An Obedient Father

So you won't end up in a book where you might not want to be, know that in this book a father sexually abuses his daughter, and then, when he is an old man and unwell, that same daughter abuses him. So it deals with very dark matters indeed. Over the course of the novel many themes and questions emerge. What are the limits of forgiveness? Is it even possible? Can good deeds make up for bad? Is it possible to be good when the world about you is irredeemably corrupt?

Akhil Sharma is drawn to these dark stories. In both his novels, An Obedient Father and Family Life, horrific events tear apart families. I found, though, that the most effective element of this story had nothing to do with the abysmal family history. Rather it was the show more suspenseful tension generated by Mr. Karan's living off the spoils of political corruption while all the time being threatened by its brutish caprice. Sharma manages Karan's navigation of this claustrophobic terrain so well. Given how wonderfully he writes, one wishes, vainly, that his focus might someday shift away from such grim plots. show less

An Obedient Father by Akhil Sharma is a story set in India during the time of the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rayiv Gandhi in 1991, it is centred upon the life of a corrupt civil servant who we soon realize is a loathsome creature who, having molested his own daughter many years ago is now looking at his twelve year old granddaughter. This is a man who is so self-centred that he doesn’t think about anything other than what he wants. I seriously considered abandoning this book, but it was very well written and the parts that were about his extorting money and collecting bribes drew me in, also I read with the hope that his daughter’s rage and hatred would be unleashed upon him.

The story is full of misery, but the author show more paints a vivid picture of daily life in poverty-stricken Delhi and the main character, loathsome as he is, does show some depth and intelligence. An Obedient Father was a difficult read due to the subject matter but like driving past a car accident, it was almost impossible to look away. Although written in a light conversational tone, this is a book that is raw and uncompromising as it tells the story of a man’s inner conflict and base desires. The political corruption that it exposes seems quite tame in contrast. show less

** spoiler alert **

I added this to my reading list ages ago and since I read Akhil Sharma's Family Life recently, I thought I might as well read this. And now that I have, I almost wish I hadn't.

The story is disturbing, to say the least. The main character is an aging corrupt politician (corrupt politician - isn't that redundant in India?) who repeatedly committed a horrific crime (rape) against his daughter years ago for which he was never really punished. And the book goes into detail on that. To say it was difficult to read is an understatement.

Somehow, as the story progresses, the author almost makes you feel bad for this monster, which is incredible. You catch yourself feeling these feelings, and then think, what the hell am I show more thinking?!

The book also weaves in some major political events in India's history, which is an interesting angle. As bad as that is in itself, I guess it gives you a break from the above-mentioned sordid details.

The effects of the man's crime on his daughter and then his granddaughter and the ripple effects this has just made this even more depressing. Especially in light of India's culture of "what will people say" and the effects on women. Ugh, this book is a tough read and not for the faint of heart.

(I'm struggling with the rating because I think the book was well-written but the story itself...) show less

This is a beautifully written debut novel, which paints a picture of life in India far from the exotic romantic picture many westeners have in their minds. Ram Kumar is a ghastly man, corrupt and a paedophile who raped one of his daughters when she was a child. As she has been widowed she has no option to return, with her own daughter, to live with him. Ram is honest with the reader about his sexual urges, his attitude to himself and to the corruption which is endemic in Indian society. One of the most unpleasant characters in literature, and a generally depressing story, the book is redeemed by the wonderful writing, and the knowledge that no westener travelling to India as a tourist would ever get a glimpse of what life there is show more really like, yet this book affords the reader an inside view. show less

An Obedient Father is a superbly written, enthralling and deeply disturbing story. Sharma's characters alternately inspire pity and disgust. As in real life, they are neither purely good or purely evil, but beautifully human in their fragility. Thus, while we feel disgust for the abuser, we also feel empathy. And, while we feel empathy for the abused, we also feel disgust.

I feel I should warn readers that there are a few descriptions of sexual abuse in this book that are disturbingly realistic and this book is an emotional roller-coaster. Having said that, I believe this is the best-written book I have read in a while and I will definitely watching for more books by this author.

The story takes place in India in the 1990s. Some real people are discussed, the times are not imaginary, but the characters are.

Ram Karan is a money man for Mr. Gupta, a superior in the education department. A junior officer in the physical education department of the Delhi school system, Ram takes bribes from principals of schools and others for whom he can presumably do some good. It is the way it is done. People expect to have to bribe to get things done. So here we get part of a picture of India at the time.

What people do not know about the incompetent Ram Karan is that 20 years ago he took improper advantage of his daughter Anita. Now, his wife recently deceased of cancer and Anita's husband dead in an accident, Anita and her show more 12-year-old daughter Asha have moved in with him. He is tempted by Asha. But Anita sees him pushing his luck and thus begins the torment.

Ram is beset with regret for what he has done and he tells Anita so. She doesn't care. She harangues him constantly and he grovels as necessary, he finds way to appease her, and his experience as a corrupt bureaucrat aids him in a way. She is never really satisfied, however, and the assault of both his conscience - skewed though it is - and her verbal attacks wear on him until it shows in him physically.

In his job as moneyman Ram finds that his situation has become untenable and his family is not safe.

Having read a novel based in the time of The Emergency in the 1970s, I have a passing familiarity with the Nehru family and of Indira Ghandi in particular. I found this story, taking place almost 20 years later, a further expression of life in India and how soon we forget. I found, too, the story of this odd little fat man at turns funny, ironic, and pathetic. The author has been compared to Dostoevsky. I think maybe closer to Chekhov. show less

What a vile character! Self-serving, self-pitying, compelling.