In Custody

There aren't really specific words to describe this book's power. On the surface of it Anita Desai's work can be seen as overwrought, a tad pretentious, and even unsatisfying as to how it concludes. Additionally, Desai has, at least in this work, the somewhat dubious distinction of writing some of the most unpleasant characters in (relatively) recent fiction.

However under this scrim, this veneer of unpleasantness, there's a powerful mind presenting a challenging work. Maybe I've become too complacent in recent years. Though even after reading Calvino's If on a winter's night... I felt, at the bare minimum, slightly confident in my ability to consume a work of complexity. But maybe that was because Calvino's work was more a feat of show more structural dexterity. Hell, even Dostoyevsky in his Notes on the Underground was easier to take in. This is not to say that Desai is a less skilled writer than the aforementioned or that the pair are in anyway simplistic writers. It's just that what Desai gives us is neither a Byzantine riddle nor a psychological labyrinth; her book is instead an elegant work of craft showcasing a group of people shouldering the burden of their own very human weaknesses and that of the history of a much conflicted and complicated nation.

This is a definite recommendation to anyone though be warned that the picture of India here is not that of the affluent Western tourist. There is nothing kitsch or remotely stereotypical. It's an honest and bracing narrative encompassing happiness, despair, success, failure, and the nature and importance of art's necessary immortality to humanity. show less

Another book borrowed from my parents, which means I have now read all three of the Anita Desai novels that made the Booker shortlist (the others being [b:Clear Light of Day|275599|Clear Light of Day|Anita Desai|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356453394l/275599._SY75_.jpg|35908] and [b:Fasting, Feasting|19182577|Fasting, Feasting|Anita Desai|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533462245l/19182577._SY75_.jpg|2938959]).

The protagonist Deven works as a Hindi teacher in Mirpore, a small town near Delhi, who aspires to be an Urdu poet. His life is unrewarding, but he is offered a form of escape by a former college friend Murad, who runs an Urdu magazine in Delhi and show more enlists Deven's help to arrange an interview with a great Urdu poet Nur. Nur is now an old man, who drinks too much and spends much of his life hosting sycophants and hangers-on, and Deven's attempts to get him to remember his poetry are largely frustrated, giving the book a tragicomic tone.

Another enjoyable read, but for me Clear Light of Day is still the best of the three. show less

In Custody is a thought-provoking tale that laments the corrosion of culture and tradition in the face of modernity. With a startling array of characters Anita Desai beautifully weaves emotions and presents a wonderful portrayal of human lives and the complexity of relationships. Read the complete review of In Custody at http://www.thebookoutline.com/2014/07/book-review-in-custody.html

2023 Advent, Day 2:It was ok. Not really my thing and some of the paragraphs were actually just really long sentences. This book does have merit and has interesting things to say, but unfortunately I did not vibe with it and that's perfectly ok.
Book was given away to bookswap after reading

This book gives us a fascinating glimpse into the life of a minor celebrity.The flow is straight -forward.A beautiful work.

Didn't grab me, I'm afraid