book data
135 ratings,
3.42
average rating, 10 reviews
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published
October 28th 2001
by Stock
(first published 1989)
details
Broché, 318 pages
isbn
2234023122
(isbn13: 9782234023123)
description
A "beautifully written, richly textured, and haunting story" (Chaim Potok), BAUMGARTNER'S BOMBAY is Anita Desai's classic novel of the Holoc…more
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| Review | 1 | 8 | Sep 14, 2008 12:50PM |
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 203)
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avg 3.42
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in May, 2007
I was pretty keen on Anita Desai in years past, especially after reading "Clear Light of Day." (It's superb.) But there are several of her books I hadn't read, and she had dropped off my radar. Her daughter's recent success (Kiran won the 2006 Man Booker Prize for "The Inheritance of Loss") prompted me to revisit her writing.
"Baumgartner's Bombay" draws on Desai's unusual heritage: a German mother and an Indian father. It's the story of Hugo Baumgartner,...more
"Baumgartner's Bombay" draws on Desai's unusual heritage: a German mother and an Indian father. It's the story of Hugo Baumgartner,...more
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Read in September, 2008
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Read in January, 2010
Well, being locked away in a camp in India for the duration of WWII is not actually the worst thing that happens to the main character...it's not an uplifting book by any stretch of the imagination.
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great book, and one I almost missed reading because it had been on my bookshelf a little too long. Anita Desai is a gifted writer, far, far better than her over-hyped daughter. Part of the book is set in Bombay and Calcutta, between WWII and the 1980s, and part of it in pre-war Germany. Apart from the constant German phrases, particularly early in the book, it was a pleasure to read. this is one random sentence I picked out just now, but there are many others:
"He had had trouble recog...more
"He had had trouble recog...more
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I don't care what Barry says--I found it a useful read, when faced with existential crisis.
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this is a sad story of a hopelessly displaced person. hugo baumgartner flees nazi germany only to be imprisoned for being a german in still-colonial india. tragically ironic but beautifully written, desai tells a story of staggering loss and the perils of nationalism, but also one of friendship, and whatever kind of redemption can be found in small kindnesses.
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Read in May, 2009
Too slow-going. The author (a German-Indian non-Jew) did not do a good job at all of portraying the personal tragedy of the Holocaust. Also, I found myself not caring about any of the characters, since they all were sort of lifeless (although that was sort of the point, I guess). What I did like was the way the author started the book in a way that was confusing at the time, until you tied it all together at the end of the book. Still, I don't think I would recommend this to others.
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Read in October, 2006
Absolutely loved this book. If you're at all interested in the Holocaust, trauma studies, or post-colonialism, you should read this.
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Read in November, 2007
The story of a man who just does'nt fit in any where he goes. I could relate a lot to this man.
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Read in December, 2006
Wonderful. Made me want to be back in Gubar's class to discuss this text that was so rich.
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