India and Blaise has not. That they are ill-suited seems obvious to everyone, but how is their unhappy situation to be resolved? Complications ensue when Mary becomes fascinated with Krishnan Bhanj, the candidate of the Root and Flower Party. Her involvement in the campaign furthers her alienation from her young husband. Drama and tragedy follow, with a subdued resolution.
It is an old-fashioned type of storytelling with little or no introspection. The descriptions of the hotel and countryside are vivid. The characters who are not in love with India, Blaise and a few others, are treated rather harshly. I began to feel pity for young Blaise, whose life has spun away from him, because Mary would never let him control her. He is trying to play by the old rules, which no longer apply. There is a great deal of modern sensibility in regards to race, cast, and feminism, but a few remarks about homosexuality mar it.
I have read several books by Rumer Godden and enjoy her writing very much. But she can be a prickly and demanding author. One quirk is that a paragraph may start with one character speaking, only to have his/her thoughts or those of another character superimposed on the dialog. This is not always clear from the punctuation, so I frequently had to stop to untangle if someone was speaking or thinking.
If you are interested in stories about India, you may enjoy this.
March 3, 2019
A beautifully written book (of course, it’s by Rumer Godden.) Godden starts with the perfect setup - a grand Indian hotel on the sea, where a varied “cast of characters “ arrive for a week - and then takes the story down paths you don’t expect. Don’t read this thinking it’s going to be a lighthearted tale - it’s definitely not. It’s much deeper and takes some dark turns and there are some scenes and revelations that are shocking. But everything that happens is earned.
My one slight problem with the book was that I couldn’t figure out when the story was taking place. Perhaps Godden meant it to be this way - a way to illustrate the timeless quality of life at Patma Hall. But it bothered me that I couldn’t place the story in a specific year or even decade. It wasn’t until almost the end, when a computer is mentioned, that I realized it must be the present day (eg the time when the book was being written.) And yet some of the plot elements -like the relationship between Mary and her new husband- seemed more rooted in the 1950s or earlier.
My one slight problem with the book was that I couldn’t figure out when the story was taking place. Perhaps Godden meant it to be this way - a way to illustrate the timeless quality of life at Patma Hall. But it bothered me that I couldn’t place the story in a specific year or even decade. It wasn’t until almost the end, when a computer is mentioned, that I realized it must be the present day (eg the time when the book was being written.) And yet some of the plot elements -like the relationship between Mary and her new husband- seemed more rooted in the 1950s or earlier.
November 8, 2019
In Coromandel Sea Change, Rumer Godden pursued the theme of insulation versus openness with a vibrancy that caotuvates. We see life on this South Indian coast through Mary’s fresh eyes and readiness-to-embrace and Blaise’s cynical, dyspeptic perspective. More complex than the characters themselves is Coromandel, a place at once forbidding and alluring, providing its visitors with an opportunity to find their truths among its multiple facets. The wildness and vigor of the sea is contrasted with the order and stateliness of Padna Hall, a dependable container for its dwellers’ longings, anxieties, and aspirations. The plot line moves along briskly enough and kept me (and I would think most) fully engaged. As lush and detailed as Godden’s description of the physical environment is, it never seems self-indulgent and showy. A minor point is that at times, I felt that the novel could have had cleaner lines with the omission of some of the ancillary characters. However, I give a very strong recommendation of this novel, written by a consummate storyteller.
March 5, 2021
Reminiscent of A Passage to India and The Jewel in the Crown. Godden was an outstanding writer. I’m so glad I found her!
I’m taking away a star for two reasons: 1. Because Godden has an confusing way of composing dialogue into one paragraph, forcing me to reread sections—I noticed this also in In This House of Brede. 2. Because in this novel Godden seems enamored with Hindu spirituality, and I came to this book after reading In This House of Brede and wanting more of the same.
And for all of the reviewers who question that such an old-fashioned Raj-period hotel could exist in 1990–well, I have news for you. Because after many years traveling budget-style in India, I recently stumbled upon such a place in Kerela. All of the guests (but me) were wealthy Brits, who dressed for dinner, and who traveled in a style I thought was a thing of the past. Raj-era was definitely what the hotel was aiming for. Although it was shockingly expensive, the rooms didn’t have Wi-fi, televisions, or room service. Yes, these places still exist.
