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10th out of 38 books
—
3 voters
Hindoo Holiday
In the 1920s, the young J. R. Ackerley spent several months in India as the personal secretary to the maharajah of a small Indian principality. In his journals, Ackerley recorded the Maharajah's fantastically eccentric habits and riddling conversations, and the odd shambling day-to-day life of his court. Hindoo Holiday is an intimate and very funny account of an exceedingl...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
January 31st 2000
by NYRB Classics
(first published 1932)
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One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. Not much drama develops here. Neither are there long-winded philosophical musings on the nature of life and death or some such. Instead, we get to look at the colonial India of 1920's through the eyes of a young - and naive - British subject who's in India for the first time.
Despite being naive about some things, he's very perceptive about others. His characterizations of different characters and their description make the book flow. So wonderfu...more
Despite being naive about some things, he's very perceptive about others. His characterizations of different characters and their description make the book flow. So wonderfu...more
With his tittering into his sleeve, his silly anxieties and his shortness, the Maharajah made me think of the Sultan in Disney's Aladdin.... And Ackerley himself became a kindly Jafar.
Much of the book is those two roaming around and devising ways of seducing numerous Aladdins.
Discussing their ideal man:
"The sun was setting in front is us in a blaze of pink and golden light. His Highness waved a regretful hand towards it.
'I want a friend like that,' he said."
Another journey in the car:
"Soon, how...more
Much of the book is those two roaming around and devising ways of seducing numerous Aladdins.
Discussing their ideal man:
"The sun was setting in front is us in a blaze of pink and golden light. His Highness waved a regretful hand towards it.
'I want a friend like that,' he said."
Another journey in the car:
"Soon, how...more
"I do not need it," he cried, "but I am worth it and therefore I must have it."
There is a golden mohur tree near the Guest House, and I sat on the verandah to-day looking at its beautiful cascading orange flowers. A mina bird perched on its branches, looking very inquisitorial and making a variety of inquisitorial noises. The mina is a kind of starling, and is said to be as intelligent as the parrot in learning to talk. Maybe it is; and its harsh voice is no less unpleasant to listen to. Bird no...more
There is a golden mohur tree near the Guest House, and I sat on the verandah to-day looking at its beautiful cascading orange flowers. A mina bird perched on its branches, looking very inquisitorial and making a variety of inquisitorial noises. The mina is a kind of starling, and is said to be as intelligent as the parrot in learning to talk. Maybe it is; and its harsh voice is no less unpleasant to listen to. Bird no...more
What an absolute charmer this journal is. This is one of those books that I've been meaning to read for a number of years, but for one reason or another had never got around to. I'm so happy I finally did. Not at all what I expected. I've enjoyed a number of books covering the theme of East meets West culture clashes such as Orwell's brilliant "Burmese Days," Ruth Jhabvala's "Heat and Dust" and Forster's "A Passage to India" and "The Hill of Devi." Still, I think it is Ackerley's whimsical remin...more
Extremely funny and perceptive of human nature. The scenes with Abdul ( 'He really is the most tiresome person I have ever met'), with the other Anglo-Indians, and certainly with His Majesty*, were hilarious. Others have commented on how not PC this is; in fact Ackerley's treatment of these characters is extremely human, and he is in love with absurdity, including his own. Further, the attitudes of Ackerley's character are nothing like the racism of the AngloIndian community, which he exposes an...more
This book should have been interesting: an openly gay Englishman in the 1920's visits an Indian nobleman and observes said nobleman's eccentric habits as well as records his own culture clash with the rest of India. Sadly, it wasn't . This was a pretty dull read for me. I don't know if it was the writing style or the pacing, but it felt like like nothing was happing. I honestly can't remember any significant events happening beyond the awkward exchanges between Ackerley and his doting tutor, Abd...more
The first thing to strike a modern reader is that curious spelling. The double O, not U as is accepted. The double O takes us to another time and place, to a view of India from not that long ago, but distant enough now to be another world. Only the double O was not Ackerley’s. He spelt it Hindu. The misspelling was down to the publisher, who felt that it gave the book another charm. And he was right, for this journal of Ackerley’s five months in India is the British social comedy transplanted to...more
I'm in agreement with reviewer Kelly. I wanted to enjoy this and find it charming, but I didn't. One thing I did enjoy was Ackerly's openness to the Hindu culture. Otherwise, this was just a wash for me. I'd rather read The Raj Quartet again for a mesmerizing look at colonial India.
