The dichotomy between two cultures and countries couldn't be revealed more subtlety than as written by this author ... Her stories have unusual themes and are written matter-of-factly .. yet they possess great depth and understanding which is camouflaged in plain words, simple rhetoric. Do *not* let the "apparent" simplicity ...fool you. As the saying goes, 'still waters run deep' ... These stories are immensely rich and deep.
The book is divided into two sections, the first, called "East" has six stories from India. The other, called, "Upper East" is devoted to stories from New York and the East coast of the USA. The following are two summaries of stories from India. In the "Expiation", the reader is introduced to a family who were poor but who lived in a developing region of India. Their standard of living improved tremendously as they prospered after starting a business. The older brother tells us his story, how he loved and cared for his younger sibling ... whose pet name is "Bablu". As the baby of the family, Bablu is spoiled and eventually becomes reckless. We find out to what depths brotherly love prevails *despite* the irresponsible behavior of the younger sibling. "Farid and Farida" is my favorite story in this section. This happily married successful young Indian couple move to the UK to fulfill their dreams. However, life in London does not meet their high expectations. After 15 years, they live in a shabby apartment and are still 'just making it'. They rely on 'loans" from a prosperous Indian friend who was from their hometown in India. Although this male friend was unpopular when growing up at 'home' ... in the UK he becomes a wealthy man. Farida can no longer tolerate their squalid living conditions, so she returns to India without her husuband. After 20 years of separation, her husband Farid searches for his wife. To his astonishment, he discovers her at an ashram, a mountain retreat, where she is receiving visitors from all over the world, providing them wisdom and peace. She accepts her husband's visit serenely ... as if they were never apart. Next, the Indian business friend from the UK discovers Farida's successful venture and tempts her with an offer -- find out what it is. The conclusion to the story is worth reading.
Section two, "Upper East" is filled with eight highly diverse human interest stories. The author tells each story simply and elegantly. After rading each story in this section, this reader felt as if struck by lightening. The message in each story leaves a huge unexpected impact. Each story has layers and layers of undiscovered meaning. There are no "warning danger ahead" signs to reveal the paths taken by the people in these stories. Just as well, the warnings would not be followed anyway ... In this section, my favorite story is "The Temptress". Briefly, two former college roommates meet an Indian lady who sees to be an ordinairy person. These two friends are seeking meaning and enlightenment in their lives. "Ma", the Indian lady, seems to possess extraordinairy powers to reveal illness, past lives, and predict the future. One of the young ladies provides Ma a room in her apartment. Ma develops a strong following as she lectures to people about "life". The neighbors flock to this 'spiritual' lady. One needs to read the story to find out how this story ends.
In summary, Ms Ruth Prawer Jhabvala possesses an unusual ability to tell highly complex stories with elegant simplicity. Her talents are dazzling. People's lives are revealed so gradually that only *after* the reader is finished does the full impact of the unique perspective strike the reader. Even then, it takes several hours to penetrate and realize how deep and penetrating the meaning is and what was actually revealed. This book receives my highest praise. Erika Borsos (erikab93)
