Far Field

I bought this book because it was highly recommended by my bibliophile friends . The story takes some time to pull you in but a chapter or two later, it grips you . The characters are unforgettable and remind you of real people you have known, grappling with issues which seems to engulf them and drown them .The characterisation of the mother is brilliant and it shocks one, how mental health issues can storm into a family and cause turmoil. The writing is simple and unadorned, but weaves a wonderful story . This is the first book i have read, which deals with how the turmoil in Kashmir has affected the lives of simple people only wanting to make a honest living for themselves and their families. All in all a wonderful book.

"I am thirty years old and that's nothing"Story starts with this astonishing mysterious line"Her mother died when Shalini was twenty one. "This is what I have told myself for last six years, each time I have had the urge to speak" "It will make no difference"What happened in Kashmir that she isn't recovered yet.The story begins when a Kashmiri salesman Bashir Ahmed knocks on their door and enters to Shalni and her mother's world, Shalini sees different side of her mother.Her mother wants to escape from her world with Bashir but soon she finds that he is also escaping from his life, living far away from his family, at Bangalore, leaving them in trouble.✨✨✨ When Shalini turns twenty-four she considers going in search of Bashir but she don't know about him but a story when she six.She leaves for Kashmir knowing nothing but a story (maybe not real)Her journey to Kashmir unfolds facts.Living with strangers a place like Kashmir, she finds a connection in her life.For me, this was a fantastic, mind-blowing and beautiful read.Highlights• So, you see, there is nothing to be gained by prenteding to a wisdom I do not Possess. • And suddenly it seemed like the most natural thing I had ever done in my life, sitting in comfortable silence with this sober copule in the predawan, the couple I met a few days ago and staying under common roof. • Holding My finger and mumbling Kashmiri words the Aquib went on to the school way. • Milking the cow with Amina and her calling Shalini Murgi. • Teaching Sania and discussing things with Mohammad Din.• She got to know that Bashir was arrested by the military and ...• Riyaz and Amina didn't tell her a secret • After dinner standing outside the house with Riyaz • Having the same desire, her mom had once for Bashir, leaving home• Bashir's leaving • Her encounter with the soldiers • Leaving Bashir's Family with guilt • The things happened at Brigadier's place • Things she got know through a phone call, days after leaving Kashmir • Things buried under her heart at the age of thirty, six years passed but...#thefarfiled #bookreview #jcbliterature2019 #bookstagram

The Far FieldMadhuri VijayCommendable writing!!!"There is nothing like been consumed by the blazing fire of untold story"..This is a story about Kashmir.. the one most of us either are not aware of or we don't care about..The story is about reminiscences of a girl in Bangalore when a salesman comes at her doorstep selling in some Kashmiri clothes.. How it impacts her life and how she embarks on a journey to Kashmir which takes the reader through the ground realities there - Hindus, Muslims, Kashmiri Pandits, Politics, Militancy, Terrorism, Army and not to forget the common man..The story telling is immaculate and endearing...A love story, war story, family saga weaved into a delicate emotional story....One of the best books I have read this year..Recommended read to all my friends..

This debut novel , depicting the experiences of a confused and naive woman in her late twenties , who loses her strong but eccentric mother through suicide and then embarks on a journey , on a whim ,to far-off Kashmir from Bangalore , in an attempt at self-discovery , turns out to be an impressive effort ( the book won the 2019 JCB Prize for Literature ) . Ms. Vijay's strengths as a novelist are on full display throughout the volume : utterly believable characters , ability to hold the reader's attention through the twists and turns of the plot ,and above all , a writing style suited to building up the atmosphere and experiences her characters go through . Apart from the bumbling efforts of the main protagonist , Shalini , to sort out her personal life , the novel ascends to a political and humanitarian theme ,viz. the ground level situation in the military occupied Kashmir , where she spends a few months with a Muslim family . Vijay is able to draw a fine , nuanced portrait of the Kashmir imbroglio , leaving the reader to take his own call ,and at the same time , placing us in no doubt as to where her empathy lies . The author's technique of juxtaposing the flashbacks with the current events adds to the power of her narration .Overall , the novel was a pleasant discovery for me , especially for a maiden effort and we should look forward to more such output from Vijay.

