The Far Field: A Novel

"From the beginning, I adored Suneyna for her shy smile and her habit of unconsciously reaching out to touch me whenever we were working. Her little hand would wander out and graze some part of my face, my chin or nose, and then she would go on as before, busily choosing blocks, unaware that she had shaken me deeply." Such is one of the more compelling small moments in Madhuri Vijay's first novel, "The Far Field." These little beats of simple action are all the more welcome as they randomly emerge amidst a very grim fictional though realistic landscape. The protagonist, Shalini, from Bangalore, India, journeys northeast to Kashmir, soon after she has arrived at an uncertain crossroads in her life at age 30. She resolves to look for someone who she greatly admired when she was young. She is as emotionally involving as a well-drawn but very updated Dickens protagonist. The characters are so vivid in this story, especially the people of the mountain villages. There is an openess, a direct manner of address that Vijay captures in the various people Shalini meets. Their warmth is unique and nicely contrasts with Shalini's more remote less trusting more cautious big city manner. There are the barest of small mud and wood houses though clean and optimized for spartan habitation that overlook mountain meadows. Another world. In Vijay's short story, "You Are My Dear Friend" emotions are held back within the actions of the protagonist or do not seem to exist when there is conflict. Although "The Far Field" might be characterized as a womens' novel, the men are not stereotyped and are as interestingly drawn as the women. Kashmir is such a mindless tragedy of a once very beautiful place that keeps continually replaying the brutal disconnect between Hindus and Muslims after the Partition of India in 1947. In modern times, emotional sensitivity is regarded as mental weakness and psychotic emotional overreaction is seen as a more normal though slightly sick form of mental control over others. Variously seen as progressive or not really but nevertheless necessary though degraded, "The Far Field" probes the obscene collateral damage of polarizing hatred and plain ignorance. It is a very fine first novel by a sensitive writer who brilliantly contrasts the lack of feeling or emotion in our modern geopolitical landscape where different ideas and singular individual differences are not to be tolerated in the best interests of an outwardly benevolent one world attitude. Excellent writers and poets chart the changes in the emotional and philosophical social-sphere as T. S. Eliot did in "The Wasteland" or Anthony Burgess in "A Clockwork Orange". "The Far Field" would make an awesome film about Kashmir to join "Haider" and "Fitoor" in its finest moments. The renown Hindi actor, Tabu would be perfect as Shalini's mother. It could be produced by Anushka Sharma's film production company, Clean Slate Filmz, for theatrical release after the pandemic. Ironically proving the point of Vijay's novel, it would actually be virtually impossible to shoot the film in Kashmir. So an excellent film location expert would need to scout a substitute location. And a skilled diplomat would also be needed to deal with any reservations film censors may have regarding the making of such a film in and about India. "The Far Field" displays a mature emotional feeling that doesn't seem to appeal as much to American readers as much as it once did in earlier American writers. It's emotional landscape is very relatable to today's tough times all over the world. The emotions and travails that Americans face are very similar to those that middle or lower upper class professional people experience in India or anywhere else in the world. The gulf between the well-monied and privileged people's existence contrasted to the more ordinary living of everyday people has never been as extreme as it is today. "The Far Field" wisely observes interactions among urban outsiders not at all aware of the maybe more ordinary but "different" in some ways, people of innately unique spiritual substance that they might meet. One caveat. It is quite sad but not anymore so than the pandemic and everything else that is wrong in the world these days.

<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1546999691l/43514906.jpg" width=160> [The Far Field] by [[Madhuri Vijay]] 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.

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.

Shalini, a girl twenty something girl, grieving the death of her mother decides to visit Kashmir to track down Bashir Ahmad, a traveling salesman and an unexpected friend of her mother’s. Her mother has always been an enigma to Shalini and she feels that Bashir, whose relationship with her mother irked and intrigued Shalini in equal measure, would may be able to help her unravel this enigma. What she is not prepared for is the political landmine, that is the state of Kashmir. One wrong move, whether deliberate or just naïveté, could lead to disastrous consequences. I am not sure if I find Shalini innocent or foolish, intriguing or frustrating. She is impulsive but also very withdrawn , possibly due to her upbringing; and the writer has cleverly not revealed a large portion of hers to even the readers. There are some beautiful female friendships that could have been formed like that between Shalini and Zoya and Shalini and Amina; but are left strained due to Shalini’s inability to confide to those around her. In a way, in all relationships in the story, the writer gives the readers a taste but doesn’t let us absorb the full flavor. While I usually like stories where everything has been explored well, I think in this case the lingering sense of incompletion has nuanced the story more. This book is Shalini ‘s journey. But I liked the fact that she doesn’t come to some grandiose conclusions or enlightenment at the end of it. It left a lot many questions unanswered for her and also tangled some webs even further. It also made her realize her privilege and the consequence of her abrupt actions. This book is in a sense politically timely but also timeless. It looks at the people, not the system as a whole.

