The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

WoWasis book review: ‘Saraswati Park’ by Anjali Joseph, a novel from India

Written By: herbrunbridge - Apr• 23•13

SaraswatiParkBookHomosexuality is a theme we here at WoWasis have yet  to encounter while reading through the Bangladeshi fiction we’ve been reviewing recently, but it strongly resonates through Indian writer Anjali Joseph’s first novel, Saraswati Park (2010, ISBN 978-93-5029-061-3). Set in Bombay (Mumbai), the activities primarily concern Ashish, a young student whose emerging gay consciousness involves him in relationships alternatively exhilarating and confusing.

Ashish’s family isn’t much help. He’s been sent to live with an uncle, a frustrated writer, and aunt, whose relationship is teetering. His adolescent friends are as confounded as he is by the concepts of love and relationships, and potential familial responsibilities weigh heavily in many of their decisions. The book is more than a gay “coming out” book, though. The drama in this fast-paced book is driven by disappointed expectations, socially, financially, and romantically.

As the book reaches its finale, Mohan and Lakshmi, the uncle and aunt, and Asish have seemed to have found their respective ways out of the morass, but yet have a number of future questions unfulfilled, offering some degree of hope within a framework of the knowledge that more challenges may be looming. Overall, this is an interesting, compelling book that does a very good job of investigating the social intricacies of love and culture. Buy Saraswati Park here at the WoWasis eStore.

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