The authors excels in her descriptions and in creating an atmosphere. She makes it unputdownable.However cannot say the same for her character development. Found a lot of unnecessary characters in the story and also even really strong characters like her mother were not developed with great clarity and sharpness. I think the main drawback in this was that even though there was great setting, a pacy story, deep thoughts...it lacked emotion. We knew what the mother said but how did she feel?We knew how Shalini progressed in her quest but there was very little of her feelings woven into the story, just a lot of what she was thinking.That is what detracted from the story and made it flat.Great effort though for her debut novel.

The writing was excellent in this book, descriptions glorious, fabulous metaphors. The story was very unique and compelling. The settings, in various parts of India, mostly Bangalore and Kashmir, were rich with details and transported me to a place and culture that I found fascinating. Including the political problems in that region was also something I enjoyed reading about because it was not anything I’ve read about before and it’s important to understand. Other reviewers complained about the ending and the characters. Not all characters are sweet and endearing. Certainly the mother in this book was a difficult person, but her specific kind of difficult is fascinating and interesting. The main character has grown up in a privileged life, and she’s young. She is flawed as all good characters should be. The story is in some ways a coming of age story, a story about some truths that she uncovers. I’m not sure why the readers who wanted more from the ending couldn’t figure that out and be satisfied. For me, the second half of the book was very fast paced. Vijay does a great job with tension. I thought the author did an excellent job with the entire novel—and it is a first novel! I look forward to the next novel by Vijay.

Such an tiring read, the story drags on and on with no real plot or climax. At the end you find yourself resenting the main character for wasting your time as she’s wasted her life away.

Beautiful, well told. Very educational about a region and culture so far from my own. I couldn't put it down.

Great physical and cultural descriptions of South and North India. This is a story of girl’s journey, trying to find how she fits into a complex conflicting society. An enjoyable read especially as I have loved meeting some people in India and seeing parts of this amazing country.

<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1546999691l/43514906.jpg" width=160>[The Far Field] by  I have extremely mixed feelings about this book, and I see that many other readers share the same reaction. One the plus side are the beautiful, detailed descriptions of the Kashmiri landscape and the struggles of the people living there. On the downside: the ending, which left me frustrated, with no sense of closure, and not particularly liking the protagonist.The novel begins with Shalini, a 20-something living with her widowed father in Bangalore, trying to figure out her life—especially her conflicted relationship with the mother who randomly doted on and ignored her. Despite this, Shalini always felt close to her mother, in large part due to a secret in which she was forced to share. When she was a child, a Kashmiri clothes salesman appeared at the door, and for some reason, her mother took a liking to him and invited him in for tea and conversation. Bashir Ahmed told magical stories that delighted both mother and daughter, and over the years, he would return many times between his visits to see his family in Kashmir. Although Shalini never understood why, her father was never told about Bashir’s visits—until the day he answered the salesman’s knock. A kind and generous man who was intrigued by a conversations about the ongoing war in Kashmir, he invites Bashir to stay in the family guest room. This decision ultimately leads to Bashir’s sudden, final disappearance.Years later, after her mother’s death, Shalini becomes obsessed with a desire to find Bashir, but the only clue she has to his whereabouts is the name of a district—Kishtwar—mentioned in one of his stories. Her journey begins the larger, more active, and more interesting part of the novel. As she journeys deeper into the heart of Kashmir, the lives of its people, and even Bashir’s family, she learns more about the effects of the ongoing conflicts between the militants and the Indian army. Although it starts to feel like a coming of age story, unfortunately, at least for this reader, the anticipated moment of self-realization and change never quite comes, and I found her naiveté, thoughtlessness, and selfishness rather repellent.Still, those descriptions of Kashmir and the struggles of its people are a saving grace, leading me to give this novel four stars.