Indian Readers discussion

The next Indian BOTM would be read over the period of March and April.

Feel free to join in and dicuss!

Blurb from Goodreads:
In 1899, in the south Indian village of Chevathar, Solomon Dorai is contemplating the imminent destruction of his world and everything he holds dear. As the thalaivar, or headman, of Chevathar, he seeks to preserve the village from both catastrophe and change, and the decisions he makes will mark his family for generations to come. A gripping family chronicle, The House of Blue Mangoes spans nearly half a century and three generations of the Dorai family as they search for their place in a rapidly changing society. The novel brings vividly to life a small corner of India, while offering a stark indictment of colonialism and reflecting with great poignancy on the inexorable social transformations of the subcontinent.

I think I have a paperback, will try to get my hands on it.

I'm glad this got selected. It looks like a long leisurely read with a straightforward story spanning across decades.

I'll pick this by mid March.

Has anyone started reading this ?

Count me in too. It's a reread for me, read it nearly a decade ago. Hope it still holds the same charm as last time.

I haven't. But it is going to be my immediate next read.
I'm slightly late than anticipated. Will start by this Friday.

Had the first mango of the season today, which prompted me to pick this.
Have read the first four chapters from Part 1. I love the build up.

Have read till Chapter 20 of Part 1.
This is working good as a slow enjoyable read.

When Solomon walked across those farms - it reminded me of Murugan's Firebird.

I'm on chapter 40, part 2.

The story's progression from Chevathar to Doraipuram, as well as Solomon's fate, seemed abrupt and incomplete to me. For a second, I thought I had skipped a paragraph. Part 2 is clearly about the two brothers and although I read slowly, I can't wait to see how the story develops.


A side note, the book Castes and Tribes of Southern India by Edgar Thurston mentioned on page77. While I couldn't confirm whether this book was included in the ICS training at that time, my search revealed that the book was first published in 1909, a decade after the events unfolded in Chevarthar. Does this mean that I have to work on my research skills or was the author not counting on a curious reader to pick this book up?
I digress. Back to my reading..