false 65285 20 The title of Manil Suri's first novel gets right to the point. His protagonist, having purchased the right to sleep on the ground-floor landing of a Bombay apartment house, slips slowly from a coma into death. As this aging alcoholic takes leave of the earth, his neighbors surround him, arguing over who gave Vishnu a few dried chapatis, who called the doctor for him, and who will pay for the ambulance to cart him away. Meanwhile, the hero of <I>The Death of Vishnu</I> is lost in memories. Drifting through increasingly vivid scenes from his past, he recalls his relatively rare snatches of love and joy--and especially his romance with Padmini, a self-involved prostitute. On one particular day, it seems, he stole one of his employer's cars and drove his love interest to the honeymoon town of Lonavala, where he showered her with gifts and finally lifted her veil to kiss her like a bride: <blockquote> Then the absurdity of the situation strikes him. The preposterousness of his images, the foolishness of his feelings, the comicality of chasing currents that skim across Padmini's face. He thinks how absurd this whole trip has been, how absurd is the presence of the two of them in Lonavala, how absurd is the scenery itself that stretches before them. He thinks of poor, ridiculous Mr. Jalal, waiting back in Bombay for his Fiat, and of how Padmini will react when he asks her to buy them petrol so they can get back. </blockquote> Vishnu also recalls his secret passion for Kavita Asrani, the beautiful teenage daughter of one of the families for whom he works. Given the protagonist's focus on his hapless love life, the scope of Suri's dazzling debut may appear narrow. However, the apartment house upon whose floor Vishnu spends his final hours functions as a microcosm of Indian society. It helps to know even a smattering about Hindu mythology or India's religious conflicts. But even if you don't, there is plenty to relish in <I>The Death of Vishnu</I>, with its comical, richly drawn characters, loving attention to the details of everyday life, and provocative exploration of destiny and free will. <I>--Regina Marler</I> 3214806 book 2001 The Death of Vishnu: A Novel total:1438|5:248|4:486|3:500|2:162|1:42| 1438 5050 2004 198 5 2 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Sat Aug 04 10:08:15 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 04 10:11:20 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 1 true false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Tue Dec 16 11:45:04 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 16 11:45:04 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 4 1 false false Wed Apr 18 07:48:55 -0700 2007 Wed Apr 18 14:06:04 -0700 2007
In Hindu mythology, Vishnu is the "preserver", although this book is not ...more...]]> 5 1 false false Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2002 Mon Mar 05 12:03:46 -0800 2007 Mon Mar 05 12:04:11 -0800 2007 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 07:41:06 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 08:30:06 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Tue Jan 06 11:31:24 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 11:31:24 -0800 2009 I liked the part about the title character--an old man living and now dying on an apartment building landing. From here, the story covers the lives of several inhabitants of the ap...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Tue Aug 18 06:11:47 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 06:11:47 -0700 2009 It was a pleasure to read, for the vivid depiction of the residents of an apartment building in contemporary Mumbai. This microcosm revolves ...more...]]> 2 1 false false Sun Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Sep 29 06:29:06 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 12 09:41:24 -0700 2008 1 3 0 false false Sun Jul 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 11:03:30 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 11:22:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Sun Feb 22 22:27:32 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 22:57:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jul 16 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Sun Mar 22 07:55:21 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 10 01:00:57 -0700 2009
While poor Vishnu lays dying on the steps of the tenament, his neighbours try to continue on with their lives and ignore him. No one wants to pay for an ambulance or his hospital bills. As Vishnu lays dying he reflects back on his life as a child and his affair w...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 14 12:25:05 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 16:10:24 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Nov 18 16:03:46 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 16:08:41 -0800 2009
Hence, I must admit that it took me a couple of chapters to get into the story and like the easy writing right away.

The characters are interesting and weave into the plo...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Oct 18 19:59:58 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 13:55:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Sat Jul 25 19:28:30 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 25 19:28:42 -0700 2009 Vishnu, a servant, a handyman, lays dying. The story shifts from
Vishnu's remembrances of the past to each of the apartment dwellers
and then to Vishnu's dying thoughts. Vishnu is ignored by the others
as much as possible, but becomes an embarra...more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Apr 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 08 14:12:03 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 18:25:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 13 07:24:58 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 12:09:08 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Feb 04 18:09:16 -0800 2009 Tue Apr 14 11:29:22 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 13:55:07 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 30 17:00:00 -0700 2008 I enjoyed this so much I'm tempted to run out and get the second part of the planned trilogy, "The Age of Shiva," right away, but it would have to go to the far end of the taxi runway.

This novel, set in Bombay, centers on the life of the title character, a poor man eking ...more...]]> 3 1 false false Wed Apr 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 06 13:47:12 -0800 2008 Wed Apr 09 19:24:12 -0700 2008
In the beginning, the characters seem more like caricatures-- typical "bourgeoisie"...more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=65285