I’m taking away a star for two reasons: 1. Because Godden has an confusing way of composing dialogue into one paragraph, forcing me to reread sections—I noticed this also in In This House of Brede. 2. Because in this novel Godden seems enamored with Hindu spirituality, and I came to this book after reading In This House of Brede and wanting more of the same.
And for all of the reviewers who question that such an old-fashioned Raj-period hotel could exist in 1990–well, I have news for you. Because after many years traveling budget-style in India, I recently stumbled upon such a place in Kerela. All of the guests (but me) were wealthy Brits, who dressed for dinner, and who traveled in a style I thought was a thing of the past. Raj-era was definitely what the hotel was aiming for. Although it was shockingly expensive, the rooms didn’t have Wi-fi, televisions, or room service. Yes, these places still exist.
April 4, 2018
Rumer Godden is SUCH an excellent writer! This book, set in her beloved India, centers around a hotel on the Coromandel Sea coast, in the middle of an election frenzy. The hotel is full with old friends, an archeological tour, the organizers of one of the election parties, and a young couple on their honeymoon. Auntie Sammi and her husband own the hotel, and we also meet many of the people who work there. The young bride gets caught up in the electioneering, fascinated by the young handsome Indian who is running, much to her stuffy husband's dismay. A mysterious woman in the next room, a friendly donkey, and even an elephant add to the interest. I read this book in one sitting, with just a couple breaks, I was so fascinated by it. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2021
This book has an excellent air of mystery. You arrive, like some of the guests, not at all sure where you are and who the characters are. The time setting is mysterious too - sometime in the immediate aftermath of independence?
The hotel is an island of relative routine and calm between the wildness of the ocean and the seeming slightly inhospitable strangeness of the country around. But is ultimately not immune to the forces of individuals’ actions and destiny.
Life has been going on in the hotel before you got there and, for some of the characters, carries on afterward; although utterly changed.
The hotel is an island of relative routine and calm between the wildness of the ocean and the seeming slightly inhospitable strangeness of the country around. But is ultimately not immune to the forces of individuals’ actions and destiny.
Life has been going on in the hotel before you got there and, for some of the characters, carries on afterward; although utterly changed.
September 14, 2017
LOved this book! IT's set in India in a grand hotel on the sea. The owner, Auntie Sammi, is a real character-she's the heart of the book. It takes place on a busy weekend-many guests, including a honeymooning couple, the regulars( an elderly couple), a couple of would be politicians, who are backing a local candidate for MP. This young man is a real comer and smart. He's running against a woman, who has been MP for many years and is pulling out all stops to win this election. The story is well told, with some surprises thrown in that I liked very much.
September 28, 2017
This book ended completely differently than I thought it would. It's the story of Mary Browne, who has married in haste a cold, pompous man who really is not suitable for her. While on honeymoon in India, Mary's eyes, heart and spirit are opened to a new world that greatly appeals to her. It does not, however, appeal to her new husband whatsoever. Needless to say, conflicts arise, and the book is populated with interesting characters, including some animals. A good read for a sleepy afternoon.
July 18, 2018
A Special Treat
I am a great fan of Rumer Goden's work and am slowly reading all of her books. So far, this book is my favorite. As with her other India books, the setting comes to life with her words. The characters are unique and unforgettable. What made this book my favorite was the magical relationship between Mary, the young English bride, and Krishnan, the enlightened Indian politician. Such an enchanting story! This is the perfect book to read when you want to travel far away from your day to day doldrums.
I am a great fan of Rumer Goden's work and am slowly reading all of her books. So far, this book is my favorite. As with her other India books, the setting comes to life with her words. The characters are unique and unforgettable. What made this book my favorite was the magical relationship between Mary, the young English bride, and Krishnan, the enlightened Indian politician. Such an enchanting story! This is the perfect book to read when you want to travel far away from your day to day doldrums.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews