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A review by anusha_reads
Simsim by Anita Gopalan, Geet Chaturvedi
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
SIMSIM, GEET CHATURVEDI, Tr. ANITA GOPALAN, LONGLISTED FOR THE JCB PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023
A poignant tale of lost love, lost space, and lost time, Geet Chaturvedi weaves a beautiful narrative primarily about the Sindhi refugees after the partition. There is a tattered old book, Basar Mal, Mangan’s Ma, Dil Khush Sambose wallah, and ‘I’ (the unnamed narrator).
Every chapter has an epigraph, an interesting quote from famous books.
‘EACH OF US IS INCOMPLETE IN SOME CORNER OF THE WORLD: AN INFINITE LIMITLESS WORLD THAT IS ITSELF INCIMPLETE, WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END.’
The highlight of the book was Basar Mal, his life being a constant struggle. Basar Mal, an old Sindhi in Bombay now, has left everything behind due to partition, his land, family, and love. He owns a dilapidated library visited by very few people.
Dil Khush, who sells tea and snacks, has a shop close to the library, and it's often crowded.
Basar Mal’s wife, Mangan’s Ma, whom he fondly calls Jalo, is obsessed with cleanliness and washing. ‘
I,’ the unnamed narrator, is a young graduate with an imaginative girlfriend. He frequently argues with his father.
The tattered book has its own voice, feeling almost magical like the Simsim. Its stories, whether about death or the Chakwa-Chakwi tale, add colour to the book. One story that made a place in my heart was about a beautiful girl named Neel Sar, drawing parallels between her life and books. The book speaks of its highs and lows, history and politics, life, and death.
‘I AM FOND OF BASAR MAL. I AM FOND OF EVERY PERSON THAT READS BOOKS, KEEPS BOOKS, LOVES BOOKS.’- the book.
Dreams unfulfilled, songs unsung, minds with innumerable thoughts and memories, a broken heart, the story is about impermanence, inconsistency, and vagueness of life. With innumerable quotable quotes, the book is a slow read, but it is worth mulling over and rereading to understand the nuances hidden between the lines.
The translator has done a wonderful job, making it seamless for the reader, as if it were originally written in English.
'WHEN PEOPLE WE LOVE CEASE TO BE, WE TRY TO SEEK THEM IN OBJECTS. THAT'S THE REASON WE FALL IN LOVE WITH OBJECTS THE SAME AS WITH PEOPLE. '
A poignant tale of lost love, lost space, and lost time, Geet Chaturvedi weaves a beautiful narrative primarily about the Sindhi refugees after the partition. There is a tattered old book, Basar Mal, Mangan’s Ma, Dil Khush Sambose wallah, and ‘I’ (the unnamed narrator).
Every chapter has an epigraph, an interesting quote from famous books.
‘EACH OF US IS INCOMPLETE IN SOME CORNER OF THE WORLD: AN INFINITE LIMITLESS WORLD THAT IS ITSELF INCIMPLETE, WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END.’
The highlight of the book was Basar Mal, his life being a constant struggle. Basar Mal, an old Sindhi in Bombay now, has left everything behind due to partition, his land, family, and love. He owns a dilapidated library visited by very few people.
Dil Khush, who sells tea and snacks, has a shop close to the library, and it's often crowded.
Basar Mal’s wife, Mangan’s Ma, whom he fondly calls Jalo, is obsessed with cleanliness and washing. ‘
I,’ the unnamed narrator, is a young graduate with an imaginative girlfriend. He frequently argues with his father.
The tattered book has its own voice, feeling almost magical like the Simsim. Its stories, whether about death or the Chakwa-Chakwi tale, add colour to the book. One story that made a place in my heart was about a beautiful girl named Neel Sar, drawing parallels between her life and books. The book speaks of its highs and lows, history and politics, life, and death.
‘I AM FOND OF BASAR MAL. I AM FOND OF EVERY PERSON THAT READS BOOKS, KEEPS BOOKS, LOVES BOOKS.’- the book.
Dreams unfulfilled, songs unsung, minds with innumerable thoughts and memories, a broken heart, the story is about impermanence, inconsistency, and vagueness of life. With innumerable quotable quotes, the book is a slow read, but it is worth mulling over and rereading to understand the nuances hidden between the lines.
The translator has done a wonderful job, making it seamless for the reader, as if it were originally written in English.
'WHEN PEOPLE WE LOVE CEASE TO BE, WE TRY TO SEEK THEM IN OBJECTS. THAT'S THE REASON WE FALL IN LOVE WITH OBJECTS THE SAME AS WITH PEOPLE. '