A gem of a travel journal! I was expecting dry, but got a mesmerising portrait of a lost era. It was enlightening to learn about the Hindu religion and amusing how little control those titled have! A must-read!!!!!
This is a lovely book, beautifully written, with great detail of the place and time (the 1920s in India) and colorful characters, some very likeable and others truly frustrating. If you like the writing, also look for My Dog Tulip. I have yet to read that one, but I saw the film version and it was super.
a classic "travel" book about an englishman who goes to be a sahib maharaja's tutor (and possible lover)in i think the 1930's. clear eyed aloof observations of a stranger in a strange land. from NYRB Classics. never a dud in the bunch.
eliot weinberger introduces this and that's what led me to this thing in the first place. THANKS eliot w.
eliot weinberger introduces this and that's what led me to this thing in the first place. THANKS eliot w.
If my paternal grandfather had been posher and more frivolous perhaps this could have been him. Enjoyed it
This is the book that finally convinced me Ackerley couldn't write.
Hilarious and to quote another reviewer,"problematically racist".
I really wanted to like this book. Alas, I just couldn't. Every character comes off as a major twit.
An account of several months spent as the secretary of an Indian prince, in the 1920s. I liked his My Father and Me some years ago so I picked this up. His descriptions of the Prince and his fondness for beautiful young boys are amusing, and his wry observations of the people he meets are okay, but except for a few vivid descriptions of animals, it’s not terribly interesting.
Oct 20, 2009
Howard
marked it as fair
Strange old book.
Jul 07, 2009
Jeanette
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommended to Jeanette by:
NYRB
Shelves:
did-not-work-for-me
I read the first 95 pages of this book, which was 95 pages too many. Everything I heard about it led me to believe it would be very entertaining, so I kept reading hoping it would get funny, or at least interesting. A couple of nights ago I was struggling through another page, when suddenly I was awakened by my own snoring!!
This was cool. A princely Indian state in the 20's. The Maharajah (and the author, It seems to me) were gay and pretty out for the 20's, I imagine. Lots of great descriptions that I could totally picture. Not stilted or dated, at all. Classic. If anyone wants to borrow.....
This gem is quirky, funny and a must-read--although totally un-p.c. I love India and most things Indian, so I hope none of my Indian friends find out how much I love this book.
Absolutely not the most PC book! But fascinating, nonetheless. An interesting look at an India (and the colonialism that dominated it) that still shows its face from time to time.
Absolutely hilarious and a must read for anyone who wants to wash "A Passage to India," out of his/her hair. Deeply problematically racist, sad to say.
This book was so fun.
Love the title and the book.
May 16, 2013
Matt
marked it as to-read
May 13, 2013
Michelle
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2013
Monica Fox
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Vaarun Dhingra
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2013
Christopher
marked it as to-read
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Joe Randolph "J. R." Ackerley (4 November 1896 – 4 June 1967) was a British writer and editor. Starting with the BBC the year after its founding in 1927, he was promoted to literary editor of The Listener, its weekly magazine, where he served for more than two decades.
He published many emerging poets and writers who became influential in Great Britain. He was openly gay, a rarity in his time when...more
More about J.R. Ackerley...
He published many emerging poets and writers who became influential in Great Britain. He was openly gay, a rarity in his time when...more
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Jul 13, 2012 11:42am