Born 1959
I’m not quite sure how to begin about Upamanyu Chatterjee since I’m a one-book fan. However there was something so authentic about that one book that I wanted to write about it’s author. The book was – English August, published in 1988. It had to be born out of personal experience – just the way most wonderful books are born (Yeah well Harry Potter is one of the exceptions).
I read some of his other works too like The Last Burden, The Mammaries of the Welfare State but didn’t enjoy them much. I found them rather cumbersome and much too long.
Chatterjee lived his novel
Born in Bihar he studied at St Xaviers and then at the prestigious St Stephens. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1983. That marked, not just the start of his administrative career but also his literary one. It was at his postings that he picked his characters and crafted his first book, English August, published in 1988.
English August…
… tells the story of a young boy Agastya Sen, August, Ogu or simply English, to his friends and relatives. He spends his early days in Delhi and Calcutta and then, like the author, becomes a Civil Servant following in his father’s footsteps. His first posting takes him to the tiny provincial town of Madna. Rural India is eons away from its urban counterpart and Agastya is completely culturally alienated.
Then follows a cynical yet witty account of Agastya’s life as he fights frogs in his bathroom and mosquitoes in his bedroom. There is absolutely nothing heroic about this protagonist. He hardly tries to fix the system as any self-respecting hero would. He chooses to go with the flow. Losing himself in a marijuana induced lethargy, lying on his bed he spends his days faking illness and staring at the ceiling. A more aimless confused protagonist you won’t find.
It is Chatterjee’s characters that hold you. Along with Agastya there is the pompous boss, his wife – who heads the cultural activities of the town, the America-influenced young man who roams around with a ‘walkman’ (where did they vanish?).. delightfully familiar, aren’t they?
To me..
… the book is special because I stumbled upon it some six years after its publication when I had just moved to Mumbai. Although there were absolutely no similarities between the protagonist and me or between the tiny town of Madna and mad mad Mumbai yet the newness of the place, the heat, the feeling of disconnect and of utter loneliness were all so real that the book will always remind of my early days there.
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Sreeja you got it yet again and on a slim clue this time!
It’s another Indian author tomorrow, one who is responsible for the cutting down of many many trees..and that’s kind of a cryptic clue. Yeah well.. I’m just trying to spice things up a bit as we near the end. Come now do give it a shot. How many Indian authors are there beginning with the letter ‘V’?
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This post is part of the April A to Z Challenge, 2014, for the theme AMAZING AUTHORS.
Also linking to the Ultimate Blog Challenge
I haven't read this author Tulika but English August has been on my list for long now. Guess, time to tick that off!
I always meant to read English August…just havne't had a chance. Thanks for writing about it and its author. I will definitely be reading it soon…just after I finish the 15 more that I have on my side-table 🙂
now that is a lot of books to read 🙂
Bikram
Sure is Bikram.
*gonna go
And I used to call myself a book lover… there's so much I haven;t read.. sigh!! after the april challenge I am go one by one from your list.
We all are. I'm sure if you list out your favourites I'll find a new bunch too. We really should have a book club.
Another great author and book. i have seen the movie but not read the book. My husband is pulling his hair out at the long list of books i am ordering online 🙂
Give him a break Sulekha…. Sympathies!
The story is quite different from what I expected from the title 'English August'! I think I'll read this one soon.
Hope you like it.
I'm waiting to be back home to order books after going through this challenge with you… 🙂
U for Uncanny-Random Thoughts Naba
Take your pick Naba.
Great post on Upamanyu Chatterjee. I read about three qtrs of English August and gave it up.
Aww.., did you find it too slow?
I haven't heard of this author. Learning heaps from your theme Tulika.
Glad of that Suzy.
I had seen English August movie but I have not read the book. Again an author I have never heard about 🙂
If you've seen the film you've pretty much read the book. I loved Rahul Bose.
I haven't heard of this author, Tulika. Looks like I have to pull an all-nighter just to get familiar with all the new writers I have discovered 🙂 Sounds like a very interesting book, where the protagonist is someone ordinary. How many books can we say that of?
As for tomorrow. I thought of all the choices Shilpa mentioned 🙂
~Shailaja's latest A~Z post
~Shailaja's Guest post
He's worse than ordinary Shailaja… not sure you'll like him much.
Thanks, Tulika for the mention. EAaIS was a favourite back at college , so when you said Babudom, it was my obvious choice ; I've to re-read it now 🙂 Thanks for evoking the memories 🙂
As for V, well, there are Vikram Seth, V S Naipaul, Vikas Swaroop…I believe your clue means, either " Long write-ups" or " many editions ". In that case I narrow it down to Vikram Seth, because 'A Suitable Boy' is one of the longest, single-volume novels in English, if I am right.
Waiting 🙂
I bow to thee lady… Seth it is.
I ordered 4 books last night from your recommendations from Flipkart. I did it too soon I guess, must read English August too.
Dont know about cutting trees part but V can be for Vikram Seth or V S Naipaul!
It IS one of the two Shilpa.
I might give that book a chance.. I like stories that brings out the characters well, and this seems to be one of those.. Thanks for sharing Tulika,and I particularly like when you tell why this book is important to you:-) … And yes – where DID those walk-mans go.? 🙂
Thanks Eli… I guess all of us have very personal memories of books. That's what makes them special, right?