Shalini discovered how naive she is and she did that at a cost to many besides herself. She trusted the wrong people.

The author writes with exquisite description. However, I did not complete the book . . . I was close, I was reading it for a book club and had intended to finish but just didn't make it in time. After our book club discussion, I realize that I'm not going to finish it. Apparently, the author also doesn't like the protagonist; the main character (according to our book club discussion and the other participants' research) represents India and the country's inability (like all countries) to see the effects of its behavior on neighboring regions. The protagonist does not change from the start of the story to the end, i.e. India does not change despite hundreds (if not thousands) of years interacting with Kashmir. So . . . perhaps you will like it, as I mentioned, her imagery is creative and clever (though there are quite a few editing mistakes that were overlooked) . . . hence the 3-star rating.

What kind of mother calls her daughter “little beast”? What kind of daughter feels such pity for her mother it turns into anger, such helplessness it turns into spite? And how does the discovery of a small wooden carving years later lead that daughter into troubled Kashmir looking for a man, a clothing salesman, who once came into her life, changed her mother’s trajectory and even into her father’s life? The narrative starts in Bangalore, and urban city, with all the delights and problems of city life. It moves. To Kashmir, a region of India on the border of Pakistan. Suddenly Shalini is in a remote, troubled village with all the attendant problems of being an outsider in a closed society she does not understand. This is a beautifully written story of love, betrayal and an earnest innocence that becomes a life changing experience at the expense of others. It’s a lesson, a heart-wrenching story of fear and cowardice. It’s a search for meaning in a life at once too comfortable and complex to understand unintended consequences until it is too late. But now the story is told and it, too, will change the reader.

I do like this author’s writing and prose. However, the story was somewhat depressing and I felt frustrated for the main character…DO SOMETHING! You have to read the book to understand:) I found myself a bit bored and irritated by the pace of the book, but the last few chapters wrapped things up well, and kept me enthralled to the end. Would recommend, but not ecstatically.

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.

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.

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.

This heartbreaking and excellent novel is set against the backdrop of the conflict in Kashmir, and in the broader context of tensions between some Muslim and Hindu communities in India. The narrator is Shalini, a young woman from a wealthy middle class family in Bangalore. Having never recovered from the death of her mother, Shalini is drifting through life, until she strikes on the idea of trying to track down a Kashmiri man who befriended her and her mother, but disappeared from their lives more than ten years ago. She travels to Kashmir, where she is gradually introduced to the harsh realities of the situation there. Shalini comes to care about the place and the people she meets there, but realises too late that her presence may put them in danger. Shalini is a likeable narrator - I did find her frustrating, particularly at first. But ultimately I came to sympathise with her. She is not a 'bad' person by any means - she never intends to harm anyone - but is shockingly naive. I loved many of the other characters, who are complex and well written. Her mercurial, complex mother and her well-meaning businessman father are both drawn beautifully, as are the people she meets in Kashmir. Most of the novel switches between Shalini's present and her visit to Kashmir, and the backstory that led her to that point. The final part of the novel is set in the present only, the backstory having been caught up. It's a well paced and balanced novel that is compelling and difficult to put down. Although it is clearly flagged from the first page that things will not end well, I still found myself hoping that things might turn out better than suggested. The theme of the damage potentially done by well meaning, privileged people to the lives of those less well off than themselves is a powerful one. Shalini is typical of a person who has never been badly treated by authorities, and has high expectations of them, without understanding that sadly the same rules don't apply for every citizen. It had echoes to me of the situation where white peoples struggle to understand why some black people might fear law enforcement. Shalini may have genuinely cared for the people she met in Kashmir, but her situation would never be the same as theirs and she seemed blind to the reality that her good intentions alone would not necessarily equate to good outcomes. It would be a good book group choice as there is plenty to discuss in here about inequality and balance of power, applicable to situations throughout the world, but it's also a really good story at an emotional level, about interesting people. There's no easy answers here - it reminded me of the great Rohinton Mistry in terms of the quality of the writing and the unflinching realism of the plot. Whilst not a 'feel good' book, it is a really good one and definitely worth reading. I can't wait to see what Vijay will write next - I even harbour a little hope she might produce a sequel.